Gas cylinder and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a gas canister and a method for manufacturing the same. The gas canister of the present invention comprises: a liner having a cylindrical body portion and rounded tops respectively disposed at both ends of the cylindrical body portion, the cylindrical body portion having a central axis; and a reinforcing layer covering the outer periphery of the liner. The reinforcing layer has at least one first fiber layer, the first fiber layer having a first reinforcing portion on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body portion in which fibers are wound in an interlaced manner, and a second reinforcing portion in which fibers are wound relative to the central axis at a predetermined angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to gas cylinders and methods of manufacturing them. Background Technology

[0002] A known gas canister has a fiber layer laminated onto the outer periphery of the container body (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-026817). The fiber layer comprises: a first reinforcing portion, in which reinforcing fibers are wound in an interlaced weave; and a second reinforcing portion, in which reinforcing fibers are wound in a spiral shape in a continuous manner with the first reinforcing portion. The gas canister is obtained by impregnating the laminated fiber layer with a thermosetting resin and then heating and curing it.

[0003] In the second reinforcing section where the reinforcing fibers are wound into a spiral shape, due to the high fiber density, there is a situation where the thermosetting resin is not sufficiently impregnated. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure is provided in the following form.

[0005] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a gas canister is provided. The gas canister comprises: a liner having a cylindrical body portion and rounded tops respectively disposed at both ends of the cylindrical body portion, the cylindrical body portion having a central axis; and a reinforcing layer covering the outer periphery of the liner. The reinforcing layer has at least one first fiber layer, the first fiber layer having a first reinforcing portion on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body portion in which fibers are wound in an interlaced manner, and a second reinforcing portion in which fibers are wound relative to the central axis at a predetermined angle.

[0006] According to this type of gas canister, the strength of the gas canister is improved by having a second reinforcing part in the first fiber layer, thereby increasing the strength of the fiber layer. Furthermore, by having a first reinforcing part, the impregnation performance of the resin material on the fiber layer is improved.

[0007] (2) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above form, the first fiber layer has a plurality of the first reinforcing parts and a plurality of the second reinforcing parts.

[0008] According to this type of gas canister, by having multiple first reinforcing parts, multiple flow paths of resin material through the first reinforcing parts can be formed, thereby improving the impregnation performance of the resin material on the fiber layer.

[0009] (3) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above form, the first reinforcing part of the upper first fiber layer has a repeating part that is repeatedly stacked with at least a portion of the first reinforcing part of the lower first fiber layer.

[0010] According to this type of gas canister, by repeatedly stacking the upper first reinforcing part with the lower first reinforcing part, the impregnation performance of the resin material on the fiber layer can be improved.

[0011] (4) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above-described form, all fiber layers included in the reinforcing layer have the first reinforcing portion. It can also be configured such that all first fiber layers included in the reinforcing layer have the repeating portion.

[0012] According to this type of gas canister, by having repeating portions in all the first fiber layers, the impregnation performance of the resin material on the fiber layers can be further improved.

[0013] (5) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above form, the first reinforcing portion of the upper first fiber layer is offset from the first reinforcing portion of the lower first fiber layer in the axial direction of the lining.

[0014] According to this type of gas tank, by arranging the first reinforcing part in an axially staggered manner, compared with the case where the first reinforcing part is arranged in a straight line along the stacking direction, stress concentration in the reinforcing layer can be suppressed.

[0015] (6) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above form, the first reinforcing portion of the upper first fiber layer is stacked on the portion of the lower first fiber layer other than the repeating portion of the first reinforcing portion.

[0016] According to this type of gas tank, by stacking the first reinforcing part in a manner that does not form a repeating part on the repeating part, stress concentration in the reinforcing layer can be suppressed.

[0017] (7) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above form, the difference between the maximum value of the total number of the first reinforcing parts included in the stacking direction and the minimum value of the total number of the first reinforcing parts in the above reinforcing layer is 3 layers or less.

[0018] According to this type of gas canister, by making the number of layers of the first reinforcing part approximately uniform in the axial direction, it is possible to obtain a gas canister that achieves an axial balance between the strength of the fiber layer and the suppression of insufficient impregnation of the resin material.

[0019] (8) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above form, the outermost layer of the above reinforcing layer is a second fiber layer that includes the above first reinforcing part but does not include the above second reinforcing part.

[0020] According to this type of gas cylinder, it is possible to suppress or prevent the disorder of the arrangement of fibrous material on the outer surface of the fiber layer.

[0021] (9) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above form, the innermost layer of the above reinforcing layer is a second fiber layer that includes the above first reinforcing part but does not include the above second reinforcing part.

[0022] According to this type of gas canister, it is possible to suppress or prevent insufficient impregnation of resin material in the innermost layer, which is difficult to impregnate with resin material.

[0023] (10) It can also be configured such that, based on the gas tank of the above form, the first fiber layer has the first reinforcing part on the outer periphery of the dome.

[0024] According to this type of gas cylinder, by forming a first reinforcing portion on the outer periphery of a curved dome, compared to forming a second reinforcing portion on the outer periphery of the dome, it is possible to suppress the undesirable situation of the fiber material shifting from the predetermined configuration position.

[0025] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a method for manufacturing a gas canister is provided. The method includes: preparing a cylindrical body portion having a cylindrical shape and linings with rounded tops at both ends of the cylindrical body portion, the cylindrical body portion having a central axis; and forming a substrate having a fiber layer on the outer periphery of the lining. The step of forming the substrate includes forming at least one first fiber layer, the first fiber layer having a first reinforcing portion on the outer periphery of the cylindrical body portion where fibers are wound in an interlaced manner, and a second reinforcing portion where fibers are wound relative to the central axis at a predetermined angle.

