Leire Colomo, Ander Gabirondo 1)

1) AMPO Poyam Valves, ES- 20213 Idiazabal, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Cryogenics with gases like helium, hydrogen and sometimes also with neon, nitrogen, or air gain today more attraction as enablers for new green technologies in the energy sector as well as further industrial areas as in chemistry, semiconductor, steel and glass production etc.

Cryogenic helium in all stages is used to cool superconducting devices allows efficient high energy research and fusion research. Liquefied hydrogen is a high dense energy vector and could be at the same cooling superconducting cables and power devices. Neon seems a potential candidate to enable highly efficient cryogenic processes. Subcooled liquefied nitrogen is used to cool high temperature superconductor cables and devices in the power system. The cryogenic process of liquefying and warming up air is used to store fluctuating production renewable power.

The specific focus on hydrogen as an energy carrier paves the energy transition away for the current fossil-based system. The new energy system will be electric and based on renewables with hydrogen as energy carrier. However, many areas are still depending on importing green energy: a new global green hydrogen market and trade will emerge. Thus, production, storage and transport of green hydrogen will become key elements of the decarbonizing of the global energy system towards a new energy economy. The storage and transport of hydrogen can take place in various forms. Liquid hydrogen is, due to its high energy density, ambient storage pressure, high purity and not at least also due to the mature cryogenic technology available well suitable for these, over long distances or even in airplanes tanks as fuel. Following this, hydrogen liquefaction, storage and transport using cryogenics gaining increased attention in the industry worldwide. More players are getting active in the market and proposing new concepts and products. Exemplary as well we will show these developments and their consequences for an SME industrial firm, so far mainly active in the LNG field. This motivates innovations in cryogenics technology which are also expected to have positive effects for cryogenic with helium or nitrogen for cooling of superconducting devices and even for potential hybrid applications for power and liquid hydrogen transfer in one.

Consequently, valve industry faces techno-economic complex challenges to answer the demands of these expanding sectors that will play an essential role in the upcoming decades.

This paper describes identified techno and economic challenges for a modern cryogenic angle valve. Focus is on applications in liquified hydrogen but also considerations regarding the special requests for helium are highlighted. Some key design topics are

- Thermal efficiency.

- Flexibility to absorb thermal contractions in the piping connection.

- Interior and exterior tightness

- Valve flow capacity.

- Precise flow control

- Flexible actuating system with low energy consumption

- Suitable for industrial serial manufacturing processes

At the core of this innovation is AMPO’s electric actuation system, based on stepper motor technology with an integrated electronic fail-safe mechanism. This solution offers:

· Precise, repeatable positioning for accurate flow regulation.

· Low energy consumption, contributing to overall system efficiency.

· Plug-and-play integration, eliminating the need for complex pneumatic infrastructure.

· Enhanced safety, with electronic fail-safe functionality ensuring secure operation in case of power loss or system failure.

According to the EnEffAH study, traditional pneumatic systems operate at only 6–15% efficiency, with significant energy losses in compression and distribution. AMPO’s electric solution not only overcomes these inefficiencies but also reduces CAPEX and OPEX, while improving system compactness and maintainability.

This poster presents AMPO’s comprehensive approach to cryogenic valve design for liquid helium applications, addressing the full range of thermal, mechanical, and operational challenges. The result is a high-performance, electrically actuated valve that supports the future of sustainable, high-efficiency cryogenic systems.

Keywords: Valves, Liquid Helium, Liquid Hydrogen, Low Heat Load, Fine Flow Control, Innovative Flex Inset, fail safe electric actuation

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