The Korea Railroad Research Institute announced on April 20 that it is working on technologies for use in a liquid hydrogen-based locomotive with a maximum speed of 150 km per hour and a maximum driving range of at least 1,000 km.
A liquid hydrogen-based locomotive emits no pollutants at all during energy conversion. In addition, it filters airborne particulate matter with a high-performance filter.
Korea Railroad Research Institute Working on World’s First Liquid Hydrogen Locomotive
Liquid hydrogen is hydrogen liquefied at a temperature of 253 degrees Celsius below zero or less. It is much lower in pressure than high-pressure gaseous hydrogen and, as such, is capable of storing and transporting hydrogen with high stability. The storage density and transport efficiency of the former are approximately 200 percent and at least 700 percent of those of the latter, respectively.
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The maximum driving range of the train the institute is working on is expected to be 1.6 times those of 700 ba gaseous hydrogen-based trains of other countries. In addition, the time required to charge the former is expected to be 20 percent less than that required for the latter.
The research project will be underway until December 2024. The government and the private sector will invest 14.5 billion won and 4.1 billion won in the project, respectively. The institute is planning to develop a hybrid propulsion system, a high-insulation and cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage, and a high-speed charging technique, and test those in trams in the second half of next year.
KRRI Working on World’s First Hydrogen Locomotive, April 21, 2021
