pressure vessel

Abstract

Because the pressure vessel was cylindrical, it was difficult to say that the volume for storing the fluid was efficiently secured. [Solution] A pressure vessel capable of storing fluid comprises a plurality of main body sections that form an internal space, and one or more connecting sections that connect the main body sections to each other. The main body sections and connecting sections are connected alternately in series, and the connecting sections are bent. The cross-section of the main body sections perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has an external shape comprising straight sections and arc sections. Each of the plurality of main body sections is arranged such that its outer surface located in the straight section is in contact with the outer surface located in the straight section of an adjacent main body section.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0006] , , , ,

[0005] , , , , ,

[0003] , , , , ,

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a pressure vessel.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a pressure vessel for storing a fluid. The pressure vessel of Patent Document 1 alternately has a cylindrical tube as a liner cavity and a flexible connector, and can be folded inside the housing by bending the flexible connector portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventionally, since the pressure vessel has a cylindrical shape, it has been difficult to efficiently secure a volume for storing a fluid.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] This specification discloses a pressure vessel capable of storing a fluid. The pressure vessel includes a plurality of main body portions that form a space inside, and one or more connection portions that communicate the main body portions with each other. The main body portions and the connection portions are alternately connected in series, and the connection portions are bent. A cross - section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body portion has an outer shape including a straight portion and an arc portion.

[0006] According to the above configuration, a cross - section of the main body portion of the pressure vessel that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has an outer shape including a straight portion and an arc portion. Therefore, compared with the conventional case where such a cross - section is circular, more of the above - mentioned volume can be secured. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A cross-sectional view showing a pressure vessel. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view of the pressure vessel after the reinforcing members have been wrapped around it, from the same viewpoint as in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] This embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Each figure is for illustrative purposes only, and this embodiment is not limited to what is shown. Also, since each figure is illustrative, some parts may be omitted.

[0009] Figure 1 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of a pressure vessel 10 according to this embodiment. The pressure vessel 10 is capable of storing a fluid. The fluid is, for example, a fuel gas such as hydrogen. In each figure, the X and Y directions are shown as appropriate for ease of explanation. The X and Y directions are orthogonal. The pressure vessel 10 comprises a plurality of main body sections 20 that form a space inside, and one or more connecting sections 30 that connect the main body sections 20 to each other. Since the connecting sections 30 connect the main body sections 20 to each other, a space is naturally formed inside them.

[0010] According to Figure 1, the main body 20 is elongated in the Y direction, with openings 23 at both ends in the Y direction. In Figure 1, the Y direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the main body 20. The main body 20 comprises a body portion 21 with a substantially constant cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and tapered portions 22 that are at both ends of the body portion 21 in the longitudinal direction. The tapered portions 22 gradually or stepwise narrow the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction from the body portion 21 toward the openings 23. Hereinafter, the cross-section of the main body 20 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction will be referred to as the "first cross-section".

[0011] According to Figure 1, the multiple main body sections 20 are arranged side by side along the X direction (one direction). Furthermore, the multiple main body sections 20 are positioned at approximately the same location in the Y direction. Looking at the pressure vessel 10 as a whole, the main body sections 20 and connecting sections 30 are connected alternately in series. The connecting section 30 is bent between the opening 23 of one main body section 20 and the opening 23 of another main body section 20. According to Figure 1, the connecting section 30 curves approximately 180 degrees in a U-shape, connecting adjacent main body sections 20 in the X direction. In such a pressure vessel 10, the main body sections 20 located at one end to the main body section 20 located at the other end are connected in a continuous line in the X direction.

[0012] Since the connecting portion 30 is a tube that connects the opening 23 of one main body portion 20 to the opening 23 of another main body portion 20, its cross-section perpendicular to the flow direction is basically narrower than the first cross-section of the body portion 21. However, in this embodiment, it is not essential that the cross-section of the connecting portion 30 is narrower than the first cross-section of the body portion 21. In other words, the main body portion 20 may not have a tapered portion 22, and both ends of the body portion 21 may be openings 23. In this case, the body portion 21 and the connecting portion 30 are directly connected.

[0013] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the shape of the first cross-section of the main body 20. The first cross-section has an external shape comprising a straight portion and an arc portion. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a larger volume for storing fluid can be secured compared to the conventional configuration in which the cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pressure vessel was circular.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, in an arrangement of multiple main body parts 20 in the X direction, the first cross-section of the main body parts 20 located at both ends (hereinafter referred to as end main body parts 20b) has a different shape from the first cross-section of the main body part 20 located in the middle of the arrangement (hereinafter referred to as intermediate main body part 20a). The first cross-section of the intermediate main body part 20a has an oval shape comprising two straight sections and two arc sections. On the other hand, the first cross-section of the end main body part 20b has a different external shape comprising a single straight section and a single arc section.

[0015] Each of the multiple main body sections 20 is arranged so that its outer surface located in a straight section is in contact with the outer surface located in a straight section of an adjacent main body section 20. In other words, the straight sections of the multiple main body sections 20 are in contact with each other in the X direction. By making the straight sections in contact in this way, each main body section 20 can appropriately suppress the expansion of the body section 21 due to the expansion of the fluid.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the first cross-section of the end body portion 20b can be described as generally semicircular or D-shaped. In other words, the first cross-section of the end body portion 20b is arc-shaped on the side that is not adjacent to the adjacent body portion 20 in the X direction. This ensures that the end body portion 20b has adequate strength against fluid pressure. Note that the shape and range of the tapered portion 22 in the body portion 20 may differ between the intermediate body portion 20a and the end body portion 20b.

