Composite Pressure Vessel with Tapered Ends and Plug Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high-performance cylindrical pressure vessels with domed ends are not scalable, require complex and expensive three- or four-axis filament winding, and are heavy and cumbersome, making them unsuitable for small volume applications like SCBA and SCUBA, which also limits the materials that can be used for the liners.
Innovation Solution
A pressure vessel design featuring a pipe with inwardly tapered ends and a two-axis wound filamentous composite, sealed by plugs and compression caps, allowing for a scalable, lightweight, and easy-to-fabricate solution that eliminates the need for domed ends, using materials like thermoplastic or metal liners and allowing for a range of volume/pressure configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If domed ends are used in pressure vessels, then structural strength is improved, but device complexity and fabrication difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure vessel is segmented into distinct components: a cylindrical body and separate end caps. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using simpler processes, avoiding the complexity of forming integrated domed ends while maintaining structural integrity through proven connection methods.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forming complex domed ends on the pressure vessel body, the invention inverts the approach by using flat or simple-ended caps that are attached to the cylindrical body. This reversal of the traditional domed-end design simplifies the primary manufacturing challenge while achieving the same structural reinforcement function.
2Strength
If domed ends are used in pressure vessels, then structural strength is improved, but scalability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cylindrical body design with separate end caps creates a universal platform that can be scaled to different volumes and pressure ratings by simply changing the length or diameter of the cylinder or the thickness of the caps, without requiring redesign of complex domed geometries. This universal approach enables easy adaptation to various application requirements.
3Manufacturing precision
If three-axis or four-axis filament winding is used for domed pressure vessels, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure vessel is segmented into a cylindrical body and separate end caps, allowing the cylindrical portion to be manufactured using simple two-axis filament winding. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex three-axis or four-axis winders required for domed ends, while maintaining manufacturing precision for the cylindrical section where two-axis winding excels.
4Ease of manufacture
If spin forming or roto-molding is used for liners, then manufacturing ease is improved, but material selection is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The liner is segmented from the end caps, allowing the liner to be manufactured separately using methods such as spin forming or roto-molding for ease of manufacture. The end caps are then attached to the lined cylindrical body, enabling the use of a broader range of materials for the liner without being constrained by the manufacturing process requirements of integrated domed ends.
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure vessel comprising a pipe closed at each end with a novel plug/compression cap, the plug at one end of the pipe having a port for connection to a pressure regulating device.