CDFA's director of measurement standards, Kristin Macey, tours the AC Transit bus yard in Emeryville with Jaimie Levin, AC Transit's director of alternative fuels policy.
When the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in Emeryville recently introduced twelve new hydrogen fuel cell buses and a fueling system, CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards (DMS) was alongside to make sure the dispensing equipment was accurate. All new retail hydrogen dispensers must first be evaluated by DMS to ensure accuracy and repeatable performance, just like dispensers for gasoline and diesel. As hydrogen-powered vehicles become more prevalent, DMS will oversee routine hydrogen station testing, including dispenser accuracy, advertising and labeling.
There will be differences between the fuel we purchase today and hydrogen. Unlike conventional fuels, retail gaseous hydrogen will be sold by weight, in kilograms. Retail sales of hydrogen will be in dollars and whole cents, not fractions of a cent. As for purity, any hydrogen put in vehicles today must meet California’s fuel quality standards, which requires 99.97% purity in order to maintain the health of modern fuel cell systems.
CDFA and AC Transit are both Associate Members of the California Fuel Cell Partnership, a public-private partnership to promote hydrogen vehicles (including cars and buses) in California. In addition, CDFA DMS has been given a $3.5 million grant by the California Energy Commission to research standards for hydrogen fueling accuracy and fuel quality.
For more information about this effort please visit: http://cdfa.ca.gov/dms
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