[0026] It can also be configured such that, based on the manufacturing method of the gas canister of the above form, the manufacturing method further includes: a step of placing the formed substrate inside a mold and closing the mold; and a step of filling the closed mold with resin material so that the resin material impregnates the fiber layer of the substrate.

[0027] This disclosure can also be implemented in various forms other than gas canisters and gas canister manufacturing methods. For example, it can be implemented in the form of a method for forming a fiber-reinforced resin layer, a method for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastics, an apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastics, an apparatus for manufacturing gas canisters, a control method for the apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced plastics, a computer program for implementing the control method, and a non-transitory recording medium recording the computer program.

[0028] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same elements. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the gas tank as the first embodiment of this disclosure from a cross-sectional perspective.

[0030] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of a substrate having a first fiber layer on the outer periphery of the cylindrical part.

[0031] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of a portion of the first reinforcing section.

[0032] Figure 4 It means Figure 3 A cross-sectional view at position IV-IV.

[0033] Figure 5 This is an enlarged explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the second reinforcing section.

[0034] Figure 6 It means Figure 5 A sectional view at position VI-VI.

[0035] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram showing the simplified structure of a gas cylinder manufacturing apparatus.

[0036] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram showing the movement paths of the first and second supply units when spiral winding is performed.

[0037] Figure 9 This is an explanatory diagram showing the movement paths of the first and second supply units during the weaving and winding process.

[0038] Figure 10 This is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of a substrate having a second fiber layer on the outer periphery of the cylindrical part.

[0039] Figure 11 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the fiber-reinforced resin layer of the gas tank according to the first embodiment of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow path of the resin material when it is impregnated in the fiber layer.

[0041] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the fiber-reinforced resin layer of the gas tank according to the second embodiment of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 14 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the fiber-reinforced resin layer of the gas tank according to the third embodiment of this disclosure.

[0043] Figure 15 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the fiber-reinforced resin layer of the gas tank according to the fourth embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0044] A. Implementation Method 1:

[0045] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the gas tank 100 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure from a cross-sectional perspective. The gas tank 100 is a storage container for containing fluids with high pressures of 10 to 70 MPa. The gas tank 100 can be formed in any shape. Figure 1 In the example, the gas tank 100 has a generally cylindrical shape along a strip of central axis AX.

[0046] The gas tank 100 is used, for example, to store hydrogen supplied to fuel cells for vehicles or stationary fuel cells. The gas tank 100 includes a liner 10, connectors 16 and 17 disposed at both ends of the liner 10, and a fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the liner 10 and the connectors 16 and 17. Not limited to hydrogen, the gas tank 100 can also store various fluids such as oxygen and natural gas.

[0047] Liner 10 is a container having an internal space for sealing fluid. Liner 10 is formed, for example, from a gas-barrier resin such as nylon, polyamide, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), polyethylene, polypropylene, epoxy resin, or polystyrene. Liner 10 has a cylindrical body portion 12 and two hemispherical domes 14 disposed at both ends of the cylindrical body portion 12 along a central axis AX. An opening is provided at the top of the domes 14. Figure 1 The boundary BD shown is the connection between the dome 14 of the liner 10 and the cylindrical portion 12, and is the position where the curvature of the liner 10 becomes zero. The liner 10 may also be made of metal instead of resin. The cylindrical portion 12 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may also be any cylindrical shape with a polygonal cross-section.

[0048] Connectors 16 and 17 are installed at the top of the openings provided at the top of the domes 14 of the liner 10. Connector 16 is used, for example, for filling gas into or releasing gas from the gas tank 100. Connector 17 is sealed for purposes such as centering during manufacturing.

[0049] The fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 is a reinforcing layer used to reinforce the liner 10. The fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 is formed by covering the outer periphery of the liner 10 with fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP). In this embodiment, the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 is formed by a so-called RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) method. Specifically, a substrate (also called a "fiber preform") on which the fiber layer is to be formed on the outer periphery of the liner 10 is disposed within a mold. A "fiber layer" refers to a layer formed by winding fibrous material. As described later, the fiber layer has a structure in which multiple layers of the first fiber layer L1 and the second fiber layer L2 are stacked in a predetermined order in the thickness direction. In addition to the liner 10, the fibrous material may also be wound onto the outer surfaces of the joints 16 and 17.

[0050] In this embodiment, carbon fiber is used as the fiber material. Besides carbon fiber, other fiber materials include glass fiber, aramid fiber, boron fiber, high-strength polyethylene fiber, etc., and combinations of these types of fibers are also possible. The number of fiber layers is, for example, about 10 to 20 layers, which can be arbitrarily set according to the size and shape of the gas canister 100. In this embodiment, the number of fiber layers is 12.

[0051] The mold containing the substrate is closed, and resin material is filled into the closed mold under high speed and pressure, thereby impregnating the fiber layer with the resin material. During the impregnation of the resin material, the interior of the substrate disposed within the mold, i.e., the interior of the lining 10, is pressurized to withstand the external pressure applied from the resin material during impregnation, for example, by filling it with nitrogen gas. By curing the resin material impregnated into the fiber layer, the gas canister 100 is completed.

