Natural Gas Vehicle Cylinder Safety and Inspection Requirements

Javad Arab, Majid FahimehAmiri, Abbas Hosseinabadi, Amir Torabi

SAIPA Automobile Manufacturing, Power train Department, Km 15 Karaj special road,

Abstract:
Application of compressed natural gas (CNG) as alternative fuel was used in early 1940 on the vehicles. Now more than 10 million NGVs on the road are using CNG for fuel in the world. Gas cylinder for this kind of application (200 bar pressure) should meet some safety requirements as mentioned in different standards. In this regards several standards are provided to achieve the requirements, for example NZS 5454 (New Zealand -1989), CSA B51-1995 (Canada -1995), NGV2-2000 (USA -2000), ISO 11439, ISO 19078 (European Union and Asia), ECE R110 (European Union, Brazil, Argentina), FMVSS 304 (USA). The most important subject that should be reviewed is harmonization on technical points. These standards have not the same approach and targets, they are provided to solve local problem of each country according to their NGVs and application. In this study we tried to clarify weak points of some local standards of high pressure cylinder for CNG and introduce suggested solution ways for improved standards. Keywords: Natural gas vehicles, Cylinder safety standards

Introduction
In Iran, natural gas as alternative fuel has been used on the public vehicles since early 2002. At the time being, the CNG buses and taxies are 7 and 5 years old respectively and more than 1,500,000 natural-gas vehicles are travelling on the road of our country [3], although they will be added day by day regarding to the government policy. To ensure efficient and safe high-pressure cylinder used in vehicles, having a safety standard is very important. At first, the high-pressure cylinders which used in vehicles were built and tested based on available industry standards. Therefore cylinders were produced very heavy. Accessing to new high strength steel and aluminum alloys, inspectors and suppliers of cylinders had to use the new standards according to new materials to achieve lighter tanks in spite of keeping safety in CNG vehicles. Therefore, a number of national and international standards have released to specify requirements for design, test, inspection requirement, and repair of cylinders. Cylinders are used on vehicles should be light and safe and satisfy the expected conditions. In design standards of cylinders such as ISO 11439, ECE R110 and NGV22000, the mentioned criteria are as following cases:

1 - Determine working conditions of cylinder 2 - Estimation of fatigue life with a series of designed tests 3 - It is needed for destructive testing on the cylinder (cylinders) from the production series 4 - It is needed for non destructive testing and inspection of all production cylinders 5 - Need to have producers with a comprehensive quality system 6 - Require periodic inspection according to instructions of cylinder manufacturer 7 - Need to determine the safe working life of the cylinders that produced by the manufacturer as part of their design. Cylinders have to be designed regarding to the requirements of these standards: A) Fatigue life of cylinder must be more than working life that is specified for the cylinder. B) Rupture in cylinders by periodic pressure (pressure cycle) should be as leaking not as fragmentation C) When cylinders are exposed to hydrostatic burst test, the stress ratio factor should be greater than the specific amount that is depended on the type of materials used in cylinder.

Design Standards for NGVs cylinders

Most countries in late 1970 approved industrial cylinders standards for NGVs cylinders, while these standards had not provided safety and optimum performance for production. On that time new Italian regulation was introduced for steel cylinder with low weight and high strength specifications, which was completely successful. So that now hundreds of thousands of cylinders based on this standard are used all around the world. In North America began conversion of vehicles into NGVs since 1980 AD, and in 1982 the use of hooprapped cylinders made from aluminum liners and a glass fiber composite with glass fiber is began. Steel cylinders manufacturer were followed the evolutionary trend to reduce weight using the glass and carbon fiber composite reinforcement, which will be paid to approved standards by the following items: Standard NZS 5454: First cylinder standard was published in 1989 for NGVs in New Zealand. Major of this standard related to steel cylinders but for the first time it was confirmed use of hoop-wrapped composites cylinders. Standard CSA B51-1995: In 1991 Canada issued the CSA B51-1991 Appendix G standard Requirements for CNG Refueling Station Pressure Piping Systems and Containers for CNG. This adopted a number of principles from NZS 5454, but also specifically allowed the use of fully wrapped composite cylinders for the first time in NGV service. In 1994 after failures of composite-wrapped cylinders in NGV service in the US Canada revised their requirements based on the NGV2 1992 standard. The new document was reissued as the CSA B51-95 standard Standard NGV2-2000: In 1992, the US developed their ANSI/AGA NGV2 American National Standard for Basic Requirements for Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Fuel Containers. This is a voluntary standard that was initiated by the industry when there were concerns about the lack of regulation for NGV cylinders. The ANSI NGV2 standard requires several other tests in addition to the pressure cycling. Hydrostatic burst pressure test, and bonfire test required by FMVSS 304. These additional tests include drop testing with various cylinder orientations, bullet penetration tests to demonstrate that the cylinder will not fragment, and environmental exposure tests. The latter include temperature extreme exposures and corrosive liquid

