Case Study
Pressure Vessels
By wrapping carbon fiber around steel, aluminum or plastic containers, it is possible to increase the pressure of the container,
which has significant weight-reducing effect in comparison with conventional metal containers.
For example, it is possible to make a container with the same filling pressure but one-third the weight of a conventional steel tank.
The design of the tank, called TYPE4, in which carbon fiber is wrapped around a plastic container, requires high strength carbon fiber.
The carbon fiber we manufacture is characterized by high strength and low variation in physical properties.
It is possible to reinforce containers with less carbon fiber, enabling reduction of the weight of containers.
Here we introduce case studies of pressure vessels used in vehicles, and for transportation and/or storage.
For Vehicles:
Weight reduction for automobiles
By reinforcing the container with carbon fiber, it is possible to increase the gas filling pressure in comparison with conventional products. With trucks and buses using compressed natural gas (CNG), it is possible to increase the capacity while minimizing the increase in weight, thus increasing the distance covered in comparison with conventional products. In addition, fuel-cell vehicles, which are expected to be developed further in future, are fitted with higher-pressure hydrogen tanks, and demand for our high-quality, high-strength carbon fiber is therefore increasing.
For Transportation and/or Storage:
Contributing to achievement of a hydrogen-based society
In order to achieve a hydrogen-based society, there is an urgent need to establish a supply chain. Therefore, the demand for hydrogen station pressure accumulators and hydrogen trailer transport containers is increasing. There is a growing demand for high-pressure containers to be made of carbon fiber in order to increase the efficiency of hydrogen transportation and storage, such as by reducing weight for use as trailers, and increasing the flexibility of container layout and reducing the installation area for use in stations.
