PRESSURE VESSEL

Abstract

The invention relates to a hybrid pressure vessel with a fiber-composite component and a metallic component. Furthermore, the invention relates to a manufacturing method for such a hybrid pressure vessel. The hybrid pressure vessel according to the invention has a liner having an inner face and an outer face, with an outer diameter DL, and a metallic boss with an outer diameter DB, the metallic boss being adapted to accommodate a valve, the hybrid pressure vessel having a storage volume on the inside, the liner being pipe-shaped and the outer diameter DB of the boss being at least as large as the outer diameter DL of the liner.

Claims

1. Hybrid pressure vessel having a liner with an inner face and an outer face, having an outer diameter, and a metallic boss having an outer diameter, the metallic boss being adapted to accommodate a valve, the hybrid pressure vessel having a storage volume on the inside, wherein; the liner is pipe-shaped, the outer diameter of the boss being at least as large as the outer diameter of the liner.

2. Hybrid pressure vessel according to claim 1, wherein; the liner is made of a material at least partially plastically deformable under pressure, the hybrid pressure vessel has further at least one outer layer applied on the liner to the reinforcement thereof and a boss with a squeezing ring and counterpiece for accommodating the valve and for sealing the storage volume with respect to the liner; the liner comprising a cylindrical connecting area with an outer face and an inner face for connecting the boss; the squeezing ring being positioned on one face of the connecting area of the liner and the counterpiece for generating a sealing pressure between squeezing ring, connecting area of the liner and counterpiece on a different face of the connecting area of the liner; the counterpiece having on its face facing the connecting area of the liner a suitably formed groove with a first edge facing the storage volume and a second edge in the opposite direction for receiving a sealing ring which seals under the sealing pressure; the groove and the sealing ring being dimensioned and the liner material being provided to form first and second sealing beads protruding at least in both gaps between sealing ring and first and second edge under the sealing pressure due to its plastic deformability.

3. Hybrid pressure vessel (1) according to claim 2, wherein; the squeezing ring is positioned on the inner face of the connecting area of the liner and the counterpiece for generating a sealing pressure between squeezing ring, connecting area of the liner and counterpiece on the outer face of the connecting area of the liner.

4. Hybrid pressure vessel according to claim 2, wherein; the squeezing ring is positioned on the outer face of the connecting area of the liner and the counterpiece for generating a sealing pressure between squeezing ring, connecting area of the liner and counterpiece on the inner face of the connecting area of the liner.

5. Hybrid pressure vessel according to claim 2, wherein; the squeezing ring is dimensioned such that the liner material, due to its plastic deformability, forms a third bead around the squeezing ring on its lower face directed towards the storage volume.

6. Hybrid pressure vessel according to claim 2, wherein; the squeezing ring or the counterpiece is formed such that between the storage volume and an upper end of the connecting area of the liner, there is an open gas connection with the storage volume.

7. Hybrid pressure vessel according to claim 6, wherein; the squeezing ring comprises a first face facing the connecting area of the liner and an opposite second face, the area of the face of the squeezing ring which rests on the connecting area of the liner being smaller than its opposite other face.

8. Hybrid pressure vessel according to claim 2, wherein; the counterpiece has, on its face facing the connecting area of the liner, at least one additional suitably formed groove for absorbing axial forces.

