Simulation Model with an Optimal Operation Strategy for a Hybrid Train Powered by a Battery and a Fuel Cell

The electrification of railroad transportation without overhead lines is of particular interest with regard to the reduction of air pollutants. An electrified hybrid train powered by a battery and a fuel cell is a promising topology to replace trains running with diesel. An energy management strategy has to utilize the advantages of both components the best and reach the lowest possible costs. To find this strategy, we implemented a detailed simulation model of the hybrid train. We benchmarked a rule-based energy management strategy for the distribution of the load against a dynamic programming (DP) and a quadratic programming (QP) optimization approach. The results show that the utilization of an optimization approach can reduce the fuel economy of a drive cycle by more than one third.