en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Mechanical Industry Technology Center (Cetim) has achieved a key breakthrough in the development of Type IV.5 thermoplastic composite tanks for hydrogen storage. The project team successfully validated that a tank weighing 43 kg in total and with a volume of 62 liters can withstand a pressure of 1,675 bar. These are among the world's first tanks manufactured using this technology, achieving such a combination of pressure, volume, and efficiency in thermoplastic composites.
This achievement stems from the Arhystote project funded by the French government's "France 2030" plan, led by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). The tank was manufactured using the HySpide TP laser-assisted tape winding process at the Technocampus Composites facility near Nantes, with an operating pressure meeting the regulatory requirement of 700 bar.
The weight index (ratio of stored hydrogen mass to total system mass) of this tank type reaches 5.7% for the 62-liter version, and is expected to reach 6.8% for the 120-liter version. Cetim notes that this indicates the maturation of R&D efforts in recent years, ranging from characterization methods and design tools (such as the Optitank solution) to the optimization and reliability validation of manufacturing processes.
Such tanks have already attracted the attention of industrial companies. Thermoplastic materials offer high strength and high damage tolerance, facilitating more durable tanks and safer failure modes. Additionally, the material is compatible with various manufacturing processes, offering diverse design possibilities that help reduce weight and increase production rates. The composite material can also be welded to its liner to facilitate purification, and can be recycled at the end of its lifecycle. These advantages make it applicable to multiple fields, including heavy transport, aviation, aerospace, and high-pressure hydrogen distribution and storage infrastructure.
In addition to Cetim, project partners include AGCO-SAS, RAIGI, IPC, and OLIKROM.
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