9. The method of manufacturing a hybrid pressure vessel, characterized by the following steps: 1) providing a prefabricated pipe-shaped liner, 2) placing the squeezing ring into the or on the connecting area of the liner, 3) forming at least first and second sealing beads which under the sealing pressure, with the groove and the sealing ring dimensioned accordingly, protrude into both gaps between the sealing ring and the first or second edge, respectively, due to plastic deformability of the liner material, so as to seal the storage volume to be produced, 4) manufacturing the outer layer on the liner, and 5) positioning the valve into the boss.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein; the method comprises the further step of forming a third bead around the squeezing ring on its lower face facing the storage volume due to plastic deformability of the liner material.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein; the outer layer has an inner ply and an outer ply, the outer ply being wrapped over the inner ply and the boss.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein; the prefabricated semi-finished pipe of the inner ply is a fiber-composite pipe around which circumferential plies are wrapped, the circumferential plies having an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fiber-composite pipe which increases from the inside outward.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein; the pipe-shaped liner is cut to length from a cylindrical semi-finished pipe.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein; the outer ply is wrapped from an FCM, the outer ply being wrapped with wrapping angles between 30° and 90°, preferably between 35° and 90°, particularly preferably between 40° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the liner.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein; the pipe-shaped liner is constricted in its connecting area.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein; the squeezing ring is brought into position by means of an installation device.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein; the squeezing ring is subjected to a temperature treatment before installation so that there is a large difference in temperature between the squeezing ring and the liner at the time of installation, due to this difference in temperature the squeezing ring being placed on the liner or inserted in the liner with play, the squeezing ring being brought to its desired position, in which it squeezes the liner by equalization of its temperature with the temperature of the liner.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0054] These and other aspects of the invention are shown in detail in the figures as follows:

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a portion of a hybrid pressure vessel according to the invention in cross-section;

[0056] FIG. 2 is a schematic presentation of a sealing concept;

[0057] FIG. 3 shows a portion of another embodiment of the hybrid pressure vessel according to the invention in cross-section;

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a portion of another embodiment of the hybrid pressure vessel according to the invention in cross-section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a portion of a hybrid pressure vessel 1 according to the invention in cross-section. The pressure vessel has a pipe-shaped liner 2 covered by an inner ply 31 and an outer ply 32 of an outer layer 3. The inner ply 31 of the outer layer is also pipe-shaped. The end face of the inner ply 31 abuts at a counterpiece 42 of the boss 4 forming the terminal of the hybrid pressure vessel 1. The boss 4 is formed from a metal material. The outer ply 32 is wrapped over the inner ply 31 of the outer layer, this outer ply also partially covering the boss 4 so that the boss 4 is integrally connected to the pipe-shaped liner 2 and the inner ply 31 of the outer layer 3. The outer diameter of the hybrid pressure vessel 1 is determined by the outer diameter of the boss 4 which must have a certain minimum diameter because of the necessity of accommodating a valve 5 (not shown in the figure). In particular, the outer diameter of the liner 2 is on the order of the outer diameter of the boss 4. Because of the diameter ratio with an outer diameter of the boss 4 larger than the outer diameter of the liner 2, the reinforcement fibers of the inner ply 31 of the outer layer 3, if it is a fiber-composite pipe, necessary for reinforcing the vessel can be deposited in a well-defined manner until the outer diameter of the boss 4 is reached. This is advantageous in terms of load stresses since optimally, the circumferential plies are to be positioned on the inner face of the laminate. The transition between the liner 2 and the outer contour of the boss 4 can be harmonious and therefore load-conforming. On the inside, in the connecting area 23 of the liner 2, there is a squeezing ring 41 which squeezes the liner 2 against the counterpiece 42 of the boss 4 in its connecting area 23. There are at least two grooves 421 in the counterpiece 42. One of these grooves 421 contains a sealing ring 6 in the form of an O-ring.

