The present disclosure provides a pressure vessel 10 (sometimes known as a composite overwrapped pressure vessel or “COPV”) comprising carbon fiber 20 (such as carbon fiber 20 filaments) wrapped around a tank liner 30.

A container includes first and second hollow shells respectively including first and second inner surfaces to receive a portion of a pressure vessel (PV). The first hollow shell includes a fiber layer that is and at least partially impregnated with resin, and an energy dissipating material that is substantially concentric with the first inner surface and disposed between the first inner surface and the fiber layer. The second hollow shell includes a fiber layer that is at least partially impregnated with resin, and an energy dissipating material that is substantially concentric with the second inner surface and disposed between the second inner surface and the second fiber layer. The first and second hollow shells are attachable to one another to define a volume for at least partially enclosing the PV.

A method for forming a reservoir made of a composite material includes a tubular element, two end fittings, each inserted into one end of the tubular element, and a circumferential layer that envelops the tubular element and the end fittings. The circumferential layer is made of resin-impregnated wound fibers. At least one segment of each end fitting has an outwardly tapering shape and the wall has a taper at each end, and thus at each end the wall is pressed against the segment surface having a tapering shape. The tubular element includes a plastic tube surrounded by a longitudinal layer essentially made of parallel fibers in a resin matrix, the parallel fibers being oriented along the longitudinal axis of the plastic tube. The circumferential layer is essentially made of fibers wound around the circumference of the tubular element and end fittings and parallel to each other.

A mandrel for manufacturing a fiber reinforced resin vessel by a filament winding process includes: a tubular part; and a pair of end parts joined to respective axial ends of the tubular part. The tubular part and the end parts are each made of a molded product of a material including pulp and a starch-based binder.

A method for manufacturing a high pressure tank includes a step of forming a reinforcing pipe portion including a straight pipe portion and reduced-diameter portions, a step of forming reinforcing dome portions, a step of forming a joined body by joining the reinforcing pipe portion and the reinforcing dome portions, and a step of forming an outer helical layer on an outer face of the joined body. The reinforcing dome portions are disposed with opening ends of the reinforcing dome portions positioned on outer faces of the reduced-diameter portions of the reinforcing pipe portion.

A high pressure tank includes a liner that has gas barrier properties and that is made of resin, a reinforcing layer disposed around the liner, and a cap that is provided on one end of the liner and that includes a flange portion. The reinforcing layer includes a first reinforcing layer that is disposed between the liner and at least a part of a lower face of the flange portion, the part of the lower face including an outer end of the flange portion.

A manufacturing method of a high-pressure tank includes a step of forming a first reinforcing body involving cooling a first resin-impregnated fiber bundle fed from a fiber bundle feeding device and having a first temperature to a second temperature lower than the first temperature and winding the cooled first resin-impregnated fiber bundle around a mandrel or a liner. The first resin-impregnated fiber bundle includes fine particles that contain an acrylic resin or a butadiene resin as a main component. A high-pressure tank including the liner that houses gas and the first reinforcing body that covers an outer surface of the liner is manufactured.

A tank includes a liner that includes a barrel portion in a cylindrical shape and a pair of dome portions provided at both ends of the barrel portion in the axial direction, and a reinforcing layer that covers the liner and that is formed from a fiber reinforced resin formed by impregnating a fiber bundle with a resin. A portion of the reinforcing layer that covers the dome portions includes a radial arrangement layer in which fibers of the fiber bundle are arranged radially along the radial direction of the dome portions when seen in the direction of an axis of the tank.

A manufacturing method for a tank including a liner and a reinforcement layer having a first layer made up of a pipe fitted to an outer surface of the liner and a second layer covering the pipe includes forming the pipe by winding first fiber reinforced resin containing a first fiber and a first resin around a mandrel and thermally curing the first fiber reinforced resin under a first condition, forming the first layer by fitting the pipe to the liner, and forming the second layer by winding a second fiber reinforced resin containing a second fiber and a second resin around the liner to cover the first layer and thermally curing the second fiber reinforced resin under a second condition. The second condition defines an upper limit temperature at which a shear strength of the first resin is kept higher than a residual stress in the pipe.

A method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank including a liner and a fiber-reinforced resin layer, the fiber-reinforced resin layer having a first reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the liner and a second reinforcing layer covering an outer surface of the first reinforcing layer includes: forming a cylinder member made of a fiber-reinforced resin and having fibers oriented in a circumferential direction of the cylinder member; forming two dome members made of the fiber-reinforced resin; forming a reinforcing body that is the first reinforcing layer by joining the cylinder member and the dome members; and forming on an outer surface of the reinforcing body the second reinforcing layer made of the fiber-reinforced resin and having fibers oriented across the dome members.