Hydrogen is being promoted as a potential "bridge fuel" to a more sustainable future because it can be produced from a wide variety of resources and has the potential to be a zero-emission fuel. When hydrogen is burned, it produces only water and heat, making it a clean and efficient energy source. It can be used in fuel cells to power vehicles, as well as in stationary power generators for homes and businesses.
However, one of the challenges with hydrogen as a fuel is that it must be produced and transported, which can be energy-intensive. Hydrogen is difficult to store due to its low volumetric energy density. It is the lightest, and simplest of all elements, being lighter than helium, and so is easily lost into the atmosphere. Leaking valve stems present a real problem for hydrogen storage, and product loss through valves represents one of the largest sources of hydrogen loss.
MagDrive Technologies is helping producers limit product loss with a solution to this problem. MagDrive fitted valves eliminate the possibility of hydrogen escaping from valve stems into the atmosphere. By enclosing the valve stem in a solid wall chamber, hydrogen and other process fluids have no possibility of escaping. MagDrive fitted valves are not "low emission," we are "no emission."
Originally developed with NASA, MagDrive solved the problem of leaking hydrogen during its work on a lunar lander project. Since then, MagDrive has continued to refine its patented valve drive technology by releasing models that can be fitted to quarter turn and rising stem valves. MagDrive fitted valves are actuated through the use of magnetic arrays, and can be built for a variety of applications including oil and gas, cryogenics, space, and nuclear for valves sizes ranging from 1/4" to 6 feet.
Advances in production technologies and the use of renewable energy sources to produce hydrogen are helping to make it a more viable option for a low-carbon future. MagDrive will be there to support producers and users with no-e (no emission) valves to help store, transport, and deploy hydrogen while eliminating product loss through fugitive emissions in valves.
Some experts believe that hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in the transition to a more sustainable energy system, particularly in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize, such as heavy-duty transportation and industry. By using hydrogen as a bridge fuel, it may be possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while we work towards the development of even more advanced technologies.