[0060] FIG. 2 is a schematic presentation of the sealing concept with counterpiece 42, connecting area 23 of the boss 2, squeezing ring 41 and the formed sealing beads 24a, 24b, 24c. In FIG. 2a, the inner face 42i of the counterpiece 42 is slid over the outer face 23a of the connecting area 23. The sealing ring 6, here embodied as an O-ring, is positioned in the groove 421, with gaps L1 and L2 being present with respect to the edges 421a and 421b, in which gaps there is no material of the O-ring 6. In addition, the groove 421 has a contour adapted to the shape of the O-ring 6 in the unloaded state, so that the ring is not twisted when the counterpiece 42 is slid on. After the counterpiece 42 has been slid over the connecting area 23, the O-ring 6 is compressed so that the gaps L1 and L2 are reduced but nevertheless still exist due to the dimensioning of the groove 421 and the O-ring 6. At this time, no sealing beads are formed yet because the sealing pressure AD necessary for this purpose is only produced after the squeezing ring 41 has been positioned on the connecting area 23 from the inside. As shown in FIG. 2b, the outer face 41a of the squeezing ring 41 is now slid from the inside onto the inner face 23i of the connecting area 23. These two steps (sliding on the counterpiece 42 and sliding in the squeezing ring 41) can also be performed in reverse order, with the result shown in FIG. 2c being the same. When the squeezing ring 41 has been placed in the proper position on the inner face 23i of the connecting area 23, the sealing pressure AD acts between squeezing ring 14, connecting area 23 and counterpiece 42. Due to the sealing pressure AD, with the groove 241 and the O-ring 6 dimensioned accordingly, now first and second sealing beads 24a, 24b protruding into the two gaps L1, L2 between O-ring 6 and first and second edge 421a, 421b, respectively, are formed due to the plastic deformability of the liner material, which beads form, together with the conventional seal (O-ring to connecting area), a seal with triple redundancy of the storage volume SV with respect to the outer face of the pressure vessel 1. Also, the squeezing ring 41 is dimensioned here such that the liner material, due to its plastic deformability, additionally forms a third bead 24c around the squeezing ring 41 on its bottom face 41u directed towards the storage volume SV. This third bead 24c supports the seal with triple redundancy insofar as the third bead 24c holds the squeezing ring in position and prevents it from sliding or falling into the liner. Additionally, in FIG. 2c, an embodiment is indicated (shown in dashed lines) in which the boss 4 comprises an additional safety element 43 interconnecting the squeezing ring 41 and the counterpiece 42. This safety element 43 is a screw retained in the counterpiece 42 the thread of which establishes a secure connection with a corresponding hole in the upper face 410 of the squeezing ring 41.

[0061] In FIG. 3, the situation from FIG. 1 is shown in a reverse arrangement; that is, the squeezing ring 41 is now positioned on the outside of the connecting area 23 of the liner 2 whereas the counterpiece 42 of the boss protrudes on the interior into the connecting area 23 of the liner 2. Accordingly, the description of FIG. 1 must be read vice versa.

[0062] In FIG. 4, basically again the situation from FIG. 1 is shown, with the liner 2 being constricted in its connecting area 23. Constriction may take place, for instance, by a temperature effect, the constriction here being cylindrical. The constriction can result in a little more wall thickness in the outer area of the boss for accommodating the liner. The rest of the description of FIG. 1 also applies to FIG. 4.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0063] 1 hybrid pressure vessel [0064] 2 liner [0065] 2i inner face of the liner [0066] 2a outer face of the liner [0067] 2s end face of liner pipe [0068] 23 connecting area of liner [0069] 23i connecting area inner face of liner [0070] 23a connecting area outer face of liner [0071] 23o upper end of connecting area of liner [0072] 24a first sealing bead [0073] 24b second sealing bead [0074] 24c third bead [0075] 3 outer layer [0076] 31 inner ply of outer layer [0077] 32 outer ply of outer layer [0078] 4 boss [0079] 41 squeezing ring [0080] 41a first face of squeezing ring [0081] 41i second face of squeezing ring [0082] 41o upper end of squeezing ring [0083] 41u lower end of squeezing ring [0084] 42 counterpiece [0085] 42i inner face of counterpiece [0086] 421 groove [0087] 421a first edge [0088] 421b second edge [0089] 43 safety element [0090] 5 valve [0091] 6 sealing ring [0092] AD sealing pressure [0093] GV gas connection [0094] L1, L2 gaps between first or second edge of the groove and the squeezing ring, respectively [0095] SV storage volume