PRESSURE VESSEL COMPRISING AN INTERIOR CHAMBER, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A PRESSURE VESSEL

Abstract

The invention relates to a pressure vessel (1) with an interior chamber (30), in particular for storing hydrogen, comprising a vessel wall (12) which has or consists of a composite material unit (14, 22, 26) with reinforcing fibers (16) and a thermoplastic plastic matrix (18), wherein the composite material unit (14, 22, 26) is arranged and configured such that the reinforcing fibers (16) can be removed as continuous fibers, in particular non-destructively, so that the composite material unit can be reused.

Claims

1. Pressure vessel with an interior chamber for storing hydrogen, comprising a vessel wall comprising a composite material unit with reinforcing fibers and a thermoplastic polymer matrix, wherein the composite material unit is arranged and configured such that the reinforcing fibers can be removed as continuous fibers, and non-destructively, so that the composite material unit can be reused.

2. Pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein the composite material unit is arranged and configured such that the thermoplastic plastic matrix with the reinforcing fibers is removable.

3. Pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein the composite material unit extends from an arrangement start to an arrangement end, and a detachment section of the composite material unit adjacent to the arrangement end is arranged and/or configured to be detachable.

4. Pressure vessel according to claim 3, wherein the detachment section comprises a strength-reducing detachment layer on a side of the composite material unit facing an interior chamber.

5. Pressure vessel according to claim 3, wherein the detachment section is partially consolidated so that a bond strength of the detachment section is lower than a bond strength of a consolidated section of the composite material unit.

6. Pressure vessel according to claim 3, wherein the detachment section extends from the arrangement end with a detachment extension, and the detachment extension is more than 1 mm, more than 2 mm, more than 5 mm, more than 10 mm and/or less than 100 mm, less than 50 mm, less than 25 mm, less than 15 mm, less than 10 mm.

7. Pressure vessel according to claim 1, comprising two or more composite material units each having an arrangement end, and/or wherein the composite material unit is a composite material web in the form of a processed prepreg.

8. Pressure vessel according to claim 1, comprising a cylindrical vessel portion having a cylindrical circumferential direction, wherein a first composite material unit is arranged along the cylindrical circumferential direction of the cylindrical vessel portion and a second composite material unit is arranged angled, in particular orthogonal to the cylindrical circumferential direction.

9. Pressure vessel according to claim 8, comprising two or more composite material units each having an arrangement end, wherein more than 50%, more than 75%, more than 90%, or more than 95% of the arrangement ends are arranged within the cylindrical vessel portion.

10. Pressure vessel according to claim 1, comprising two or more composite material units each having an arrangement end, wherein the arrangement ends are substantially evenly distributed along a container surface of the pressure vessel.

11. Pressure vessel according to claim 1, comprising a hollow body defining a liner forming an interior chamber, wherein one or more of the composite material units is or are arranged on an outer side of the hollow body.

12. Method for producing a pressure vessel having an interior chamber for storing hydrogen, comprising the step of: Producing a vessel wall with a composite material unit with reinforcing fibers and a thermoplastic polymer matrix, wherein the composite material unit is arranged and configured such that the reinforcing fibers are removable as continuous fibers, non-destructively.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the composite material unit has an arrangement end, comprising the steps of: detecting an arrangement end position of the arrangement end on the pressure vessel, and generating and providing data characterizing the arrangement end position.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein the composite material unit is arranged with an arrangement direction, comprising the steps of: detecting the arrangement direction of the composite material unit, and generating and providing data characterizing the arrangement direction.

15. Method according to claim 13, comprising the step of: Generating a digital image of the pressure vessel based on data characterizing the arrangement end position and/or based on data characterizing an arrangement direction of the composite material unit.

16. Method according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of composite material units each having an arrangement end are arranged with adjacent arrangement ends arranged side by side.

17. Computer-implemented method for a digital image of a pressure vessel, comprising the steps of: Receiving data characterizing a pressure vessel geometry, an arrangement end position, an arrangement direction, manufacturing parameters and/or machine parameters detected during production of the pressure vessel, and generating the digital image based on the data characterizing the pressure vessel geometry, the arrangement end position, the arrangement direction, the manufacturing parameters and/or machine parameters detected when producing the pressure vessel.

18. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the instructions are executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of the computer-implemented method according to claim 17.

19. Computer-readable data carrier on which the computer program product according to claim 18 is stored.

20. Data structure characterizing a digital image of a pressure vessel obtained by a computer-implemented method according to claim 17.

Description

[0067] Preferred embodiments are explained by way of example with reference to the enclosed figures. The figures show:

[0068] FIG. 1: a schematic, two-dimensional view of an exemplary embodiment of a pressure vessel;

[0069] FIG. 2: a schematic, two-dimensional sectional view of a detail of the pressure vessel shown in FIG. 1;

[0070] FIG. 3: a schematic, two-dimensional detailed view of a detachment section;

[0071] FIG. 4: a schematic representation of a device with a processor; and

[0072] FIG. 5: a schematic representation of an exemplary method.

[0073] In the figures, identical or essentially functionally identical or similar elements are designated with the same reference signs.

[0074] The pressure vessel 1 shown in FIG. 1 extends from a first vessel end 2 to a second vessel end 4 in the longitudinal direction L. Adjacent to the first vessel end 2, the pressure vessel 1 has a first dome section 6 and adjacent to the second vessel end 4, the pressure vessel 1 has a second dome section 8. Between the first dome portion 6 and the second dome portion 8, the pressure vessel 1 has a cylindrical vessel portion 10.

[0075] The pressure vessel 1 has an interior chamber 30, shown in FIG. 2, which is substantially surrounded by a vessel wall 12. The vessel wall is shown here only schematically in order to illustrate the arrangement of three exemplary composite material units 14, 22, 26.

