Composite gas storage tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022065399-A1
Application number	US-202117398174-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2021
Priority date	Sep 3, 2020
Publication date	Mar 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A composite gas storage tank includes a composite wall defining a main storage volume and a hollow conduit portion communicating with and extending away from the main storage volume. A hollow coupling element has a length portion which is partially embedded within and extends substantially parallel to the hollow conduit portion of the composite wall. The hollow conduit portion and the coupling element provide communication between the main storage volume and the tank exterior. A leakage path around the hollow coupling element is significantly longer than those of tanks of the prior art and reduces the rate at which hydrogen leaks from the tank. A carbon fibre filament winding extends over the length of the hollow conduit portion and provides a radially inwardly-directed force biasing the carbon fibre material of the hollow conduit portion into contact with the coupling element, further reducing the leakage rate on the leakage path.

First claim

1 . A composite gas storage tank comprising a composite wall defining a main storage volume and having a hollow conduit portion communicating with and extending away from the main storage volume, the composite gas storage tank further comprising a hollow coupling element, wherein a length portion of the hollow coupling element is embedded within and extends substantially parallel to the hollow conduit portion of the composite wall and the remainder of the length of the hollow coupling element extends beyond the end of the hollow conduit portion remote from the main storage volume, the hollow conduit portion and the coupling element providing communication between the main storage volume and the exterior of the composite gas storage tank.

2 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 1 wherein the hollow conduit portion of the composite wall and the hollow coupling element are substantially cylindrical and co-axial.

3 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 2 comprising a filament winding around the exterior of the hollow conduit portion of the composite wall, the winding providing a radially inwardly-directed force and extending over at least a part of the length of the hollow conduit portion which is axially coincident with the hollow coupling element.

4 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the internal and external surfaces of the length portion of the hollow coupling element which is embedded within the hollow conduit portion of the composite wall is provided with one or more geometric surface features.

5 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 4 wherein the one or more geometric surface features comprise one or more threads, barbs or curves.

6 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 1 and comprising a polymer liner on the interior surface of the composite wall.

7 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 1 wherein the hollow conduit portion of the composite wall and the hollow coupling element each have the form of a truncated cone.

8 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 1 wherein the hollow conduit portion of the composite wall and the hollow coupling element are each curved.

9 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 3 wherein at least a portion of the internal and external surfaces of the length portion of the hollow coupling element which is embedded within the hollow conduit portion of the composite wall is provided with one or more geometric surface features.

10 . A composite gas storage tank according to claim 9 wherein the one or more geometric surface features comprise one or more threads, barbs or curves.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Lambourne Alexis

Classifications

• Y02E60/32

  Hydrogen storage · CPC title

• F17C2223/0123

  gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC · CPC title

• F17C2203/0673

  Polymers · CPC title

• F17C2201/056

  Small (<1 m3) · CPC title

• F17C2203/0658

  Synthetics · CPC title