High-pressure tank and method for manufacturing high-pressure tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11566752-B2
Application number	US-202117336726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2021
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A high-pressure tank includes a cylindrical portion including a fiber-reinforced resin and a dome portion including a fiber-reinforced resin. The cylindrical portion includes an axial fiber layer including a fiber oriented in a center axis direction of the high-pressure tank, and a circumferential fiber layer including a fiber oriented in a circumferential direction of the high-pressure tank. An end portion of the axial fiber layer and an end portion of the dome portion are joined to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high-pressure tank comprising:
a cylindrical portion including a fiber-reinforced resin;
a dome portion including a fiber-reinforced resin; and
a lining forming an innermost wall of the tank extending along the entire inner peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical portion and the dome portion with the exception of an opening through the dome portion to communicate with an outer space outside of the tank, wherein
the cylindrical portion includes
an axial fiber layer including fibers oriented in a range of zero degrees to 20 degrees relative to a center axis of the high-pressure tank, and

a circumferential fiber layer including fibers oriented in a range of 70 degrees to 90 degrees relative to the center axis of the high-pressure tank,
the axial fiber layer is disposed on an inner side of the circumferential fiber layer, and
an end portion of the axial fiber layer and an end portion of the dome portion are joined to each other in a joining portion with the inner side of the circumferential fiber layer joined directly to an outer surface of the end portion of the dome portion, an inner surface of the end portion of the dome portion joined directly to an outer surface of the end portion of the axial fiber layer, and an inner surface of the end portion of the axial fiber layer joined directly to the lining.

2. The high-pressure tank according to claim 1 , wherein the end portion of the dome portion is disposed between the axial fiber layer and the circumferential fiber layer.

3. The high-pressure tank according to claim 2 , wherein
a first part of the circumferential fiber layer is disposed on an outer side of a joining portion in which the end portion of the axial fiber layer and the end portion of the dome portion overlap with each other,
a second part of the circumferential fiber layer is disposed on an outer side of the dome portion so as to be closer to a top of the dome portion than the first part, and
the circumferential fiber layer does not cover an entire outer side of the dome portion.

4. The high-pressure tank according to claim 1 , wherein
the fibers included in the axial fiber layer are oriented in a range of zero degrees to 10 degrees relative to the center axis of the high-pressure tank, and
the fibers included in the circumferential fiber layer are oriented in a range of 80 degrees to 90 degrees relative to the center axis of the high-pressure tank.

5. A method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank including a cylindrical portion including a fiber-reinforced resin, a dome portion including a fiber-reinforced resin, and a lining forming an inner wall of the tank extending along the entire inner peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical portion and the dome portion with the exception of an opening through the dome portion to communicate with an outer space outside of the tank, the method comprising:
(a) a step of preparing an axial fiber layer included in the cylindrical portion, the axial fiber layer including fibers oriented in a range of zero degrees to 20 degrees relative to a center axis of the high-pressure tank, and preparing the dome portion;
(b) a step of forming a circumferential fiber layer including fibers oriented in a range of 70 degrees to 90 degrees relative to the center axis of the high-pressure tank, on an outer side of the axial fiber layer, wherein
the axial fiber layer is formed by using pultrusion; and

(c) a step of forming a joined body by joining an end portion of the axial fiber layer and an end portion of the dome portion to each other in a joining portion with the inner side of the circumferential fiber layer joined directly to an outer surface of the end portion of the dome portion, an inner surface of the end portion of the dome portion joined directly to an outer surface of the end portion of the axial fiber layer, and an inner surface of the end portion of the axial fiber layer joined directly to the lining.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein:
the (b) step further includes a step of forming the circumferential fiber layer on an outer side of the end portion of the dome portion.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein in the (c) step, the circumferential fiber layer is formed such that
a first part of the circumferential fiber layer is formed on an outer side of a joining portion in which the end portion of the axial fiber layer and the end portion of the dome portion overlap with each other,
a second part of the circumferential fiber layer is formed on an outer side of the dome portion so as to be closer to a top of the dome portion than the first part, and
the circumferential fiber layer does not cover an entire outer side of the dome portion.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein
the fibers included in the axial fiber layer are oriented in a range of zero degrees to 10 degrees relative to the center axis of the high-pressure tank, and
the fibers included in the circumferential fiber layer are oriented in a range of 80 degrees to 90 degrees relative to the center axis of the high-pressure tank.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Katano Koji

Classifications

• F17C2201/0109

  with exteriorly curved end-piece · CPC title

• F17C2221/012

  Hydrogen · CPC title

• F17C2209/2163

  with a mandrel · CPC title

• F17C2203/0624

  with four or more layers · CPC title

• F17C2203/013

  in the vessel, e.g. columns · CPC title