[0052] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the substrate having a first fiber layer L1 on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12. The "first fiber layer" refers to a fiber layer having a first reinforcing portion 210 and a second reinforcing portion 220 within the area RG2 that forms the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12. The "first reinforcing portion" is a portion of the fiber layer formed by a so-called weaving winding. "Weaving winding" refers to a method of winding fiber material in an interlaced weave manner. The "second reinforcing portion" is a portion of the fiber layer formed by a so-called spiral winding. "Spiral winding" refers to a method in which, after winding the fiber material around the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12 at a predetermined angle relative to the central axis AX of the lining 10, it is further wound around the lining 10 at another predetermined angle relative to the central axis AX.

[0053] In this embodiment, the first fiber layer L1 has a plurality of first reinforcing portions 210 and a plurality of second reinforcing portions 220, having a so-called striped pattern appearance. As described later, the arrangement position, number, and width of the plurality of first reinforcing portions 210 and the plurality of second reinforcing portions 220 in the range RG2 of the first fiber layer L1 vary depending on the number of layers stacked on the liner 10. Figure 2 In this example, six first reinforcing portions 210 and seven second reinforcing portions 220 are alternately arranged. Each first reinforcing portion 210 and each second reinforcing portion 220 has a predetermined width along the axial direction and is wound circumferentially relative to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12. Furthermore, in Figure 2 In order to make the technology easier to understand, the first reinforcing part 210 and the second reinforcing part 220 are shown schematically, and the dimensions of each part are not accurately represented.

[0054] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the first fiber layer L1 has a first reinforcing portion 210 in the area RG1 that forms the outer periphery of the dome 14. According to the gas cylinder 100 of this embodiment, by forming the first reinforcing portion 210 on the outer periphery of the curved dome 14, the undesirable situation of fiber material slippage can be suppressed compared to helical winding. Furthermore, provided that the gas cylinder 100 has sufficient strength, a second reinforcing portion 220 can be formed in the area RG1 of the first fiber layer L1, or the fiber layer in the area RG1 can be omitted and the first reinforcing portion 210 can be formed only on the outer periphery of the cylinder portion 12.

[0055] In the first fiber layer L1, a first reinforcing portion 210 in range RG1 and a first reinforcing portion 210 and a second reinforcing portion 220 in range RG2 are continuously formed. Specifically, after the first reinforcing portion 210 is formed in range RG1, the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 in range RG2 are formed continuously. In range RG2, the winding method of the fiber material is switched and the second reinforcing portion 220 and the first reinforcing portion 210 are formed alternately. After the fiber layer in range RG2 is formed, the first fiber layer L1 is completed by forming the first reinforcing portion 210 in another range RG1.

[0056] exist Figure 2 In the first fiber layer L1, the boundary portion BR is schematically shown. Figure 2 In the example, this is the position where the formation of the second reinforcement 220 is switched after the formation of the first reinforcement 210 in a range RG1. The boundary portion BR includes the dome 14 of the liner 10 and the boundary BD of the cylindrical portion 12, and has a defined width. Specifically, the boundary portion BR is a range with a defined width relative to the boundary BD in the axial direction, having a distance LW as an error to allow for the width WF of two fiber materials.

[0057] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged view of the area AR1 of the first reinforcing section 210. Figure 4 It means Figure 3 A cross-sectional view at position IV-IV. (See attached image.) Figure 3 , 4 As shown, the fibrous material may have a strip-like shape, with a predetermined width WF of several millimeters. However, the fibrous material can also be any shape, such as thread or sheet. The thickness of each piece of fibrous material can be set to any thickness, for example, less than 0.5 millimeters. In this embodiment, the thickness of each piece of fibrous material is 0.3 millimeters.

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown, fiber material 211 is wound at an angle θ1 relative to the central axis AX of lining 10, forming an upward angle. Fiber materials 212 to 215 are wound at an angle θ2 relative to the central axis AX of lining 10, forming a downward angle. Angles θ1 and θ2 can be arbitrarily set. For example, it is preferable to set angles θ1 and θ2 considering the stress acting on the cylinder portion 12 of lining 10. In this embodiment, in order to obtain a gas cylinder 100 with sufficient strength, for example, angle θ1 is set near AX + 54.7 degrees, and angle θ2 is set for example, near AX - 54.7 degrees.

[0059] like Figure 4 As shown, the first reinforcing portion 210 is formed by interlacing the arrangement of fiber materials 211 and 212-215 along the lamination direction on the inner and outer sides. In this embodiment, the fiber materials 211 are arranged in units of two fiber materials. The first reinforcing portion 210 includes a layer L11 with a thickness of one fiber material on the outer side of the gas tank 100 and a layer L12 with a thickness of one fiber material on the inner side of the gas tank 100. The thickness of the first reinforcing portion 210 in each of the first fiber layers L1 is the thickness of two fiber materials.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, since the first reinforcing portion 210 is formed by interlacing multiple fiber materials, the binding force between the fiber materials is higher compared to helical winding. Therefore, for example, compared to the second reinforcing portion 220, the first reinforcing portion 210 can suppress the undesirable situation of disordered fiber arrangement and the undesirable situation of displacement from the predetermined arrangement position due to fiber slippage during winding of the fiber material.

[0061] like Figure 3As shown, the first reinforcing section 210 has gaps GP between the interwoven fibers due to the interlacing of multiple fibers. Therefore, in the first reinforcing section 210, the resin material can be easily impregnated compared to a fiber layer formed by tightly adhering fibers such as spiral winding.

