Winding apparatus and method for constructing steel ribbon wound layered pressure vessels

摘要

An apparatus for winding steel ribbon around a vessel inner shell having forward and rearward ends to construct a pressure vessel includes a vessel support and rotation mechanism, a vessel elevation adjusting mechanism, tracks for supporting and guiding the vessel support and rotation mechanism, a carriage having rail track engaging mechanism for traveling along the track on at least one side of the vessel inner shell, and a ribbon pulling mechanism mounted on the carriage for delivering the ribbon to the vessel inner shell under ribbon tensile loading to pre- stress the vessel. The apparatus preferably additionally includes a locking mechanism for locking the vessel support and rotation mechanism to the track, after the vessel support and rotation mechanism is positioned at forward and rearward ends of a given vessel inner shell. The vessel support and rotation mechanism preferably includes several vessel support roller sets in the form of annular members rotatably mounted on tracks. A method for winding steel ribbon around a vessel inner shell using the above described apparatus, includes the steps of mounting the vessel inner shell on the vessel support and rotation mechanism, securing an end of the ribbon to the vessel inner shell, rotating the vessel inner shell, delivering the ribbon from the ribbon pulling mechanism to the vessel inner shell for winding around the inner shell, and advancing the ribbon pulling mechanism along the track on the carriage to wind the ribbon along the inner shell in a helical path.