Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Rutgers University
Piscataway, New Jersey !!"#
PRE$$URE %E$$E& DE$'(N U$'N(
)*MP*$'+E MA+ER'A&$
(R*UP ,
Graig Fergusson
David Pons
Ronnie Nomeir
Danielle Stephens
Russell Scola
1
'nde-
Index . . . . . . . . . 2
Introduction . . . . . . . . 3
Geometr and Design !onstraints . . . . "
!omposite #aterial Design . . . . . $
Preliminar Designs . . . . . . 13
Final Design . . . . . . . . 1%
#aterials . . . . . . . . . 1&
Dimensions . . . . . . . . 1$
!onstruction Procedure . . . . . . . 1'
Design !hanges . . . . . . . . 21
(esting . . . . . . . . . 2%
)riginal Design Goal . . . . . . . 2"
Future Plans . . . . . . . . 2*
2
'ntroduction
!omposite materials are +idel used in industr and engineering processes toda
due to their man applications and advantages. , composite material is de-ined as a
com.ination o- t+o or more materials consisting o- di--erent properties. (his union
essentiall creates a ne+ material +ith properties that are uni/ue -rom the .eginning
components. ,lthough the are 0oined together1 a visi.le separation .et+een the
individual materials is still present.
(he material utili2ed -or this design pro0ect is car.on -i.ers in an epox matrix. It
+ill .e implemented using lamina sheets o- the material. 3hen dealing +ith composites1
the term 4matrix5 is used to descri.e the material that surrounds and .inds together
clusters o- the stronger material +hich1 in this case1 is the epox. (he car.on -i.er is
6no+n as the 4rein-orcement5 material. 3hen examined separatel1 car.on -i.er and
epox are /uite di--erent materials +hen their individual properties are vie+ed. (he
car.on -i.er is made out o- long1 thin sheets o- car.on. It is a chemicall inert rigid
material that is di--icult to stretch and compress. )n the other hand1 epox is a
thermosetting plastic1 or resin1 that is li/uid +hen prepared .ut hardens and .ecomes
rigid 7i.e.1 it cures8 +hen is heated. (he setting process is irreversi.le1 so that it does not
.ecome so-t again under high temperatures. 9pox plastics are good at resisting +ear
and are highl dura.le +hen exposed to extreme environments.
3

(he com.ination o- these t+o materials into a composite has man advantages.
,long +ith holding the -i.ers together1 the matrix is advantageous since it protects the
car.on -i.er -rom damage . sharing an stress incurred in the element. It also provides
-lexi.ilit to the other+ise rigid material +hich aides in shaping and molding.
!omposites are more versatile than metals and can .e tailored to meet per-ormance needs
and complex designs. ,s a +hole1 the composite has a ver high speci-ic strength1 +hich
means it has a ver high strength and lo+ +eight. In man cases1 the composite is lighter
than traditional materials -or certain applications +ith compara.le strength. (he 0oining
o- the materials provides excellent -atigue endurance concerning the num.er o- load
ccles and residual -atigue strength that is man times higher than that o- metals. In
addition1 the composite has good resistance against1 chemicals1 acids1 +ater1 and varing
elements. (here is ver little corrosion +hich leads to lo+ maintenance costs over long
periods o- time.
(he do+nside o- composites is usuall the cost. ,lthough manu-acturing
processes are o-ten more e--icient +hen composites are used1 the ra+ materials are
expensive. ,lso1 epox resins are more expensive than polester resins and vinl ester
resins1 .ut generall produce stronger more temperature resistant composite parts.
,nother usage concern is regarding the material:s li-e;ccle. Since car.on -i.er
%
rein-orced plastics have an almost in-inite li-etime1 companies need to -ind means in
+hich to reccle the material. (he high amount o- 7o-ten manual8 +or6 re/uired to
manu-acture composites has limited their use in applications +here a high num.er o-
complicated parts is re/uired. !omposites +ill never totall replace traditional materials
li6e steel1 .ut in man cases the are ver use-ul.
!ar.on;epox materials are -inding increased structural uses in areas such as
aerospace1 structural engineering1 automotive1 and sporting goods applications. It excels
at replacing conventional materials in o.0ects ranging -rom space shuttle components1
.ridge rein-orcements1 car .od parts1 and .as6et.all .ac6.oards 0ust to name a -e+.
Furthermore1 as technolog evolves1 ne+ uses +ill .e -ound.

