The invention is directed to a valve for a compressed gas cylinder, comprising: a valve body with an inlet, an outlet and a passage connecting the inlet with the outlet; a shut-off device of the passage with an actuating pin extending in the passage; a check-valve between the shut-off device and the inlet, the check valve comprising a seat and a movable closing member initially held at a position distant from the seat by contact with a guiding surface and movable past the position by the pin so as to cooperate with the seat and prevent a refilling flow of gas from the outlet to the inlet. The guiding surface is on a tubular portion fixed to the valve body and comprising at least one radial aperture so as to allow the refilling flow of gas to by-pass the closing member when in the distant position.

There is provided a protection structure for a gas cylinder assembly comprising a gas cylinder body and a valve. The gas cylinder body includes a base and a neck to which a proximal end of the valve is connectable in use. The protection structure comprises first and second structural sections, the first section being connectable to the valve such that the second section is spaced from the valve by the first section. Further, in use, the second section is arranged to transfer impact forces to the first section, and the second section is arranged to deform with respect to the second section in response to said impact forces to reduce the peak impact force on the valve.

An assembly for storing and transporting compressed fluid, such as compressed natural gas, that includes a plurality of hexagonally stacked pipe stored in a cargo hold in or on a vessel, that includes a lower support, side supports and a forcing mechanism that presses strongly down on the pipes so that they cannot move relative to themselves or the vessel on which they are placed. The friction between the pipes causes the plurality of pipes to act as part of the vessel in terms of its structure. The stacked pipe is supported by a plurality of spacers, such as convex side up pipe segments for maintaining a gap between adjacent ones of said plurality of pipes in a same row in said stacked pipe. A load equalizer may be located above the plurality of pipes for distributing the compressive force from the forcing mechanism.

A compressed gas container is disclosed. The compressed gas container has a single one-piece casing surrounding a storage volume and includes a matrix material and reinforcing fibers. The composition of the matrix material between the region of the single one-piece casing facing the storage volume and the region of the single one-piece casing facing the surroundings of the single one-piece casing changes at least once. A method for manufacturing a compressed gas container is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a tank device (1) for storing a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, comprising a valve device (2) and a tank (10). The valve device (2) comprises a valve housing (20) having a longitudinal axis, in which valve housing (20) an interior (7) is formed. An actuation valve element (18) movable along the longitudinal axis (11) is arranged in the interior (7), which actuation valve element (18) interacts with a valve seat (40) in order to open and close an outlet opening (31) and thus forms an actuation valve (44). The valve device (2) comprises a solenoid (14). Furthermore, the valve seat (40) is formed downstream on the valve housing (20) and at the outlet opening (31), and the cylindrical outlet opening (31) leads into a cylindrical passage channel (80), the diameter D of the passage channel (80) being greater than the diameter d of the outlet opening (31).

A corner structure comprises: a fixed member fixed to a corner of a storage tank; a movable member supported on the fixed member so as to be linearly movable; a stop member attached to the fixed member to prevent the movable member from being detached from the fixed member; and a heat insulating member disposed between a sealing wall and a hull. The fixed member comprises a guide portion provided with a guide recessed portion, the movable member comprises a guide protruding portion inserted into the guide recessed portion, and the width and the length of the guide protruding portion are smaller than the width and the length of the guide recessed portion, so that the movable member can be supported on the fixed member to be movable in the longitudinal direction and in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

A storage vessel can include a shell that is formed by fibers wound about an axis and infused with a resin matrix. The resin matrix can include metal nanoparticles coated with a polymer and distributed within a resin. The nanoparticles provide low coefficients of thermal expansion, and the polymer coatings enhance their bonding with the resin The shells of such storage vessels provide increased tensile strength and modulus at both room and cryogenic temperatures. Such improvements stem from the higher interfacial residual thermal stress at cryogenic temperature due to their low thermal expansion properties, which in turn promotes crack branching that increases the energy dissipation of the matrix.

The invention relates to an installation for storing and transporting a liquefied gas, having a sealed pipe (7) that passes through the tank wall so as to define a fluid passage between the inside and the outside of the tank, a sealed metal sheath (29) that is disposed around the sealed pipe (7) and fitted in the opening (22) in the load-bearing wall, the sealed sheath having a longitudinal portion extending at least as far as the sealing membrane (14), the sealing membrane being joined to the sealed sheath (29) in a sealed manner, wherein the load-bearing structure comprises a coaming (24) that protrudes from an outer surface of the load-bearing wall, the sealed pipe being supported by a top wall (26) of the coaming, the sealed sheath (29) having an outer end that is disposed outside the load-bearing wall and attached to the coaming or to the sealed pipe (7) all around the sealed pipe.

A home-based, low-cost, self-contained, fast-fill natural gas refueling station for providing compress natural gas (CNG) fuel for motor vehicles. The station compresses utility supplied natural gas and stores the CNG in a CNG storage facility located inside the station. In preferred embodiments the refueling station is located adjacent to a driveway at a home. The compressor preferably is a multi-stage gas compressor having at least three stages of compression. Applicant estimates that savings based today prices for CNG as compared to gasoline, a typical family with only one car could pay for the station in three years. If the family has several cars the station could pay for itself much earlier.

Canisters are provided that include a cylindrical body and a cap welded to the body to define a cavity filled with carbon dioxide or other fluid. The canisters may be loaded into a medical device, e.g., to provide an energy source for operating the device. Methods for making such canisters are also provided.