MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 2007 TELECONFERENCE OF THE NATIONAL HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELLS CODES & STANDARDS COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Russell Hewett, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

MEETING DATE: February 7, 2007
MEETING TIME: 1:00 - 2:30 PM (MST)


1.0 MEETING PARTICIPANTS
The listing of teleconference meeting participants is provided in Attachment A.


2.0 REVIEW OF ANTI-TRUST POLICY
USFCC members were asked by Sondra Ullman to be mindful of the anti-trust guidelines:

Antitrust Guidelines (27Kb PDF)

and

Memo on Antitrust Guidelines (24Kb PDF)


3.0 REVIEW OF/CORRECTIONS TO DRAFT MINUTES FROM JANUARY 2007 TELECONFERENCE MEETING
Prior to the meeting, Patrick Serfass submitted to Russ Hewett a correction to the Draft Minutes of January’s meeting. No additional corrections were offered in February’s meeting. Russ will prepare Corrected Minutes and submit them to NHA for posting on the NHA hydrogenandfuelcellsafety website.


4.0 OPPORTUNITY FOR DOE/HQ REPRESENTATIVE TO
PROVIDE LATEST INFORMATION ON WHAT’S GOING ON
AT DOE
With Pat Davis (Subprogram Manager, Hydrogen Safety and Codes & Standards Subprogram) being unavailable to participate in the meeting because of other commitments, Antonio Ruiz reported on DOE/HQ and Subprogram activities.

As has been mentioned in the past several meetings, the Hydrogen, Fuel Cell and Infrastructure Technologies Program (as are other DOE programs) is still operating under a Congressional Continuing Resolution. The current one ends on February 15th.

Antonio is confident that the Subprogram will be able to hold onto FY07 planned funding and that all work-in-progress can continue as planned, including the planned efforts with CDOs and SDOs.

Antonio reported that the proposed budget for the Subprogram for FY08 is $16.0 million, compared to $13.0 million for FY07. The proposed FY08 funding would provide for re-establishing the efforts relating to sensor/hydrogen detection technology. Support for those efforts are very small in FY07.

Of special significance, Antonio reported that Pat Davis, in addition to being the manager of the Hydrogen Safety and Codes and Standards Subprogram, is serving as the acting director of the Hydrogen, Fuel Cell and Infrastructure Technologies (HFCIT) Program – of which the Subprogram is a part. He has replaced Joann Milliken as the acting director and it is possible that he might be in this position for up to 120 days.

With respect to hydrogen sensor technology, Cathy Gregoire-Padro invited Committee members to participate in the Hydrogen Sensor Workshop to be hosted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory and co-hosted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on behalf of the DOE HFCIT Program:

• Date: April 4, 2007
• Location: Washington, DC
• Site: Doubletree Hotel

The objective of the workshop is to draft technical requirements and targets for hydrogen safety sensors. Information about the Workshop can be found at the following website:

http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/mpa/mpa11/sensor.html

5.0 REGULATORY LOGIC: STATUS REPORT
(Firm selected by DOE Golden Field Office to perform much of the codes and standards subcontract administration that, in the past, had been performed by NREL)

Gary Nakarado, the principal and managing director of Regulatory Logic, reported on January activities. The DOE/Golden Field Office has approved the first of several planned contracts – the contract with Kelvin Hecht who operates and maintains the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Codes and Standards Matrix and Database activity.

Regulatory Logic is “closing in” on the planned contract with ANSI. Russ Hewett continues to work with Regulatory Logic in drafting the statements of work for the other planned contracts and in transitioning all efforts to Regulatory Logic.

And as has been mentioned in the past:

1. In implementing new contracts, the strategy is focusing on CDOs and SDOs whose subcontracts with NREL have ended the soonest.
   
   
2. Regulatory Logic’s contracting is limited to the types of codes and standards efforts that NREL had been conducting in the past. R&D-related contracting that NREL has been conducting in the past will still be conducted by NREL.
   

6.0 REPORT ON THE “WORKSHOP ON FACILITATING
PERMITTING OF HYDROGEN FUELING STATIONS”
Russ Hewett and Jim Ohi reported on the DOE/NREL Workshop on Facilitating Permitting of Hydrogen Fueling Stations held on February 1st at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in Sacramento, CA.

