Pressure Vessel For Storing Fluid

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates pressure vessels and more particularly, to a lightweight pressure vessel for the storage of fluids at high pressure.

BACKGROUND

Hydrogen is preferred over conventional sources of energy because of its clean emissions and high efficiency. It produces three folds higher energy than the combustion engine along with water when fed to a fuel cell. Therefore, there is merit in increasing the usage of hydrogen gas as fuel. The gas is stored in a pressure range of 350-700 bar for onboard storage in the automobile sector. Globally, metal or composite cylinders are considered to be the most primitive solutions to store pressurized hydrogen gas. Metal cylinders are easy to manufacture, but are heavy and put a drag on the vehicle, reducing its fuel efficiency. A typical Type 1 metal cylinder weighs around three times more than a Type 3 cylinder. The lightweight Type 3 cylinder described in prior arts has challenges in commercial manufacturing and cost. Cylinders of Type 3 (Referred as Type-3 in the standard, ISO 15869) i.e., a metallic liner wrapped with a resin impregnated continuous filament.

US Patent no. US20150219277A1 discloses a process of manufacturing cylindrical vessels overwrapped with resin-impregnated fiber strands, wherein the process comprises manufacturing a metal liner and overwrapping with the fibers. Furthermore, the prior art discloses rotating the fiber overwrapped liner to prevent uneven deposition of the resin.

However, the prior art does not disclose other aspects as outlined in the key features of the proposed invention.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a pressure vessel for storing fluid is disclosed. The pressure vessel includes a metallic liner comprising a cylindrical portion and a pair of ellipsoidal domes positioned at opposite ends of the cylindrical portion. Further, the pressure vessel includes a composite material wrapped over the cylindrical portion and the pair of ellipsoidal domes. The composite material is formed of a polymeric matrix reinforced with fibers, the composite material comprises of a combination of hoop layers and helical layers which are positioned in a predetermined order with respect to each other. A hoop layer is wrapped over a cylindrical portion of the metallic liner of the pressure vessel and a helical layer is wrapped over both the cylindrical portion and the pair of ellipsoidal domes. The helical layer is wrapped on each of the pair of ellipsoidal domes in a manner that a helical angle is defined at an intersection between the cylindrical portion and the pair of ellipsoidal domes.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a pressure vessel for storing fluid is disclosed. The method comprises applying a composite material over a metallic liner of the pressure vessel. A hoop layer of the composite material is wrapped with continuous filament winding operation over a cylindrical portion of the metallic liner of the pressure vessel and a helical layer of the composite material is wrapped over both the cylindrical portion and a pair of ellipsoidal domes of the metallic liner of the pressure vessel. The helical layer is wrapped on each of the pair of ellipsoidal domes in a manner that a helical angle is defined at an intersection between the cylindrical portion and the pair of ellipsoidal domes. Further, the method includes curing the composite overwrap in sequential stages: (i) 24 to 35 hours at a room temperature and (ii) 4 to 15 hours at a temperature in a range of 60° to 100° C. At both curing stages, the pressure vessel is rotated at a speed in range of 1-2 rpm.

To further clarify advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate different planar views of a pressure vessel for storing fluid, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1c illustrates a portion of the pressure vessel as depicted in FIG. 1a, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate schematic views of the pressure vessel, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3a illustrates exemplary winding sequence for the pressure vessel, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3b illustrates an exemplary thickness of the composite material in one of the ellipsoidal domes, at different helical angles, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary failure characteristics of the pressure vessel, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for manufacturing the pressure vessel for storing fluid, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a probable fiber path of winding for a 4-axis filament winding machine implemented in the manufacturing of the pressure vessel, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary graph depicting pressure applied on the pressure vessel in a hydrostatic pressure burst test, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary failure characteristic of the pressure vessel, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have been necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

The term “some” as used herein is defined as “none, or one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” The term “some embodiments” may refer to no embodiments or to one embodiment or to several embodiments or to all embodiments. Accordingly, the term “some embodiments” is defined as meaning “no embodiment, or one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”

The terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and does not limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the claims or their equivalents.

More specifically, any terms used herein such as but not limited to “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and grammatical variants thereof do NOT specify an exact limitation or restriction and certainly do NOT exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated, and furthermore must NOT be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated with the limiting language “MUST comprise” or “NEEDS TO include.”

Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, either way it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do NOT preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language such as “there NEEDS to be one or more . . . ” or “one or more element is REQUIRED.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having an ordinary skill in the art.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements presented in the attached claims. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of illuminating one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the attached claims fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms such as but not limited to “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or variants thereof do NOT necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or alternatively in the context of more than one embodiment, or further alternatively in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should NOT be necessarily taken as limiting factors to the attached claims. The attached claims and their legal equivalents can be realized in the context of embodiments other than the ones used as illustrative examples in the description below.

One of the embodiments of the present disclosure discloses a lightweight pressure vessel for storage of fluid comprising a composite made of fiber-reinforced polymeric matrix wrapped over an aluminum alloy-based metal liner. The said composite has a combination of hoop layer and helical layer that are provided in a predetermined order; wherein, hoop layer is wrapped over only a cylindrical part of the liner of the pressure vessel and helical layer over both the cylindrical part and a dome part of the liner of the pressure vessel. Liner geometry has been reformed in such a way as to avoid fiber slippage while winding at higher angle. The fiber bundling effects of higher winding angles increase the composite layer thickness in regions having less liner thickness i.e., the intersection between the dome and cylindrical part. This improves the strength of the cylinder, while less amount of additional composite is comparatively wound on the cylinder. It further terminates the growth of cracks from the cylindrical part to the dome part as observed in failure analysis. Thereby, preventing the failure of the pressure release device prior to burst. This prevents the explosion of the vessel at the time of leakage or accidents by controlling cracks within the cylindrical part itself. Wherein the safety of the vessel is improved considerably.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate different planar views of a pressure vessel 100 for storing fluid, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1c illustrates a portion of the pressure vessel as depicted in FIG. 1a, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the pressure vessel 100 may be employed for storing the fluid including, but not limited to, liquid and gas, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The gas may be embodied as one of compressed natural gas, hydrogen gas, LPG, and mixture thereof. In an embodiment, the pressure vessel 100 may withstand an internal pressure of the fluid up to 800 bar, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The pressure vessel 100 mainly comprises a metallic liner and a filament wound composite wrap over the entire metallic liner. Constructional and manufacturing details of the pressure vessel 100 are explained in subsequent sections of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, in the illustrated embodiment, the pressure vessel 100 may include, but is not limited to, a metallic liner 102 and a composite material 104 wrapped over the metallic liner 102. The metallic liner 102 may include a cylindrical portion 106 and a pair of ellipsoidal domes 108 positioned at opposite ends of the cylindrical portion 106. The pair of ellipsoidal domes 108 may be individually be referred to as a first ellipsoidal dome 108-1 and a second ellipsoidal dome 108-2. Further, the pair of ellipsoidal domes 108 may interchangeably be referred to as the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The metallic liner 102 may be positioned at an inner surface of the pressure vessel 100. In an embodiment, the metallic line 102 may be manufactured using a process of spin forming. The metallic liner 102 may be T6 treated and O-conditioned. Further, the metallic liner 102 may be enclosed by the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 connected to the cylindrical portion 106 in between. The metallic liner 102 may have a uniform thickness across the cylindrical portion 106 and a varied thickness across each of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the metallic liner 102 may be less at the intersection between the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 and the cylindrical portion 106. The thickness of the metallic liner 102 in the vicinity of the pair of openings 202-1, 202-2 of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 may be four times the thickness of the metallic liner 102 in the cylindrical portion 106. In an embodiment, the metallic liner 102 may be made up of Aluminum alloy-based material, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure vessel 100 may include a pair of openings 202 at the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2. The pair of openings 202 may individually be referred to as a first opening 202-1 and a second opening 202-2. The first opening 202-1 may be formed at an end of the first ellipsoidal dome 108-1. Similarly, the second opening 202-2 may be formed at an end of the second ellipsoidal dome 108-2. Further, in an embodiment, the pair of openings 202 may interchangeably be referred to as the openings 202-1, 202-2, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. A center line of the openings 202-1, 202-2 coincides with a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical portion 106.

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate exemplary dimensional characteristics of the pressure vessel 100. It should be understood that the dimensions depicted are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting. Referring to FIGS. 2a and 2b, in an example, the thickness ‘a’ and a height ‘he’ of the cylindrical portion 106 of the metallic liner 102 is 4.8 mm and 1050 mm. Further, the diameter ‘d’ of the cylindrical portion 106 is in a range of 325 mm to 375 mm. The shortest distance ‘R₁’ defined between a center of each of the ellipsoidal dome 108-1 is 140 mm. The longest distance ‘R₂’ coincides with a radius of the cylindrical portion. A diameter ‘d_c’, along with the thickness of the cylindrical portion, of each of the pair of openings is 50 mm. The total length of the pressure vessel between the pair of openings of the ellipsoidal domes is 1390 mm.

