Method and apparatus for manufacturing a supportless high-pressure tank

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a supportless high-pressure tank comprising a three-dimensional blow-molded fiber structure wound with resin-impregnated fibers, comprising: spinning the resin-impregnated fiber in a blow-molded mold and depositing it on an inner surface of the mold; a spinning device for spinning the fiber moves and rotates along a moving shaft in the mold; the spinning is carried out in a circular direction by centrifugal force; and the three-dimensional blow-molded fiber structure is wound along an inner profile of the mold, the nozzle for spinning the fiber being combined with a spinning device having one or two degrees of freedom, such that the latter can be tilted monoaxially or biaxially at the tip of the spinning device; and wherein the viscosity of the resin with which the fiber is impregnated is 0.01 to 100 Pa xs.

Description

BACKGROUND(A) Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a supportless pressure vessel which can be used as a high-pressure tank by weaving continuous fibers in a centrifugal direction. (B) Description of the technical field

[0002] Due to the demand for carrierless containers, a high-pressure tank and manufacturing methods using memory foam are being developed. A blow-off tank (1.9 l, diameter: 152 mm, length: 203 mm, 0.2 kg), which was installed on the Fast Track 1 satellite and has a working pressure of 138 bar, a test pressure of 690 bar, and a rupture pressure of approximately 1300 to 1700 bar, was manufactured using Multiple Use Precision Extractable Tooling (MUPET) technology using cured epoxy by KIBOKO and T700 carbon fiber from Toray, a technology developed by Composite Technology Development Inc. (USA) in collaboration with the US Air Force Research Laboratory and the University of Texas.The technology is implemented by arranging filament coils, supporting them with shape memory foam to maintain the shape at room temperature, and applying pressure for thermal curing. After curing is complete, the shape memory foam is shrunk under vacuum and refrigeration conditions and removed from the tank, allowing the tank to be reused (see ). Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

[0003] As another reference for a method of manufacturing a pressure vessel, U.S. Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-0258575 shows a manufacturing method of the same by wrapping the prepared vessel with fibers and applying pressure to the inside of a mold for expansion injection molding.

[0004] Korean Patent No. 10-0857170 discloses a blow molding apparatus for carrier production installed on a high pressure vessel, which is configured to be provided with an adhesive for adhering 410 to be covered on the surface of a head-wing, which is equipped with a nozzle 400 which can move forward and backward.

[0005] Furthermore, US Patent Application No. 3900355 shows a device which is designed such that a nozzle tube 33 , which has a resin discharge opening 32 by a motor 43 rotates and resin solution is applied to the walls of a cylinder 30 sprayed by centrifugal force.

[0006] On the other hand, Korean Patent No. 10-1271454 shows a container manufactured by extruding a mixed material onto a mixed material discharge pipe in which the mixed material can move and spray onto a mold through a nozzle and simultaneously spraying glass fibers in the form of cut pieces cut to a predetermined length through a separate glass fiber nozzle.

[0007] However, none of the technologies described above demonstrate a way to wrap the interior of a container, control the wrap shape and physical properties, and simultaneously produce a support-less pressure vessel and have a continuous manufacturing process.

[0008] The above information presented in this Background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the background of the invention and may therefore contain information which does not constitute prior art known to a person of ordinary skill in the art in this country. SUMMARY

[0009] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a carrier-less high-pressure tank for storing CNG, LPG, H 2 and the like through an internal winding technology and a corresponding device.

[0010] In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank having a three-dimensional blown fiber structure woven with resin-impregnated fibers, wherein the resin-impregnated fibers are spun in a blow-molded die and deposited on the inner surface of the die; a spinning device that spins the fibers moves and rotates along a moving shaft in the die; the spinning is performed in a circumferential direction by centrifugal force; and the three-dimensional blown fiber structure is woven along the inner profile of the die; and an apparatus for performing the method.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the angular velocity of spinning in the circumferential direction may be accelerated as the spun fibers reach the inner surface of the mold.

[0012] In another preferred embodiment, the nozzle may be tilted as a unit in which the fiber is spun in the spinning device.

