ISO 19885-1:2024

Overview - ISO 19885-1:2024 (Gaseous hydrogen - Fuelling protocols)

ISO 19885-1:2024 defines the design and development process for fuelling protocols used when dispensing compressed gaseous hydrogen to vehicles that store hydrogen in compressed form. It establishes requirements to ensure fuelling protocols are fully specified, verified, documented and safely implemented in dispenser control systems. The standard covers a wide range of vehicle types (road vehicles, industrial trucks, rail, aviation drones, maritime vessels, off‑road equipment) but excludes hydride-based storage and liquefied/cryo‑compressed hydrogen dispensing.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Fuelling protocol design process: structured steps to define protocol scope, performance limits and control strategies that can be integrated into existing product development workflows.
• Fuelling envelope definition: formal capture of the range of vehicle storage systems, ambient/operating conditions and dispenser capabilities that the protocol must accommodate.
• Protocol requirements for dispensing: identification of static and dynamic data (pressures, temperatures, design limits), dispenser application considerations, and maximum fuelling pressures.
• Vehicle–dispenser communications: requirements and considerations for data exchange and interoperability between vehicle systems and hydrogen dispensers.
• Risk assessment and fault management: methods to identify hazards, define fault responses and ensure safe behavior during abnormal conditions (including verification of maximum developed pressure scenarios).
• Verification, validation and documentation: procedures to verify protocol performance, validate implementation in dispenser control systems, and produce sufficient documentation for safe deployment and standardization.
• Annex A (normative): specific development requirements for fuelling protocols used at public road vehicle fuelling stations (aligned with ISO 19880‑1).
• Guidance Annex B: informative guidance for Clauses 6–9 to aid practical application.

Practical applications and users

ISO 19885-1 is intended for:

• Hydrogen dispenser and HRS (hydrogen refuelling station) manufacturers implementing control systems.
• Vehicle OEMs and subsystem suppliers defining vehicle-side fuelling behaviors and communication.
• Standards development organizations (SDOs) and industry consortia developing consensus fuelling protocols.
• HRS operators, safety engineers and certification bodies assessing protocol compliance, risk management and documentation.
• Control system integrators validating BPCS and safety-related functions in dispensers.

Benefits include improved interoperability, safer dispensing of compressed hydrogen, and clearer pathways for protocol standardization and certification.

Related standards

Relevant references include ISO 19880 (fuelling stations), ISO 19881 (vehicle fuel containers), ISO 17268 (refuelling connection devices), functional safety and cybersecurity standards (ISO 26262, ISO/SAE 21434, IEC/ISO safety standards) which inform control system and safety validation requirements.