In an embodiment, the cylindrical portion 106 of the pressure vessel 100 may be connected to at least one control valve and at least one pressure release device through the openings 202-1, 202-2. In particular, the at least one control valve and the at least one pressure release device may be positioned at the openings 202-1, 202-2 of the pressure vessel 100, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The composite material 104 may be wrapped over the cylindrical portion 106 and the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2. The composite material 104 may interchangeably be referred to as the composite overwrap 104. In an embodiment, the composite material 104 may be formed of a polymeric matrix reinforced with fibers, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The reinforcing fiber may be embodied as glass, aramid, carbon, and a combination thereof. Preferably, carbon fiber is suitably coated with a coating to make it compatible with the epoxy resin. Further, the polymeric matrix may be embodied as one of thermoplastic resin and thermosetting resin. In an embodiment, the thermoplastic resin may be embodied as one of polyethylene and polyamide. The thermosetting resin may be embodied as one of epoxy, modified epoxy, polyester, and polyvinyl ester.

The composite material 104 may include a combination of hoop layers and helical layers which are positioned in a predetermined order with respect to each other. In an embodiment, a hoop layer may be wrapped over the cylindrical portion 106 of the metallic liner 102 of the pressure vessel 100. In an embodiment, a number of hoop layers may be in a range of 10 to 30, more preferably 15 to 26. A thickness of the hoop layer may be in a range of 0.11 mm to 0.66 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.22 mm to 0.44 mm.

Further, a helical layer may be wrapped over both the cylindrical portion 106 and the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2. The helical layer may be wrapped on each of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 in a manner that a helical angle is defined at an intersection between the cylindrical portion 106 and the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2. In an embodiment, the helical angle may be in a range of 10° to 45°, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The helical angle may be higher at the intersection between the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 and the cylindrical portion 106. In particular, the helical angle may be higher at the intersection between the first ellipsoidal dome 108-1 and the cylindrical portion 106. Similarly, the helical angle may be higher at the intersection between the second ellipsoidal dome 108-2 and the cylindrical portion 106.

In an embodiment, a number of helical layers may be in a range of 25 to 45, more preferably 29 to 40. A thickness of the helical layer may be in a range of 0.44 mm to 5 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.47 mm to 2.5 mm. The thickness of the helical layer may be uniform in the cylindrical portion 106. The thickness of the helical layer in the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 may be derived by using the below-mentioned equation:

$H_{dome} = H_{cylinder} (\sqrt{\frac{R_{cylinder}^{2} - {(R_{opening} + B_{ϕ})}^{2}}{R_{l ocatio n^{2}} - {(R_{opening} + B_{ϕ})}^{2}}})$

Where,

H_domeis the layer thickness at a position,

H_cylinderis layer thickness at the cylindrical region,

R_cylinderis equator radius,

R_openingis pole radius,

B_ϕ is the fiber bandwidth for winding that angle, and

R_locationis the radius at that location.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the helical layer may be higher in the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 compared to the thickness of the helical layer in the cylindrical portion 106. The thickness of the helical layer may be highest in the vicinity of the trajectory of each of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2, up to which it covers the pressure vessel 100. In an embodiment, a length to diameter ratio of the cylindrical portion 106 may be in a range of 2.5 to 3. Further, each of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 may have a radius to height ratio in a range of 1.25 to 1.30.

Referring to FIG. 1b, a thickness ‘b’ of the windings is 20.25 mm throughout the cylindrical portion of the pressure vessel, except at the ends of the ellipsoidal domes where the thickness is 25 mm. An intermediate thickness of the ellipsoidal dome is determined using the derived equation which is in the range of 22-27 mm. Further, the diameter of the cylindrical portion of the metal liner ‘di’ is fixed at 350 mm. Metal adapters of the pressure vessel may have a diameter ‘d_c’ (with thickness) is 51 mm. As shown in FIG. 1c, the thickness of the metal adapter ‘c’ is 10.2 mm. The total length of the complete geometry from the mouth of the metal adapter to the end of dome is Tc 1390 mm.

Design and Stress Analysis

Subsequent sections of the present disclosure explain exemplary design parameters, service conditions, stress analysis, and other exemplary design considerations implemented for designing the pressure vessel 100 are explained in subsequent sections of the present disclosure.

Table 1 illustrates various service conditions adopted for the development of the pressure vessel along with the requirement specified by the standard, ISO 15869, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that Table 1 is included to provide a better understanding of the present disclosure and therefore, should not be construed as limiting.

