ADR special provision 339
Metal hydride hydrogen fuel cell cartridges: ≤ 120 ml water capacity, ≤ 5 MPa at 55 °C, plus drop, fire, cycling and leak tests and marking.
Fuel cell cartridges holding hydrogen in a metal hydride must have a water capacity of 120 ml or less and a pressure of at most 5 MPa at 55 °C. The design type must withstand the greater of twice the 55 °C design pressure or that design pressure plus 200 kPa without leaking or bursting, and this test pressure is called the minimum shell burst pressure. Filling follows the manufacturer procedures, and the manufacturer must supply the information in (a) to (f) with each cartridge. Cartridges must be built to prevent leakage in normal carriage, and each design type must pass a drop test, a fire test and a hydrogen cycling test. Every cartridge must pass a production leak test and bear the required permanent marks.
| Value | Applies when |
|---|---|
| 120 ml | maximum water capacity |
| 5 MPa at 55 °C | maximum pressure in the cartridge |
| 200 kPa | added to design pressure at 55 °C, alternative to twice the design pressure, greater applies |
| 1.8 metre | drop test height |
| 38 mm | steel apex diameter in the horizontal drop |
| 85 % of minimum shell burst pressure | recorded burst pressure must exceed this after the drop test |
| 20 minutes | fire resistance without rupture, alternative pass criterion |
| 5 % rated hydrogen capacity | cycling lower bound (not more than) |
| 95 % rated hydrogen capacity | cycling upper bound (not less than) |
| 100 cycles | minimum number of hydrogen cycles |
| 75 % of minimum shell burst pressure | pressure of the uncycled reference cartridge |
| 15 °C | production leak test temperature, tolerance 5 °C |
Conditions
- Manufacturer information with each cartridge: (a) inspections before first filling and refilling; (b) safety precautions and hazards; (c) how to tell rated capacity is reached; (d) minimum and maximum pressure; (e) minimum and maximum temperature; (f) any other filling and refilling requirements, including filling equipment.
- Drop test: 1.8 m onto an unyielding surface in four orientations: vertical on the shut-off valve end, vertical on the opposite end, horizontal onto an upward 38 mm steel apex, and at 45° on the valve end. No leakage at rated charging pressure (soap bubble or equivalent), then hydrostatic pressurization to destruction with burst above 85 % of the minimum shell burst pressure.
- Fire test: a cartridge filled with hydrogen to rated capacity is engulfed in fire and passes if it vents to zero gauge pressure without rupture, or survives at least 20 minutes without rupture.
- Hydrogen cycling test: cycle from no more than 5 % to no less than 95 % rated capacity and back, at rated charging pressure and within the operating temperature range, for at least 100 cycles; afterwards the displaced water volume must not exceed that of an uncycled cartridge charged to 95 % and pressurized to 75 % of the minimum shell burst pressure.
- Production leak test: every cartridge at 15 °C ± 5 °C and rated charging pressure, no leakage detected by soap bubble or equivalent.
- Permanent marking: rated charging pressure in MPa; manufacturer serial number or unique identification number; expiry date from maximum service life (four-digit year, two-digit month).
Note. The provision runs from page 623 to page 625.
Carried by 1 Table A entry
Source: ADR 2025 (ECE/TRANS/352), Volume I, section 3.3.1, special provision 339, page 623.
Paraphrase in FreightUtils' own words, not the official text. Not yet reviewed.
ADR 2027 amendments (accepted, applying from 1 January 2027) are not yet reflected on this page.