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ISO safety standard will encourage market for road vehicles powered by natural gas

2007-01-04

An ISO standard is expected to increase the market for road vehicles powered by natural gas by making the on-board storage of this alternative fuel even safer.

ISO 19078:2006, Gas cylinders – Inspection of the cylinder installation, and requalification of high pressure cylinders for the on-board storage of natural gas as a fuel for automotive vehicles, is both important and timely.

It is important because maintaining gas cylinders in good working order is vital to the future of cleaner fuels and because it provides guidance for regulatory authorities, vehicle manufacturers and end users.

It is timely because there more than 5.5 million vehicles worldwide fueled by natural gas and with increasing public concern over health issues related to pollution, along with rising oil prices, that number is expected increase over the coming years.

Since natural gas is stored on board vehicles n high pressure cylinders, safety aspects are of prime importance. ISO 19078:2006 provides information and procedures for the periodic visual examination and inspection of natural gas fuel cylinders and the condition of the installation. Specifying inspection requirements, it defines damage criteria, as well issues related to manufacturing, maintenance, disposal of damaged cylinders, inspection equipment and the qualification of inspectors.

The new standard contains guidance for the inspection of the cylinders in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and to meet the requirements of ISO 11439:2000, Gas cylinders – High pressure cylinders for the on-board storage of natural gas as a fuel for automotive vehicles, and provides criteria for acceptance or rejection in the absence of guidance from the manufacturer, with subsequent disposal as necessary.

ISO 19078:2006, Gas cylinders – Inspection of the cylinder installation, and requalification of high pressure cylinders for the on-board storage of natural gas as a fuel for automotive vehicles costs 126 Swiss francs and is available from ISO national member institutes (see complete list with contact details) and from the ISO Central Secretariat (see below). It has been developed by subcommittee SC 4, Operational requirements for gas cylinders of ISO technical committee ISO/TC 58, Gas cylinders.