The objective of the Workshop was to bring together local/state permitting officials, HFS project developers and other Stakeholders to:

1. Share permitting experiences
2. Discuss lessons learned
3. Discuss the critical issues
4. Identify what is needed to facilitate efficient, timely
   permitting of projects
5. Develop recommendations (and priorities) for a DOE Initiative to facilitate permitting (focusing on permitting retail fueling stations, rather than R&D projects)

Jim and Russ gave a special “Thank You” to CARB for: (i) hosting the Workshop; (ii) helping identify permitting officials and appropriate local/state officials to invite to participate; and (iii) helping with logistics.

Both Jim and Russ reported that the Workshop was a great success. Contributing to its success were: (i) having the right mix of participants (especially local/state permitting officials, fueling station project developers, CDOs and SDOs, etc.); and (ii) the interactions of the participants.

Available below is the summary of the Workshop that Russ presented at the CARB H2Net Station Deployment Strategy Meeting held at CARB on February 2nd:

Workshop Summary (386Kb PDF)

During the discussion in the teleconference meeting, Darren Meyers (who participated in the Workshop) asked that the recommendation made to DOE in the Workshop regarding “Development of Generic Technology Safety Case Studies” be included in the final report. Russ assured Darren that all of the recommendations would be included.

Andrei Tchouvelev mentioned that the “lessons learned” and the recommendations to DOE/HQ are the “correct” ones – in fact, most have been made in previous similar workshops. The issue is DOE’s follow-through in making things happen.

Russ and Jim invited Coordinating Committee members to provide them (or Pat Davis or Antonio Ruiz) with any feedback regarding the Workshop and workshop results.

Russ Hewett will generate a Workshop Proceedings document that will be distributed to Workshop participants and made available to the Coordinating Committee membership. In addition, it will be posted on the NHA website.


7.0 REPORT ON HYDROGEN INDUSTRY PANEL ON CODES
(HIPOC) ACTIVITIES
Darren Meyers and Partick Sefass reported on HIPOC activities.

The next HIPOC meeting will be an open teleconference meeting on February 22nd – Committee members are invited to participate. The agenda will include addressing issues continuing from meeting No. 15:

• Proposals for NFPA 52 and NFPA 55
• Continued discussion of Michigan’s Hydrogen Code (provisions in it being possible candidates for incorporation into to NFPA 52)
• Hydrogen/natural gas blends

New items on the agenda are:

1. F155-06/07 Indoor fast-fill hydrogen fuel-dispensing – Public Comment Update
   
   
2. HIPOC Voting Members – selecting replacements for two losses
   - Selection of a voting member of the technical committee for NFPA 55
   - Selection of a person from a fuel cell manufacturer or fuel cell vehicle OEM
   
   
3. NFPA Equivalent – Indoor fast-fill hydrogen fuel-dispensing
   (F155-05/06)
   
   
4. NFPA Equivalent – ESD (F156-05/06)

HIPOC is continuing to ask Coordinating Committee members and other stakeholders wishing to submit NFPA 52 and 55 code change proposals, to submit them to Carl Rivkin. HIPOC is interested in receiving either or both of two types of code change proposals:

• Proposals for HIPOC to take up and go forward with
• Proposals to be submitted by others for HIPOC to review and support

HIPOC’s website is:
http://www.hydrogenandfuelcellsafety.info/hipoc/index.asp

Instructions on how to submit a code proposal and other important information can be found at:
http://www.hydrogenandfuelcellsafety.info/hipoc/proposals.asp

Again, note that the activities of the HIPOC are not intended to substitute for the procedures of either NFPA or ICC. Rather, the HIPOC is a group of industry experts with experience in getting consensus code modifications into the model codes. One key goal is harmonizing the hydrogen-related safety requirements in ICC and NFPA documents.


8.0 REPORT ON IEC/TC105 ACTIVITIES, DOCUMENTS IN THE “COMMENTS” STAGE AND THE HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELLS C&S MATRIX AND DATABASE
Kelvin Hecht reported on IEC/TC105 activities as documented in his report available below:

IEC/TC105 report (93Kb PDF)

Kelvin reported that the US TAG voted “YES” to modify the scope of TC 105 so that it includes micro fuel cells explicitly.

In addition, there are three other items the TAG will be voting on during the next two months:

1. Modification of the Corrigendum to IEC PAS 62282-6-1 (Micro Fuel Cells – Safety)
   
   
2. IEC FDIS 62282-3-1 (Stationary Fuel Cells – Safety)
   
   
3. Starting a new work item “Single Cell Test Methods for PEM Fuel Cells”

9.0 REPORT ON ISO/TC197 ACTIVITIES AND DOCUMENTS IN
THE “COMMENTS” STAGE
Because of a prior commitment, Debbie Angerman was unable to participate in the meeting. However, she provided the written report, attached below, summarizing key ISO TC/197 activities in January.

