Manufacturing device for manufacturing pressure tank

Abstract

The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a pressure tank. A void is generated in a fiber layer formed by winding a fiber bundle on a liner due to insufficient impregnation of resin into the inside of the fiber bundle. Also, resin sagging is generated due to insufficient impregnation of resin. A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a pressure tank by winding a fiber bundle on a surface of a liner that is a hollow body, the manufacturing apparatus comprising: an impregnation mechanism that impregnates the fiber bundle with resin before the fiber bundle is wound on the liner, the impregnation mechanism having an impregnation surface on which a plurality of resin supply ports are formed, the resin being supplied from the plurality of resin supply ports with respect to the fiber bundle that moves along the impregnation surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing pressure tanks. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing a can, which includes creating a woven layer on a bushing that has undergone resin processing. According to Patent Document 1, a resin cone is provided in the braiding machine, which connects to the fibers converging from the back of the fibers towards the bushing from the braided ring. Furthermore, resin in the groove of the resin cone coats and / or impregnates the fibers before they are wound onto the bushing.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-507850 Summary of the Invention

[0004] As illustrated in Patent Document 1, during the feeding process toward the bushing, each fiber impregnated with resin before being wound onto the bushing is, as shown in the illustration of Document 1, a fiber bundle formed by the aggregation of multiple fibers. Conventionally, when resin is impregnated into the fiber bundle before being wound onto the bushing, although the resin adheres to the surface of the fiber bundle, the impregnation between the fibers within the fiber bundle is insufficient. If the resin impregnation of the fiber bundle is insufficient, a large number of voids, known as voids, are generated within the fiber layer formed as a result of the fiber bundle being wound onto the bushing. The presence of voids reduces the strength of the can. Furthermore, the sag of resin not impregnated into the fiber bundle and the sag of surrounding resin in the resin supplied to the fiber bundle also becomes a problem.

[0005] This specification discloses a manufacturing apparatus for producing a pressure vessel by winding a fiber bundle around the surface of a bushing that serves as a hollow body. The apparatus includes an impregnation mechanism that impregnates the fiber bundle, which is a bundle of multiple fibers, with resin before winding it around the bushing. The impregnation mechanism has an impregnation surface with a plurality of resin supply ports, from which resin is supplied relative to the fiber bundle moving along the impregnation surface.

[0006] According to the structure described, resin is supplied to the fiber bundle from multiple resin supply ports formed on the impregnation surface. This allows the resin to uniformly impregnate the fiber bundle from multiple locations, thus promoting resin impregnation into the interior of the fiber bundle. Consequently, the generation of voids within the fiber layer formed as a result of the fiber bundle winding around the bushing is also suppressed, and the strength of the pressure vessel is improved. Furthermore, by ensuring sufficient resin impregnation within the fiber bundle, resin sagging is suppressed. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 It is a diagram that simply represents the manufacturing apparatus.

[0008] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view that simply represents the impregnation mechanism.

[0009] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional diagram that simply represents the impregnation mechanism.

[0010] Figure 4 It is a diagram representing a magnified image of a portion of the impregnated surface.

[0011] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view simply showing the impregnation mechanism including the clearance adjustment part in the forward state.

[0012] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view that simply represents the impregnation mechanism involved in the variation example.

[0013] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing a cross-section of a previously photographed pressure vessel. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The following lists the main features of the illustrated embodiments. These features can be combined in any way.

[0015] According to the manufacturing apparatus disclosed in this specification, it can be configured as follows: the impregnation mechanism causes the fiber bundle to unfold by contacting at least a portion of the impregnation surface with the fiber bundle, while impregnating the fiber bundle with resin supplied from the plurality of resin supply ports.

[0016] According to the structure described, the impregnation mechanism unfolds (opens) the fiber bundle and impregnates it with resin. By unfolding the fiber bundle, the resin can easily penetrate between the fibers, further promoting the impregnation of the resin into the interior of the fiber bundle.

[0017] According to the manufacturing apparatus disclosed in this specification, the impregnation mechanism may be configured such that it includes a supply adjustment unit capable of adjusting the supply amount of the resin per unit time based on the plurality of resin supply ports.

[0018] According to the structure, by adjusting the resin supply amount based on multiple resin supply ports through the supply adjustment unit, resin sagging can be further suppressed.

[0019] According to the manufacturing apparatus disclosed in this specification, the impregnation mechanism may be configured such that it includes a gap adjustment section capable of adjusting the gap between the impregnation surface and the fiber bundle.

[0020] According to the structure, by adjusting the gap between the impregnation surface and the fiber bundle through the gap adjustment part, the impregnation pressure borne by the fiber bundle can be controlled, thereby managing the amount of resin impregnation on the fiber bundle or resin sagging.

