Guidance Note: Flow Measurement for Hydrogen Refuelling Stations

This document provides guidance on flow measurement for hydrogen dispensed at hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) and verification for the quantity of hydrogen billed to the customer.  

Research studies including EMPIR MetroHyVe and MetroHyVe 2 were undertaken to MetroHhave support the development of hydrogen fuel vehicles by seeking to address some of the metrological challenges during hydrogen refuelling. This includes the validation of dispensed quantity with respect to the dispenser’s readout.  Customers using a HRS will expect a similar measurement error when compared to their current experience with petroleum or diesel refuelling stations. 

A number of national measurement institutes (NMI) have built test standards to validate HRS dispensers with respect to OIML R 139 in terms of the quantity of hydrogen dispensed from the station. A key activity in the recently completed MetroHyVe 2 project was an intercomparison for some of these test standards. 

TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory recently developed a Light-duty Hydrogen Field Test Standard (LD HFTS) for verifying HRS that refuel light-duty vehicles in the UK. It is a mobile a primary standard which operates on gravimetric principle and is based on the design of other primary standards used in USA and Europe.  

This report by TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory was prepared for the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT). TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory is the UK’s Designated Institute for Flow Measurement, under contract from DSIT, and part of the UK’s National Measurement System.