Thermoplastic Storage Vessels for High Pressure Hydrogen Applications

M. Turner, EPL Composite Solutions Ltd. Loughborough, United Kingdom
P. Hansen, Element Materials Technology, Hitchin, United Kingdom

Abstract:
In order to reduce the harmful emissions from an expanding automotive market, most of the global automotive OEMs are developing products that are trending towards zero emission vehicles. One way in which this can be achieved is through the use of hydrogen as a fuel source. Hydrogen has a very low energy density, so in order to optimise the available energy for a specific volume, hydrogen gas needs to be pressurised as much as possible – typically to 700bar. In order to contain such high pressures in a composite storage vessel, carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites are normally used with either a metallic or thermoplastic liner. However, such products are typically costly, heavy, can be prone to fatigue or embrittlement and tend to be difficult to recycle. To address these issues, collaborative research has been performed to develop a thermoplastic composite hydrogen storage vessel with excellent hydrogen permeation resistance and inherent recyclability.