ISO TC/197 report (68Kb PDF)

Debbie, in her report, stated that that ISO/DTS 14687-2 (Hydrogen fuel – Product specification – Part 2: Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell applications for road vehicles) was approved as a Technical Specification.

Andrei Tchouvelev asked if ISO/TC 22 (Road Vehicles) was planning to become involved in fuel quality work. Both Jim Ohi and Karen Hall said that they were not aware of any planned TC 22 involvement. Andrei said that he would look into the issue and make a report on his findings at the next meeting.

Subsequent to the meeting, Dr. Tchouvelev looked into the issue and sent Russ Hewett a presentation articulating proposed ISO/TC 22 efforts relating to hydrogen quality, possibly in collaboration with ISO/TC 197 and IEC/TC 105. The presentation articulates a proposal, rather than a “done deal” It is available below:

ISO/TC 22 report (439Kb PDF)


10.0 REPORT ON CALIFORNIA HYDROGEN FUELS PROJECT EFFORTS TO DEVELOP A CALIFORNIA HYDROGEN FUEL QUALITY STANDARD
John Mough, Chemist, California Hydrogen Fuels Project, gave an update on the efforts to develop hydrogen fuel quality regulations specifically for California. By state law, the regulations (or a standard) have to be in place by January 2008.

The responsibility for developing the regulations belongs to the Division of Measurement Standards (DMS) within the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

California’s strategy is to develop and use its own regulations or standard until an ANSI-approved national standard is available.

The basis for California’s standard is SAE J2719 (Information Report on Development of a Hydrogen Quality Guideline for Fuel Cell Vehicles)

Currently, SAE is working on changing the specifications for the levels of the inerts from 100 ppm to 300 ppm. If this is done, California will adopt these new levels. The SAE technical committee will have a meeting on March 13, 2007 to address the inerts issue.

John reported that the California regulations will apply to hydrogen fuel for fuel cell vehicles and for vehicles with ICEs. In this regard, John reported that there have not been any requests from vehicle OEMs for separate specifications for hydrogen for FCVs and ICE vehicles. A representative from the SAE technical committee reported that SAE is not interested in developing separate hydrogen quality specifications for FCVs and ICE vehicles.

The meeting participants were reminded again that the California fuel quality regulations will apply to hydrogen fuel sold to the public at retail fueling stations. They will not apply in the case of contract sales.

During the discussions, the issue of California’s development of a standard for hydrogen fueling dispensers came up. John reported that Gary Castro of the California Department of Food and Agriculture is working on the development of such a standard. They are working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in this activity.

The action item was for Russ Hewett to invite Mr. Castro at an upcoming Committee meeting to give a presentation on the dispenser standard development efforts.


11.0 OPPORTUNITY FOR CDOs AND SDOs TO REPORT ON
THEIR ACTIVITIES
Mike Steele mentioned that the SAE Fuel Cells Standards Committee will be having its next series of meetings the week of March 12th in Detroit.

There were no other reports.


12.0 OPEN DISCUSSION
The Coordinating Committee strives to work to insure that it is meeting the needs and concerns of its members. The strategy for doing so involves:

• Conducting periodic “self assessments”
  
  
• Giving member organizations the opportunity to inform the
  membership of updates of their codes & standards priorities and articulate them to DOE and NREL
  
  
• Determining whether or not to change the scope of its activities

Russ Hewett proposed these as issues to be addressed in upcoming meetings -- possibly in March’s planned In-Person meeting.

Russ Hewett reported that the process of updating the Committee’s rolls for 2007 was completed. The rolls list 60 members. Starting in February, Russ began begin using the updated roster.


13.0 NEXT MEETING
As agreed to in February’s teleconference meeting, the March meeting of the Committee will be an In-Person meeting as follows:

• DATE: March 19 (Monday)
• LOCATION: San Antonio, TX (in conjunction with the NHA 2007 Annual Hydrogen Conference)
• SITE: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
  - Room 204A
• TIME: 9:00 am – noon CDT

Teleconferencing will be provided for those unable to attend in person.



ATTACHMENT A: PARTICIPANTS IN THE FEBRUARY 2007 TELECONFERENCE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELLS CODES & STANDARDS COORDINATING COMMITTEE

GUEST PARTICIPANTS

1. Ben Deal (California Air Resources Board): Subbing for Lesley Crowell
2. Elizabeth Tucker (National Association of State Fire Marshals)
3. Peter Sparber (National Association of State Fire Marshals)