Hydrogen fuel cell technology is securing a place in the future of advanced mobility and the energy revolution, as engineers explore multiple paths in the quest for decarbonization. The feasibility of hydrogen-based fuel cell vehicles particularly relies on the development of safe, lightweight and cost-competitive solutions for hydrogen storage. After the demonstration of hundreds of prototype vehicles, today, commercial hydrogen tanks are in the first stages of market introduction, adopting configurations that use composite materials. However, production rates remain low and costs high. This paper intends to provide an insight into the evolving scenario of solutions for hydrogen storage in the transportation sector. Current applications in different sectors of transport are covered, focusing on their individual requirements. Furthermore, this work addresses the efforts to produce economically attractive composite tanks, discussing the challenges surrounding material choices and manufacturing practices, as well as cutting-edge trends pursued by research and development teams. Key issues in the design and analysis of hydrogen tanks are also discussed. Finally, testing and certification requirements are debated once they play a vital role in industry acceptance.

Oral forces applied to human teeth during biting and mastication are normally described in the literature only in terms of their axial components. The purpose of this study was to fully determine the spatial characteristics of the oral resultant force – its normal and tangential components - for a given individual. A load cell was especially manufactured to measure oral force and was temporarily implanted as a prosthetic device in the dental arch of a volunteer, replacing his missing upper first molar. The mastication and occlusion tests were carried out in such a way the cell should withstand the loads applied to the molar, and its state of strain was recorded by strain gauges attached to it. Based on the results of these tests and using balance equations, normal and tangential components of the resultant oral force were determined. For direct occlusion, without interposition any obstacle between cusps, a peak normal force of 135 N was recorded simultaneously to a tangential force of 44 N. For mastication of biscuits, a peak normal force of 133 N and a tangential force of 39 N were obtained.

The objective of this paper is to unveil the background theory behind the universal master ply assumption, based on the invariant approach, to describe ply elastic properties. It was demonstrated that using ply-based constitutive relations, trace-normalized stiffness properties can be derived for different materials. Theoretical predictions for trace-normalized parameters were plotted as functions of the unidirectional ply longitudinal modulus ( E_x), which defines the particular material system. Ply stiffness extensive empirical data were obtained from literature for four types of material systems (high modulus carbon/epoxy, standard modulus carbon/epoxy, aramid/epoxy, and glass/epoxy) and correlated quite well to theoretical predictions. Theoretical curves presented a nonlinear region for low E_x which gradually evolves to a plateau as E_x increases. It was verified that the master ply concept averaging the trace-normalized ply stiffness matrix elements can be applied for high modulus carbon/epoxy, standard modulus carbon/epoxy, and aramid/epoxy material systems. However, glass/epoxy systems can not be represented by this concept. The exposed theoretical background supports trace-based approach and enhances its effectiveness as a design tool, encompassing all the consequent advantages.