High Pressure Hydrogen Storage Vessel Research Articles

Effect of layup sequence on cure deformation and accurate prediction of composite pressure vessels

The application of composite winding pressure vessels is becoming more and more widespread, and the magnitude of deformation during curing can have a significant impact on service performance, but there are fewer studies on the accurate prediction of the numerical and experimental validation of the deformation during the curing process of pressure vessels. To accurately predict the effect of different angles of layup on the curing deformation of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels made of T700S-12 K/4251A4B2 carbon fiber/epoxy composites in cylindrical and dome sections. In this paper, WCM-ABAQUS segmented pressure vessel accurate modeling method is proposed for the first time, using the method of converting the chemical shrinkage coefficient of epoxy resin into thermal expansion coefficient equivalently, the finite element prediction of the deformation of the pressure vessel during the curing process in different layup sequences was carried out, and the deformation values of the pressure vessel in different layup sequences were analyzed comparatively. Finally, the winding curing experiments were carried out on pressure vessels with different layup sequences, and the curing deformation values of the experimental tests on pressure vessels with different layup sequences were compared with the finite element simulation values, respectively, and the minimum error value 13.07%. It provides a reliable basis for accurately predicting the deformation value of the pressure vessel curing process, and also provides a reference for subsequent experiments to reduce the curing deformation value.

Multiscale analysis of composite pressure vessel structures wound with different fiber tensile force

The aim of this paper is the multiscale investigation of composite pressure vessel structures wound with varying fibre tension. The paper explores the potential of ”programming” the fibre tension force during the winding process of a high pressure hydrogen storage vessel. Two series of vessels were wound with two different tensions: Two series of vessels wound with forces of 3 N and 80 N respectively were experimentally investigated. Other technological factors, such as the type and weight of carbon fibre used, were kept constant throughout the study. Quasi-static burst tests were used to measure the elastic deformation of the vessel surface. Microscopic studies were also carried out to analyse the structure of the composite at different length scales. The fibre content, the geometric parameters of the voids and the distribution of the three main components of the composite – carbon fibre, technological defects and resin – were also determined. Representative RVE elementary cells were generated for both materials using statistical modelling. The composite was then homogenised and elasticity matrices were obtained for the fibre tensile forces in both materials.

An investigation on enhancing the bonding properties of PA11-CFRP interface in type IV high pressure hydrogen storage vessel through nanosecond pulsed laser treatment and failure mechanism research

At present, several key technologies remain to be addressed in the development of type IV high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels, especially the prevention of plastic liner collapse, which demands urgent resolution. One major factor contributing to plastic liner collapse is the weak interfacial bonding between the plastic liner and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). Therefore, enhancing the bonding properties of the plastic liner-CFRP interface can effectively reduce the risk of liner failure. Nanosecond pulsed laser surface treatment, known for its high efficiency, precise control, and automation capabilities, was employed in this study to modify the surface of the PA11 liner. The bonding properties of the PA11-CFRP interface were comprehensively investigated through climbing drum peel (CDP) tests, flatwise tensile (FWT) tests, and surface performance assessments. Utilizing the Optimization module within the Response Surface Method (RSM) software Design Expert for analysis, it was found that, under the optimal parameters of 400 mm/s, 20 kHz, and 12.7 W for nanosecond pulsed laser treatment, the CDP strength increased to 24.1 N mm/mm, which was 4.74-fold higher than that of untreated samples. The FWT strength reached 2.43 MPa, which was 8.35-fold higher than that of untreated samples. The increase in interfacial bonding strength after laser treatment primarily resulted from the formation of periodic grooves on the PA11 surface, along with an increase in surface roughness. This approach presents a promising direction for the surface treatment of plastic liners in type IV hydrogen storage vessels prior to winding and is poised to enhance the safety of such vessels.

