Compressed Gas Container

Abstract

A compressed gas container is disclosed. The compressed gas container has a single one-piece casing surrounding a storage volume and includes a matrix material and reinforcing fibers. The composition of the matrix material between the region of the single one-piece casing facing the storage volume and the region of the single one-piece casing facing the surroundings of the single one-piece casing changes at least once. A method for manufacturing a compressed gas container is also disclosed.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A compressed gas container, comprising: a single one-piece casing, wherein the single one-piece casing surrounds a storage volume and wherein the single one-piece casing includes a matrix material and reinforcing fibers; wherein a composition of the matrix material between a first region of the single one-piece casing facing the storage volume and a second region of the single one-piece casing facing surroundings of the single one-piece casing changes at least once.

12. The compressed gas container according to claim 11, wherein the matrix material is optimized with respect to a diffusion sealing in the first region facing the storage volume and optimized with respect to mechanical properties in the second region facing the surroundings.

13. The compressed gas container according to claim 11, wherein the reinforcing fibers include carbon fibers.

14. The compressed gas container according to claim 11, wherein the matrix material includes polyurethane at least in the first region facing the storage volume.

15. The compressed gas container according to claim 11, wherein the single one-piece casing is securely connected to a connection element.

16. The compressed gas container according to claim 15, wherein the connection element includes a mechanical retaining structure and/or a coating in a region in contact with the single one-piece casing.

17. A method for manufacturing a compressed gas container having a storage volume surrounded by a single one-piece casing, wherein the single one-piece casing is formed from reinforcing fibers and a matrix material, comprising the steps of: impregnating the reinforcing fibers with the matrix material and winding and/or weaving the impregnated reinforcing fibers around a core, wherein a composition of the matrix material is changed at least once during the impregnating and winding and/or weaving.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the changed composition of the matrix material is obtained by varying a ratio of identical starting materials of the matrix material.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the matrix material is optimized with respect to a diffusion sealing in a first region facing the storage volume and optimized with respect to mechanical properties in a second region facing surroundings.

20. A method for use of a compressed gas container in a vehicle, wherein the compressed gas container comprises: a single one-piece casing, wherein the single one-piece casing surrounds a storage volume and wherein the single one-piece casing includes a matrix material and reinforcing fibers; wherein a composition of the matrix material between a first region of the single one-piece casing facing the storage volume and a second region of the single one-piece casing facing surroundings of the single one-piece casing changes at least once; and comprising the step of: storing a gaseous fuel in the compressed gas container.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the gaseous fuel is hydrogen.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a detail of a compressed gas container;

[0015] FIG. 2 shows a first highly schematized manufacturing step of the manufacturing method according to the invention; and

[0016] FIG. 3 shows a second highly schematized manufacturing step of the manufacturing method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] A detail of a compressed gas container I in an exploded view is apparent in the representation of FIG. 1. The compressed gas container 1 in this case is formed from a casing 2 and from a connection element, the so-called boss 3. In addition, a bonding agent 4 is indicated by dot-dashed lines on the periphery of the connection element 3, in which this element will be later connected to the casing 2. The boss 3 is attached to a lost mold 5 made, for example, of Styrofoam. Together with this lost form 5, the boss is subsequently surrounded by the casing 2. The casing 2 comprises reinforcing fibers 6, in particular, carbon fibers, These fibers are indicated in the representation of FIG. 1 and provided in part with the reference numeral 6. They surround what is later a storage volume, which replaces the lost mold 5 when the latter is correspondingly removed, for example, flushed out of what is later the compressed gas container 2 by dissolution with a chemical solvent. The reinforcing fibers 6 facing what is later the storage volume or the lost mold 5 are represented by dots in the representation of FIG. 1. These fibers subsequently identified by 6a are bonded to one another via a first matrix material, which will be discussed in detail below. The additional reinforcing fibers 6 situated facing away from the lost mold 5 or the storage volume, i.e., which face the surroundings of what is later the compressed gas container 1, are represented by dashed lines in the representation of FIG. 1 and identified by 6b. These are the same fibers 6, but they are provided with a different matrix material.

[0018] The manufacture of the compressed gas container 1 is exemplarily indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 by way of example of a structure of the casing 2 made of wound reinforcing fibers 6. The structure could just as well be implemented with woven fibers 6 or with a combination of wound and woven fibers 6, for example, alternating in layers.

[0019] In the representation of FIG. 2, the reinforcing fibers 6 to the right are represented as a solid line, it passes through an apparatus 7, in which it is impregnated with the matrix material. In the exemplary representation, two supply containers 8a, 8b for the matrix material are apparent. The impregnation of the fibers 6 with the matrix material from the supply container 8a takes place in the representation of FIG. 2, which shows the winding of the inner layers on the lost mold 5, i.e., what are later the layers facing the storage volume. This matrix material, once cured, ensures a matrix having properties which make these ideal as a diffusion barrier or permeation barrier against the gas to be stored later in the compressed gas container 1. Further on, the now impregnated fibers 6 are represented by dots as in the representation of FIG. 1, and are identified by 6a as a result of being impregnated with the matrix material from the supply container 8a. The fibers 6a in this example are wound on the lost, core 5 and form the inner layers, which on the one hand exhibit proper mechanical properties due to the matrix and the reinforcing fibers 6, and which on the other hand have very good properties for forming the desired diffusion barrier or permeation barrier as a result of the impregnation of the reinforcing fibers 6 with the matrix material from the supply container 8a.

[0020] The further course of the manufacturing process is apparent in the representation of FIG. 3. The same fiber 6, in turn, is fed to the apparatus 7. At this point, the fiber 6 is impregnated with the matrix material from the supply container 8b. The impregnated fiber 6 is subsequently identified by 6b and represented by dashed lines as in the representation of FIG. 1. This fiber 6b is then wound on the lost core 5 in the further outer lying profile of the casing 2. The matrix material stocked in the supply container 8b may then be formed, in particular, in such a way that here the permeation resistance or diffusion resistance plays a subordinate role, whereas the mechanical properties are preferred with respect to a reliable bonding of the individual fibers 6. This results in an overall structure of a single one-piece casing 2, which exhibits properties in its inner region facing the storage volume or the lost core 5 that differ from those in the outer region. This makes it possible to simply and efficiently implement both the functionality of the diffusion scaling as well as the mechanical load capacity of the compressed gas container 1.

[0021] In addition to the use described herein of two different matrix materials in the supply containers 8a, 8b, it would of course also be conceivable and possible to use the same starting materials for the matrix, which are mixed in different ratios. Such a structure allows, in particular, a continuous change of properties, i.e., a continuous transition of the mixing ratio of the matrix material from the inside of the casing 2 to its outer side, so that a greater stability and an improved mechanical strength of the casing 2 may be achieved by foregoing the sudden change of properties.