Work

Optimisation of a composite pressure vessel dome using non-geodesic tow paths and automated fibre placement manufacturing

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Filament winding lacks the flexibility to produce composite pressure vessels with highly optimised thickness and fibre angles. Automated fibre placement can overcome this limitation using its selective material placement capability. In this work, two dome thickness optimisation strategies are introduced and evaluated for mass reduction and manufacturability. Additionally, fifteen non-geodesic fibre paths were examined using finite element analysis (FEA). The combined thickness and fibre angle optimised domes averaged a 48.94 % improvement in structural efficiency from the baseline. A demonstrator was manufactured, and thickness and fibre angle were measured with average differences of 3.45 % and 1.86 % from the simulations. Finally, hydrostatic pressure testing was performed to validate the FEA.

Source: Composites Part B Engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2024.111906

Authors: Alexander Air, Ebrahim Oromiehie, B. Gangadhara Prusty

Institution: UNSW Sydney

Language: English

Topic: Composite Structure Analysis and Optimization

Subfield: Mechanics of Materials

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,060