[0062] Figure 5 This is an enlarged explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the second reinforcing section 220. Figure 5 The enlarged view shows a portion of the second reinforcing section 220, specifically the AR2 area. (See image below.) Figure 5 As shown, fiber material 221 is wound at an angle θ3 relative to the central axis AX of lining 10, forming an elevation angle. Fiber materials 222 to 225 are wound parallel to each other at an angle θ4 relative to the central axis AX, forming a depression angle. Angles θ3 and θ4 can be arbitrarily set, for example, taking into account the stress acting on the cylindrical portion 12 of lining 10. In this embodiment, angles θ3 and θ4 are configured to be the same as the angles θ1 and θ2 described above.

[0063] Figure 6 It means Figure 5 A sectional view at position VI-VI. (See attached image.) Figure 6 As shown, the second reinforcing portion 220 has a layer L21 disposed on the outer side of the gas tank 100, such as fiber material 221, and a layer L22 disposed on the inner side of the gas tank 100, such as fiber materials 222 to 225. Furthermore, layers L21 and L22 are continuous with the fiber materials forming layers L11 and L12 described above. In the following description, the number of layers of the second fiber layer L2 is counted as "1 layer" when layers L21 and L22 are added together; similarly, the number of layers of the first fiber layer L1 is counted as "1 layer" when layers L11 and L12 are added together. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the second reinforcing portion 220 is 0.6 mm.

[0064] like Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the second reinforcing section 220 is constructed by spirally winding multiple fibers parallel to each other, thereby winding them in a tightly packed state. Therefore, the density of the fiber material is higher than that of woven winding, resulting in higher strength of the gas canister 100. In the second reinforcing section 220, the fiber material is tightly packed, thus making it more difficult to impregnate with resin material, for example, when pressure-filled using the RTM method, compared to the first reinforcing section 210.

[0065] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram showing a simplified structure of the manufacturing apparatus 300 for the gas cylinder 100. The manufacturing apparatus 300 is a device for winding fibrous material onto the lining 10. The manufacturing apparatus 300 includes a first supply section 42 and a second supply section 44 for supplying the fibrous material, and a moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the lining 10 in the direction DRT. Furthermore, in... Figure 7 For ease of illustration, two first supply sections 42 and a second supply section 44 are shown, but in reality, they have a number corresponding to the number of strands of wound fiber material.

[0066] The manufacturing apparatus 300 rotates the first supply section 42 for feeding fiber material 22A and the second supply section 44 for feeding fiber material 22B around the movement paths OR1 and OR2 of the lining 10, respectively. The manufacturing apparatus 300 moves the lining 10 along the axial direction DRT and sequentially winds the fiber materials 22A and 22B relative to the outer periphery of one dome 14, the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12, and the outer periphery of the other dome 14 of the lining 10.

[0067] In the case of spiral winding and braided winding, the manufacturing apparatus 300 can switch the movement paths OR1 and OR2 to different paths. Figure 7 In the example, the movement paths OR1 and OR2 are shown in the case of spiral winding.

[0068] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates the movement paths OR1 and OR2 of the first supply unit 42 and the second supply unit 44 in the case of spiral winding. The movement path OR1 of the first supply unit 42 is represented by a solid line, and the movement path OR2 of the second supply unit 44 is represented by a dashed line. The first supply unit 42 and the second supply unit 44 are arranged, for example, along movement paths OR1 and OR2, which are two concentric circles surrounding the central axis AX. Movement path OR1 is positioned further away from the central axis AX than movement path OR2, i.e., radially outward. Furthermore, movement paths OR1 and OR2 are not limited to concentric circles; they can also be any shape of track that allows the first supply unit 42 and the second supply unit 44 to rotate around the central axis AX.

[0069] like Figure 8 As shown, the moving direction DR1 of the first supply unit 42 on moving path OR1 and the moving direction DR2 of the second supply unit 44 on moving path OR2 are opposite to each other. Figure 7 As shown, a second supply section 44, rotating in the direction of movement DR2, winds a plurality of fiber materials 22B around the outer periphery of the lining 10 at an angle θ4 relative to the central axis AX, forming a downward angle. A first supply section 42, rotating in the direction of movement DR1, winds a plurality of fiber materials 22A around the outer side of the fiber materials 22B at an angle θ3 relative to the central axis AX, forming an upward angle. As a result, a second reinforcing section 220 is formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical section 12, with a layer L21 disposed on the outer side and a layer L22 disposed on the inner side.

[0070] Figure 9This is an explanatory diagram showing the movement paths OR1b and OR2b of the first supply unit 42 and the second supply unit 44 during the weaving and winding process. To facilitate understanding of the technology, in Figure 9 In the diagram, the movement path OR1b of the first supply unit 42 is represented by a solid line, and the movement path OR2b of the second supply unit 44 is represented by a dashed line.

[0071] like Figure 9 As shown, the moving direction DR1 of the first supply section 42 on the moving path OR1b and the moving direction DR2 of the second supply section 44 on the moving path OR2b are opposite to each other. In the moving paths OR1b and OR2b, the first supply section 42 is radially inner and the second supply section 44 is radially outer, alternating between the two states. As a result, fiber material 22B supplied at an angle θ2 relative to the central axis AX (a downward angle) and fiber material 22A supplied at an angle θ1 relative to the central axis AX (an upward angle) are wound around the outer periphery of the lining 10 in an interlaced weave. Consequently, a first reinforcing section 210 is formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical section 12, with a layer L11 disposed on the outer side and a layer L12 disposed on the inner side.

