Effect of fiber orientation and reinforcements on the performance of composite pressure vessel using finite element analysis

Building filament-wound composite composites is challenging in terms of manufacturing and structural integrity. In this work, an attempt was made to determine the effect of different fibers in various orientations in a multilayered composite for use in a filament-wound composite pressure vessel. The selected reinforcement fibers are stacked in different layup sequences, and the working pressure is applied in stages, simulating the end use of a pressure vessel. The epoxy composite pressure vessel was modelled using the commercially available Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software ANSYS®. The composite pressure vessel was analyzed based on its response to a fluctuating load simulating real-life conditions. Different epoxy composites made of Carbon, S-glass and Kevlar™ were compared based on their maximum stress, hoop stress, axial stress, and deformations. The Tsai-Wu failure criterion was used to validate vessel failure. It was found that carbon composites and S-glass composites exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to Kevlar™ in terms of maximum stress and deformation, making them preferred materials for use in pressure vessel applications.