U.S. TAG for ISO/TC 197, Hydrogen technologies: August 2007 Update
Debbie Angerman, CGA, US TAG Administrator

A New TAG Chair
The U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of ISO TC 197 is pleased to announce the election of a new TAG Chair, Mr. Glenn Scheffler. Glenn is currently the President of GWS Solutions of Tolland. He recently retired from United Technologies, where he worked since 1970. In the past 37 years, Glenn held various positions with increasing responsibility in the engineering of fuel cell power plants, including fuel processing systems for the conversion of hydrocarbon fuels to hydrogen. Glenn is well known to the codes & standards community. In addition to his new role as US TAG Chair for ISO TC 197, Glenn has been active in the following codes and standards efforts:

  • SAE Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) - Chairman of the Safety Working Group and Vice Chairman of the FCV Committee
  • SAE Technical Standards Board – member since 2004
  • ISO TC22/SC21 for FCVs – Chairman, USTAG
  • Hydrogen Industry Panel on Codes (HIPOC)
  • Ad Hoc Hydrogen Committee for ICC
  • ANSI Z21.83, Stationary Fuel Cell Power Plants
  • IEC TC105, Fuel Cell Propulsion Working Group
  • Chairman, USFCC Transportation Working Group (2003-2006)

Other TAG Activities
The US TAG for ISO TC 197 is very busy, with plans for a TAG meeting beginning to take shape. Items the TAG is currently involved with include the following:

  1. The draft agenda (ISO/TC 197 N370) has been circulated in preparation for the ISO/TC 197 Plenary meeting November 8 in Montecatini Terme, Italy. The Plenary meeting will be held is in conjunction with the World Hydrogen Technology Convention 2007. WG12 on product specification (ISO 14687) will meet November 6-7, and WG13 on hydrogen detectors will meet November 5-6.
     
  2. ISO/TC 197 N369, which is 105/146/CDV, the IEC/CDV 62282-6-1 Fuel cell technologies --Part 6- 1: Micro Fuel Cell Power Systems –Safety has been circulated to the U.S. TAG for approval and comments on hydrogen safety related aspects by August 31.
     
  3. ISO/PAS 15594, Airport hydrogen fuelling facility operations is out for Systematic Review until December 17, 2007. U.S. TAG responses are requested by November 17.
     
  4. ISO/TC 197 N371, Chairman's report on the ISO Roundtable on Global Harmonization (January 2007) has been circulated. 
     
  5. The U.S. TAG voted to recommend approval EIGA (European Industrial Gases Association) as a D-liaison for ISO/TC 197 WG11, Gaseous hydrogen—Service stations. This recommendation was forwarded through ANSI to the ANSI's Technical Management Board (TMB) representative.
     
  6. Appointed experts to ISO/TC 197 WG6 (joint with ISO/TC 58/SC 3 and ISO/TC 22) will meet September 6-7 at Powertech Labs in Vancouver, Canada to discuss comments from the failed ISO/DIS 15869.2, Gaseous hydrogen and hydrogen blends—Land vehicle fuel tanks (N365 Annex B).

NHA to Work with USFCC on Permitting Education
Karen Hall, National Hydrogen Association

Working to Increase Awareness of Hydrogen Permitting Issues
As a part of a larger coordination effort, the National Hydrogen Association (NHA) and US Fuel Cell Council (USFCC) are working together to increase awareness about issues regarding permitting of hydrogen and fuel cell projects. Both the NHA and USFCC are in a strong position to help individuals and organizations address permitting challenges.

Currently, both organizations are involved in efforts to develop appropriate codes and standards for the longer term, to enable commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. With a larger number of projects planned, industry is looking for support to facilitate a dialog between project developers and code officials.

The NHA and USFCC would like to eventually work directly with the authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) to educate the them on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and pave the way for an easier permitting process.

Codes and Standards Workshops
The US Department of Energy (DOE) is already working with AHJs on hydrogen refuelling stations. A workshop was held on February 1, 2007 in Sacramento on “Facilitating Permitting of Hydrogen Fueling Stations.” Workshop participants shared permitting experiences, discussed lessons learned and other critical issues, identified what is needed to facilitate efficient, timely permitting of hydrogen refueling stations, and developed recommendations to DOE. A second workshop was held at the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) annual conference on July 10, 2007. Case study footprints were presented to building and fire code officials. The purpose was to educate participants about real-world scenarios, and to allow the hydrogen community to learn the permitting process as well as what tools DOE could develop to facilitate permitting in the future. Both of these workshops were focused on hydrogen fueling stations.

The USFCC is interested in doing something similar with respect to fuel cell technologies, and the NHA is interested in expanding this work to other hydrogen technologies and applications. To begin to prepare for this, the NHA is leading a workshop on the afternoon of Monday October 15, with support from the USFCC, at the 2007 Fuel Cell Seminar in San Antonio, Texas. The agenda is not yet final: a draft is shown below.

Hydrogen Technologies Permitting Workshop
The workshop will seek to bring together project developers, managers, technical personnel, and other stakeholders to:

  •  Understand what permitting officials expect from us
  • Share permitting experiences
  • Discuss lessons learned
  • Discuss the critical issues
  • Identify what is needed to facilitate efficient, timely permitting of projects
  • Build on the Federal effort to work with permitting officials to aid permitting of hydrogen refueling stations to include other hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and applications

Draft Agenda
(as of August 10, 2007)

1 pmWelcome & Overview
Karen Hall, NHA

1:15 pmResults of 2 workshops on facilitating permitting of hydrogen fueling stations
Jim Ohi and Russell Hewett, NREL

2 pmQ & A

2:15 pmFuel Cell Permitting Case Studies
Panel led by USFCC (TBC)

3 pmQ & A

3:15 pmBreak

3:30 pmHydrogen Technologies Case Studies
Panel led by NHA

4:15 pmQ & A

4:30 pmTools to Aid Permitting
Karen Hall, NHA

4:50 pmQ & A and Workshop Conclusion

Your Help is Needed
We need your help in order to be most responsive to industry needs. If you have stories to share about your permitting experiences, or lessons learned for the installation of hydrogen or fuel cell technologies, please consider speaking on the appropriate panel. Panellists avoid the modest registration fee charged by the Fuel Cell Seminar organisers for the workshop. If you are interested in speaking on the panel, please contact Karen Hall at the NHA athallk@hydrogenassociation.org.

