Storage container

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage container (1) for storing a cryogenic agent (H2), comprising an inner container (3) for receiving the cryogenic agent (H2) and an outer container (10A, 10B) in which the inner container (3) is accommodated, the outer container (10A, 10B) having reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29) for reinforcing the outer container (10A, 10B), the outer container (10A, 10B) having support elements (27, 33) made of a composite material, at least a part of which is disposed within gaps (26, 32) between two adjacent reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29) for supporting the reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage container for storing cryogenic agents.

Background Art

[0002] The applicant is aware of a domestic double-wall storage container for liquid hydrogen having an outer container and an inner container disposed within the outer container for receiving liquid hydrogen. The gap provided between the inner container and the outer container is subjected to a vacuum. This gap can be at least partially filled with an insulating material. In order to reinforce the outer container, it is possible to provide reinforcing rings spaced apart from each other along the central axis of the storage container. However, these reinforcing rings lead to an increase in the weight of the storage container and an increase in the installation space of the storage container. This needs to be improved.

[0003] From such a background, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved storage container.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Accordingly, a storage container for storing cryogenic agents is proposed. The storage container includes an inner container for receiving a cryogenic agent and an outer container in which the inner container is housed. The outer container has a reinforcing ring for reinforcing the outer container. The outer container has a support element made of a composite material, and at least some portions thereof are disposed in the gap between two adjacent reinforcing rings to support the reinforcing ring.

[0005] Due to the fact that a support element for supporting the reinforcing ring is provided, it is possible to increase the distance between the reinforcing rings and / or make the reinforcing rings smaller compared to a storage container without such a support element, particularly in extreme cases without including the reinforcing ring. This makes it possible to reduce the weight of the storage container. It is also possible to reduce the installation space of the storage container. At the same time, the installation space of the inner container can be increased.

[0006] The storage container is also particularly suitable for transporting cryogens. Therefore, the storage container can also be referred to as a transport container. The storage container has at least a double wall and can thus also be referred to as a double-walled storage container. The cryogen can be liquid hydrogen. Therefore, the term "cryogen" is interchangeable with the term "hydrogen". However, the cryogen can also be liquid helium, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, argon, neon, etc. Since the storage container is preferably suitable for receiving liquid hydrogen, it can also be referred to as a hydrogen storage container or a hydrogen storage tank. The storage container can be part of a means of transport, in particular a ship. In this case, the storage container is suitable for mobile applications. However, the storage container is also suitable for fixed use, for example in construction technology.

[0007] The storage container is preferably rotationally symmetric with respect to a central axis or an axis of symmetry. Therefore, the inner container and the outer container are also rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry. The storage container is preferably arranged such that the axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the direction of gravity. This means that the storage container is arranged horizontally. However, the storage container can also be arranged vertically. In this case, the axis of symmetry is oriented parallel to the direction of gravity.

[0008] The inner container and the outer container are preferably both cylindrical. The inner container and the outer container each have a cylindrical base that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry. The bases of the inner container and the outer container are both connected at their ends to two outwardly domed cover parts. However, this is not necessarily the case. The cover parts can also be designed differently. In particular, the inner container is arranged completely within the outer container such that the outer container completely or partially surrounds or encloses the inner container. The inner container can also be referred to as an inner tank. The outer container can also be referred to as an outer tank.

[0009] The reinforcing ring is, in particular, part of the outer container. As described above, the outer container preferably has a base provided with a reinforcing ring. The reinforcing ring can also be referred to as a stiffening ring. Thus, the term "reinforcing ring" can be optionally interchangeable with the term "stiffening ring". The reinforcing ring is particularly suitable for stiffening the outer container. In this context, "rigidity" is generally understood to mean the resistance of the body to deformation exerted by an external load, and it conveys the relationship between the load applied to the body and its deformation. Rigidity is determined by the material of the body and its geometric shape. The reinforcing ring can prevent buckling or denting of the outer container.

[0010] The reinforcing rings are spaced apart and arranged adjacent to each other when viewed along the axis of symmetry. The number of reinforcing rings is arbitrary. The support element is provided between two adjacent reinforcing rings. The support element has a cylindrical geometric shape that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry. The gap provided between two adjacent reinforcing rings extends along the radial direction of the storage container. The radial direction is oriented perpendicular to the axis of symmetry and away from the axis of symmetry.