A novel multi-filament winding technique for type III composite pressure vessel: From CFRP cross-undulation concept to structural performance validation

Filament winding (FW) technique determines the production efficiency of wound products and the bearing capacity of composite layers, so the development and innovation of winding technique and equipment have become the focus of scientific researchers. This paper analyzes the influence of fiber crossing on the composite layers in the single filament winding (SFW) technique, proposes a multi-filament winding (MFW) technique. Firstly, the constitutive model of fiber cross region is constructed from mesoscopic scale, and the influence of this phenomenon on the design of composite layers is illustrated using netting theory. Then, the MFW technique is designed and developed, and the three-point bending test of CFRP is carried out with digital image correlation (DIC) technology, indicating that the MFW technique exhibits superior flexural strength of 483.71 MPa. Finally, a 35 MPa type III vessel is taken as the object for comparative numerical simulation, the results show the stress adopting the MFW technique in the dome section is reduced by 1418 MPa, and is smaller and more evenly distributed in the cylinder section. The MFW technique takes full advantage of the CFRP properties, improves the pressure bearing capacity of composite layers, meets the American DOT-CFFC standard requirements, and reduces the carbon fiber usage. The lightweight design of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels is realized with a novel idea, and the winding efficiency is greatly improved compared with SFW technique.

Progressive failure analysis and burst mode study of type IV composite vessels

ABSTRACT The lightweight high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels composed of polymer liner and composite reinforced layers have attracted more and more attention. In this research, a 2D axisymmetric finite element model was proposed to predict the damage evolution, failure strength and failure mode of the composite overwrapped pressure vessels, in which a user subroutine UMAT based on Hashin failure criteria was introduced to simulate the progressive damage properties of the composite material. The FE models are validated by comparison with the experimental results, and the error between the numerical simulation results and the experimental results was within 10%. It is found that vessels with different lay-up schemes might burst in different locations. Parametric studies are performed to obtain a critical ratio of hoop and helical layers to keep the vessel burst in safe mode.

Experiment, simulation, optimization design, and damage detection of composite shell of hydrogen storage vessel-A review

The composite shell of composite high pressure hydrogen storage vessel (CHPHSV) is the main structure in bearing inner pressure. Its failure will lead to leakage or burst of CHPHSV, which will cause serious safety problem and economic losses. So the security of CHPHSV has always been a key and difficult problem in academia and industry, which restricts the large-scale application of hydrogen. In this paper, the failures of composite shell of type III, type IV, and type V vessels are reviewed in experiment study, simulation method, optimization design, and damage detection, focusing on the burst modes (safe or unsafe), the influence of hydrogen-thermo-stress field, and the epistemic uncertainty. Firstly, the burst modes, failure behavior, test method, and influencing factors are summarized in the experiment study, and experiment for type V composite pressure vessel is discussed. Secondly, the simulation method is reviewed in the aspect of first ply failure (FPF) analysis and last ply failure (LPF) analysis. The damage evolution of safe burst mode and unsafe burst mode is summarized. Besides, the influence of hydrogen-thermo-stress field and the uncertainty characteristic are also reviewed. Moreover, simulations of micro-crack and permeability for type V composite pressure vessels are summarized. Then, the optimization design methods based on deterministic parameters and uncertain parameters are reviewed. Finally, the damage detection methods of the composite shell of CHPHSV are summarized. The experiment, numerical simulation, and optimization are important for design of the composite vessel, and the damage detection can significantly reduce the degree of uncertainty and maintenance safety. In the future research, precise model considering multiple damage modes, hydrogen-thermo-stress field effect should be established for simulation of safe and unsafe burst mode. Uncertain quantization should be studied for burst pressure with combination of stochastic uncertainty and epistemic uncertainty. Besides, the robust design method based on the reliability of CHPHSV considering the epistemic uncertainty of design parameters should be established for a larger safety margin.

