Cryotank Project: Composite And Nanocomposite Materials For Cryogenic Propellant Storage
- Paper number
IAC-07-C2.8.02
- Author
Dr. Luigi Scatteia, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Coauthor
Mr. Felice De Nicola, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Fiorenzo Lenzi, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Year
2007
- Abstract
This paper reports on the latest results of the Cryotank project, led by the Italian Aerospace Research Centre with the objective to study the applicability of polymer based composites to lightweight reusable propellant tanks for liquid oxygen. Different possible architectural solutions for the composite tank were considered, with in mind the filament winding process: a simple composite shell structure; a linered tank with an internal metal liner applied by plasma spray deposition; a nanocomposite-matrix/carbon fiber shell structure with an internal nanofilled polymer liner; a single composite shell structure realized by a step-by-step electron beam curing. The base materials were characterized in their mechanical and thermophysical properties up to cryogenic conditions. The chemical resistance to liquid oxygen was also probed. Scaled demonstrators were realized for each of the aforementioned solution, to be tested with liquid oxygen.
- Abstract document