exposures. Trudgeon [4] has provided summaries of these tests and minimum acceptable results. Standard ISO 11439: in 1987, ISO set up a working group to develop a design safety standard for NGVs cylinders. But it took until 2000 that officially was published as ISO 11439 standards ((Gas cylinders high pressure cylinders for the on-board storage of natural gas as a fuel for automotive vehicles)). The NGV2 standard was the starting point for the development of the ISO 11439 international standard for NGV fuel tanks. Besides specifying various abuse and environmental exposure tests, ISO 11439 provides cylinder design guidance including more detailed specifications on the ratio of the minimum burst pressure to the service pressure and the minimum fiber stress ratio for various types of fibers in Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4 cylinders. It also requires the cylinder manufacturer to specify the intended service life in years, and to demonstrate that the cylinder can withstand pressure cycling for a minimum of 1000 cycles per year times the specified service life. ISO 11439 also requires that the maximum allowable flaw or defect size be detectable by cylinder Non-Destructive Examination. Standard ECE R110: This instruction was published in 2000 by the UN to uniformity conditions on the approval CNG vehicles and kit components. All these documents include parts and components of the gas system. Some difference is between the R110 and ISO 11439 as final version. But these differences are not significant, and compared between two documents was done by ISO and ISO TC58/SC3N1036 has been published. Finally, R110 and ISO 11439 have convergence in the expression of the main goal. ECE R110 original standard published in December 2000 and in March 2000 revised version released. This standard is used to control of cylinders of NGVs in Europe Union, Brazil, Argentina and other countries. Standard FMVSS 304: U.S. federal requirements for CNG vehicle fuel tank integrity are described in FMVSS 304. The stated purpose of FMVSS 304 is to reduce deaths and injuries occurring from fires that result from fuel leakage during and after motor vehicle crashes. The FMVSS 304 container requirements, which were developed base on the ANSI standards NGV2, include ambient temperature pressure cycling tests without leakage, a hydrostatic burst test, and a bonfire test. The hydrostatic burst pressure is required to be at least 2.25 times the cylinder service pressure for non-welded cylinders, and at least 3.5 times the service pressure for welded containers. There are also detailed cylinder labeling

requirements in FMVSS 304. The bonfire test described in FMVSS 304 requires that two CNG tanks be tested, with one filled to 98% of its service pressure and the second tank filled to 24% of its service pressure. Each cylinder is positioned horizontally above a 1.65m long burner or flame bed. Consequently the CNG container must successfully withstand exposure to the bonfire flame for at least 20 minutes, or until the gas contents of the container are vented via the PRD to a pressure less than 100 psig(689 kPa), as measured with a pressure transducer. In summary, at 14 years ago good agreements are done to achieve the safe and reliable cylinders, national and international institutions are trying to obtain high level of safety and efficiency with coordinating of documents and standards in with each other to achieve a unit document. But still this event is not done because of differences that exist between the 3 main standards.

