A system for delivering a flow of pressurized gas including a canister for receiving a pressurized gas, the canister including a lateral wall defining an internal cavity, an open top end formed by the lateral wall and in fluid communication with the internal cavity, and a pierceable wall integrally formed with the lateral wall distal to the open top end, wherein the pierceable wall is a low puncture force pierceable wall. The system further includes a piercing member movable between a first position spaced from the canister and a second position piercing the pierceable wall of the canister.

A composite cylinder assembly may comprise a tube liner and a port. The tube liner may include a closed bottom portion, a substantially cylindrical wall, and a domed head portion defining a neck. The port may comprise an outer diameter configured to fit into an inner diameter of the liner neck. The port may further comprise a lip including an outer diameter that is greater than the inner diameter of the liner neck. The port may also comprise a swage recess having an outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the liner neck. The port may be configured to press-fit into the liner neck. The lip may be configured to provide a surface area to weld the port to the liner neck. The swage recess may be configured to provide an area to swage the liner neck to the port.

A high-pressure tank includes: a cylindrical hollow container; an outer shell that is formed of a fiber-reinforced plastic band which is wound on an outer circumference of the hollow container to cover the outer circumference; and a cap that is attached to an inner side of at least one of one axial end and the other axial end of the outer shell. The hollow container is formed of a material which has airtightness and which is able to expand and contract in an axial direction and a radial direction inside the outer shell, and a frictional portion that is used to set a frictional resistance to an inner circumferential surface of the outer shell to be greater than that in the other area is provided in an axial intermediate portion on an outer circumferential surface of the hollow container.

The invention relates to a container for holding and storing liquids and viscous materials, in particular cryogenic fluids, comprising a jacket (12), which defines the interior (14) of the container (10) having a chamber (16), said container (10) being constituted of at least two container structures (20, 20, 20) and each of said at least two container structures (20, 20, 20) being formed as one piece from a blank (32) and having a dome portion (22), a branching portion (24), which is contiguous to the dome portion (22), and two cylinder portions (26, 28; 26, 28), which are contiguous to the branching portion (24), and the mutually facing container structures (20, 20; 20, 20) which are adjacent to each other being joined together.

A pressure tank includes a metallic vessel, a plastic liner received in the metallic vessel, a flexible diaphragm, two connectors and a nozzle coupled to the nipples respectively. The metallic vessel includes upper and lower shells. The upper shell defines a first planar area on a side thereof and a second planar area on a top thereof. The lower shell defines a third planar area thereunder. The flexible diaphragm divides the metallic vessel into a storage space and a pneumatic room. Each of the connectors includes a nipple and an anti-leak assembly. The nipples of the connectors are mounted on the side and top of the upper shell respectively and are in communication with the storage space. The two anti-leak assemblies provide leakproof connection between the nipples and the plastic liner. Additionally, the nozzle is mounted on the third planar area to be in communication with the pneumatic room.

A method of manufacturing a composite vessel assembly (20) includes the steps of filling a first chamber defined by a first liner (28,30,32) with a first granulated material (96) through a first orifice (98) in the first liner. A vacuum is then applied to the first chamber, and the first orifice is plugged. The first liner may then be enveloped with a first layer (84) for structural rigidity followed by relief of the vacuum.

A pressure tank for storing gas, for mounting in a gas-operated vehicle. The pressure tank has a rotationally symmetrical, elongate shape which is cylindrical in the central region and is closed at both ends by curved polar caps, and a wall which surrounds a hollow space for storing the gas. At each of the polar caps, the pressure tank has a metallic connection piece, a so-called boss. The wall has a reinforcing layer made from fiber-reinforced plastic and an inner liner for sealing purposes. For sealing purposes, a bush is connected to the boss. A pressure ring and a spring element are configured in such a way that the spring element is supported on the bush and presses the pressure ring against the liner and, as a result, presses the liner in a region against the boss.

A method and apparatus for compressing gases and supplying fuel to a gaseous fuel consuming device, such as a gaseous fueled vehicle or the like. One embodiment includes a gas compressor for compressing the gaseous fuel to an array of tanks having predetermined initial set points which are increasing for tanks in the array. One embodiment provides a selecting valve having first and second families of ports wherein the valve can be operated to select a plurality of ports from the first family to be fluidly connected with a plurality of ports with the second family, and such fluid connections can be changed by operation of the valve.

The present invention describes a method for producing a leak-tight vessel for holding a gas and/or liquid, comprising the steps of winding a heat-sealable thermoplastic barrier strip around a removable mandrel in such a way that each strip fragment overlaps with a substantially parallel strip fragment over at least a lateral overlapping distance, consolidating the overlapping strip fragments so as to form a gas and/or liquid tight layer, winding a fibrous material around the gas and/or liquid tight layer, thereby leaving an opening large enough for removing the mandrel. The invention also describes a leak-tight vessel produced in this way.

A method, a composite joint, and a composite tank are presented. The composite tank comprises a curved wall, a plurality of shear fittings, and a plurality of bolts. The curved wall has an opening. The plurality of shear fittings is threaded into a plurality of blind holes in the curved wall around the opening. The plurality of bolts engages the plurality of shear fittings and joins a cap to the curved wall.