TANK CONTAINER FOR STORING GASES AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAID TANK CONTAINER

Abstract

A tank container for storing gases, in particular for storing hydrogen in a motor vehicle. The tank container includes a main body which is preferably tubular, and comprises reinforcement elements which are arranged on a wall of the main body and are produced using an additive manufacturing process.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A tank container for storing hydrogen in a motor vehicle, comprising: a main body; and reinforcement elements which are arranged on a wall of the main body and are produced using an additive manufacturing process; wherein both the main body and the reinforcement elements are made from metal, and the main body is a component manufactured in a forming process or as a welded structure, on the wall of which the reinforcement elements are directly applied.

13. The tank container as recited in claim 12, wherein the main body is tubular.

14. The tank container as recited in claim 12, wherein the main body and the reinforcement elements are made at least substantially from steel

15. The tank container according to claim 12, wherein the wall on which the reinforcement elements are arranged forms an outer wall of the main body.

16. The tank container according to claim 12, wherein the metal of the main body is hydrogen-resistant, and the reinforcement elements are made of a non-hydrogen-resistant metal.

17. The tank container according to claim 12, wherein the wall on which the reinforcement elements are arranged forms an inner wall of the main body.

18. The tank container according to claim 12, wherein the reinforcement elements are rib-shaped.

19. The tank container according to claim 18, wherein a width and/or height of each of the reinforcement elements is different or varies in a region of the reinforcement element.

20. The tank container according to claim 12, wherein the reinforcement elements are arranged on the main body in the manner of a net or spiral.

21. A method for manufacturing a tank container for storing hydrogen in a motor vehicle, the method comprising: manufacturing a main body and reinforcement elements by different manufacturing methods, the reinforcement elements being directly produced on a wall of the main body in an additive manufacturing process after the main body has been manufactured.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the reinforcement elements are produced in a direct metal deposition (DMD) method.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the reinforcement elements are produced in an electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) method.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the reinforcement elements are formed on an inner wall of the main body, a material for the reinforcement elements being produced on the inner wall by using a lance-like device which projects into an opening of the main body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a simplified longitudinal section of a tank container for storing gas, in particular for storing hydrogen in a motor vehicle, during production, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an external view of the tank container according to FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a partially sectional side view of a rib-like reinforcement element which is applied to a wall of the tank container according to FIG. 1 or 2.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of arrow IV of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Identical elements or elements which have the same function are provided with the same reference signs in the figures.

[0020] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a tank container 10 for storing gas, in particular for storing hydrogen, in a motor vehicle (not shown). The tank container 10 has a tubular main body 12 that is designed to be cylindrical, for example, and which is closed at each end by a cover 14, 16. The main body 12 can either be produced by a forming process, for example by means of extrusion or the like, or for example from a planar blank that is shaped or bent to form a circular cross section with a longitudinal weld seam (not shown). The main body 12 can also consist, for example, of two half-shell elements that are welded to one another at their longitudinal edges.

[0021] The covers 14, 16 can also be designed in different ways, the covers 14, 16 and the main body 12 preferably being connected by a weld seam 20, 22 that extends radially around a longitudinal axis 18 of the main body 12. In particular, the main body 12 and the two covers 14, 16 consist of a steel material, optionally with alloying additions.

[0022] In addition, it is noted that the shape of the main body 12 is not intended to be limited to circular cross sections, but can also be designed to be oval. In this case, the cross section of the main body 12 or the shape of the tank container 10 is typically adapted to the installation conditions of the tank container 10 in the vehicle in order to allow maximum space utilization or a maximum tank volume.

[0023] In order to bring about a stiffening of the tank container 10 or a minimization of the wall thickness of the main body 12 and optionally of the covers 14, 16, in particular as a result of the gas stored under relatively high pressure in the tank container 10, the tank container 10, in particular its main body 12, is equipped, at least in regions, with reinforcement elements 25.

[0024] The reinforcement elements 25 can in this case be provided in the region of the inner wall 26 of the main body 12 and in the region of the outer wall 27 of the main body 12. For example, it can be seen in FIG. 1 that the reinforcement elements 25 arranged on the inner wall 26 are arranged at an angle α with respect to the longitudinal axis 18 and are formed in a spiral-shaped or annular manner.

[0025] In contrast, the reinforcement elements 25 provided on the outer wall 27 of the main body 12 are designed, also purely by way of example, in the manner of a net; i.e., the individual reinforcement elements 25 have common points of intersection 28. The reinforcement elements 25 extend at an angle β with respect to the longitudinal axis 18 of the main body 12.

[0026] It may be important that the reinforcement elements 25 are produced directly on the inner wall 26 or the outer wall 27 of the main body 12 in an additive manufacturing method. For this purpose, material application preferably either takes place by a DMD (direct metal deposition) method or an EBAM (electron beam additive manufacturing) method.

[0027] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the reinforcement elements 25 are produced on the inner wall 26 when the cover 14 is already welded or connected to the main body 12 but the other cover 16 is not yet connected to the main body 12. Of course, for better accessibility into the interior of the main body 12, it is also possible to produce the reinforcement elements 25 on the inner wall 26 in a state in which the two covers 14 and 16 are not yet connected to the main body 12. In order to form the reinforcement elements 25, in particular in the region of the inner wall 26, a lance-like device 30 is preferably used, by means of which accessibility into the cross-sectional region of the main body 12 is made possible in the region of an end opening 31 of the main body 12.

[0028] The basic material of the reinforcement elements 25 also consists of steel, preferably of the same basic material as the main body 12.

[0029] FIGS. 3 and 4 show, with reference to a reinforcement element 25a, that the height h can be variable, for example linearly increases or decreases, in a longitudinal extension of the reinforcement element 25a. In accordance with FIG. 4, it can also be seen that the width b of the reinforcement element 25a can also be variable in the longitudinal extension, for example linearly decreases or increases. The differing geometry of the reinforcement elements 25a on the main body 12 makes it possible, in the context of a uniform strength or a required, locally differing strength of the main body 12, to save material and thus weight for the reinforcement elements 25, 25a or to allow faster production. Furthermore, a locally adapted strength can also be achieved by corresponding control of the production process or by a different material composition of the reinforcement elements 25, 25a.