China’s first hydrogen-powered city train conducts high-speed tests

Developed by Changchun Railway Vehicles, a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned rolling stock manufacturer CRRC, China’s first hydrogen energy urban train ran a trial run in Changchun, Jilin province, reaching a full load operating speed of 160 kilometers per hour. The hydrogen energy train uses 35 MPa – 165 L hydrogen storage cylinder sets produced by Sinoma Suzhou, a subsidiary of Sinoma Technology.

This train adopts a distributed hybrid power supply solution with multiple energy storage and multiple hydrogen energy systems, and applies the hydrogen-electric hybrid energy management strategy and control system.

 “Each hydrogen energy urban train is equipped with 4 systems. Each system is composed of two 165 L hydrogen storage cylinders. The hydrogen storage capacity of 8 cylinders of 165 L reaches 31 kilograms“, Li Shihong, senior engineer of Sinoma Suzhou, said.

Hydrogen energy urban trains use an energy supply method that combines hydrogen fuel cells and supercapacitors to replace the original power supply solution. The energy is generated by the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the hydrogen fuel cell. The reaction product is only water, making it environmentally friendly and zero-carbon, according to the company.

Sinoma Suzhou is mainly engaged in fuel cell hydrogen cylinders, hydrogen energy storage and transportation containers, compressed natural gas cylinders, high-end industrial gas storage and transportation equipment. Its products and services are widely used in various fields such as automobile manufacturing, gas storage and transportation, and drones. It has five production bases in Chengdu, Suzhou, Jiujiang, Shenyang and Jining, with an annual production capacity of more than 700,000 types of gas cylinders (Type III hydrogen cylinders have a production capacity of 100,000 units/year and Type IV hydrogen cylinders have a production capacity of 30,000 units/year), providing products and services to many domestic vehicle and energy manufacturing companies.

Type IV pressure vessels use fiberglass / carbon fibre composites winded over a plastic liner. They are the most popular type in hydrogen vehicles due to lightweight, volume capacity and resistance, according to JEC Observer, Overview of the global composites market 2019-2024, a report published by JEC Group.

source: Sinoma Suzhou/jeccomposites