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September 2007 

What’s Next in Hydrogen? 

By Juana Williams 

Mark Your Calendars! The first in-person and via audio conference meeting of the U.S. National 

Work Group (USNWG) for hydrogen measurement standards is scheduled for October 3 - 4, 

2007, at NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The USNWG will consist of experts who develop 

related technical standards, equipment manufacturers, and regulatory officials who have legal 

control over commercial measurement devices (especially in the area of hydrogen, cryogenic 

liquids, and compressed gases). The USNWG will be asked to develop an appropriate and fair 

set of (1) design, accuracy, installation, use, method of sale, and labeling requirements, (2) 

quality standards, and (3) sampling and test procedures for equipment used in hydrogen 

measurements for vehicle and other refueling applications. These standards are intended to be the 

basis for criteria used to approve equipment for commercial use and for codes adopted as law 

and regulation and enforced by State and local weights and measures officials who regulate 

commercial equipment such as motor-fuel dispensers. The USNWG will cover multiple topics 

necessary for the implementation of hydrogen standards into the marketplace. One focus of the 

meeting will be to review and discuss a second draft of the NIST Handbook 44 Hydrogen Gas 

Meters Code. Additionally, the USNWG will consider two related international documents that 

contain standards for refueling equipment used to meter gaseous and liquid hydrogen. 

On-line registration is available at www.nist.gov; click on NIST Conferences, then click on View 

Upcoming NIST Conferences. An agenda and other meeting materials are available to USNWG 

participants or upon request by other interested parties who contact NIST WMD. Written 

comments from stakeholders not able to attend or participate in the October meeting are 

encouraged, but must be received by NIST WMD not later than Friday, September 28, 2007. 

Please send comments to Juana Williams by e-mail at juana.williams@nist.gov, by fax at 

301-975-8091, or by post to NIST WMD, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2600. 

Related International Standards Development Work 

In addition to its work on domestic weights and measures standards, NIST WMD is responsible 

for representing the interest of U.S. stakeholders on two international hydrogen-related 

standards. Most recently, stakeholders were asked to review and determine if the International 

Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) metrological and technical requirements and test 

procedures were appropriate from a U.S. commercial equipment standpoint. Stakeholders 

reviewed OIML Technical Committee & Subcommittee 7 Project 2 “Compressed Gaseous Fuel 

Measuring Systems for Vehicles” and OIML Recommendation 81 “Dynamic Measuring Devices 

and Systems for Cryogenic Liquids.” Both standards will be considered during the October 

USNWG meeting in recognition of the growing global interest and work on hydrogen standards. 

The list of participants working on these two documents was recently expanded to ensure all 

U.S. stakeholders are providing input on these international standards. It is expected that some 

parties will have an interest in more than one standard and will be listed on multiple work 

groups. We will keep you apprised of the work on these two projects as it progresses. To 

participate in the USNWG or get more information regarding the October 2007 meeting, please 
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contact Juana Williams by e-mail at juana.williams@nist.gov or by telephone at 301-975-3989, 

or Michele Krebs by e-mail at michele.krebs@nist.gov or by telephone at 301-975-4004.