In the first week of August, 2021, TotalEnergies Gas Mobility successfully completed the certification process for its 350 bar and 700 bar hydrogen (H2) dispenser designs suitable for heavy commercial and passenger vehicles. The first H2 dispensers based on the new certified designs are in use at TotalEnergies’ hydrogen refueling station (HRS) in Arnhem.
A first in the Netherlands
The calibration and certification of the TotalEnergies H2 dispensers was the first to be carried out by the Netherlands Measurement Institute (NMi), the leading independent specialist for legal metrology testing and inspection services in Europe and a trusted brand worldwide. For this the test unit of the National Metrology Institute of the Netherlands (VSL) was used.
NMi and VSL recently joined forces to offer calibration and certification of hydrogen dispensers, acting as a single authority to test both the accuracy and compliance with Dutch legislation of fuel pumps used to supply H2 to fuel cell electric vehicles.
While certification of dispensers has long been common practice for conventional fuels such as diesel and gasoline and even alternative gas fuels like CNG or LNG, this is a brand new discipline for hydrogen used as a fuel for mobility and transportation.
Flow meter & test device
The certification process of the TotalEnergies' H2 dispensers could be completed thanks to the approved flow meters provided by Emerson and the newly certified reference test device from VSL.
TotalEnergies Gas Mobility partner Emerson is one of the few suppliers of flow meters for use in certified H2 dispensers. The dispensers at the Arnhem station include Micro Motion HPC015 Coriolis flow meters designed for high operating pressures.
TotalEnergies Gas Mobility's Engineering and Production department used VSL's HyOS installation as a reference device to perform all necessary tests to validate the accuracy of the measured amount of H2 gas delivered by the two dispensers based on its designs.
All pieces of the puzzle
From June, all the necessary pieces of the puzzle were put into place. With the support and expertise of NMi and VSL, TotalEnergies Gas Mobility’s team of Engineers worked very hard to finalize the design and the paperwork necessary for certification.
At the end of July, the H2 dispensers at TotalEnergies’ HRS in Arnhem were upgraded to accommodate the approved flow meters and the software was rewritten to allow the new devices to communicate with the dispensers; followed by extensive testing to ensure the functionality of the revised design.
Certification success!
On August 7, 2021, NMi confirmed that it successfully completed the first calibration and certification of the TotalEnergies H2 dispensers in Arnhem. The certification granted for the 350 bar and 700 bar hydrogen (H2) dispenser designs is recognized in the Netherlands and all other European countries.