Online Monitoring of Hydrogen Quality at the Hydrogen Production Plant

This study investigates the performance of an online hydrogen quality analyzer (HQA) integrated with gas chromatography with a pulsed discharge helium ionization detector (GC-PDHID) and a dew point transmitter (DPT) for real-time monitoring at a hydrogen production plant (HPP). The HQA measures impurities such as O2, N2, H2O, CO, CO2, and CH4. Over two months of monitoring, O2 and H2O concentrations consistently exceeded ISO 14687 thresholds, even without calibration or maintenance events, suggesting potential leaks or inefficiencies in the hydrogen production process. The study highlights the importance of real-time monitoring in ensuring hydrogen fuel quality and improving the efficiency of hydrogen production and distribution. While the HQA does not detect all impurities specified in ISO 14687, focusing on key indicators mitigates the limitations of offline methods. The findings emphasize the need to update ISO standards to include guidance for online monitoring technologies to meet evolving purity requirements.