(he primar goal o- this design pro0ect is to use the 6no+ledge gained a.out
composites and their advantages to create a car.on -i.er < epox pressure vessel. (he
materials utili2ed in this pro0ect +ill consist o- car.on < graphite -i.ers acting as
rein-orcement in an epox matrix -ormed in several laers or lamina. (hese materials are
usuall -lexi.le1 and can .e molded into almost an desired shape= in this case the +ill
&
.e molded into a clinder and then .a6ed in a 6iln or high pressure oven until .oth
materials mesh together and .ecome a single hard structure. In order to complete this
goal1 a >%?? .udget +ill .e used to ac/uire all the materials needed -or design.
(eometry and Design constraints
, pressure vessel is a container designed to operate at pressures tpicall over 1&
P.S.I.G. (he design o- a pressure vessel is entirel reliant upon mechanics o- materials.
Prediction o- the ultimate strength o- a designed vessel is done using various -ailure
theories. 3hen .uilding a pressure vessel out o- composite materials1 some the theories
emploed to optimi2e strength and predict -ailure are the (sia @ Aill energ;.ased
interaction theor1 and maximum stress and strain theor. (he -orces at applied in the
di--erent directions o- the pressure vessel are directl related to the magnitude o- the
pressure and are given .elo+.
(he stress in the circum-erential or hoop direction is given . e/uation 1.
./0 1oop $tress2
(he stress acting in the axial direction is given . e/uation 2.
.,0 A-ial $tress2
(he stress acting on the hemispherical ends is given . e/uation 3.
.30 1emispherical Ends2
"
3hen comparing the stresses at each location1 it is clear -rom the a.ove e/uations that the
hoop stress is t+ice as much as the stress in the hemispherical ends and axial direction.
(his is a .ig consideration +hen constructing the design and geometr o- pressure vessel.
(he geometr o- the pressure vessel is also a ver important parameter. For
practicalit issues a conventional pressure vessel shape is ideal. , pressure vessel used
-or nitrous oxide is sho+n in -igure 1 .elo+. (his design is e--ective -or conserving
space and is moderatel strong. Bnli6e the pressure vessels in -igure 11 the designed
vessel +ill not have an sharp geometr. I- strength is the sole concern1 the ideal
geometr +ould .e a sphere. (his +ould virtuall eliminate stress .eing concentrated in
one area1 such as +hat occurs +ith sharp geometr. In order to compromise .et+een
strength and si2e practicalit1 the designed pressure vessel emplos a clindrical .od
+ith curved end caps. (he curved end caps provide a smooth transition minimi2ing stress
concentrations.
Due to the potential health ha2ard involved +ith high pressure vessels1 sa-et is a
ver important design consideration. I- crac6ing occurs +hile the pressure vessel is in
service .lasting e--ects can occur due to the sudden e--ects o- the expanding gas. (here
*
Fig 1
can also .e -ragmentation damage and in0ur i- the vessel completel ruptures. I- lea6age
occurs the results can also .e severe. Depending on +hat is contained in the pressure
vessel poisoning or su--ocation can occur. In order to reduce chances o- these ha2ards a
sa-et -actor o- at least t+o is tpicall emploed. Industrial pressure vessels are used in
the Bnited States are usuall .uilt to one o- t+o pressure vessel design codes. (he -irst
.eing the ,S#9 7,merican Societ o- #echanical 9ngineers81 the second is the ,PI
Standard "2?1 or the ,merican Petroleum Institute code. (his provides guidelines -or
lo+er pressure vessels that are not covered . the ,S#9 code.
Pressure vessels used in industr are tpicall constructed o- metals due to their
high strength and ease o- machining. #etals can .e -ormed into virtuall an shape1
ma6ing it possi.le to construct the most e--ective geometries.
)omposite Material Design
)n normal isotropic materials1 it is su--icient to descri.e their mechanical properties
using 0ust t+o engineering constants. Bsuall the Coung:s #odulus and the Poisson:s
ratio. Ao+ever1 on anisotropic materials1 much more is re/uired to -ull descri.e the
material:s .ehavior. ,n anisotropic material is a material that its properties at a speci-ied
point var +ith direction or depend on the orientation o- re-erence axes. For example the
material:s Coung:s #odulus in the x;direction might not .e the same than in the ;
direction. For this reason the engineering mechanics o- composite materials are a lot
more complex to stud than isotropic materials and most o- the isotropic e/uations do not
appl to composite materials and must .e modi-ied to stud such .ehavior.
$
In order to -ull descri.e anisotropic materials1 more engineering constants are
re/uired. In the case o- thin lamina +here it is assumed to .e under a state o- 2;
dimensional plane stress1 the engineering constants 911 921 G12 and D12 are necessar to
descri.e the composite material:s properties. 91 and 92 represent the Coung:s #odulus in
the 1;direction and 2;direction respectivel1 G12 represents the shear modulus in the 1;2
plane and D12 represents the Poisson:s ratio -rom 1;2. , unidirectional lamina
representation is sho+n in the -ollo+ing -igure. ,ll o- the properties descri.ed a.ove
hold true in their respective direction1 -or example1 91 is onl applica.le in the 1;direction
or along the direction o- the -i.ers. Some numerical manipulation must .e per-ormed in
order to relate the properties to the corresponding x or axis.
Follo+ing there are the .asic e/uations that are used in the design o- process o-
composite materials.
I- +e de-ine a matrix ( as E
(hen the -ollo+ing e/uations can .e used to relate the mechanical properties and the
stress and strain relations +ith their respective axisE
'

