Tank formed from panels of composite material

Abstract

A tank is formed from one or more panels fastened together edge to edge to form a rectangular tank or one or more curved panels defining a cylindrical wall and a circular end wall to form a cylindrical tank. The panels are composite and formed from a honeycomb core panel with a foam material filling the tubular cells and a fibrous reinforcing cover sheets extending over the top and bottom of the panel. The cover sheets are filled with a set resin material which extends into the porous fibrous material of the walls of the core panel so as to form an integral structure of the resin extending between the walls and the sheets.

1 . A tank comprising:
 a tank wall formed at least in part by at least one panel member;   the panel member comprising a honeycomb core panel having a first face and a second opposite face with an array of generally hexagonal tubular cells defined by walls of the core panel extending between the first and second faces;   a foam material filling the tubular cells;   a first fibrous reinforcing cover sheet extending over the first face of the core panel;   a second fibrous reinforcing cover sheet extending over the second face of the core panel;   the first and second cover sheets being filled with a set resin material;   wherein the walls of the honey comb core panel are formed from a porous fibrous material;   and wherein the set resin in the cover sheets extends from the cover sheets into the porous fibrous material of the walls of the core panel so as to form an integral structure of the resin extending between the walls and the sheets.   
     
     
         2 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the resin substantially fills the core walls. 
     
     
         3 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the resin extends through the core walls from the first sheet to the second sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the resin is a thermosetting resin. 
     
     
         5 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the walls are connected each to the next to form the honeycomb panel by a heat seal. 
     
     
         6 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the walls are formed from a non-woven fibrous material. 
     
     
         7 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the walls are formed from a spun bond fibrous plastics material. 
     
     
         8 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the sheets contain glass reinforcing fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the tank is rectangular. 
     
     
         10 . The tank according to  claim 9  wherein the tank is formed from a plurality of panels arranged edge to edge. 
     
     
         11 . The tank according to  claim 10  wherein the panel members are connected edge to edge by an adhesive. 
     
     
         12 . The tank according to  claim 10  wherein the panel members are connected edge to edge by channel members into which an edge of the panel is inserted. 
     
     
         13 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein the tank has a cylindrical wall and at least one circular end wall. 
     
     
         14 . The tank according to  claim 13  wherein the circular end wall is formed of a single panel member. 
     
     
         15 . The tank according to  claim 13  wherein the cylindrical wall is formed of one or more curved panel members. 
     
     
         16 . The tank according to  claim 13  wherein the cylindrical wall is formed of a single peripheral panel member with the first cover sheet defining an inner surface of the tank and the second cover sheet defining an outer surface of the tank. 
     
     
         17 . The tank according to  claim 16  wherein the circular end wall is formed of a single panel member. 
     
     
         18 . The tank according to  claim 1  wherein joints between the honeycomb core panels are formed with the first and second cover sheets bridging the joints. 
     
     
         19 . The tank according to  claim 18  wherein the joints between the honeycomb core panels are formed at an angle to one another so as to form a corner of the tank with the first and second cover sheets bridging the joints.