Lentus® Valve for Hydrogen high pressure applications

Compressing light gases, such as hydrogen and nitrogen, creates a unique set of challenges for compressor components. Light gases are difficult to seal and their compression requires incredibly high pressures, up to 1,000 bar. Some applications, such as hydrogen mobility, call for non-lubricated compression to maintain a high gas purity. Valves for these services require high strength, good seal properties, flow efficiency, and materials that are fully compatible with this gas environment.

Building upon over 100 years of innovation, Cook Compression designed the Lentus valve to enable gas compression under these challenging circumstances.

Lentus Valve Design

At high pressures or high-pressure ratios, a shaped seal element offers many advantages. Shaped elements can reduce tensile stress in materials, which is critical to improving material fatigue lifespan in light gas environments. It can also reduce distortions that cause leak paths due to extreme pressure loads, maximize flow efficiency, and minimize clearance volume. The Lentus valve uses metallic and polymer seal elements featuring optimized geometries to deliver an effective seal, increased flow, and reduced tensile stress levels.

Advanced Materials for Advanced Requirements

Materials transform in high-pressure, high-purity environments, and this affects material selection. The material must have high strength, good impact and wear resistance, and function in a non-lubricated environment. Surface finishing techniques and specific heat treatment processes are vital to improving valve life. Cook Compression uses advanced metallics and polymers to provide superior durability and optimum performance characteristics in light gas applications, including hydrogen mobility.