US 2008/0142523 A1Published application

Hydrogen Storage Tank and Manufacturing Method for the Same

AssigneesSamtech Corporation, Japan Metals & Chemicals Co., Ltd.

InventorsYoshiki Sakaguchi, Hideaki Nishiwaki, Naoki Sakaguchi, Takeshi Yamamoto, Shigeru Tsunokake, Tatsuya Fuura, Shogo Watanabe, Yasumasa Maeda

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Abstract

[Object] A safe hydrogen storage tank in a highly reliable form where it is difficult for fatigue failure to occur is provided as a hydrogen storage tank where a cartridge is filled with a hydrogen occluding substance and contained within an integrally molded liner made of a metal. [Means for Achieving Object] A cartridge 10 is formed of a cartridge main body portion 11, a fixed side axial portion 13 and a free side axial portion 12, and an integrally molded liner 20 which is seamless is formed of a liner torso portion 21, a fixed side end portion 25 where a fixed side opening 25a is created via a portion in dome form 24 and a free side end portion 23 where a free side opening 23a for supporting a support plug 30 is created via a portion in dome form 22 in order to support a free side axial portion 12a, in such a manner that the fixed side opening 25a fixes and supports the fixed side axial portion 13 and is sealed by a sealing plug 40 while the free side opening 23a is sealed by the support plug 30, and the free side axial portion 12 is inserted into and supported by the recess 31 created in the support plug 30 so as to be moveable forward and backward in the direction of the axial line.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A hydrogen storage tank having a cartridge which is filled with a hydrogen occluding substance and contained within a liner made of a metal, wherein

the cartridge comprises:
a cartridge main body portion in cylindrical form which is filled with the hydrogen occluding substance;
a fixed side axial portion which is provided on one end side along the axial line of the cartridge main body portion;
and a free side axial portion which is provided on the other end side along the axial line of the cartridge main body portion,
the liner is integrally molded seamlessly of a liner torso portion having a space for containing the cartridge main body portion, a fixed side end portion which is provided on one end side of the liner torso portion so as to protrude via a portion in dome form and where a fixed side opening for supporting the fixed side axial portion of the cartridge is created, and a free side end portion which is provided on the other end side of the liner torso portion so as to protrude via a portion in dome form and where a free side opening for supporting the outer periphery of a support plug for supporting the free side axial portion of the cartridge is created,
the fixed side opening of the liner fixes and supports the fixed side axial portion of the cartridge and is sealed by a sealing plug,
the free side opening of the liner is sealed with the support plug,
the free side axial portion of the cartridge is inserted into and supported by a recess created in the support plug so as to be moveable forward and backward in the direction of the axial line,
a support plug flow path for connecting the recess to the outside is created in the support plug, and
a cartridge flow path which penetrates through the free side axial portion so as to be connected to the cartridge main body portion is created in the cartridge.

7 more elements

A manufacturing method for a hydrogen storage tank having a structure where a cartridge is filled with a hydrogen occluding substance and contained within an integrally molded metal liner which is seamless, comprising:

(a) the main part forming step of preparing a cartridge which is made up of a cartridge main body portion in cylindrical form, a fixed side axial portion which is formed on one end side along the axial line of the cartridge main body portion and a free side axial portion which is formed on the other end side along the axial line of the cartridge main body portion, and
a one side processed liner where a free side end portion having a free side opening is integrally molded on one end side of the liner torso portion, which can be contained by the cartridge main portion, via a portion in dome form;
(b) the spinning step of molding the one side processed liner to a two side processed liner by inserting a temporary support plug which is supported by a free side opening into the free side opening so that the free side axial portion of the cartridge is supported by the temporary support plug and the fixed side axial portion of the cartridge is supported, and thus, the cartridge is supported at both ends, and furthermore, supporting the outer peripheral surface of the liner torso portion of the one side processed liner, and then, carrying out drawing on the liner torso portion on the side opposite to the side where the free side end portion of the one side processed liner is formed, and thereby, forming a portion in dome form, and at the same time, forming a fixed side end portion where a fixed side opening is created in order to support the fixed side axial portion of the cartridge so that the fixed side end portion protrudes from the portion in dome form;
(c) the heat treatment step of carrying out heat treatment on the two side processed liner in which the cartridge is contained;
(d) the sealing step of sealing the free side end portion while supporting the free side axial portion with a support plug having a recess into which the free side axial portion of the cartridge is inserted so as to be removable in the direction of the axial line, and sealing the fixed side end portion;
and
(e) the filling step of filling the cartridge with a hydrogen occluding substance by putting the hydrogen occluding substance into the cartridge via through holes created in the support plug and the free side axial portion.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.