Information on the International Hydrail Conference

Thu, 06/20/2019 – Fri, 06/21/2019 | Hamburg, Germany

Wed, 06/06/2018 – Fri, 06/08/2018 | University of Rome – Tor Vergata – Rome, Italy

Tue, 06/27/2017 – Wed, 06/28/2017 | Graz, Austria

Mon, 07/04/2016 – Tue, 07/05/2016 | Birmingham, UK

Mon, 06/22/2015 – Tue, 06/23/2015 | Mooresville, NC USA

Mon, 06/16/2014 – Wed, 06/18/2014 | Neumünster, Germany

Tue, 06/11/2013 – Wed, 06/12/2013 | Toronto, Canada

Tue, 07/03/2012 – Wed, 07/04/2012 | University of Birmingham, UK

Thu, 07/01/2010 – Fri, 07/02/2010 | Istanbul, Turkey

Thu, 06/11/2009 – Fri, 06/12/2009 | Charlotte, NC USA

Mon, 08/13/2007 – Tue, 08/14/2007 | Salisbury, NC

14th International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Thu, 06/20/2019 – Fri, 06/21/2019

Location: 
Hamburg, Germany

 Hydrail Becomes Reality

Presentations

Alstom – Coradia iLINT  |  PDF

Zillertalbahn Railways 2020 – Energy Autonomous and Hydrogen  |  PDF

The Hydrail Transition: Economic and Historical Basis  |  PDF

Low Pressure, High Capacity Hydrogen Storage in a Combined Metal Hydride-Heat Storage System  |  PDF

Starting as an academic event back in May 2005 in Charlotte, NC (US) hydrail – powering trains with hydrogen – derived to an upcoming technology which will replace diesel. Since September 2018 a first line in Northern Germany uses hydrail-railcars in scheduled daily services. Passengers and residents love the silence and the emission free rides. At RAILLIVE 2019 in Birmingham (19th & 20th of June 2019) three manufacturers will present their hydrail railcars.

All this shows: hydrail becomes alive! The 14th International Hydrail Conference will celebrate this with a special workshop in Hamburg on 20th of June 2019 with an excursion to the township of Bremervörde where ALSTOM operates it’s hydrail iLINT railcars. This is your chance for ride into future.

19.06.2019 Welcome Reception

   20.00 h ice breaker party at the bar of Hotel Leonardo-Hamburg Airport in Hamburg

20.06.2019: Workshop of 14th International Hydrail Conference in Hamburg. Located at the Business Club Hamburg Villa, Elbchaussee 43, 22765 Hamburg

   10.00 h: Welcome speeches

   11.00 h: introductionary talks

   12.00 h: lunch

   13.00 h: discussions round tables

   An evening reception is scheduled; details will follow

21.06.2019: Excursion starting from the Hotel Leonardo-Hamburg Airport

   09.00 h: Start at Hotel Leonardo-Hamburg Airport with public transit, you may enter the group at any time and place

   11.23 h: Arrival in Bremervörde

   11.30 h: Welcome speaches

   12.38 h: hydrail-ride with ALSTOM Coradia I-LINT in real life

   14.23 h: Return to Bremervörde

   14:30 h: Presentation of ALSTOM and EVB with fueling and visitation of hydrail depot

   16-18 h: Time for talks

   18.30 h: Official end (at 18.38 h the iLINT returns towards Hamburg suburban trains at Buxtehude)

Both the welcome reception at 20:00 h on the evening of 19 June and the excursion on the Coradia I-LINT will begin at the Hotel Leonardo-Hamburg Airport. For lodging we recommend the Hotel Leonardo-Hamburg airport.

Hotel Leonardo-Hamburg Airport – https://www.leonardo-hotels.com/leonardo-hotel-hamburg-airport

Langenhorner Chaussee 183, 22415 Hamburg

GPS.53°38’58.2″N 10°00’38.3″E

Hotelkontakt:

T: +49 (0)40 – 532 090

F: +49 (0)40 – 532 096 00

E: info.hamburgair@leonardo-hotels.com

Zentrale Reservierung:

T: +49 (0)40 – 532 096 14

F: +49 (0)40 – 532 096 00

E: reservations.hamburg@leonardo-hotels.com

 

13th International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Wed, 06/06/2018 – Fri, 06/08/2018

Location: 
University of Rome – Tor Vergata – Rome, Italy

The 13th International Hydrail Conference was held 6-8 June 2018 at the Congress Centre of Engineering Faculty, University of Rome Tor Vergata in Rome, Italy.

The Program for the 2018 edition of the International Hydrail Conference included nearly 20 experts from 8 countries reporting on technology and policy advancement in the very challenging field of innovative and sustainable railways. Conference information is available on the University of Rome’s conference website at http://hydrail-conference-2018.uniroma2.it/.

Wednesday, 6 June 2018

The Dynamics of Fundamental Change in Industries With Long Life Plant, Stan Thompson – USA

Roundtable, Hydrail present and future. Moderated by: Fabio Orecchini, Marconi University – IT

Thursday, 7 June 2018

Session 1: Introductory Session

Advances in hydrogen safety engineering, Vladimir Molkov, Ulster University – IR

Session 2: Country Reports

Developing a New Fuel Cell Prototype Train, Seky Chang, Korea Railroad Research Institute – KR

Germany’s Strategy for Sustainable Rail Transport – Projects and Political Initiatives, Elena Hof, NOW GmbH – National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology – DE

Status of Hydrail Pursuits in Canada, Peter Eggleton, TELLIGENCE Group Transportation Technology Consultants – CAN

Austrian Rail on a Zero Emission Path – Hydrail related Projects and Potentials, Herbert Wancura synergesis consult.ing – A

Two China Hydrail Trams, presented by Stan Thompson

Session 3: Manufacturers Updates

Hydrogen Containment Systems for FCEV’s and Transport, Radisa Nunic – Worthington Industries – A

Opportunities and Challenges in Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Railway Applications, Oben Uluc, Ballard – CAN

Session 4: Hybrid HFC Solutions

Hydrogen Fuel Cells in Passenger and Freight Rail: Simulation case studies from the United States, Raphael Isaac, UC Davis – USA

A High-Frequency HFC DC-DC Converter for the Next Generation Train (NGT) CARGO, Athanasios Iraklis, DLR – D

A reduced scale mobile HFC generating unit for a hybrid propulsion system of a park rail train, Alexander Schimanofsky, RCC Railway Competence and Certification – A

Future Scenarios for Hydrogen-Fueled Trains in the Regional Lines of Italy, Luigi Crema, Fondazione Bruno Kessler – IT

Friday, 8 June 2018

Session 5: Hybrid HFC Solutions

The Influence of Battery Bank Sizing on Fuel Cell Efficiency in Series Fuel Cell Battery Hybrid Intercity Passenger Railway Vehicles: The Case Study of the Intercity 125, Mohamed A. Hegazi (presented by Gordon Lovegrove), University of Bristish Columbia – CAN

Design and Analysis of a Regio-Shuttle RS1 Diesel Railcar Converted to Fuel Cell Hybrid Propulsion, Toni Schirmer, DLR – D

Session 6: Hydrogen Safety

Large-scale Hydrogen Distribution via Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC),Cornelius von der Heydt, Hydrogenious Technologies GmbH – D

The International Hydrail Conference 2018 (IHC 2018) objective is to contribute to the change of regime in the rail sector by providing a forum where technology experts, vehicle and rail infrastructure managers, as well as media, policy makers and other stakeholders come together to discuss ideas on hydrogen and rail transport: From the system transformation and its implications down to concrete designs and components.IHC 2018 provides an excellent framework for updates on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in railway applications and represents the best setting to show the latest advances in research, projects and products in this field.

After a successful edition in Graz in 2017, the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” has taken on the organization of IHC 2018 with the objective of continuing supporting the penetration of hydrogen based solution in the railways section and to highlight any possible synergistic effect with other sectors.

The conference will consist of plenary sessions on the most relevant aspects of technology worldwide and topical technical oral presentations and posters. Industry and research institutions will have a space to showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services on Hydrail or related fields. One of the main aims of IHC 2018 is to facilitate networking between all innovation agents in railways. Therefore, the conference will include several networking areas and multiple side events of interest.

Therefore, the International Hydrail conference is a must-attend event for the railways, hydrogen and fuel cells communities as well as for everyone interested in sustainable energy development.

