Advanced technology for minimum weight pressure vessel system

Bosses were made of fiber/resin composite materials to evaluate their potential in lightweight pressure vessels. An approximate 25% weight savings over the standard aluminum boss was achieved without boss failures during burst tests. Polymer liners and metal liners are used in fiber composite pressure vessels for containment of gases. The internal support of these liners required during the filament winding process has previously been provided by dissolvable salt mandrels. An internal pressurization technique has been developed which allows overwinding the liner without other means of support and without collapse. Study was made of several additional concepts including styrene/Saran, styrene/flexible epoxy.