McDonnell Douglas Aerospace-West (MDA-W) has been developing composite cryogenic tank technology for several years. The objective in the beginning was to enable the production of a reliable unlined composite liquid hydrogen tank for the National Aerospace Plane (NASP). More recently, the emphasis at MDA-W has been on Single-Stage-To-Orbit (SSTO) vehicles. Lightweight composite hydrogen tanks are considered essential for both NASP and SSTO. MDA-W has conducted experimental studies in hydrogen permeability of composite material, composite material properties at cryogenic temperatures, structural adhesive properties at cryogenic temperatures, and liquid hydrogen tank design, fabrication and testing. The results of all these activities, which have confirmed the feasibility of unlined composite liquid hydrogen tanks, are reviewed. Also, composite material compatibility with liquid oxygen is being investigated. The promising early results and plans for the next phase of testing are discussed. The applicability of composite tanks to conventional expendable launch vehicles is discussed. In particular, cost studies are reviewed which have revealed the potential of composite structures to reduce launch vehicle cost.
Composite cryogenic propellant tank development
Entwicklung eines Verbundwerkstoff-Behälters für kryogene Treibmittel
1994
8 Seiten, 13 Bilder, 4 Tabellen, 4 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Composite cryogenic propellant tank development
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