[0076] The first composite material unit 14 is aligned along the cylindrical circumferential direction U of the cylindrical vessel portion 10. The second composite material unit 22 and the third composite material unit 26 are arranged at an angle to the first composite material unit 14.

[0077] Typically, substantially the entire vessel wall 12 is configured by composite material units 14, 22, 26. The cylindrical vessel portion 10 is at least partially configured by the first composite material unit 14. The first composite material unit 14 has reinforcing fibers 16, in particular continuous reinforcing fibers, and a thermoplastic resin matrix 18, each of which is shown schematically. The first composite material unit 14 is arranged and configured such that the reinforcing fibers 16 are non-destructively removable.

[0078] The first composite material unit 14 extends from a first arrangement end 20 to a first arrangement start. When producing the pressure vessel 1, the first composite material unit 14 was arranged starting with the first arrangement start and then wrapped around the cylindrical vessel portion 10. The last arranged end of the first composite material unit 14 is the first arrangement end 20.

[0079] The second composite material unit 22 with the second arrangement end 24 is configured as a cross layer which wraps around the dome portions 6, 8 and the cylindrical vessel portion 10. The third composite material unit 26 with the third arrangement end 28 is configured as a local reinforcement layer in a highly stressed area of the dome section 6.

[0080] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the pressure vessel 1, wherein the longitudinal direction L is aligned orthogonally to the image plane and the cylinder circumferential direction U is aligned along the main extension direction of the first composite material unit 14. It can be seen that the composite material units 14, 22, 26 are arranged on a hollow body 32, which is also referred to as a liner. The hollow body 32 is not essential for forming the pressure vessel 1. For example, a pressure vessel 1 configured as type 5 does not have a hollow body 32.

[0081] Furthermore, the specific formation of the first arrangement end 20 is illustrated. A detachment section 34 of the first composite material unit 14 adjoins the first arrangement end 20. In particular, the detachment section 34 is arranged and configured such that it can be detached in a non-destructive manner.

[0082] The detachment section 34 extends from the first arrangement end 20 to the section end 36. A detachment layer 38 is arranged between the detachment section 34 and an underlying composite material unit. The detachment layer 38 may, for example, be a plastic that prevents a firm connection between the detachment section 34 and the underlying substrate, in particular a composite material unit, or reduces the connection strength.

[0083] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the detachment section 34, wherein the loose end 35 of the composite material unit 14 is arranged above the detachment layer 38. In addition or as an alternative to the detachment layer 38, it may be provided that the detachment section 34 is partially consolidated.

[0084] FIG. 4 shows a device 50 for carrying out a computer-implemented method for a digital image of a pressure vessel 1, comprising the steps of: receiving data characterizing a pressure vessel geometry, an arrangement end position, an arrangement direction, production parameters and/or machine parameters recorded during a producing of the pressure vessel 1, and generating the digital image based on the data characterizing the pressure vessel geometry, the arrangement end position, the arrangement direction, the production parameters and/or machine parameters recorded during a producing of the pressure vessel 1. For this purpose, the device 50 comprises a processor 52 for performing the steps of the computer-implemented method. The memory 54 may be adapted to store data received by the memory 54 from the processor and/or a transceiver 56.

[0085] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary method. In step 100, a vessel wall 12 is formed with a composite material unit 14, 22, 26 comprising reinforcing fibers 16 and a thermoplastic resin matrix 18. The composite material unit 14, 22, 26 is arranged and configured such that the reinforcing fibers 16 are non-destructively removable.

[0086] Substantially simultaneously, in step 102, an arrangement end position of each of the arrangement ends 20, 24, 28 on the pressure vessel 1 is detected. In step 104, data characterizing the arrangement end positions is generated and provided.

[0087] In step 106, preferably also in parallel with one or more of the steps described above, an arrangement direction of the composite material unit 14, 22, 26 is detected and data characterizing the arrangement direction is generated and provided. In step 108, further composite material units are preferably arranged to produce a desired thickness of the vessel wall 12.

[0088] The pressure vessel 1 described in the foregoing has the particular advantage of being recyclable in a particularly simple manner. Due to the fact that the composite material units 14, 22, 26 are arranged and configured such that the reinforcing fibers 16 as continuous fibers and possibly the thermoplastic plastic matrix can be removed in a non-destructive manner, the composite material units 14, 22, 26 can be removed from the pressure vessel 1 in a particularly simple manner.

[0089] This significantly reduces the time required to recycle a pressure vessel 1 and reduces the manual effort required, so that the degree of automation can be increased. In particular, the provision of detachable arrangement ends 20, 24, 28 in the form of detachment sections 34 enables a pressure vessel 1 that is easier to recycle. Furthermore, by capturing and providing the arrangement ends 20, 24, 28, a possibility is provided that the positions of the arrangement ends 20, 24, 28 can be provided from a data memory when recycling the pressure vessel 1.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0090] 1 pressure vessel [0091] 2 first container end [0092] 4 second container end [0093] 6 first dome section [0094] 8 second dome section [0095] 10 cylindrical vessel portion [0096] 12 vessel wall [0097] 13 container surface [0098] 14 first composite material unit [0099] 16 reinforcing fibers [0100] 18 thermoplastic matrix [0101] 20 first arrangement end [0102] 22 second composite material unit [0103] 24 second arrangement end [0104] 26 third composite material unit [0105] 28 third arrangement end [0106] 30 interior chamber [0107] 32 hollow body [0108] 34 detachment section [0109] 35 loose end of the composite material unit [0110] 36 section end [0111] 38 release layer [0112] 50 device [0113] 52 processor [0114] 54 memory [0115] 56 transceiver [0116] L longitudinal direction [0117] U cylinder circumferential direction