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Battelle Memorial Institute

Geoffrey Michael Wood

Kevin Lynn Simmons

Steven Charles Stenard

Pamela M Schneider

A method of fabricating a composite vessel encompassing rapid manufacturing that is applicable to composite hydrogen and other gas storage tanks, both for high-pressure cylinders, as well as low-pressure conformal tanks. The process of fabrication includes using a liner, of metal or plastic materials, over which a braided or developed preform is wrapped. The dry fiber wrapped liner is placed in a mold and resin injected into the cavity formed between the liner and the mold outer walls. The liner is flooded with heated and/or cooled pressurized fluid thus enabling complete and independent process control from within the liner for both the resin injection and the cure phases. Fiber placement control is determined through combined biaxial and triaxial braid/preform design, and by wrapping at controlled tension onto the supporting liner. Fiber tension control is further enhanced by the methodology of mold loading whereby tensioning forces are enacted during actual load and close. The process may use thermoset or thermoplastic resins and any of a variety of fibrous reinforcements such as carbon, boron, glass, natural, aramid or other fibers.

Process for the rapid fabrication of composite gas cylinders and related shapes

A method for forming improved composite materials using a thermosetting polyester urethane hybrid resin, a closed cavity mold having an internal heat transfer mechanism used in this method, and the composite materials formed by this method having a hybrid of a carbon fiber layer and a fiberglass layer.

Growing community of inventors

North Saanich, Canada

Geoffrey Michael Wood