The storage of hydrogen in a compressed gaseous form offers the simplest solution in terms of infrastructure requirements and has become the most popular and most highly developed hydrogen storage method. Hydrogen storage vessels are the key equipment of hydrogen refueling stations. Seamless pressure vessels made from high strength steel, which are now used in hydrogen refueling stations, are limited in volume, susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, and difficult for online safety monitoring. In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the authors have developed a multifunctional steel layered hydrogen storage vessel with a volume of 5 m(3) and a design pressure of 42 MPa for the first demonstration hydrogen refueling station in the People's Republic of China, which is flexible in design, convenient in fabrication, safe in use, and easy for online safety monitoring.