Extrusion-blow moulding technology for the production of composite pressure vessels

At the last edition of JEC World 2022, held in Paris from May 3 to 5, ST BlowMoulding, a specialist manufacturer of blow moulding machines, presented the benefits offered by blow moulding machines in the production of CPV (Composite Pressure Vessels) for LPG, CNG and CHG gas.

Nowadays, the automotive companies are making big investments in Hydrogen technology (fuel cell and storage tanks) for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Reducing to zero the Green House Gases emission is the challenge for the automotive industry of the future and fuel cells vehicles powered by hydrogen will be the final solution for the next decades. Generally, both CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and CHG (Compressed Hydrogen Gas) require high pressure to ensure a reasonable driving range and composite pressure vessels, plastic liners wrapped by carbon fibres, provide both the mechanical strength to withstand the internal pressure and the lightness required for the installation on vehicles. Composite pressure vessels are also the perfect solution for the LPG cylinders as they are lighter and safer than the common steel cylinders.

Extrusion-blow moulding is the most efficient technology to get complete liners for composite pressure vessels in a single process: much faster than rotational moulding, much simpler than injection moulding and welding. ST BlowMoulding is working on this application since long time and developed a wide experience with its customers in Europe with specific machines to properly plasticize special PA grades and to produce different sizes of liners. Its blow moulding machines can consistently produce PA liners for CHG tanks proven to match the hydrogen industry requirements, in terms of safety, quality and durability, avoiding failures, machine downtimes and expensive replacements and repairs.