[0021] According to the manufacturing apparatus disclosed in this specification, it can be configured such that the impregnation surface is formed of a porous metal body having a plurality of holes serving as the plurality of resin supply ports.

[0022] According to the structure described, by using a porous metal body, an impregnation surface with multiple resin supply ports can be easily achieved.

[0023] The present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are merely illustrative, and the embodiment is not limited to the content shown. Furthermore, since the drawings are illustrative, some details have been omitted.

[0024] Figure 1 The manufacturing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is briefly shown. The manufacturing apparatus 10 is an apparatus or system capable of manufacturing pressure vessels. The manufacturing apparatus 10 performs a method for manufacturing pressure vessels. The manufacturing apparatus 10 manufactures pressure vessels 22 by winding fiber bundles onto the surface of a bushing 20, which is a hollow body.

[0025] The bushing 20 corresponds to the inner layer of the pressure vessel 22. The bushing 20 is, for example, a hollow cylindrical component, formed of resin such as nylon. The pressure vessel 22 is, for example, a high-pressure vessel for storing high-pressure fluids such as hydrogen.

[0026] The bushing 20 is conveyed at a predetermined speed along the first direction D1 by a conveying mechanism (not shown) with its length direction facing the first direction D1. Figure 1 The manufacturing apparatus 10 is shown from a viewpoint orthogonal to the first direction D1. The conveying mechanism for transporting the bushing 20 can also be considered part of the manufacturing apparatus 10. The structure of the conveying mechanism is not particularly limited. The conveying mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism that uses a robotic arm to transport the bushing 20, or a mechanism that transports the bushing 20 along a guide rail. In the figure, the central axis Ax of the bushing 20, parallel to the first direction D1, is shown. Furthermore, the front and rear directions of the first direction D1 are shown in the figure.

[0027] according to Figure 1 The bushings 20 are continuously conveyed along the first direction D1 in a state where they are connected in series. The bushings 20 are connected in series with an internal space through a tube 24 with a diameter smaller than that of the bushing 20. However, the bushings 20 can also be conveyed individually along the first direction D1.

[0028] The manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a winding machine 30 and an impregnation mechanism 40. The winding machine 30 is a machine used to wind wire, which is subjected to a specified tension, in a mesh shape onto the surface of the object to be wound, and includes a spool on which the wire is wound. The winding machine 30 is also called a braiding machine, a braiding machine, etc. Here, the wire is a fiber bundle 32. The fiber bundle 32 is formed by aggregating multiple fibers (e.g., carbon fibers) into a single strand. Figure 1The simplified diagram shows only two fiber bundles 32, but the winding machine 30 is formed in a ring shape so that the bushing 20 is surrounded by a central axis Ax, and more than two fiber bundles 32 are supplied to the bushing 20 from its periphery. The fiber bundles 32 moving toward the bushing 20 rotate around the central axis Ax according to the movement of the winding machine 30, and are wound around the bushing 20 while weaving together as they approach it. A general description of the winding machine 30 is omitted below.

[0029] The impregnation mechanism 40 impregnates the fiber bundle 32 with resin R before the fiber bundle 32 is wound onto the bushing 20. The resin R is, for example, a thermosetting resin such as epoxy resin. The impregnation mechanism 40 is formed in a ring shape to surround the bushing 20 with its central axis Ax as the center. The impregnation mechanism 40 can also be considered as a cylindrical body. The impregnation mechanism 40 is located before the winding machine 30. As the bushing 20 is conveyed from rear to front along the first direction D1, it passes through the inner side of both the winding machine 30 and the impregnation mechanism 40.

[0030] Figure 2 A cross-section of the impregnation mechanism 40 is simply shown. Figure 2 China, Belgium Figure 1 The impregnation mechanism 40 is shown in magnified view. Figure 3 The impregnation mechanism 40 is simply shown in a perspective view. At, for example, the rear end of the impregnation mechanism 40, a resin supply pipe 62 is externally connected. Figure 3 As shown, pump 60 is connected to impregnation mechanism 40 via resin supply pipe 62. Pump 60 is a metering pump, equivalent to a "supply adjustment unit" capable of adjusting the amount of resin R supplied per unit time. Resin R is supplied to the interior of impregnation mechanism 40 via resin supply pipe 62 under pressure from pump 60. Pump 60 can also be considered as part of impregnation mechanism 40.

[0031] A resin supply path 42 is formed inside the impregnation mechanism 40. The resin supply path 42 is connected to the resin supply pipe 62. Figure 2 In the image, a resin supply path 42 and a resin supply pipe 62 are integrally depicted. The front surface 44 of the impregnation mechanism 40 includes an impregnation surface 44a. A fiber bundle 32 moving from the winding machine 30 toward the bushing 20 moves along the front surface 44 containing the impregnation surface 44a during this movement. Figure 2 For ease of viewing, the fiber bundle 32 is depicted separately from the front surface 44, but it can be understood that the fiber bundle 32 is in contact with at least a portion of the impregnation surface 44a. The impregnation surface 44a is an inclined surface facing the bushing 20 or includes such an inclined surface. The impregnation surface 44a may include multiple surfaces at different angles relative to the bushing 20. At least a portion of the front surface 44 may be a curved surface.