s
x
s
y
t
s

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xx
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3
x
3
y
g
s

3
x
3
y
g
s

S
xx
S
xy
S
xs
S
yx
S
yy
S
ys
S
sx
S
s
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ss

s
x
s
y
t
s

3hereE

S
xx
S
xy
S
xs
S
yx
S
yy
S
ys
S
sx
S
s
S
ss

F inv

Q
xx
Q
xy
Q
xs
Q
yx
Q
yy
Q
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Q
sx
Q
s
Q
ss

m F cos 7 q8 and n F sin7 q8

Q
xx
F m
%
Q
11
C n
%
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22
C 2 m
2
n
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Q
12
C % m
2
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%
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C m
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22
C 2 m
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C % m
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F m
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11
C m
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22
C
0
m
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K % m
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Q
66

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7 m
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8 Q
66

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C mn
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C 2mn7 m
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8 Q
66

Q
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F m
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K m
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,nd
Q
11
F
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1 K y
12
y
21


Q
22
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1 K y
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21

Q
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E
1
1K y
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Q
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F G
12

,lsoE
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xx
F m
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C n
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C 2 m
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C % m
2
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8 S
66

S
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C mn
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C 2mn7 m
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66

S
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F m
2
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K m
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C 7 m
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S
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S
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11
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S
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F
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12

3ith these e/uations it is no+ possi.le to stud the mechanics o- composite
materials using traditional1 isotropic material e/uations. In pressure vessel design1 it is
important to -ind the optimal angle o- -i.er orientation that +ill reduce the stress along
the principal axes 711 28. (his can .e achieved +ith some manipulation o- the e/uations
a.ove.
(he maximum stress must never .ecome e/ual or greater than the -ailure stress o-
the material in its respective axis. In order to ensure sa-et so that +e are a.le to test the
pressure vessel1 three di--erent strength theories +ere emploed in this design to ma6e
certain that this condition does not occur. ,-ter relating the pressure inside the vessel +ith
the stress and strain acting on the lamina1 the value -or the stress is compared to the
maximum stress allo+a.le .e-ore the material -ails. (his stress is denoted the Bltimate
stress or the Failure stress.
(he -irst strength theor used in the design +as the #aximum Stress theor. (his
theor .asicall ensures that the stress in either the 1 or 2 direction +ill never exceed the
Failure Stress in its respective direction. (his theor is expressed in the simple -ollo+ing
e/uationE
(he design +ill -ail i-E
s
1
R F
1
or s
2
R F
2
or t
"
R F
12
(his e/uation is ver use-ul and simple to emplo in the design. (he next
e/uation used ensures that the maximum strain +ill not .e reach the ultimate strain. (his
theor is called the #aximum Strain (heor is expressed in the -ollo+ing e/uations.
(he design +ill -ail i-E
s
1
K y
12
s
2
R F
1
or s
2
K y
21
s
1
R F
2
or r t
"
r R F
(hese e/uations are ver simple and in most cases +or6 ver +ell= ho+ever1 the
does not ta6e into account the interaction .et+een these stresses and the strains acting
together in the design. For that reason1 the 9nerg Gased Interaction (heor 7(sai;Aill8 is
used.
(he design +ill -ail i-E
s
1
2
F
1
2

