<title>Using the adaptive SMA composite cylinder concept to reduce radial dilation in composite pressure vessels</title>

Abstract

Composite materials are widely used in the design of pressurized gas and fluid vessels for applications ranging from underground gasoline storage tanks to rocket motors for the space shuttle. In the design of a high pressure composite vessel (P<SUB>i</SUB> &gt; 12 Ksi), thick-wall (R/h &lt; 15) vessels are required. For efficient material use in composite material vessels, the radial dilation (expansion or swelling) of the composite vessel can often approach values nearing 2 percent of the diameter. Over long periods of internal pressure loading over elevated temperatures, composite material cylinders may also experience substantial creep. The short term dilation and long term creep are not problematic for applications requiring only the containment of the pressurized fluid. In applications where metallic liners are required, however, substantial dilation and creep causes plastic yielding which leads to reduced fatigue life. To applications such as a hydraulic accumulator, where a piston is employed to fit and seal the fluid in the composite cylinder, the dilation and creep may allow leakage and pressure loss around the piston. A concept called the adaptive composite cylinder is experimentally presented. Shape memory alloy wire in epoxy resin is wrapped around or within polymer matrix composite cylinders to reduce radial dilation of the cylinder. Experimental results are presented that demonstrate the ability of the SMA wire layers to reduce radial dilation. Results from experimental testing of the recovery stress fatigue response of nitinol shape memory alloy wires is also presented.