Gaps Progress Report Available: ANSI UASSC Standardization Roadmap for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA 

On May 22, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced the availability of a Gaps Progress Report tracking efforts over six months by standards developing organizations (SDOs), subject matter experts, alert mechanisms, and independent research to address the gaps identified in the Standardization Roadmap for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, published by the ANSI Unmanned Aircraft systems Standardization Collaborative (UASSC). The Roadmap identified 71 open gaps where non published standard or specification exists to respond to a particular industry need. Additionally, the Roadmap revealed 53 gaps where additional pre-standardization research and development is needed.

The Gaps Progress Report is not a consensus document; it is intended to serve as an interim “living document” that will be maintained and periodically re-published until the UASSC develops the next version of the Standardization Roadmap.

U.S. Department of Energy’s Technical Reports on Hydrogen Blends

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information published two technical reports on hydrogen blending: Codes and Standards Assessment for Hydrogen Blends into the Natural Gas Infrastructure and Hydrogen Blending into Natural Gas Pipeline Infrastructure: Review of the State of Technology.

The first technical report generates a list of relevant safety codes and standards for hydrogen blending on existing, upgraded, or new pipelines. Additionally, a preliminary assessment was made to identify the codes and standards that need to be modified to enable this technology as well as potential gaps due to the unique nature and safety concerns of gaseous hydrogen.

The second technical report summarizes current research on the material, economic, and operational factors that must be considered for hydrogen blending. The report explores previous research regarding the effects of blending hydrogen on gas mixture fluid and thermodynamic properties, pipeline materials and equipment performance within transmission and distribution networks, and supporting facilities. The report also investigates and summarizes studies that developed mathematical models of natural gas pipeline networks with hydrogen blending, and the operational and techno-economic findings of these network studies. Lastly, the report discusses notable hydrogen blending demonstrations and their key outcomes.

Summaries of Webinars Related to Hydrogen Safety

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

Center for Hydrogen Safety’s Gaseous Hydrogen: Safety Considerations Webinar

On April 27, the Center for Hydrogen Safety hosted a webinar focused on gaseous hydrogen. Gaseous hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe and is commonly used as a fuel in various industrial processes. However, due to its chemical properties, gaseous hydrogen can pose several hazards, including flammability, reactivity, asphyxiation, and pressure. The webinar explored the safe transport and delivery of gaseous hydrogen and safety/design strategies.

The webinar discussed how to:

  • Understand and apply basic safety considerations for gaseous hydrogen

  • Address design considerations for gaseous hydrogen

  • Have a better understanding of how to manage the unique properties and hazards of gaseous hydrogen

  • Understand the equipment and components in a gaseous hydrogen system

The four presenters were:

  • Nick Barilo, Executive Director of Center for Hydrogen Safety of AlChe

  • Dave Farese, Lead Engineer of Customer Engineering group

  • Larry Moulthrop, Principal Engineer at H2@LMDesk

  • Dr. Harold Beeson, Principal Chemist at WHA International

For further information, please click here.

April H2IQ Hour Webinar: Update on Changes to the National Fire Protection Association Hydrogen Technologies Code (NFPA 2)

On April 26, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office hosted a webinar to share an update on changes to the bulk liquid hydrogen setback distances in the National Fire Protection Association Hydrogen Technologies Codes (NFPA2) 2023 edition. These changes were presented by Brian Ehrhart and Ethan Hecht, two researchers from Sandia National Laboratories. They developed the methodology and performed the underlying calculations and analyses that form the basis for the revised distances.

The H2IQ Hour included 45 minutes of presentation and demonstration followed by 15 minutes of Q&A.

To view the presentation, please click here.

FCHEA’s Hydrogen Codes Task Force Meeting to Discuss International Code Council Working Group on Hydrogen 

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

After a period of inactivity following the conclusion of the Hydrogen Codes Task Force’s work regarding the 2023 edition of NFPA 2, FCHEA re-activated the Hydrogen Codes Task Force in response to an invitation from the International Code Council (ICC), which will work on updating all the I-codes for hydrogen technologies for the 2027 edition. The I-codes cover multiple hydrogen codes (e.g., the fire, building, fuel gas, mechanical, and international residential codes). Since ICC’s work will be a multi-year effort with several opportunities to propose code changes, the task force, a representative set of members, will help identify the priorities and positions of the membership as a whole towards the ICC’s newly formed hydrogen working group.

Center for Hydrogen Safety Europe Conference 2023

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

The Center for Hydrogen Safety (CHS) hosted a conference in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from May 9-11, 2023. The conference brought together academics, industry, and government representatives to create a space for applied hydrogen safety topics to be discussed, to provide a space for collaboration and community, and to give opportunities for questions.

The conference consisted of a morning keynote for each day, 12 sessions, and a conference wrap-up discussion & participant feedback session.

The 12 sessions were the following:

  1. Regulations, Codes, and Standards I

  2. Regulations, Codes, and Standards II

  3. Fundamental Safety Considerations and Best Safety Practices I

  4. Hydrogen Safety in New Applications I

  5. Incidents and Lessons Learned

  6. Hydrogen Safety in Productions and Process Industries I

  7. Public Education and First Responder Training

  8. Hydrogen Safety in New Applications

  9. Fundamental Safety Considerations and Best Safety Practices II

  10. Injections of Hydrogen to Pipeline and Blending Applications

  11. Transportation of Hydrogen

  12. Hydrogen Safety in Productions and Process Industries II

To view the technical program, please click here.

