Storage tank for liquid hydrogen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11859765-B2
Application number	US-202217825329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2022
Priority date	Jun 16, 2021
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A storage tank for liquid hydrogen comprises first and second shells each constructed of laminate material, the second shell being disposed outwardly of the first shell with respect to the centre of the storage tank. The first and second shells are mechanically connected by a first plurality of pins each of which passes through at least some layers of the second shell and at least some layers of the first shell. The storage tank may be constructed using a simpler manufacturing process involving less tooling and fewer process steps than is the case for known tanks for storing liquid hydrogen. The storage tank has also has a lower mass and reduced thermal losses compared to tanks of the prior art. The plurality of pins allows for the shells to be thinner, and hence lighter, than similar shells in tanks of the prior art.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage tank for liquid hydrogen, the storage tank comprising a first shell and a second shell, the first shell and the second shell each being constructed of laminate material, the second shell being disposed outwardly of the first shell with respect to the centre of the storage tank and wherein the first and second shells are mechanically connected by a first plurality of pins each of which passes through at least some layers of the second shell and at least some layers of the first shell, wherein the first plurality of pins are uniformly distributed with respect to the centre of the storage tank.

2. A storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein the laminate material of at least one of the first and second shells comprises carbon-fibre reinforced polymer composite material.

3. A storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein pins of the first plurality of pins comprise one of cured carbon fibre composite material, cured glass fibre reinforced composite material, inorganic fibre composite material, metallic material and non-metallic material.

4. A storage tank according to claim 1 , further comprising a third shell constructed of laminate material and disposed outwardly of the second shell and wherein the second and third shells are mechanically connected by a second plurality of pins each of which passes through at least some layers of the third shell and at least some layers of the second shell.

5. A storage tank according to claim 4 , wherein laminate material of the third shell comprises carbon-fibre reinforced polymer composite material.

6. A storage tank according to claim 4 , wherein pins of the second plurality of pins comprise one of cured carbon fibre composite material, cured glass fibre reinforced composite material, inorganic fibre composite material, metallic material and non-metallic material.

7. A storage tank according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second shells are each constructed of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composite material, the first shell forming a first vessel for containing liquid hydrogen and the second shell forming a second vessel spaced apart from and surrounding the first vessel.

8. A storage tank according to claim 7 , wherein the pins of the first plurality of pins are thermally insulating.

9. A storage tank according to claim 7 , wherein pins of the first plurality of pins have a diameter in the range 250 μm to 500 μm.

10. A storage tank according to claim 7 , wherein one or more of the interior and exterior surfaces of the first and second vessels each have a respective metallic coating.

11. A storage tank according to claim 7 , wherein the space between the first and second vessels is either evacuated or filled with an insulating material.

12. A storage tank according to claim 7 , further comprising a third shell disposed outwardly of the second shell and spaced apart therefrom and constructed of carbon fibre reinforced laminate material, the third shell forming a third vessel surrounding the first and second vessels, the second and third shells being mechanically connected by a second plurality of pins each of which passes through at least some layers of the third shell and at least some layers of the second shell.

13. A storage tank according to claim 12 , wherein pins of the first plurality of pins are thermally conductive and pins of the second plurality of pins are thermally insulating.

14. A storage tank according to claim 12 , wherein pins of the first and second pluralities of pins have a diameter in the range 250 □m to 500 □m.

15. A storage tank according to claim 12 , wherein one or more of the interior and exterior surfaces of the first, second and third vessels each have a respective metal coating.

16. A storage tank according to claim 12 , wherein the space between the second and third vessels is either evacuated or filled with insulating material.

17. A storage vessel according to claim 12 , wherein at least some pins of the first plurality of pins extend into the interior of the first vessel.

18. An aircraft comprising the storage tank according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Backhouse Robert C

Classifications

• F17C1/12 Primary

  with provision for thermal insulation ({F17C1/14, F17C1/16 take precedence}; thermal insulation in general F16L59/00) · CPC title

• F17C2203/012

  on or in the wall, e.g. ribs · CPC title

• F17C2203/0607

  Coatings · CPC title

• F17C2203/0631

  Three or more walls · CPC title

• F17C2203/0673

  Polymers · CPC title