Patent ID: 8056928

Claim:
A fuel storage system for a vehicle, comprising: a frame including first and second opposing side rails, and first and second cross members disposed between the first and second side rails, the frame being configured to receive any one of a plurality of vehicle bodies, thereby forming a body-on-frame vehicle architecture; a single, generally cylindrical hydrogen fuel storage tank disposed between the side rails along a length of the frame, the tank including first and second ends, each of the tank ends having a smaller diameter than a middle portion of the tank, thereby respectively forming first and second necks; and a non-rigid mounting structure for attaching the tank to the frame, the mounting structure being configured to allow movement of the tank, thereby accounting for expansion and contraction of the tank as it is respectively pressurized and depressurized, the mounting structure including a first portion including a split ring clamp securable around the first neck to inhibit longitudinal movement of the tank, and a second portion including a solid ring having an aperture sized to receive the second neck therethrough to facilitate longitudinal movement of the tank.