当前申请(专利权)人：
ULTIMA FORMA LTD
原始申请(专利权)人：
ULTIMA FORMA LTD
当前申请(专利权)人地址：
Incorporated in the United Kingdom, Unit 1 Ash Hill Common, Bunny Lane, Sherfield English, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 6FU, United Kingdom
摘要：
A method of forming a pressure vessel comprising forming a metallic layer 103, such as a copper layer of between 1µm and 300µm, on a removable mandrel 101 with an electrodeposition process, treating the surface of the metallic layer to increase at least one of its surface roughness and surface area, forming a composite layer 105, such as a fibre-reinforced resin layer on the treated surface of the metallic layer, and removing the mandrel from the formed vessel to form an internal cavity having the desired vessel configuration.
权利要求：
CLAIMS:
1. A method of forming a pressure vessel for holding a compressed fluid, the method
comprising:
5 forming a metallic layer on a removable mandrel with an electrodeposition process,
the mandrel having the desired vessel configuration;
treating the surface of the metallic layer to increase at least one of its surface
roughness and surface area;
forming a composite layer on the treated surface of the metallic layer; and 10 removing the mandrel from the formed vessel to form an internal cavity having the
desired vessel configuration.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite layer comprises fibre-reinforced
resin.
15
3. The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein forming the metallic layer comprises forming a
metallic layer using an electroforming process to form a continuous metal liner on the
removable mandrel.
20 4. The method of any of the previous claims wherein treating the surface of the
metallic layer further comprises oxidising the surface of the metallic layer.
5 The method of any of the previous claims wherein treating the surface of the
metallic layer further comprises etching the surface of the metallic layer. 25
6. The method of any of the previous claims wherein treating the surface of the
metallic layer comprising treating the surface of the metallic layer to have a surface
roughness within a target range of surface roughnesses.
307. The method of any of the previous claims further comprising placing a boss or other
coupling on the mandrel prior to forming the metallic layer such that the boss and the
mandrel are coated with the metallic layer.
8. The method of any of the previous claims further comprising placing a boss or other
coupling on the formed metallic layer before forming another metallic layer on the boss
and the previously-formed metallic layer.
5
9. A method of forming a pressure vessel for holding a compressed fluid, the method
comprising:
forming a first metallic layer on a removable mandrel with an electrodeposition
process, the mandrel having the desired vessel configuration;
10 placing a boss or other coupling on the formed metallic layer;
forming a second metallic layer on the removable mandrel with an electrodeposition
process over the first metallic layer and over the boss or other coupling;
forming a composite layer on the treated surface of the metallic layer; and
removing the mandrel from the formed vessel to form an internal cavity having the 15 desired vessel configuration.
10. The method of any of claims 7 to 9 further comprising treating the surface of the
boss or other coupling to increase at least one of its surface roughness and surface area.
20 11. The method of any of the previous claims wherein forming a metallic layer on the
removable mandrel with an electrodeposition process comprises forming a metallic layer
with a thickness having a permeability within a target permeability range.
12. The method of any of the previous claims wherein treating the surface of the 25 metallic layer to increase at least one of its surface roughness and surface area comprises
treating the surface of the metallic layer such that when the composite layer is formed on
the treated surface of the metallic layer is adheres to the treated metallic layer with an
adhesion within a selected target adhesion strength range.
30 138. The method of any of the previous claims wherein forming a metallic layer on the
removable mandrel comprises forming a metallic having a thickness in the range of 1 um
to 300 um, preferably in range of 30 um to 100 pm.
14. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the metallic layer comprises
copper, for example a majority of copper, for example consists of copper.
5 156. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the compressed fluid is
hydrogen.
16. The method of any of the previous claims wherein forming the metallic layer on the
removable mandrel with an electrodeposition process comprises forming a first layer of a 10 first metal or metal alloy on the removable mandrel with an electrodeposition process and
then forming a second layer of a second metal or metal alloy on the first metal layer.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first metal is silver and the second metal is
copper.
15
18. The method of any of the previous claims wherein forming the metallic layer on the
removable mandrel with an electrodeposition process comprises forming the metallic layer
from at least one electrolyte solution, and the method comprises selecting the electrolyte
solution or solutions such that the formed metallic layer has a stiffness matching that of 20 the formed composite layer.
19. The method of any of the previous claims wherein at least one of the electrolyte
solutions and at least another electrolyte solution comprises nickel.
25 20. The method of any of the previous claims wherein metallic layer comprises an alloy
or multi-layered structure of different metals, and wherein the composition of the alloy or
multi-layered structure is varied to adjust the elastic modulus of the metallic layer to match
that of the composite layer.
30 21. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the metallic layer comprises a
multi-layered structure comprising layer of nickel and a layer of copper.
22. The method of any of the previous claims wherein forming the metallic layer
comprises forming selected regions or portions of the metallic layer to have different
properties than other regions or portions of the metallic layer.
5 28. The method of claim 22 wherein forming selected regions or portions of the metallic
layer to have different properties than other regions or portions of the metallic layer
comprises forming selected regions or portions to have a greater thickness than other
regions or portions of the metallic layer.
10 24. The method of any of the previous claims further comprising rinsing the formed
metallic layer after treating the metallic layer and before forming the composite layer on
the treated surface of the metallic layer.
25. The method of any of the previous claims further comprising rinsing the formed 15 metallic layer before treating the metallic layer.
26. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the formed composite layer is
sufficient to withstand a pressure of 3000 psi in the internal cavity.
20 27. The method of any of the previous claims further comprising depositing a
conductive layer on the mandrel prior to forming the metallic layer on the mandrel.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the conductive layer may be deposited by at least
one of (i) electroless deposition of metals, (ii) a silver mirror process of depositing silver 25 metal, and (iii) spraying a suspension of silver or conductive carbon onto the mandrel and
allowing the solvent to evaporate.
29. The method of any of the previous claims wherein forming a metallic layer
comprises forming a strain gauge in the metallic layer by forming a first metallic layer, an 30 insulating layer and a platinum layer.
30. A method of forming a pressure vessel for holding a compressed fluid, the method
comprising:
forming a composite layer on a removable mandrel, the removable mandrel having
the desired vessel configuration; and
removing the mandrel from the formed vessel to form an internal cavity having an 5 intemal surface, wherein the internal cavity provides the desired vessel configuration;
applying a conductive coating to the intemal surface; and
forming a metallic layer on the internal surface with an electrodeposition process.
31. The method of claim 30 further wherein the metallic layer comprises copper with a 10 thickness of between 30 um and 300 um.
32. A pressure vessel for holding compressed Hydrogen formed by the method of any
of the previous claims.