burst pressure, or pressure cycle test, ability to resist extreme environmental damage. Safety performance criteria for all NGVs cylinders in the form of this article is not expressed but in a few important criteria will be evaluated. Working pressure Standards are took the work pressure as 200 bar (300 psi) to 248 bar (3600 psi). That this interval is defined due to increased pressure because of increased temperature during fast filling of cylinder. The maximum permissible working pressure in the ISO 11439 standard in ambient temperature is announced 260 bar. Working conditions Cylinders are usually designed to be filled and emptied with the specified pressure 1000 times per year (during their working life). They are working in temperature between -40 to 65 degrees and it is expected until temperature 82 degrees they also work correctly. Burst pressure Cylinder burst pressure is different depending on the type. Minimum factor of safety will be varied in different standards. The requirements for ISO 11439 standards are given in the table (1).
Table (1) stress ratio and Burst ratio for several types of cylinder Type I II Reinforced Fiber Type Glass Aramid Carbon Glass Aramid Carbon Glass Aramid Carbon Min. Burst Ratio 2.25 2.50 2.35 2.35 3.50 3.00 2.35 3.65 3.10 2.35 Min Stress Ratio 2.75 2.35 2.35 3.65 3.10 2.35 3.65 3.10 2.35

NGV Cylinder types

Usually there is similar categorization of cylinders in alls of safety standards [2]. Four types of cylinders are normally used for NGVs: Type 1 Fully Metal Type 2 Resin impregnated continuous filament with metal liner with a minimum burst pressure of 125% of service pressure. The container may be either hoop-wrapped or full-wrapped. Type 3 Resin impregnated continuous filament with metal liner. The container may be either hoopwrapped or full-wrapped. Type 4 Resin impregnated continuous filament with a non-metallic liner. Type 1 steel cylinders are the least expensive and the heaviest. They are generally used on CNG vehicles in the developing world. Type 3 and 4 cylinders, wrapped with fiberglass and/or carbon filament, are the lightest and most expensive cylinders. Because of their relatively light weight (1/4 1/2 the weight of an equivalent steel type 1 cylinder), they are generally used in the US on OEM natural gas vehicles, such as transit buses and are the type of cylinders normally considered for vehicles operating on compressed hydrogen.

III

IV

Stress ratio is defined as ratio of fiber stress at burst pressure to the fiber stress at work pressure and the burst ratio is defined as burst pressure dividing to the actual cylinder working pressure. Working life

NGV cylinder Design approval tests

Main standards CNG cylinders have very comprehensive safety performance criteria such as Working life of NGVs cylinders is very important. CNG public transport vehicles (taxis and buses) are

filled repeatedly while the personal vehicles are so different. So one of the required cases in R110 and ISO 11439 standards is the cylinder cycle test that is defined as test the cylinder from maximum working pressure and repeated this action until the cylinder is failed. Cylinder should not be failed less than the working life that is specified in the design standard and failure for cylinders over their working life must be in leakage mode not rupture and fragmentation. So for a cylinder with life of 15 years must be withstood at least 15,000 times, then failure must be as leaking. Maximum allowable defects Unlike conventional cylinders, NGVs cylinders are intended to stay in fixed position during working life. This case is the purpose of the ISO Standards Committee that cylinders in periodic inspection should not be separated from vehicle. In periodic inspections because of the interior of cylinder and the lack of view, manufacturers have been introduced the most critical condition of defects thus the manufacturer define the maximum defect that can be permitted in the wall of the metal cylinder or liner. A flaw of this size is machined into the cylinder wall and has to be detected by NonDestructive Examination. Then put the cylinder in conditions of life cycle test with 1000 times per year until it was failed and it must be as leakage. The purpose of this test conditions and surface defects is to define the conditions of defects that can reduce the working life of cylinder and these defects are known by NDT examinations without doing of visit of cylinder internally. Impact Resistance One of the fundamental factors of safety NGVs cylinders is the ability to Impact and one of difficult and important test that is mentioned in all of standards is cylinders drop from height. In this test the cylinder is usually dropped on three horizontal positions. After the drop test the cylinders are tested for cycle pressure in ambient temperature and the cylinders should not be failed less than 3000 cycles and more than 3000 cycles, the failure must be as leakage mode. Bonfire Test This test is defined to ensure safety of cylinder, valve and PRD when exposed to fire or high temperatures. Temperature or pressure or both of them maybe enable PRD but cylinder and fittings are needed to stay perfect.

