Effect of tension on liner buckling and performance of a type-4 cylinder for storage of compressed gases with experimental validation

Abstract

Composite pressure vessels are extensively used for on-board storage of compressed gases for their light weight. The burst pressure and weight of the cylinder play a vital role in determining their safety and storage efficiency. These cylinders can be tailor-made for its strength, thickness, and weight by optimizing the winding parameters of the composite. The mechanical properties mainly depend on its fiber volume fraction, which is critically affected by the applied winding tension. This study aims to analyze the effects of winding tension and fiber volume fraction on performance of the composite. Plastic liners are weaker structures for winding the cylinder at high tensions and tend to deform at critical buckling load. Finite element analysis is used to predict the critical buckling pressure of the liner, the theoretical burst pressure, and the weight of the vessel. Actual prototype is manufactured and tested to validate the theoretical results. The validated design model is used to study the effect of fiber volume fraction on burst pressure and weight of the vessel. A property performance relationship matrix between the applied tension, compaction pressure on liner body, burst pressure and weight performance is established for which the critical buckling pressure is set as a safety limit.