Organizing Committee:

Primary contact:

Stefano Cordiner

University Tor Vergata

+390672597173

stefano.cordiner@uniroma2.it

Committee members:

Stan Thompson

Mooresville Hydrail initiative

Hst2nd@aol.com

Bill Thunberg

Lake Norman Transport Commission

billthunberg@gmail.com

Jason Hoyle

Appalachian State University

hoylejw@appstate.edu

Andreas Hoffrichter

Broad College of Business, Michigan State University

andreash@broad.msu.edu

Herbert Wancura

Synergesis consult.ing

herbert.wancura@synergesis.eu

The International Hydrail Conferences are non-profit events held annually to expedite the contribution of post-carbon railway technology to pollution reduction and climate protection and also to alert the industry to the emerging change, avoiding stranded investment in trackside electrification.

12th International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Tue, 06/27/2017 – Wed, 06/28/2017

Location: 
Graz, Austria

The 12th International Hydrail Conference: Building on the solid foundation of a tradition since 2005

Welcome!

We thank you for your interest in Hydrail and a very successful 12th edition of the event series.

The 12th Inernational Hydrail Conference was held in the Great Hall at St. Martin Castle in Graz, Austria on 27-28 June 2017.

IHC’s objective is to contribute to the change of regime in the rail sector by providing a forum where technology experts, vehicle and rail infrastructure managers, as well as media, policy makers and other stakeholders, come together to discuss ideas on hydrogen and rail transport From the systemic level up to concrete designs and transformations.

Today, about 12 years after the first conference, held in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA), we are on the next, important benchmark for the future. While enthusiastic experts have discussed the subject in the rather small circle by means of concepts and individual demonstrators, the last two years have shown an acceleration that is almost as dramatic as the rail transport sector. Now a small fleet of Hydrail trams is on the road in the Caribbean. In Germany the prototypes of a complete model range around the entire European approval test and the latest announcements from China and the rest of the world signal a potential market break.

Herbert Wancura, Chairperson

Welcome Address. Anna Thaller, St. Martin Castle

Introduction. Herbert Wancura

Keynote Addresses    

Introduction Message. Detlef Matthiesen

Hydrogen-Powered Railway Vehicles (Hydrail): A Vision. Andreas Hoffrichter, Michigan State University

Session I Hydrail and Hydrogen Infrastructure    

Hydrogen Rail Test Regions in Germany. Ulrich Bünger, Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST)

Bulk Hydrogen OnRail Project. Alexander Schimanofsky, Railway Competence Certification (RCC)

Fuel Cell Trains seen from the perspective of Air Liquide. Pierre De Raphelis, Air Liquide

Rail Hydrogen Supply Infrastructure Synergy by Design?. Herbert Wancura, synergesis

Session II: Hydrail Vehicle Technologies & Solutions    

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in Passenger Rail Transit. Mark Kammerer for Michael C. Ritter, Alstom

Status of Hydrail Initiatives in Canada. Peter Eggleton, Telligence (12_eggleton)

1063 Last mile Unit. Karl Zöchmeister, RCA/ÖBB

Session III Hydrail Vehicle Technologies & Solutions     

Hydrogen in Europe. Ian Williamson and Marieke Reijalt, EHA

Harnessing Renewable Energy Powering Heavy Mobility. Mark Kammerer, Hydrogenics

Zero-Emission Fuel Cell Solutions for Rail Applications. Oben Uluc, Ballard

Session IV Hydrogen Rail – Regional Studies & Implementation Actions    

Options for Autonomous Power for the UK. Stephen Kent, University of Birmingham; Giles Pettit, SNC Lavalin

HYCentA & Model Region Steiermark. Alexander Trattner and Manfred Klell, HyCentA

Schleswig-Holstein Policy & Plans. Holger Busche, Bündnis 90/Die Grünnen, Schleswig-Holstein

Hydrogen for Rail in the US: Prospects and Contexts. Raphael Isaac, University of California-Davis; A. Hoffrichter, Michigan State University; A. Iraklis, Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick (12_isaac-hoffrichter-iraklis)

Alternative Railway Electrification Options in Norway and the US. Federico Zenith, SINTEF        

Graz – A traditionally creative and innovative city

Graz, the capital of Styria, is a wonderful meeting place. The second-largest city in Austria offers a unique atmosphere: a life-size, medium-sized city that benefits from the dynamism of its five universities – the students make up almost one-fifth of the population – and the world’s leading companies. The history of the city and its cultural tradition are not only a legacy to be preserved, but an order to create something new, for example in architecture.

Regarding the conference theme “Hydrail”, Graz can certainly call itself the “hydrogen capital” of Austria, since Prof. Karl Kordesch, a well known pioneer in the hydrogen community, was also active in Graz for many decades. Even today, institutes are located at Graz University of Technology, which can be traced back to this. But Graz is also the location of the research center HyCentA, which is even equipped with its own hydrogen station. Furthermore, this non-university research facility offers unique infrastructure, such as a HIL test bench for fuel cell drives – with over 150kW of power one of the most powerful in Europe; But also special tools for the investigation of on-board hydrogen storage devices, Which are based on the cooperation with the partner Magna Steyr. The close cooperation with the Institute of Combustion Carousels at the TU Graz also allows work on hydrogen-powered combustion engines – up to really large calibres … Another partner of HyCentA, AVL, the world’s largest independent research and engineering company for propulsion systems, also has Their seat in Graz.

But that’s not all: Siemens Mobility’s Global Competence Center for electrically driven bogies is also located here, building on a rail vehicle tradition that dates back more than 150 years.

All these serious ingredients, however, are combined with a shot of life culture that is almost mediterranean, making the city not only an attractive place to live in, but also an excellent setting for conferences such as the 12 IHC.

Shortly to the castle

The castle is situated on the south-western hills that surround Graz. Its origins can be traced back to the 11th century. The present form was built in 1557. Since 1914 it has served as a seminar and training center; For this purpose, it was also taken over by the state of Styria in 1936 and has since been administered by the state government.

As a conference venue, the castle not only provides technical insights to the conference participants but also offers great views over the city and the entire Graz basin. The natural tranquility offered by the Renaissance castle courtyard and the surrounding private gardens and orchards also contribute to the exchange of ideas.

Organizer Imprint

11th International Hydrail Conference

Dates:  Mon, 07/04/2016 – Tue, 07/05/2016 Location:  Birmingham, UK
2016 International Hydrail Conference Banner

The Eleventh International Hydrail Conference was hosted by the University of Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education in Birmingham, UK on 4-5 July 2016, and conferees were also ecouraged to attend the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Railway Challenge competition on Sunday 3 July 2016.

Date/Time: Monday, 4 July 2016 (09:00) – Tuesday, 5 July 2016 (17:30)

HYDROGEN RAIL NEWS UPDATE: BMVI STUDY EXAMINES THE ECONOMIC, LEGAL AND TECHNICAL PREREQUISITES FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF FUEL CELL RAILCARS IN RAIL TRANSPORTATION

Busche, Holger. “Zero-Carbon Rail in the German State of Schleswig-Holstein.” Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016. Keynote Address.

Eggleton, Peter. Hydrogen Fuel Cells as Motive Power for Industrial Switcher Locomotives. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Hillmansen, Stuart. Hydrogen Fuel for Rail Transport. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Hoffrichter, Andreas. Hydrogen for Railway Traction: A PhD at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Isaac, Raphael. California Rail Fuels Update: A Closer Look at Fuel Cost Ranges and an Introduction to Ongoing Powertrain Simulations. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 5 July 2016.

Jiajie, He. Clean Rail Transit Vehicle – Hyper Tram. Birmigham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Kammerer, Mark. Harnessing Renewable Energy Storage and Powering Fleets with Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrids in Heavy Mobility. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Kent, Stephen; Laight, Shawn.Future Fuel for Britain’s Railways. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Laperche-Riteau, Yane. Fuel Cells for Rail Applications. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 5 July 2016.

Ogawa, Kenichi. “Development of the RTRI Fuel Cell & Battery Hybrid Railway Vehicle.” Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Thompson, Stan. Machiavelli versus Silicon Valley – Media versus Technology: Why the hydrail train is arriving so late. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 5 July 2016.

Zenith, Federico. Hydrogen and Batteries for Propulsion of Freight Trains in Norway. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Zhang, Xuexia. Fuel Cell Based Hybrid Power System Design for a Passenger Tram. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, University of Birmingham. Birmingham, UK. 4 July 2016.

