Pressure vessel liner venting via nanotextured surface

• US 10,677,390 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology AS
• Original Assignee: Hexagon Technology AS
• Inventors: Newhouse, Norman L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US16/114,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20180363853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 220582, 220586, 220581, 220 6215, 2203671, 220374, 220373, 427555, 216 8
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 13/00 Etching, surface-brightening or pickling compositions for glass C03C15/00, C03C25/66; for mortars, concrete, artificial or natural stone or ceramics C04B41/5338 ; for metallic material C23F, C23G1/00, C25F1/00; for semi-conductors H01L
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/00 Etching metallic material by chemical means manufacture of printing surfaces B41C; manufacture of printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 4/04 by physical dissolution
• 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 13/002 for vessels under pressure F17C13/008 and F17C13/02 - F17C13/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/0109 with exteriorly curved end-piece
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2201/056 Small (<1 m3)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0604 Liners
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0619 with two layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0621 with three layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0636 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/066 Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0663 in form of fibers or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/067 helically wound
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/0305 Bosses, e.g. boss collars
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2209/2154 Winding
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/011 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/012 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/014 : Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/033 : Methane, e.g. natural gas, CNG, LNG, GNL, GNC, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/035 : Propane butane, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0123 : gaseous, e.g. CNG, GNC
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 : Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/033 : Small pressure, e.g. for liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/035 : High pressure (>10 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/011 : Improving strength
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/037 : Handling leaked fluid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2260/038 : Detecting leaked fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 : Hydrogen storage

Abstract

A pressure vessel has a first end with a first boss, the first boss having a first outer surface. The vessel includes a liner having a second outer surface, a shell disposed over the second outer surface, and a first vent. The first vent is formed onto at least a portion of the first outer surface and at least a portion of the second outer surface. The first vent includes a texture that provides a higher rate of gas flow through the first vent than through a portion of an interface of the liner and shell lacking the texture. In another aspect, a pressure vessel has a first end and a second end, a plurality of first longitudinal vents and a plurality of second longitudinal vents. At least one of first longitudinal vents is circumferentially offset around the pressure vessel from at least one of the second longitudinal vents.

Claims

1. A pressure vessel including:

a liner having an outer surface;

a shell disposed over the outer surface; and

a vent including a nanotextured portion of the outer surface of the liner, the vent including a texture that provides a higher rate of gas flow through the vent than through a portion of an interface of the liner and shell lacking the texture.

2. The pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the vent is elongated.

3. The pressure vessel of claim 2 wherein the vent is aligned substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pressure vessel.

4. The pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the pressure vessel has a cylindrical portion, and wherein the vent extends at least from the cylindrical portion to an end of the pressure vessel.

5. The pressure vessel of claim 4 wherein the vent extends at least to a longitudinal midpoint of the pressure vessel.

6. The pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein an end of the vent is disposed on a neck of a boss.

7. The pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein an end of the vent is open to the atmosphere.

8. The pressure vessel of claim 1 wherein the texture includes a plurality of peaks and valleys, and wherein a distance between adjacent peaks is in a range between about 5 micrometers and about 20 micrometers.

9. A pressure vessel having a first end and a second end, the vessel including:

a liner having an outer surface;

a shell disposed over the outer surface;

a first longitudinal vent including a nanotextured first portion of the outer surface of the liner and including a texture that provides a higher rate of gas flow through the first longitudinal vent than through a portion of an interface of the liner and shell lacking the texture; and

a second longitudinal vent including a nanotextured second portion of the outer surface of the liner and including the texture, which provides a higher rate of gas flow through the second longitudinal vent than through a portion of the interface lacking the texture;

wherein the first longitudinal vent is circumferentially offset around the pressure vessel from the second longitudinal vent.

10. The pressure vessel of claim 9 wherein at least one of the longitudinal vents is aligned substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the pressure vessel.

11. The pressure vessel of claim 9 wherein at least one of the first and second longitudinal vents includes a nanotextured portion on a boss.

12. The pressure vessel of claim 9 wherein the pressure vessel has a cylindrical portion, and wherein at least one of the first or second longitudinal vents extends at least from the cylindrical portion to a boss.

13. The pressure vessel of claim 9 wherein an end of at least one of the first or second longitudinal vents is disposed on a neck of a boss.

14. The pressure vessel of claim 9 wherein an end of at least one of the first or second longitudinal vents is open to the atmosphere.

15. The pressure vessel of claim 9 wherein at least one of the longitudinal vents extends at least to a longitudinal midpoint of the pressure vessel.

16. The pressure vessel of claim 9 wherein the texture includes a plurality of peaks and valleys, and wherein a distance between adjacent peaks is in a range between about 5 micrometers and about 20 micrometers.