Pressure Vessel Local Reinforcement for Stress Distribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure vessels for high-pressure gas storage, such as hydrogen, LPG, and CNG, are not fully utilizing the load capacity of their reinforcement structures, leading to uneven stress distribution and increased weight due to unnecessary reinforcement layers in non-critical areas, which also prolongs the curing process.
Innovation Solution
A pressure vessel design featuring a thermoplastic liner with a composite reinforcement structure and a local reinforcement layer strategically placed in high-stress areas, such as rounded end sections, to optimize stress distribution and reduce weight by using a thinner reinforcement structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a uniform reinforcement structure is applied over the entire pressure vessel, then the vessel can withstand high stress loads, but the weight increases due to unnecessary reinforcement in non-critical areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different reinforcement strategies to different regions of the pressure vessel. A local reinforcement layer is applied specifically to the rounded end sections where stress concentration occurs, while the cylindrical section uses a standard filament winding reinforcement structure. This localized approach ensures adequate strength in high-stress areas without adding unnecessary weight in low-stress areas.
2Strength
If additional reinforcement layers are added to increase stress capacity, then the vessel can withstand higher loads, but the curing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying additional reinforcement layers uniformly across the entire vessel, the patent concentrates the extra reinforcement (local reinforcement layer) only in the rounded end sections. This reduces the total amount of reinforcement material and curing time required, while still achieving the necessary stress capacity in the most critical areas.
3Weight of moving object
If the reinforcement structure is made thinner to reduce weight, then the manufacturing time decreases, but the vessel may not withstand high stress loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains a standard thickness for the reinforcement structure in the cylindrical section while applying an additional local reinforcement layer in the rounded end sections. This allows the overall structure to be lighter than a uniformly thick design, while the localized reinforcement ensures adequate stress capacity in the most critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The local reinforcement layer is applied to the rounded end sections before the final filament winding process. This preliminary reinforcement ensures that the most stress-prone areas are strengthened in advance, allowing the subsequent filament winding to focus on providing general structural support rather than needing to over-reinforce critical areas.
4Ease of manufacture
If reinforcement is distributed uniformly throughout the vessel, then manufacturing is simplified, but stress distribution remains uneven leading to inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a standardized filament winding process for the cylindrical section with a targeted local reinforcement layer for the rounded end sections. This approach maintains manufacturing simplicity by using conventional techniques for the majority of the vessel while applying a focused reinforcement strategy only where needed, optimizing both ease of manufacture and material efficiency.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates a pressure vessel (100) configured for storing a fluid under pressure, said pressure vessel comprising: a thermoplastic liner (40) having a cylindrical section (41), a first rounded end section (42) and a second rounded end section (42); a reinforcement structure (50) made of a composite material, said reinforcement structure surrounding at least the cylindrical section of the thermoplastic liner; and a local reinforcement layer (20).