[0072] The manufacturing apparatus 300 is capable of switching movement paths OR1, OR2 and OR1b, OR2b at any time relative to the liner 10 moving in the direction DRT. For example, during the formation of... Figure 2 In the case of the first fiber layer L1 shown, after the manufacturing apparatus 300 weaves and winds the outer periphery of one dome 14 along movement paths OR1b and OR2b, at the boundary portion BR, it switches the movement paths OR1b and OR2b to movement paths OR1 and OR2 to spirally wind the cylindrical portion 12. The manufacturing apparatus 300 switches the movement paths at the switching positions of the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12, thereby alternately switching between spiral winding and weaving and forming a fiber layer with a range RG2. Once the manufacturing apparatus 300 has completed forming the fiber layer on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12, at the boundary portion BR between the cylindrical portion 12 and another dome 14, it switches from movement paths OR1 and OR2 to movement paths OR1b and OR2b and weaves and winds the other dome 14. In the case of forming the second fiber layer L2, the manufacturing apparatus 300 weaves and winds the entire lining 10 without switching the movement paths OR1 and OR2.

[0073] Figure 10This is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the substrate having a second fiber layer L2 on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12. The "second fiber layer" refers to a fiber layer that has a first reinforcing portion 210 in the area RG2 that forms the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 12, but does not have a second reinforcing portion 220 in the area RG2. The second fiber layer L2 differs from the first fiber layer L1 in that it does not have a second reinforcing portion 220. In this embodiment, the second fiber layer L2 has a first reinforcing portion 210 in the area RG1 that forms the outer periphery of the dome 14 of the lining 10, in addition to the area RG2. That is, the first fiber layer L1 continuously forms only the first reinforcing portion 210 throughout the areas RG1 and RG2, thereby having a first reinforcing portion 210 on the entire outer periphery of the lining 10. When the second fiber layer L2 is formed, the manufacturing apparatus 300 does not switch the movement paths OR1 and OR2 but weaves and winds the entire lining 10. Since the second fiber layer L2 is formed on the entire outer periphery of the lining 10 by weaving and winding, it is also called a "woven and wound layer". Furthermore, in the following description, the number of layers in the second fiber layer L2 is the same as that in the first fiber layer L1, and the sum of layers L21 and L22 is counted as "1 layer". In this embodiment, the thickness of the first reinforcing portion 210 is 0.6 mm. In addition, provided that the gas cylinder 100 has sufficient strength, the first reinforcing portion 210 may be formed in the second fiber layer L2 within the range RG1, or the fiber layer within the range RG1 may be omitted and the first reinforcing portion 210 may only be formed on the outer periphery of the cylinder portion 12.

[0074] Figure 11 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 of the gas tank 100 according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 11 The table TB1 shown corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 in the range RG2. Table TB1 schematically illustrates the arrangement of the first fiber layer L1 and the second fiber layer L2 in the lamination direction, and the arrangement of the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 in the axial direction. Furthermore, for ease of illustration, a portion of the fiber layer in the range RG2 is shown in Table TB1; however, in reality, fiber layers with the same structure as those in Table TB1 are repeatedly formed, for example, at a position slightly to the right of the right end of Table TB1.

[0075] The horizontal axis CL1 of Table TB1 represents the distance in centimeters along the axis starting from the left boundary BD. The vertical axis RW represents the number of fiber layers included in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 on the lining 10. The bottom section of Table TB1 is the lining 10, and its lower side represents the interior of the gas tank 100. The top section of Table TB1 is the 12th fiber layer, which is the outermost layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20. The first fiber layer stacked on the outer surface of the lining 10 is also referred to as the "innermost layer," and the layers between the innermost and outermost layers (layers 2 to 11 in this embodiment) are also referred to as the "inner layer." In Table TB1 and the following Tables TB2 to TB5, for ease of illustration, the first reinforcing part 210 and the second reinforcing part 220 are represented as a block with a width of 1 cm × height of 1 fiber layer. To facilitate technical understanding, the first reinforcing part 210 is marked with a shaded line.

[0076] like Figure 11 As shown, in the gas canister 100 of this embodiment, a first fiber layer L1 is provided in the inner layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20. This first fiber layer L1 has a first reinforcing portion 210 formed by weaving and winding, and a second reinforcing portion 220 formed by spiral winding on the outer periphery of the cylinder portion 12. By providing the second reinforcing portion 220, the strength of the gas canister 100 is improved in the first fiber layer L1, and the impregnation performance of the resin material on the fiber layer is improved by providing the first reinforcing portion 210. Therefore, a gas canister 100 that achieves a balance between suppressing insufficient impregnation of the resin material and improving strength can be obtained. Compared to the case where the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 are provided in a single fiber layer, a gas canister 100 that achieves a balance in the shape, strength, and impregnation performance of each fiber layer can be obtained by providing both the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 in a single fiber layer.

[0077] In the gas tank 100 of this embodiment, a second fiber layer L2 is disposed on the outermost layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20. If the resin material is pressurized and filled into the mold by the RTM method, the high-speed, high-pressure resin material collides with the fiber layer, resulting in problems such as disordered fiber arrangement, fiber peeling, and floating. By disposing the second fiber layer L2, which only has a first reinforcing portion 210 with high mutual binding force between the fibers, on the outermost layer, when the resin material is impregnated into the fiber layer, it is possible to suppress or prevent disordered fiber arrangement and fiber peeling on the outer surface of the fiber layer caused by the collision of the resin material.

