Back to Clean Energy Other Industry Certifications
Clean Energy Standards Guide
Global investment into hydrogen- and natural-gas-powered vehicles and their supporting infrastructure continues to grow. For these technologies to meet their full potential, selecting and specifying high-performance components capable of handling small-molecule gases over extended fluid system lifespans are essential. But how can you know which products are approved to fit your application?
Production applications, virtual pipelines, refueling stations, and on-vehicle systems all require dozens of small-bore fluid system components to operate reliably. Each of these components should be tested and proven to deliver reliable performance. This guide will help simplify component selection, enabling you to navigate the industry’s testing and documentation landscape. Additionally, you can also explore Swagelok’s complete portfolio of small-bore fluid system components that meet today’s most relevant testing protocols for hydrogen- and natural gas-powered transportation.
Clean Energy Standards Explained
While there is no single global standard for clean energy transportation, there are several standards that maintain significant influence in the industry. The most prominent and established include:
Hydrogen Standards
- ECE R134. This standard is a regulation by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) that sets uniform provisions for the approval of motor vehicles and their components concerning the safety-related performance of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. It includes specifications for vehicles that are propelled by compressed gaseous hydrogen, including fuel cell and internal combustion engine vehicles.
- HGV 3.1. This standard establishes requirements for fuel system components for compressed hydrogen gas-powered vehicles. The standard applies to devices with service pressures of 25MPa, 35MPa, 50MPa, or 70MPa. It addresses the pressure containment, performance, and safety characteristics of these components.
- HGV 4.1. This standard establishes requirements for safe operation, substantial and durable construction, and performance testing of the mechanical and electrical features of newly manufactured hydrogen gas-dispensing systems for vehicles. It is designed to allow compliance of products that may exceed the specified provisions.
- ISO 12619-1:2014. This standard specifies general requirements and definitions for compressed gaseous hydrogen and hydrogen/natural gas blends for use on motor vehicles. It provides general design principles and specifies requirements for instructions and markings. It is not applicable to liquefied hydrogen fuel system components, fuel containers, stationary gas engines, container mounting hardware, electronic fuel management, or refueling receptacles.
- ASME B31.3. This standard, known as the Process Piping Code, emphasizes safety and reliability in the design and construction of piping systems used in most industries. It covers aspects such as materials, welding, brazing, heat treating, forming, testing, inspection, examination, operation, and maintenance.
- ASME B31.12. This standard, known as the Hydrogen Piping and Pipelines Code, places a stronger emphasis on mitigating risks associated with hydrogen's flammability and potential for leakage. It includes special safety measures and protocols that are not as prominent in ASME B31.34. The standard is applicable to piping and pipelines handling gaseous hydrogen and gaseous hydrogen mixtures, as well as piping in liquid hydrogen service.
- ASME B31.34. This standard covers flanged, threaded and welding end valves for new construction. It covers pressure-temperature ratings, dimensions, tolerances, materials, nondestructive examination requirements, testing, and marking for cast, forged, and fabricated valves that are installed between flanges or against a flange.
- EC79.1 This standard sets uniform provisions for the type-approval of hydrogen-powered motor vehicles. It establishes manufacturing requirements for hydrogen-powered vehicles used to carry passengers and goods and for their components and systems. The regulation aims to ensure the safety and reliability of hydrogen-powered vehicles by setting standards for their design, construction, and performance.
1As of July 5, 2022, the EC79/2009 regulation was repealed by the European Union, with existing EC79 certificates retaining their validity. Swagelok has products that have been tested in accordance with the EC79 standards with letters of attestation.
CNG Standards
- ECE R110. This standard is a regulation by UN/ECE that sets uniform provisions for the approval of specific components of motor vehicles using CNG. It also covers the installation of these components in vehicles. The regulation aims to ensure the safety and reliability of CNG-powered vehicles by setting standards for their design, construction, and performance.
- NGV 3.1. This standard establishes requirements for fuel system components for CNG-powered vehicles and applies to devices with service pressures of 16 500 kPa, 20 700 kPa, or 24 800 kPa. It addresses the pressure containment, performance, and safety characteristics of these components.
- NGV 4.1. This standard establishes requirements for natural gas vehicle dispensing systems and covers the mechanical and electrical features of newly manufactured systems that dispense natural gas for vehicles. It ensures that the dispensing system is intended primarily to dispense methane directly into the fuel storage container of the vehicle.
- ISO 15500-1:2015. This standard specifies general requirements and definitions for CNG fuel system components intended for use on motor vehicles and provides general design principles and specifies requirements for instructions and markings. The standard is applicable to vehicles using natural gas in accordance with ISO 15403-12. It is not applicable to LNG fuel system components, fuel containers, stationary gas engines, container mounting hardware, electronic fuel management, or refueling receptacles.
- ASME B31.3. This standard, known as the Process Piping Code, emphasizes safety and reliability in the design and construction of piping systems used in various industries. It covers aspects such as materials, welding, brazing, heat treating, forming, testing, inspection, examination, operation, and maintenance.
For engineers and system designers, the most important criteria to seek out is not necessarily the certification itself but whether full testing to the standard’s test protocols has been conducted by a third-party laboratory. Components that have been independently tested in such fashion have demonstrated equal (or better) performance to those that bear the full certification.
Additionally, components that have demonstrated extensive use in industry as certified by the supplier are equally suited for use as fully certified products. This means engineers and system designers should seek full testing documentation and/or extensive industry use when specifying components.
Testing of fluid system components is performed to a wide range of performance criteria, including corrosion testing, burst testing, hydraulic testing, vibration testing, pressure testing, and more. Swagelok can provide appropriate documentation such as:
International certifications/listings: Full certification through an international notified body with continuing monitoring. These certifications help organizations transition to renewable energy solutions and set professionals apart in the industry.
Third-party test reports: These reports are generated by third-party laboratories recognized by regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and provide verification testing of products to ensure they meet the required standards. The process involves selecting products to test, obtaining them, and having them tested in a third-party laboratory. The results are then reported to the regulatory body, and any products that fail testing are handled according to disqualification procedures.
Letters of attestation: This is a formal document that verifies compliance with certain standards, regulations, or contractual obligations. These letters can cover various scenarios, such as compliance with industry standards, environmental regulations, or contractual obligations. Letters of attestation may include testing to multiple standards.
Tech letters: Letter describing Swagelok’s approach to how we meet a specific set of requirements, such as ASME B31.3. Available upon request from your authorized sales and service center.
Declarations/Declarations of Conformity: Products that maintain letters of attestation or third-party test reports can be expected to perform equally to those that bear official international certification and therefore can be specified for on-vehicle or dispensing applications.
Pressure Classes Explained
In clean energy transportation applications, gas is stored and transferred at high pressures in order to maximize energy density. Natural gas is stored at 248 bar. However, the two pressure classes for hydrogen are:
350 Bar
This pressure class commonly includes components used in vehicles with shorter ranges, such as passenger vehicles. 350 bar is the nominal working pressure. Products are tested to their pressure rating that is equal to the maximum allowable working pressure of 437.5 bar for on-vehicle applications.
700 Bar
This pressure class commonly includes components used in vehicles that need a higher energy density for longer range, such as trucks and buses. 700 bar is the nominal working pressure. Products are tested to their pressure rating that is equal to the maximum allowable working pressure of 875 bar for on-vehicle applications.
The relevant standards and certifications described earlier set performance thresholds for both pressure classes. For example, a component may have the necessary documented testing performance for 350 bar, but not for 700 bar. Be sure to consult with your component supplier to obtain the necessary testing data for each class depending on the needs of your application.