Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Dr Roy (Rohintan) S.
Irani, Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd. London, U.K. Gasworld
Conference Wednesday, 4 th December, 2013 Dubai, UAE Gas Package
Solutions (GPS) Ltd 1 Slide 2 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to
Grave Composite Cylinders A.Brief History of Composites B.Role of
Regulations and Standards C.Specifics for Composite Cylinders
D.Future Developments Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 2 Slide 3
Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions
(GPS) Ltd Napoleon Bonaparte 3 Slide 4 Composite Cylinders: From
Birth to Grave Following on from Napoleon.almost a century later:
In 1919 a 6.9 MPa, 150 mm diameter cylinder was developed:- This
was spirally-wound with two layers of high tensile strength steel
wire to prevent sidewall rupture, & The end caps were
longitudinally reinforced with high-tensile rods. A.Brief History
of Composites (2) Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 4 Slide 5
Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave There next followed a
spate of wire-wound designs regrettably yet again for military
applications. During World War II, they were used by airmen as part
of their breathing apparatus. Such is their success that they are
still used for this military application in what is considered to
be a conservative field. Steel wire windings Thin steel plate
cylinder A.Brief History of Composites (3) Gas Package Solutions
(GPS) Ltd 5 Slide 6 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave
Following a number of years of research and development within
NASA, finally commercial applications with hoop-wound composite
cylinders came into being in 1972. Originally these were with an
aluminium alloy liner and glass fibre. There then flowed a
multitude of developments, which included a variety of liners and
fibre combinations. Here we have an example of a seamless steel
liner with an Aramid fibre reinforced composite, known as a Type 2
cylinder. Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd A.Brief History of
Composites (4) 6 Slide 7 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave
Seamless steel or aluminium alloy liner Carbon fibre composite
Glass fibre overwrap for protecting the carbon composite Gas
Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd A.A Brief History of Composites (5) 7
Slide 8 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Computer
controlled wrapping of a Type 3 cylinder with a carbon fibre
composite. Note protective layer of paint, on metallic liner under
the composite. Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd A.Brief History of
Composites (6) 8 Slide 9 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave
Newsflash!!! Technological breakthrough!! Year 2000!!! Gas Package
Solutions (GPS) Ltd A.A Brief History of Composites (7) 9 Slide 10
Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Metallic boss Glass fibre
composite overlay, over a polymer liner Gas Package Solutions (GPS)
Ltd A.Brief History of Composites (8) 10 Critical triple point
junction Slide 11 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Summary
of Types of Composites Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 11 Type 1:
Monolithic cylindersno composite Type 2: Hoop wrapped composite gas
cylinders Type 3: Fully wrapped composite gas cylinders with
load-sharing metal liners Type 4: Fully wrapped composite gas
cylinders with non-load-sharing metallic or non-metallic liners
Type 5: Linerless cylindersonly composite Slide 12 Composite
Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd Some
applications for composites 12 Slide 13 Composite Cylinders: From
Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 13 Stay awake.watch
this space! Slide 14 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave B.
Role of Regulations and Standards Regulations are Mandatory and
must be followed Regulations are essential Safety Requirements
against which the law will be applied BUT Regulations are very
concise and so often they rely on the application of good Standards
which provide the DETAILS. Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 14 Slide
15 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions
(GPS) Ltd ADR - Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road RID -
Transport of Dangerous Goods by Rail ADN - Transport of Dangerous
Goods by Inland Waterways TPED - Transportable Pressure Equipment
Directive PED - Pressure Equipment Directive Principal Regulations
covering Pressurised Containers e.g.in Europe 15 Slide 16 Composite
Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd
Monolithic (seamless) cylinders are manufactured using a Design
Formula e.g. Lam von-Mises. BUT 16 Slide 17 Composite Cylinders:
From Birth to Grave Safety First! Stored Energy : There is a huge
amount of energy stored in a compressed gas cylinder. E.g. In a 200
bar 50 litre cylinder i.e. 10,000 bar litres:- We have energy
equivalent to 0.4 kgs of TNT Or The pressure wave alone can kill a
person 15 metres away Or Enough energy to raise a small car about
30 metres into the air THEREFORE: In a ISO(CD) 17519 receptacle
i.e. the Titan, whose scope is for a 10,000 litre x 1000 bar WP
vessel the stored energy is 10 million bar litres i.e. equivalent
to 4 tons of TNT.much safety needs to built into the design. Gas
Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 17 Slide 18 Composite Cylinders: From
Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 18 Explosion inside
a cellar Slide 19 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas
Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd Explosion of an Oxygen Cylinder Inside
