Fibre Composite Pressure Vessel with Silicone Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure vessels for guided missiles, such as solid fuel combustion chambers, face challenges in withstanding high mechanical and thermal stresses, with prior solutions being either too heavy or limited by low operating temperatures, leading to uncontrolled combustion risks and reduced operational ranges.
Innovation Solution
A pressure vessel design featuring a fibre composite housing with a gas-tight silicone elastomer insulating layer, where the housing is made from high-temperature resistant fibre reinforced plastic and the insulating layer is formed from a peroxide cross-linking silicone elastomer, providing mechanical and thermal resistance while allowing higher operating temperatures and flexibility to prevent air gaps during fuel hardening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal housing is used to withstand high temperatures and mechanical stresses, then the pressure vessel can endure high thermal and mechanical loads, but the weight of the pressure vessel increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure consisting of a metal housing combined with a fibre composite material lining (such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic). This hybrid construction allows the pressure vessel to maintain high strength and thermal resistance from the metal housing while the fibre composite material reduces weight and provides additional thermal protection, thereby resolving the contradiction between strength and weight.
2Weight of moving object
If a fibre composite material housing is used to reduce weight, then the pressure vessel becomes lightweight, but the housing cannot withstand high operating temperatures above 160°C
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure where a fibre composite material housing (such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic) is combined with a metal housing and insulating layers. The fibre composite material provides weight reduction while the metal housing and insulating materials (such as EPDM rubber with incorporated fibres or ceramic coatings) protect against high temperatures, enabling the lightweight housing to withstand operating temperatures exceeding 160°C.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates insulating layers (such as EPDM rubber mats with short fibres or ceramic coatings) on the inner surface of the housing before the fibre composite material is applied. These insulating layers are installed in advance to protect the fibre composite material housing from high temperatures during operation, preventing thermal degradation and enabling safe operation at temperatures above 160°C.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the insulating layer is made from thermosetting epoxide resin system to provide structural integrity, then the housing maintains stability, but the operating temperature is limited to approximately 160°C
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the material composition and thermal properties of the insulating layer by incorporating heat-resistant fibres (such as ceramic fibres or glass fibres) into the EPDM rubber matrix. This changes the thermal parameters of the insulating layer, raising its maximum operating temperature from approximately 160°C to above 200°C, while maintaining structural stability through the fibre reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite insulating layer by combining EPDM rubber with heat-resistant fibres (such as ceramic fibres, glass fibres, or aramid fibres). This composite material maintains the flexibility and sealing properties of the rubber while the incorporated fibres provide high-temperature stability and structural integrity, enabling operation at temperatures above 160°C without sacrificing compositional stability.
4Strength
If a metal housing with insulating layer is used to protect against heat, then the housing is protected from thermal stresses, but the pressure vessel becomes very heavy and operates at low temperatures only
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the heavy metal housing with a lightweight fibre composite material housing (such as carbon fibre reinforced plastic) that is lined with a flexible insulating layer (EPDM rubber with incorporated fibres). This composite construction provides thermal protection comparable to metal housings while significantly reducing weight. The fibre-reinforced rubber insulating layer maintains thermal resistance and protects the housing from thermal stresses without the weight penalty of solid metal construction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables pressure vessels to operate at average temperatures of 200°C and above, increasing the range, speed, and duration of guided missiles by combining high mechanical and thermal resistance with a flexible insulating layer that absorbs thermal expansion and prevents uncontrolled combustion.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible insulating layer that absorbs thermal expansion
Implementation Method 2
the housing is made from high-temperature resistant fibre reinforced plastic
Implementation Method 3
the housing and insulating layer being bonded to each other
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a pressure vessel consisting of a housing and an insulating layer lining the inner surface of the housing. The housing is formed from a fiber composite material which has a high mechanical and thermal resistance and the insulating layer is formed from a gas-tight silicone elastomer, with the housing and the insulating layer being bonded to each other. The invention also relates to a method for the manufacture of such pressure vessels.