Metal Wire Wrapped Pressure Vessels for Leak-Before-Fail Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high-pressure vessels reinforced with ceramic fibers are costly, lack plastic ductility, and are sensitive to surface defects, making them inadequate for safe and economical storage of fluids like hydrogen and CNG.
Innovation Solution
The use of high-strength metal wires with plastic ductility, wrapped around a low-alloy steel core, provides improved fracture resistance and meets ISO 11439 performance guidelines for pressure vessels, offering a safer, lighter, and more cost-effective solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ceramic fibers (carbon or glass) are used to reinforce pressure vessels, then strength-to-weight ratio is improved, but fracture toughness is reduced and sensitivity to surface defects increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining a metal core tank with ceramic fiber reinforcement. The metal core provides ductility and fracture toughness, while the ceramic fibers provide high strength-to-weight ratio. This composite approach allows the structure to benefit from both materials: the metal absorbs energy through plastic deformation and prevents catastrophic failure, while the ceramic fibers reinforce the structure and reduce weight.
2Strength
If ceramic fibers are used to reinforce pressure vessels, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to premium resin and special processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite construction with a metal core tank and ceramic fiber reinforcement. The metal core can be manufactured using conventional techniques, and the ceramic fibers are applied as a reinforcement layer. This approach allows the use of standard metal fabrication processes for the core, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost compared to using ceramic fibers alone, while still achieving the desired structural strength.
3Weight of moving object
If high strength materials are used to reduce vessel weight, then weight is reduced, but fracture toughness is reduced and failure control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure where a metal core tank provides ductility and fracture toughness, while ceramic fiber reinforcement provides high strength at low weight. The metal core's ability to undergo plastic deformation and absorb energy prevents catastrophic failure, while the ceramic fibers reduce the overall weight of the vessel. This composite approach successfully balances weight reduction with maintained fracture toughness.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal core tank acts as a cushioning element that absorbs energy through plastic deformation before any potential failure of the ceramic fiber reinforcement. This beforehand cushioning mechanism ensures that even if the ceramic fibers are damaged, the metal core prevents catastrophic failure by absorbing the stress and energy, maintaining structural integrity and safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The metal wire-reinforced pressure vessels exhibit enhanced toughness and reduced weight, ensuring a 'leak-before-fail' mode and compliance with performance guidelines, while being resistant to environmental degradation and minor damage.
Implementation Method 1
Inherent elastic-plastic ductilities allow effective load sharing between individual filaments
Implementation Method 2
Inherent elastic-plastic ductilities allow effective load sharing between individual filaments
Implementation Method 3
the wire has a plastic ductility of over 20% in reduction in area (RA) at tensile fracture
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure vessel (2) for the storage of fluid has a core (10) made of metal or polymer and is wrapped either completely or partially from outside with a high strength fibers (21, 22) for reinforcement wherein one of the reinforcing fibers is a metal wire (21) of a single filament or cables of multi filaments having strength from 2000 MPa to 6000 MPa. The wire has a plastic ductility of over 20% in reduction in area (RA) at tensile fracture. The metal wire (21) is made of steel or nickel or titanium or their respective alloys. The core (10) of the vessel (2) is first wrapped with a resin covered ceramic fibers such as carbon, fiberglass and subsequently wrapped with the metal wire (21) with or without other fibers (22). The metal wires (21) can be of different diameters in parallel or cabled forms.