How can standardization support hydrogen mobility?

Illustration of a truck on a road in the mountain

Hydrogen is a promising alternative fuel for heavy duty trucks, as it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency. The RHeaDHy project aims to demonstrate a high-flow hydrogen refuelling station that can serve heavy-duty vehicles such as buses and trucks. In order to do that, the project involves several partners who are active in the standardization work about hydrogen refuelling technologies. In this article, we will explain why standardization is important for the innovation and deployment of hydrogen mobility solutions, and how RHeaDHy project can provide valuable feedback and input to the ongoing and future standardization activities.

Standards are essential to ensure the safety, interoperability and performance of hydrogen refuelling systems. They also facilitate the market acceptance and adoption of hydrogen vehicles and stations by providing clear and consistent requirements and guidelines for the industry and the users. Therefore, being involved in the standardization process is a strategic choice for any project that develops or implements innovative hydrogen refuelling solutions.

Standardization groups are providing sustenance to RHeaDHy

Some of the RHeaDHy partners are participating in the international standardization committees that are developing and updating the standards for hydrogen refuelling technologies. Two major international standardization committees are considered in the project:

  • SAE, that are standards globally recognized for engineering professionals in the industries of aerospace, automotive, commercial vehicles and more. Their main mission is to advance mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity.
  • ISO, especially the Technical Committee 197 (TC 197) dedicated to Hydrogen technologies. The scope of this TC is to standardize in the field of systems and devices for the production, storage, transport, measurement and use of hydrogen. It is currently divided in 38 working groups (WGs).

Within the project, some partners are contributing to the SAE taskforce that developed the SAE J2601 (hydrogen fueling protocols), J2601-5 (protocol for heavy-duty vehicles) and SAE J2799 (wireless communication). Within the ISO TC197 the consortium is involved in various workgroups connected to our project such as connection devices (WG5), protocols (WG24), and communications (WG38). RHeaDHy project members are also following European standardisation discussions at CEN (European Committee for Normalisation) and in the national standardisation organization in France (AFNOR) and Germany (DIN – NA032-03-06AA and NA032-03-09AA). By being part of these committees, the RHeaDHy partners can benefit from the latest knowledge and expertise in the field, and align their project objectives and developments with the industry needs and expectations.

RHeaDHY will contribute to standardization committees

Moreover, the RHeaDHy project can also contribute to the improvement and validation of the standards under development, by providing real-world testing and feedback. For example, during the RHeaDHy test phase, it is likely that we test various high-flow protocols such as SAE J2601-5 or PRHYDE protocols, and report on their performance and challenges to the SAE and ISO TC197 WG24. This will help to verify and refine the standards, and to identify potential issues or gaps that need to be addressed. Similarly, the project will also test and share the results of an advanced communication prototype between the station and the vehicle, which can inform the ISO TC197 WG38 on the feasibility and benefits of such a feature.

Finally, the RHeaDHy project can also inspire and influence the future standardization topics, by disseminating its main findings and lessons learned to the standardization committees and the wider hydrogen community. The project will showcase the technical and economic viability of a high-flow hydrogen refuelling station, and highlight the key challenges and opportunities for the deployment of hydrogen mobility solutions for heavy-duty vehicles. This will help to identify the future needs and priorities for new or revised standards, and to foster the collaboration and innovation among the stakeholders of the hydrogen mobility ecosystem.

Authors: Dorine CROUSLE (ENGIE Lab CRIGEN) and Jean HERISSON (Benkei)