Reinforced Pressure Vessel Structure for Lower Material Use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure vessels for compressed air energy storage are costly due to the high amount of steel required and generate significant axial and circumferential stresses, leading to high manufacturing costs and material inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A pressure tank design featuring a tubular section with a cylindrical wall and circumferential and axial reinforcement elements, where the cylindrical wall has a lower modulus of elasticity than the reinforcement elements, allowing for reduced thickness and cost, and incorporating sliding connections to mitigate bottoming effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the diameter of the pressure vessel is increased, then the volume and storage capacity are improved, but the wall thickness must be increased to maintain structural integrity, which increases material consumption and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure vessel is divided into a shell and multiple circumferential reinforcing elements (rings) positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows the structure to bear loads more efficiently, enabling larger volumes without proportionally increasing wall thickness and material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure vessel employs a composite structure combining the shell with circumferential reinforcing elements made of different materials (e.g., metal rings, fiber-reinforced plastic rings). This composite approach optimizes strength-to-weight ratio, allowing increased volume without excessive material use.
2Strength
If the wall thickness of the pressure vessel is increased, then the strength and pressure resistance are improved, but the weight and material consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing wall thickness, the vessel uses discrete circumferential reinforcing elements positioned at critical locations. This segmented approach provides necessary strength at specific stress points without uniformly increasing weight throughout the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Reinforcing elements are placed at specific locations where stress concentrations occur (e.g., near closures, at intermediate positions). This local reinforcement provides necessary strength where needed while minimizing overall weight compared to uniform thickening.
3Strength
If circumferential reinforcing elements are added to the pressure vessel, then the structural strength is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circumferential reinforcing elements serve multiple functions: they strengthen the vessel structure, reduce required wall thickness, and can be positioned to address multiple stress concentration points. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single structural feature.
4Weight of stationary object
If the wall thickness is reduced to decrease weight, then the weight and material consumption are improved, but the structural strength and pressure resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The vessel structure is segmented into the shell and separate circumferential reinforcing elements. This allows the shell to be thinner (reducing weight) while the discrete rings provide the necessary structural strength, achieving weight reduction without sacrificing strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The combination of thinner shell material with strategically placed reinforcing elements creates a composite structure that achieves higher strength-to-weight ratio than a uniformly thick wall, enabling weight reduction while maintaining or improving structural strength.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
The present invention relates to a pressure vessel comprising a tubular portion and two bottoms (5), the bottoms (5) being arranged at the ends of the tubular portion. The tubular portion comprises a cylindrical wall (1) and a layer of circumferential reinforcing elements (2) wound around the cylindrical wall (1). In addition, the modulus of elasticity of the material of the cylindrical wall (1) is lower than the modulus of elasticity of the material of the first layer of circumferential reinforcing elements (2). The invention also relates to a system for storing and recovering energy comprising a compression means, an expansion means, a heat storage means and a compressed air vessel according to the features described above.