Vehicle frame with integrated high pressure fuel tank
View Patent ↗A frame for a gaseous fueled vehicle is provided. The frame includes a floor pan, a tunnel positioned centrally and longitudinally in the floor pan extending a full length of the frame, and a tank integrated into the tunnel, where the tank is circular in cross-section and has a variable diameter. The tunnel may also integrate two or more tanks.
1. A frame for a gaseous fueled vehicle, said frame comprising:
a floor pan;
a tunnel positioned centrally and longitudinally in said floor pan, extending the full length of said frame; and
a tank integrated with and extending the full length of said tunnel, where said tank has terminal ends and a central area and said terminal ends have a larger cross-sectional area than said central area.
2. The frame described in claim 1 , where said tank is a high pressure hydrogen storage tank.
3. The frame described in claim 1 , where said tank is a compressed natural gas tank.
4. The frame described in claim 1 , where said tank has a longitudinal axis and said terminal ends and said central area are centered about said longitudinal axis.
5. The frame described in claim 1 , where said tank has a longitudinal axis and said central area is centered about said longitudinal axis and said terminal ends are offset from said longitudinal axis.
6. A frame for a gaseous fueled hybrid vehicle, said frame comprising:
a floor pan;
a tunnel positioned centrally and longitudinally in said floor pan, extending the full length of said frame; and
at least two tanks integrated into said tunnel, where each of said at least two tanks has terminal ends and a central area and said terminal ends of each have a larger cross-sectional area than said central area of each.
7. The frame described in claim 6 , where said at least two tanks are high pressure hydrogen storage tanks.
8. The frame described in claim 6 , where said at least two tanks are compressed natural gas tanks.
9. The frame described in claim 6 , where each of said tanks has a longitudinal axis and said terminal ends of each and said central area of each are centered about said longitudinal axis.
10. The frame described in claim 6 , where each of said tanks has a longitudinal axis and said central area of each is centered about said longitudinal axis and said terminal ends of each are offset from said longitudinal axis.