Cryogenic tank design and method of manufacture

Claim 2

The vessel of claim 2 wherein said fiberous component consists of glass fiber.

Claim 3

The vessel of claim 3 wherein the polymer foam is a fluoro-carbon expanded polyurethane.

Claim 4

The vessel of claim 1 wherein juncture of said sides along the polymer plastic walls is reinforced by a fiber-reinforced polymer weld on the surface thereof and in the juncture.

Claim 5

The vessel of claim 5 wherein a plurality of slots are provided in the polymer foam and the polymer plastic wall is disposed thereover, said slots tending to act as temperature compensators for easing structural stresses due to expansion and contraction.

Claim 6

In a vessel for containing and shipping low temperature fluids in the cryogenic temperature regime, the vessel being structurally designed to withstand on a repeated and continuous basis, both filling prior to shipment of the fluid and emptying thereafter without evidence of structural deterioration in the vessel due to its subjection to the recurrent extreme temperature differential, the sides of the vessel each comprising a laminate component of: a first rigid wall of polymer plastic having first and second sides, a layer of expanded polymer foam structurally affixed to said first side of said first rigid wall, a second rigid wall of polymer plastic structurally affixed to the other side of said gas expanded polymer foam to thereby form an integral rigid sandwich construction, said second side of said first rigid wall of polymer plastic being adapted to be exposed to a fluid in the cryogenic temperature range, and said gas expanded polymer foam being characterized by a plurality of slot means therein for acting as expansion and contraction compensators in the walls when the vessel is subjected to the low temperature fluids and subsequently to the higher temperatures when the fluids are removed.

Claim 7

The vessel of claim 7 wherein said slot means are oriented in a direction perpendicular to said first rigid wall of polymer plastic.

Claim 8

The vessel of claim 7 wherein said slot means communicates with said second side of said first rigid wall means of the vessel side.

Claim 9

The vessel of claim 9 wherein said slot means are oriented in a direction perpendicular to said second side of said first rigid wall means.

Claim 10

The vessel of claim 7 wherein each of said sides constitutes at least one section of laminate which is physically connected in abutting relation to its adjacent section of laminate and to intersecting sides by coupling means, said coupling means including; groove means uniformly disposed in the end surface of the expanded polymer foam of each abutting laminate section, said groove means in each section being aligned with the groove means in its abutting section, and polymer foam in said groove means contacting each end surface of said abutting laminate sections to thereby fuse them together in a manner insuring similar expansion and contraction characteristics in the rEspective laminate components.

Claim 11

The vessel of claim 7 wherein each of said sides constitutes at least one section of a laminate which is physically connected in abutting relation to its adjacent section of laminate and to intersecting sides by coupling means, said coupling means including at least one weld of polymer plastic affixing the said rigid walls, the abutting sections to one another in a manner insuring similar expansion and contraction characteristics in the respective laminate components.

Claim 12

The vessel of claim 11 wherein said coupling means further includes groove means uniformly disposed in the end surface of the expanded polymer foam of each abutting laminate section, said groove means in each section being aligned with the groove means in its abutting section, and polymer foam in said groove means contacting each end surface of said abutting laminate sections to fuse them together and still further insure similar expansion and contraction characteristics in the respective laminate components.