TABLE 1

Service conditions
Requirements adopted for the development

Service life
The minimum service life is targeted as 15

years (Confirmed by the pressure cycling test)

Working pressure
350 bar

Max. filling pressure
455 bar

Gas composition
Compatible with the requirement and

as per the standard

External surfaces
Compatible with the requirement and

as per the standard

Settled temperature range
−40° C. to +65° C.

of gas in cylinder

Settled temperature range
−40° C. to +82° C.

of materials of cylinder

Table 2 illustrates various design parameters adopted for development of the pressure vessel 100 along with the requirement specified by the standard, ISO 15869, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that Table 2 is included to provide a better understanding of the present disclosure and therefore, should not be construed as limiting.

TABLE 2

Design Basis

parameters
Adopted for the development

Minimum test pressure
525 bar

Minimum burst
700 bar since carbon fiber is used

pressure

Stress analysis
ANSYS 19.0 Static structural and ACP Pre-

Post module, SHELL 181 and SURF 154 is used.

Stress analysis of
Carried out at 350 bar to simulate burst

composite cylinders
pressure, further failure analysis is carried

out at the obtained burst pressure

Openings
Two openings are provided at the ends of the

domes of the cylinder through the connection

of end boss

Design of the Pressure Vessel

The design calculation methodology to determine the hoop layer and the helical layer thickness is an extension of Netting analysis methodized after incorporating the thickness variation in the geometry of the metallic liner 102 along with the composite thickness calculations at the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2.

The desired number of helical and hoop layers in the cylindrical portion 106 can be determined by dividing the total helical and the hoop thickness with the thickness of individual helical and hoop layer, respectively. The thickness of helical and hoop layer depends on the thickness of the resin impregnated fiber rovings. The thickness of the resin impregnated carbon fiber roving used for the development of the pressure vessel 100 depends on the manufacturing characteristics, discussed in later sections of the present disclosure. The thickness of the resin impregnated carbon fiber roving may be in a range of 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm, more preferably in the range of 0.22 to 1.5 mm. The desired number of helical layers in the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 is calculated after considering the load-bearing characteristics of the metallic liner 102. In an example, at least twenty hoop layers and twenty-one hoop layers are suitable as per the netting analysis. More helical and hoop layers are added to meet the criteria as per standard, ISO 15869. Therefore, different winding angles are tried during the designing of the pressure vessel 100 to determine the angle and coverage of the winding where no slippage will occur.

FIG. 3a illustrates an exemplary winding sequence for the pressure vessel, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. From the trials 10° 15°, 25°, 35°, and 45° angles are obtained as the non-slipping angles of winding. Helical and hoop layers are arranged in such a way that the weight of the cylinder is minimum while maintaining the desired properties. More emphasis is given on adding 45° angles in the winding pattern for enhanced coverage of the intersection between the cylindrical portion 106 and the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2. The number and thickness of the helical and hoop layers can be varied depending upon the requirement and desired properties. Various other permutation and combinations having these layers also fall within the purview of the present disclosure. An example is summarized herein below for illustration. Based on the above discussion the winding sequence for example is depicted in FIG. 3a.

Table 3 illustrates exemplary parameters, such as the angle of winding, hoop thickness, and helical thickness, calculated for different locations in the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 and in the cylindrical portion 106, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that Table 3 is included to provide a better understanding of the present disclosure and therefore, should not be construed as limiting.

TABLE 3

Dome

Liner

Layer
Total angle
Composite

Dome
height
Radius
thickness
Winding
Number
thickness
thickness
thickness

section
(mm)
(mm)
(mm)
angles (°)
of Layers
(mm)
(mm)
(mm)

1
0
152.5
4.8
10°
7
0.44
3.08
20.24

15°
5
0.44
2.2

25°
5
0.44
2.2

35°
3
0.44
1.32

45°
12
0.44
5.28

90°
14
0.44
6.16

2
24
149
8.83
10°
7
0.45
3.15
15.11

15°
5
0.45
2.25

25°
5
0.46
2.3

35°
3
0.47
1.41

45°
12
0.5
6

3
54
136
16.6
10°
7
0.5
3.5
20.1

15°
5
0.51
2.55

25°
5
0.53
2.65

35°
3
0.68
2.04

45°
12
0.78
9.36

4
71
123
23.5
10°
7
0.55
3.85
12.3

15°
5
0.58
2.9

25°
5
0.66
3.3

35°
3
0.75
2.25

5
96
92
21.2
10°
7
0.75
5.25
15.3

15°
5
0.98
4.9

25°
5
1.03
5.15

6
108
66
18.4
10°
7
1.37
9.59
15.29

15°
5
1.14
5.7

7
118
26
10.58
10°
7
2.12
14.84
14.84

wherein X(R) represents the radius of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 of the metallic liner 102 along an X-axis and a Y-axis represents a length of each of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 along the longitudinal direction or Y-axis.

