Gas accumulator

US6309449A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Mannesmann AG · DE

Inventors

• Holger Klos · Karlsruhe, DE
• Ulrich Schmitz · Hersbruck, DE
• Walter Schütz · Weidenberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 9, 2000
• Grant date: Oct 30, 2001
• Expiry date: May 9, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S977/948
• WIPO field: Mechanical elements
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A gas accumulator for storing pressurized gases, in particular gaseous fuels such as hydrogen or the like, which gas accumulator has a sealed vessel which is provided with a valve-actuated feed line and outlet line for the pressurized gas and with a solid packing of carbon nanostructures. To increase the storage capacity of a gas accumulator of this type significantly, the particles of the carbon nanostructures are compacted to form larger coherent conglomerates having an apparent density which is increased in comparison with the apparent density of the originally loose particles. The compaction can be carried out, for example, by ordering the carbon nanostructures in their orientation to one another, or else by forming the conglomerates by pressing non-ordered carbon nanostructures. In each case, minimizing the interstices between the individual carbon nanostructures means that the amount of the carbon nanostructures which can be introduced into the vessel and thus the amount of the pressurized gas which can be stored in these can be increased.