Crane Company Tests Liquid Hydrogen Valve

May 11, 2023

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Crane Company has successfully tested a new cryogenic valve designed and built for liquid hydrogen applications.

This is the first valve launched from Crane's CRYOFLO™ line of bellow seal vacuum jacketed globe valves, designed and tested by Crane, with final validation, review, and testing conducted by Chart Industries.

Liquid hydrogen is over 100 degrees Fahrenheit colder than liquid nitrogen, and significantly colder than the temperature limit of most cryogenic valves. Final testing was conducted at Chart's one-of-a-kind liquid hydrogen test facility in New Prague, MN, US.

The testing confirms that Crane's CRYOFLO liquid hydrogen valve design can operate safely and reliably at extremely low temperatures, while supporting best-in-class high-flow rates at low-pressure drop as designed.

CRYOFLO is the first valve Chart has successfully completed a liquid hydrogen endurance test in a high-cycle application. The valve successfully endured well over 5,000 open/close cycles at a pressure of 150 psig/10 bar, and it required no adjustments or maintenance during the test. In addition, the Crane CRYOFLO has completed cryogenic certification and endurance testing per MSS-SP-134 standards and qualified the size range from ½-2" at 300 psi working pressure.

Chart is developing new hydrogen equipment solutions and expanding production capacity for existing products to meet the needs of the growing hydrogen energy market. Cryogenic valves are an integral part of Chart's hydrogen liquefaction equipment and cold boxes, transport trailers, storage tanks, fuel cell vehicle fuel stations, onboard fuel tanks, or any other end-use system.

Crane is successfully accelerating the development a full line of cryogenic valves and accessories to address critical market problems including leakage, heat dissipation, and reliability in the liquefaction, storage and transportation of hydrogen and other cryogenic gases. Crane is also investing in a new state-of-the-art facility in Conroe, TX where it plans to build all of its Cryogenic and Hydrogen products.

The qualification of the CRYOFLO bellow seal globe valves by Chart completes the technical approval of the product which is now in production.