[0078] In the gas tank 100 of this embodiment, a second fiber layer L2 is disposed in the innermost layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20. The innermost layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 is easily affected by the deformation of the lining 10, and the density of the fiber material tends to be higher compared to the inner fiber layers. Therefore, the innermost layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 is more difficult to impregnate with resin material compared to other layers. This characteristic becomes particularly significant when the lining 10 is made of easily deformable resin. In this embodiment, by disposing a second fiber layer L2, which only has a first reinforcing portion 210 that facilitates resin material impregnation, inadequate impregnation of the resin material in the innermost layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 can be suppressed or prevented.

[0079] In the gas canister 100 of this embodiment, the entire inner layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 is formed of the first fiber layer L1, and each inner layer includes both a first reinforcing portion 210 and a second reinforcing portion 220. With this configuration, a gas canister 100 achieving a balance in the shape, strength, and impregnation properties of the entire fiber layer can be obtained.

[0080] In this embodiment, the first reinforcing part 210 and the second reinforcing part 220 are configured according to a predetermined rule, and are respectively disposed at different positions in each layer of the first fiber layer L1. Figure 11 The image shows region T1, enclosed by a dashed line. Region T1 is 5 stories high and 15 centimeters wide. Figure 11 In this example, the inner layer is divided into four regions T1. Figure 11 In region T1 shown in the lower left, a first reinforcing portion 210 with an axial width of 5 cm is disposed at the left end of the 6th layer, and a second reinforcing portion 220 with a width of 10 cm is disposed adjacent to the first reinforcing portion 210. Conversely, in the 5th layer, the first reinforcing portion 210 is disposed at a position offset 3 cm axially from its position relative to the 6th layer. Similarly, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd layers, they are disposed at axial offsets of 3 cm each relative to the upper layer. Furthermore, in region T1, the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 can be disposed in repeated positions from the left end when repeatedly offset to the right end of region T1. In the inner layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20, the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 are also regularly arranged by repeatedly arranging region T1 in the axial and lamination directions. Furthermore, in the above-described… Figure 2 The image shows an example of the appearance of a matrix in the state of the first fiber layer L1, which has formed the fourth layer.

[0081] like Figure 11As shown, the first reinforcing portion 210 includes a repeating portion OL. The repeating portion OL is at least a portion of the first reinforcing portion 210 present in the lower first fiber layer L1, and is repeatedly laminated with the first reinforcing portion 210 present in the upper first fiber layer L1. "Upper layer" refers to a fiber layer laminated on top of the fiber layer to be targeted. Similarly, "lower layer" refers to a fiber layer on the bottom. Figure 11 In the example, the repeating section OL is a 2 cm region on the right side of the upper first reinforcing section 210, which is a region that is repeatedly layered relative to a 2 cm region on the left side of the lower first reinforcing section 210. According to the gas cylinder 100 of this embodiment, by repeatedly layering the upper and lower first reinforcing sections 210, a flow path that allows the resin material to flow smoothly can be formed between the fiber layers, thereby improving the impregnation performance of the resin material on the fiber layer. Furthermore, in order to ensure smooth flow of the resin material between the layers of the first reinforcing section 210, the width of the repeating section OL is preferably 0.1 cm or more. In this embodiment, considering the improvement in the impregnation performance of the resin material and the mechanical error of the switching position of the winding method of the fiber material by the manufacturing apparatus 300, the width of the repeating section OL is set to 2 cm.

[0082] Figure 12 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the flow path of the resin material when it is impregnated in the fiber layer of the gas canister 100 of this embodiment. Figure 12 The table TB2 shown is a... Figure 11 Table TB1 shows arrows D1 to D4 indicating the flow direction of the resin material. Using the RTM method, high-speed, high-pressure resin material is filled into the interior of a mold in which the matrix is ​​internally arranged and the mold is closed. As shown by arrow D1, the high-speed, high-pressure resin material impregnates the interior of the fiber layer after colliding with the outermost layer of the fiber layer within the mold.

[0083] In the gas tank 100 of this embodiment, all fiber layers included in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 are provided with first reinforcing portions 210, and all first fiber layers L1 included in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 are provided with repeating portions OL. By providing repeating portions OL between each layer from the outermost to the innermost layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20, as shown by arrow D2, a flow path for the resin material to flow smoothly between the fiber layers can be formed throughout the entire layer. As a result, the impregnation performance of the resin material on the fiber layers can be improved. Furthermore, as shown by arrow D3, resin material is supplied to the second reinforcing portions 220 of each layer from the upper and lower first reinforcing portions 210 and second reinforcing portions 220, while more resin material is impregnated axially from the first reinforcing portions 210 of each layer into the second reinforcing portions 220. As shown by arrow D4, resin material is impregnated along the entire area of ​​the second fiber layer L2 along the outer surface of the liner 10, reaching the innermost layer.

[0084] In the gas canister 100 of this embodiment, the first fiber layer L1 includes a plurality of first reinforcing portions 210 and a plurality of second reinforcing portions 220. By including a plurality of first reinforcing portions 210, a plurality of flow paths of resin material passing through the first reinforcing portions 210 can be formed, thereby further improving the impregnation performance of the resin material on the fiber layer. In addition, by distributing the first reinforcing portions 210 axially at a plurality of locations, a balance can be obtained between the axial strength of the fiber layer and the suppression of insufficient impregnation of the resin material in the gas canister 100.

[0085] like Figure 11 As shown, in the gas tank 100 of this embodiment, the first reinforcing portion 210 of the upper first fiber layer L1 is arranged axially offset by 3 cm relative to the first reinforcing portion 210 of the lower first fiber layer L1. By axially offsetting the first reinforcing portions 210, compared with the case where the first reinforcing portions 210 are arranged in a straight overlapping manner along the lamination direction, stress concentration in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 can be suppressed.

