MANUFACTURING METHOD AND MANUFACTURING APPARATUS OF HIGH-PRESSURE GAS TANK

• US 20130092311A1
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Tomoyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,233,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/64
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/02 Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mouldcold vulcanisation B29C35/18 ; vulcanising tyres, presses therefor B29D30/0601
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/0064 of reinforced material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/086 and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat, B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/32 on a rotating mould, former or core
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/326 by rotating the mould around its axis of symmetry
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/86 Incorporated in coherent impregnated reinforcing layers, e.g. by winding
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/10 Thermosetting resins
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/06 built-up from wound-on bands or filamentary material, e.g. wires
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0607 Coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0619 with two layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0665 radially wound
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/067 helically wound
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0397 on both sides of the pressure vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/2154 Winding
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/225 Spraying
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/012 Reducing weight
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0184 Fuel cells

Abstract

A thermal curing device is used to manufacture a high-pressure gas tank by FW method. In the thermal curing device, a tank vessel configured to have a fiber layer formed on its outer surface by winding carbon fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin is held to be rotatable about a virtual central axis of the tank vessel. In the thermal curing device, the tank vessel is heated by a heating unit during rotation, so as to thermally cure the thermosetting resin in the fiber layer and thereby form a fiber-reinforced resin layer. A bubble removal process for preventing formation of air bubble in the fiber-reinforced resin layer is performed at multiple different stages during such heating.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method of a high-pressure gas tank, comprising steps of:

(a) providing a tank configured to have a fiber layer formed on outer surface of the tank vessel by winding reinforcement fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin; and

(b) performing a thermal curing process that heats the tank vessel to thermally cure the thermosetting resin and thereby form a fiber-reinforced resin layer, and performing a bubble removal process for preventing formation of air bubble in the fiber-reinforced resin layer, at multiple different stages during the thermal curing process.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein

the multiple different stages are set in advance according to a variation in viscosity of the thermosetting resin.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein

the step (b) includes detecting state of the thermosetting resin and determining details of the bubble removal process, based on the detected state.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein

the bubble removal process includes a first process that causes the thermosetting resin located on outer surface of the fiber layer to be removed by an external force from the tank vessel, when viscosity of the thermosetting resin changes to a specified viscosity level.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein

the thermal curing process includes rotating the tank vessel during heating at a specified rotational speed, and

the first process includes decreasing rotational speed of the tank vessel when the viscosity of the thermosetting resin changes to a first viscosity as the specified viscosity level and thereby facilitating the thermosetting resin located on the outer surface of the fiber layer to flow and fall by gravity from the outer surface of the fiber layer in direction of gravity.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein

the first process includes spraying a fluid to apply an external force to the thermosetting resin located on the outer surface of the fiber layer, so as to remove the thermosetting resin from the fiber layer.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein

the first process includes applying a solvent, which is capable of dissolving the thermosetting resin, onto surface of the fiber layer, so as to facilitate flow of the thermosetting resin.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein

the bubble removal process includes a second process that sprays a fluid to break air bubble formed in the thermosetting resin located on outer surface of the fiber layer.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein

the bubble removal process includes a first process that causes the thermosetting resin located on outer surface of the fiber layer to be removed by an external force from the tank vessel, when viscosity of the thermosetting resin changes to a specified viscosity level, and

the bubble removal process includes a second process that sprays a fluid to break air bubble formed in the thermosetting resin located on outer surface of the fiber layer, and wherein

the second process is performed after a start of the first process and after the viscosity of the thermosetting resin changes to a specified second viscosity that is higher than the first viscosity.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein

the bubble removal process includes a third process that applies a resin solution serving as antifoam onto surface of the fiber layer.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein

the third process is performed at least a timing after a variation in viscosity of the thermosetting resin changes from a decreasing tendency to an increasing tendency.

12. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein

the third process is performed:

(i) at a first timing when a variation in viscosity of the thermosetting resin is in a decreasing tendency;

(ii) at a second timing after the variation in viscosity of the thermosetting resin changes from the decreasing tendency to an increasing tendency; and

(iii) at a third timing after the viscosity of the thermosetting resin increases above a viscosity level at the second timing.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein

the third process is performed at a timing after a start of the first process but before a start of the second process and at a timing when the viscosity of the thermosetting resin changes to the specified second viscosity.

14. A manufacturing apparatus of a high-pressure gas tank, comprising:

a thermal curing process module configured to heat a tank vessel, which has a fiber layer formed on outer surface of the tank vessel by winding reinforcement fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin, so as to thermally cure the thermosetting resin and thereby form a fiber-reinforced resin layer; and

a bubble removal process module configured to perform a bubble removal process for preventing formation of air bubble in the fiber-reinforced resin layer at multiple different stages, while the tank vessel is heated by the thermal curing process module.

15. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the multiple different stages are set in advance according to a variation in viscosity of the thermosetting resin.

16. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the thermal curing process module includes a process determiner configured to detect state of the thermosetting resin and determine details of the bubble removal process, based on the detected state.

17. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the bubble removal process module performs a first process that causes the thermosetting resin located on outer surface of the fiber layer to be removed by an external force from the tank vessel, when viscosity of the thermosetting resin changes to a specified viscosity level.

18. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the bubble removal process module includes a fluid spray module configured to perform a second process that sprays a fluid to break air bubble formed in the thermosetting resin located on outer surface of the fiber layer.

19. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the bubble removal process module includes an antifoam application module configured to apply a resin solution serving as antifoam onto surface of the fiber layer.