A pressure vessel made of two thin-walled, closed-end tube sections joined at a central hub that encircles the open ends of the two closed-end tube sections, with a plurality of radial bolts attaching the sections together. The central hub has an O-ring groove in which an O-ring rests, providing a seal between the interior of the pressure vessel and the outside. The inner wall of the central hub may have radially thin and radially thick sections to distribute and minimize weight without sacrificing strength. The assembly may be attached to a mounting surface through a dovetail mount on the central hub.

A gas filling method includes the steps of: intermittently transferring a bag to arrange the bag at a gas blowing processing position; inserting a blowing nozzle into a gas guide path of the bag in the gas blowing processing position; pinching the blowing nozzle arranged in the gas guide path from outside of the bag with a pair of pinching members in the gas blowing processing position; causing the blowing nozzle to eject the gas in such a manner that the gas is sent to the gas accommodation portion in the gas blowing processing position in a state where the blowing nozzle is pinched via the bag by the pair of pinching members; and closing the gas accommodation portion in an airtight manner in the gas blowing processing position in a state where the blowing nozzle is arranged in the gas guide path.

A reinforced plastic air storage cylinder, including an upper shell comprising a first inner volume, a first inner wall defining the first inner volume, and a first outer frame comprising reinforcing ribs connected to an exterior surface of the first inner wall to provide structural support thereto, wherein the first inner wall comprises a plurality of arc segments connected together to form petal-like structures wherein the plurality of arc segments of the first inner wall forms a plurality of peaks projecting into the first inner volume at locations where adjacent arc segments of the plurality of arc segments of the first inner wall connect to one another; a first center column positioned in the first inner volume; a first set of tensile ribs; and a lower shell comprising a second inner volume.

A liquified air storage system can include a container assembly. The container assembly can be disposed on a base. The container assembly can have an interior portion and an exterior portion. The interior portion can include a reinforced concrete layer and a steel liner. The exterior portion can be disposed adjacent to the interior portion, the exterior portion including prestressed wire. A method of assembling a liquified air storage system can include assembling an interior portion of a container assembly. The interior portion can have a reinforced concrete layer and a steel liner. Next, an exterior portion of the container assembly can be assembled on the interior portion. The exterior portion can include a composite material and prestressed wires. The exterior portion can be covered with an insulation layer.

A self-contained breathing apparatus includes at least one air tank having a regulator, and a back plate configured to removably receive the air tank. The back plate has a plate having a tank engagement surface for engaging at least a portion of an air tank, a receiving cradle on the plate configured to receive the regulator of an air tank, and a locking mechanism associated with the cradle and/or the plate for releasably locking the regulator and/or the cradle relative to the plate. The locking mechanism has at least one locking member configured to move between a first locked position, wherein the locking member engages the regulator and/or cradle to restrict removal of the regulator and/or the receiving cradle from the plate, and a second unlocked position, wherein the locking member disengages from the regulator and/or the cradle to permit removal of the regulator and/or the cradle from the plate.

A hydraulic compressed air energy storage system includes air and liquid tanks, each of which includes interdependent volumes of liquid and air. Each tank includes dedicated passages through which incoming air may be fed, forcing outflow of liquid, or incoming liquid may be fed, forcing outflow of air. Compressed air tanks are connected to a first group of the air and liquid tanks. The system further includes a pump and a liquid turbine, the liquid turbine being electrically connected to a generator for generating electric power. During charging of the system, liquid is pumped through the first group of air and liquid tanks, and air is expelled from the first group of air and liquid tanks and compressed in the compressed air tanks. During discharging of the system, compressed air is released from the compressed air tanks, and said compressed air pumps liquid through the liquid turbine, thereby generating electricity.

A method for calculating the autonomy of a gas distribution system assembly including a container containing gas and equipped with at least one gas filling indicator device and a gas flow rate indicator device at the output of the container. The method includes recovering at least one item of identification information on the container and/or the gas used. The method also includes acquiring at least one image to recover a first datum on a value indicated by the gas filling indicator device and a second datum on a value indicated by the flow rate indicator device. The method also includes communicating the at least one acquired image and the at least one recovered item of identification to a computation module configured to deduce therefrom a corresponding value of autonomy of the gas distribution assembly, the computation module including at least the ability to process images.

The invention relates to a liquid air energy storage system. The storage system includes a cryocooler, a dewar, and a Sterling engine. The cryocooler cools a tip of a cold head to cryogenic temperatures, the cryocooler further includes a heat sink to reject heat from the cryocooler and a cold head that protrudes into a dewar through a cryocooler cavity, the cold head to condense ambient air to create liquified air in the dewar. The dewar holds the liquified air at low temperatures, the dewar having the cryocooler cavity and a Stirling cavity. The Stirling engine drives an electric generator, the Stirling engine further including a cold finger protruding into the dewar through the Stirling cavity, the cold finger to move the liquified air from the dewar to a Stirling heat sink; the Stirling heat sink to expand the liquified air; and the electric generator to generate output electricity.

An air tank assembly disposed within a cab of a vehicle having a floor and a seat for a vehicle occupant comprises a platform mounted to the floor of the cab of the vehicle. A base of the seat is mounted to the platform opposite to the floor of the cab of the vehicle. At least one tank providing storage for compressed air is located by the platform above the floor of the cab of the vehicle adjacent the base of the seat.

A composite pressure vessel assembly includes a plurality of lobes, each of the lobes having at least one interior wall and at least one curved wall, the plurality of lobes being positioned in a side by side arrangement and extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end. Also included is a plurality of end caps disposed at the ends of the lobes, wherein the plurality of lobes and end caps are formed of at least one fiber-reinforced polymer. A method of manufacturing a composite pressure vessel assembly is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of lobes consisting of at least one fiber-reinforced polymer. The method also includes forming a main body with the plurality of lobes, the lobes disposed in a side by side arrangement.