A fuel tank structure includes: a fuel tank that is installed in an automobile and that accommodates fuel; a bag-shaped member that is fixed to a ceiling portion of an interior of the fuel tank, and that can inflate and deflate; and a supporting plate that is provided at the bag-shaped member at a position facing a bottom portion of the fuel tank, the supporting plate having a specific gravity that is lower than a specific gravity of the fuel and causing the bag-shaped member to inflate toward the bottom portion of the fuel tank due to a weight of the supporting plate.

An enclosed volume is provided for performing operations in space, or on any astronomical object, in a manner separated from aspects of the external environment. The enclosed volume can be a flexible container for a satellite. The enclosed volume can include a membrane having a fluid barrier layer and being configured to contain a propellant gas or fluid; and an expulsion device configured to expel material from the membrane. In a stowed configuration, the flexible container is contained within the satellite, and in a deployed configuration, the flexible container extends away from the satellite. The flexible container can inflate from one shape, in the undeployed configuration, to another shape, in a deployed configuration. The other shape can be toroidal or other appropriate shapes. The flexible container can provide bipropellant, blowdown, and gas/fluid metering functionality. Entertainment and game play can be enabled by the enclosed volume involving robots and other devices.

A self-sealing liquid bladder having a wall including plurality of connected cells each cell having an elastic wall portion and a stiffened wall portion and at least one source of pressure associated with one or more of the plurality of cells.

There is provided a fuel tank structure, the fuel tank structure including (1) a bag-shaped member that partitions a space within a fuel tank into a first space at an outer side and a second space at an inner side, (2) a first pressure sensor that senses pressure of the first space, (3) a second pressure sensor that senses pressure of the second space, (4) a pump that reduces pressure of the first space, and (5) a control section that, in a case in which the pressure of the first space is higher than a first threshold value, judges that a hole has formed in the fuel tank, and, in a case in which the pressure of the second space is lower than a second threshold value, judges that a hole has formed in the bag-shaped member.

A tank system of a motor vehicle includes a volume modifying element, having a compensation volume, which is provided in the inner chamber of the fuel tank and which is used to equalize the vapor pressure. The compensation volume is connected to the surrounding area. The only connection between the volume modifying element and the surrounding area is formed by a storage unit of the gaseous fuel components and the inner chamber of the fuel tank is connected to the surrounding area by a valve unit. The valve unit is normally open when filling the fuel tank and when exceeding or falling below the pressure limits in the inner chamber of the tank, and is otherwise closed. The storage unit is connected to the valve unit. The volume modifying element and the valve unit are designed in such a way that vehicles which are parked for several days do not undergo diurnal losses due to changes in temperature of the surroundings, due to the fact that the vapor pressure equilibrium in the fuel tank can be maintained by the automatic supply and removal of ambient air in the, or from the, volume modifying element as long as the valve unit remains closed.

A self-sealing bladder may automatically seal a puncture wound formed in a bladder wall thereof, such as due to being perforated by a projectile. Self-sealing bladders may be used in containers, such as fuel tanks, in order to prevent loss of fuel or other fluid from the container. Self-sealing bladders may contain a sealant material contained within one or more localized reservoirs formed within the bladder wall, the sealant material being pressurized within the bladder wall such that a localized reduction in pressure due to a perforation in the bladder wall causes the sealant material to migrate to the perforated site, whereupon the sealant material hardens, thereby sealing the wound. The localized reservoirs may include one or more channels and/or connecting layers extending therefrom and in fluid communication therewith, to facilitate migration of the sealant material away from the localized reservoirs and towards the perforated portion of the bladder wall.

A self-sealing liquid bladder having a wall including plurality of connected cells each cell having an elastic wall portion and a stiffened wall portion and at least one source of pressure associated with one or more of the plurality of cells.

There is provided a fuel tank structure, the fuel tank structure including (1) a bag-shaped member that partitions a space within a fuel tank into a first space at an outer side and a second space at an inner side, (2) a first pressure sensor that senses pressure of the first space, (3) a second pressure sensor that senses pressure of the second space, (4) a pump that reduces pressure of the first space, and (5) a control section that, in a case in which the pressure of the first space is higher than a first threshold value, judges that a hole has formed in the fuel tank, and, in a case in which the pressure of the second space is lower than a. second threshold value, judges that a hole has formed in the bag-shaped member.

A vehicle fuel storage system may include: a fuel tank, a support member extending inside the tank, and several inflatable bladders extending inside the tank. Each of the inflatable bladders being carried by the support member and attached to the support member. Such bladders may include polyethylene and/or polyamide, or the bladders may be multilayered, including polyethylene and ethylene vinyl alcohol. Each bladder may have a maximum volume in a range of from 5 to 15 liters.

The present invention provides a system (1) to prevent the formation of fuel vapors comprising a containment tank (10) and a variable volume tank (12) accommodatable within the containment tank (10), wherein the variable volume tank (12) is configured to receive liquid fuel. Our invention can be used in any tanks or reservoirs of liquid products that attack the ozone layer, preventing the formation of vapors that are extremely harmful to nature and the environment.