Manufacturing Technologies for Box-Shaped Pressure Vessels with Inner Tension Struts

Shared vehicles architectures for fuel cell and battery electric vehicles offer a high potential for cost reduction by enabling economies of scale in engineering and production. The efficient integration of hydrogen storages in flat box-shaped battery design spaces represents one of the essential basic requirements. As state-of-the-art cylindrical pressure vessels do not allow a high volumetric efficiency in the installation space, two concepts of box-shaped pressure vessels with tension struts are investigated with regard to manufacturability. The first concept focuses on the integration of aramid fibers in a carbon fiber tank by tufting. In a second concept 3D weaving is analyzed with regard to the construction of a pressure vessel with inner tension struts. For both tank designs manufacturing technologies are developed and the concepts are validated using prototypes. Considering technologies for series production of the textile sector possible paths for industrialization are identified.