HyStEP could save weeks in hydrogen refuelling centre testing

HyStEP (the Hydrogen Station Equipment Performance device) being developed by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), could reduce the time to commission new hydrogen refuelling stations from months to just one week. The current practice of commissioning hydrogen refuelling stations is slow because each automotive manufacturer performs its own validation tests, with each test taking up to two weeks, so commissioning can take months. HyStEP acts as a surrogate for vehicles, eliminating the need for each automotive manufacturer to test separately, as it comes equipped with everything that automotive manufacturers would use in performing their own tests. “HyStEP addresses the two primary concerns of automotive manufacturers: keeping their testing data proprietary and ensuring the performance of the hydrogen dispenser,” said Sandia mechanical engineer Terry Johnson, project lead for HyStEP.

Building new hydrogen fuel stations could become easier with the HyStEP device

With automakers bringing more fuel cell vehicles to the roads, efforts to expand the hydrogen fuel infrastructure in the United States are gaining momentum. The Department of Energy, Sandia National Laboratories, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have developed a new device that may aid in the growth of the country’s hydrogen infrastructure. The Hydrogen Station Equipment Performance (HyStEP) device was developed to reduce the time it takes to commission new hydrogen fuel stations.

Device aims to reduce the time it takes to commission new hydrogen fuel stations

HyStEP is being tested in California, which is a prominent clean transportation market. Many automakers are planning to bring their fuel cell vehicles to the state and California has been working aggressively to build new hydrogen fuel stations in order to support these vehicles. The HyStEP device is expected to reduce the time it takes to commission new hydrogen stations from one month to just one week. This will accelerate the development of a hydrogen fuel infrastructure, preparing California, and other markets, for the launch of new fuel cell vehicles.

Automakers will no longer need to conduct individual tests when it comes to new hydrogen stations

Currently, commissioning new hydrogen fuel stations is quite slow due to the fact that each automaker has its own validation test to measure the performance of hydrogen dispensers. These tests take approximately two weeks to complete, slowing down the commission process by a considerable degree. HyStEP is meant to resolve this issue, eliminating the need for automakers to carry out individual tests.

Fuel cell vehicles may not find success without the support of a hydrogen fuel infrastructure

Fuel cell vehicles will need the support of a comprehensive hydrogen fuel infrastructure in order to find any significant degree of success. California is currently home to one of the country’s most expansive infrastructures, though many consumers that have been trialing fuel cell vehicles have reported that hydrogen stations have been inoperable. The state will have to ensure that these stations are able to meet consumer needs before fuel cell vehicles are successfully commercialized.