Chart, Crane Complete Trial of Liquid Hydrogen Valve

Chart Industries and Crane Company have successfully tested a new cryogenic valve, specifically designed by Crane for liquid hydrogen applications. This valve is the first product from Crane's CRYOFLO line of bellow seal vacuum jacketed globe valves, which underwent design and testing by Crane, with final validation, review, and testing conducted by Chart at their liquid hydrogen test facility in New Prague, MN, USA.

The CRYOFLO valve is the first that Chart has successfully tested in a high-cycle liquid hydrogen application. The testing involved installing the valve in a validation system provided by Chart, flowing liquid hydrogen through it at various operating temperatures and pressures. The valve successfully withstood over 5,000 open/close cycles at a pressure of 150 psig/10 bar and required no adjustments or maintenance during the test.

Furthermore, the Crane CRYOFLO valve has completed cryogenic certification and endurance testing per MSS-SP-134 standards, qualifying the size range from ½-2" at a 300 psi working pressure. Cryogenic valves play a crucial role in various hydrogen equipment, including hydrogen liquefaction equipment, cold boxes, transport trailers, storage tanks, fuel cell vehicle fuel stations, onboard fuel tanks, and other end-use systems. Valves must be leak-resistant, reliable in operation, and have minimal impact on process performance.

Crane is actively developing a full range of cryogenic valves and accessories to address critical market challenges, such as leakage, heat dissipation, and reliability in the liquefaction, storage, and transportation of hydrogen and other cryogenic gases. The company is also investing in a new facility in Conroe, TX, where it plans to manufacture all of its cryogenic and hydrogen products. The qualification of the CRYOFLO bellow seal globe valves by Chart signifies the technical approval of the product, which is now in production and available for the global hydrogen market.