Please visit the conference website at http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/railway/events/2016-International-Hydrail-Conference-IHC.aspx if you require further information.

Since 2005, academic, government and industry pioneers have met annually to advance the deployment of hydrail—wireless hydrogen fuel cell-powered railway electrification—for societal reasons: climate change mitigation; pollution reduction; and avoidance of short-life investment in expensive legacy electrification.

The annual International Hydrail Conference focuses on the use of hydrogen for railway propulsion, the associated benefits, and remaining challenges. The 2016 International Hydrail Conference is the second to be hosted by the University of Birmingham—the first university in the world to grant a hydrail-specific doctorate. Particular program emphasis will focus on the hydrail trams that China has begun to manufacture and on the fleet of forty regional hydrail trains to be deployed in Germany by 2020.

This is the first year since the International Hydrail Conferences began in 2005 that a major focus of the agenda will be hydrail passenger equipment now in service. Highlights of the conference agenda include:

China’s two hydrail trams now in production: One is built by the CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co. Ltd. manufacturing division of China South Railways, the country’s largest. The other is built by Tangshan Railway Vehicle Company, Ltd. in partnership with China’s original railway engineering school, Southwest Jiaotong University, founded in 1896 as the Imperial Chinese Railway College.

Kenichi Ogawa of Japan’s Railway Technology Research Institute (RTRI) will update the Conference on their hydrail railcar project—first described by Dr. Keiichiro Kondo in 2005 at the First International Hydrail Conference in Charlotte, NC USA. RTRI has been developing hydrail train technology since 2001 to reduce fossil fuel use and CO2 emissions—and also to position Japan for a future without overhead wire railway power.

Dr. Stuart Hillmansen—Senior Lecturer in Electrical Energy Systems and Head of the Traction Research Group at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research and Education—will tell how Birmingham first anticipated the rise of hydrail and moved to create the world’s first hydrail-specific doctoral program.

Dr. Andreas Hoffrichter—in 2013 the first candidate to be granted Birmingham’s hydrail Ph.D.—will tell how he came to pursue a doctorate in hydrogen railway traction and how he and the University of Birmingham got together to enable the railway industry to use renewable energy.

Stephen Kent, Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education and Shawn Laight of Singapore’s Land Transport Authority will discuss the part that fuel cells could play in powering Britain’s future rail network. This will include the recent study undertaken for the UK’s Railway Safety & Standards Board which looks at the possibility of converting existing mid-life Diesel Multiple Units to battery/fuel-cell hybrids as well as the work currently being undertaken involving the Core Valley Lines in Wales.

Mark Kammerer, Business Development Manager for Hydrogenics, Inc, will tell how his company is coupling the storage of renewable energy with fueling of transit fleets, applicable to hydrogen fuel cell buses and trains, as well as the innovation-leading fuel cell power module technology being applied in heavy mobility applications enroute to commercialisation.

Raphael Isaac, a Ph.D. student at UC Davis, will present the latest on his cross-fuels comparison research examing fuel technologies and their economic and environmental implications for intercity/commuter trains and freight trains. His presentation will include background information on rail simulations performed in collaboration with the University of Warwick and Michigan State, comparing hydrogen, diesel, and related hybrid powertrains for rail applications.

Peter Eggleton of Telligent Group Transportation Consultants—Quebec, Canada—will describe a project retrofitting an industrial diesel switch engine for battery and hydrogen operations using Hydrogenics, Inc. fuel cells to help meet Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals. He will also review how the 2013 Hydrail Conference in Toronto led to the widespread hydrail deployments about to take place in Germany.

Dr. Holger Busche, technical advisor to Detlef Matthiessen MdL—Speaker of the Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, Parliament for Energy Policy and Technology Innovation—will discuss plans for powering the entire State’s rail network by wind and other zero-carbon sources by 2025. The 65% of Schleswig-Holstein’s rail lines now using diesel traction will be electrified wirelessly using hydrail and excess off-peak wind turbine energy.

Mme. Yane Laperche-Riteau, Business Development Director for Ballard Power Systems, Inc. of Canada, will tell how Ballard chose to enter the hydrail fuel cell rail traction market around the turn of the century, now with projects from the USA to China, long before the eventual hydrail transition became obvious.

Stan Thompson, one of the Mooresville, NC, USA, originators of the International Hydrail Conference series, will tell how this unique effort to effect the innovation of a climate-friendly infrastructure technology years before its time came to be and where he sees hydrail going next.

International Hydrail Conferences are non-profit events, organised by volunteers for the public good.

 

10th International Hydrail Conference

Dates:  Mon, 06/22/2015 – Tue, 06/23/2015 Location:  Mooresville, NC USA
10th Hydrail Conference Banner with sponsor Logos

The 10th International Hydrail Conference was held on Monday, June 22 and Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at the Charles Mack Citizens’ Center (215 North Main St.) in Mooresville, NC USA. This year’s conference celebrated the recent advancements in the commercialization of hydrogen-powered trains, including hydrogen-powered light rail developments in Germany and other self-electrified rail transport options with speakers from Norfolk Southern and Tig/m, as well as a variety of developing trends such as big data in rail and leveraging the electric grid services value of hydrogen-based rail. Conference Agenda (PDF)

Introduction to Purpose and Sponsor Recognition, Stan Thompson [PDF], Co-founder International Hydrail Conference, Mooresville Hydrail Initiative, Mooresville, NC USA

Gibson Barbee [PDF], Senior Energy Engineer, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, USA

Dr. Holger Busche [PDF], Scientific contributor for Economy, Energy, Traffic, and Innovation of the Green parliamentary group, State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Edward Buiel, Coulometrics, Chattanooga, TN, USA

David Cook [PDF], Chief Technology Officer, Rail Propulsion Systems, Fullerton, CA, USA

Peter Crofton, Counsel, Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP; Adjunct Professor of Energy Law, Emory University Law School, Atlanta, GA USA

Peter Eggleton [PDF], Principal Consultant, TELLIGENCE Group (representing Hydrogenics, Inc.), Quebec, Canada

Dr. Johan Enslin [PDF], Director, Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC), University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC USA

Dr. John Hardin [PDF], Exec. Dir., Board of Science, Technology and Innovation, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Raleigh, NC USA

Lynn Harris [PDF], McDowell Engineering and Associates, consultants to the Rail Division, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Raleigh, NC USA

Dr. Andreas Hoffrichter [PDF], post-doctoral researcher, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

Jason Hoyle, Research Analyst, Energy Center/RIEEE; Adjunct Professor, Department of Technology and Environmental Design, Appalachian State University; co-founder, International Hydrail Conference, Boone, NC USA

Rick Hudson, Project Manager,  Data Science and Business Analytics Initiative, College of Computing and Informatics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC USA

Raphael Isaac [PDF], Ph.D. student, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA USA

George List [PDF], Ph.D. Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA

Detlef Matthiessen MdL, Member of State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Dr. Alistair Miller [PDF], Senior Scientific Associate, Office of the Principal Scientist, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Canada

Brad Read, President, TIG/m Modern Street Railways, Los Angeles, CA USA

Jennifer Roberts, former Chair, Metropolitan Transit Commission and former Chair, Mecklenburg County Commission, Charlotte, NC USA

Herbert Wancura [PDF], Principal/Founder, synergesis consulting, Graz, Austria

9th International Hydrail Conference

Dates:  Mon, 06/16/2014 – Wed, 06/18/2014 Location:  Neumünster, Germany
Hydrail 2014 Conference Banner
The Ninth International Hydrail Conference was held in Neumünster, Germany on 16-18 June 2014 in partnership with the Kulturlokschuppen Neumünster e.V. The event owes special thanks to Dr. Robert Habeck, Minister of Energy and Environment, State of Schleswig-Holstein, and his colleague Reinhard Meyer, Minister of Economy and Traffic, for their patronage; media partners Energie&Management, HZwei and SHZ-Verlag; and our scientific partners, Fraunhofer Institut ISIT, Itzehoe, University of North Carolina-Charlotte and Christian Albrecht University, Kiel.

The agenda featured a variety of speakers covering topics from energy and transportation policy, smart grid, and renewable energy integration to hydrogen production and fuel cells – and of course, hydrogen-powered railway technology! Below is a list of speakers, and, where available, conference presentations for download.