C
s
2
2
F
2
2
C
t
"
2
F
6
2
K
s
1
s
2
F
1
2
R 1
13
It is then +ith the application o- these three di--erent strength theories that +e are
a.le to ensure that the design .eing developed is sa-e and should provide us +ith the
con-idence that it +ill per-orm as re/uired.
Design *ptions
(he preliminar designs -or the pressure vessel to .e constructed -rom the car.on
-i.er epox material +ere narro+ed do+n to the -ive that sho+ed the most potential.
)ne o- the -irst proposed designs +as to construct the pressure vessel in one piece
+ith no end caps. (he .ene-it o- this design +ould .e higher strength due to its single
piece construction. Ao+ever1 the manu-acturing process o- this design has practicalit
issues. In order to get the correct shape a mould +ould have to .e constructed. (he
lamina sheets +ould then .e +rapped around the mold and .a6ed. (here-ore1 the
pro.lem +ith this design is removing the mold -rom the -inished product.
(he -inal design a previous group used consisted o- a clindrical tu.e -or the
vessel .od and plastic end caps. Due to the end caps .eing made out o- plastic the
+ere much +ea6er then the car.on -i.er epox .od. (he result o- using the plastic end
caps is that +hen pressure is su--icientl high the crac6. ,lso1 since these end caps are
glued on1 -ailure occurs since the strength is +ea6er at these points. (he -inal design
chosen . this group is there-ore to construct a clindrical .od1 as +ell as end caps out
o- the car.on -i.er epox material. (he di--icult results in designing the end caps. (he
strongest design is a circular one1 +hich is di--icult +hen +or6ing +ith lamina sheets.
(he lamina sheets resem.le a sti-- -a.ric1 and -orming them into a curved sur-ace +ould
.e di--icult. (he -inal design -or these end caps is there-ore to use thin strips o- the
1%
material overlapping each other and angled o--set -rom each other. (he result is expected
to resem.le the -igure .elo+.
)nce there end caps are made1 the are then attached to the main clindrical .od.
(he clindrical .od is the easiest to produce during the manu-acturing process1 since the
thin composite sheets1 .eing the shape o- paper1 are eas to mold into a clinder. In this
pro0ect1 and -inal design1 +e +ill .e using " laers o- the composites. (his +ill come into
pla +hen -inding the correct -i.er orientation .et+een lamina1 since +hen trans-orming
the stresses in the x and axes to the 1 and 2 axes li6e in the a.ove -igures1 must .e done
-or each laer.
Unidirectional )ar4on 5i4er )loth
Bnidirectional !ar.on -i.er cloth +ill .e purchased -rom Hamesto+n Distri.utors in
Rhode Island. It is sold . the ard and the ma0orit to .e purchased +ill have a +idth o-
12.&::. )ne ard o- &? inch +idth cloth +ill also .e purchased to allo+ ?
o
@ '?
o
1&
orientation o- laers at the end caps. It is estimated that to construct one vessel +ith the
planned dimensions six ards o- cloth +ill .e necessar. (+o vessels +ill .e constructed
and in order to ensure ample suppl o- car.on cloth 1% ards o- the 12.& inch +idth cloth
+ill .e purchased.
%alve )onnection
In order to ma6e the connection .et+een the valve and the pressure vessel1 a valve