[0017] A brief explanation of a manufacturing method for the pressure vessel 10 is provided below. In the following, the pressure vessel 10 in its state before the connection portion 30 is bent will be referred to as the pressure vessel 10 before bending. First, a liner, which will serve as the base material for the pressure vessel 10 before bending, is prepared. The liner is made of a resin such as nylon, for example. The liner is a hollow body in which a main body-shaped portion having a shape corresponding to the main body portion 20 and a connection-shaped portion having a shape corresponding to the connection portion 30 before bending are alternately and linearly integrally molded.

[0018] On the outer surface of such a liner, wire is wound, for example, in a mesh or spiral pattern using a winding machine. The winding machine is also called a braiding machine or braider. The wire wound onto the liner is carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), which is carbon fiber impregnated with resin. By winding the wire with the winding machine, a CFRP fiber layer 27 is formed to cover the outer surface of the liner.

[0019] The liner and the winding machine move relative to each other along the longitudinal direction of the liner. For example, the position of the winding machine is fixed, and the liner moves along its longitudinal direction relative to it. Along with this movement, the winding of the wire by the winding machine is performed. Thereby, the pressure vessel 10 before bending can be efficiently manufactured. By performing the above-described winding using the integrally formed liner as a base material to manufacture the entire pressure vessel 10 before bending, compared with the conventional method of manufacturing a pressure vessel by joining a plurality of parts having different thicknesses and shapes, the number of parts and the man-hours can be reduced, and the pressure vessel 10 can be manufactured at a low cost.

[0020] The manufactured pressure vessel 10 before bending then becomes a pressure vessel 10 having the shape shown in FIG. 1 when the connecting portion 30 is bent into a substantially U shape. When the connecting portion 30 is bent, the main body portions 20 adjacent to each other in the X direction are brought into contact with each other by pressing the respective straight portions, that is, the planar side surfaces. As can be understood from the description so far, the pressure vessel 10 is composed of an inner liner and an outer fiber layer 27 for the liner. However, the description of the liner is omitted in each figure.

[0021] It may be further assumed that the winding of the reinforcing member 70 is performed on the pressure vessel 10 after the connecting portion 30 is bent. The reinforcing member 70 is also made of CFRP. The reinforcing member 70 winds around the outer periphery of all the main body portions 20 of the pressure vessel 10 together. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the pressure vessel 10 after the reinforcing member 70 is wound. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view from the same viewpoint as FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure vessel 10 is provided with a reinforcing member 70 that is wound around the outer periphery of a plurality of main body portions 20 and fixes the plurality of main body portions 20 to each other. In FIG. 1, the range where the reinforcing member 70 that winds around the plurality of main body portions 20 from the outside exists is illustrated by a two-dot chain line. By the reinforcing member 70, the plurality of main body portions 20 are fixed to each other and the strength against the fluid pressure is improved as a whole.

[0022] Regarding the connection part 30, the cross-section perpendicular to its flow path direction can take various shapes. The cross-section perpendicular to the flow path direction of the connection part 30 may be an oval shape similar to the main body part 20, or it may be either a circular shape or a substantially square shape. The oval may include an ellipse in a broad sense. Also, regardless of its cross-sectional shape, the connection part 30 may have a so-called bellows structure that repeats mountain folds and valley folds. By making the connection part 30 have a bellows structure, it becomes easy to bend the connection part 30.

[0023] In the pressure vessel 10, a base 40 is provided at one end of the main body part 20 located at one end of the series connection among the plurality of main body parts 20. In FIG. 1, as shown by the two-dot chain line, the base 40 is attached to each one end of the main body part 20 located at one end in the X direction and the main body part 20 located at the other end. The base 40 is, for example, made of metal and formed in a ring shape. For the base 40, for example, a member (not shown) for sealing the opening 23 is fastened. A member for communicating the opening 23 with a flow path (not shown) outside the pressure vessel 10 may be fastened to the base 40.

[0024] As described above, the specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification have been described in detail, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. Also, the technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Further, the technology illustrated in this specification or the drawings achieves a plurality of purposes simultaneously, and achieving one of these purposes itself has technical utility.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0025] 10: Pressure vessel, 20: Main body part, 21: Barrel part, 22: Taper part, 23: Opening, 27: Fiber layer, 30: Connection part, 40: Base, 70: Reinforcement member

Claims

1. A pressure vessel capable of storing fluids, Multiple main body parts that form a space inside, It comprises one or more connecting parts that connect the aforementioned main body parts, The main body and the connecting parts are connected alternately in series, and the connecting parts are bent. A pressure vessel having an external shape in which the cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main body comprises a straight portion and a curved portion.

2. The pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of main body parts is arranged so as to be in contact with the outer surface of an adjacent main body part located in the straight portion at the outer surface of the straight portion of the main body part.

3. The aforementioned multiple main body parts are arranged side by side along one direction. The main body portion located in the middle of the aforementioned arrangement has an oval shape in its cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, comprising two straight sections and two arc sections. The pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein the main body portions located at both ends in the arrangement have a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction comprising a single straight portion and a single arc portion, and have an external shape different from the oval shape.

4. The pressure vessel according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing member that is wrapped around the outer circumference of the plurality of main body parts and fixes the plurality of main body parts to each other.

5. The pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the connection portion perpendicular to the flow path direction is circular, oval, or substantially rectangular.

Images