Assuring the Safety of Hydrail and Hybrid Railway Equipment and Systems

White paper

Abstract

Hydrail and hybrid railway equipment and systems have the potential to transform the fossil-fueled, legacy railway infrastructure and make important contributions to the reduction of harmful emissions around the globe. However, adopting hydrogen power as an energy source in railway systems introduces a number of potential safety issues that can place entire communities at risk. In this white paper, we’ll review the safety issues associated with hydrail and hybrid railway equipment and systems and discuss how risk assessment practices can help increase both safety and reliability.

TÜV SÜD Contents

INTRODUCTION 3

WHAT ARE HYDRAIL AND HYBRID RAILWAY EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS? 3

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HYDRAIL AND HYBRID RAILWAY EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS? 4

WHAT ARE THE SAFETY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH HYDRAIL AND HYBRID SYSTEMS? 5

WHY IS A RISK ASSESSMENT IMPORTANT? 5

WORKING WITH TÜV SÜD 6

SUMMARY 6

About the TÜV SÜD experts

Dr. Ing. Jürgen Heyn Department Manager and Lead Assessor for Fire and Worker Safety, Emergency and Rescue Concepts, TÜV SÜD Rail GmbH, Business Unit Rolling Stock Dr. Jürgen Heyn has been with TÜV SÜD for nearly 20 years and is an accredited expert on fi re prevention, fi re analysis, evacuation and emergency rescues in connection with railway systems, holding several certifi cates. Previous to his current role as Department Manager for Fire and Worker Safety within the Rolling Stock Business Unit at TÜV SÜD Rail in Munich, Dr. Heyn has served as the Head of Business Development and as a key account and project manager for railway systems. During his career, he has led multiple railway projects and has also been involved in the assessment of hydrogen systems and lithium-ion batteries for traction in railway applications.

Tolga Wichmann Senior Assessor for Fire and System Safety, Rolling Stock, Systems and Components TÜV SÜD Rail GmbH, Business Unit Rolling Stock Tolga Wichmann brings more than a decade of railway vehicle engineering experience to his role as Senior Assessor for Fire and System Safety as well as rolling stock components and systems at TÜV SÜD Rail. Prior to joining the company in 2018, Tolga held several positions within the railway manufacturing industry, where he focused on fi re performance and safety and eco-design issues on projects throughout the EU and Asia. Mr. Wichmann holds EBA accreditation as an assessor for preventive fi re safety, evacuation, rescue and fi re incident investigation, and since 2014 has been actively involved in the development of EN 45545, the EU standard for the fi re protection of rolling stock.

2 Assuring the Safety of Hydrail and Hybrid Railway Equipment and Systems | TÜV SÜD Introduction

As countries around the world hydrogen and battery power are strive to reduce carbon emissions rapidly becoming the preferred power that contribute to environmental technology for use in both existing Strict safety degradation, governments are giving and planned railway systems. At the considerations increased attention to fossil fuel same time, because of the potential alternatives to power the public dangers associated with the use of and robust safety transportation infrastructure, hydrogen, manufacturers of so-called assessments are including rail and bus systems. For hydrail and hybrid railway equipment more than a decade, rechargeable and systems must include strict safety important to identify lithium-ion batteries have fueled considerations in their development potential areas of the growth of electrically powered process and should conduct a robust automobiles and trucks. But safety assessment to identify and risk. hydrogen-based equipment and address specific areas of risk. hybrid equipment combining

What are hydrail and hybrid railway equipment and systems?

Hydrail is a neologism, representing storage system (hybrid equipment) generate the required energy for the combination of the words can be powered electrically with operation on non-electrified tracks. “hydrogen” and “railway.” The rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, Hence, depending on the solution, term is used in conjunction with or with hydrogen and a fuel cell or a hybrid railway system can also be any new railway equipment or a hydrogen combustion engine to a hydrail railway system. system utilizing hydrogen for the storage or generation of electrical or mechanical energy for propulsion and auxiliaries. This includes equipment such as high-pressure vessels, fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines, and may also include rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for buffering the electrical energy that is generated.