connector +ill .e machined out o- car.on steel. (he car.on -i.er cloth +ill .e +rapped
around this part during the construction procedure. (he valve connector is sho+n in
-igure 1.
5igure /0 %alve )onnector
(he valve connector +ill have a large radius o- .&::1 a small radius o- .2&::1 an
inner diameter o- .312::1 and a length o- 2.&::. (his part +ill .e machined -rom 1?1$
car.on steel starting -rom rods +ith a 2:: diameter and 3:: length. It +ill .e purchased
-rom #c#aster.
%A&%E
1"
(he valve +ill also .e purchased -rom #c#aster. (he one selected is a high pressure
needle valve +ith a .&II pipe1 2.*&:: length and ori-ice diameter o- .312::. (he selected
valve is rated -or pressures o- up to 1???? Psi. , picture o- the valve is sho+n in -igure
2.
5igure ,0 1igh Pressure Needle %alve0
EP*67
,s is sho+n later in the construction procedure o- this report1 the -irst laer o-
car.on -i.er cloth +ill .e cured +ith epox. (his +ill create an impermea.le laer +hich
+ill allo+ testing +ith +ater i- necessar. )ne /uart o- 3est Sstem 1?& epox resin
+ill .e used as +ell as .%% pints o- 2?" 3est Sstem hardener. (he hardener +ill allo+
curing at room temperature. (o ensure the correct mixing ratios are used a mini pump set
made to dispense the correct ratios o- hardener and epox +ill also .e purchased.
(E*P*&7MER RE$'N
,side -rom the -irst laer1 all laers o- car.on -i.er cloth +ill .e cured +ith
Geopolmer resin. Bnli6e the epox1 Geopolmer is an inorganic polmer matrix that is
resistant to temperatures o- up to 1???
o
!. It consists o- an ,lumina Silicate solution and
1*
can .e cured at room temperature. )rganic polmer resins such as the epox to .e used
-or the -irst laer so-ten and ignite at temperatures .et+een 2??
o
! and "??
o
!. Ao+ever1
+hen compared to the epox1 the Geopolmer is +ater permea.le and has poor strain
compensation. (his is +h the -irst laer +ill .e cured +ith epox.
+*+A& )*$+ AND MA+ER'A&$
Jamestown Distributors
Component Price
Amount
Needed Subtotal
Carbon Fiber Cloth 12.5 inch wide (cost!ard" #11.$1 1%.$$ #15%.1%
Carbon Fiber Cloth 5$ inch wide (cost!ard" #2&.2' 1.$$ #2&.2'
1 (t. )est S!stem 1$5 *po+! ,esin #2-..$ 1.$$ #2-..$
.%% Pint )est S!stem 2$& ,esin #1'.-$ 1.$$ #1'.-$
*po+! ,esin and /ardener 0ini Pump Set #1$.'5 1.$$ #1$.'5
0c0aster
Carbon Steel ,ods 211 diameter '11 len2th #..35 5.$$ #%'.35
.511 pipe4 2.3511 len2th /i2h Pressure Needle 5al6e #%&.'5 2.$$ #-2.3$
Ci6il *n2ineerin2 Department
7eopol!mer ,esin #$.$$
Cla! #$.$$ 8otal #'3$..3
+a4le /0 Materials and costs
PRE$$URE %E$$E& D'MEN$'*N$
(he pressure vessel +ill .e constructed around a cla mold +ith the -ollo+ing
dimensions. It +ill have a clindrical .od +hich is six inches in diameter and $ inches
long. It +ill have spherical end caps +ith three inch radii1 +hich +ill ma6e the entire
mold 1% inches long. !ar.on -i.er cloth +ith a thic6ness o- .?2* and .?33 inches +ill .e
used1 ma6ing the minimum thic6ness o- the vessel .1"2 inches. )verlapping o- the cloth
at the end caps +ill add an additional 1.%% inches to each end. (his +ill ma6e the total
length o- the vessel 1".$$ inches. Figure 3 .elo+ sho+s the dimension o- the mold
+hich the vessel +ill .e constructed around.
1$

