Pre-normative research on H2 quality at hydrogen refuelling stations

On behalf of NOW and in cooperation with the Centre for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT), Fraunhofer ISE, the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen (ZSW) and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHUD), LBST worked on a study for the further development of the current ISO standard for hydrogen quality at refuelling stations.

The aim of the pre-normative H2Fuel research project was to investigate the influence of various contaminants on the performance and degradation of H2 fuel cells in the mobility sector.

A test campaign was conducted to establish a solid database for the influence of various individual and combined contaminants in hydrogen gas on the performance of fuel cell stacks for use in the mobility sector. As part of the multi-year test campaign, both reversible and irreversible degradation processes in the fuel cell stacks and individual cells were analysed and assigned to the individual components or contaminant cocktails.

The results will be incorporated into a future revision process of ISO standard 14687 (Grade D) by ISO197 WG 27.

LBST was responsible for the following aspects of the overall project:

– Standardisation process & proposal for revision of EN standards: Monitoring of standardisation activities in ISO/TC197 and the German mirror committee and incorporation of current discussions into the project.

– Comparison of the required gas purification technologies and the associated costs with the damage caused by the pollutant components and thus additional costs on the fuel cell side.

The “H2Fuel” project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport with EUR 1,575,329 as part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. The funding is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).

The funding reference number is: 03B11014

Further information on the project you will find using the following Link