A hybrid railway system is any kind of modern railway vehicle with a conventional power supply, e.g., with a pantograph, that makes use of an energy storage system for bi-modal operation on electrified and non-electrified tracks. The energy

TÜV SÜD | Assuring the Safety of Hydrail and Hybrid Railway Equipment and Systems 3 What are the advantages of hydrail and hybrid railway equipment and systems?

Hydrail and hybrid railway systems generated by rechargeable lithium-ion They can operate on the same rail offer several important advantages batteries, making it ideal for traveling infrastructure as conventionally over those powered by either long distances or moving heavy loads. powered trains without the need for electricity or diesel fuels. Pure track or switch upgrades or changes. electric hybrid vehicles are highly An alternative to hydrogen fuel cells Further, hydrail and hybrid systems all efficient and can eliminate the need is a hydrogen combustion engine. but eliminate the work and the cost for additional refilling infrastructure Hydrogen combustion engines required to install additional overhead if their batteries can be recharged on produce mechanical energy that wiring to expand existing electrically existing electrified tracks. However, can be used to generate electrical powered train networks. These total travel distance is dependent energy similar to that produced by benefits also translate into fewer upon the number of installed conventional diesel power packs. interruptions in train service that batteries, which can be comparably These engines are existing diesel would be required to retrofit existing low due to space and weight engines that have been converted into infrastructures. constrains. hydrogen gas combustion engines, thereby eliminating all emissions Hydrail equipment was first deployed Hydrogen fuel cells generate electric in accordance with EU standards. in Germany in 2018. A number of power by passing hydrogen through While hydrogen fuel cells require countries, most notably the United a special membrane that produces an highly purified hydrogen to ensure Kingdom, are moving forward with electrical current without the need a long operating lifetime, hydrogen plans to deploy hydrail equipment in for combustion. As a result, hydrogen combustion engines can utilize a the next few years as a replacement fuel cells produce power with no larger range of hydrogen purities. for aging diesel-powered equipment. measurable emissions of carbon or Still other countries are actively any substances other than water Another potential advantage of exploring the potential benefits of vapor, resulting in a zero-emission, hydrail and hybrid equipment over hydrail equipment and systems in zero-carbon fuel. And power conventional diesel and electrically helping them to meet commitments generated by hydrogen fuel cells has powered railway technology is under the 2016 Paris Accord on a higher energy density than that the lower cost of deployment. climate change.

4 Assuring the Safety of Hydrail and Hybrid Railway Equipment and Systems | TÜV SÜD What are the safety issues associated with hydrail and hybrid systems?

Regardless of how they are powered, flammable source of fuel that can must be resistant to potential damage rail transport equipment and systems easily combust when improperly resulting from train crashes and are vital to the safe and efficient stored or handled. Similarly, collisions. And response protocols to movement of passengers and freight rechargeable lithium-ion batteries emergency situations must reflect the in most parts of the world. The rail are susceptible to thermal runaway unique nature and dangers associated industry has been a leader in its focus when punctured or overcharged, with these alternative fuels. on safety, with train travel second leading to fire or explosion. Even when only to air travel in having the lowest handled properly, poorly designed or Unfortunately, industry standards incidence rate of fatalities per billion poorly manufactured batteries can addressing these safety concerns passenger kilometres. These and easily overheat, resulting in the same are not keeping pace with technology other statistics reflect the industry- outcomes. developments. For example, although wide belief that safety is a critical standards exist that apply to the use concern in the design, development Therefore, any equipment intended of hydrogen fuel in industrial pressure and operation of trains and train to store or handle these alternative systems, there are no standards at equipment. fuel sources must be designed to present that address safety issues address the specific risks associated specific to the use of hydrogen fuel When it comes to hydrail and hybrid with their use. For example, onboard cells in railway vehicles. Further train equipment and systems, storage systems must be capable of complicating this problem is a lack of however, managing safety concerns holding hydrogen liquid or gas under alignment between global, regional becomes a much more complex high pressure. Further, hydrail and and national vehicle fuel cell safety proposition. Hydrogen is a highly hybrid train equipment and systems regulatory requirements.