Eröffnungssitzung
Detlef Matthiessen MP,  Parliament
Dr. Olaf Tauras,  Lord Mayor of the city of Neumünster
Dr. Robert Habeck,  Minister of Energy and Environment

Sitzung I
Prof. Joachim Berg,  Flensburg University for Applied Sciences
    Presentation PDF
Prof. Benecke,  ISIT – Fraunhofer Institut für Siliziumtechnik

Sitzung II
Prof. Dipl.-Ing Peter Quell,  FH Kiel University for Applied Sciences
Stan Thompson,  co-founder International Hydrail Conference
    Presentation PDF

Allgemeine Sitzung
Jens Sandmeier, WTSH
    Presentation PDF

Technologie-Sitzung I
Dr. José M. Bellosta von Colbe, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geeshacht
Detlef Matthiessen MP,  Parliament

Technologie-Sitzung II
Stephan Schwartzkopff, KONAMO e.G.
Karl Peter Naumann, Allianz PRO Schiene
    Presentation PDF
Stephen Kent, University of Birmingham, Centre for Railway Research & Education

Technologie-Sitzung III
Jens Baake, Vossloh Locomotives, GmbH, Kiel
    Presentation PDF
Stefan Kaimer, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Köln
Herbert Wancura, synergesis consult.ing
    Presentation PDF

Technologie-Sitzung IV
Mark Kammerer, Hydrogenics GmbH, Gladbek
    Presentation PDF
Jason W. Hoyle, Appalachian State University Energy Center
    Presentation PDF
Prof. Peter Gulde, Fraunhofer ISIT

Technologie-Sitzung V
Martin Heimann, BeBa Energie
    Presentation PDF
Jörg Rudat, e.on Hanse AG
    Presentation PDF
Bill Thunberg, co-founder International Hydrail Conference
    Presentation PDF

Minister of Energy, Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Areas Dr. Robert Habeck
Minister of Economic Affairs, Employment, Transport and Technology Reinhard Meyer
We’d also like to thank our media partners, Energie&Management, HZwei and SHZ-Verlag, as well as our scientific partners Fraunhofer Institut ISIT, Itzehoe, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and Christian Albrecht University, Kiel.

As the president of KLN (Kulturlokschuppen Neumünster e.V.) I am pleased to organise the event. KLN is a non profit organisation which aims to convert the historical railway workshop into a centre of railway history and future in order to bring rail back into the centre of society. For any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
KLN
– Dr. Holger Busche –
Am Bahnhof 20
24768 Rendsburg

8th International Hydrail Conference

Dates:  Tue, 06/11/2013 – Wed, 06/12/2013 Location:  Toronto, Canada
Hydrail Conference 2013 Banner with the sponsors logos

The 8th International Hydrail Conference will be held in the heart of Toronto, Canada from 11 June 2013 – 12 June 2013 on the campus of Ryerson University

The 8th International Hydrail Conference, held 11-12 June 2013 on the campus of Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada,  covered the latest achievements in the effort to develop a zero-carbon rail transportation system. This conference was aimed at a broad audience of sustainable transportation stakeholders who convened to exchange ideas, explore new technologies and share operational experience related to the wireless electrification of rail corridors through adoption of hydrogen and advanced battery systems.

The purpose of this conference is threefold:

  • 1) raise awareness about how the use of hydrogen, fuel cells, and advanced batteries and other on-board storage media will free electric rail systems from expensive overhead catenaries;
  • 2) allow researchers, technology developers, operators of pilot projects and utility/government stakeholders to share knowledge about such systems; and,
  • 3) celebrate the early adopter successes and collaborate on best practices going forward to commercialize hydrail technologies.

The conference featured a broad array of expert speakers, including Ontario Minister of Transportation Glen Murray, the developer of China’s first hydrogen-powered locomotive Prof. Dr. Weirong Chen, and Hydrogenics Chief Executive Officer Daryl Wilson, among many others. Speaker presentations and biographical information are available below.

Featured Speakers

Daryl Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, Hydrogenics Inc. “It’s time for integrative thinking on Energy: We can’t afford to waste any more”

Download PDF 

Daryl Wilson was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in December 2006, bringing a varied 25-year background in technology and industrial management to the company, including operations, manufacturing, human resources, research, product development, organizational change and turn-around experience. Prior to joining Hydrogenics, he held senior leadership positions at Royal Group Technologies, Zenon Environmental, Toyota and Dofasco. Daryl began his career with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto. In 1990, Daryl also earned an MBA from McMaster University in Operations Management/Management Science.

Herr Detlef Matthiessen, Member of Parliament, Schleswig-Holstein FRG

Video

Detlef Matthiessen is a Member of Parliament in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where he is Speaker for Energy Policy and Technology Innovation. Born in 1954, Herr Matthiessen was a founding member of the Green Party in Germany, and has a long history of involvement in the energy business having previously held positions as an energy manager consulting with small- and medium-sized companies and as an entrepreneur in developing wind and solar projects. Among Herr Matthiessen’s many interests are the development and deployment of smart grid technology, and integrating renewable energy-generated electricity into the grid.

The Honourable Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

Video

Glen Murray was appointed the Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Transportation in February, 2013. Minister Murray has had a lifetime of activism in urban planning, sustainable development and community health. He has served on several university, hospital and community boards and is a founding member of the Canadian AIDS Society. Murray served as mayor of the City of Winnipeg from 1998 to 2004. As Chair of the Big City Mayors Caucus, he led the successful campaign to transfer the equivalent of 5 cents per litre of the federal gas tax to municipalities for infrastructure renewal and construction. In 2004, Murray moved to Toronto and served as Senior Resident at Massey College and a Visiting Fellow at the Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Design at the University of Toronto. He was appointed Chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy by Prime Minister Paul Martin in 2005. Murray became president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute in 2007.

Prof. Weirong Chen, SW Jiaotong University, China “System Integration of China’s First Hydrogen Locomotive”

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Prof. Dr. Weirong Chen is the executive vice director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Technique Research Center and Executive vice dean of School of Electrical Engineering of Southwest Jiaotong University, which is the top university on rail transportation of China. Prof. Chen is the State Council special government allowance winner and Mao Yisheng Railway Science and Technology Award winner. His research interests involve railway electrification and automation technologies, intelligent information technologies and new energy technologies. Prof. Chen has taken charge more than 30 projects and been honored National Science and Technology Progress Award. He has published more than 200 academic paper and 2 monographs.

Panel Presentations

Panel 1: Canada, the U.S. and the Birth of Hydrail

Panel 2: Overview of RD&D Progress in Hydrogen and Transportation

Panel 3: Pioneering Projects: Reports from the Early Movers

Panel 4: Global Forum – Project Reports from the International Community – Hydrogen and Rail

Panel 5: Future Electrification of Light Rail Transportation in Ontario

Panel 6: City Building and the Impact of New Transportation Technologies on the GTA

Panel 7: Electricity Grid Panel – Convergence of Smart Grid, Energy Storage and Transportation

In alphabetical order

John Brodhead

John is the first Executive Director of CityWorks, a strategic initiative of Evergreen. Prior to joining CityWorks, John was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Cabinet Affairs for Premier Dalton McGuinty and served in other roles in the Office of the Premier, including Executive Director of Communications and Senior Policy Advisor. John was also Vice President for Strategy and Communications for Metrolinx. Prior to joining the provincial government, John served in various capacities in the federal government, including working for the Minister’s of Infrastructure and Communities and National Defence.

Holger Busche

Holger Busche is head of Schienenflotte GmbH, a company founded to initiate innovative rail projects, especially hydrail. Although a geophysicist by training his work incorporates many disciplines including technology, economics, and politics. He is an active advocate for hydrail technology and seeks to engage non-railway-focused organizations in hydrail promotion.

Weirong Chen

Prof. Dr. Weirong Chen is the executive vice director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Technique Research Center and Executive vice dean of School of Electrical Engineering of Southwest Jiaotong University, which is the top university on rail transportation of China. Prof. Chen is the State Council special government allowance winner and Mao Yisheng Railway Science and Technology Award winner. His research interests involve railway electrification and automation technologies, intelligent information technologies and new energy technologies. Prof. Chen has taken charge more than 30 projects and been honored National Science and Technology Progress Award. He has published more than 200 academic paper and 2 monographs.

