Method of manufacturing pressure vessel liners

摘要

A method of manufacturing a liner for use in a pressure vessel includes a cold drawing process that shapes a transition zone (20b) part of an aluminum alloy liner shell (10). The transition zone (20b) links a thinner walled drum part (18) and a thicker walled end region (20a), which is at an open top of the shell. The transition zone (20b) may be shaped by the cold drawing process such that it reduces susceptibility of the shell to fracture during removal from a cold drawing press and also redistributes shell material in preparation for a subsequent process in which a threaded neck is formed from the end region (20a). This process is particularly suited to processing harder aluminum alloy materials such as AA7060 or AA7032.

主权项

1. A method of manufacturing a liner for use in a pressure vessel, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a cup-shaped shell (10) of aluminium alloy, with closed crown end (16) and open top, the shell having a drum region (18) with thinner walls, an end region (20a) at the open top with thicker walls and an intermediate transition zone (20b) of tapering thickness; (b) cold drawing the shell using a punch (24) with generally cylindrical walls and a shaped upper region (24a) that, during the drawing operation, meets with the transition zone (20b) of the shell; (c) forming the end region (20a) and transition zone (20b) to close the open top and to form a neck (32) extending therefrom; and (d) cutting a thread into the neck.