[0032] exist Figure 3Although simply represented, multiple resin supply ports 46 are formed on the impregnation surface 44a. The impregnation mechanism 40 supplies resin R to the fiber bundle 32 moving along the impregnation surface 44a from the multiple resin supply ports 46.

[0033] Figure 4 A magnified image showing a portion of the impregnated surface 44a is shown. According to... Figure 2 , Figure 4 The impregnation surface 44a is formed of a porous metal body 48 having multiple pores serving as multiple resin supply ports 46. The porous metal body 48 is a sponge-like metal material with multiple micropores. The porous metal body 48 is also referred to as porous metal. Inside the impregnation mechanism 40, the resin supply path 42 reaches the porous metal body 48. Resin R supplied from the resin supply pipe 62 to the resin supply path 42 travels in the resin supply path 42. The resin R advancing in the resin supply path 42 permeates into the porous metal body 48 and seeps out through the multiple pores (resin supply ports 46) of the porous metal body 48 onto the impregnation surface 44a and is supplied to the fiber bundle 32, thereby impregnating the fiber bundle 32. In another example, the impregnation surface 44a having multiple resin supply ports 46 may be made of ceramic.

[0034] Thus, the "impregnation process" in which resin is impregnated into the fiber bundle 32 is carried out by the impregnation mechanism 40. Figure 2 , Figure 3 The through hole 50 shown is formed centered on the central axis Ax, and the impregnation mechanism 40 passes through it along the first direction D1. For the bushing 20, which is conveyed along the first direction D1 and passes through the through hole 50, each of a plurality of fiber bundles 32 impregnated with resin R is wound around it. That is, the manufacturing apparatus 10 equipped with the winding machine 30 performs a "winding process" of winding the resin-impregnated fiber bundles 32 onto the surface of the bushing 20.

[0035] A fiber layer 26 is formed on the surface of the bushing 20 through a winding process. If the fiber bundle 32 is a carbon fiber bundle, then the fiber layer 26 becomes a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) layer based on carbon fiber and resin R. Figure 1 In the diagram, the bushing 20, i.e., the pressure vessel 22, after the fiber layer 26 is formed further forward than the position of the wound fiber bundle 32, is shown in gray for ease of understanding. Furthermore, in Figure 1 The image shows a bushing 20 formed further back than the position where the fiber bundle 32 is wound, before the fiber layer 26 is formed. A pressure vessel 22 with the fiber layer 26 formed is, for example, transported into a curing oven (not shown) and cured at a specified curing temperature to become the finished product.

[0036] Figure 7The image shows a cross-section of a conventional pressure vessel 1, including the bushing 2 and the fiber layer 3. The fiber layer 3 is formed on the outer side of the bushing 2. As described above, when the resin impregnation into the fiber bundle is insufficient, numerous voids 4 are generated within the fiber layer 3 formed by the fiber bundle being wound around the bushing. These voids 4 contribute to the reduced strength of the cured fiber layer 3, and consequently, the reduced strength of the pressure vessel 1.

[0037] To address this issue, in this embodiment, the impregnation mechanism 40 includes an impregnation surface 44a with multiple resin supply ports 46, through which resin R is supplied to the fiber bundle 32 wound around the bushing 20 that moves along the impregnation surface 44a. As a result, the resin R is uniformly impregnated into the fiber bundle 32 from multiple locations, thus promoting the impregnation of the resin R into the interior of the fiber bundle 32. Therefore, the generation of voids within the fiber layer 26 is suppressed, and the strength of the pressure vessel 22 is improved. Furthermore, by sufficiently impregnating the fiber bundle 32 with resin R, resin sagging is suppressed.

[0038] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the pump 60, which serves as a supply adjustment unit, can adjust the amount of resin R supplied per unit time based on the impregnation surface 44a, that is, the amount of resin R supplied per unit time based on the plurality of resin supply ports 46 of the impregnation surface 44a. Therefore, by adjusting this amount of resin R through the pressure setting of the pump 60, the occurrence of resin sagging can be minimized.

[0039] As described above, the impregnation mechanism 40 contacts the fiber bundle 32 through at least a portion of the impregnation surface 44a. Therefore, the impregnation surface 44a can simultaneously contact the fiber bundle 32 and spread it, allowing resin R supplied from the plurality of resin supply ports 46 to impregnate the fiber bundle 32. Spreading the fiber bundle 32 refers to applying an external force to the fiber bundle 32 to deform it into a flat shape, also known as fiber opening. More specifically, the fiber bundle 32 is spread by a movement including rotation of the fiber bundle 32, tension based on the winding machine 30, and the force acting from the impregnation surface 44a. By spreading the fiber bundle 32, the resin R easily penetrates between the fibers of the fiber bundle 32, further promoting the impregnation of the resin R into the interior of the fiber bundle 32.

