New hydrogen test set-up in Netherlands

Developments in the world of hydrogen never stop and follow each other in rapid succession. As a hydrogen expert, Kiwa is at the forefront, also when it comes to testing products that are suitable for hydrogen. That is why construction has started on a unique hydrogen test rig in the hydrogen lab at our location in The Netherlands. This setup is expected to be operational from September and components for the hydrogen distribution network can be fully tested.

State-of-the-art playground

Kiwa's new hydrogen test rig is unique for two reasons. On the one hand, we now have the latest technology in the field of hydrogen, so that our experts can perform the tests required for certification. On the other hand, we also give customers the opportunity to playfully investigate their product. We see that many customers do not always have the facilities to get the best out of their hydrogen product. With the new test set-up in the new hydrogen laboratory, our experts can investigate the effect of hydrogen on a product. Hydrogen and mixtures of gas and hydrogen, such as regulators, safety valves and gas stoppers, can be tested here.

Temporary test set-up

In the past few months, we have been able to run a pilot in a temporary test set-up to examine the behaviour of gas stoppers in accordance with approval requirement (AR) 214 "Suitability for hydrogen gas". AR 214 contains the specific requirements components in networks must meet. We investigated at what pressure the gas stopper closes and what happens if the pressure slowly or suddenly rises to a certain value. Does the stopper still close properly? The leak tightness has also been tested by opening and closing the gas stopper a hundred times. Because does that stopper still work properly? All studies were conducted with 100% hydrogen and with a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas.

Not only we were enthusiastic about the results of this pilot, but also our customer: the company said they would like to come back to test further. This is possible from September 2020. In the new hydrogen test setup, our experts can test your hydrogen product on leak tightness, pressure loss, long-term properties (for example by opening and closing a valve ten thousand times) and closing pressure determination.

More information

Would you like to know what Kiwa can do for you in the field of hydrogen product testing? Please contact us using the form on this page

Read more about our approval requirement (AR) 214 "Suitability for hydrogen gas"