Why is a risk assessment important?

In this context, the development potential risk under anticipated use changes or implementing additional of safe hydrail and hybrid railway conditions. safeguards to eliminate the risk or to equipment and systems require ■ Risk assessment – Risk assessment reduce the potential safety impact to manufacturers and developers to is the process of evaluating each an acceptable level. adopt a robust risk analysis process technical risk that has been identified to fully consider all of the unique risks for: 1) the likelihood of its occurrence; The ultimate goal of applying this associated with the use of these and 2) the potential outcome in the risk analysis process is to identify alternative fuel sources. A thorough event of an occurrence. the technical issues that contribute risk analysis process should consist ■ Assign level of priority – Based on to risk outcomes, thereby helping to of the following four steps: the results of the risk assessment, reduce the likelihood of risks directly individual risks should be prioritized attributable to operational issues or ■ Risk identification – Risk so that risk handling efforts achieve human factors. But a comprehensive identification involves a the optimal levels of safety under risk analysis can also support comprehensive evaluation of a anticipated use conditions. efforts to comply with verification system with the goal of identifying ■ Risk handling – Finally, handling requirements imposed by railway all technical issues that could pose a the risks involves making design assessment bodies and authorities.

TÜV SÜD | Assuring the Safety of Hydrail and Hybrid Railway Equipment and Systems 5 Working with TÜV SÜD

For more than 50 years, TÜV SÜD Rail We work with designers and by TÜV SÜD Industry Service for has supported rail manufacturers, manufacturers to support the hydrogen component testing and operators and authorities with a development of hydrail and hybrid rail inspection and TÜV SÜD Battery comprehensive portfolio of inspection, systems and equipment by conduct Testing for rechargeable lithium- testing, certification and training risk analyses, outlining and confirming ion batteries. This allows TÜV SÜD services to ensure safe and secure validation and verification plans, to serve as a single source for the as well as reliable and efficient performing component inspections assessment and testing of railway railway transportation. With specific and certifications, reviewing the equipment and systems utilizing competencies in conventional, high- preparation of test specifications, alternative fuel systems, thereby speed metro and light rail, we have following up with vehicle type testing, directly supporting the deployment of worked on global rail products and and performing a final assessment on advanced railway technologies that collaborated with railway authorities the system safety of the hydrail and are also good for the environment. and stakeholders worldwide. And hybrid railway equipment. We also we are globally accredited and conduct training on critical safety recognised as inspection body, testing issues applicable to hydrail and hybrid body, certification body as well as railway applications. Notified Body (NoBo), Designated Body (DeBo) and Assessment Body Our work on hydrail and hybrid railway (AsBo). equipment and systems is supported

Summary

All in all, this paper highlighted that a neutral third-party service provider, a formal risk assessment process is an effective risk assessment can be of critical importance in identifying A thorough risk conducted to support you in achieving potential safety risks in the design, analysis supports compliance with applicable testing deployment and operation of hydrail and verification requirements imposed and hybrid railway equipment and you in speeding up by regulatory authorities. systems. A thorough risk analysis the development and of risk can help manufacturers to speed up the development process by ensuring compliance allowing for the resolution of safety with relevant safety concerns early on, thereby reducing the likelihood of last-minute design requirements. changes and delays. By working with

6 Assuring the Safety of Hydrail and Hybrid Railway Equipment and Systems | TÜV SÜD GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS AsBo – Assessment Body NoBo – Notified Body DeBo – Designated Body

FOOTNOTES [1] Data from the European Railway Agency regarding fatalities in EU countries for the period from 2008-2010, as posted on the webpage “Railway Safety: Safety Statistics” of the International Railway Safety Council, October 2019. Available at https://international-railway-safety-council.com/safety-statistics/

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