Also, we are interested in inviting a couple of key AHJs to the meeting, to exchange information about facilitating future installations. We would like to determine the top five cities where new installations are planned. If you are planning an installation in the next three years in a new location, please send us the location, and we will send an invitation to the appropriate AHJ in that area.

To register for this workshop, or the Fuel Cell Seminar itself, please visit www.fuelcellseminar.com. The workshop is one of four Educational Programs listed on the registration form.

NIST Moves Ahead with Weights and Measures Standards to Support Hydrogen Refuelling Stations
Karen Hall, National Hydrogen Association

NIST Weights and Measures Division Seeks Experts
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce's Technology Administration. The NIST Weights and Measures Division (WMD) is leading the effort to develop national and international weights and measures standards that will be required for commercial hydrogen refueling. 

NIST WMD is working on three separate standards that apply to hydrogen applications. Three separate U.S. National Work Groups (USNWGs) are forming to work on each project that cover two international standards (equipment measuring cryogenic liquids and compressed gaseous fuels for vehicles), and a third that will fully develop a U.S. hydrogen meter code(s).

NIST WMD is seeking experts who develop related technical standards, manufacturers of equipment, or regulatory officials who have legal control over commercial measurement devices (especially in the area of hydrogen) to participate on all three USNWGs. Expertise is needed to ensure national and international standards developed for these devices are adequate and suitable for U.S. commercial equipment and are harmonized to the greatest extent possible. Many participants may have an interest in more than one work group because all three standards address the delivery of hydrogen (gas or liquid).

“Cryogenic Liquids” Recommendation R81 Due for Review
NIST WMD is responsible for representing the interest of U.S. stakeholders on International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) Recommendation 81 (R 81) "Dynamic Measuring Devices and Systems for Cryogenic Liquids." In accordance with OIML Directive for Technical Work, R 81 is due for its periodic review. NIST WMD requests input from interested parties on the appropriateness of the metrological and technical requirements and test procedures in R 81 by August 28, 2007 so a U.S. position can be established on whether or not this document needs an update.

You may also access these documents from the OIML website athttp://www.oiml.org/publications.

Hydrogen Measurement Standards Group to Meet
On a separate but related note, the first meeting of the USNWG for hydrogen measurement standards is scheduled for October 3-4, 2007, at NIST, Gaithersburg, Maryland. The primary focus of that meeting will be a 2nd draft of the NIST Handbook 44 Hydrogen Gas Meters Code. All three documents will be considered in that session since each includes requirements effecting U.S. commercial equipment used in hydrogen measurements in the national or international marketplace. 

To participate in a USNWG, comment on the status of R 81, or get more information regarding the October 2007 meeting, please contact Juana Williams (NIST) by e-mail at juana.williams@nist.gov.

The NHA would like to thank Juana Williams, NIST for her significant contributions to this article.

US Fuel Cell Council Releases Introduction to Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Button Cell Testing Document
Anthony A. Androsky, US Fuel Cell Council

An Introduction to Button Cell Testing
The US Fuel Cell Council (USFCC) has recently published an introduction to button cell testing for solid oxide fuel cells. Button cells are a test instrument for optimizing materials and fabrication process of solid oxide fuel cells.

As fuel cell manufacturers continue to improve system reliability, the importance of materials becomes more pronounced. Use of this button cell testing document will encourage the proper methods of evaluating the effects of changes in cell component materials and fabrication process on cell performance.

The document, developed by the USFCC’s Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Focus Group, is intended to be a resource for anyone working with the button cell testing process. You may download it for free from the US Fuel Cell Council website, www.usfcc.com.

The testing document covers apparatus set up, test procedure/interpretation and results reporting/technical documentation of button cell testing. The introductory information was assembled based on review of current test methods as well as input from the entire membership of the US Fuel Cell Council.

The US Fuel Cell Council
As part of its mission, the USFCC Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Focus Group works to develop resources that will allow improved communication of important information regarding component efficiency as well as degradation and strength of SOFC systems.

Fuel cells are being developed for a wide variety of micro, portable, stationary and transportation markets. They harnesses energy electrochemically that is clean, quiet, safe and efficient.

With more than 110 members, the US Fuel Cell Council is the leading voice of the fuel cell industry. For more information, visitwww.usfcc.com.

Reminder: International Conference on Hydrogen Safety

The International Conference on Hydrogen Safety is being held in San Sebastian, Spain, from September 11-13. The US will be very prominent at this conference, with a number of papers being presented by the US Department of Energy and National Labs. The conference website is: http://conference.ing.unipi.it/ichs/index.php?id=10

The Installation Permitting Guidance for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Stationary Applications (HYPER) project is also planning a stakeholders meeting in conjunction with this conference. HYPER is funded by the European Commission and aims to develop fast track approval for small stationary hydrogen and fuel cell systems, with the development of safe procedures to enable a comprehensive agreed installation process for developers, design engineers, manufacturers and installers across the European Union.