The increasing interest in hydrogen as a viable and attractive fuel source, combined with advances in hydrogen technology have led to the increased use of hydrogen piping, storage and transportation systems. These systems are regulated by various codes and standards, however consensus standards for the testing of closure devices in these applications have not been addressed.

The membership of MSS (Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and Fittings Industry) determined that there is a need to develop Standard Practices (SPs) that would meet the specific requirements of testing valves for use in hydrogen service. A team of manufacturers, end-users and subject matter experts was assembled to address this need.

The application of valves in hydrogen service covers a broad temperature range, from liquid H2, at -427 °F (-255 °C) high temperature gaseous H2 at 1,200 °F (650 °C) and higher. Early in the scoping phase it became apparent that the requirements for cryogenic versus high temperature gaseous hydrogen were sufficiently different to justify developing two separate Standard Practices, one for cryogenic service and another for high temperature gaseous service.

This presentation explains the key elements of both cryogenic testing and high temperature testing Standard Practices. It will cover the scope of each SP, the test methods to be used, the acceptance criteria and outlines of the procedures used. Because these SPs are still in development, the current status, key outstanding issues and next steps will be presented.