Fuel Quality Update
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

Draft Standard for Hydrogen Powered Industrial Trucks Available for Review
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS)
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

NFPA 2 Slips Cycle
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

News from ASTM International
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

National Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Codes & Standards Coordinating Committee Teleconference - Draft October 2011 Minutes 
(PDF) Chad Blake, NREL

National Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Codes & Standards Coordinating Committee Teleconference - Approved September 2011 Minutes 
(PDF) Chad Blake, NREL

Hydrogen Industry Panel on Codes (HIPOC) Minutes - October 26 2011 Minutes 
(Word Document) Chad Blake, NREL

Fuel Quality Update
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

Vehicles
SAE J2719 has now been published. This document covers the hydrogen fuel quality requirements for PEM fuel cell vehicles. This means that there is now an ANSI-approved hydrogen fuel quality standard for fuel cell vehicles. The document is now available on the SAE website at http://www.sae.org. 

ISO/TC 197 Working Group 12, which is developing an International Standard for hydrogen fuel quality for early demonstration projects of PEM fuel cell road vehicles, met in Washington, DC on November 8 and 9. The Working Group addressed comments from circulation of the Draft International Standard, which passed ballot, and is now preparing a Final Draft International Standard. Analytical test methods developed by ASTM as well as those developed in other countries are to be included as informative references. 

Stationary Applications
ISO/TC 197 Working Group 14, which is developing a Draft International Standard for hydrogen fuel quality for PEM stationary applications, met on October 2-3 in the United Kingdom. Comments from circulation of the Committee Draft were reviewed and addressed. The activity is being coordinated with the Working Group 12 activity which covers hydrogen fuel quality for PEM fuel cell road vehicles. In particular, consideration is underway to ensure analytical methods are harmonized to the extent practical. 

Weights and Measures
The U.S. National Work Group (USNWG) for the Development of Commercial Hydrogen Measurement Standards continues its work to develop a final position on the hydrogen fuel quality standard. The USNWG Fuel Standard Subcommittee Technical Advisor is working closely with representatives of the fuel standards community to refine the proposals for a hydrogen fuel quality specification and related definitions of the terms (fuel cell, hydrogen fuel, and internal combustion engine) before the U.S. weights and measures community. On October 12, 2011 the USNWG met by web/teleconference to begin the final stages of its work in preparation for hearings at the January 22-25, 2012 NCWM Interim Meeting in New Orleans, LA to discuss the readiness of the specification for adoption in July 2012 at the NCWM Annual Meeting. 

Draft Standard for Hydrogen Powered Industrial Trucks Available for Review
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

Review and comment is being requested on the draft CSA Standard for Compressed Hydrogen Powered Industrial Truck On-Board Fuel Storage and Handling Components, CSA Standard HPIT 1. 

This document details test and examination criteria for compressed hydrogen fuel system components and serially produced permanently attached refillable type containers intended only for the storage of compressed hydrogen gas in powered industrial truck applications or other heavy duty industrial applications at a service pressure of 3636 psi (25 MPa), 5076 psi (35 MPa) or 10,153 psi (70 MPa). 

Due Date - December 23, 2011

Please click here for details and procedures. 

International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS)
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

200 high-ranking scientists and decision-makers and guests from around the world met from September 12 to 14 in San Francisco, California for the 4th International Conference on Hydrogen Safety. This series of conferences is held under the auspices of HySafe, the international Association for hydrogen safety. 

Leading representatives of the US Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Program presented the current status and future plans of US-government supported activities. These activities focus on coordination and harmonization of requirements which industry has deemed to be important for the commercial deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and the infrastructure needed to support them. 

A representative of the German NOW GmbH presented a review of the German National Innovation Program. 

Presentations were also made by China, Japan, Brazil, India, and several multi-national organizations. 

Professor Joseph E. Shepherd of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA. gave a riveting presentation on the crisis at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. 

A significant increase in participation from Pacific Rim countries was also noteworthy. 

Presentations are available athttp://conference.ing.unipi.it/ichs2011/papers-presentations.htm. 

NFPA 2 Slips Cycle
Karen Hall, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association

The NFPA Standards Council has approved the request of the Technical Committees on Hydrogen Technology for a one time revision cycle change for NFPA 2 to move from the Fall 2013 to Fall 2014 revision cycle. 

NFPA 2 had been on the Fall 2013 Revision cycle. NFPA 2 gets much technical input from NFPA 55. The cycle change is expected to allow sufficient time to coordinate proposals for NFPA 2 based on NFPA 55 content which is finalized in its current update cycle. 

News From ASTM International
ASTM International

ASTM Gaseous Fuels Committee Developing Proposed Standards to Support Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Technology

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., October 27, 2011-ASTM Subcommittee D03.14 on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells is currently developing the last two of a series of standards designed to support quality standards for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles being developed by SAE International (formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 

The two standards currently under development are ASTM WK34574, Test Method for Determination of Trace Hydrogen Bromide, Hydrogen Chloride, Chlorine and Organic Halides in Hydrogen Fuel by Gas Chromatography (GC) with Electrolytic Conductivity Detector Cell (ELCDC) and Mass Spectrometer (MS); and ASTM WK23815, Test Method for Determination of Total Halocarbons Contained in Hydrogen and Other Gaseous Fuels. 

Subcommittee D03.14 is part of ASTM International Committee D03 on Gaseous Fuels. According to Jacquelyn Birdsall, who chairs D03.14, the proposed standards, along with standards that have already been approved, will play an important role in the hydrogen fuel industry. 

"Since 2008, D03.14, with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, has approved nine ASTM methods to support the commercialization of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel," says Birdsall. "These standards were identified by the industry as essential to commercialization and will be part of international and national hydrogen quality codes and standards." 

All interested parties are invited to participate in the standards developing activities of D03.14. The subcommittee would be particularly interested in working with laboratories that have the capabilities to evaluate the proposed test methods. 

ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN. 

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions. 

View this release on the ASTM Web site at www.astmnewsroom.org. 

ASTM Committee D03 Next Meeting: Dec. 5-7, 2011, in conjunction with D02 December meeting, New Orleans, La.

Technical Contact: Jacquelyn Birdsall, California Fuel Cell Partnership, West Sacramento, Calif., Phone: 916-375-7421;jbirdsall@cafcp.org

ASTM Staff Contact: Alyson Fick, Phone: 610-832-9710; afick@astm.org

ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org