Pressure vessel and method for producing pressure vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12584590-B2
Application number	US-202118266100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2021
Priority date	Dec 11, 2020
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

Provided are a pressure vessel with excellent gas barrier properties, less likely to cause cracks, and excellent internal pressure fatigue properties, and a production method thereof. The pressure vessel includes a layer at least in the body part, and the layer includes a fiber-reinforced resin material that contains a resin component and a continuous reinforcing fiber. A ratio (inner region/outer region) of the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the inner region to a continuous reinforcing fiver content (vol. %) in the outer region is from 0.80 to 0.99, where the inner region is up to 0.1% from the inner side of the layer in the thickness direction, and the outer region is up to 0.1% from the outer side of the layer in the thickness direction, and the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the central region of the layer, which is between up to more than 0.1% from the inner side in the thickness direction and up to more than 0.1% from the outer side in the thickness direction, is from 40 to 60 vol. %.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A pressure vessel comprising a layer at least in a body part of the pressure vessel, the layer comprising a fiber-reinforced resin material containing a resin component and a continuous reinforcing fiber, wherein
a ratio (inner region/outer region) of a content (vol. %) of the continuous reinforcing fiber in an inner region of the layer to a content (vol. %) of the continuous reinforcing fiber in an outer region of the layer is from 0.80 to 0.99, the inner region being defined as up to 0.1% of the thickness of the layer from an inner side of the layer in a thickness direction, the inner side of the layer facing an interior of the pressure vessel, and the outer region being defined as up to 0.1% of the thickness of the layer from an outer side of the layer in a thickness direction, the outer side of the layer facing an exterior of the pressure vessel, and a content (vol. %) of the continuous reinforcing fiber in a central region of the layer is from 30 to 70 vol. %, the central region being between the inner region of the layer and the outer region of the layer, in the thickness direction.

2 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio (outer region/central region) of the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the outer region to the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the central region is from 1.01 to 1.11.

3 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio (inner region/central region) of the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the inner region to the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the central region is from 0.95 to 1.05.

4 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the layer is from 1 to 10 cm.

5 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the resin component comprises a thermosetting resin.

6 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the resin component comprises an epoxy resin composition, the epoxy resin composition comprising an epoxy resin and an epoxy resin curing agent, the epoxy resin curing agent containing a reaction product of a component (x1) and a component (x2) below:
(x1) at least one selected from the group consisting of m-xylylenediamine and p-xylylenediamine; and (x2) at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated carboxylic acid represented by Formula (1) and a derivative thereof:

where in Formula (1), R 1 and R 2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbons, an aryl group having from 6 to 12 carbons, or an aralkyl group having from 7 to 13 carbons.

7 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the continuous reinforcing fiber comprises a carbon fiber.

8 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein a void rate of the layer is 1 vol. % or less.

9 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the body part of the pressure vessel has a liner on the inner side of the layer.

10 . The pressure vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the body part of the pressure vessel does not have a liner on the inner side of the layer.

11 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein a ratio (inner region/central region) of the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the inner region to the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the central region is from 0.95 to 1.05.

12 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the layer is from 1 to 10 cm.

13 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the resin component comprises a thermosetting resin.

14 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the resin component comprises an epoxy resin composition, the epoxy resin composition comprising an epoxy resin and an epoxy resin curing agent, the epoxy resin curing agent containing a reaction product of a component (x1) and a component (x2) below:
(x1) at least one selected from the group consisting of m-xylylenediamine and p-xylylenediamine; and (x2) at least one selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated carboxylic acid represented by Formula (1) and a derivative thereof:

where in Formula (1), R 1 and R 2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbons, an aryl group having from 6 to 12 carbons, or an aralkyl group having from 7 to 13 carbons.

15 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the continuous reinforcing fiber comprises a carbon fiber.

16 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein a void rate of the layer is 1 vol. % or less.

17 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the body part of the pressure vessel has a liner on the inner side of the layer.

18 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein the body part of the pressure vessel does not have a liner on the inner side of the layer.

19 . The pressure vessel according to claim 2 , wherein a ratio (inner region/central region) of the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the inner region to the continuous reinforcing fiber content (vol. %) in the central region is from 0.95 to 1.05;
a thickness of the layer is from 1 to 10 cm; the resin component comprises a thermosetting resin; the continuous reinforcing fiber comprises a carbon fiber; and a void rate of the layer is 1 vol. % or less.

20 . A method for producing the pressure vessel according to claim 1 , the method comprising winding a fiber-reinforced resin material in a cylindrical form, the fiber-reinforced resin material comprising a resin component and a continuous reinforcing fiber, wherein a tension of the fiber-reinforced resin material when winding in the cylindrical form is from 0.01 gf to 3 gf per one strand of the continuous reinforcing fiber.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co

Inventors

• Matsumoto Nobuhiko
• Ikeuchi Kousuke
• Mitadera Jun

Classifications

• F17C2260/011

  Improving strength · CPC title

• F17C2221/012

  Hydrogen · CPC title

• F17C2209/2163

  with a mandrel · CPC title

• F17C2205/0323

  Valves · CPC title

• F17C2203/0673

  Polymers · CPC title