[0011] Preferably, the support element completely fills the gap between two adjacent reinforcing rings. The reinforcing ring is supported on the support element. Thus, two adjacent reinforcing rings are indirectly supported by each other via the support element. The fact that the reinforcing ring is "supported" by the support element particularly means that the support element absorbs the force from the reinforcing ring. In particular, the force acting on the reinforcing ring is absorbed by the support element and introduced into the outer container. However, the support element can also directly transmit force to the outer container.

[0012] In this case, the "composite material" is, for example, a material having a matrix in which a filler in the form of fibers is embedded, for example, a plastic material. The plastic material can be a thermoplastic or thermosetting material such as an epoxy resin. The fibers can be long fibers or short fibers. In this case, it can be understood that "short fibers" means fibers having a fiber length of less than 5 mm. Therefore, it is understood that "long fibers" means fibers having a fiber length of 5 mm or more. The fibers can be glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, natural fibers, etc. The reinforcing ring can also be made of a composite material.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the inner container is disposed within the reinforcing ring.

[0014] The reinforcing ring is in particular annular or disc-shaped and includes a cylindrical outer surface and a cylindrical inner surface. The outer surface and the inner surface are each rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry. The inner container is passed through the reinforcing ring. This means in particular that the reinforcing ring completely surrounds or encloses the inner container. The reinforcing ring also means that it only partially or incompletely surrounds or encloses the inner container.

[0015] According to a further embodiment, the inner container is disposed within the support element.

[0016] As described above, the support element has a cylindrical or tubular geometric shape that surrounds or encloses the inner container. Therefore, the support element surrounds or encloses the inner container.

[0017] According to a further embodiment, the outer container surrounds the support element or the support element surrounds the outer container.

[0018] In the former case, the support element is attached inside the outer container. In the latter case, the support element is attached outside the outer container. However, the outer container can also have a support element attached inside and an additional support element attached outside.

[0019] According to a further embodiment, the reinforcing ring and the support element are attached inside the outer container.

[0020] In this case, the reinforcing ring is connected to the cylindrical inner surface of the outer container by their cylindrical outer surfaces.

[0021] According to a further embodiment, the outer container has an inner surface facing the inner container, and the reinforcing ring and the support element are materially connected to the inner surface at least in some parts.

[0022] In a material connection, the mating parts are held together by atomic or intermolecular forces. The material connection is a non-releasable connection that can only be separated by destroying the connection means and / or the mating parts. The material connection can be brought about, for example, by adhesive bonding, soldering, or welding. In this case, the support element can be adhesively bonded to the inner surface of the outer container, for example. The reinforcing ring can be soldered, welded, and / or adhesively bonded to the inner surface of the outer container. The support element and the reinforcing ring are also materially connected to each other. In particular, the support element is adhesively bonded to the reinforcing ring.

[0023] According to a further embodiment, the reinforcing ring and the support element are attached outside the outer container.

[0024] The reinforcing ring and the support element are connected, in particular, to the outer surface of the outer container. In addition, the reinforcing ring and the corresponding support element can also be provided inside the outer container.

[0025] According to a further embodiment, the outer container has an outer surface facing away from the inner container, and the reinforcing ring and the support element are materially connected to the outer surface.

[0026] The reinforcing ring has a cylindrical inner surface as described above, which is materially connected to the outer surface of the outer container.

[0027] According to a further embodiment, a gap provided to a vacuum is provided between the inner container and the outer container, and a reinforcing ring and a support element are disposed within the gap.

[0028] Alternatively, the reinforcing ring and the support element may also be disposed outside the gap. In this case, the reinforcing ring and the support element are provided outside the outer container, rather than inside the outer container. In this case, "vacuum" is understood to mean a pressure of less than 300 mbar, preferably less than 10 -3 mbar, more preferably less than 10 -7 mbar. Thus, the storage container is vacuum-insulated. The gap extends particularly along the radial direction.

[0029] According to a further embodiment, an insulating element surrounding the inner container is disposed within the gap.

[0030] Preferably, the insulating element does not completely fill the gap. A further gap, which is part of the gap described above, may be provided between the insulating element and the support element. This additional gap is optional. The insulating element and the support element may also completely fill the gap provided between the inner container and the outer container. The insulating element serves as insulation. The insulating element is multi-layered. This means that the insulating element comprises a plurality of layers. Thus, the insulating element can also be referred to as a multi-layer insulating element or a multi-layer heat insulating element. In particular, the insulating element is so-called multi-layer insulation (MLI). In this case, the insulating element includes a plurality of alternately arranged layers of perforated and / or embossed aluminum foil as a reflector and glass paper as a spacer between adjacent aluminum foils. Instead of the multi-layer structure described above, the insulating element may have a filling such as perlite.

