Hydrogen and Automotive
Hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources can also make an important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions as vehicles transition to using this fuel. Car manufacturers have been researching the use of Hydrogen in vehicles for decades now, and vehicles are already available, but they suffer from a lack of economic infrastructure with the appropriate purity of Hydrogen gas to support fuel cells.
Kiwa is equipped with an "H2" Test Laboratory dedicated to tests for automotive components using Hydrogen: a unique facility in Europe where it is possible to test in extreme conditions up to 1.100 bar of Hydrogen, between -50 and 120 ºC. Specifically, the testing and certification services concern the individual components of the vehicles fuel line powered by LPG, CNG, LNG and Hydrogen, as well as electromagnetic compatibility and climate tests.
Specifically, Kiwa is able to offer the market:
- Testing, Inspection and Certification of tanks and components, up to 4000bar (domestic vehicles, trucks, trains)
- Certification of Hydrogen vehicles
- Certification of H2 filling stations
- Pressure Equipment Certification (PED)
- Transportable Pressure Equipment Certification and inspections (tPED)
- Technical and financial audits aimed at identifying risks and opportunities of Hydrogen purification projects and for the conversion of gas networks.
Kiwa can also test and certify the individual components of motor vehicles that use Hydrogen in their propulsion system, according to EC79/2009 Regulation (EU) N° 406/2010, CSA standards (ANSI HGV3.1- ANSI HPRD1) and ECE R134 - G.T.R Regulation13. Among the components tested:
- Containers and container assemblies
- Automatic shut-off valves
- Check valves or non-return valves (if used as a safety device)
- Flexible supply piping (if upstream of the first automatic shut-off valve or other safety device)
- Heat exchangers
- Manual or automatic valves
- Pressure regulators
- Pressure-sensitive safety devices
- Pressure, temperature, Hydrogen, and flow sensors (if used as a safety device)
- Refueling connections or outlets
- Hydrogen leak detectors
- Fittings
- Hydrogen filters
- Connectors for removable storage systems