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    Energy chains of alternative fuels  

Project type:
Feasibility study

Company:
DB AG

Country:
Germany

Duration:
1999-2000

Project aims:
Assessment of economic and environmental potential of alternative fuels.

Application area:
(no details available) vehicle(s)

Description:

In the context of a feasibility study on the application of fuel cells in railways, DB AG carried out a project studying the environmental and economic comparison of different fuel chains.
The study revealed that the environmental performance of fuel cells strongly depends on the involved fuel process chain. This dependence was especially pronounced for the efficiency of the different chains. The total efficiency is 6,1% in the worst case (hydrogen produced by electrolysis using power from the German public grid) and 31,7% in the best case (hydrogen by natural gas reforming). As a consequence, even in the best case the efficiency is 0,6% lower than for diesel fuel propelling a diesel-electric vehicle.



References / Links:  Hauser et al. 1999
Attachments:
Related technologies:  Natural gas;  Hydrogen engine;  PEM fuel cell;  Biodiesel
Contact persons:  Franz Ponholzer (DB AG - TZF 71)
 date created: 2003-02-26
 
© UIC - International Union of Railways 2003