Publications Details

Assessment of Potential Failure Modes and Effects for On-Board Components for Hydrogen-Powered Locomotives

Wofford, Bryan M.; Schroeder, Benjamin B.; Ehrhart, Brian D.

Hydrogen fuel sources offer alternatives to conventional fuels in the rail transportation industry. Hydrogen powered locomotive designs utilizing either a fuel cell or an internal combustion engine can make migration to alternative fuels possible for rail transportation. Codes and standards are still in development for rail application of hydrogen and safety risks must be assessed for hydrogen locomotive applications. This report utilizes a failure mode & effects analysis framework to help qualitatively understand possible risks from a hydrogen locomotive system. Findings illustrate how a combination of three mitigations greatly reduces the risks from a hydrogen locomotive system.