1. Method for manufacturing a fuel tank on the basis of thermoplastic material, comprising the following method steps:
producing semifinished products in sheet form from a fibre composite material with a matrix of thermoplastic material,
laminating the semifinished products with a laminate that comprises at least one barrier layer for hydrocarbons,
heat-treating the laminated semifinished products until the thermoplastic material plasticizes,
thermoforming the plasticized semifinished products in a thermoforming mould to form shells and
joining the shells to form an essentially closed tank,
wherein the fibers are selected from the group comprising glass fibres, carbon fibres and aramid fibres,
characterized in that
the fibre composite material is woven or laid fibre structures embedded in the thermoplastic matrix.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the semifinished products are only laminated on one side and in that the laminated side forms an inner side of the fuel tank.
3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the shells are formed in each case with a peripherally encircling flange.
4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of joining the shells comprises a peripheral welding of the shells.
5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that, during or after the welding, the flange of the shells is bent over to create an edge-formed seam.
6. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the flange is provided with a peripheral profile, which reaches around the end faces of the shells.
7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the peripheral profile is adhesively bonded or welded to the shells.
8. Method according to claim 1, also comprising the introduction of inserts into the tank before the joining of the shells.
9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the inserts are premounted on an insert carrier and in that the insert carrier is inserted into a shell as a lost carrier.
10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the insert carrier is welded or clamped to a shell.
11. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, before the joining, at least one shell is provided with at least one lead-through for at least one line connection, into which a connection element is inserted from the inside in a sealing manner.
12. Fuel tank, manufactured by the method according to claim 1, comprising a tank body with a self-supportingly stiff outer shell of a fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material comprising fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, which on the inner side of the tank is laminated with a multi-layered film of plastic, the outer shell being thicker than the film of plastic and the film of plastic comprising at least one barrier layer for hydrocarbons,
wherein the fibres are selected from the group comprising glass fibres, carbon fibres and aramid fibres,
characterized in that
the fibre-reinforced thermoplastic material is woven or laid fibre structures embedded in the thermoplastic matrix.
13. Fuel tank according to claim 12, characterized in that the film of plastic has a maximum thickness of 1.25 mm.
14. Fuel tank according to claim 13, characterized in that the film of plastic is formed as a five-layered laminate with EVOH as the barrier layer.
15. Fuel tank according to claim 12, characterized in that the ratio of the thickness of the outer shell to the thickness of the film of plastic is between 2 and 1.2.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A test apparatus for testing a device under test, comprising:
a test signal generator that generates a test signal to test the device under test;
an electric-photo converter that converts the test signal into an optical test signal;
an optical interface that (i) transmits the optical test signal generated by the electric-photo converter to an optical receiver of the device under test and (ii) receives and outputs an optical response signal output from the device under test;
a photo-electric converter that converts the optical response signal output from the optical interface into an electrical response signal and transmits the electrical response signal; and
a signal receiver that receives the response signal transmitted from the photo-electric converter.
2. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
an optical signal generator that generates an optical signal; and
a first optical switch that receives optical signals output from the optical signal generator and the electric-photo converter, selects one of the optical signals, and allows the selected optical signal to be input into the optical interface.
3. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein
the optical signal generator includes a variable wavelength light source that varies a wavelength of light output therefrom.
4. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a wavelength setting section that sets the wavelength of the light output from the variable wavelength light source, in accordance with a wavelength of an optical signal to be received by the device under test.
5. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:
an optical monitoring section that converts an input optical signal into an electrical signal to monitor the optical signal; and
a second optical switch that selects one of the optical monitoring section and the photo-electric converter and allows the optical response signal output from the optical interface to be input into the selected one of the optical monitoring section and the photo-electric converter.
6. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein
the first optical switch selects the optical signal output from the optical signal generator and allows the selected optical signal to be input into the optical interface,
the second optical switch selects the optical monitoring section and allows the optical response signal output from the optical interface to be input into the selected optical monitoring section, and
the test apparatus detects whether connection exists between the device under test and the optical interface based on a result of the monitoring done by the optical monitoring section and starts testing the device under test in response to detection of the connection.
7. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an electrical interface that establishes electrical connection with the device under test and exchanges electrical signals with the device under test, wherein
the electrical interface (i) receives a test signal from the test signal generator and supplies the received test signal to the device under test and (ii) receives a response signal output from the device under test in response to the test signal and transmits the received response signal to the signal receiver.
8. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the electric-photo converter converts a plurality of test signals into optical test signals respectively having corresponding wavelengths,
multiplexes the optical test signals into a wavelength-multiplexed optical test signal, and supplies the wavelength-multiplexed optical test signal to the device under test, and
the photo-electric converter receives a wavelength-multiplexed optical response signal from the device under test, splits the wavelength-multiplexed optical response signal into a plurality of optical response signals and photo-electric converts the plurality of optical response signals into a plurality of response signals corresponding to the plurality of test signals.
9. A test apparatus for testing a device under test, comprising:
an optical signal generator that generates an optical signal;
an optical monitoring section that converts an input optical signal into an electrical signal to monitor the optical signal;
a loopback optical path that loops an optical response signal from the device under test back to the device under test;
a first optical switch that receives optical signals output from the loopback optical path and the optical signal generator, selects one of the optical signals, and outputs the selected optical signal;
a second optical switch that selects one of the loopback optical path and the optical monitoring section and allows an input optical signal to be input into the selected one of the loopback optical path and the optical monitoring section; and
an optical interface that (i) allows the optical signal output from the first optical switch to be input into an optical receiver of the device under test and (ii) allows the optical response signal output from the device under test to be input into the second optical switch.
10. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:
a test signal generator that generates a test signal to test the device under test;
a signal receiver that receives a response signal output from the device under test in response to the test signal; and
an electrical interface that establishes electrical connection with the device under test and exchanges electrical signals, wherein
the electrical interface (i) receives the test signal from the test signal generator and supplies the received test signal to the device under test, and (ii) receives the response signal output from the device under test in response to the test signal and transmits the received response signal to the signal receiver.
11. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:
a test signal generator that generates a test signal to test the device under test;
a signal receiver that receives a response signal output from the device under test in response to the test signal;
an electric-photo converter that converts the test signal into an optical test signal; and
a photo-electric converter that converts an input optical signal into an electrical signal and transmits the electrical signal to the signal receiver, wherein
the first optical switch receives optical signals output from the optical signal generator, the loopback optical path, and the electric-photo converter, selects one of the optical signals, and allows the selected optical signal to be input into the optical interface, and
the second optical switch selects one of the optical monitoring section, the loopback optical path, and the photo-electric converter and allows the optical response signal from the optical interface to be input into the selected one of the optical monitoring section, the loopback optical path, and the photo-electric converter.
12. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 11, further comprising an electrical interface that establishes electrical connection with the device under test and exchanges electrical signals with the device under test, wherein
the electrical interface (i) receives a test signal from the test signal generator and supplies the received test signal to the device under test and (ii) receives a response signal output from the device under test in response to the test signal and transmits the received response signal to the signal receiver.
13. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein
the loopback optical path includes a phase controller that controls a phase timing of an optical signal transmitted therethrough.
14. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein
the optical signal generator includes a variable wavelength light source that varies a wavelength of light output therefrom.
15. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a wavelength setting section that sets the wavelength of the light output from the variable wavelength light source, in accordance with a wavelength of an optical signal to be received by the device under test.
16. The test apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein
the first optical switch selects the optical signal output from the optical signal generator and allows the selected optical signal to be input into the optical interface,
the second optical switch selects the optical monitoring section and allows the optical response signal output from the optical interface to be input into the selected optical monitoring section, and
the test apparatus detects whether connection exists between the device under test and the optical interface based on a result of the monitoring done by the optical monitoring section and starts testing the device under test in response to detection of the connection.
17. A test method for testing a device under test, comprising:
generating a test signal to test the device under test;
electric-photo converting the test signal into an optical test signal;
(i) transmitting the generated optical test signal to an optical receiver of the device under test and (ii) receiving and outputting an optical response signal output from the device under test;
photo-electric converting the output optical response signal into an electrical response signal and transmitting the electrical response signal; and
receiving the transmitted response signal.
18. A test method for testing a device under test, comprising:
generating an optical signal;
converting, by an optical monitoring section, an input optical signal into an electrical signal;
looping an optical response signal from the device under test back to the device under test through a loopback optical path;
by a second optical switch, selecting one of the loopback optical path and the optical monitoring section and allowing an input optical signal to be input into the selected one of the loopback optical path and the optical monitoring section;
by a first optical switch, receiving optical signals generated in the loopback optical path and the optical signal generation, selecting one of the optical signals, and outputting the selected optical signal; and
(i) inputting the optical signal selected and output by the first optical switch into an optical receiver of the device under test and (ii) inputting the optical response signal output from the device under test into the second optical switch.