A New Superfluid Leak Tight Low Temperature Valve Using a Magnetostrictive Actuator

Low temperature valves play an important role in many research and development applications. Conventional low temperature valves primarily use actuation mechanisms depending on either gas or mechanical pressure. These actuation mechanisms usually require inconvenient operating procedures such as a gas handling system or manual operation. We developed a superfluid leak tight low temperature valve that can be activated by a magnetostrictive material. All that is required to activate this magnetostrictive valve is a magnetic field produced by a simple power supply and coil. This new valve consists of separate valve and actuator units. The valve unit is designed to be normally closed using a spring. The stem of the valve is made of a hard 440c stainless steel ball while the seat uses a softer 304 stainless steel.