5igure 30 Mold dimensions

)*N$+RU)+'*N PR*)E$$
(he -irst step in the construction process +ill .e to construct a cla mold. , valve
connector +ill then .e placed on the cla mold in the center o- each spherical end cap.
)nce this is done the car.on -i.er cloth +hich +ill .e used is sold +ith a +idth o- 12.&
inches and &? inches +ill .e cut into strips that are $ and 1.& inches +ide. (he cloth +ill
.e coated +ith epox and
+rapped around the mold
length +ise1 passing over
each valve connector and
1'
completing one laer. (he -irst +ill .e done +ith epox to create a +ater impermea.le
laer1 +hich +ill allo+ more testing options and ma6e it possi.le to use cla +hen
dissolving the mold. (his is sho+n in -igure % .elo+.
5igure #0 stage / of construction se8uence 0
(he second laer +ill consist o- t+o stages1 the -irst .eing to
+rap an $ inch +idth cloth
around onl the clindrical
.od. From this stage
-or+ard all the car.on -i.er
strips +ill .e +etted +ith
Geopolmer resin. (his
stage is sho+n in -igure 3
.elo+.
2?
5igure 3, stage , of construction se8uence
stage , 9(eopolymer Resin:0
J(he second stage +ill .e to +rap 1.& inch +ide strips +etted +ith Geopolmer resin
around the end caps and 2 inches o- the clindrical .od. (he strips +ill extend 2 inches
into the clindrical .od to strengthen the inter-ace .et+een the clindrical .od and the
end caps. (his is sho+n in -igure % .elo+.
5igure #, stage 3 of
construction se8uence0
21
9ach time this construction se/uence is completed 2 laers o- the car.on -i.er are added
to the vessel. ,lthough the construction se/uence sho+n a.ove has a valve connector at
onl one end1 one +ill .uilt into .oth ends. (his +ill allo+ the installation o- 2 valves1
giving .etter circulation +hen removing the cla. (he cla mold +ill also .e constructed
around a /uarter inch diameter rod protruding through each valve connector. 3hen the
-irst laer1 +hich +ill .e +ater impermea.le1 is complete the rod +ill .e removed and
+ater +ill .e circulated through the vessel via the valve connectors at each end. (he
+ater +ill dissolve the cla and leave the -irst laer. (he second and third stages o- the
construction se/uence +ill then .e completed creating a total o- 2 laers. (he
construction se/uence +ill then .e repeated using onl Geopolmer resin -or the
remaining % laers.
Design )hanges
(he -irst design change +as the construction o- the mold. Instead o- using cla as
+as proposed earlier the mold +as constructed using .ro+n sugar. (he .ro+n sugar +as
placed in a container +ith the desired shape and allo+ed to harden. (he design change
+as made in order to ensure eas removal o- the mold once the -irst laer o- car.on @
-i.er epox +as completed. 3hen compared to cla the .ro+n sugar dissolve much
easier in +ater and +as ver hard +hen dr1 ma6ing it eas to +rap the car.on @ -i.er
strips around.
(he second design change +as the valve connector. Instead o- machining the
+hole component -rom one piece o- car.on steel1 a tapered .& inch diameter1 3 inch long
plum.ing nipple1 7dou.le threaded short pipe81 +as used. , circular dis6 +ith a 1.% inch
diameter +as machined -rom the car.on steel1 and threaded to -it the plum.ing nipple.
22
(o ensure strength the dis6 +as +elded to the nipple. Figure & sho+s the completed
valve connector.
5igure "0 !ompleted valve connector.
(he third design change +as the construction process. Instead o- +etting the -irst
laer o- car.on @ -i.er cloth +ith epox and the remaining & laers +ith Geopolmer
resin1 all six laers +ere +etted +ith epox. (he -inal laer +as +etted +ith epox onl
on the side in contact +ith the mold and then painted +ith a Geopolmer @ Glass<!ar.on
Fi.er mixture. (his change +as made to increase the strength o- the vessel. Since the
Geopolmer adds no tensile strength to the car.on -i.er and is ver .rittle crac6ing +ould
occur. (he epox +as used to ensure added tensile strength and .etter strain capa.ilities.
Instead o- using the needle valve mentioned a.ove1 a .all valve +as used. (he
.all valve is rated -or &?? psi as opposed to 1?1??? +hen compared to the needle valve.
(his change +as made .ecause the needle valve +as ver di--icult to +or6 +ith.
)*MP&E+ED %E$$E&
Figures " and * sho+ the completed pressure vessel .e-ore the Geopolmer +as added to
