Codes and Standards Progress
Reprinted from Fuel Cell Industry Report, February 2005,
Vol. 6, No. 2

Though optimistic on market opportunities, Fuel Cell Today's portable application survey makes the point that "there is considerable speculation that lack of suitable regulations for fuel cells will be one delaying factor in their implementation in many markets, not least in the portable sector." The complexity of adopting codes and standards for fuel cells in every country, and in the U.S., for every state or region, can be daunting. For OEMs seeking to create commercial markets, such regulatory directives can't come fast enough. Yet the process must move judiciously, as Karen Hall, vice president of technical operations for the National Hydrogen Association points out. She believes performance-based rather than design-based standards have a better chance of avoiding premature design lock-ins, and thereby stifling innovation.

Codes and standards efforts are under way in earnest for fuel cells, especially micro fuel cells. In December, CSA America and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) announced a joint venture to develop and publish a new standard that will set requirements for micro fuel cell power systems and associated fuel cell cartridges. Micro fuel cells are energy devices that have the capacity of impacting the battery market by offering improved power to operate portable electronic devices, and could be seen in a wide variety of products from portable stereos to flashlights.

Bill Colavecchio, general manager of Renewable and Alternative Energy for UL, comments that "we are confident that UL's acknowledged technical expertise in fuel cells, as well as in developing standards for new technologies, will facilitate acceptance of these products by the commercial sector." As reported in last month's issue of FCIR (see FCIR Online, December 2004), the United Nations subcommittee on the transport of dangerous goods has given its blessing to establishing model regulations for shipping methanol fuel cartridges for micro fuel cell devices as cargo. This will positively impact international air transportation authorities that are considering regulations to allow passengers to carry and use micro fuel cells with fuel cartridges onboard aircraft (www.csa.org, www.ul.com).