Natural gas intestine packed storage tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10088101-B2
Application number	US-201414172831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2014
Priority date	Feb 5, 2013
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A high-pressure pressure vessel for storing natural gas comprises a plurality of first vessel regions of first diameters, a plurality of couplers, and a fiber layer. A three dimensional volume is filled using at least in part the plurality of first vessel regions. Each coupler of the plurality of couplers couples each pair of first vessel regions of the plurality of first vessel regions. Each coupler of the plurality of couplers comprises a second vessel region of a second diameter and two third vessel regions that transition diameters between the first diameter and the second diameter. The three dimensional volume is filled using at least in part the plurality of couplers. The first vessel regions and the couplers comprise a material with low permeability to natural gas. The fiber layer surrounds the plurality of first vessel regions and the plurality of couplers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high-pressure pressure vessel for storing natural gas, comprising:
a plurality of elongated cylindrical first vessel regions of first diameters, each first vessel region defined by an elongated cylindrical wall,
wherein a three dimensional volume is filled using at least in part the plurality of first vessel regions,
wherein the plurality of first vessel regions are disposed in a plurality of layers with each layer comprising two or more vessel regions having a different length, and
wherein each of the plurality of first vessel regions are disposed in parallel to each other along different respective axes and each extending between a first and second terminal end along the different respective axes;

a plurality of couplers disposed at one of the first and second terminal ends,
wherein each coupler of the plurality of couplers couples each pair of first vessel regions of the plurality of first vessel regions without couplers being disposed between the first and second terminal ends;
wherein each coupler of the plurality of couplers comprises a second vessel region of a second diameter and two third vessel regions that transition diameters between the first diameter and the second diameter;
wherein the three dimensional volume is filled using at least in part the plurality of couplers;
wherein the first vessel regions and the couplers comprise a material with low permeability to natural gas; and

a fiber layer, wherein the fiber layer surrounds the plurality of first vessel regions and the plurality of couplers.

2. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein one of the two vessel regions has a taper between the first diameter and the second diameter based at least in part on a mean curvature of the taper.

3. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter.

4. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein a third vessel region is coupled to an end of the second vessel region.

5. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the material with low permeability to natural gas comprises ethylene vinyl alcohol.

6. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the second vessel region is bent.

7. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein filling the three dimensional volume comprises a cross sectional dense packing.

8. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 7 , wherein the cross sectional dense packing comprises at least one of a hexagonal packing, a rectangular packing and a c4 packing.

9. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the fiber layer increases the burst pressure.

10. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first vessel regions and the plurality of couplers comprises a vessel form that is removed after the fiber layer is formed such that the fiber layer holds its shape without the removed vessel form.

11. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the fiber layer is whipped, wound, braided, or woven.

12. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the fiber layer comprises carbon fibers.

13. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the fiber layer is braided using an optimum braid angle based at least in part on one or more radius of the pressure vessel.

14. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , wherein the fiber layer is braided using a different optimum braid angle for each region based at least in part on a different taper geometry of each region.

15. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of stacked braided layers surrounding the plurality of first vessel regions and the plurality of couplers.

16. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 1 , further comprising an abrasion prevention layer defined by rectangular tape wrapped over the fiber layer.

17. A method, comprising:
providing a plurality of elongated cylindrical first vessel regions of first diameters, each first vessel region defined by an elongated cylindrical wall, wherein an irregularly shaped three dimensional volume is density filled using at least in part the plurality of first vessel regions disposed parallel to each other and extending in a stacked parallel configuration, wherein each of the plurality of first vessel regions are disposed in parallel to each other along different respective axes and each extending between a first and second terminal end along the different respective axes;
providing a plurality of couplers,
wherein each coupler of the plurality of couplers couples each pair of first vessel regions of the plurality of first vessel regions at one of the first and second terminal ends and without couplers between the first and second terminal ends;
wherein each coupler of the plurality of couplers comprises a second vessel region of a second diameter and two third vessel regions that transition diameters between the first diameter and the second diameter; and
wherein the three dimensional volume is filled using at least in part the plurality of couplers; and
wherein the first vessel regions and the couplers comprise a material with low permeability to natural gas; and

providing a fiber layer, wherein the fiber layer surrounds the plurality of first vessel regions and the plurality of couplers.

18. A high-pressure pressure vessel for storing natural gas, comprising:
a mounting box defining an irregularly shaped volume and having a first and second end;
a plurality of first vessel regions of first diameters, each first vessel region defined by an elongated cylindrical wall, wherein a three dimensional volume is filled using at least in part the plurality of first vessel regions in a stacked and parallel configuration, wherein each of the plurality of first vessel regions are disposed in parallel to each other along different respective axes and each extending between a first and second terminal end along the different respective axes; and
a plurality of couplers,
wherein each coupler of the plurality of couplers couples each pair of first vessel regions of the plurality of first vessel regions at one of the first and second terminal ends without couplers between the first and second terminal ends;
wherein each coupler of the plurality of couplers comprises a second vessel region of a second diameter and two third vessel regions that transition diameters between the first diameter and the second diameter;
wherein the three dimensional volume is filled using at least in part the plurality of couplers;
wherein the coupled first vessel regions and couplers are folded into a unitary structure having the first vessel regions grouped together to define a plurality of layered rows, with each row comprising two or more first vessel regions of different lengths, the unitary structure filling the irregularly shaped volume at high density; and
wherein the first vessel regions and the couplers comprise a material with low permeability to natural gas.

19. A high-pressure pressure vessel as in claim 18 wherein the mounting box is disposed within a body of the motor vehicle and coupled to the chassis of the motor vehicle.

Assignees

• Other Lab Llc

Inventors

• Griffith Saul
• Gilman Tucker
• Lynn Peter S
• Simon Kevin

Classifications

• F17C1/00 Primary

  Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge (pressurised apparatus for purposes other than storage, see the relevant subclasses such as A62C, B05B; associated with vehicles, see the appropriate subclass of classes B60 - B64; pressure vessels in general F16J12/00 {; autoclaves B01J3/04; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons for carrying fluent materials B61D5/00; accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04; liquefied gas stoves F24C3/00}) · CPC title

• F17C2270/0178

  Cars · CPC title

• F17C2209/222

  by friction · CPC title

• F17C2201/0138

  tubular · CPC title

• F17C2201/056

  Small (<1 m3) · CPC title