 H2-Aero Whitepaper Published

by Jesse Schneider, CEO and CTO of ZEV Station, LLC

The Vertical Flight Society (VFS), has published a 2023 version of their groundbreaking whitepaper for establishing hydrogen airports. The goal of the VFS H2-Aero whitepaper, “Multimodal Hydrogen Airport Hub,” is to propose a repeatable hydrogen hub for the airport, first with a delivered ground hydrogen vehicle fueling station, and later expanding to an airport-based generation hub supplying multiple modes of transportation.

Aircraft emissions equate to approximately 10% of US transportation greenhouse gas emissions and 3% of overall. By 2050, it is expected that commercial aircraft emissions could increase to over 22% of the world’s total CO2 emissions. Since the average aircraft life is 30 years, it hastens the need to replace fossil fuels and their powertrains as soon as possible. To abate this impending reality, the VFS H2-Aero Team’s mission is to help decarbonize aviation using zero-emission propulsion (e.g., fuel cells) fueled by carbon-free hydrogen.

Though sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are starting to be established as a “drop in fuel” for replacing conventional kerosene, there are many factors indicating that hydrogen will be needed to achieve net zero carbon emissions in aviation. The H2-Aero Team was formed in 2022 with the goal to decarbonize aviation with carbon-free hydrogen, as a follow-on to SAF.

Though SAF has taken the forefront as the primary means to reduce aircraft carbon emissions, hydrogen offers numerous benefits, using less water to produce and 3x less energy at scale than PEM-SAF production, while greatly accelerating the transition to replace fossil fuels (see whitepaper for details). To stimulate the transition to hydrogen in aviation, it is advantageous to create a multimodal ecosystem at the airport.

The H2-Aero whitepaper proposes using a multimodal LH2 sourced ground vehicle station as an ‘anchor’ or starting point which fueled mostly ground vehicles and offtake with gaseous hydrogen trailers to the airport (8TPD).  Thereafter, a large liquid Hydrogen Hub (60+TPD) would be created to serve the entire airport (and later supply the ground vehicle fueling as well).  The whitepaper gives the first complete overview of hydrogen storage per transportation type and status of standards to assist entities to appropriately size H2-Hub in stages. The H2-Aero lays the framework also for hydrogen airport demonstrations in the form of a public-private partnership to help validate the fueling and aircraft technology.

The H2-Aero Whitepaper's fueling matrix table 9 is being used as a basis for the upcoming guideline SAE AIR 8466, "Hydrogen Fueling of Aircraft, in both gaseous and liquid form".

VFS hosted its second Annual H2-Aero Symposium on March 28-30, 2023, in Long Beach, California. Like the first meeting, the 2023 symposium featured two days of groundbreaking presentations with the latest cutting-edge developments by a who's who of the fuel cell aviation and hydrogen community (including Conor Dolan representing the FCHEA). Presentations were made by many C-Level industry and government participants. In addition, there was an afternoon meeting on March 30th to kick off the new SAE International AE-5CH Hydrogen Airport Committee.  For further information, here is a link to the VFS article.

Summaries of FCHEA’s WG Meetings

by Haboon Osmond, FCHEA

Power Working Group Meetings Summary

FCHEA’s Power Working Group met on March 14. This month’s meeting discussed information dissemination on hydrogen and fuel cell policies, a messaging discussion on the National Petroleum Council’s hydrogen study, and RCS updates. The meeting closed with walk-in items. The Working Group also met on April 11. April’s meeting shared policy updates, RCS updates, and Working Group updates and action items. The Working Group also met on May 9. The May meeting focused on policy updates, RCS updates, and Working Group updates.

Production Working Group Meetings Summary

FCHEA’s Production Working Group met on March 15. In addition to updates on applicable codes and standards and information dissemination on federal hydrogen and fuel cell policies, AJW, Inc. outlined the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Working Group also met on April 12. The April meeting shared policy updates, RCS updates, and had a messaging discussion on the hourly vs. annual matching requirement debate. The Working Group also met on May 10. The May meeting shared policy and RCS updates as well. 

Transportation Working Group Meetings Summary

FCHEA’s Transportation Working Group met on March 22. In addition to updates on applicable codes and standards and information dissemination on federal hydrogen and fuel cell policies, the Working Group had a messaging discussion on the Clean Air Task Force’s report on zero emission long-haul heavy-duty trucking. The meeting closed with transportation updates. The Working Group also met on April 25. The April meeting opened with the news of Tim Sasseen becoming the new TWG chair. Also, the North American Council for Freight Efficiency discussed their new guidance report on hydrogen trucks. Furthermore, First Mode, a new FCHEA member, presented First Mode’s background, growing presence, and its ultra- class mining haul trucks. First Mode is now fully focused on the development, manufacturing, and deployment of megawatt class hydrogen and battery haulage systems for the mining industry. The meeting also shared policy and RCS updates and closed with walk in items. The Working Group also met on May 23. The May meeting opened with a presentation from the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) on the recent RFIs and grant programs such as the Clean Ports Program, the Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities program, and the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). Also, Ballard, a member of FCHEA, presented to the working group. The meeting shared policy and RCS updates as well.

Distribution Working Group Meeting Summary

FCHEA’s Distribution Working Group met on May 12. This month’s meeting discussed information dissemination on hydrogen and fuel cell policies and RCS updates. The meeting closed with a messaging discussion on hydrogen and atmospheric methane interactions.

If your company is an FCHEA member and you or your colleagues want to be added to any of our Working Group, Committee, or Task Force rosters, please contact Haboon Osmond at hosmond@fchea.org.