SBIR Phase I: Conformable High Pressure Gas Storage Systems

The broader impact/ commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to address two critical issues related to the commercialization of conformable hydrogen tanks, which are safer and more practical than traditional cylindrical carbon overwrapped cylinders and have the potential to accelerate adoption of the next generation of hydrogen powered vehicles. Migrating to hydrogen fuel may significantly reduce carbon emissions, particularly in the transportation sector, but several challenges remain in the economic and practical benefits compared to traditional carbon-based internal combustion engines. Conformable tanks are poised to address the concerns relative to high pressure storage of hydrogen. Providing additional sustainable fuel options will reduce carbon emissions. This objective of this SBIR Phase I project is to address two technical areas relative to the practical use of conformable tanks to store hydrogen at high pressure. First, due to the heat of compression, filling a high-pressure tank at high rates required by a maximum fill time of 3 minutes, can result in unacceptably high temperatures within the tank. For conformable tanks, this problem is confounded by the stratification of gas pockets within various parts of the tank. The first goal of this project is to build and test a physical test specimen to validate an innovative approach to thermal management during fast fill events for conformable tanks. Additionally, a conformable tank without epoxy resins in the reinforcement overwrap provides improved weight efficiency and safety benefits. However, the manufacturing and operation of these tanks creates imbalances and inconsistencies in the bend areas between main body portions of the tanks. The second goal of this project is to develop solutions to address these concerns, leading to stronger and more consistent production of efficient high pressure conformable tanks. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.