In HyCoRA project, a strategy for cost reduction for hydrogen fuel quality assurance QA was developed and executed.

For developing this strategy, hydrogen quality risk assessment is used to define the needs for hydrogen impurity gas analysis, system level PEMFC contaminant research as well as needs for purification needs in hydrogen production, especially produced by steam methane reforming (SMR).

The use of qualitative and quantitative risk assessment enabled identification of critical needs for gas analysis development and guides the research work on those issues, which require most attention. The development of quantitative risk model enabled implementation of data from other parallel activities in USA, Japan and Korea.

The measurement campaigns in hydrogen refuelling stations, as well as in SMR production units, provided quantitative data, which can be used for identification of canary species, when analysed with help of quantitative risk assessment.

Essential part of the HyCoRA project is hydrogen contaminant research in PEMFC system level. The research is performed in down-scaled automotive fuel cell systems, which can replicate all the features of full-scale automotive fuel cell systems, including the change of gases in the anode and cathode during the start-stop cycling. The contaminants and levels studied were, excluding obvious carbon monoxide, determined using risk assessment with help of automotive advisory board.

The main objective of HyCoRA project was to provide information to lower reduce cost of hydrogen fuel QA. However, it also provided recommendations for revision of existing ISO 14687-2:2012 standard for hydrogen fuel in automotive applications.