Experimental Study on a PEMFC Fed Railway Vehicle Motor Drive System

In this paper, we present experimental test results at RTRI's rolling stock test facility with a 28kW rating polymer membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), a 90KVA general purpose inverter and actual traction motors for a commuter train to verify the compatibility of the PEMFC with an induction motor railway vehicle traction system. Through these tests, we have verified that the PEMFC can properly feed electrical power to control traction motors even in the case of sudden change of motor consuming power and, that PEMFCs can be applied to railway vehicle traction system. We are convinced that this research work contributes to promoting environmental friendliness of railway transportation system in the future