Pressure vessel with rupturable closure wall

Apparatus comprising:

• tank means for defining a storage chamber containing fluid at an elevated pressure;
• and
• a unitary part made entirely of a homogeneous material;
• said unitary part including means for defining a rupturable closure wall which blocks said fluid from exiting said storage chamber and which, when ruptured, permits said fluid to exit said storage chamber through an outlet opening;
• said unitary part further including conduit means for defining an outlet conduit, said outlet conduit extending outward from said closure wall and directing said fluid to flow outward from said outlet opening when said closure wall is ruptured;
• said closure wall having a central axis and oppositely facing inner and outer side surfaces, said outer side surface facing axially outward through said outlet conduit and having a concave contour extending across said axis, said inner side surface facing axially inward of said storage chamber and having a planar contour extending across said axis;
• said closure wall including means for defining a stress riser, said stress riser surrounding a break-away portion of said closure wall which becomes separated from said unitary part upon rupturing of said closure wall at said stress riser;
• said closure wall normally being subjected to said pressure, said side surfaces comprising means for normally maintaining said stress riser under stress induced by said pressure, said stress consisting of stress other than tensile stress.

Apparatus comprising:

• tank means for defining a storage chamber containing fluid under pressure;
• and
• a unitary part made entirely of a homogeneous material;
• said unitary part including means for defining a rupturable closure wall which blocks said fluid from exiting said storage chamber and which, when ruptured, permits said fluid to exit said storage chamber through an outlet opening;
• said unitary part further including conduit means for defining an outlet conduit, said outlet conduit extending outward from said closure wall and directing said fluid to flow outward from said outlet opening when said closure wall is ruptured;
• said closure wall having a central axis and inner and outer side surfaces respectively facing axially inward and outward of said storage chamber, said closure wall having a bowed configuration in which said outer side surface has a concave contour extending across said axis and said inner side surface has a convex contour extending across said axis;
• said closure wall including means for defining a stress riser surrounding a break-away portion of said closure wall, said break-away portion becoming separated from said unitary part in said bowed configuration upon rupturing of said closure wall at said stress riser.

Apparatus comprising:

• tank means for defining a storage chamber containing fluid at an elevated pressure;
• and
• a unitary part made entirely of a homogeneous material;
• said unitary part including means for defining a rupturable closure wall which is normally subjected to said pressure, said closure wall blocking said fluid from exiting said storage chamber and, when ruptured, permitting said fluid to exit said storage chamber through an outlet opening;
• said unitary part further including conduit means for defining an outlet conduit, said outlet conduit extending outward from said closure wall and directing said fluid to flow outward from said outlet opening when said closure wall is ruptured;
• said closure wall having oppositely facing inner and outer side surfaces and means for defining a stress riser, said side surfaces comprising means for normally maintaining said stress riser under stress induced by said pressure, said stress consisting essentially of compressive stress and shear stress;
• said closure wall having a central axis, said outer side surface of said closure wall facing axially outward through said outlet conduit and having a concave spherical contour extending continuously across said stress riser and said axis, said inner side surface of said closure wall facing axially inward of said storage chamber.