FIRE RESISTANT PRESSURE VESSEL

• US 20150102043A1
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blue Wave Co S.A.
• Original Assignee: Blue Wave Co S.A.
• Inventors: Nettis, Francesco, Spencer, Brian, Spencer, Zachary
• Application Number:
  US14/362,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102043A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/586
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/04 Protecting sheathings
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/06 built-up from wound-on bands or filamentary material, e.g. wires
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 1/16 constructed of plastics materials shaping of plastics B29C
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/08 Mounting arrangements for vessels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0119 with flat end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0128 spherical or elliptical
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0133 toroidal
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/054 medium (>1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0602 Wall structures; Special features thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0604 Liners
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0619 with two layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/066 Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0663 in form of fibers or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0675 with details of composition
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/013 Carbone dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/033 Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/037 Containing pollutant, e.g. H2S, Cl
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/035 : High pressure (>10 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/036 : Very high pressure (>80 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/042 : Reducing risk of explosion
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0105 : Ships
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fire resistant pressure vessel in which the inclusion of fire resistance does add appreciably to the overall weight of the vessel over a similar vessel that is not fire resistant.

Claims

1. A fire resistant pressure vessel, comprising a composite outer layer comprising a fire resistant polymer wherein the weight of the fire resistant pressure vessel is less than or equal to the weight of a similar pressure vessel that is not fire resistant.

2. The fire-resistant pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein the composite outer layer is formed from a prepolymer formulation comprising monomers that give rise to a fire resistant polymer matrix.

3. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein the composite outer layer is formed from a prepolymer formulation comprising a blend of one or more monomers that give rise to a fire-resistant polymer and one or more monomers that give rise to a non-fire-resistant polymer such that, when polymerized, the blend gives rise to a fire resistant polymer matrix.

4. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 3, wherein the monomers that give rise to a non-fire-resistant polymer matrix comprise dicyclopentadiene.

6. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 3, wherein the blend comprises non-fire resistant monomers in about 1 wt % to about 90 wt % of the total monomer content of the prepolymer formulation.

7. The fire-resistant pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein the fire resistant composite outer layer comprises an inner sub-layer and an outer sub-layer, wherein:

the inner sub-layer comprises a filamentous material impregnated with and embedded in a matrix polymer; and

the outer sub-layer comprising the filamentous material impregnated with and embedded in a fire resistant polymer or a blend of the fire resistant polymer with about 1 wt % to about 90 wt % of the matrix polymer, wherein;

the weight of the fire resistant pressure vessel is equal to or less than the weight of a similar vessel without the fire resistant polymer incorporated into the outer sub-layer.

8. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 7, wherein the outer sub-layer is greater than or equal to about 0.125″

thick.

9. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 7, wherein the matrix polymer is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polymer and a thermoset polymer.

10. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 9, wherein the thermoset polymer is selected from the group consisting of an epoxy resin, a vinyl ester resin, a bismaleimide resin, a cyanate ester resin and a dicyclopentadiene resin.

11. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 7, wherein the matrix polymer is selected from the group consisting of a phenolic resin, an amine-cure epoxy resin, and an anhydride-cured epoxy resins.

12. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 7, further comprising a flame retardant in the outer sub-layer.

13. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 12, wherein the flame retardant is aluminum trihydrate.

14. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 7, comprising a pressure vessel liner that is contiguous with an inner sub-layer surface of the outer layer.

15. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 14, wherein the liner is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polymer, a thermoset polymer, a ceramic, a metal and combinations thereof.

16. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 15, wherein the liner is made of a thermoset polymer formed from a prepolymer formulation comprising dicyclopentadiene.

19. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein the vessel is adapted to be used for the transportation of a compressed gas selected from the group consisting of compressed natural gas and compressed raw natural gas.

21. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein outer layer is part of the structural design of the vessel.

22. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein the outer layer is not a post production coating.

23. The fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 1, wherein the outer layer is incorporated into the production process as part of the final wrapping layer or layers.

25. A ship comprising the fire resistant pressure vessel of claim 1.

5. (canceled)

17-18. -18. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

24. (canceled)