Equipment monitors hydrogen fuel quality in real-time

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science has developed equipment that monitors the quality of hydrogen fuel supplied to vehicles through hydrogen refueling stations in real-time. This equipment is expected to prevent hydrogen vehicle accidents caused by impurities in the hydrogen fuel and improve the quality of hydrogen production. The study is published in the Journal of Separation Science.

Hydrogen fuel is more prone to contamination during production, transportation, and storage compared to conventional fuels. This is because hydrogen production is more complex than conventional fuel production, and the high-pressure processes involved in storage, transportation, and usage increase the likelihood of impurities being introduced.

If contaminated hydrogen fuel is injected into a hydrogen vehicle, the risk of explosion and accidents significantly increases. Impurities in the fuel damage the catalyst in the fuel cell, causing overheating and a decline in performance. This can trigger unexpected chemical reactions, raising the risk of hydrogen explosions. Additionally, there is concern about secondary accidents due to a decrease in engine performance.

In Korea, the quality of hydrogen fuel is monitored by inspection agencies that visit fuel production sites quarterly, collect fuel samples, and measure impurities using specialized equipment. However, this process presents significant challenges. Detecting impurities that occur outside the scheduled inspection periods is difficult, and identifying the root cause and nature of the issue proves to be even more complex, making it hard to provide effective, real-time assistance.

Although expensive foreign equipment is used on-site for testing impurities in hydrogen production, these devices can only analyze one or two components at a time. Additionally, the maintenance of such equipment is problematic, complicating the process of conducting thorough and continuous quality inspections.

As hydrogen infrastructure—including refueling stations and production facilities—continues to expand, the demand for hydrogen fuel quality analysis has grown substantially. This surge in demand has highlighted the need for easy-to-use, domestically produced, real-time monitoring equipment that can ensure the quality of hydrogen fuel at all times.

Recently, KRISS’s Semiconductor and Display Metrology Group successfully developed equipment that monitors, in real-time, the components and concentrations of impurities in hydrogen fuel supplied to vehicles through refueling stations.

Dr. Lee Jeongsoon, Principal Research Scientist at KRISS’s Semiconductor and Display Metrology Group, who developed the real-time monitoring equipment for hydrogen fuel quality, explained, “The equipment displays both the measurement values and their uncertainty (the degree of doubt in the results). The analysis values and uncertainty, obtained using standard materials, are traceable to standards, ensuring the reliability of the results.”

The equipment developed by the research team is capable of accurately measuring eight of the fourteen impurities that are regulated by ISO. If the concentration of any impurity in the hydrogen fuel exceeds the standard threshold, the management system sends a warning signal, allowing the operator to detect and take action before contaminated fuel is injected into the vehicle.

By applying the newly developed equipment at hydrogen refueling stations, it will be possible to continuously monitor and maintain the quality of hydrogen fuel, which is expected to enhance the safety of hydrogen vehicles and reduce user concerns. Additionally, at hydrogen production facilities, the equipment will enable easy and accurate inspection of the quality of the hydrogen fuel being produced, which is expected to further improve the quality of domestically produced hydrogen.

Dr. Lee Jeongsoon stated, “We are currently conducting a demonstration of the equipment at the hydrogen bus refueling station in Chungju City, and after the demonstration is completed, we plan to transfer the technology to domestic companies.”