Joseph Chow

Dr. Chow is the Canada Research Chair in Transportation Systems Engineering and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Ryerson University, with appointments in the Environmental Applied Science and Management program and Centre for Urban Energy. He has published over 30 articles, conference proceedings, or reports in transportation systems planning, network modeling, transport economics, and urban logistics. Since starting in 2012, Dr. Chow has secured nearly $1M in external research and supporting funds. He is a nominated member of several committees in the Transportation Research Board of the U.S. National Academies, serves as a referee for over a dozen research journals, and has won several awards and fellowships during his academic career. Dr. Chow completed his Ph.D. in University of California, Irvine, in 2010 and his Masters and Bachelors at Cornell University in 2001 and 2000, respectively.

Jonathan J. Dogterom

Jon leads Cleantech at MaRS Discovery District, a globally top ranked Practice that provides business mentorship, market intelligence, seed capital, and connections to corporate partners and customers for emerging technology companies. Prior to joining MaRS, Jon led Business Development for Hydrogenics Corporation. He was also previously with the Pembina Institute where he ledcorporate consulting services on low-impact renewable energy and energy policy. In 1997 Jon co-founded Sustainable Energy Technologies, which is a leading Canadian provider of power electronics for the solar power industry.

Dmitry Grigorovich

Dr. Grigorovich is Head Executor at the All-Russian Institute of Railway Transportation in the Russian Federation, where he leads the design team developing a hydrogen fuel cell based Power Car system which—by eliminating diesel emissions—enables track crews to work in tunnels safely for up to eight days without high volumes of forced air ventilation. This solves a major problem in the severe cold of Russian winters. [presented by Stan Thompson]

Andreas Hoffrichter

Andreas Hoffrichter, Ph.D, MSc, BSc, Bankkaumann; University of Birmingham: Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education. Andreas Hoffrichter completed a three years vocational training as Banking Merchant in Germany in 2003. He read business at a Business College from 2003 to 2005, and from 2005 to 2006 worked as a volunteer in California, assisting people with mental handicaps during the Anderer Dienst im Ausland. In 2006, he moved to Birmingham in the UK to study Transport Management at Aston University and completed the course with a first class honours Bachelor of Science degree in July 2009. In October of the same year, he started PhD research at the University of Birmingham, UK, at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, investigating hydrogen as an energy carrier for railway traction. In addition to the doctoral research, he completed, with distinction, a Master of Science degree in Railway Systems Engineering and Integration in 2012, which he read for, part-time, since 2010. The PhD was completed in the second quarter of 2013 and the research led to the development and construction of the first hydrogen-powered locomotive in the UK. Since the beginning of the research, Andreas Hoffrichter presented papers at several conferences, including The 4th International Conference on Railway Traction Systems (RTS 2010) and the Low Carbon Earth Summit in 2012. Additionally, he published several peer reviewed journal papers as well as reviewed papers on behalf of journals. He was the host organiser for the 7th International Hydrail Conference, which took place at the University of Birmingham in 2012.

Jason Hoyle

Jason Hoyle is Research Analyst and faculty member at Appalachian State University’s Research Institute for the Environment, Energy, and Economics. He specializes in leveraging the development of sustainable resources as a source of economic development and growth, is an expert on energy- and climate change-related policy and market issues in the U.S., and regularly consults with local governments and non-profits across the state. He is also a co-founder of the International Hydrail Conference series and for eight years has authored the world’s hydrail information clearinghouse, www.hydrail.org.

Herr Detlef Matthiessen

Detlef Matthiessen is a Member of Parliament in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where he is Speaker for Energy Policy and Technology Innovation. Born in 1954, Herr Matthiessen was a founding member of the Green Party in Germany, and has a long history of involvement in the energy business having previously held positions as an energy manager consulting with small- and medium-sized companies and as an entrepreneur in developing wind and solar projects. Among Herr Matthiessen’s many interests are the development and deployment of smart grid technology, and integrating renewable energy-generated electricity into the grid.

Alistair Miller

Alistair Miller worked for almost 40 years for Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL).  His career centred on development of processes for the separation of isotopes of hydrogen, both to produce the heavy water used in AECL’s CANDU reactor technology and to remove the third hydrogen isotope, tritium, from heavy water.  His technical specialization was in development and use of computer models to model separation processes on industrial scales.  He directed the research program on hydrogen isotopes for 20 years. 

In the seven years after retirement, Alistair has continued his association with AECL as a Researcher Emeritus, collaborating with AECL’s Principal Scientist in modelling variations in global energy supply and their impact on climate change.  He also consults on heavy water technologies.

He was a Director of the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering during the 1990s and President of the Society in 1997.  He is a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada.

Alistair studied Applied Chemistry at what was then the Royal College of Science and Technology from 1958-1962 (BSc, University of Glasgow) and then studied at Imperial College (PhD Chemical Engineering, University of London, 1966).

From 1987, when he co-founded the Deep River Science Academy, he has been a Director of the Academy, which has provided well over 1000 gifted high-school students with six weeks of hands-on participation in ongoing research projects.  More recently, Alistair has developed and championed the Academy’s launch of a very successful distance-learning version of this experience to high schools in Ontario.

Alistair and his wife, Margaret, have four children: two have degrees in chemical engineering, one in engineering physics and one in biology.  They all have advanced degrees and three have exciting technical jobs; the fourth uses his technical skills as a teacher.

Alistair’s broader interests include cross-country skiing, meteorology in particular and science in general, writing, progressive theology, bread-making, cycling and hiking, travelling, and grandchildren.

The Honourable Glen Murray

Glen Murray was appointed the Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Transportation in February, 2013. Minister Murray has had a lifetime of activism in urban planning, sustainable development and community health. He has served on several university, hospital and community boards and is a founding member of the Canadian AIDS Society. Murray served as mayor of the City of Winnipeg from 1998 to 2004. As Chair of the Big City Mayors Caucus, he led the successful campaign to transfer the equivalent of 5 cents per litre of the federal gas tax to municipalities for infrastructure renewal and construction. In 2004, Murray moved to Toronto and served as Senior Resident at Massey College and a Visiting Fellow at the Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Design at the University of Toronto. He was appointed Chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy by Prime Minister Paul Martin in 2005. Murray became president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute in 2007.

Karen Pitre

Since September 2009 Karen has led the Metrolinx Electrification Project. Karen oversees the team of consultants with expertise in electrification design and engineering which is required to undertake the environmental assessment for the electrification of the Air Rail Link to Pearson International Airport. Electrification of the UP Express service is identified in the ‘next wave’ of The Big Move regional transit plan – Metrolinx’ award-winning regional transportation plan.  

With over two decades of project management experience, Karen specializes in the management of strategic initiatives and urban renewal projects. Her projects include assisting with the strategic stewardship of surplus assets for the Toronto District School Board and managing waterfront revitalization projects as a Joint Venture partner for the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation. 

Karen was the Executive Vice-President of the Toronto 2008 Olympic Bid, responsible for building initial community support, developing the strategic plan, managing the Olympic Bid Master Plan and facilitating the involvement of the three levels of government. The vision of the Master Plan highlighted the opportunity presented by the revitalization of the Toronto waterfront, and led to the commitment by three levels of government to redevelop the Toronto waterfront.

In addition, Karen is the founding chairperson of the Toronto Sports Council (TSC) and was the Vice Chair of the Organizing Committee for the 2012 Ontario Summer Games. Karen was the Co-Chair of the Varsity Campaign at the University of Toronto (which led to the revitalization of Varsity Stadium). Karen is a proud recipient of the Arbor Award for outstanding voluntary service to the University of Toronto and she was inducted into the University of Toronto Sports Hall of Fame for hockey and rowing in 1995.

Karen earned a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Windsor and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Ravi Seethapathy

Ravi Seethapathy serves as Manager – Systems Innovation & Advanced Grid Development, at Hydro One Networks in Toronto, Canada and currently leads its Corporate RD&D efforts involving utilities, Govt., universities, associations and other forums. He led the Corporate Smart Grid Strategy Taskforce in 2008 and from 2006 led the initial efforts in the integration of DER in the Hydro One Distribution system.  He has over 28 years of experience (in Hydro One/ erstwhile Ontario Hydro) in all fields of electric utility business and has progressively held leading positions in Protection & Control, Field Operations, Hydraulic Generation and Transmission Operations, Generation Performance, Distribution Strategy and Planning, Mergers & Acquisition, Corporate Audit, Asset Management and Asset Strategies Divisions. He holds a B.Tech (Hons) in Electrical Power from IIT, an M.Eng in Electrical Power from University of Toronto and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto. He has received several citations and awards such as the Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Stan Thompson

Stan Thompson leads the Mooresvile Hydrail Initiative at the Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce in Mooresville, North Carolina, USA. In collaboration with fellow presenters Bill Thunberg and Jason Hoyle, he conceived and founded the International Hydrail Conference series in 2005. He coined the term “hydrail” in 2004 in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy and has made invited presentations on the topic of hydrail in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the USA.