FIG. 3b illustrates exemplary thickness of the composite material in one of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2, at different helical angles, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As an example, five helical angles such as 10° 15°, 25°, 35°, and 45° angles are considered. Therefore, for each helical angle of winding at the cylindrical portion 106, a different helical winding angle at the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 is obtained. A contour of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 is gradually tapered from the cylindrical portion 106 towards the openings 202-1, 202-2. In FIG. 3b, R_gis an inner equator radius of the dome section 108-1, 108-2. Further, R_fis an outer equatorial radius of the dome 108-1, 108-2. Furthermore, to is a liner thickness in the cylindrical section 106. The coordinates (x_i, y_i) and (x_iⁱ, y_i) are the outer and inner dome coordinates of dome 108-1, 108-2. The outer dome coordinates of the dome 108-1, 108-2 are given in Table 3, and the inner dome coordinates of 108-1, 108-2 are calculated from the inner liner curve traced using ultrasound as illustrated in FIG. 2a. Oi is the factor for converting the coordinates of liner from XY coordinate system to radial coordinate system for a given dome height.

Therefore, the angle of winding and the helical thickness in the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 may vary along an axial direction at different sections of the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2. The helical thickness of a single layer is considered as 0.44 mm, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. A thickness of the hoop layer is calculated by considering a single fiber layer as 0.22 mm.

Stress Analysis

As per the standard ISO 15869, the stress analysis is to be carried out at the design burst pressure, wherein the details of the developed FEA model are:

The metallic liner 102 and the composite material 104 act as body-1 and body-2, respectively. SHELL181 is used for these CAD bodies (body-1 and body-2), which were meshed with an element size of 5 mm. Three other types of elements were created at the FE level. SURF154 is used to define the internal pressure load acting on the inner surface of the liner, i.e., the body-1. It creates an extra layer of elements for applying surface loads like pressure. Contact between the outer surface of the liner and the inner surface of the composite overwrap 104 is defined through contact pairs between the two bodies (body-1 and -2). CONTACT174 element on body-1 and TARGET170 element on body-2 create a layer of surface elements to detect the contact between these two bodies. The modeling plies were defined in the ACP Pre module. The geometry was then transferred to the static structural module for defining the boundary conditions and calculating the burst pressure. The model was post-processed in the ACP Post module to predict vessel failure. The engineering data was experimentally determined using coupon laminate testing as per ISO 527-4. The results of the testing for a 0.56 fiber weight fraction carbon epoxy laminate are summarized in Table 4 below.

Table 4 illustrates exemplary properties of carbon/epoxy composite used for stress analysis, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that Table 4 is included to provide a better understanding of the present disclosure and therefore, should not be construed as limiting.

TABLE 4

Sch.
Property
Value

1.
Density (kg/m3)
1540

2.
Young's Modulus in X-direction (MPa)
9.3E4

3.
Young's Modulus in Y-direction (MPa)
2E3

4.
Young's Modulus in Z-direction (MPa)
2E3

5.
Longitudinal Tensile Strength (MPa)
1979

The stress analysis results of the Static Structural module were used to predict the theoretical burst pressure of the vessel. Von Mises yield criteria is used for the stress analysis. Von Mises stress is the resultant stress of the stresses in the tangential direction and in X and Y directions. Von Mises yield criteria are mostly used to predict if a specific design can withstand a certain load by comparing the Von Mises stress with the design stress of the materials.

According to this criterion, the Von Mises stress induced in the material should be less than the design strength of the material for the vessel to withstand the load. If the Von Mises stress exceeds the design stress, then the pressure vessel 100 will burst.

As an example, the hoop strength of the composite materials 104 used for the pressure vessel 100 obtained using the design calculation is found to be 1982.7 MPa. The Von Mises stress at a given pressure is determined by the results of stress analysis, from where the corresponding burst pressure resulting in 1982.7 MPa is calculated. It indicates that the pressure vessel 100 will be able to withstand the internal pressure up to a pressure less than the burst pressure after which it will fail on increasing the load. The stress analysis of the pressure vessel 100 subjected to an internal pressure of 712 bar which is above the design burst pressure is the simulated burst pressure and the Von Mises stress developed in the cylindrical portion 106 at this load is 1983 MPa which is higher than the design strength of 1982.7 MPa. Since the Von Mises stress at design burst pressure of 712 bar is higher than the design strength, the pressure vessel 100 will be able to withstand up to the design burst pressure.