[0031] According to a further embodiment, the composite material is reinforced with long fibers or short fibers.

[0032] Also, combinations of short fibers and long fibers can be provided. The fibers can be arbitrarily selected. For example, glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, natural fibers, etc. are used. Instead of fibers, the composite material can include any other filler such as cotton flakes, microspheres, etc.

[0033] According to a further embodiment, the composite material is a laminate or a cast composite.

[0034] For example, the composite material can be wound or laminated onto an outer container. In this case, the composite material is a multi-layer laminate in which fibers, fiber fabrics, fiber lay-ups, or fiber mats are embedded in the matrix of the composite material. Alternatively, the composite material can also be castable or sprayable. In this case, the composite material is preferably reinforced with short fibers.

[0035] According to a further embodiment, the reinforcing ring is made of an aluminum alloy or a composite material.

[0036] This can result in weight reduction. The composite material can be a fiber-reinforced composite material. However, the reinforcing ring can also be made of, for example, stainless steel. In principle, any other metal can be used.

[0037] According to a further embodiment, the inner container and / or the outer container is made of stainless steel.

[0038] Alternatively, for example, the outer container can be made at least partially of a composite material. The inner container can also include a composite material.

[0039] According to a further embodiment, the outer container has a cylindrical base to which the reinforcing ring is attached.

[0040] The reinforcing ring is materially connected to the base. As described above, the base is closed at the front by two cover parts that are dome-shaped and separated from each other. However, this is not essential. The reinforcing ring is preferably attached only to the base.

[0041] In this case, "a(n)" should not necessarily be understood as strictly limiting to exactly one element. Rather, there may be cases where multiple elements, such as two, three, or more, are provided. Any other numerical terms used in this specification should also not be understood as meaning a strict limitation to the exactly corresponding number of elements. Rather, an upward or downward difference in the numerical value is possible.

[0042] Further possible implementations of the storage container also include the above or below described features of the embodiments or combinations not explicitly mentioned of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or additions to each basic form of the storage container.

[0043] A further advantageous embodiment of the storage container is the subject of the dependent claims and the subject of the embodiments of the storage container described below. With reference to the provided drawings, the storage container will be described in more detail below based on the preferred embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0044]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0045] In the figures, unless otherwise indicated, the same or functionally equivalent elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the storage container 1. FIG. 2 shows the detailed view II according to FIG. 1. Hereinafter, FIGS. 1 and 2 are referred to simultaneously.

[0047] The storage container 1 can also be referred to as a storage tank. The storage container 1 is preferably suitable for receiving liquid hydrogen H2 (boiling point at 1 bara: 20.268 K = -252.882 °C). Accordingly, the storage container 1 can also be referred to as a hydrogen storage container or a hydrogen storage tank. However, the storage container 1 can also be used for other cryogenic liquids. Examples of cryogenic fluids or liquids, or simply cryogens, in addition to the hydrogen H2 described above, include liquid helium He (boiling point at 1 bara: 4.222 K = -268.928 °C), liquid nitrogen N2 (boiling point at 1 bara: 77.35 K = -195.80 °C), or liquid oxygen O2 (boiling point at 1 bara: 90.18 K = -182.97 °C).

[0048] The storage container 1 can be a transport container. For example, liquid hydrogen H2 can be transported using the storage container 1. The storage container 1 can be part of a transport means, in particular a ship. In this case, the storage container 1 is suitable for mobile applications. However, the storage container 1 is also suitable for fixed use, for example, in construction technology.

[0049] The storage container 1 is rotationally symmetric with respect to a central axis or axis of symmetry 2. The axis of symmetry 2 is oriented perpendicular to the direction of gravity g. The storage container 1 comprises a first container or inner container 3 that is also rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry 2. The inner container 3 comprises a tubular or cylindrical base 4 that is also rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry 2. In the cross-sectional part, the base 4 can have a circular or substantially circular geometric shape.

[0050] The base 4 is closed on both sides of the front using the cover parts 5, 6. The cover parts 5, 6 are dome-shaped. The first cover part 5 and the second cover part 6 are dome-shaped in opposite directions such that the cover parts 5, 6 are dome-shaped outward with respect to the base 4. The inner container 3 is liquid-tight, and in particular, airtight. The inner container 3 is made of stainless steel.

