Engineering topics
Greene, Nathanael J.
Publications and source records attributed to Greene, Nathanael J..
Composite Pressure Vessel Variability in Geometry and Filament Winding Model
Composite pressure vessels (CPVs) are used in a variety of applications ranging from carbon dioxide canisters for paintball guns to life support and pressurant storage on the International Space Station. With widespread use, it is important to be able to evaluate the effect of variability on structural performance. Data analysis was completed on CPVs to determine the amount of variation that occurs among the same type of CPV, and a filament winding routine was developed to facilitate study of the effect of manufacturing variation on structural response.
Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) Stress Rupture Testing
This paper reports stress rupture testing of Kevlar(TradeMark) composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) at NASA White Sands Test Facility. This 6-year test program was part of the larger effort to predict and extend the lifetime of flight vessels. Tests were performed to characterize control parameters for stress rupture testing, and vessel life was predicted by statistical modeling. One highly instrumented 102-cm (40-in.) diameter Kevlar(TradeMark) COPV was tested to failure (burst) as a single-point model verification. Significant data were generated that will enhance development of improved NDE methods and predictive modeling techniques, and thus better address stress rupture and other composite durability concerns that affect pressure vessel safety, reliability and mission assurance.
ANSI/AIAA S-081A, Pressure Vessel Standards Implementation Guidelines
The stress rupture specification for Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPV) is discussed. The composite shell of the COPV shall be designed to meet the design life considering the time it is under sustained load. A Mechcanical Damage Control Plan (MDCP) shall be created and implemented that assures the COPV will not fail due to mechanical damage due to manufacturing, testing, shipping, installation, or flight. Proven processes and procedures for fabrication and repair shall be used to preclude damage or material degradation during material processing, manufacturing operations, and refurbushment.Selected NDI techniques for the liner and/or boss(es) shall be performed before overwrapping with composite. When visual inspection reveals mechanical damage or defects exceeding manufacturing specification levels (and standard repair procedures), the damaged COPV shall be submitted to a material review board (MRB) for disposition. Every COPV shall be subjected to visual and other non-destructive inspection (NDI), per the inspection plan.
High Pressure Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) Development Tests at Cryogenic Temperatures
Development tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of 2 COPV designs at cryogenic temperatures. This allows for risk reductions for critical components for a Gaseous Helium (GHe) Pressurization Subsystem for an Advanced Propulsion System (APS) which is being proposed for NASA s Constellation project and future exploration missions. It is considered an advanced system since it uses Liquid Methane (LCH4) as the fuel and Liquid Oxygen (LO2) as the oxidizer for the propellant combination mixture. To avoid heating of the propellants to prevent boil-off, the GHe will be stored at subcooled temperatures equivalent to the LO2 temperature. Another advantage of storing GHe at cryogenic temperatures is that more mass of the pressurized GHe can be charged in to a vessel with a smaller volume, hence a smaller COPV, and this creates a significant weight savings versus gases at ambient temperatures. The major challenge of this test plan is to verify that a COPV can safely be used for spacecraft applications to store GHe at a Maximum Operating Pressure (MOP) of 4,500 psig at 140R to 160R (-320 F to -300 F). The COPVs for these tests were provided by ARDE , Inc. who developed a resin system to use at cryogenic conditions and has the capabilities to perform high pressure testing with LN2.