[0013] In still another preferred embodiment, the woven structure of the blown fiber structure and the density thereof can be estimated by a path of the spun fiber, a tilt angle of the nozzle as a unit at which the fiber is spun in the spinning device, a moving speed of the spinning device, and an internal shape of the mold.

[0014] In yet another preferred embodiment, the woven thickness of the blown fiber structure may become thicker as the spinning device repeatedly moves forward and backward along the moving shaft.

[0015] In yet another preferred embodiment, the present invention may further comprise compressing the textile in the mold after weaving or curing by heat, UV, or dehydration after removal from the mold.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment, the resin may be at least one thermosetting resin from a group consisting of isophthalic acid-based polyesters, vinyl esters, epoxies, polyesters and polyurethanes.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment, the fiber may be a carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber or a mixture thereof.

[0018] In yet another preferred embodiment, the carbon fiber may have a crystal size of about 1 to 6 nm as measured by wide angle X-ray spectroscopy (WAXS), and may have an average single fiber diameter of about 1 to 20 μm.

[0019] In yet another preferred embodiment, the viscosity of the resin with which the fiber is impregnated may be between 0.01 to 100 Pa·s.

[0020] Other aspects and preferred embodiments of the invention are described below.

[0021] It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicles" or similar terms, as used herein, includes motor vehicles in general, such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from a feedstock other than petroleum). As used herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more power sources, e.g., both gasoline- and electric-powered vehicles.

[0022] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is further understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “having,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of the recited features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the recited elements.

[0023] Furthermore, the control logic of the present invention may be embodied as a non-transitory computer-readable medium on a computer-readable medium having computer-executable program instructions executed by a processor, controller, or the like. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD)-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash memory, smart cards, and optical data storage media. The computer-readable medium may also be distributed among computer systems coupled together via a network such that the computer-readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed manner, e.g., through a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0024] The above and other features of the invention are described below. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS

[0025] The above and other features of the present invention will now be explained in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments of the invention which are illustrated by the accompanying drawings shown below, for illustration only and are therefore not limitative of the present invention, in which:

[0026] Fig. 1 (Prior Art) is a picture showing a variation of a shape memory foam according to changes in temperature, which is used in a MUPET technology;

[0027] Fig. 2 (Prior Art) is a picture showing the method for manufacturing a supportless pressure vessel developed by Composite Technology Development Inc. et al.;

[0028] Fig. 3 is a table classifying pressure vessels by type;

[0029] Fig. 4 is a diagram briefly showing a principle of manufacturing the carrierless high-pressure tank of the present invention; and

[0030] Fig. 5 is a diagram of the apparatus for manufacturing the carrierless high pressure tank of the present invention.

[0031] It should be understood that the attached drawings are not necessarily to scale, providing a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features indicative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention, as disclosed herein, include, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, arrangements, and shapes, which will be determined in part by a particular intended application and the environment of use.

[0032] In the figures, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout all figures of the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Reference will now be made in detail to a variety of different embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying figures and described below.

[0034] While the invention will be described in connection with exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, this invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also a variety of alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0035] Pressure vessels can be classified by type, as in Fig. 3 shown.

[0036] A pressure vessel made only of composite materials as disclosed in US 8,074,826 B2, which is incorporated herein by reference, may belong to Type V because polymer resin, cured epoxy from KIBOKU, which has resistance to small cracks when a pressure above the breaking pressure is applied to filament windings or braids.

[0037] The non-cylindrical pressure vessel disclosed in US 2010 / 0230417 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, may belong to Type IV because a beam divided into a plurality of sections is wrapped with a fiber-reinforced beam.

[0038] The method for manufacturing a pressure vessel reinforced by continuous fiber winding disclosed in US 3,765,557, which is incorporated herein by reference, is a technology that improves the fatigue durability characteristic by reinforcing the pressure vessel with braids using multifilament and can be applied to manufacturing types III and IV.

[0039] The technology provided by the present invention can produce a carrierless blow-molded tank by rotating a spinning device for impregnated fibers so that the spun fibers move in a circumferential direction by centrifugal force, thereby causing winding or weaving of the fibers along the inner shape of the mold (see Fig. 4).