[0040] The impregnation mechanism 40 may include a gap adjustment section 52 capable of adjusting the gap between the impregnation surface 44a and the fiber bundle 32. According to... Figure 2 , Figure 3 The impregnation mechanism 40 has a gap adjustment section 52 formed in a cylindrical shape to surround the through hole 50. Alternatively, the through hole 50 can be defined by the inner peripheral wall of the gap adjustment section 52. The gap adjustment section 52 is located closer to the central axis Ax than the porous metal body 48 having the impregnation surface 44a.

[0041] The front surface of the gap adjustment part 52 forms part of the front surface 44 of the impregnation mechanism 40. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the gap adjustment section 52 can move along the first direction D1 from the reference state, with the front surface of the gap adjustment section 52 being continuous with the front surface 44 other than the front surface of the gap adjustment section 52.

[0042] Figure 5 and Figure 2 Similarly, a cross-section of the impregnation mechanism 40 is simply shown. According to Figure 5 The gap adjustment section 52 moves further forward than the reference state. As the gap adjustment section 52 moves forward, the fiber bundle 32 moving along the front surface 44 is compressed forward. Depending on the amount of forward movement of the gap adjustment section 52, the gap between the impregnation surface 44a and the fiber bundle 32 is adjusted, and the impregnation pressure on the fiber bundle 32 from the resin R also changes. Therefore, by adjusting the gap between the impregnation surface 44a and the fiber bundle 32 by the gap adjustment section 52, the amount of resin R impregnating the fiber bundle 32 or resin sagging can be managed, and resin sagging can be more easily suppressed. For example, by combining the supply amount of resin R based on the pump 60 with the movement amount of the gap adjustment section 52, the impregnation of resin R onto the fiber bundle 32 and the suppression of resin sagging can be optimized.

[0043] Figure 6 A cross-section of the impregnation mechanism 40 involved in the modified example is simply shown. As indicated by the double-dotted line, the impregnation mechanism 40 may have a cover 54 covering the front surface 44. The cover 54 is fixed in a state that forms a gap with the front surface 44. Of course, the cover 54 does not obstruct the conveying of the bushing 20. According to Figure 6 In the modified example shown, the fiber bundle 32 is wound around the bushing 20 through the gap between the front surface 44 and the cover 54. Resin R supplied from the impregnation surface 44a fills the gap between the front surface 44 and the cover 54, impregnating the fiber bundle 32 passing through the gap. According to this modified example, the resin R supplied to the gap between the front surface 44 and the cover 54 is impregnated into the fiber bundle 32 by pressure from the front surface 44 and the cover 54, thus further promoting the impregnation of the resin R into the interior of the fiber bundle 32.

[0044] The above provides a detailed description of specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification. However, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes techniques that modify or alter the specific examples described above. Furthermore, the technical elements described in this specification or drawings are technical elements that are useful individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of application. Moreover, the technology illustrated in this specification or drawings is technology that simultaneously achieves multiple objectives, and achieving even one of these objectives is technically useful.

[0045] Symbol Explanation

[0046] 10-Manufacturing apparatus, 20-Bushing, 22-Pressure tank, 26-Fiber layer, 30-Winding machine, 32-Fiber bundle, 40-Impregnation mechanism, 42-Resin supply path, 44-Front surface, 44a-Impregnation surface, 46-Resin supply port, 48-Porous metal body, 50-Through hole, 52-Gap adjustment part, 54-Cover, 60-Pump, 62-Resin supply pipe.

Claims

1. A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a pressure vessel by winding a fiber bundle onto the surface of a bushing that serves as a hollow body, the manufacturing apparatus characterized by comprising: An impregnation mechanism that impregnates the fiber bundle with resin before the fiber bundle is wound around the bushing. The impregnation mechanism has an impregnation surface with a plurality of resin supply ports, from which resin is supplied relative to the fiber bundle moving along the impregnation surface.

2. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impregnation mechanism causes the fiber bundle to unfold by contacting at least a portion of the impregnation surface with the fiber bundle, while simultaneously impregnating the fiber bundle with resin supplied from the plurality of resin supply ports.

3. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impregnation mechanism includes a supply adjustment unit that can adjust the amount of resin supplied per unit time based on the plurality of resin supply ports.

4. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impregnation mechanism includes a gap adjustment section, which can adjust the gap between the impregnation surface and the fiber bundle.

5. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impregnation surface is formed of a porous metal body having multiple pores that serve as the multiple resin supply ports.

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