a Cabin 19 Slide 20 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas
Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 20 Slide 21 Composite Cylinders: From
Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd A large suite of
tests developed ..COSTLY!! Cyclic testing (fatigue) Complete
composite cylinder Burst testing Liner only Mechanical testing
(tensile, impact, hardness, bend) Flaw tolerance (to simulate
damage in service) Drop tests Environmental test (up to 2000 hours
in some cases!) Bonfire (subjective!!) Penetration (Gunfire)
(really needed in 21 st Century?) Permeation (Type 4) High temp
creep Accelerated stress rupture Extreme temp pressure cycling
Resin shear strength Natural gas cycling Etc.? C. Specifics for
Composite Cylinders (1) 21 Slide 22 Composite Cylinders: From Birth
to Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd Despite such an exhaustive
and expensive TEST PROGRAMME, There is still little confidence that
a SAFE cylinder is being produced in the minds of COMPETENT
AUTHORITIES who are committed to achieving a safe design. Are these
sufficient and appropriate tests for SAFETY??? Specifics for
Composite Cylinders (2) Slide 23 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to
Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd NET RESULT: The total life of
a composite cylinder is limited e.g. in most cases to just 15
YEARS. But watch this space! This then results in a double blow for
the user!! Specifics for Composite Cylinders (3) 23 Slide 24
Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions
(GPS) Ltd New cylinder costs e.g. Type 3, 300 bar WP and 100 litre
2000 130/annum c.f. Type 1, 300 bar WP and 100 litre 240 6/annum
BUT Type 1: Technical efficiency # 0.9kg/L Type 3: Technical
efficiency # 0.3kg/L # Unit weight of cylinder/volume 24 Slide 25
Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions
(GPS) Ltd Lack of confidence in performance is also reflected in
the use aspects of composites e.g. P. I. & T. EN ISO 11623
(2002) Lacks any real test for degradation of composites Despite a
revision in progress after nearly a decade, very little innovative
progress for vast majority of composites Some expensive testing
e.g. AE testing being developed for Prestige Projects. 25 Slide 26
Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave The Grave! Gas Package
Solutions (GPS) Ltd 26 The cylinder shall be made unserviceable by:
Removing all labels and identification marks, Removal of the valve
and other accessories for reuse or recovery, Either crushing the
cylinder as flat as possible, or cutting irregular holes in the
neck and base. In addition see the guidance in EN ISO 11623
Transportable gas cylinders - Periodic inspection and testing of
composite gas cylinders. Slide 27 Composite Cylinders: From Birth
to Grave The Grave! (2) Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 27 Where
technically and economically feasible, separate materials for
recycling/recovery e.g. cut up/separate different materials by
shredding or crushing. Depending on the metal content and the
acceptance criteria for the metallic waste on the waste site
licence it may be possible to directly recycle the cylinder with
metal wastes (without separation of materials). If neither of above
methods is technically or economically feasible then the cylinders
should be segregated and sent to a suitable landfill. Slide 28
Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions
(GPS) Ltd D. Future developments 1)Develop pragmatic, realistic
manufacturing tests and not those which might be useful e.g. delete
the Gunfire/Penetration test. 2)Provide hard data to Competent
Authorities and not hearsay e.g. stress rupture characteristics of
various types of fibres. 3)More objectivity e.g. a more
reproducible bonfire test than the current one. 4)Minimise
permeation of gas (especially flammable ones) from Type 4
cylinders. 5)Develop an affordable test for evaluating degradation
of the composite. 6)Undertake a risk analysis with due regard to
the local population. 7)All of the above factors 1) -> 6) will
help composites to achieve a non-limited life. Thus ensuring that
composites compete COMMERCIALLY on a more equal footing with Type 1
cylinders, than they do today. 28 Slide 29 Composite Cylinders:
From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 29 Slide 30
Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions
(GPS) Ltd 30 Slide 31 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave
Something to think about. Enter the Titan Gas Package Solutions
(GPS) Ltd 31 4 x composite tubes in a 40 ISO container = 1 module
Slide 32 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package
Solutions (GPS) Ltd 32 A Titan on the move Around 300 modules are
now in-use worldwide Slide 33 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to
Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 33 Exacting Bonfire Tests
Critical Rollover. Tubes tested after accident using AE and found
to be perfectly safe for further service. Slide 34 Composite
Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 34
Slide 35 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to Grave Typical leakage
rate from a plastic lined Type 4 due to permeation Gas Package
Solutions (GPS) Ltd Slide 36 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to
Grave Permeation rates permitted by various specifications Gas
Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd Slide 37 Composite Cylinders: From
Birth to GraveStandardisationIsALiving Process. Gas Package
Solutions (GPS) Ltd 37 Slide 38 Composite Cylinders: From Birth to
Grave Gas Package Solutions (GPS) Ltd 38