Fatigue analysis of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessel based on optimum autofrettage pressure

To improve the fatigue performance of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels, a method is proposed to determine the optimal autofrettage pressure of the vessel using numerical simulation and experimental verification. First, a finite element model considering the actual structure of the vessel is established based on grid theory. Then, the effect of autofrettage pressure on the equivalent alternating stress amplitude of liner under cyclic fatigue load is studied by using the modified equation of Smith–Watson–Topper mean stress. Lastly, the optimum autofrettage pressure is determined according to the DOT-CFFC and CGH2R standards, and the fatigue life is predicted. The results show that under the optimum autofrettage pressure, the bearing capacity of the liner under working pressure and the fatigue life under fatigue cycle load are increased by 74% and 12 times, respectively. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results, with an average error of 6.3%. This research has important reference significance for the preliminary design stage of composite vessels.

A Quantitative Analysis of the Fire Hazard Generated from Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

There is a lack of information on (i) the potential fire load of new green-technology vehicles, (ii) flame spread behavior, (iii) thermal impacts on high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels (HSVs) and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) during fuel cell electric vehicles fires (FCEVs), and (iv) thermal damage to adjacent vehicles and upper structural members during FCEV fires occurring in civil structures, such as underground spaces, multi-story parks, and tunnels. In view of this, a full-scale fire test was conducted in this study to quantitatively assess the fire risk of hydrogen FCEVs. Large-scale cone calorimetry was used to quantify the thermal intensity released from the FCEV fire. The flame spreading behavior through an FCEV with HSVs and LIBs was observed using the thermocouples installed. Changes in the temperature and irradiance around the FCEV fire were also measured using an instrumented test rig. The peak heat release rate, total heat released, and fire growth rate were observed to be 5.99 MW, 11.8 GJ, and 0.0055 kW/s², respectively. The temporal point of hydrogen gas release from the HSVs' thermal pressure relief device (TPRD) was estimated to be 16.2-26.2 min. The initiation of thermal runaway of LIBs was deduced from the temperature-time profiles of the LIB modules and their metal housing approximately 22.2 min after HCEV ignition. Moreover, FCEV fires could thermally impair adjacent upper structural members by 800 ℃ combustion gas for at least 13 min and emit a median heat flux of 27.2 kW/m² (peak heat flux of 76.5 kW/m²) to adjacent vehicles. The measurements and findings obtained from this study can contribute to the evaluation of and further studies on newly emerging fire hazards.

Study on Material Damage Characterization of High-Pressure Hydrogen Storage Vessels Based on DIC and Acoustic Emission Entropy

Study on Material Damage Characterization of High-Pressure Hydrogen Storage Vessels Based on DIC and Acoustic Emission Entropy

High-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage vessels： Current status and prospects

High-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage vessels： Current status and prospects

Fatigue life prediction and verification of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessel

A fatigue life prediction method is developed for the high-pressure hydrogen storage vessel based on theoretical research and experimental verification. Firstly, the finite element model of vessel was built considering wound angle of head, thickness and number of the composite layer, then simulation was performed. The optimum range of autofrettage pressure was obtained by FEA with consideration of the DOT-CFFC and CGH2R standards. The influence of autofrettage pressure, metal liner thickness, and fiber thickness on vessel fatigue life was discussed under internal pressure cyclic load. Finally, the experimental verification was carried out. It was found that fatigue failure first occurred in middle cylinder. The experiment results agree well with theory analysis. Their average error is 6.33%.

Design and Analysis of Hydrogen Storage Tank with Different Materials by Ansys

Pressure vessels are used for large commercial and industrial applications such as softening, filtration and storage. It is expected that high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels will be widely used in hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. Progressive failure properties, the burst pressure and fatigue life should be taken into account in the design of composite pressure vessels. In this work, the model and analysis of hydrogen storage vessels along with complete structural and thermal analysis. Liquid hydrogen is seen as an outstanding candidate for the fuel of high altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft. The design of lightweight and super-insulated storage tanks for cryogenic liquid hydrogen is since long identified as crucial to enable the adoption of the liquid hydrogen. The basic structural design of the airborne cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank was completed in this paper. The problem of excessive heat leakage of the traditional support structure was solved by designing and using a new insulating support structure. The thermal performance of the designed tank was evaluated. The structure of the tank was analyzed by the combination of the film container theory and finite element numerical simulation method. The structure of the adiabatic support was analyzed by using the Hertz contact theory and numerical simulation method. A simple and effective structure analysis method for a similar container structure and point-contact support structure was provided. Bases for further structural optimization design of hydrogen tank will be provided also. The analysis will be carried out with different materials like titanium, nickel alloy and some coated powders like alumina, Titania and zirconium oxide. The results will be compared with that.