[0051] Liquid hydrogen H2 is received inside the inner container 3. As long as the hydrogen H2 is in the two-phase region, a gas region 7 having vaporized hydrogen H2 and a liquid region 8 having liquid hydrogen H2 can be provided inside the inner container 3. Therefore, after the hydrogen H2 enters the inner container 3, it has two phases with different aggregation states, namely, a liquid phase and a gas phase. This means that there is a phase boundary 9 between the liquid hydrogen H2 and the gaseous hydrogen H2 inside the inner container 3.

[0052] The inner container 3 is completely disposed inside the second container or the outer container 10. Therefore, the storage container 1 is double-walled. The outer container 10 is also rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry 2. The outer container 10 includes a tubular or cylindrical base 11 that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry 2, similar to the inner container 3. In a cross-sectional portion, the base 11 can have a circular or substantially circular geometric shape.

[0053] The base 11 is closed at the front by the cover parts 12, 13. In particular, the first cover part 12 and the second cover part 13 are provided. The cover parts 12, 13 are dome-shaped in opposite directions such that the cover parts 12, 13 are dome-shaped outward with respect to the base 11. The outer container 10 is liquid-tight, and in particular, airtight. The outer container 10 is also made of stainless steel.

[0054] A gap 14 is provided between the inner container 3 and the outer container 10 that completely wraps around or surrounds the inner container 3. The gap 14 is subjected to a vacuum. In this case, "vacuum" is less than 300 mbar, preferably less than 10 -3 mbar, more preferably less than 10 -7It is understood that it means a pressure below mbar. Therefore, the storage container 1 is vacuum-insulated. In this case, the fact that the gap 14 "wraps" or "surrounds" the inner container 3 completely means that the gap 14 completely surrounds the base 4 and is further provided between the two cover parts 5, 12 and between the two cover parts 6, 13.

[0055] An insulating element or heat-insulating element 15 (Figure 2) that completely wraps or surrounds the inner container 3 is provided in the gap 14. This means that the insulating element 15 encloses both the base 4 and the cover parts 5, 6 of the inner container 3. The insulating element 15 serves to insulate. The insulating element 15 is multilayered. This means that the insulating element 15 includes a plurality of layers. Therefore, the insulating element 15 can also be referred to as a multilayer insulating element or a multilayer heat-insulating element.

[0056] In particular, the insulating element 15 is a so-called multilayer insulation (MLI). The insulating element 15 includes a plurality of alternately arranged layers of perforated and / or embossed aluminum foil 16 as a reflector and glassine paper 17 as a spacer between adjacent aluminum foils 16. The glassine paper 17 can be perforated and / or punched. In Figure 2, only two layers of aluminum foil 16 and two layers of glassine paper 17 are provided with reference signs. The glassine paper 17 acts as a spacer between two adjacent aluminum foils 16, which enables the insulating element 15 to be exposed to the vacuum extending in the gap 14. The insulating element 15 only partially fills the gap 14. The insulating element 15 is on the outside of the inner container 3.

[0057] An insulating element 15 is assigned a metal foil 18, which blocks the insulating element 15 in the direction of the outer container 10. The metal foil 18 completely encloses or wraps around the insulating element 15 or the inner container 3. The metal foil 18 can be, for example, an aluminum foil or a copper foil. Compared to the aluminum foil 16, the metal foil 18 has a greater thickness or wall thickness. The metal foil 18 is optional. The metal foil 18 can be part of the insulating element 15. The metal foil 18 is preferably not liquid-tight and is thus permeable to fluid so that the insulating element 15 can be evacuated.

[0058] A gap 19 is provided between the insulating elements 15 or between the metal foil 18 and the outer container 10 that completely encloses or surrounds the insulating element 15. The gap 19 is in particular part of the gap 14. The gap 19 can have, for example, a gap width of 100 mm. The gap 19 can be filled with a filler such as perlite. However, as an alternative to perlite, rock wool, glass wool, or any other suitable insulating material can also be used. The insulating element 15 can also have a filler such as perlite instead of the multilayer structure described above.

[0059] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the outer container 10A for the storage container 1.