Various failure theories were used to predict the failure characteristics of the composite overwrap 104. The results are illustrated in FIG. 4, where 4(A, (B), (C), (D), (E), and (F) represents the failure characteristics predicted using Tsai-Wu, Tsai-Hill, Hoffmann, Puck, Maximum strain, and Maximum stress criteria, respectively. The zones in red have the maximum chances of failure in times of burst, i.e., they can be the sites of crack initiation before burst.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method 500 for manufacturing the pressure vessel 100 for storing fluid, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity, features of the pressure vessel 100 that are already explained in detail in the description of FIG. 1a, FIG. 1b, FIG. 2a, FIG. 2b, FIG. 3a, FIG. 3b, and FIG. 4 are not explained in detail in the description of FIG. 5.

At block 502, the method 500 includes applying the composite material 104 over the metallic liner 102 of the pressure vessel 100. In an embodiment, the hoop layer of the composite material 104 may be wrapped with continuous filament winding operation over the cylindrical portion 106 of the metallic liner 102 of the pressure vessel 100. The helical layer of the composite material 104 may be wrapped over both the cylindrical portion 106 and the pair of ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 of the metallic liner 102 of the pressure vessel 100. Further, the helical layer may be wrapped on each of the pair of ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 in a manner that the helical angle is defined at an intersection between the cylindrical portion 106 and the pair of ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2.

At block 504, the method 500 includes curing the composite overwrap in sequential stages. In a first curing stage, the method includes curing the composite overwrap for 24 to 35 hours at a room temperature. Subsequently, in a second curing stage, the method includes curing the composite overwrap for 4 to 15 hours at a temperature in a range of 60° to 100° C. At both curing stages, the pressure vessel 100 may be rotated at a speed in range of 1-2 rpm, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary manufacturing process for the pressure vessel 100 is further elaborated in the subsequent sections of the present disclosure.

Manufacturing of Pressure Vessel

The spin-formed metallic liner 102 is used as a mandrel and the composite material 104 is wound over the metallic liner 102. A 4-axis filament winding machine is used to wind the composite material 104. The winding parameters are set to avoid chances of fiber slippage or breakage, interlayer delamination, large gaps between fiber spool due to improper bandwidth, and unsatisfactory composite performance due to low fiber volume fraction. The automation of the winding process further reduces the chances of incurring defects due to human interventions.

FIG. 6 illustrates a probable fiber path of winding for a 4-axis filament winding machine implemented in the manufacturing of the pressure vessel 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The present disclosure discloses a process to ease the manufacturing process of type-3 cylinders for the storage of compressed hydrogen gas. As explained earlier, the pressure vessel 100 comprises the metallic liner 102 and the carbon-epoxy composite overwrap 104. The process of developing the pressure vessel 100 depends on the various parameters as explained in the subsequent sections of the present disclosure.

The liner profile plays an important role in determining the winding parameters. A study to optimize the winding parameters illustrated the use of ellipsoid dome heads with a Length to diameter ratio of between 1.25 to 1.30 in order to facilitate the use of higher values of winding angles during winding. The intersection between the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 and the cylindrical portion 106 incurs proper coverage and thereby, enhancing the safety of the pressure vessel 100.

A seamless aluminum alloy liner, such as the metallic liner 102, is manufactured using the process of spin forming, which is then T6 heat treated and O-conditioned for improving the ductility of the metallic liner 106 and reducing the defect size. This reduces the susceptibility of hydrogen embrittlement in the material of the metallic liner 102.

The winding pattern derived using netting analysis is wound around the metallic liner 102 using filament winding technology. The carbon fiber acts as a reinforcement for the epoxy matrix system. The fiber volume fraction plays an important role in determining the strength of the composite material 104. The electronic tensioners are used as the tensioning mechanism during winding.

The path of the fiber from spools to the mandrel should be smooth and proper to avoid fiber breakage, improve the bandwidth, and ensure proper placement of fiber on the mandrel. The number of placement pulleys in the pay-out eye is calculated as a function of fiber tensioning capacity and system requirements for higher fiber volume fraction without fiber breakage during winding. The appropriate value of tension aids in squeezing out the excess resin during composite winding. Excessive tensioning leads to layer delamination. Required tension as a function of total composite layer thickness is determined for appropriate winding.

Resin bath plays an important role in wetting the fiber before winding. Irregular fiber wetting disrupts load transfer among the reinforcements as the matrix transfers the load. Excessive fiber wetting reduces the fiber volume fraction. Installment of doctor blades at required angles is necessary for the proper functioning of the resin bath. A temperature controller is added to the resin bath system to avoid the curing of resin during winding. The curing of resin in intermediate winding leads to interlayer delamination.

