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A pressure vessel with a protective jacket disposed thereon, wherein the vessel is formed of a metal liner surrounded by a layer of thermoplastic composite filament winding and a protective jacket disposed thereon that facilitates stacking and portability of the vessel, while also providing sufficie

A pressure vessel with a protective jacket disposed thereon, wherein the vessel is formed of a metal liner surrounded by a layer of thermoplastic composite filament winding and a protective jacket disposed thereon that facilitates stacking and portability of the vessel, while also providing sufficiently sized openings for visual inspection of the composite layer integrity.

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What is claimed is: 1. A pressure vessel with protective jacket comprising: a) a vessel including an inner tank defining an upper end portion and a lower end portion, and an outer reinforcing layer disposed on the inner tank; and b) a protective jacket configured and dimensioned to engage the vesse

What is claimed is: 1. A pressure vessel with protective jacket comprising: a) a vessel including an inner tank defining an upper end portion and a lower end portion, and an outer reinforcing layer disposed on the inner tank; and b) a protective jacket configured and dimensioned to engage the vessel, the protective jacket including an upper support rim engaging the upper end portion of the inner tank, a lower support rim engaging the lower end portion of the inner tank and a substantially radially outward facing wall connecting the upper support rim and lower support rim, the wall defining at least one radially outward facing gap therein to permit direct visual inspection of the outer reinforcing layer; wherein the at least one gap defined in the substantially radially outward facing wall is disposed substantially midway between the upper support rim and the lower support rim. 2. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, wherein a wall of the inner tank includes a material having a higher modulus of elasticity and a lower elastic strain limit than the material of the outer reinforcing layer. 3. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, wherein the protective jacket is separable into at least two sections. 4. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, wherein the lower support rim further includes a bottom portion disposed over the lower end portion of the vessel. 5. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 4, further comprising a handle protruding from the upper support rim that is configured and adapted to form a non-permanent mating engagement with the bottom portion of the lower support rim of another pressure vessel when stacking multiple pressure vessels. 6. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, wherein the outer reinforcing layer is fabricated of a thermoplastic material commingled with glass fibers. 7. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic material includes polypropylene. 8. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, wherein the inner tank comprises a substantially cylindrical inner liner defining first and second rims and opposing dome shaped first and second endcaps secured to the first and second rims of the inner liner. 9. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 8, wherein the inner tank has an aperture for receiving a valve boss therein. 10. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 9, wherein the valve boss is configured to receive a valve fitting assembly for controlling the ingress and egress of fluids. 11. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, wherein a wall of the inner tank includes a metallic material. 12. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 11, wherein the metallic material is selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, and platinum. 13. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, further comprising longitudinal ribs disposed in the wall, wherein the longitudinal ribs define the at least one gap therebetween. 14. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, wherein the inner tank has an aperture for receiving a valve boss therein. 15. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 14, wherein the valve boss is configured to receive a valve fitting assembly for controlling the ingress and egress of fluids. 16. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 1, wherein the tank is fabricated substantially of a metal that is corrosion resistant. 17. A pressure vessel with protective jacket as recited in claim 16, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, and platinum.