[0060] In particular, in Figure 3 only the base 11 of the outer container 10A is shown. The base 11 comprises a cylindrical outer surface 20 that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry 2 and a cylindrical inner surface 21 that is also rotationally symmetric with respect to the axis of symmetry 2. The outer surface 20 faces away from the inner container 3 (not shown). The inner surface 21 faces the inner container 3. The inner surface 21 is arranged within the outer surface 20 when viewed along the radial direction R that is perpendicular to and away from the axis of symmetry 2.

[0061] The base 11 is made of alloy steel, in particular, it can be made of stainless steel or carbon steel. The base 11 is tubular. The base 11 is rotationally symmetric with respect to the symmetry axis 2. In order to form the outer container 10A, the base 11 is blocked at the front by cover parts 12, 13 (not shown). The cover parts 12, 13 are materially connected to the base 11. In a material connection, the mating parts are held together by atomic or intermolecular forces. The material connection is an irreversible connection that can only be separated by destroying the connection means and / or the mating parts. The material connection can be brought about, for example, by adhesive bonding, soldering, or welding.

[0062] A plurality of reinforcing rings 22, 23 are attached to the base 11. The number of the reinforcing rings 22, 23 is arbitrary. In FIG. 3, exactly two reinforcing rings 22, 23 are shown. The reinforcing rings 22, 23 can have the same structure. When viewed along the symmetry axis 2, the reinforcing rings 22, 23 are spaced apart from each other by a distance a. Each of the reinforcing rings 22, 23 is rotationally symmetric with respect to the symmetry axis 2. The reinforcing rings 22, 23 can be made of alloy steel or fiber composite material.

[0063] Each of the reinforcing rings 22, 23 has a cylindrical outer surface 24 that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the symmetry axis 2 and a cylindrical inner surface 25 that is also rotationally symmetric with respect to the symmetry axis 2. When viewed along the radial direction R, the inner surface 25 is disposed within the outer surface 24. The inner container 3 is disposed within the reinforcing rings 22, 23. This means in particular that the inner container 3 is passed through the reinforcing rings 22, 23. Each of the reinforcing rings 22, 23 has a diameter d24 on the outer surface 24. Each of the reinforcing rings 22, 23 has a diameter d25 on the inner surface 25. The diameter d24 is larger than the diameter d25.

[0064] The reinforcing rings 22, 23 have their outer surfaces 24 connected to the inner surface 21 of the base 11. For this purpose, a material connection is provided. For example, the reinforcing rings 22, 23 are adhesively bonded, soldered, and / or welded to the inner surface 21 on their outer surfaces 24. Thus, the reinforcing rings 22, 23 are arranged within the base 11. When viewed along the symmetry axis 2, each reinforcing ring 22, 23 has a width b. A gap 26 is provided along the symmetry axis 2 between two adjacent reinforcing rings 22, 23, with the reinforcing rings 22, 23 spaced apart from each other by a distance a.

[0065] The gap 26 is at least partially filled with a support element 27. The reinforcing rings 22, 23 can support each other via the support element 27. The support element 27 forms a hollow cylindrical geometric shape that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the symmetry axis 2. The support element 27 contacts the inner surface 21 of the base 11 and is materially connected thereto, for example, adhesively bonded. The inner container 3 is arranged within the cylindrical support element 27.

[0066] The support element 27 is made of a composite material. In this case, it is understood that "composite material" means a material having, for example, a matrix in which a filler in the form of fibers is embedded, for example, a plastic material. The plastic material can be a thermoplastic substance such as an epoxy resin or an elastomer. The fibers can be long fibers or short fibers. The fibers can be glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, natural fibers, etc. In addition to the fibers, any other filler can be used. The support element 27 can be a multi-layer laminate in which fibers, fiber fabrics, fiber lay-ups, or fiber mats are embedded in the matrix. The composite material can also be castable or sprayable. In this case, the composite material is preferably reinforced with short fibers.

[0067] Compared with the reinforcing rings 22, 23, the support element 27 has a reduced density. When viewed from the opposite side in the radial direction R, the support element 27 does not protrude beyond the inner surface 25. Due to the fact that the support element 27 is disposed between the reinforcing rings 22, 23, the reinforcing rings 22, 23 can support each other via the support element 27. Therefore, the distance a between the reinforcing rings 22, 23 can be increased, and / or the reinforcing rings 22, 23 can be made smaller. This means that, for example, the width b of the reinforcing rings 22, 23 can be reduced.

