Ultra Lightweight High Pressure Hydrogen Fuel Tanks Reinforced With Carbon Nanotubes

One effective way to lower the weight, thus decreasing the carbon fiber usage and lowering the cost, of a CFRP tank is to improve the mechanical properties of the CFRP composite resin matrix using nano-reinforcement. Using the resin matrix itself as a source of composite strength, along with the carbon fiber reinforcement, results in a tank that requires less carbon fiber material. This solution decreases the weight of the tank all while preserving or even increasing its performance. In this DOE SBIR Phase I effort, ANI proposes to work with Lincoln Composites to reduce the cost of the carbon fiber by 30-40% by reducing the weight of the CFRP composite by 30-40% reinforced with CNTs used in the structure of the high pressure hydrogen fuel tank, while maintaining or improving the performance of the tank at the regular weight while the fuel efficiency is significantly improved. The overall objective of this program is to significantly improve the mechanical properties of the epoxy/carbon fiber material uses to produce hydrogen fuel tanks with functionalized CNT reinforcement. The ultimate target is to reduce the weight of the CFRP portion of hydrogen fuel tanks by 30-40% while maintaining or increasing the materials performance when compared to hydrogen fuel tanks at regular weight without CNT reinforcement. It is proposed to significantly lower the expense of the carbon fiber (30-40% cost reduction).