Mach number and energy loss analysis inside multi-stage Tesla valves for hydrogen decompression

Multi-stage Tesla valves in the reversed flow state can be applied during the hydrogen decompression process between the high pressure hydrogen storage vessel and the fuel cell. Under high-pressure turbulent hydrogen flow, severe aerodynamic noise may be caused and large energy loss inside Tesla valves may be generated, which can cause uncomfortable noise in vehicles. In this paper, the valve stage number and the pressure ratio between the inlet and the outlet are analyzed to investigate the possibility of the occurrence of aerodynamic noise and energy loss inside Tesla valves, and Mach number, turbulent dissipation rate, and exergy loss are used and evaluated as the criterion. The results show that both Mach number and exergy loss increase with the increasing of pressure ratio, but with the decrease of valve stage number, Mach number increases and exergy loss decreases. In addition, large turbulent dissipation rate at each valve stage appears near the bifurcation and the confluence between the straight channel and the bend channel of multi-stage Tesla valves. The correlation between the valve stage number, the pressure ratio, and the maximum Mach number is fitted, which can be used to estimate the possibility of the occurrence of aerodynamic noise.

Application of complementary optical methods for strain investigation in composite high pressure vessel

The work presents the methodology of displacement and strain measurements (in type IV composite high pressure hydrogen and methane storage vessels in areas of the gaseous fuel cell vehicle. The research was conducted in vessels with so called programmed defects in the form of notches and delamination. The complementary optical methods, namely: optical fibre sensing based on Bragg gratings (FBG) and digital image correlation (DIC) method were used for performing local and full-field displacement/strain measurements respectively. It has been shown that DIC can be successfully applied as the method for defect identification in full field of view and that it can support an optimal localization of FBG sensors and their calibration. As FBG sensors are devoted to be integrated with the vessel structure, the proposed methodology constitutes a solution to the difficult problem of building an efficient Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for composite high pressure vessels for gaseous fuels. At the same time the measurement data from both systems supports calibration of numerical models of the vessels.

Finite Element Analysis of Sealing Performance of Rubber D-Ring Seal in High-Pressure Hydrogen Storage Vessel

Sealing structures of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessel are always considered as one of the significant components. This paper aims to study the sealing performance of the combined sealing structure composed of a rubber D-ring and a wedge-ring used in high-pressure hydrogen storage vessel by elucidating the swelling mechanisms due to dissolved hydrogen. Comparisons of the sealing performance between the D-ring and the O-ring are made in terms of the effects of some important factors including the wedge-ring, hydrogen pressure and swelling. Three aspects of conclusions are obtained by FEA: (1) The wedge-ring with a wedge angle 45° is the most suitable, compared with the angles 30° and 60°, irrespective of the shape of rubber rings. (2) The peak contact stress for the D-ring seal is larger than that for the O-ring seal under hydrogen pressure range 0–100 MPa. (3) The O-ring seal could be replaced well by the D-ring seal, whereas the design height of the seal groove should be larger for the D-ring seal than for the O-ring seal due to swelling effect, in order to prevent the D-ring seal from extrusion through the upper side of the seal groove.

