A micro-architectured material as a pressure vessel for green mobility

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Traditional spherical and cylindrical pressure vessels present limitations for modern applications.
• Emerging green mobility demands safer and more spatially conformable storage solutions, particularly for hydrogen.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of shellular materials as advanced pressure vessels.
• To evaluate shellular materials for their suitability in hydrogen storage and other pressurized applications.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of shellular materials as micro-architectured structures based on triply periodic minimal surfaces.
• Analysis of shellular material mechanics, focusing on co-planar stress support and stretching-dominated behavior.
• Comparative analysis of shellular pressure vessels against conventional spherical and cylindrical designs.

Main Results:

• Shellular materials exhibit exceptional strength at ultra-low densities (<10⁻² g/cc), outperforming existing microlattice and nanolattice materials.
• Shellular pressure vessels demonstrate the potential to exceed the volume-per-weight capacity of spherical and cylindrical vessels.
• The unique topology allows for tailored vessel shapes and inherent leak-before-break safety features.

Conclusions:

• Shellular materials represent a breakthrough in pressure vessel technology, offering unprecedented performance and adaptability.
• These materials are ideally suited for next-generation hydrogen storage, addressing critical needs in green mobility.
• The large surface area of shellular micro-architectures also presents opportunities for enhanced heat and mass transfer applications.