Polar cap-reinforced pressure container

A method for manufacturing a reinforced pressure vessel having a cylindrical central portion and polar caps closing said central portion on both sides, comprising a liner underlay and a fibre composite material applied onto the liner underlay as a pressure vessel reinforcing layer, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first winding body comprising at least one dome-shaped end corresponding to a shape of the liner underlay of the polar caps and a cylindrical central part support adjacent to the end;
• applying the fibre composite material at least onto the end and the central part support of the first winding body, using a winding process;
• using a suitable intermediate curing process for dimensionally stabilising the wound fibre composite material;
• mechanically removing the fibre composite material above the central part support and in regions adjacent thereto over the end(s) of the first winding body;
• severing at least the fibre composite material between the end and the central part support using a suitable severing process for producing a polar cap reinforcing layer;
• detaching the polar cap reinforcing layer from the first winding body and placing the detached polar cap reinforcing layer onto a respective liner underlay of the polar cap of the pressure vessel;
• applying the fibre composite material onto the liner that is superimposed with the separately produced polar cap reinforcing layers using a winding process;
• and
• cross-linking the polar cap reinforcing layer and the fibre composite material applied onto the liner that is superimposed with the separately produced polar cap reinforcing layers,
• wherein the later polar cap reinforcing layer is provided with an outer layer which in the regions subjected to the removal runs at least partially parallel to the cylinder axis,
• wherein the liner underlay has a shoulder at the transition from the central portion to the polar cap, said shoulder forming a stop for the polar cap reinforcing layer to be placed,
• wherein the step of placing is carried out to the stop at the shoulder, or comprising the additional step of mechanically removing fibre composite material above the central part support and in the regions adjacent thereto over the end(s) of the first winding body, and
• wherein the later polar cap reinforcing layer is provided with an outer layer which in the regions subjected to the removal runs at least partially at an angle greater than 0 degrees relative to the cylinder axis.