Evaluation of stress and crack behavior using the extended finite element method in the composite layer of a type III hydrogen storage vessel

To facilitate the widespread use of fuel cell vehicles, it is necessary to ensure the safety of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels. Because the composite layer experiences the highest internal pressure, cracks in the carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) layer of type III high-pressure vessels directly affect their safety. In this study, we evaluate the crack behavior in a type III high-pressure hydrogen vessel using a ply modeling method and the extended finite element method. The failure criteria were determined from the maximum principal stress and displacement that exceed the allowable tensile strength, considering the fiber and the transverse directions of each ply. The weak point of the CFRP composite layers was in the transverse direction on the 17th ply at a helical winding angle of 35° in the boundary of the dome and the cylinder. The crack extension was resulted from exceeding the allowable transverse stress at 35° winding angle. These results may be valuable for ensuring the safety of high-pressure hydrogen vessels.

Numerical Determination and Experimental Validation of a Technological Specimen Representative of High-Pressure Hydrogen Storage Vessels

A technological specimen representative of type IV high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels is developed. An analytical model is used to compute fiber orientations in the specimen in order to be as representative as possible of the stress level reached in a tank during pressurization. A three-dimensional finite-element model is used to determine the best stacking sequence with these fiber orientations. A validation is done by performing tests with digital image correlation in order to measure displacements on the lateral side of the specimen. A comparison between the calculated and experimentally found strain fields is made. The results obtained highlight the influence of stacking sequence on the development of damage and the difficulty arising in designing representative specimens.

Design fatigue life evaluation of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels based on fracture mechanics

Design fatigue life of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels constructed of low alloy steels, austenitic stainless steels, and iron-based superalloy was analyzed based on facture mechanics in 45 MPa, 85 MPa, and 105 MPa hydrogen and air. Cylindrical model was used and the wall thickness of the model was calculated following five regulations including the High Pressure Gas Safety Institute of Japan (KHK) designated equipment inspection regulation, KHKS 0220, Chinese special equipment regulation (TSG) R0002, Chinese machinery industrial standard (JB) 4732, and ASME Sec. VIII, Div. 3. Design fatigue life for four typical model materials was also analyzed to discuss the effect of ultimate tensile strength, pressure, regulations and hydrogen sensitivity on the design fatigue life in hydrogen. It was discussed that hydrogen influence decreases with decreasing pressure or ultimate tensile strength. The design fatigue life data of the model materials under the conditions of pressure, ultimate tensile strength, KIH, fatigue crack growth rates, and regulations in both hydrogen and air were proposed quantitatively for materials selection for high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels.

Research on hydrogen environment fatigue test system and correlative fatigue test of hydrogen storage vessel

A 70MPa hydrogen environment fatigue test system has been designed and applied in the manufacture of a hydrogen storage vessel. Key equipment is the 80MPa flat steel ribbon wound high pressure hydrogen storage vessel. A reasonable stress distribution has been realized, that is low stress in the liner of the pressure vessel and even stress in the flat ribbon layers. This optimal stress distribution is achieved through the adjustment of the prestress in flat steel ribbons. A control system for the fatigue test system has also been designed. It consists of a double control model, i.e. manual control and automatic control, to satisfy different experimental requirements. The system is the unique one that can be used in the real hydrogen environmental fatigue test system in China. An experiment for the 70MPa onboard composite material hydrogen vessel has been carried out on the system. The experimental result from this test is in close agreement with the practical operating conditions.

Fatigue test of carbon epoxy composite high pressure hydrogen storage vessel under hydrogen environment

A significant temperature raise within hydrogen vehicle cylinder during the fast filling process will be observed, while the strength and fatigue life of the cylinder will dramatically decrease at high temperature. In order to evaluate the strength and fatigue of composite hydrogen storage vessel, a 70-MPa fatigue test system using hydrogen medium was set up. Experimental study on the fatigue of composite hydrogen storage vessels under real hydrogen environment was performed. The experimental results show that the ultimate strength and fatigue life both decreased obviously compared with the values under hydraulic fatigue test. Furthermore, fatigue property, failure behavior, and safe hydrogen charging/discharging working mode of onboard hydrogen storage vessels were obtained through the fatigue tests.