The excess resin squeezed out on the mandrel due to tensioned fibers of the subsequent layers is automatically collected using a movable doctor blade, which is added as an add-on to the payout eye. The angle of contact is varied as per a function that depends on the winding location. The fibers are placed across a geodesic fiber path to avoid slipping. The geodesic fiber path is determined as a function of cylinder radius, non-slipping opening radii, and the dome height.

The winding parameters mainly bandwidth, winding speed, offset of the payout eye, and fiber tension depend on the winding angle, layer number, non-slipping opening radii, required fiber bundling near the poles, and machine capabilities. The fiber path for changing from hoop layers to helical layers and vice versa during winding is determined to aid in process automation.

The thickness distribution of individual composite layers in the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 depends on the winding parameters. A correlation between the layer thickness, non-slipping opening radii, dome position, cylindrical radius, and layer thickness at the cylindrical region is derived using the results of manufacturing trials. Various parameters associated with winding of the composite material on the metallic liner are explained in the subsequent sections of the present disclosure.

Process Parameters

a. Fiber tensioning mechanism: The fiber spools are tensioned initially using a 105005 Dynaspede electronic tensioner, with a capacity of providing 5 Kg torque. The controller value is initially set to provide a torque of 1.75 Kg to the dry fibers which leave the fiber spools and enter the tensioning pulleys.

b. Tensioning mechanism: Various pulleys are placed with uniform distancing. The increase in tension caused by tensioning mechanism depends on the contact area between the fiber tow and the pulley, pulley material, and coefficient of friction between the fiber tow and the pulley material. In this case, Teflon pulleys are used; sand-blasting treatment increases the coefficient of friction of these pulleys.

c. Pay-out eye: Pay-out eye plays a crucial role in the placement of fiber spools together to form a bandwidth. A bandwidth with no gaps in between the adjacent fiber tow, or overlaps between the fiber tow is considered an efficient bandwidth. It yields better composite coverage in a single winding cycle, reducing the fiber bundling effects near the pole section, improving load transfer between the reinforcements, and reducing the winding time.

d. Resin bath: Impregnation of resin plays a vital role in determining the properties of the composite. High resin fraction in the composite reduces the strength of the composite. Therefore, a less viscous resin is used to impregnated the resin. Two doctor blades are added to squeeze out the excess resin, giving a composite with a high fiber volume fraction and better ultimate tensile strength and mechanical properties. The resin has a gel time of 50 mins, which can be increased by instilling a temperature controller in the resin bath. The resin bath is maintained at a temperature of 15° C. which increases the gel time by 2 hours. Partial curing of previously wound composite layers during winding may lead to interlayer delamination, for which installation of a temperature controller is the acceptable solution.

e. Winding Mechanism: The composite is wound across a geodesic fiber path, using a 4-axis filament winding machine. The winding speed influences the accuracy of fiber placement during winding by affecting the fiber slippage characteristics. The geodesic fiber path is determined in CADFIL software which depends on the winding angle, opening radii, coefficient of friction, offset, bandwidth, mandrel profile, and dome curvature. These winding parameters are optimized for the required winding pattern. The mandrel chap changes with the progress of the winding for which the parameters are changed accordingly. The probable values of winding parameters with the least chances of incurring manufacturing defects are given in Table 6.

Table 6 illustrates exemplary winding parameters for winding the composite material on the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 and the cylindrical portion 106, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that Table 6 is included to provide a better understanding of the present disclosure and therefore, should not be construed as limiting.

TABLE 6

Value in the
Value in the

Parameter
cylindrical region
dome section

Tension
2.5-3.8
kgf
2.5-3.8
kgf

Bandwidth
21
mm
Varies along with

the dome height

Cylinder Offset
20-50
mm
20-50
mm

Axial Offset
200-250
mm
200-250
mm

Winding speed
18000-20000
mm/min
2400-2500
mm/min

Friction coefficient
0.02-0.08
0.02-0.08

Profile type
Cylinder
Torispherical

Dimensions
R1 = 175 mm;
R2 = 260 mm;

L = 1050 mm
R3 = 105 mm

Consolidating the Composite Overwrap

a. Reducing the resin fraction: A doctor blade is added to the pay-out eye for automation of the process of wiping the excess resin. The angle of contact varies between 30-60°. This improves the fiber volume fraction of the cylinder by wiping the excess resin squeezed after the consolidation of composite layers.

b. Curing: The manufactured prototype is rotated axially till the curing is completed, to avoid uneven deposition of resin in the composite overwrap. The resin shrinks during curing, proper rotation of the vessel ensure uniform shrinkage as the matrix is uniformly distributed across the composite to transfer the load properly.

