Originally Aired - Wednesday, September 11 • 1:30 PM - 2:25 PM
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Location: 5B
Title: Composite tanks innovation: 15% weight reduction by using dome reinforcements in an industrial process
Description: Dome-reinforced type-4 composite tanks require approx. 15% less net fiber material to reach required mechanical performance, compared to unreinforced tanks. While the concept of dome reinforcements has been proven by the DoE Fuel Cell Technologies Office already in 2013, until this point in time, there was no suitable production technology available to implement this concept in industry. This educational session will introduce an innovative solution for the industrial production of composite tank dome reinforcements. Fiber Patch Placement (FPP) is the first technology to lay-up dome reinforcements directly onto the liner using an automated, robot-based pick-and-place process, which is combined with established wet or towpreg winding. Depending on the vessel characteristics, dome reinforcements reduce net fiber usage by approx. 15% by replacing certain helical winding layers by local patches on the vessels’ dome areas. This translates into considerable weight and material cost savings while maintaining equivalent performance. The material reduction also enables increased storage volume in the same build space and lowers the tank’s CO2 footprint. To demonstrate the potential of FPP technology for reinforcing composite tank domes, Cevotec has – in collaboration with winding equipment supplier Roth Composite Machinery, engineering service provider CIKONI and an undisclosed tank OEM – developed optimized FPP-reinforced vessel. The primary goal was to optimize the fiber lay-up to reduce weight, cost and production time. The project included all aspects from laminate design, simulation and optimization to the actual production and testing of the reinforced vessels. Additionally, the effectiveness of FPP dome reinforcements within an industrial production environment was evaluated. With the successful completion of the third design iteration, the intended results have been achieved: The 300 bar type 4 demonstrator vessel held a maximum burst pressure of 108% of the required 3x safety factor with a 15% net material reduction. The decrease in laminate thickness in the hoop area gives potential to increase the storage volume, lifting the storage efficiency of the tank by 17% from 5.2% to 6.1%. This session introduces the dome reinforcement manufacturing solution, explains the conceptual background and industrial implementation, and explores both technical and economical aspects of this innovation.
Type: Education Session
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