An assembly is configured for use in a system for forming filament windings on a vessel having a circumference and a length. The assembly includes an endless belt and first and second rollers. The endless belt is configured to wrap partially around the circumference of the vessel to contact and impart pressure on a filament winding disposed on an outside surface of the vessel. The endless belt moves around the first and second rollers. A space is disposed between the first and second rollers to allow a filament wind eye of the system to move in a reciprocal motion along the length of the vessel. A method of using a machine for forming filament windings on a vessel having a circumference and a length is also described.

A method for molding a composite pressure vessel liner to secure a boss to the liner is described. The method comprises providing a moldable liner having an end section with a neck and a port. A boss is positioned around the neck of the liner and the liner is heated and pressure is applied to mold the liner to form to the shape of the boss. The angle of the molded liner secures the boss in place around the liner and it is able to withstand high pressures. A tool for molding the liner and a method for using the tool is also described. The tool comprises a tool body and a pipe having external threads. The tool body abuts the liner and the boss. Winding the pipe exerts pressure on the liner, which when heated, forces the liner to mold to the shape of the boss.

A step of forming a low-angle helical layer on an outer surface of at least part of each liner dome portion and an outer surface of a liner cylindrical portion, a step of forming an inner hoop layer on an outer surface of the low-angle helical layer on the liner cylindrical portion, and a step of forming a mixed layer by alternately laminating a low-angle helical layer and an outer hoop layer on an outer surface of the inner hoop layer and low-angle helical layer on each liner dome portion. Then, on the liner cylindrical portion, 90% or more of the sum of the thickness of the inner hoop layer and the thickness of the outer hoop layer in the mixed layer is arranged within the range of 75% of the fiber reinforced plastics layer adjacent to the liner in a thickness direction of the fiber reinforced plastics layer.

A high-pressure tank comprises a liner, a strengthening layer including a first helical layer and a first hoop layer each including a carbon fiber, and a protective layer including a second helical layer and a second hoop layer each including a glass fiber, in this order. The high-pressure tank is provided with a stress-generating portion, a reinforcement layer includes a first area α overlapping the stress-generating portion in a stacking direction and a second area β that is an area except for the first area, and a one-round portion including a final crossing portion at an end of winding of the glass fiber constituting the second hoop layer overlaps the second area in the stacking direction.

A method for manufacturing a high-pressure tank including a reinforcing layer in which rims of both ends of a tubular member and rims of a pair of dome members are joined to overlap each other in a radial direction includes producing the dome members and producing the tubular member. The producing of the dome members includes producing a wound body on a mandrel, curing a resin contained in the wound body, shaving the wound body after the resin is cured to reduce, toward a split line, thicknesses of the rims of the dome members to be obtained by splitting the wound body, splitting the shaved wound body into the dome members by cutting the wound body along the split line, and demolding the dome members from the mandrel.

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 manufacturing method of a high-pressure tank including a reinforcement layer configured of fiber reinforced resin including carbon fiber and a liner provided on an inner side of the reinforcement layer includes: a step (a) of preparing the reinforcement layer including a cylindrical portion and a pair of dome portions, the dome portions disposed at respective ends of the cylindrical portion; a step (b) of forming a film on an inner surface of each of the cylindrical portion and the dome portions without using a polymerization catalyst that is deactivated by a component contained in the reinforcement layer; a step (c) of applying a material of the liner to a surface of the film, the material being an uncured material of the liner and containing the polymerization catalyst; and a step (d) of forming the liner by curing the material of the liner applied through a polymerization reaction.

The present invention discloses a device for producing a reinforcing structure, which comprises a strip that is fibre-reinforced and comprises thermoplastic material, on the surface of a moulding. The device is characterized in that it is designed such that the laser diode array directly irradiates the heating-up area of the strip and/or the heating-up area of the surface of the moulding or of the already formed reinforcing structure, wherein the laser diodes of the laser diode array are formed as surface emitters.

A polyamide resin composition for an extrusion-molded article exposed to high-pressure hydrogen gas contains: 70 to 99 parts by weight of a polyamide 6 resin (A); 1 to 30 parts by weight of an impact modifier (B); and 0.005 to 1 parts by weight of a metal halide (C) with respect to a total of 100 parts by weight of the polyamide 6 resin (A) and the impact modifier (B). The polyamide resin composition has a melt tension of 20 mN or more when measured at 260° C. and a take-up speed at strand break of 30 m/min or more when measured at 260° C.

An end cap for a pressure vessel has at least one part for connecting the end cap to a housing. The at least one part comprises a number of recesses. The recesses are arranged to form at least one fluid passage between an inside and an outside of the end cap when the end cap is plugged on the housing. A housing for a pressure vessel has at least one counterpart for connecting an end cap to the housing by engaging a part of the end cap. The at least one counterpart comprises a number of recesses. The recesses are arranged to form at least one fluid passage between an inside and an outside of the housing when the end cap is plugged on the housing. A method for leak testing a pressure vessel and a method for checking a connection between at least one end cap and a housing of a pressure vessel for leak tightness are also described.