It is now an accepted fact that hydrogen powered trains are viable onm a technical level. A trial service using multiple unit passenger trains has been commenced in Germany, and there are currently three projects underway to construct hydrogen trains in the UK.
Despite this, many questions about hydrail remain. It is my objective to answer the questions and sub-questions listed below.
1. What are the performance requirements for a commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell powered train?
2. What performance can be achieved by a hydrogen train using present day equipment?
Is the simulated performance of hydrogen powered trains accurate?
Is it safe to use hydrogen as an energy source for trains, bearing in mind that many routes operate in confined stations and tunnels?
How will fuel cell powered trains be configured in order to ensure safety and to achieve the performance?
3. Is it commercially viable to operate hydrogen trains?
How much hydrogen would a fleet of fuel cell electric trains require?
How do we provide enough hydrogen for a fleet of fuel cell electric trains?
What is the comparative life cycle costs of operating a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell powered trains compared to diesel powered trains

The aim of the project is to develop a systems engineering approach to the introduction of fuel cell and hydrogen technology to the railway industry. The work will aim to develop methodologies which can be applied to a number of railway systems. The work also forms a vital input to the HydroFLEX project, which is a partnership between BCRRE and Porterbrook which will develop the first full scale bi-mode hydrogen fuel cell train in the UK
Novel physical sciences and engineering
The novelty is in the development of the appropriated engineering to enable railway vehicles to rapidly adopt hydrogen fuel cell technology. Given that the PhD student is supporting the development of HydroFLEX then the novelty is clear.
Methodology
The methods to be used include standard systems engineering as applied to the fuel cell and hydrogen system. Further modelling work using the advances BCRRE simulator tools will also be undertake.