13.1.2.2 High-Pressure Cylinders for Self-contained Energy Plants
Most aircraft and mobile equipment require self-contained energy for power plant,
so high-pressure cylinders become the preferred object. High-pressure cylinders are
classified by materials as steel cylinders, titanium alloy cylinders, plastic inner liner
winding cylinders, aluminum alloy inner liner winding cylinders and so on.
Conventional cylinders or titanium cylinders were used in the early high-pressure
hydrogen storage cylinders, but the heavy weight of the tanks could not meet the
requirements of high power–weight ratio of self-contained energy devices. In 1946,
the filament wound pressure vessel was first manufactured in the United States by
filament winding technology. In 1960, filament winding technology was used in
large space solid rocket motor shells, such as Polaris and Saturn, to achieve
lightweight and high-strength structure. The U.S. Air Force studied PBO aramid
fibers in 1970. Bruswick uses PBO filament wound spherical vessel with an inner
diameter of 250 mm and a pressure of 91 MPa. Since the end of 1960s, fiber
composite light pressure vessels with metal lining have gradually replaced the
traditional all-metal pressure vessels in the field of aerospace. In 1975, the United
States began to develop light composite material cylinders, using S-glass fiber/
epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy wound composite cylinders. With the improvement of carbon
fiber performance and the decrease of cost, the production of high-pressure vessels
with low cost, lightweight, high performance, and good reliability becomes a reality
by combining carbon fiber with low-cost manufacturing technology of aluminum
lining. Since 1970, Aerospace scientists have developed various advanced composite materials for the extreme environment and high power-to-weight ratio of
aircraft, rockets, satellites and spacecraft, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, silicon
carbide fiber, alumina fiber, boron fiber, aramid fiber, high-density polyethylene
fiber, and other high-performance reinforcing materials, using high-performance
resin, metal, and ceramics as the basal body. Carbon fiber wound case is often used
in engine. For example, the combustion chamber shell of the three-stage engine of
the American small ground-to-ground intercontinental ballistic missile Dwarf is
made of IM-7 carbon fiber/HBRF-55A epoxy resin, and the first stage of the
American submarine-launched missile Trident used carbon fiber shell.
The United States, Britain, and France began to develop civil composite
cylinders in the mid-1980s. There are three main types: circumferential winding or
full-winding high-strength glass fiber steel inner cylinder; full-winding aramid fiber
or carbon fiber aluminum inner cylinder; full-winding high-strength glass fiber or
carbon fiber plastic inner cylinder. In 1991, the Swedes first used carbon fibers
instead of glass fibers to wrap aluminum alloy inner liner, which further reduced the
mass of wrapped cylinders. In the 1990s, the United States and the United Kingdom
mainly developed full-winding carbon fiber aluminum liner cylinders. At present,
remarkable progress has been made in the manufacture of ultrahigh pressure gas
storage tanks. Internationally, the major companies that started to produce composite cylinders for automobiles earlier are LINCON Company of the United States
and DYNETEK Company of Canada. In 2000, Qiantum Company and Lavrence
Livermore National Laboratory cooperated to develop an ultrahigh pressure
326
13 Application of Pneumatic Technology in Fuel Cell Vehicles
Most aircraft and mobile equipment require self-contained energy for power plant,
so high-pressure cylinders become the preferred object. High-pressure cylinders are
classified by materials as steel cylinders, titanium alloy cylinders, plastic inner liner
winding cylinders, aluminum alloy inner liner winding cylinders and so on.
Conventional cylinders or titanium cylinders were used in the early high-pressure
hydrogen storage cylinders, but the heavy weight of the tanks could not meet the
requirements of high power–weight ratio of self-contained energy devices. In 1946,
the filament wound pressure vessel was first manufactured in the United States by
filament winding technology. In 1960, filament winding technology was used in
large space solid rocket motor shells, such as Polaris and Saturn, to achieve
lightweight and high-strength structure. The U.S. Air Force studied PBO aramid
fibers in 1970. Bruswick uses PBO filament wound spherical vessel with an inner
diameter of 250 mm and a pressure of 91 MPa. Since the end of 1960s, fiber
composite light pressure vessels with metal lining have gradually replaced the
traditional all-metal pressure vessels in the field of aerospace. In 1975, the United
States began to develop light composite material cylinders, using S-glass fiber/
epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy wound composite cylinders. With the improvement of carbon
fiber performance and the decrease of cost, the production of high-pressure vessels
with low cost, lightweight, high performance, and good reliability becomes a reality
by combining carbon fiber with low-cost manufacturing technology of aluminum
lining. Since 1970, Aerospace scientists have developed various advanced composite materials for the extreme environment and high power-to-weight ratio of
aircraft, rockets, satellites and spacecraft, such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, silicon
carbide fiber, alumina fiber, boron fiber, aramid fiber, high-density polyethylene
fiber, and other high-performance reinforcing materials, using high-performance
resin, metal, and ceramics as the basal body. Carbon fiber wound case is often used
in engine. For example, the combustion chamber shell of the three-stage engine of
the American small ground-to-ground intercontinental ballistic missile Dwarf is
made of IM-7 carbon fiber/HBRF-55A epoxy resin, and the first stage of the
American submarine-launched missile Trident used carbon fiber shell.
The United States, Britain, and France began to develop civil composite
cylinders in the mid-1980s. There are three main types: circumferential winding or
full-winding high-strength glass fiber steel inner cylinder; full-winding aramid fiber
or carbon fiber aluminum inner cylinder; full-winding high-strength glass fiber or
carbon fiber plastic inner cylinder. In 1991, the Swedes first used carbon fibers
instead of glass fibers to wrap aluminum alloy inner liner, which further reduced the
mass of wrapped cylinders. In the 1990s, the United States and the United Kingdom
mainly developed full-winding carbon fiber aluminum liner cylinders. At present,
remarkable progress has been made in the manufacture of ultrahigh pressure gas
storage tanks. Internationally, the major companies that started to produce composite cylinders for automobiles earlier are LINCON Company of the United States
and DYNETEK Company of Canada. In 2000, Qiantum Company and Lavrence
Livermore National Laboratory cooperated to develop an ultrahigh pressure
326
13 Application of Pneumatic Technology in Fuel Cell Vehicles