Storage tank for pressurized gas and method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143362-B2
Application number	US-201916506324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2019
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A storage tank for pressurized gas includes a liner defining an interior cavity for storing the pressurized gas. The storage tank further includes a nanoporous carbon shell formed from at least one pyrolyzed polymer. The liner is disposed at an inner side of the nanoporous carbon shell. The storage tank further includes a carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer disposed on an outer side of the nanoporous carbon shell opposite from the liner. The nanoporous carbon shell has an exposed surface at an exterior of the storage tank and is configured to permit gas permeated through the liner from the interior cavity to diffuse through the nanoporous carbon shell to the exposed surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage tank for pressurized gas, the storage tank comprising:
a liner defining an interior cavity for storing the pressurized gas;
a nanoporous carbon shell formed from at least one pyrolyzed polymer; wherein the liner is disposed at an inner side of the nanoporous carbon shell; and
a carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer disposed on an outer side of the nanoporous carbon shell opposite from the liner;
wherein the nanoporous carbon shell has an exposed surface at an exterior of the storage tank and is configured to permit gas permeated through the liner from the interior cavity to diffuse through the nanoporous carbon shell to the exposed surface.

2. The storage tank of claim 1 , further comprising:
a boss secured between the liner and the nanoporous carbon shell adjacent to the exposed surface, the boss further enclosing the interior cavity.

3. The storage tank of claim 2 , wherein the boss is a first boss secured between a first end portion of the liner and a first end portion of the nanoporous carbon shell, and the storage tank further comprising:
a second boss secured between a second end portion of the liner and a second end portion of the nanoporous carbon shell adjacent to an additional exposed surface at the exterior of the storage tank, the second boss further enclosing the interior cavity.

4. The storage tank of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pyrolyzed polymer includes a copolymer precursor.

5. The storage tank of claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon shell is configured to maintain a preformed shape when a pressure level in the interior cavity is from 0 megapascals (MPa) to 100 MPa.

6. The storage tank of claim 1 , wherein the liner is unattached to the inner side of the nanoporous carbon shell.

7. The storage tank of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pyrolyzed polymer includes a precursor of poly(vinylidene chloride-co-vinyl chloride).

8. The storage tank of claim 7 , wherein the pressurized gas is hydrogen gas.

9. The storage tank of claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon shell defines a plurality of nanopores each having a pore width of less than or equal to 1 nanometer.

10. The storage tank of claim 9 , wherein the carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer includes a matrix of resin molecules each having a molecular width of greater than 1 nanometer.

11. A method of manufacturing a storage tank for pressurized gas, the method comprising:
pyrolyzing at least one polymer to form a nanoporous carbon shell; and
disposing a liner at an inner side of the nanoporous carbon shell, the liner defining an interior cavity for storing the pressurized gas;
disposing a carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer at an outer side of the nanoporous carbon shell opposite from the liner;
wherein the nanoporous carbon shell has an exposed surface at an exterior of the storage tank and is configured to permit gas permeated through the liner from the interior cavity to diffuse through the nanoporous carbon shell to the exposed surface.

12. The method of manufacturing of claim 11 , further comprising:
securing a boss to the liner and the nanoporous carbon shell, the boss further enclosing the interior cavity.

13. The method of manufacturing of claim 11 , prior to disposing the liner at the inner side of the nanoporous carbon shell, applying a release agent to an outer side of the liner.

14. The method of manufacturing of claim 11 ,
wherein disposing the carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer at the outer side of the nanoporous carbon shell is by filament winding the carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer.

15. The method of manufacturing of claim 14 , further comprising, prior to filament winding the carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer at the outer side of the nanoporous carbon shell, applying a release agent to an outer side of the nanoporous carbon shell.

16. The method of manufacturing of claim 14 , further comprising:
after filament winding the carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer at the outer side of the nanoporous carbon shell, heating the carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer; and
curing the carbon fiber reinforced polymer layer.

17. The method of manufacturing of claim 11 , wherein pyrolyzing the at least one polymer includes heating the at least one polymer at a heating temperature that varies according to a stepped temperature profile.

18. The method of manufacturing of claim 17 , wherein the stepped temperature profile includes a first step at a first predetermined heating time at which the heating temperature increases to a first predetermined heating temperature, and a second step at a second predetermined heating time subsequent to the first predetermined heating time at which the heating temperature increases to a second predetermined heating temperature greater than the first predetermined heating temperature.

19. The method of manufacturing of claim 11 , wherein the at least one polymer comprises a block copolymer including a carbon backbone, one or more halogens, and hydrogen.

20. The method of manufacturing of claim 11 , wherein the at least one polymer comprises a mixture of a first halogenated polymer and a second halogenated polymer.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Beckner Matthew

Classifications

• F17C2201/056

  Small (<1 m3) · CPC title

• F17C2203/0621

  with three layers · CPC title

• F17C2203/0604

  Liners · CPC title

• F17C2270/0168

  by vehicles · CPC title

• F17C2221/012

  Hydrogen · CPC title