2020 Volume 55 Issue 1 Pages 22-27
This article introduces techniques to ensure sufficient hydrogen metering performance, which is a technical aspect for determining things such as guidelines, regulations, and standards for measurement management at hydrogen refueling stations. Measurement management aims to protect the users of fuel-cell vehicles and to promote voluntary appropriate measurement by the companies operating the refueling stations. The gravimetric equipment equipped with scales and high-pressure containers and the master meter equipped with a flowmeter are calibrated using national standards, and were developed for the metering performance inspection of hydrogen dispensers. The number of hydrogen refueling stations that have been subjected to metering performance inspections of their dispensers using the gravimetric equipment has exceeded more than 200 in total. Those include not only initial verification, but also in-service inspections. Continuous and periodical inspections are needed for identifying influential factors and investigating secular changes with regards to measurement accuracy. The public and private sectors have to work together to achieve the target of hydrogen refueling stations becoming an independent business by the late 2020s.
