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Analysis of a composite fiber wrapped gas cylinder for deep diving submersibles

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Date Issued:
1986
Title: Analysis of a composite fiber wrapped gas cylinder for deep diving submersibles.
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Name(s): Clark, A. M.
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Article
Date Issued: 1986
Publisher: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Place of Publication: New York, NY
Physical Form: pdf
Extent: 7 p.
Language(s): English
Identifier: FA00007433 (IID)
Note(s): Light weight gas storage bottles developed for the aerospace industry are evaluated for deep ocean submergence service. Each JOHNSON-SEA-LINK classed submersible carries 18 filament-wound aluminum cylinders for storage of breathing and ballast gas. A standard industrial aluminum cylinder is reinforced with a circumfrentially-wrapped fiberglass/epoxy matrix. Upon curing of the composite matrix, the cylinders undergo an auto-frettage process which increases the internal service pressure 1.8 times above that of the bare liner. The resulting pressure vessel is attractive for use on manned submersibles. The cylinders are nearly 60% lighter in air than the steel T-bottles they replace, and actually provide in excess of 15 lbs. of buoyancy in sea water when empty. In order to determine the performance and safety aspects of these vessels when subjected to the extreme external pressure of the submersibles' operating depth, Harbor Branch Foundation has completed an extensive program including fatigue testing, destructive external-pressure crush tests, metalographic analysis, classical structural analysis, and the formulation of a computer model using Finite Element Method (FEM) techniques. The computer model was verified by destructive tests performed both on cylinders which were either "virgin" or had been cyclically loaded with external pressure to simulate the effects of extended submersible service life. Substantiation of numerical and FEM analysis with experimental results enabled determination of the safe working depth for this type of cylinder.
Florida Atlantic University. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute contribution 454
This manuscript is an author version and may be cited as: Clark, A. M. (1986). Analysis of a composite fiber wrapped gas cylinder for deep diving submersibles. In T. McGuinness & H. H. Shih (Eds.), Current practices and new technology in ocean engineering: [symposium] OED-Vol. 11 (pp. 201-206). New York, NY: American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Subject(s): Pressure vessels--Testing
Gas cylinders
Oceanographic submersibles
Johnson-Sea-Link II (Submarine)
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00007433
Host Institution: FAU