DEVELOPMENT OF COMPOSITE OVERWRAPPED PRESSURE VESSELS FOR HIGH PRESSURE CRYOGENIC STORAGE APPLICATIONS

摘要

An increased need for high performance cryogenic composite over-wrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) is being experienced in many industries including aerospace launch vehicles, alternate fuel transportation of liquefied natural gas, and petrochemical exploration. Extensive research by a collaborative team of researchers at the NASA-MSFC, HyPerComp Engineering, Inc. (HEI) and Mississippi State University (MSU) has resulted in fabrication of COPVs that perform extraordinarily well at cryogenic liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperatures. This effort involved the manufacturing and testing of a large number of COPVs that are burst test at both LN2 and ambient conditions. Experimental fiberesin systems, formulated specifically for cryogenic conditions, were used in the production of these COPVs. The material selection was supported by materials testing that included LN2 tensile tests of single fibers and neat resins in addition to short-beam-shear coupons of the fiber/resin composite. This understanding of how composite materials behave at cryogenic conditions has resulted in the development of a superior cryogenic COPV that uses a new material optimized for performance at LN2 temperatures.