High pressure vessel

Abstract

A process for the production of a vessel for high pressure gas, particularly helium, for a space launcher or for a satellite with a short lifetime. The process includes the step of producing an internal skin of a plastic material selected from polyethylene and crystallized polyamide. The process also includes winding a reinforcement of fibers and resins around the internal skin, and then providing the obtained vessel with the necessary conduits and control valves.

1 . Vessel for high pressure gas comprising an internal skin ( 2 ) of a plastic material covered with a reinforcing winding ( 3 ), wherein said vessel has a mean permeability of the order of 1.16×10 −13  Nm 2 /bar/s for a utilization pressure greater than half the bursting pressure.  
     
     
         2 . Vessel for high pressure gas according to  claim 1 , wherein said internal skin ( 2 ) of plastic material is selected from polyethylene and crystallized polyamide and has zones of lesser thickness in part covered by at least one metallic insert ( 7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ) as well as by said reinforcing winding ( 3 ) obtained by winding with fiber and polymerized resin.  
     
     
         3 . Vessel for gas according to  claim 1 , further comprising regions of increased thickness forming stiffeners ( 6 . 1 ,  6 . 2 ) connecting the two poles of the vessel.  
     
     
         4 . Vessel for gas according to  claim 3 , wherein the inserts ( 7 . 1 ,  7 . 2 ) are disposed at each pole.  
     
     
         5 . Vessel for gas according to  claim 1 , having the following parameters: 
 rate of loss for helium less than 5×10 −9  Nm 3 /s    weight of about 12 kilograms for the internal skin for a total weight of the vessel of 81 kilograms,    resistant to a pressure of 800 Bars at rupture.    
     
     
         6 . Vessel according to  claim 1  wherein the thickness of the internal skin is controlled so as to control said mean permeability.  
     
     
         7 . Vessel according to  claim 6  wherein the internal skin comprises regions of lesser thickness, said regions being selectively arranged.  
     
     
         8 . Vessel according to  claim 1  wherein a thickness of said internal skin is controlled, said skin comprising regions of lesser thickness covered with metallic inserts so as to keep a low permeability in said regions.  
     
     
         9 . Vessel according to  claim 1  wherein said winding is wound to a high thickness and using a resin of high elongation so as to keep a low permeability.