Overview
ISO 19880-3:2018 - Gaseous hydrogen - Fuelling stations - Part 3: Valves defines safety performance requirements and test methods for high-pressure gas valves used in gaseous hydrogen fuelling stations (up to the H70 designation). The standard addresses a range of valve types used across hydrogen refuelling systems, including:
- Check valve
- Excess flow valve
- Flow control valve
- Hose breakaway device
- Manual valve
- Pressure safety valve
- Shut-off valve
ISO 19880-3:2018 focuses on material selection, product quality, and a comprehensive test program to verify valve integrity, leakage performance, mechanical strength and safe operation under hydrogen service and high-pressure cycles.
Key topics and requirements
The standard organizes technical requirements and test methods into general and valve-specific sections. Major technical topics include:
- General requirements: intended use, material requirements, and product quality controls for valves in hydrogen service.
- Test methods: defined procedures and test conditions for validating valve safety and performance, such as:
- Hydrogen gas pressure cycle test (endurance under cyclic pressurization)
- External and internal leakage tests
- Worst-case fault pressure cycle test
- Proof pressure and hydrostatic strength tests
- Excess torque resistance and bending moment tests
- Non-metallic materials testing
- Cold gas in warm valve test
- Valve-specific tests and criteria: additional tests for particular valve types - e.g., classification and operational tests for excess flow valves, separation and impact/drop/twist tests for hose breakaway devices, and maximum flow shut-off and operation cycle tests for manual valves.
- Safety features: containment or controlled relieving of hydrogen on separation, electrical conductivity for hose breakaways, and requirements for reliable shut-off and pressure relief.
Practical applications and who would use this standard
ISO 19880-3:2018 is intended for professionals involved in the design, manufacture, testing, installation and regulation of hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. Typical users include:
- Valve manufacturers and component designers for hydrogen refuelling stations
- Hydrogen fuelling station OEMs and system integrators
- Test laboratories and certification bodies performing conformity and type testing
- Safety engineers, regulators and asset owners/operators establishing procurement and maintenance criteria
- Standards writers and consultants working on hydrogen infrastructure projects
Adoption of ISO 19880-3 helps ensure valve reliability, reduce leakage risk, and support safe, compliant hydrogen fuelling operations.
Related standards (if applicable)
ISO 19880-3 is part of the broader ISO guidance for gaseous hydrogen fuelling stations. Users should also consider other ISO and industry standards covering hydrogen station design, pressure equipment and material compatibility to build a complete compliance and safety program.