the last laer. Figure $ sho+s the pressure vessel painted +ith the Geopolmer resin.
23
5igure ;
5igure <
2%
5igure !
+E$+'N(
(he testing +as done to 1?? psi +ith air using an air compressor. (he pressure vessel
+as put under a +heel .arro+1 +hich +as +eighed do+n +ith cinder .loc6s. (he
pressure vessel +as tested at a distance o- 2& -eet -rom the compressor. Figures ' and 1?
sho+ the compressor and testing setup.
2&
5igure =
5igure /
(he pressure vessel +as examined -or lea6ing at 2? psi. #inor lea6ing did occur .ut it
did not e--ect the per-ormance at the pressures tested. (he pressure +as then increased to
2"
*? psi1 -ollo+ed . 1?? psi. (he pressure +as held and no -ailures occurred aside -rom
the slight lea6 some+here on the clindrical .od. (hese results sho+ that it is ver
di--icult to hand construct a clindrical pressure vessel +ith spherical end caps using
car.on -i.er cloth. ,lthough all laers overlapped there +as still a lea6 possi.l due to
misalignment o- strips or not enough epox. (he geo;polmer did not stic6 +ell to the
*riginal Design (oal
)ur original design goal +as to create a pressure vessel comprised o- car.on -i.er< epox
matrix material. 3e +ere to use the -i.ers oriented at ? and '? degrees -or a total o- six
laers. )ur end result +as constructed completel o- car.on -i.er epox. )ur design +as
the -irst design to include car.on -i.er epox end caps. Previous groups used PK! piping
end caps1 attaching them +ith epox. (hese groups -ound that -ailure al+as occurred
+here the caps +ere attached1 -orcing us to -ind a .etter and stronger design. (he design
+e used +as to have spherical end caps made -rom car.on -i.er strips oriented o--set
-rom each other. (his a-ter testing +as -ound to .e ver strong1 causing no -ailure at the
ends1 solving the design -ailures o- the other groups. Ao+ever +ith this pro.lem solved1
another one arose in our testing. 3hile testing a lea6 occurred some+here along the
clindrical .od1 sho+ing that our design ma have .een good1 ho+ever our construction
ma have had a -la+. Since this vessel +as .uilt . hand1 there is going to .e some sort
o- human error associated1 especiall this .eing our -irst manu-acturing process.
Ao+ever1 +ith this mind +e still completed our original design goal and improved on last
ears.
2*
5uture Plans
(he most important thing that +ould .e solved in -uture +or6 +ould .e the
manu-acturing process. )ther procedures instead o- manual construction could .e used1
li6e -ilament -inding1 to create a more precise and overall .etter -inal product. ,lso -or
-uture re-erence1 it +ould .e .ene-icial to create more than one vessel so the
manu-acturing process +ould .e smoother and each successive vessel +ill .e an
improvement on the previous one. I- more precise manu-acturing processes couldn:t .e
emploed1 some improvements to the current manu-acturing process could .e
incorporated into the design to enhance the overall /ualit o- the -inal product. For
9xample1 during the process1 +e learned that using di--erent techni/ues -or the car.on
-i.er la;up +ould have .een more e--icient. (he resin used had a relativel -ast dring
time so the team had a ver short amount o- time to la up a laer o- car.on -i.er. 3ith
practice1 +e learned that it +as .etter to +or6 +ith small .atches o- 9pox at a time and
consecutivel ma6e more as the la;up process goes along. ,lso1 all o- the laers should
.e laid up consecutivel right a-ter the other one1 this ensures that an irregularit on the
sur-ace could .e covered up . the next laer and thus resulting in a much smoother and
uni-orm pressure vessel. ,nother thing that could have .een emploed +as the use o- a
Kacuum .ag. (his +ould have ensured that the space .et+een laers +ould have .een
dra+n out1 greatl enhancing the strength1 uni-ormit and /ualit o- the pressure vessel.
(he last important point that the team learned in the manu-acturing process +as that o-
Geopolmer resin is not suita.le -or use in a pressure vessel. Since the resin does not
have an strain capacit1 it crac6s easil. Some component +ould have to .e added to the
2$
Geopolmer resin to increase its strain capacit in order to .e considered suita.le in
pressure vessels.
2'