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Computational Models For The Stress Analysis of Metal Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels - Andrey Burov2016
Computational Models For The Stress Analysis of Metal Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels - Andrey Burov2016
pressure vessels
Andrey Burov
Abstract. Due to their high weight efficiency, filament wound composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) are
widely used in aerospace and satellite structures. However, there are certain difficulties in design and analyzing the
structural behavior of COPVs, which require improved computational models. The aim of this study is to compare
models developed for finite element analysis of a COPV subjected to internal pressure. Factors the models should take
into account to ensure adequate representation of the structural features are formulated. Custom procedures integrated
into a commercial package are used to generate 3D and axisymmetric models. The results of the stress analysis of a
pressure vessel with a thin titanium liner overwrapped by a carbon/epoxy composite obtained with different
computational models are compared.
INTRODUCTION
Composite overwrapped pressure vessels manufactured by filament winding are widely used in aerospace and
satellite structures, where weight efficiency is of prime importance. In such applications, COPVs offer significant
advantages over conventional all-metallic pressure vessels due to high specific strength and moduli of composites
[1]. However, there are certain difficulties in design and the analysis of the structural behavior of a COPV associated
with the anisotropic properties of fibrous composites, complicated ply lay-up and a variety of possible limit states of
its constituents [2]. This requires the development of computational models reflecting all significant geometric and
deformation characteristics of composites vessels. Universal commercial finite element codes, such as ANSYS,
ABAQUS or NASTRAN, have no standard capabilities sufficient to build a computer model of COPV structures
that can adequately predict the stress-strain state. These limitations can be overcome by integrating into a
commercial software user's macros and procedures that implement the required features.
Several factors that mainly influence the structural behavior have to be considered when building a
computational model for analysis of a COPV:
x ply stacking sequence, composite thickness distribution, winding path and the corresponding fiber
orientation with respect to the meridian are interdependent and cannot be selected arbitrarily;
x fiber winding angle changes along the shell meridian, as well as through the thickness direction, due to the
fact that it is determined not by the liner geometry, but the surface on which a fiber tape is currently wound;
x the actual location of the tape in the vicinity of the pole opening is significantly different from the
theoretical trajectory, which requires adjustment based on the tape geometry and the winding parameters;
x the composite shell is a multilayer structure wherein each layer is an orthotropic composite material;
x the composite shell may be formed by winding several families of tapes (multizone winding), each of them
being characterized by individual properties;
x even if the contribution of the liner to the overall load-bearing capacity can be small, its modeling is
required, as the vessel performance is often determined by the integrity of the liner;
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x the liner itself is a complex structure composed of a number of elements, and it must therefore be modeled
in detail sufficient to represent its structural features;
x there is a contact interaction between the liner and the composite shell at their interface.
Also, the model should have a capability to describe parametrically the input data and to be integrated into
computer-aided engineering software.
The aim of this study is to compare computational models developed for the finite element analysis of COPVs
subjected to internal pressure. Original procedures coded with a parametric design language are used within the
ANSYS commercial package [3].
t R R 1 ( r0 / R) ª 1 r0 r wº
tr « cos cos 1 0 for r0 2w d r d R (1)
w ¬ r r »¼
tr A0 A1r A2r 2 A3r for r0 d r d r0 2w ,
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where tR is the thickness at the radius of the shell equator R, w is the tape width, r0 is the pole opening radius, Ai
denotes coefficients of a polynomial function approximating the thickness distribution.
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
FIGURE 1. A composite pressure vessel with a metallic liner: calculation scheme (a), solid finite element model (b), shell finite
element model, axisymmetric model (d)
The winding angle for both geodesic and non-geodesic fiber trajectories can be expressed as [5]
where φ is the angle between the tape and the shell meridian, k is the slippage coefficient, r and y are the radial and
axial coordinates of the shell, respectively.
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axisymmetric segment of the vessel is split into 800 elements along the meridian and 30 elements in the
circumference direction.
For a ±Mangle-ply laminate shell of revolution loaded with uniform pressure (Fig. 1a), the stresses V1 and V2
acting in the principal directions of the orthotropic tape can be determined as [1]
1 ªV D V E º
V1 « (V D V E )(1 g 2 )»
2(1 g1 g 2 ) ¬ cos 2M ¼
(3)
1 ª VD V E º
V2 « (V D V E )(1 g1 )»
2(1 g1 g 2 ) ¬ cos 2M ¼ ,
(a) (b)
FIGURE 2. The principal stress distributions: at the middle surface of the composite overwrap calculated by different
models (a), at the inner and outer layers calculated by the 3D solid model (b)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The work was supported by the state on behalf of the Ministry of Education of Russia, under the Federal Target
Program entitled Research and Development on Priority Directions of the Scientific and Technological Complex of
Russia for 2014-2020, RFMEFI60714X0038.
REFERENCES
1. V. V. Vasiliev, Composite Pressure Vessels: Analysis, Design, and Manufacturing (Ridge Publishing,
Blacksburg, VA, 2009).
2. A. M. Lepikhin, A. E. Burov and V. V. Moskvichev, J. Mach. Manufact. Reliab. 44, 344–349 (2015).
3. ANSYS Academic Research, Release 14.5, Help System. ANSYS, Inc.
4. R. Wang, W. Jiao, W. Liu and F. J. Yang, J. Reinf. Plast. Compos. 29, 3345–3352 (2010).
5. L. Zu., S. Koussios and A. Beukers, Compos. Struct. 92, 2307–2313 (2010).
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