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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HYDRAITE (Hydrogen Delivery Risk Assessment and Impurity Tolerance Evaluation)

Teaser

Summary

HYDRAITE project aims to solve the issue of hydrogen quality for transportation applications.

In this project, the effects of contaminants, originating from the hydrogen supply chain, on the fuel cell (FC) systems in automotive applications are studied. As an outcome, recommendations for the current ISO 14687 standard will be formulated based on the technical data of the impurity concentrations at the hydrogen refuelling station (HRS), FC contaminant studies under relevant automotive operation conditions, and inter-compared gas analysis.

The methodology for determining the effect of contaminants in automotive PEMFC system operation is developed by six leading European research institutes in co-operation with JRC and international partners. In addition, a methodology for in-line monitoring of hydrogen quality at the HRS, as well as sampling strategy and methodology for new impurities, gas, particles and liquids, are developed.

Three European laboratories are established, capable of measuring all of the contaminants according to ISO 14687 standards, and provide a strong evidence on the quality and reliability on their result. Beyond the project, the three laboratories will offer their services to the European fuel cell and hydrogen community. In addition, a network of expert laboratories will be set, able to provide qualitative analysis and the first analytical evidence on the presence or absence of these new compounds with potential negative effect to the FC electric vehicle.

The efficient dissemination and communication improves the resulting data and input for the recommendations for ISO standards of hydrogen fuel. The project and its results will be public, to boost the impact of the project outcomes and to enhance the competitiveness of the European FC industry.

Work performed

All the research institutes have built or updated their fuel cell test benches to be more automotive-alike by adding a recirculation loop of anode gases. For the first time, CO oxidation rate has been measured with CO2 present and H2S poisoning and recovery has been studied at the stack level using anode gas recirculation.

The first HYDRAITE HRS sampling campaign has been completed. 10 gas samples and 4 particulate samples were collected from HRSs in Norway, Sweden and Germany. Sampling was conducted with Linde Qualitizer, at times in connection with a HYDAC particulate sampler. Sampling was found to be more challenging than in the earlier project, HyCoRA. Generally, less hydrogen was sampled into the cylinder, and more aborted refuellings were experienced. The samples has been analysed by a commercial laboratory (Smart Chemistry, US) and a project partner, NPL. No hydrogen quality violations were seen, only elevated N2 levels were seen in two samples. No particulates were found in gravimetric analysis, but SEM analysis of filters indicate that particulates penetrate the filter, which needs further investigations.

Two European hydrogen laboratories, at NPL and ZSW, have been established, capable of performing the required measurements in ISO 14687 and EN 17124:2018. The third laboratory is finalising the implementation of their analytical laboratory, and will also be ready to analyse the samples for the second HYDRAITE sampling campaign. However, more discussion and clear model how to treat the â€˜totalsâ€™ in the standard is still needed. The total sulphur, total hydrocarbons and total halogenated compounds are subject to interpretation and, therefore, different laboratories treat them differently. The next step is to continue working for agreement with future standard ISO/DIS 21087 and organise bilateral comparison between NPL, ZSW and ZBT to ensure equivalence and compliance of the European laboratories.

A literature survey, detailed questionnaire and interviews with HRS component suppliers, HRS manufacturers and operator have been arranged to gather information of (possibly) harmful components of hydrogen fuel that could derive from HRS. As a result of the questionnaire and direct discussions, a list of impurities possibly introduced from components and from maintenance events have been gathered.

Two stakeholder workshops have been successfully held. An active participation to ISO technical committee 197 (hydrogen technologies) working groups.

Final results

HYDRAITE project will provide recommendations for revision of ISO standards, including existing contaminants and contaminants introduced by HRS components and operation and operation and/or maintenance practices. In addition, recommendations for conducting fuel cell contaminant measurements at stack level in automotive type operation will be developed.

Two HYDRAITE HRS sampling campaigns will provide unique technical data for impurity concentrations at HRS nozzle. By close collaboration with HRS operators, some of the samples will be taken at times, when maintenance and specific events at the HRS has occurred in order to collect samples containing possible impurities. In the second period of the project, the three H2 laboratories will perform the measurement of hydrogen fuel quality from hydrogen refuelling stations in Europe.

The objective of HYDRAITE is not only to implement three European laboratories with the analytical capabilities, but also to provide a strong evidence on the quality and the reliability of their results to provide the consumers and the end-users with trust in the reported value.

It is critical to understand that performing the measurement and ensuring accurate results is not the same thing. Currently, no laboratory worldwide can demonstrate full accuracy of measurement regarding to ISO 14687 standard, as no inter-laboratory comparison is covering all the compounds or reference materials available for all contaminants at the respective threshold amount fraction.

The HYDRAITE H2 laboratories are currently working towards ensuring adherence to a future standard, ISO 21087:2019. The standard will require method validation for all analytical methods used to perform hydrogen fuel quality.