Optimizing the Cost and Performance of Composite Cylinders for H2 Storage using a Graded Construction

The US DOE is very interested in promoting on-board vehicular hydrogen storage systems that will allow for a driving range of greater than 300 miles while meeting packaging, cost, safety, and performance requirements. The state-of-the-art H2 storage vessels that meet these requirements are too expensive to manufacture because of high carbon fiber costs. The Phase I/Phase II project will seek to reduce the cost of these vessels by 25% by using cheaper fibers from ORNL in a graded construction of the vessel wall. CTD will perform detailed design iterations using laminate analysis and finite element analysis to optimize the cost of a 700 bar H2 storage vessel using a graded construction. CTD will also tailor fiber sizing and epoxy matrices that can harness the maximum achievable properties of the new family of carbon fibers from ORNL. In addition to optimizing the cost of 700 bar H2 storage vessels, improved composite properties derived from the cheaper carbon fibers will enable their use in wind blades, tidal turbine blades and other automotive and marine structures.