[0086] In the gas cylinder 100 of this embodiment, the first reinforcing portion 210 of the upper first fiber layer L1 is stacked on the portion of the lower first fiber layer L1 other than the repeating portion OL. That is, the upper first reinforcing portion 210 is stacked so that it is not formed on the repeating portion OL formed in the lower layer, thus avoiding the formation of the repeating portion OL on the repeating portion OL. By stacking the repeating portion OL in a way that does not overlap by more than three layers, stress concentration in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 can be suppressed.

[0087] like Figure 11 As shown, the horizontal axis CL2 of Table TB1 displays the total number of layers of the first reinforcing portion 210 included in the lamination direction at a specific location, with this total value shown at unit distances from the boundary BD. The horizontal axis CL3 shows the occupancy rate (in %) of the first reinforcing portion 210 layers in the fiber layer at unit distances from the boundary BD. For example, at a distance of 1-2 cm from the boundary BD within the range RG2, the first reinforcing portion 210 is present in the innermost layer, the 1st layer, the 6th-7th layers, the 11th layer, and the outermost layer, with a total of 6 layers of the first reinforcing portion 210. In this embodiment, the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 has 12 layers, and the occupancy rate of the first reinforcing portion 210 at this location is 50%.

[0088] From the viewpoint of improving the impregnation performance of the resin material, it is preferable that the proportion of the first reinforcing portion 210 included in the lamination direction is 30% or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving the strength within the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20, it is preferable that the proportion of the second reinforcing portion 220 is 30% or more, and preferably that the proportion of the first reinforcing portion 210 is less than 70%. When the proportion of the first reinforcing portion 210 included in the lamination direction is 33% to 50%, a better balance can be achieved between improving the strength within the gas canister 100 and improving the impregnation performance of the resin material.

[0089] In the gas canister 100 of this embodiment, as shown by the values ​​of the horizontal axis CL2, the total number of layers of the first reinforcing portion 210 included in the lamination direction is 4 to 6 layers. That is, in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20, the difference between the maximum and minimum value of the total number of layers of the first reinforcing portion 210 included in the lamination direction is two layers. By making the number of layers of the first reinforcing portion 210 included in the lamination direction of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 approximately uniform in the axial direction, it is possible to obtain a gas canister 100 that achieves an axial balance between the strength of the fiber layer and the suppression of insufficient impregnation of the resin material. Furthermore, it is preferable that the difference between the maximum and minimum value of the total number of layers of the first reinforcing portion 210 included in the lamination direction is a small number of layers, such as 3 layers or less; for example, it may be zero, 1 layer, or 2 layers.

[0090] B. Second Implementation Method:

[0091] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 of the gas tank 100 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 13 The table TB3 shown corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 in the range RG2. The arrangement positions of the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 of the gas canister 100 of the second embodiment are different from those of the gas canister 100 of the first embodiment, but the rest of the structure is the same as that of the gas canister 100 of the first embodiment.

[0092] As shown in Table TB3, in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20, first reinforcing portions 210 are arranged according to a first arrangement CS1 and a second arrangement CS2. The first arrangement CS1 is an arrangement in which the first reinforcing portions 210 disposed at the end on the boundary BD side of the 11th layer are staggered axially in stages as they move away from the boundary BD towards the lower layer. The second arrangement CS2 is an arrangement in the 11th layer where the first reinforcing portions 210 disposed at a position 30 cm away from the boundary BD are staggered axially in stages as they move closer to the boundary BD towards the lower layer. In addition, by arranging the first arrangement CS1 and the second arrangement CS2 in a mutually intersecting manner, the first reinforcing portions 210 are arranged in a so-called intersecting manner in a line-symmetrical manner with the stacking direction at a position 15 cm from the boundary BD as the axis of symmetry. According to the gas tank 100 of this embodiment, by adopting a truss structure in which the first reinforcing portions 210 are arranged in a line-symmetrical manner and arranged in a plurality of approximately triangular shapes in cross-section, the strength of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 can be improved.

[0093] C. Third implementation method:

[0094] Figure 14 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 of the gas tank 100 according to the third embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 14 The table TB4 shown corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 in the range RG2. The arrangement positions of the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 of the gas canister 100 of the third embodiment are different from those of the gas canister 100 of the first embodiment, but the rest of the structure is the same as that of the gas canister 100 of the first embodiment.

[0095] like Figure 14 As shown, in the gas canister 100 of this embodiment, the first reinforcing portion 210 of the upper first fiber layer L1 is stacked with the first reinforcing portion 210 of the lower first fiber layer L1 in a so-called stacked manner. By arranging the first reinforcing portions 210 in a straight line along the stacking direction, it is easy to impregnate the resin material into the innermost layer of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20, thereby suppressing or preventing insufficient impregnation of the resin material in the innermost layer.

[0096] D. Fourth implementation method:

[0097] Figure 15 This is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the structure of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 of the gas tank 100 according to the fourth embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 15The table TB5 shown is a cross-sectional view of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 corresponding to the range RG2. The arrangement positions of the first reinforcing portion 210 and the second reinforcing portion 220 in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20 of the gas canister 100 of the fourth embodiment are different from those of the gas canister 100 of the first embodiment, but the rest of the structure is the same as that of the gas canister 100 of the first embodiment.