Bill Thunberg

Bill Thunberg is currently the Executive Director of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission, Chairman of the Centralina Economic Development Commission (A 14-county region that includes Charlotte, NC), Vice Chair of the North Carolina Code Officials Qualifications Board, Vice Chair for Public Policy at the Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce, and a representative to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (The governing body of the Charlotte Area Transportation System – CATS). He has extensive experience in public service, public policy, and local government, and served several terms as Mayor of the Town of Mooresville, North Carolina. He was instrumental in supporting the First International Hydrail Conference in Charlotte during 2005, is a founding member of the Mooresville Hydrail Initiative with Stan Thompson, and has been a speaker in three previous International Hydrail Conferences.

Linda Weichel

Linda Weichel brings 20 years of experience at Canada’s largest employee-owned public relations firm, Media Profile, to her position at CivicAction. Linda leads CivicAction’s your32 campaign that champions a regional transportation system and the means to pay for it.

She also oversees CivicAction’s environmental initiative, Greening Greater Toronto, and its Race to Reduce that challenges commercial landlords and tenants to reduce collective energy use by at least 10% by 2014.

Linda draws on her business leadership, communications expertise and passion for city building as she drives action across sectors to make the Toronto region prosper. She draws on knowledge of the financial services and real estate sectors, communications with private, public, and non-profit organizations, and has successfully advanced public policy objectives over two decades. Linda encourages vibrant, walkable neighbourhoods as an advisory committee member of walking tour phenomenon Jane’s Walk.

Daryl Wilson

Daryl Wilson was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in December 2006, bringing a varied 25-year background in technology and industrial management to the company, including operations, manufacturing, human resources, research, product development, organizational change and turn-around experience. Prior to joining Hydrogenics, he held senior leadership positions at Royal Group Technologies, Zenon Environmental, Toyota and Dofasco. Daryl began his career with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto. In 1990, Daryl also earned an MBA from McMaster University in Operations Management/Management Science.

7th International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Tue, 07/03/2012 – Wed, 07/04/2012

Location: 
University of Birmingham, UK

International Hydrail Conference 2012 Banner

The 7th International Hydrail Conference was hosted by the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education in the Gisbert Kapp Building on the Edgbaston Campus of the University of Birmingham. The conference featured presentations by experts in a wide range of fields related to the development, deployment, and use of hydrogen and fuel cells in railway transportation.

Highlights of the conference included a keynote presentation from the Chief Scientific Advisor to the U.K.’s Department for Transport Prof. Roderick Smith, ScD FREng, and other keynote presentations from Prof. Kevin Kendall FRS, Dr. Jeff Allan, and Prof. Robert Steinberger-Wilckens. In addition to conference presentations, attendees also toured the steam-powered Severn Valley Railway, attended a dinner at the Botanical Gardens, and observed a demonstration of the University of Birmingham’s hydrogen-powered locomotive – the first such device to operate in the U.K..

Keynote Presentations

Prof. Roderick Smith, ScD, FREng. – Imperial College of London Presentation PDF Professor Smith is the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Transport. He has also held the Royal Academy of Engineering Network Rail Research Professor of Railway Engineering at Imperial College and is Chair of the Future Railway Research Centre. He is an Honorary Visiting Professor at Central Queensland University, Australia and of the Academy of Railway Science of China and York, City and Oxford Universities in the UK. He was the 126th President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Prof. Kevin Kendall FRS – University of Birmingham Presentation PDF Professor Kevin Kendall has been researching hydrogen and fuel cells over the past 30 years. He was responsible for the first hydrogen filling station in England, to fuel hydrogen vehicles running on the University of Birmingham campus since March 2008. He is Professor of Formulation Engineering at the University of Birmingham’s School of Chemical Engineering. He began his career in 1969 at British Rail’s Derby Research Laboratories, working in sodium-sulfur battery technology.

Dr. Jeff Allan – Railway Safety and Standards Board Presentation PDF Jeff Allan is head of Delivery, Command Control and Signaling, and Energy at the British Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), an independent not-for-profit company owned and funded by major railway industry stakeholders. He has had a career in railway engineering since 1975, working in the fields of Rolling Stock, Electrification, Signalling, Train Control and Communications. At RSSB, he presently manages a team of Engineers and Project Managers who develop interface standards and carry out research in the topics of Control Command and Signalling and Energy for the GB railway industry. His interest in hydrogen dates back to 2004.

Prof. Robert Steinberger-Wilckens – University of Birmingham Presentation PDF  Professor Steinberger-Wilckens is a physicist with a degree from the University of Oldenburg, Germany. He was a Founding Member of the energy and utilities engineering company, PLANET GbR. His projects have included energy efficient building technology; water saving; solar and wind energy; biomass; and fuel cell and hydrogen applications, both mobile and stationary. He was Project Manager—Fuel Cells at Forschungszentrum Jülich from 2002 to Jan. 2012 and was responsible for the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) development at the research centre. He developed and coordinated the EU-Project “Real-SOFC” under the 6th Framework Programme and more recently the projects TrainHy, FC-EuroGrid, and MMLCR=SOFC. He leads the Centre for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research and the respective Doctoral Training Centre in Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham.

Other Presentations

Dr. Holger Busche – Schienenflieger KG Presentation PDF Holger Busche is head of Schienenflotte GmbH, a company founded to initiate innovative rail projects, especially hydrail. Although a geophysicist by training his work incorporates many disciplines including technology, economics, and politics. He is an active advocate for hydrail technology and seeks to engage non-railway-focused organizations in hydrail promotion.

Dr. Dmitry Grigorovich – All-Russian Institute of Railway Transportation Presentation PDF  Dr. Grigorovich is Head Executor at the All-Russian Institute of Railway Transportation in the Russian Federation, where he leads the design team developing a hydrogen fuel cell based Power Car system which—by eliminating diesel emissions—enables track crews to work in tunnels safely for up to eight days without high volumes of forced air ventilation. This solves a major problem in the severe cold of Russian winters. [presented by Stan Thompson]

Dr. I. Rex Harris – University of Birmingham Presentation PDF  Rex Harris is Honorary Professor of Materials Science in the School of Metallurgy and Materials Science at the University of Birmingham. He has had a life-long interest in rare earth-based magnets and the interaction of hydrogen with these materials. In 2006—in partnership with colleagues Dr. Alex Bevan; Dr. David Book; and Professor Andreas Zuttel of EMPA, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology—he developed a practical demonstration of these combined interests: a hydrogen/battery canal boat driven by a permanent magnet electric motor using NdFeB magnets. Hydrogen is stored on board the vessel in metal hydride.

Dr. Stuart Hillmansen – University of Birmingham Presentation PDF  Stuart Hillmansen is a Senior Lecturer in Electrical Energy Systems in the School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Birmingham. He leads the Traction Systems Group and, with a team of five research fellows and six Ph.D. candidates, is engaged in a number of research projects funded by industry, government and the European Commission. He serves as a member of the Future Fuels Technology Group, a collaboration of industry experts who advise the Vehicle/Train Energy System Interface Committee and the rail industry at large, and has presented evidence on railways’ contribution to improving energy use and security to the Select Committee on Energy and Climate Change.

Andreas Hoffrichter – University of Birmingham Presentation PDF Andreas Hoffrichter is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, where he is conducting research into hydrogen powered rail vehicles and their necessary hydrogen supply chain. Previously, he studied merchant baking in Germany and later graduated with first honors from Aston University, specializing in Transport Management. He has presented hydrail-related papers at several conferences, including the Sixth International Hydrail Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO-ICHET).

Prof. Andreas Hornung – Aston University Presentation PDF  Professor Hornung is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. He heads the European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University in Birmingham, UK, a focus for pan-European activities on scientific and technological aspects of biomass production, conversion and utilization of products used for renewable power, heat, transport fuels, hydrogen and chemicals. He currently oversees development of an ERDF-funded £16.5m Centre of Excellence in bioenergy technologies and a focal point for supporting regional business with technology transfer and growth opportunities. This research facility will include a unique industrial-scale power generation plant supplying power and heat for use on the campus. In 2011 Prof. Hornung was appointed as a Green Leader in the West Midlands.