Accordingly, the pressure vessel 100 is manufactured for testing. The total weight measured for the pressure vessel 100 is found in the range of 30 to 35 kg. The pressure vessel 100 leads to the reduction of weight of about 30 to 54% as compared with conventional cylinders as available in the existing art.

Testing

The testing was carried out as per the International Standard, ISO 15869.

Description of exemplary tests performed and results are explained below:

1. Hydrostatic Pressure Burst Test

Hydrostatic pressure burst test is carried out using the pressure vessel 100, as per the standard ISO 15869. The pressure vessel 100 is pressurized hydrostatically increased at the rate of 0.48 MPa/s up to 50 MPa after which the pressurizing rate is reduced to 0.37 MPa/s. A hold was provided in the control unit for 10 secs at 70 MPa i.e., minimum burst pressure, the pressure vessel 100 burst at a pressure of 812 bar as depicted in FIG. 7, which is above the recommended pressure as per the standard (i.e., 700 bar).

2. Failure Analysis

The results of finite element analysis were compared with the experimentally obtained results to validate the design model. The theoretical burst pressure of the pressure vessel was predicted to be 71 MPa, while the actual value was determined to be 81 MPa. Therefore, the design has a safety factor of 10 MPa, for which it could be used to design pressure vessels by predicting the burst pressure. The theoretical failure characteristics of the pressure vessel as per different failure criteria as given in FIG. 4, were compared with the obtained failure characteristics as given in FIGS. 8(A) and (B). Tsai-Wu failure criterion was found to be a reliable criterion for predicting the failure. The comparison between the theoretical and actual failure is given in FIG. 8(C).

The above-explained pressure vessel 100 and the method of manufacturing the pressure vessel 100 lead to the following advantages:

The present disclosure provides a lightweight pressure vessel 100 for the storage of fluid. The present disclosure also discloses a method of manufacturing the lightweight pressure vessel 100 with a practical approach to yield better performance results in terms of weight, cost, and safety of the vessel.

The pressure vessel 100 is 30 to 50% lighter than the conventional pressure vessels. The pressure vessel 100 withstands the internal pressure up to 710 bar. The pressure vessel 100 is used for the storage of fluid under high pressure. The pressure vessel 100 is mainly for mid-size vehicles and due to its lightweight, it will lead to better fuel efficiency and less load on the vehicle.

In the present disclosure, the inclusion of higher winding angles in the winding pattern is possible after reforming the geometry of the metallic liner 102 to avoid fiber slippage while winding these higher winding angles. The fiber bundling effects of higher winding angles increase the composite layer thickness in regions having less liner thickness i.e., the intersection between the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 and cylindrical portion 106. This improves the strength of the pressure vessel 100, while less amount of additional composite is comparatively wound on the metallic liner 102 of the pressure vessel 100. It further terminates the growth of cracks from cylindrical portion 106 to the ellipsoidal domes 108-1, 108-2 part as observed in failure analysis results and thereby, preventing the failure of pressure release device before burst. This prevents the explosion of the pressure vessel 100 at the time of leakage or accidents by controlling cracks within the cylindrical portion 106 itself. Wherein the safety of the pressure vessel 100 is improved considerably without influencing the cost of the pressure vessel 100.

The pressure vessel 100 is manufactured by the method which is commercially feasible and is more economic while satisfying all the safety standards provided in ISO 15869. The pressure vessel 100 is wound methodically to avoid gaps between consecutive layers of the composite material 104 and is capable to sustain the internal pressure of fluid up to 800 bar. The present disclosure also discloses the method for manufacturing the pressure vessel 100 for storing the fluid.

As explained earlier, the method includes applying a composite hoop layer with continuous filament winding operation over a cylindrical part of the liner of the pressure vessel alternatively with a helical layer over both the cylindrical part and a dome part of the liner of the pressure vessel, in parts covering dome section with a maximum value of possible winding angle and minimum fiber bundling effects. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a lightweight composite pressure vessel for the storage of compressed hydrogen gas and the method of manufacturing of the pressure vessel 100 to yield better weight performance. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a lightweight composite Type 3 pressure vessel/cylinder, such as the pressure vessel 100, for storing compressed hydrogen gas and the method of design and manufacturing of the pressure vessel 100.

While specific language has been used to describe the present subject matter, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.

Pressure Vessel For Storing Fluid

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