[0098] In the gas cylinder 100 of the first embodiment, an example is shown where the first reinforcing portions 210 are arranged in stages with a 3 cm offset from each other in the direction away from the boundary BD as they move towards the lower layer. In contrast, in the gas cylinder 100 of the fourth embodiment, the first reinforcing portions 210 are arranged in stages with a 1 cm offset from each other in the direction away from the boundary BD as they move towards the lower layer. Thus, the offset between the upper and lower first reinforcing portions 210 is not limited to 3 cm and can be set at any distance. Furthermore, the offset is not limited to distance and can also be set by the number of fiber material sheets, etc.

[0099] In the gas tank 100 of the first embodiment, an example is shown where the upper first reinforcing portion 210 is stacked on top of the portion of the lower first reinforcing portion 210 other than the repeating portion OL. In contrast, as... Figure 15 As shown, the repeating part OL can also overlap by more than 3 layers.

[0100] E. Other implementation methods:

[0101] (E1) In the first embodiment described above, an example is shown in which the inner layer has 10 first fiber layers L1. However, the first fiber layer L1 of the inner layer is not limited to 10 layers. It can be an odd number of layers or any number of layers, such as 2 or more.

[0102] (E2) In the first embodiment described above, an example is shown where the outermost and innermost layers are both second fiber layers L2. In contrast, the outermost layer may be a first fiber layer L1, and the innermost layer may also be a first fiber layer L1. Both the outermost and innermost layers may also be first fiber layers L1.

[0103] (E3) In the first embodiment described above, an example is shown where the repeating portion OL is a region 2 cm from the right end of the upper first reinforcing portion 210, and is repeatedly laminated relative to a region 2 cm from the left end of the lower first reinforcing portion 210. In contrast, the size of the overlapping area of ​​the upper first reinforcing portion 210 relative to the lower first reinforcing portion 210 can be arbitrarily set for the repeating portion OL. For example, the upper first reinforcing portion 210 can be formed by repeatedly laminating over the entire region of the lower first reinforcing portion 210, or by repeatedly laminating in a manner where the entire region of the upper first reinforcing portion 210 is included in the lower first reinforcing portion 210. Furthermore, if the impregnation performance of the resin material in the fiber layer is sufficient, the first reinforcing portion 210 of the upper first fiber layer L1 and the first reinforcing portion 210 of the lower first fiber layer L1 may not be repeatedly laminated, or the repeating portion OL may be omitted. Additionally, the repeating portion OL may not be present in all fiber layers of the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20, or it may only be present in a portion of the fiber layers included in the fiber-reinforced resin layer 20.

[0104] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various structures without departing from its spirit. For example, technical features in embodiments corresponding to the technical features in the various forms described in the summary section of the invention can be appropriately replaced or combined. In addition, any technical feature not described as essential in this specification can be appropriately deleted.

Claims

1. A gas cylinder, characterized in that, The gas cylinder has the following features: The lining has a cylindrical body portion and rounded tops respectively disposed at both ends of the cylindrical body portion, the cylindrical body portion having a central axis; and A reinforcing layer is configured to cover the outer periphery of the lining. The reinforcing layer has multiple first fiber layers, each first fiber layer having a first reinforcing portion on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion where fibers are wound in an interlaced manner, and a second reinforcing portion where fibers are wound relative to the central axis at a predetermined angle. The first reinforcing portion of the upper first fiber layer has a repeating portion that is overlapped with at least a portion of the first reinforcing portion of the lower first fiber layer.

2. The gas tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first fiber layer has a plurality of first reinforcing portions and a plurality of second reinforcing portions.

3. The gas tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, All fiber layers included in the reinforcing layer have the first reinforcing portion. All of the first fiber layers included in the reinforcing layer have the repeating portion.

4. The gas tank according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first reinforcing portion of the upper first fiber layer is offset from the first reinforcing portion of the lower first fiber layer in the lining axially.

5. The gas tank according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first reinforcing portion of the upper first fiber layer is stacked on the portion of the lower first fiber layer other than the repeating portion of the first reinforcing portion.

6. The gas tank according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the reinforcing layer, the difference between the maximum value of the total number of the first reinforcing layers included in the stacking direction and the minimum value of the total number is 3 layers or less.

7. The gas tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outermost layer of the reinforcing layer is a second fiber layer that includes the first reinforcing portion but does not include the second reinforcing portion.

8. The gas tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The innermost layer of the reinforcing layer is a second fiber layer that includes the first reinforcing portion but does not include the second reinforcing portion.

9. The gas tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first fiber layer has the first reinforcing portion on the outer periphery of the dome.

10. A method for manufacturing a gas cylinder, characterized in that, The method for manufacturing the gas cylinder includes: The process of preparing a cylindrical body having a cylindrical section and linings with rounded tops respectively disposed at both ends of the cylindrical body, the cylindrical section having a central axis; and The process of forming a matrix having a fibrous layer on the outer periphery of the lining. The process of forming the matrix includes a process of forming a plurality of first fiber layers. The first fiber layers have a first reinforcing portion on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, in which fibers are wound in an interlaced manner, and a second reinforcing portion in which fibers are wound relative to the central axis at a predetermined angle. The first reinforcing portion of the upper first fiber layer has a repeating portion that is repeatedly layered with at least a portion of the first reinforcing portion of the lower first fiber layer.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The manufacturing method further comprises: The process of placing the formed substrate inside the mold and closing the mold; and The process of filling the closed mold with resin material to impregnate the fiber layer of the matrix with the resin material.

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