Jason W. Hoyle – Appalachian State University Presentation PDF  Jason Hoyle is Research Analyst and faculty member at Appalachian State University’s Research Institute for the Environment, Energy, and Economics. He specializes in leveraging the development of sustainable resources as a source of economic development and growth, is an expert on energy- and climate change-related policy and market issues in the U.S., and regularly consults with local governments and non-profits across the state. He is also a co-founder of the International Hydrail Conference series and for eight years has authored the world’s hydrail information clearinghouse, www.hydrail.org.

Stan Thompson – Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team Presentation PDF  Stan Thompson leads the Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team at the Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce in Mooresville, North Carolina, USA. In collaboration with fellow presenters Bill Thunberg and Jason Hoyle, he conceived and founded the International Hydrail Conference series in 2005. He coined the term “hydrail” in 2004 in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy and has made invited presentations on the topic of hydrail in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the USA.

Bill Thunberg – Lake Norman Transportation Commission Presentation PDF  Bill Thunberg is currently the Executive Director of the Lake Norman Transportation Commission. During his tenure as Mayor of Mooresville, NC, USA he worked with Stan Thompson to establish the Mooresville Hydrail Initiative, a local initiative dedicated to establishing the United States’ first hydrogen-powered commuter rail system. He was instrumental in establishing the first International Hydrail Conference in 2005, and has continued to offer invaluable support to the conference series in the years since.

Stephen Kent and Jon Tutcher – University of Birmingham Presentation PDF  Stephen Kent is a Research Fellow and JonTutcher is a Ph.D. candidate at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education. Together, they head up the University of Birmingham team that is currently building a 10.25-inch gauge hydrogen-powered locomotive to be entered in this year’s IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) Railway Challenge competition.

Herbert Wancura – synergesis consult.ing Presentation PDF  Herbert Wancura is the Principal of synergesis consult.ing, an international consulting and engineering practice based in Graz, Austria. The core activities of synergesis are: assisting clients in the advancement of alternative energy and power technologies; in research-to-development; and in marketing and policy. He has worked with a variety of fuel cell technologies since 1998 and has been active in building and governing the European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative (FCH-JU). Previously, he has presented at the Hydrail Conferences in Spain and Turkey.

6th International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Thu, 07/01/2010 – Fri, 07/02/2010

Location: 
Istanbul, Turkey

The Sixth International Hydrail Conference was held on 1-2 July 2010 on the campus of Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. The 2010 conference was generously hosted by the International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (ICHET), a project of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). 

The Sixth International Hydrail Conference was held 1-2 July, 2010, at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. The conference was hosted by Istanbul-based International Centre for Hydrogen Energy TechnologiesAppalachian State University Energy Center (Boone, North Carolina, USA) and the Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team at the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation (Mooresville, North Carolina, USA).

The International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (ICHET) is a project of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) founded in Istanbul in 2004 and supported by the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. Its role is to to support, demonstrate and promote viable hydrogen technologies, particularly in emerging countries, so as to enhance their future economic development, prevent the widening of the energy and technology gap with the developed one while helping skipping over the fossil fuel phase.

  • Dr. Seky Chang, South Korea, Korean Railway Research Institute [PDF]
  • Dr. Dmitry Grigorovich, Russia, All-Russia Institute of Rail Technology [PDF]
  • Dr. Mustafa Hatipoglu, Turkey, International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (UNIDO-ICHET) [PDF]
  • Andreas Hoffrichter, Germany, Universityof Birmingham (UK) [PDF]
  • Jason Hoyle, USA, Appalachian State University [PDF]
  • Tarun Huria, India, University of Pisa / Formerly of Indian Railways [PDF]
  • Dr. Keiichiro Kondo, Japan, Chiba University [PDF]
  • Turgut Kumas, Turkey,  Turkish State Railways [PDF]
  • Dr. Carlos Navas, Spain, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking-European Commission [PDF]
  • Stan Thompson, USA, Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team [PDF]
  • Dr. Cecilia Wallmark, Sweden, Svenska Rotor Maskiner AB [PDF]
  • Herbert Wancura, Austria, NTDA Energia [PDF]
  • Suleyman Karaman, General Manager, Turkish State Railways (TCDD), Ankara, Turkey
  • Mustafa Hatipoglu, Managing Director, UNIDO-ICHET, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Mehmet Tekin, Assistant Rector, Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat, Turkey
  • Mustafa Ilicali, Head of Transportation Center, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Suha Yazici, Director of R&D, UNIDO-ICHET, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Stan Thompson, Director, International Hydrail Conference, Mooresville, NC USA
  • Jason Hoyle, Research Analyst, Appalachian State University Energy Center, Boone, NC USA

5th International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Thu, 06/11/2009 – Fri, 06/12/2009

Location: 
Charlotte, NC USA

The Focus: The Fifth International Hydrail Conference agenda departs somewhat from the first four IHCs in that it focuses on three featured subjects: (1) mass carbon-free hydrogen production technologies to fuel hydrail trains and other vehicles; (2) the economic importance of avoiding commitment to new externally powered rail lines – especially for streetcars; and (3) hydrogen fuel cell streetcars: the hydrolley and its revolutionary significance for urban transportation planning.

Spotlighting Canada: Canada’s long-standing leadership role in hydrail introduction will be emphasized. The Canadian Consulate to North Carolina plays a major role in producing this year’s Hydrail Conference.

The Excursion: In 2006, Denmark’s Hydrogen Innovation and Research Center (Herning, Denmark) delighted conferees on the second day of the conference with a rail excursion. A rail excursion is part of the 2009 IHC as well. The Charlotte Area Transit System will host a ride down their new and extrordinarily successful LYNX Blue Line (light rail) for a tour of CATS’s rolling stock maintenance facility.

International Updates: As usual, there will be updates by international speakers on the progress of hydrail around the world and how today’s economical and political change will affect the technology in coming years.

On Policy: Policy discussion will play a greater role than usual as several elected officials with transit-related roles are expected to join in.

[All presentations in PDF format]

Thursday June 11, 2009

Prologue Speakers

  • Barry Burks, Charlotte Research Institute – Welcome Why CRI Is Hosting This Years IHC
  • Jennifer Roberts, Mecklenburg County Commission Chair – Welcome
  • Jason Hoyle, Appalachian State University – Brief History & Origin of the International Hydrail Conference
  • Alistair Miller, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. – Why Rail is the Best use of H2 & The Environmental Urgency

Mass Production of Hydrogen Fuel for Hydrail

  • Kevin Major, University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Nanocatalyst-based hydrogen production
  • Bill Summers, Savannah River National Laboratory – High Temperature Thermochemical Water Splitting Using the Sulfur/Iodine Cycle
  • Robert Stasko, University of Ontario – Promising technologies for producing industrial scale hydrogen with low or zero carbon emissions

Keynote & Lunch

  • KEYNOTE: WALTER KULYK, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Office of Mobility Innovation

International Hydrail Update

  • Jason Hoyle, Appalachian State University Energy Center – Hydrail in the EU
  • Dmitry Grigorovich(presented by Stan Thompson), Russia Scientific Research Institute of Railway Transport – Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power for Tunnel Work
  • Seky Chang, Korean Railway Research Institute – Hydrail in Asia: The Current Direction
  • Peter Holt,Surrey (BC) Canada – The Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society

Streetcars Go Wireless: Hydrolley-Community Synthesis

  • Ned Parker(P.E.), LTK Engineering, Comparing Life Cycle Costs of Internal and External Power for Rail Systems
  • Brian Nadolny, Charlotte Area Transit System – How New Overhead Systems Are Problematic
  • Nora Black & Monica Carney, DPZ Town Planners – Wireless Streetcars in Light-Imprint Communities

5:00 – 7:00 pm Networking Social

Friday June 12, 2009

Dawn of the Hydrolley

  • Stan Thompson, Mooresville Hydrogen Economy Action Team – The Hydrolley as Manifest Destiny
  • Nancy Carter, Charlotte City Council – What’s In it For Charlotte
  • Dale Hill, CEO, Proterra LLC – Morphing H2 Bus Tech into Hydrolley Design
  • Brian Nadolny, Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) – CATS’s View of the Mooresville North Line & Conduct Lynx Excursion

Excursion

  • Ride CATS’s Lynx
  • 12:30 pm Adjourn
  • Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS)
  • S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Centralina Council of Governments
  • Mooresville/South Iredell Chamber of Commerce
  • Charlotte Research Institute of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • Appalachian State University Energy Center
  • Town of Mooresville Hydrogen Economy Advancement Tea
  • Conference Program [PDF]
  • Directions to Conference [PDF]
  • Speaker Biographies [PDF]

Multimedia

Print Media

  • Charlotte Observer
  • WCNC 36 website

WBTV 3 website 

4th International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Mon, 06/09/2008

Location: 
Valencia, Spain

Keeping a Good Train Rolling

The International Hydrail Conference brings together the world’s leading experts in the development of hydrogen-fuel technology for railways. At the annual conference these experts assess state-of-the-art technologies and global R&D activities. The 2008 conference will showcase projects applying hydrogen and fuel cell technology to railways and examine scenarios for integrating these technologies into existing transport systems and other factors related to the energy supplies of railways.

