HIGH PRESSURE TANK WITH A BOSS PART WITH PLASTIC COATING

Abstract

A high-pressure tank and a method of producing such a high-pressure tank. The high-pressure tank includes a liner composed of plastic, a shell of the liner, and at least one boss having at least at one contact surface with a plastic coating that contacts the liner. The plastic coating forms a seal between the at least one boss and the liner such that there are no other sealing elements therebetween.

Claims

1. A high-pressure tank, comprising: a liner composed of plastic; a shell of the liner; and at least one boss having at least at one contact surface with a plastic coating that contacts the liner, the plastic coating forming a seal between the at least one boss and the liner such that there are no other sealing elements therebetween.

2. The high-pressure tank of claim 1, wherein the plastic coating comprises a nylon-11 coating.

3. The high-pressure tank of claim 1, wherein the plastic coating comprises a a nylon-12 coating.

4. The high-pressure tank of claim 1, wherein the plastic coating comprises a Rilsan® polyamide-11 coating.

5. The high-pressure tank of claim 1, wherein the plastic coating is applied to the boss via a Rilsan® coating process.

6. The high-pressure tank of claim 1, wherein the plastic coating has a thickness in a range between 50-900 μm.

7. The high-pressure tank of claim 1, wherein the plastic coating has a thickness in a range between 300-500 μm.

8. The high-pressure tank of claim 1, wherein the plastic coating is applied on an entire contact surface on which the boss makes contact with the liner.

9. A high-pressure tank, comprising: a liner composed of plastic; and a boss having an uncoating region and a coated region that is coated with a plastic coating that contacts the liner, the coated region having at least at one contact surface with a plurality of grooves thereon that extend radially and are spaced apart circumferentially, the plastic coating forming a seal between the boss and the liner such that there are no other sealing elements therebetween.

10. The high-pressure tank of claim 9, wherein the plastic coating comprises a nylon-11 coating.

11. The high-pressure tank of claim 9, wherein the plastic coating comprises a a nylon-12 coating.

12. The high-pressure tank of claim 9, wherein the plastic coating comprises a Rilsan® polyamide-11 coating.

13. The high-pressure tank of claim 9, wherein the plastic coating is applied to the boss via a Rilsan® coating process.

14. The high-pressure tank of claim 9, wherein the plastic coating has a thickness in a range between 50-900 μm.

15. The high-pressure tank of claim 9, wherein the plastic coating has a thickness in a range between 300-500 μm.

16. The high-pressure tank of claim 9, wherein the plastic coating is applied on an entire contact surface on which the boss makes contact with the liner.

17. A method of producing a high-pressure tank, the method comprising: applying a powder coating of plastic on at least at one contact surface of a boss, wherein the plastic coating is composed of Rilsan® polyamide-11 or polyamide-12.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, before applying the powder coating of plastic, performing a chemical pretreatment or a mechanical pretreatment of the at least one contact surface.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising, after performing the chemical pretreatment or the mechanical pretreatment and before applying the powder coating of plastic, applying a bonding primer to the at least one contact surface.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising, after applying the powder coating of plastic, shaping the liner while also bonding the plastic coating to the liner in the shaping of the liner.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0018] One or more embodiments will be illustrated by way of example in the drawings and explained in the description hereinbelow.

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a boss of a high-pressure tank, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional view of the boss of FIG. 1, bonded to a liner.

DESCRIPTION

[0021] FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively illustrate a coated boss of a high-pressure tank according to this disclosure. FIG. 2 additionally illustrates a section of the liner 1 of a high-pressure vessel in the region of the boss 2.

[0022] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the high-pressure tank comprises a liner 1 made of plastic and a shell of the liner 1, typically comprising a fibre material embedded into a matrix (not illustrated). At at least one end face of the high-pressure tank, a boss 2 is used for withdrawal of the medium from the high-pressure tank. The boss 2 has a contact surface 3 with the liner 1. The boss 2 is essentially of cylindrical shape and has a collar 5 of greater circumference at its axial end facing the interior of the high-pressure tank. The underside of the collar 5 facing the interior of the high-pressure tank essentially forms the contact surface 3. The contact surface 3 preferably also comprises a radially inner axial section of the boss 2 that surrounds a central bore of the boss 2.

[0023] The boss 2 also has grooves 6 on the contact surface 3 that may, for example, run circumferentially, especially in the form of a circular segment and/or circle, and/or extend radially. The grooves 6 likewise form part of the coated contact surface 3. Grooves, and additional mechanical securing by means of undercuts and segments 6 on the sealing surface in general, may also be dispensed with completely by virtue of the coating depending on the embodiment. The function of assurance against rotation by the grooves 6 can be replaced by the two-dimensional coating. In general, a partial region with coating of the side 3, 4 facing the liner 1 may in some cases already be sufficient for the sealing and bonding function.

[0024] The contact surface 3 has at least partially or completely a plastic coating 4 of Rilsan® nylon-11 or comparable materials. The plastic coating 4 constitutes the sole seal between boss 2 and liner 1. No other sealing elements are disposed between the boss 2 and the liner 1.

[0025] The plastic coating 4 has a thickness of about 50-500 μm. The plastic coating 4 has been applied by a coating method, for example by means of powder coating with nylon-11, to the contact surface 3 of the boss 2. For this purpose, first of all, a region 7 of the boss 2 that was not to be coated was masked.

[0026] The coating was preceded by a chemical or mechanical pretreatment of the contact surface 3, preferably a blasting operation with white corundum.

[0027] After the chemical or mechanical pretreatment of the contact surface 3, a bonding primer is applied to the contact surface 3, for example a Primgreen® LAT 12035 bonding primer.

[0028] The material bond between coated surface of the boss (2) and the high-pressure tank (liner) is effected either by the rotomolding, thermoforming, blow molding or injection molding method.

[0029] The terms “coupled,” “attached,” or “connected” may be used herein to refer to any type of relationship, direct or indirect, between the components in question, and may apply to electrical, mechanical, fluid, optical, electromagnetic, electromechanical or other connections. In addition, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein only to facilitate discussion, and carry no particular temporal or chronological significance unless otherwise indicated.

[0030] Those skilled in the art will appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad techniques of the embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while the embodiments have been described in connection with particular examples thereof, the true scope of the embodiments should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, specification, and following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0031] 1 liner [0032] 2 boss [0033] 3 contact surface [0034] 4 plastic coating [0035] 5 collar [0036] 6 groove [0037] 7 uncoated region of boss