[0040] The core technology for manufacturing a Type V high pressure tank as described in Fig. 3, consists of winding or weaving glass fibers or carbon fibers into filaments in a blow-molded mold without the use of metal or polymer supports. The existing patented process (MUPET) described above is performed by weaving a filament using shape memory foam as a support, followed by shrinking the shape memory foam by cooling and extracting it from the interior.

[0041] The present invention enables the manufacture of a type V high-pressure tank without a separate support by rotating a spinning device in the process of spinning the impregnated fibers to exert a centrifugal force on the fibers, thereby settling the woven or spun fibers in the interior of the tank-shaped mold.

[0042] With particular reference to Fig.5, A refers to a fiber used for braiding or filament winding, which is resin-impregnated in the step before being spun from a nozzle B; B shows the nozzle for spinning the fiber, which is combined to C with the degree of freedom of 1 or 2 to be tilted monoaxially or biaxially at the tip of C; C shows a spinning device combined with B, the center of which is located below, which can move forward and backward and can rotate on a central axis and wherein the fiber moves through a blow-out opening of B; and D and E show a mold for producing a blow-molded type of part, which consists of the upper part D and the lower part E and in which the fiber spun by B is wound or woven along the inner shape of the mold of D and E.

[0043] In the figure, the section “I” is a section for supporting the path of the initially spun fiber and then the fiber can be spun into a part having the shape of section 2, after section 1.

[0044] The angular velocity of fiber rotation by rotational movement of C can be increased until the fiber reaches the inner surface of the mold.

[0045] The woven shape of the blow-molded fiber structure and the density thereof can be estimated by a path of the spun fiber, an inclination angle of the nozzle B as a unit at which the fiber is spun in the spinning device C, a moving speed of the spinning device and an internal shape of the mold, and the woven thickness of the blow-molded fiber structure can be controlled by repeatedly moving the spinning device C forward and backward.

[0046] Since the point in the mold that the fiber reaches can be controlled by moving "C" forward and backward, the inner wall of the mold can be densely filled with the fiber spun by "B" by controlling the movement of B together with the movement of C.

[0047] Fundamentally, the fiber path can be easily estimated based on information such as the motion of "B" and "C" and the shape of the mold. Consequently, based on the information about the shape of the mold, a fiber spinning speed and motor functions of "B" and "C" can be calculated.

[0048] Therefore, when a high pressure tank is manufactured using the present apparatus, at the beginning, the motor function of “B” and “C” for weaving or winding can be automatically calculated based on the shape information of the mold, and the apparatus is operated according to the function to manufacture the final product.

[0049] Further, the thickness of the woven or wound wall can be controlled by repeatedly performing the forward and backward movement of C, and after completing the weaving or winding, the mold can be closed and cured by applying internal pressure with air pressure, or the woven or wound product can be cured after being removed from the mold to produce the final product.

[0050] To manufacture the blow-molded high-pressure tank using centrifugal spinning, a fiber bundle impregnated with thermosetting resin is required. The thermosetting resin may include isophthalic acid-based polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy, polyester, and polyurethane. Such polymer resins may be used in an amount of 20 to 70% by mass, preferably, and the viscosity of the resin impregnated into the fiber may be between 0.01 and 100 Pa s (measured in accordance with KSM3822 standard method). The fiber bundle should be spun in the pre-curing state with thermosetting resin impregnated, and in the pre-curing state, it may have an adhesive force high enough to allow it to adhere tightly to the mold and remain there due to the viscosity of the mold.

[0051] To provide additional functions, the thermosetting resin may further comprise flame retardants, antioxidants, thermostabilizing agents, lubricants, impregnating agents, dyes, pigments and inorganic fillers.

[0052] The fiber may be a carbon fiber, and preferably, the carbon fiber may have a crystal size of about 1 to 6 nm as measured by a wide-angle X-ray spectroscopy (WAXS) method, and may have an average single fiber diameter of about 1 to 20 μm, which are most suitable for the high-pressure vessel in terms of mechanical properties.

[0053] It should be noted that glass fibers or aramid fibers can also be used instead of carbon fibers and that two of these can be used in combination.