The Fourth International Hydrail Conference will be held 9th June, 2008, at The Principe Felipe Museum, Valencia, Spain – one of the most modern facilities in Europe. The conference is being organized by Spain-based NTDA Energía (Valencia, Spain) in collaboration with the Appalachian State University Energy Center (Boone, North Carolina, USA) and the Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team at the Mooresville-South Iredell Economic Development Corporation (Mooresville, North Carolina, USA). Speakers and attendees will continue facilitating innovative technology development with a focus on providing solutions to the changing market demands of the railway sector. Solution s to common challenges will be identified and new proposals will be put forward to identify opportunities for hydrail technology applications to meet important local needs and to remove barriers to deployment and continued technological development. The hydrail conference will help provide a vision for the implementation of hydrogen-powered railways and a medium- to long-term strategic plan for the global deployment of this technology.

NTDA Energia, the leading organizer, is an international company committed to the development and deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. NTDA Energia plays a leading role in the EU Joint Technology Initiative on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen, including as one of the six Members of the Governing Board from the industry.

Speaker List (PDF)

All presentations in PDF format

FIRST PANEL: International Projects and Incentives

  • Seky Chang, Korea Railway Research Institute: Development of Transportation Technology
  • Peter Holt, Fraser Valley Heritage (Stan Thompson presenting) Railway Society, Canada: Heritage and Hydrail-Bridging the 19th and 21st Centuries
  • Claus Torbensen, HIRC, Denmark: Plans For A Danish Test Site For Hydrogen Technology On Rails
  • Jonathan Ellis, Network Rail, UK: Railway Infrastructure-Impact of Hydrogen As An Energy Vector
  • Stan Thompson, HEAT, USA: Hydrolleys, A Prime Hydrail Application
  • Keynote Presentation, Greg Ayres-Volpe Center, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation: The Role of Hydrogen in the US’s Rail Transit Future (Presentation and Questions)

SECOND PANEL: Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology

  • Daljit Bawa, Ballard Fuel Cells, Canada: Ballard Fuel Cells Heavy Duty Applications
  • Jan Piet van der Meer, Nedstack Fuel Cells, The Netherlands: An Opportunity for Fuel Cells
  • Cesare Pianese, U. of Salerno, Italy: University Research Opportunities-Elements of Hydrail Design
  • Ian Williamson, Air Products, UK: (subject to be announced)

THIRD PANEL: The Hydrail Transition: Regulation, Planning and Funding

  • Jason Hoyle, Appalachian State University, NC, USA: Market Adoption Factors of Hydrail Technology
  • Herbert Wancura, EU Hydrogen Program: Hydrail and the EU’s Joint Technology Initiative
  • Jeffrey Allan, Railway Safety and Standards Board, UK: Towards a European Demonstration-Feasibility, Funding, Standards
  • Giovani Pede, Italian Department of Energy and the Environment: The Role of Hydrail in Meeting Environmental Commitments

Información de la Conferencia del Hydrail [PDF]

Hydrail Conference information [PDF]

Featured Organizations

Dates:  Mon, 08/13/2007 – Tue, 08/14/2007 Location:  Salisbury, NC

Conference Presentations

  • John E. Wear, Catawba College, Welcome to Catawba’s Center for the Environment and the role of the Center for the Environment in facilitating renewable technology introduction in North Carolina
  • Seky Chang, Korea Railroad Research Institute, Hydrail Projects and Technology in South Korea
  • Tarun Huria, Professor and Head of the Department of Rolling Stock Technologies, Indian Railways’ Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE), Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cells in Railway
  • Giovanni Pede, Italian National Agency for Energy and the Environment, Use of series-hybrid drive trains for railway traction, a feasibility study promoted by Ferrovie dello Stato
  • KEYNOTE: ROBERT ROSE, Executive Director, U. S. Fuel Cell Council, Hydrail, the fuel cell application that’s been too long overlooked
  • Peter Holt, Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, Surrey, British Columbia: FVHRS’s hydrail-powered restoration of a 1900 inter-urban railcar
  • David Caroll, Charlotte Area Transit System, North Corridor Commuter Rail Project: Powered By Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology?
  • Bill Thunberg, Mayor, Mooresville NC, Small town, global change – how size matters much less in the information age
  • Jason Hoyle(on behalf of Denmark HIRC’s Claus Torbeson), Appalachian State Energy Center, Danish Hydrogen train and Wind Hydrogen as Hydrail Fuel
  • Chuck Sathrum, NC State Energy Office, Linking Hydrogen and Hydrail to Local Energy Independence and Job Growth
  • Rick Hudson, University of NC – Charlotte & Rowan County Economic Development Committee, The Badin Hydroelectric Opportunity — Enough Renewable Hydrogen to Power Central North Carolina’s H2 Trains, Cars and Buses for Years
  • Linda Rimer, U.S. EPA, Hydrail and SEQL
  • KEYNOTE: Secretary William Ross, NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, Sustainable energy and technologies like hydrail are the growth industries of the 21st century
  • Peter Holt (on behalf of Jim Graebner of American Passenger Transport Association), The return of the American streetcar: why, where, and how soon
  • Tom Bartley, ISE Corporation, Adaptability of existing hydrogen bus technology to hydrail streetcar applications
  • Stan Thompson, Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team, The Engineering Risk of Not Leaping to Hydrogen Streetcars: Who Bought the Last Steam Locomotive
  • Bill Summers, National Hydrogen Technology Laboratory, US DOE Savannah River National Laboratory, The outlook for mass-produced, carbon-free thermochemical hydrogen for hydrail and other applications

2nd International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Wed, 06/07/2006

Location: 
Herning, Denmark

The 2nd International Hydrogen Train & Hydrail conference was held in Herning, Denmark, in June 2006 with more than 50 participants from all over the world, e.g. from USA, Russia, Great Britain, Spain, Germany and Holland. The conference opened opportunities for closer international cooperation for a real fuel cell driven train on VLTJ rails.

The conference website is available at http://www.greenhydrogen.dk/Default.aspx?ID=346.

Conference Program [PDF]

All presentations in Adobe PDF format

Welcome by US Embassy: Deputy Chief Sandy Kaiserdenmark.usembassy.gov

Feasibility Study into the use of Hydrogen Fuel

Jeff Allan, UK Rail Safety and Standards Board, www.rssb.co.ukFeasibility Study into the use of Hydrogen Fuel

US projects on Hydrogen Technology for Railways

Arnold Miller, Vehicle Projects LLC, Technical issues in development of a variable hybridity fuel cell locomotive

Stan Thompson, Mooresville NC (USA) Hydrail Initiative, Hydrail in North America

The Hydrogen Train – Europe’s first hydrogen powered train

Benny Christensen, HIRK (Denmark), www.hirc.dkHydrogen Train – the Danish way

Mikael Sloth, H2 Logis ApS, www.h2logic.comThe Hydrogen Train – preliminary results

Solutions based on PEM fuel cells

Jean-Paul Moskowitz, Alstom Transport, The Fulltramm project

Roberto Minicuci, Nuvera Fuel Cells, FORZATMRail Power Module

Jan Piet Van der Meer, NedStack Fuel Cell Technology, Drive Train solutions based on NedStack PEM fuel cells

High Temperature Fuel Cells (SOFC) Status

Mogens Mogensen, RISO (National Energy Research Laboratories), High Temperature Fuel Cells (SOFC) Status

Hydrogen and Fuel cell EU Platform Activities on Railway Applications

Carlos Navas, NTDA Energia, NTDA – Creating a Pathway to the Hydrogen Economy

First International Hydrail Conference

Dates: 
Thu, 05/05/2005

Location: 
Charlotte, NC

All presentations in Adobe PDF format