[0068] By using the support element 27, the self-weight of the outer container 10A, and thus of the storage container 1, can be reduced. In particular, when transporting a storage container 1 filled with hydrogen H2, since its total weight must not exceed a predetermined value, it is advantageous for the self-weight of the storage container 1 to be as light as possible, so that more hydrogen H2 can be transported compared to a storage container (not shown) having a heavier self-weight.

[0069] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of the outer container 10B for the storage container 1.

[0070] The structure of the outer container 10B substantially corresponds to the structure of the outer container 10A. In contrast to the outer container 10A, the outer container 10B has external reinforcing rings 28, 29 instead of internal reinforcing rings 22, 23. Each reinforcing ring 28, 29 has a cylindrical outer surface 30 and a cylindrical inner surface 31. The outer surface 30 has a diameter d30. The inner surface 31 has a diameter d31. The diameter d30 is larger than the diameter d31.

[0071] On the inner surface 31, the reinforcing rings 28, 29 are materially connected to the outer surface 20. A gap 32 is provided between each two adjacent reinforcing rings 28, 29, and this gap keeps the reinforcing rings 28, 29 separated from each other by a distance a as described above. The gap 32 is filled with a support element 33 also made of a composite material. In contrast to the support element 27, the support element 33 is attached to the outside of the outer container 10B instead of inside it. This means that the support element 33 contacts the outer container 10B on the outer surface 20. The support element 33 is adhesively bonded to the outer surface 20.

[0072] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, the present invention can be variously modified within the scope of the claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0073] 1 Storage container 2 Symmetry axis 3 Inner container 4 Base 5 Cover part 6 Cover part 7 Gas region 8 Liquid region 9 Phase boundary 10 Outer container 10A Outer container 10B Outer container 11 Base 12 Cover part 13 Cover part 14 Gap 15 Insulating element 16 Aluminum foil 17 Glassine paper 18 Metal foil 19 Gap 20 Outer surface 21 Inner surface 22 Reinforcing ring 23 Reinforcing ring 24 Outer surface 25 Inner surface 26 Gap 27 Support element 28 Reinforcing ring 29 Reinforcing ring 30 Outer surface 31 Inner surface 32 Gap 33 Support element a Distance b Width d24 Diameter d25 Diameter d30 Diameter d31 Diameter g Direction of gravity H2 Refrigerant / hydrogen

Claims

**Claim 1** A storage container (1) for storing a cryogen (H2), comprising an inner container (3) for receiving the cryogen (H2) and an outer container (10A, 10B) in which the inner container (3) is accommodated, wherein the outer container (10A, 10B) has reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29) for reinforcing the outer container (10A, 10B), and the outer container (10A, 10B) has support elements (27, 33) made of a composite material, and at least some portions thereof are disposed within gaps (26, 32) between two adjacent reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29) for supporting the reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29). **Claim 2** The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the inner container (3) is disposed within the reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29). **Claim 3** The storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner container (3) is disposed within the support elements (27, 33). **Claim 4** The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer container (10A) surrounds the support element (27) or the support element (33) surrounds the outer container (10B). **Claim 5** The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reinforcing rings (22, 23) and the support element (27) are attached inside the outer container (10A). **Claim 6** The storage container according to claim 5, wherein the outer container (10A) has an inner surface (21) facing the inner container (3), and the reinforcing rings (22, 23) and the support element (27) are materially connected to the inner surface (21) at least partially. **Claim 7** The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reinforcing rings (28, 29) and the support element (33) are attached outside the outer container (10B). **Claim 8** The storage container according to claim 7, wherein the outer container (10B) has an outer surface (20) facing the opposite side of the inner container (3), and the reinforcing rings (28, 29) and the support element (33) are materially connected to the outer surface (20). **Claim 9** A gap (14) subjected to a vacuum is provided between the inner container (3) and the outer container (10A), and the reinforcing rings (22, 23) and the support elements (27) are disposed within the gap (14). The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The storage container according to claim 9, wherein an insulating element (15) surrounding the inner container (3) is disposed within the gap (14).

11. The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the composite material is reinforced with long fibers or short fibers.

12. The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the composite material is a laminate or a cast composite.

13. The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29) are made of an aluminum alloy or a composite material.

14. The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the inner container (3) and / or the outer container (10A, 10B) is made of stainless steel.

15. The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the outer container (10A, 10B) has a cylindrical base (11) to which the reinforcing rings (22, 23, 28, 29) are attached.

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