Validation and Sensitivity Studies for SAE J2601, the Light Duty Vehicle Hydrogen Fueling Standard

The worldwide automotive industry is currently preparing for a market introduction of hydrogen-fueled powertrains. These powertrains in fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) offer many advantages: high efficiency, zero tailpipe emissions, reduced greenhouse gas footprint, and use of domestic and renewable energy sources. To realize these benefits, hydrogen vehicles must be competitive with conventional vehicles with regards to fueling time and vehicle range. A key to maximizing the vehicle's driving range is to ensure that the fueling process achieves a complete fill to the rated Compressed Hydrogen Storage System (CHSS) capacity. An optimal process will safely transfer the maximum amount of hydrogen to the vehicle in the shortest amount of time, while staying within the prescribed pressure, temperature, and density limits. The SAE J2601 light duty vehicle fueling standard has been developed to meet these performance objectives under all practical conditions. It defines the fueling protocol and operational fueling parameters that ensure both station and vehicle maintain their safety limits (e.g. SAE J2578) while delivering optimal fueling performance. The results of the standard allow a representative FCEV under the target conditions to be completely fueled within three minutes.

The team working on SAE J2601 performed extensive simulation and sensitivity studies which were validated through laboratory testing with representative CHSS hardware and field testing with fuel cell vehicles. This report documents the lab and field validation testing for SAE J2601.