World Germany unveils zero-emissions train that only emits steam

tom_mai78101

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Germany is set to introduce the world’s first zero-emission passenger train to be powered by hydrogen.

The Coradia iLint only emits excess steam into the atmosphere, and provides an alternative to the country’s 4,000 diesel trains.

Lower Saxony has already ordered 14 of them from French company Alstom, and more are likely to be seen around the country if they are judged a success, reports Die Welt.

Testing is set to be carried out by the end of the year, before it opens up to the public in December 2017.

The train was first presented at Berlin’s InnoTrans trade show in August, and it is set to be the first hydrogen-powered train to regularly ferry people over long distances.

There’s also interest in the train from the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway.

Read more here. (Independent UK)
 

Accname

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Fuel is only clean if it can also be produced in a clean way. What does it cost to create the fuel cleanly in sufficient amounts?

Did some research. Apparently they want to use H^2 which is generated as a by-product of various chemical processes. So I guess they would buy their fuel from all kinds of chemical plants which just happen to have a lot of H^2 on their hands and no need for it or something...
 
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jonas

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But... It's a french train. So why does the title imply otherwise?
 

Accname

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Because germany ordered them and is the one using them I guess?
 

tom_mai78101

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That's how subcontracting manufacturing works. The ones who ordered the product are the ones who claims ownership. If asked for who built the products, then it is the manufacturers.
 

Hatebreeder

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Fuel is only clean if it can also be produced in a clean way. What does it cost to create the fuel cleanly in sufficient amounts?

Did some research. Apparently they want to use H^2 which is generated as a by-product of various chemical processes. So I guess they would buy their fuel from all kinds of chemical plants which just happen to have a lot of H^2 on their hands and no need for it or something...

Well, you know how a galvanic cell works, right? Basically, a Fuel Cell is the reverse process. Actually, the whole Fuel Cell is almost identical with the process of galvanizing metals ( bluing ).
One can use just about any kind of Battery, put a fucking catalyst into the electrolyte, which is usually just a metal membrane to control the balance reaction between the acids and alkalies that sets ions free and Hydrogen. One can speed up the reaction with higher temperatures, but that usually causes explosions, because Hydrogen is unstable and expands really fast, which is why you don't see Fuel Cells in cars ( Insurance Companies would lose a lot of money if everybody just dies in a car accident and at some point, a lot less customers ).
Since Trains usually don't cause accidents, it might be safe to use this technology in Trains. Though I like the idea of potentially explosive trains in France. Just imagine what would happen to the trains if deployed on a really hot summer day.
 

tom_mai78101

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Relatively speaking, has French engineering caught up with German engineering? Or the German engineering is still one of the few finest in the world?
 

jonas

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Well, you know how a galvanic cell works, right? Basically, a Fuel Cell is the reverse process. Actually, the whole Fuel Cell is almost identical with the process of galvanizing metals ( bluing ).
One can use just about any kind of Battery, put a fucking catalyst into the electrolyte, which is usually just a metal membrane to control the balance reaction between the acids and alkalies that sets ions free and Hydrogen. One can speed up the reaction with higher temperatures, but that usually causes explosions, because Hydrogen is unstable and expands really fast, which is why you don't see Fuel Cells in cars ( Insurance Companies would lose a lot of money if everybody just dies in a car accident and at some point, a lot less customers ).
Since Trains usually don't cause accidents, it might be safe to use this technology in Trains. Though I like the idea of potentially explosive trains in France. Just imagine what would happen to the trains if deployed on a really hot summer day.
yeah... but the trains will be deployed in Germany.
 

Hatebreeder

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Relatively speaking, has French engineering caught up with German engineering? Or the German engineering is still one of the few finest in the world?
What do you mean with German Engineering? The terminology is kind of loose. If you're looking for something specific, you're better off searching for firms that have persisted for more than a decade and still uphold their title as leading innovators. If you take a look at production plants in Germany, you'll only find a hand full of high tech production plants, while most of the others are on the stand from the sixties. If you're looking for niche Products, you'll find a lot in Germany, most of which are above average. If you're looking for human resources, you'll find very well educated and probed engineers, as the universities make it very hard for even people with affinities for a specific subject.
All in all I'd say if you're looking for knowledge, you'll find very capable resources in Germany, for a price, of course.
You can get the same jobs done with resources elsewhere in Europe, but if you're looking for a slight edge in innovation and creativity, I think Germany is the go-to place for these resources. But that almost never really gets you that far, because once you start patenting, there'll already be someone producing your shit, just slightly altered at dumping loans. Unless it's nuclear technology or IT. The secrets of those technologies are kept tighter than those of the bohemian grove.
To answer your question: yes, but only in very specific niches and in corporate companies.
yeah... but the trains will be deployed in Germany.
Oops, shouldn't have just skimmed through the article. Guess I'll have to find a spot on a mountain, settle down with a camping chair and beer and watch erupting fiery mushrooms and burning flowers fill the streets with crimson red :D
 
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