[0054] The present invention simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and provides a lightweight tank for manufacturing a support-less high-pressure tank. The invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. However, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0055] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0056] US 2005-0258575

[0003] KR 10-0857170

[0004] US 3900355

[0005] KR 10-1271454

[0006] US 8074826 B2

[0036] US 2010 / 0230417 A1

[0037] US 3765557

[0038] Cited non-patent literature

[0057] KSM3822 standard procedure

[0050]

Claims

[1] A method of manufacturing a carrier-less high-pressure tank having a three-dimensional blow-molded fiber structure woven with resin-impregnated fibers, comprising: Spinning the resin-impregnated fiber in a mold which is blow-molded and depositing it on an inner surface of the mold; a spinning device which spins the fibre moves and rotates along a moving shaft in the mould; the spinning is carried out in a circumferential direction by centrifugal force; and the three-dimensional blow-molded fiber structure is woven along an inner profile of the mold. [2] The method according to claim 1, wherein an angular velocity of spinning in the circumferential direction is accelerated until the spun fiber reaches the inner surface of the mold. [3] The method according to claim 1, wherein a nozzle as a unit at which the fiber is spun in the spinning device is tilted. [4] The method according to claim 1, wherein the woven shape of the blow-molded fiber structure and a density thereof are estimated by a path of the fiber to be spun, a tilt angle of the nozzle as a unit at which the fiber is spun in the spinning device, a moving speed of the spinning device, and an internal shape of the mold. [5] The method of claim 1, wherein the woven thickness of the blow-molded fiber structure becomes thicker as the spinning device repeatedly moves back and forth along the moving shaft. [6] The method of claim 1, further comprising: Compression of the textile in the mold after weaving or curing by heat or UV, or dehydration after removal from the mold. [7] The method of claim 1, wherein the resin is at least one thermosetting resin selected from a group consisting of isophthalic acid-based polyesters, vinyl esters, epoxies, polyesters and polyurethanes. [8] The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber is a carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber or a mixture thereof. [9] The method of claim 8, wherein the carbon fiber has a crystal size of about 1 to 6 nm as measured by a wide-angle X-ray spectroscopy (WAXS) method and an average single fiber diameter of about 1 to 20 μm. [10] The method according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the resin with which the fiber is impregnated is 0.01 to 100 Pa × s. [11] An apparatus for manufacturing a carrier-less high-pressure tank having a blow-molded fiber structure which is a resin-impregnated fiber textile, comprising: a fiber used for braiding or filament winding, which is impregnated with resin before being spun from a nozzle; the nozzle for spinning the fiber is combined with a spinning device with a degree of freedom of 1 or 2, so that it can be tilted monoaxially or biaxially at the tip of the spinning device; the spinning device is configured to move forward and backward and rotate on a central axis, with the fiber moving to the nozzle through a blow-out part; and a mold for producing blow-molded parts, which has an upper part and a lower part, and in which the fiber spun from the nozzle is wound or woven along an inner shape of the mold. [12] The apparatus of claim 11, wherein an angular velocity of the fiber spun by the spinning device is increased until the spun fiber reaches the inner surface of the mold. [13] The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the woven shape of the blow-molded fiber structures and the density thereof are estimated based on a path of the spun fiber, a tilt angle of the nozzle as a unit from which the fiber is spun in the spinning device, a moving speed of the spinning device, and an internal shape of the mold. [14] The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the woven thickness of the blow-molded fiber structure is controlled by repeatedly moving the spinning device forward and backward. [15] The device according to claim 11, wherein the resin is at least one thermosetting resin selected from a group consisting of: isophthalic acid-based polyesters, vinyl esters, epoxies, polyesters and polyurethanes. [16] The device of claim 11, wherein the fiber is a carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber or a mixture thereof. [17] The device of claim 16, wherein the carbon fiber has a crystal size of about 1 to 6 nm as measured by a wide angle x-ray spectroscopy (WAXS) method and an average single fiber thickness of about 1 to 20 μm. [18] The device according to claim 11, wherein a viscosity of the resin with which the fibers are impregnated is between 0.01 and 100 Pa × s.

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