DOE Selects Quantum and Boeing for Advanced Hydrogen Storage Project
31 March 2008
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected for final negotiations for a contact a joint project by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. and Boeing to develop next-generation manufacturing technologies for hydrogen storage vessels. Total value of the project is $5.6 million over three years. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LNNL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will also contribute to the project.
The overall goal of this project is to leverage the advances in precision composite material processing technologies in the aerospace sector to develop innovative manufacturing techniques for hydrogen storage tanks, with the intent to drive down costs significantly.
The specific objective is to develop and demonstrate an innovative hybrid process which integrates the most optimal features of high precision aerospace and high-speed commercial manufacturing techniques.
Boeing is a leader in advanced composite manufacturing technologies, which utilize lightweight, high-precision composite structures for performance advantage. Quantum’s hydrogen storage systems utilize carbon-fiber reinforced composite structures for volumetric and gravimetric efficiency.
As the prime contractor, Quantum will provide overall coordination and leverage its experience in hydrogen systems. Boeing Phantom Works, the company’s advanced research and development organization, will adapt composite manufacturing technologies that it developed for the aerospace industry. The Quantum-Boeing team has partnered with the LNNL and PNNL to enhance and expand this development program.
Hydrogen pressure vessels are typically made by winding carbon fiber wetted in adhesive around a liner made of either plastic or metal. This “wet winding” process is slow because the winding speed is limited by diffusion processes that control the adhesion of subsequent layers of fiber. Slow winding increases the cost of the pressure vessels because it requires continuous operation of a dedicated, expensive machine. Oven curing of the finished vessel is often required.
LLNL has developed a dry tape winding process that considerably reduces the time required for pressure vessel winding (15 minutes vs. 3 hours for wet winding), and does not require oven curing. For the Quantum project, LLNL will develop a unique high speed composite processing technique, which will be validated by PNNL. The program will be executed in three phases, starting in 2008.
So...better H2 tanks. Cast your mind back to the X-33 "VentureStar" single-stage-to-orbit shuttle replacement...cancelled in 2001. It failed because their composite H2 tanks leaked. All Lockheed's horses and all Lockheed's men couldn't put this Billion-dollar scale model together again without leaking too much H2. There were other challenges, but what seems striking is that even when money was no object, light weight H2 storage was problematic. H2 can leak out of very tiny holes. If you put a liner inside the carbon fiber, then it is the tensile strength of the liner that is the limit on how much pressure you can contain.
So, whatever they're doing with tape, that is what they'll have to overcome.
Posted by: Healthy Breaze | 31 March 2008 at 01:34 PM
And when I think of all the grief I've had with the plumbing in my bathroom ... that was just water at low pressure, not hydrogen at high pressure.
Posted by: Neil | 31 March 2008 at 03:07 PM
All current h2 pressure tanks use liners even the 15000 psi ones so thats not a big deal or a deal at all... as for leaks its mainly a gooey goop onside the tank that keeps the h2 from leaking out. This goop already does a very good job but it wasnt around for thr tanks back then.
Posted by: wintermane | 31 March 2008 at 04:24 PM
actually, Boeing has lots of experience on these tanks.. of course we already paid of it :)
Posted by: Herm | 04 April 2008 at 06:58 AM