Penetration test This test shows that when the cylinder (full of gas) is placed under high-energy impact, it will not fragment. This test is done by shot a bullet with minimum diameter of 7.62 mm. After the test, cylinder must be without damage and stay perfect. Environment Test This test would show that NGVs cylinder able to withstand the worst environmental conditions while vehicles are operating. This test is complicated and expensive and requires that the cylinders after the environmental exposure enter to pressure cycle test at ambient temperature.

Production test and periodic inspection of cylinders

Batch test ECE R110 and ISO 11439 standards are required mandatory tests that discussed below for each production series: Burst test with hydraulic pressure for one cylinder Measure important size versus design size Tensile test on the cylinder or liner Three impact tests on steel cylinders Coating batch test Pressure cycle test Test on every cylinder According to the ISO 11439 and ECE R110 standards, each cylinder must be tested according to the following conditions: Non-Destructive test that specify maximum size of defects in cylinders Dimensional measurements and cylinder weight should be within tolerances of design. Confirm compliances with the final level specified in the design (deep drawn surfaces and folds or laps in the neck or shoulder areas Verification of labeling or marking Hardness tests on the heat treated cylinders Hydraulic test and evaluate of volumetric expansion value Periodic inspection CNG cylinders are better stay in their permanent

place in the car. All standards have suggested that the cylinders should not separate from the vehicle for periodic inspection and hydraulic pressure testing. Because the cylinders are designed and have been tested to work properly in design life, and external visual inspection is enough for them so that bring out the cylinder of vehicles caused to more damage. ISO 19078-2006 standard 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 considered the condition of periodic inspections of NGVs cylinders. NGV2-2000 has explained that inspections is done according to Compressed gas Association (CGA) with Methods for External Visual Inspection of Natural Gas Vehicle Fuel Containers and their Installations and proposals and recommendations of manufacturer of NGVs cylinders. But in this case, the R110 standard has no special instructions. One of the major problems in many countries is that no specific guides have been developed for CNG vehicles and they are separated every 3 or 5 years for hydraulic test and internal visual inspection. But this is completely incompatible with the aim of design standard for CNG cylinder. The design conditions of cylinders have been developed generally in ECE R110, ISO 11439 and NGV2-2000 standards, and their safety is guaranteed during the design life and even more, although these standards have special attention to suggestions and recommendations of cylinder manufacturer for installation and periodic inspection. The following is a summary of the survey results: Canada Canada has a provision for the recertification of type 1 (all-steel) NGV cylinders in Supplement No. 1 to CSA B51-03, Part 2, High Pressure Cylinders for the On-Board Storage of Natural Gas and Hydrogen as Fuels for Automotive Vehicles. The procedure is described in Annex B, Procedure for Requalifying All-Steel Natural Gas Vehicle Storage Cylinders. The procedure requires a visual inspection in accordance with CGA C-6 followed by ultrasonic inspection per Annex B of ISO 9809-1. The cylinders are subsequently recoated and stamped. Steel vehicle cylinders can be requalified for at most 15 years from the date of ultrasonic inspection or 30 years from the date of manufacture, whichever comes first. Japan In Japan, NGV cylinder lifetime is 15 years with no provisions to extend the life. A cylinder is first

