Domestic researchers have developed a technology that monitors the impurities in hydrogen fuel injected into vehicles via hydrogen chargers for 24 hours. This can enhance fuel production quality and prevent accidents involving hydrogen vehicles caused by fuel contamination.
The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) announced on the 14th that it has developed equipment for the first time in the country that checks the quality of hydrogen fuel injected into vehicles through hydrogen chargers in real time. The research results were published in the international journal "Journal of Separation Science" in May of last year.
Hydrogen fuel has a higher potential for contamination during production, transportation, and storage compared to fossil fuels. This is because the production process for hydrogen fuel is more complex than for fossil fuels, and impurities are likely to occur during the high-pressure treatment processes for storage, transport, and use. Impurities in the fuel can damage the catalysts in fuel cells, causing overheating and performance degradation. This can trigger unexpected chemical reactions, increasing the risk of hydrogen explosions. There is also a concern that secondary accidents may occur due to engine function deterioration.
Therefore, hydrogen charging stations must measure and manage impurities in hydrogen fuel stored and supplied according to the standards proposed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Previously, inspection agencies visited charging stations once per quarter to collect hydrogen fuel and measure impurities using specialized equipment. However, there was a limitation in that any abnormalities in the hydrogen fuel could not be detected outside of the inspection time.
The Semiconductor Display Measurement Group at KRISS has developed equipment that monitors the components and concentrations of impurities in hydrogen fuel injected into vehicles via hydrogen chargers in real time. The equipment developed by researchers can accurately measure eight components, including water vapor, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide, out of the 14 impurities that the ISO regulates. If the concentration of impurities in the hydrogen fuel exceeds the standard level, the management system sends a warning signal, allowing the manager to detect and address the contaminated fuel before it is injected into the vehicle.
Applying the equipment developed this time to hydrogen charging stations is expected to enable continuous monitoring and maintenance of hydrogen fuel quality, thereby strengthening the safety of hydrogen vehicles and reducing user anxiety. Additionally, hydrogen production facilities will be able to easily and accurately inspect the quality of the hydrogen fuel produced, which is expected to enhance the quality of domestic hydrogen even further. Currently, expensive foreign equipment is used for impurity inspections of produced hydrogen, but it can only analyze one or two components per device, and maintenance is not easy, leading to difficulties in conducting smooth quality inspections.
Lee Jeong-soon, the principal researcher of the Semiconductor Display Measurement Group at KRISS, noted, "Currently, we are conducting demonstration tests of the equipment at a hydrogen bus charging station in Chungju City, and we plan to transfer the technology to domestic corporations after completing the demonstration."
Reference materials
Journal of Separation Science (2024), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jssc.202400088