Fabricated composite fuel tank
OwnerChristopher Brown, Marvin Peplowinventors
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Abstract
A fabricated composite tank or cell for the purpose of fuel containment made up to form a unique blend, using existing composite materials and assembled in such a manner as to resist fuel hydrocarbon migration through the tank structure. A blend of nanomer or nano sized clay particles into a polyester, vinyl ester resin is used as a barrier coating to achieve a hydrocarbon migration reduction for pleasure boat fuel containment purposes. The tank is fabricated in such a manner so as to be able to meet the rigorous mechanical strength parameters as outlined for US pleasure boats.
Claims8
A fabricated composite tank for the purpose of fuel containment comprising a fuel cavity, filler tube and fuel pickup assembly, wherein said fuel cavity has walls comprising a composite with a fire-retardant inner surface made by adding around 5% by weight nanomer or nano sized clay particles into a vinyl ester polyester resin blend;
- a center layer of fiberglass filled medium density, closed cell urethane, and an outer layer comprising a woven fiberglass mat with fire retardant vinyl ester polyester blended with around 5% by weight nanomer or nano sized clay particles, said outer layer used as a barrier coating to achieve hydrocarbon migration reduction.
A fabricated composite tank for the purpose of fuel containment comprising a fuel cavity, filler tube and fuel pickup assembly, wherein said fuel cavity has walls comprising a composite with a fire-retardant inner surface made by adding from around 2% to around 8% by weight nanomer or nano sized clay particles into a vinyl ester polyester resin blend;
- a center layer of fiberglass filled medium density, closed cell urethane, and an outer layer comprising a woven fiberglass mat with fire retardant vinyl ester polyester blended with from around 2% to around 8% by weight nanomer or nano sized clay particles, said outer layer used as a barrier coating to achieve hydrocarbon migration reduction.
A method of making a fuel tank comprising the steps of:
- cutting a plurality of fiberglass reinforced high-density urethane panels for top, bottom and sides of a fuel tank;
- bonding said sides and bottom panels together to form a tank using a nanomer-treated structural urethane adhesive, set tank having a interior and an exterior;
- mounting metal tank fittings onto the top panel mechanically or by bonding with a nanomer treated structural urethane adhesive;
- coating the interior of said tank and the top with a nanomer treated polyvinyl ester resin;
- boding the top onto said tank using a nanomer treated structural urethane adhesive;
- coating the exterior of the tank with a nanomer treated polyvinyl ester resin;
- reinforcing the exterior of the tank with a fiberglass mat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.