Rectangular Composite Pressure Vessel with Perforated Liner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional pressure vessel designs, such as spherical and cylindrical shapes, are inefficient in space utilization and complex to manufacture, especially when aiming for high conformability and cost-effectiveness in storing high-pressure gases like CNG, hydrogen, or propane, due to their non-rectangular shapes and internal structures.
Innovation Solution
A composite pressure vessel assembly is manufactured using elongated liners with perforations, arranged in a rectangular configuration, and reinforced with mid-layers of chopped fibers and an outer layer, allowing for efficient space utilization and lightweight construction without seams or welds, utilizing blow-molded or injection-molded plastic materials and additive manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional spherical or cylindrical pressure vessel designs are used, then structural strength and stress distribution are improved, but space utilization efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure vessel is divided into multiple modular chambers arranged in a rectangular configuration. Each chamber can be independently formed using blow-molding or injection-molding techniques, and the chambers are interconnected to form a complete rectangular structure. This segmentation allows the vessel to achieve both the structural integrity of traditional designs and the space efficiency of a rectangular form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure vessel employs composite construction with liners made from plastic materials (polyethylene, polypropylene, or their copolymers) and potentially combined with other materials to create a multi-layer structure. This composite approach enables the rectangular design to withstand high internal pressures while maintaining lightweight construction and corrosion resistance.
2Volume of moving object
If non-spherical/cylindrical pressure vessels with variable-curvature surfaces are designed to support high internal pressure, then space utilization is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rectangular pressure vessel is segmented into multiple chambers that can be manufactured using standard blow-molding or injection-molding processes. These conventional manufacturing techniques are well-suited for producing complex three-dimensional shapes, including rectangular forms with variable curvature surfaces, thereby reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the non-traditional geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from traditional two-dimensional cross-sectional views to three-dimensional rectangular prisms with variable curvature surfaces. By utilizing additive manufacturing and advanced molding techniques, the patent achieves complex spatial configurations that optimize space utilization while managing manufacturing complexity through dimensional innovation.
3Volume of moving object
If high conformability pressure vessels are designed to fit rectangular volumes, then space utilization is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure vessel is divided into multiple modular chambers arranged in a rectangular configuration. Each chamber can be independently formed using blow-molding or injection-molding techniques, and the chambers are interconnected to form a complete rectangular structure. This segmentation allows the vessel to achieve both the structural integrity of traditional designs and the space efficiency of a rectangular form factor.
4Reliability
If composite construction with multiple layers is used, then structural integrity and corrosion resistance are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations into integrated processes. The liner formation, reinforcement layer application, and sealing structures are combined in a single blow-molding or injection-molding cycle. This merging of operations reduces the number of discrete manufacturing steps while maintaining the multi-layer composite structure, thereby improving structural integrity without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liner and reinforcement structures are pre-formed as integral parts of the molding process rather than being added as separate components. The multi-layer composite structure is built up during the initial molding operation, with sealing structures and reinforcement layers incorporated beforehand. This preliminary action eliminates subsequent assembly steps and reduces overall manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A composite pressure vessel assembly includes at least one liner defining a chamber. The liner is perforated such that an applied composite layer envelops the liner and at least partially extrudes into the perforations during manufacture and when the chamber is placed under a vacuum.