Embodiments of the present invention relate to compressed gas storage units, which in certain applications may be employed in conjunction with energy storage systems. Some embodiments may comprise one or more blow-molded polymer shells, formed for example from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Embodiments of compressed gas storage units may be composite in nature, for example comprising carbon fiber filament(s) wound with a resin over a liner. A compressed gas storage unit may further include a heat exchanger element comprising a heat pipe or apparatus configured to introduce liquid directly into the storage unit for heat exchange with the compressed gas present therein.

A pressure vessel has a first end with a first boss, the first boss having a first outer surface. The vessel includes a liner having a second outer surface, a shell disposed over the second outer surface, and a first vent. The first vent is formed onto at least a portion of the first outer surface and at least a portion of the second outer surface. The first vent includes a texture that provides a higher rate of gas flow through the first vent than through a portion of an interface of the liner and shell lacking the texture. In another aspect, a pressure vessel has a first end and a second end, a plurality of first longitudinal vents and a plurality of second longitudinal vents. At least one of first longitudinal vents is circumferentially offset around the pressure vessel from at least one of the second longitudinal vents.

Provided is a pressure-resistant container that allows a time required for winding a fiber-reinforced member on both a tubular barrel portion and dome portions of a container body to be shortened. A pressure-resistant container includes: a container body having a tubular barrel portion, and dome portions that are provided integrally on both end portions, respectively, in an axial direction, of the tubular barrel portion; and a fiber-reinforced member that covers an outer surface of the container body. The fiber-reinforced member includes a first fiber sheet that is formed from fibers oriented in one direction, and that has a fiber direction in which the fibers extend such that the fiber direction is tilted relative to the axial direction of the container body at such an angle as to cover both the dome portions, on both sides in the axial direction, of the container body. The first fiber sheet has a sheet body portion formed in a sheet-like shape, and a plurality of protruding portions that are aligned on and protrude from both end portions, in a fiber direction, of the sheet body portion. The sheet body portion is wound along an outer surface of the tubular barrel portion to cover the tubular barrel portion. The protruding portions are wound back along outer surfaces of the dome portions to cover the dome portions.

A composite pressure vessel assembly includes a plurality of lobes, each of the lobes having at least one interior wall and at least one curved wall, the plurality of lobes being positioned in a side by side arrangement and extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end. Also included is a plurality of end caps disposed at the ends of the lobes, wherein the plurality of lobes and end caps are formed of at least one fiber-reinforced polymer. A method of manufacturing a composite pressure vessel assembly is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of lobes consisting of at least one fiber-reinforced polymer. The method also includes forming a main body with the plurality of lobes, the lobes disposed in a side by side arrangement.

A liner includes dome sections having outer surfaces along an uniform stress surface at both ends in an axial direction, and nozzles are mounted on the dome section by introducing nozzle flanges into pedestal sections of apexes of the dome sections. Then, ring-shaped caps having the same linear expansion coefficient as the liner and inner surfaces in a curved surface shape of outer surfaces of the dome sections and the nozzle flanges are mounted on boundary portions between the nozzle flanges and the pedestal sections. In forming a fiber layer after that, a helical winding layer is formed first by winding a fiber bundle disposed at the dome sections to cover the dome sections while including the nozzle flanges.

A method of manufacturing a high pressure tank includes: preparing a liner; forming a fiber reinforced resin layer which is a layer of a fiber reinforced resin on an outer side of the liner, and forming a resin layer which is a layer formed of a portion of a thermosetting resin on an outer surface of the fiber reinforced resin layer; increasing a temperature of the fiber reinforced resin layer and the resin layer to a predetermined temperature which is a temperature at which the thermosetting resin is cured; causing a pressure in the liner to be regulated to be a second pressure higher than a first pressure which is a pressure in the liner in the forming of the fiber reinforced resin layer and the resin layer; and maintaining the temperature of the fiber reinforced resin layer and the resin layer at the predetermined temperature.

A method for producing a high-pressure tank capable of winding a reinforcing fiber bundle around a liner without deteriorating tank performance. The method for producing a high-pressure tank by winding a resin-impregnated strip-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle around a rotating liner so as to form a fiber-reinforced resin layer on the outer surface of the liner includes while winding the strip-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle around the liner, concurrently winding another bundle of fibers narrower than the strip-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle around the liner so as to cross the strip-shaped reinforcing fiber bundle.

A manufacturing method of a tank comprises winding a fiber on a liner by hoop winding. The winding comprises: forming an (N+1)-th layer such that a position closer to a center of the liner by a first predetermined distance along an axis line direction of the liner from an end in the axis line direction of an N-th layer is set to position of an end in the axis line direction of the (N+1)-th layer with respect to a direction perpendicular to the axis line direction; and winding the fiber on the N-th layer to provide one winding turn of the fiber, such that a pressing force of pressing the N-th layer in the axis line direction by the fiber is equal to or smaller than a total frictional force in an area in the N-th layer on an edge side in the axis line direction of a fiber winding position.

A pressure vessel includes: a liner made of a resin and configured to store a pressurized fluid; and a reinforcing layer made of a fiber-reinforced resin provided around an outer peripheral surface of the liner. The liner includes a body portion having a tubular shape and a pair of side-end portions each having a domical shape. One of the side-end portions extends continuously from one of two ends of the body portion, and the other one of the side-end portions extends continuously from the other one of the two ends of the body portion. The liner includes a restriction portion provided at a center of the liner in an axial direction of the body portion. The restriction portion is configured to restrict displacement of the reinforcing layer in the axial direction.

A high-pressure tank which is capable of improving the strength of a connecting part between a cylindrical part and a dome part is provided. A high-pressure tank 10 according to the present invention comprises: a liner 20 having a cylindrically-shaped cylindrical part 20a and hemispherically-shaped dome parts 20b which are continuous with both ends of the cylindrical part 20a; and a reinforcing layer 30 including a fiber bundle which is hoop-wound around the cylindrical part 20a of the liner 20 and a fiber bundle which is helically wound around the dome parts 20b thereof. An outer diameter of the end of the cylindrical part 20a is smaller than an outer diameter of a portion of the cylindrical part 20a which excludes the end.