This is encouraging news for the Bering Strait Project. Although feasibility studies still need to be done, it seems almost certain that the connection between the continents at the Bering Strait will be a tunnel, probably some 100 km (about 65 miles) in length from entrance to exit. That's a very long distance to have to ventilate.
Development of hydrogen trains is now focusing on the commuter rail and transit markets. The fifth International Hydrail Conference will be held in Charlotte, N.C. June 11 to 16, sponsored by the Appalachian State University Energy Center. The conference is expected to feature innovative hydrogen technology for commuter rail applications.
There would seem to be no reason that the applications could not be expanded in the future to include long-distance railroads, even those that run on transcontinental lines. Indeed, the Hydrail Conference website suggests as much with its motto: "Hydrail is to diesel as diesel was to steam."
The Bering Strait Project could be used as a opportunity for developing technologies such as clean burning engines.
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Timothy,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for highlighting a hydrail application––tunnels––that we have overlooked! The need for non-carbon traction without the expense of track electrification is not unique to the Bering Straits project. There is a similar problem in an existing long tunnel in New Zealand and probably elsewhere that we've not yet learned about.
Thanks especially for your reference to "5IHC", the Fifth International Hydrail Conference in Charlotte June 11-12, 2009! I hope you can join us there! www.hydrail.org
Very thoughtful. The more you think about it, the more sense hydrail makes.
ReplyDeleteHm, surely an electric system like just about everywhere else that puts trains in long tunnels would make more sense ?
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