Polymeric Liner Corrugations for Uniform Inflation Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Type IV pressure vessels experience leakage and strain issues due to air pockets in annular cavities of corrugated liners, leading to uneven pressure distribution and potential rupture during inflation.
Innovation Solution
A polymeric liner with novel corrugations having specific geometric dimensions, including varying wall thickness and curvature, is designed to minimize air pockets and evenly distribute pressure, supported by a rigid outer composite shell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional corrugated liner is used with liquid resin coating, then manufacturing process is simple, but air pockets form in annular cavities causing uneven pressure distribution and potential rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated liner is divided into multiple segments with ridges and valleys that create discrete annular cavities. These segmented structures allow controlled resin distribution and prevent air pocket formation while maintaining manufacturing simplicity. The segmentation enables the resin to fully penetrate cavities without trapping air, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and pressure distribution uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrugation structure introduces local variations in wall thickness and geometry, creating regions of different stiffness and pressure distribution. The ridges and valleys are strategically designed to concentrate resin in specific areas, ensuring complete filling of annular cavities and eliminating air pockets while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity.
2Quantity of substance
If corrugated liner is inflated to high pressure, then storage capacity increases, but strain on liner increases causing blistering and potential leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated structure introduces curved surfaces with specific radii of curvature at ridges and valleys. These curved geometries distribute stress more evenly across the liner during inflation, preventing stress concentration that would cause blistering. The curvature is optimized to allow high pressure storage while maintaining liner integrity and preventing leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The corrugation parameters (amplitude, period, ridge height, valley depth) are optimized to change the mechanical properties of the liner during inflation. These parameter modifications enable the liner to withstand high pressures by redistributing strain away from critical areas, thus maintaining structural integrity while increasing storage capacity.
3Ease of manufacture
If annular cavities are left empty, then manufacturing is easier, but pressure support is uneven causing strain concentrations
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated structure is pre-designed with optimized geometry that facilitates complete resin penetration into annular cavities during manufacturing. The ridge and valley configurations are predetermined to guide resin flow and eliminate air pockets, ensuring that when resin is applied, it fully fills the cavities without requiring complex additional steps, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving uniform pressure support.
Data Source
AI summary
A corrugation is provided in a polymeric liner configured for inflation against a rigid shape. The polymeric liner has a cylindrical wall with opposing inner and outer surfaces. The liner includes a first liner section having a plurality of annular corrugations. Each of the corrugations has a curved mountain region with a ridge, a curved valley between adjacent spaced apart mountain regions, and a side wall joining each successive mountain region and valley. A distance between successive ridges defines a period of the corrugations. The wall thickness of the liner at the ridge is greater than the wall thickness at the valley. A radial distance between the ridge and the valley defines an amplitude of the corrugations. The amplitude is between about 0.65 times the period and about 0.75 times said period T of the corrugations.