Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TOGB20240625008
- Term of Validity
- 25 June 2024 - 25 June 2025
- Company's Country
- United Kingdom
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
- This UK SME has pioneered a stem-less valve technology that utilises magnets to eliminate friction and potential leakage, making it particularly suited for use with hydrogen. The company seeks partners for a research cooperation agreement , aimed at conducting trials and advance towards full commercialisation by 2025.
- Full Description
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The establishment of hydrogen infrastructure poses significant challenges due to the unique characteristics of hydrogen in gas form. Hydrogen, having a high level of permeation and being highly explosive, exhibits three times more leakage than natural gas and emits twelve times more greenhouse gases than CO2.
The UK company have developed and patented a stem-less valve technology that utilises magnets to eliminate friction and potential leakage. The zero fugitive emission valve technology has a fully bored design, which enables it to maintain pressure which is a key USP (Unique Selling Point) compared to other valves on the market.
Founded in 2018 by a seasoned team of scientists and entrepreneurs, this UK-based company has received substantial support, a total of £3 million in government-backed grants as well as significant private investment. Leveraging this funding, the company is diligently refining its patented technology through strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in the hydrogen, aerospace, chemical, and transport sectors.
This novel valve technology assures zero fugitive emissions, making it ideal for use with hydrogen in electrolysis applications. Additionally, its compact design facilitates easier installation in confined spaces, while requiring minimal maintenance. This UK-based SME is currently seeking partners for trial collaborations, with the technology currently at TRL 6 and moving to TRL 7 in 2024.
The company is actively seeking trial partners within the realm of green hydrogen production, with the intent of forging long-term commercial collaborations. Prospective partners may include aggregators, technology providers, hydrogen project owners, and other relevant entities interested in advancing sustainable hydrogen solutions.
The company is seeking research cooperative agreement with partners which are hydrogen producers and handlers, particularly those supplying hydrogen via electrolysers or steam methane reformation. Research and collaboration activities are expected to include the following: knowledge exchange; use case development; technical implementation and monitoring; technical certification. - Advantages and Innovations
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Natural gas leakage from valve stems is currently equivalent to 100 million tonnes of CO2 every year. If this same valve technology is applied to the growing hydrogen supply chain, the rate of leakage will be significantly higher owing to greater ease of hydrogen escape. Hydrogen leakage represents a serious issue, with its low ignition energy and a global warming potential 12 times that of CO2.
This is the first bespoke hydrogen valve designed to be leak-free for life, providing a low maintenance, safe and energy efficient solution. The valve includes the following advantages and benefits.
- Full bore design: This valve features no obstruction, enabling the maintenance of pressure unlike many valves currently available on the market.
- Leak-free hydrogen valve: With zero fugitive emissions, this valve minimises environmental impact during hydrogen production.
- Safety focus: Addressing the accumulation of hydrogen in confined spaces to mitigate the risk of explosions.
- Compact solution: Designed for installation in narrow environments, offering versatility in deployment.
- Stem-less design: Utilising magnets to reduce friction and wear, resulting in lower maintenance requirements for the solution. - Stage of Development
- Available for demonstration
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 13: Climate Action
- IPR description
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The company is seeking to work with partners which are hydrogen producers and handlers, particularly those supplying hydrogen via electrolysers or steam methane reformation. Partners should have the following expertise and knowledge.
- Knowledge exchange: ability and capacity to share industry specific knowledge and expertise related to the threats of hydrogen leakage, such as explosion risk in containerised environments, and guidance regarding the technical specifications required for their future valves.
- Use case development: working in collaboration to understand and define a broad range of technical use cases in order to inform the final material selection, manufacturing techniques and testing requirements (e.g. operating temperatures and pressures, required lifetime etc).
- Technical implementation and monitoring: operating existing valve sizes of 3/8 inches to 4 inches with the capability to replace these valves and conduct operational monitoring.
- Technical certification: knowledge of in-country and international certification required in hydrogen flow control.
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
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The UK company is looking to engage with partners across the hydrogen supply chain, and in particular those supplying hydrogen via electrolysers or steam methane reformation, who can benefit from this valve technology. The partner can be the hydrogen infrastructure owner themselves or an in-market supplier to the infrastructure owner.
The company anticipate R&D collaborations to lead into orders of their technology. These collaborations would raise their business profile on the international stage, attract further investment in the company, and accelerate the deployment of their valve technology at scale.
Preferably, the sought partners are expected to have:
- Capacity to integrate, to use, and monitor the benefits of the technology
- Access to a range of hydrogen production assets
- Technical knowledge relating to installation requirements
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Flexibility in terms of delivery - Type and Size of Partner
- R&D Institution
- Other
- University
- SME <=10
- SME 11-49
- Big company
- SME 50 - 249
- Type of partnership
- Research and development cooperation agreement
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 03003 - Apparatus Engineering
- 04002012 - Other energy related machinery
- 04002002 - Hydrogen production
- Market keywords
- 06007001 - Other energy production
- 08005 - Other Industrial Products (not elsewhere classified)
- 06003008 - Other alternative energy
- Sector Groups Involved
- Energy-Intensive Industries
- Targeted countries
- All countries