Experimental Study on Hydrogen Leakage and Emission of Fuel Cell Vehicles in Confined Spaces

Hydrogen safety is one of the most important safety indicators in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) (unlike in other types of alternative energy vehicles). This indicator in FCVs is directly related to the user's personal safety in daily vehicle usage. This paper analyzes the safety standards of FCVs in confined spaces. A sealed test chamber and an appropriate test method are developed to evaluate vehicle safety based on specific test requirements. Two FCVs are subjected to static hydrogen leakage and hydrogen emission testing performed in a confined space. The results reveal that the hydrogen concentration in the vicinity of the vehicles approximates 0.0004% which is much lower than 1% while parked for 8 h during the hydrogen leakage test. In the hydrogen emission test under operating conditions, the concentration of the hydrogen gas emitted from the vehicles exceeds 2300 ppm in the vicinity, which requires careful consideration. Based on experiment and analysis, recommendations for the hydrogen safety standards of FCVs in confined spaces are proposed.