Belted toroid pressure vessel and method for making the same

摘要

A toroid pressure vessel includes a toroid body having an inner shell and an outer shell. The toroid body includes a toroid outer perimeter. The outer shell extends along the toroid outer perimeter. A planar exterior face extends along at least a portion of the outer shell and the toroid outer perimeter. A support belt circumscribes the toroid outer perimeter and is coupled along the planar exterior face. The support belt braces and supports the pressure vessel along the toroid outer perimeter against bulging force (and hoop stress) generated by pressurized fluids within the vessel. The support belt facilitates the use of thinner pressure vessel shells and thereby decreases the weight of the pressure vessel while providing a support to the outer shell that substantially prevents deformation of the planar exterior face.

主权项

1. A pressure vessel comprising:
toroid body including an inner shell coupled with an outer shell forming a toroid cross section, each of the inner or outer shells includes respective upper and lower edges, and at least one upper edge and at least one lower edge includes mating lips extending along respective edges of the inner and outer shells, the toroid body includes a toroid outer perimeter, and the outer shell extends along the toroid outer perimeter; wherein the upper and lower edges opposed to the mating lips are flush with the corresponding upper and lower edges according to reception of the opposed upper and lower edges along the mating lips; a planar exterior face extends along at least a portion of the outer shell and the toroid outer perimeter; and a support belt circumscribes the toroid outer perimeter and is coupled along the planar exterior face, the support belt includes:
a first belt layer around the toroid outer perimeter, the first belt layer having a first belt layer edge,a second belt layer over the first belt layer and around the toroid outer perimeter, the second belt layer having a second belt layer edge, andstepped tapered belt edges near upper and lower portions of the planar exterior face, the stepped tapered belt edges include the second belt layer edge recessed relative to the first belt layer edge.