inspected after 4 years in service, followed by once every 25 months. The inspection methods employed include visual inspection and leak check. Damage is classified according to severity by cylinder type as specified by Japanese regulations. Leak checks are performed with natural gas and detector or soap solution. The inspection/recertification is enforced by a law which regulates high pressure gas safety. Italy NGV cylinders manufactured to the Italian regulation have a maximum lifetime of 40 years, whereas cylinders manufactured to the European regulation ECE R110 have a maximum lifetime of 20 years. The periodic retest for Italian regulation cylinders is conducted every 5 years and includes a hydraulic test at 300 bar, weight measurement and internal/external visual inspection. The periodic retest for R110 cylinders is every 4 years and includes a visual inspection for type 1 cylinders and a hydraulic test to 300 bar for types 2-4 cylinders. An Italian laboratory organization (SFBM) is responsible for the requalification of cylinders. Argentina There is currently no defined lifetime for NGV cylinders in Argentina, with the exception of ECOTEMP (Russian) cylinders which were manufactured in accordance with NGV2 (15 years). Cylinders are recertified via visual inspection and hydrostatic retest every 5 years until the cylinder fails. The requalification requirement was established in 1991 and is regulated by the state gas authority (Gas del Estado). France CNG cylinders are requalified every 4 years in France in accordance with the ECE R110 regulation (20 year service life). A French group (Cetim) has developed an inspection system which eliminates the need for internal visual inspection and hydrostatic testing. The system includes a web-based database which keeps a written and visual history of each cylinder. The cylinders are inspected in-situ under full gas pressure using a number of nondestructive testing methods including visual, video-scope, and bubble leak test. Brazil The lifetime of type 1 CNG cylinders in Brazil is 20 years and there are currently no provisions to extend their life. Cylinder recertification occurs every 5 years and for the case of type 1 vessels includes thread inspection, external/internal visual inspection, hydrostatic test, weight measurement and inspection of labels. Types 2-4 are subjected to additional tests in accordance with ISO 11623.

Pakistan CNG cylinder lifetime is a function of the standard to which it was manufactured (e.g. NGV2 = 15 20 years). Cylinders are currently requalified every 5 years via visual inspection and hydrostatic testing. Requalification is enforced at the refueling station through the verification window decals which specify cylinder retest dates. Related to pervious document, harmonization of different standards can be resulted to cost reduction of cylinders control, inspection tests and safe using safe of CNG cylinders in the world.

Therefore, because of starting of periodic inspection of NGVs cylinder in our country (IRAN), the following cases are suggested: 1 - Create an independent organization that supported by government for testing and inspection of problem cylinders that have been announced by authorized inspectors and determine conditions of them for use or destroy them. [1] 2 - Training the inspectors of CNG cylinders under a valid inspection institute or reputable manufacturer 3 According to financial terms for external or internal inspection for our country and injury risks for cylinder burst, independent organization that introduced in the case 1 should be ranked the manufacturers of NGVs cylinders that vehicle manufacturer can buy their CNG cylinders from them and the legal contracts should be checked for having after-sales service so as the cost of inspection for cylinders that inspectors returned them.

Conclusion:
The paper is introduced different safety standards related to NGVs cylinders and was discussed about necessary tests and inspection of cylinders according to standards. In this regard there are two major problems: 1 Lack of harmonization between standards for approving of design, production and inspection inservice 2 There arent any explicit and specific comments regarding to internal visual test and hydrostatic test for periodic inspection during in-service operation. For example, ISO 19078 standard has reminded, "Based on international experiences during the forty years using CNG in the hundreds of thousands of CNG vehicles seems CNG cylinders with limited life that used in CNG vehicles must perform visual inspection once every three years, without separating them from the vehicle for inspecting and requalifying, except when the inspector authorized separating the cylinders. Also it is mentioned "Currently no one OEM recommends to separate the cylinder for external visual inspection, also none of them is obligated for internal visual inspections and hydrostatic tests".

References:
[1] Arab, HosseinAbadi, Moheb, Neyestani "Periodic Inspection of CNG Vehicles" Second International Conference & Exhibition of CNG Vehicles and Industries, Tehran, Iran, December 2008. [2] Arab, HosseinAbadi, Torabi " National Necessity of Using Composite Cylinders in NGV", Second International Conference & Exhibition of CNG Vehicles and Industries, Tehran, Iran, December 2008. [3] www.nigc-cng.ir, Iranian Natural Gas Vehicle Company, "Gas khodro" site. [4] Mark Trudgeon, "An Overview of NGV Cylinder Safety Standards, Production and In-Service Requirements" July 2005.