1.0 Executive Summary

HyPerComp Engineering, Inc. (HEI) is pleased to present this final report on SBIR contract number NAS8-03027. The stated goal of this Phase I SBIR was to evaluate a number of typical filament wound fibers in a number of typical, as well as, experimental resin matrix systems in order to evaluate their capabilities with respect to filament wound pressure vessels used at cryogenic temperatures. The study first examined the performance of filament wound pressure vessels utilizing the various material systems at ambient conditions and compared the results to those of pressure vessels exposed to a typical aerospace "duty cycle" at cryogenic temperatures.

HEI considers the data gathered from this SBIR to be extremely useful. The results of the testing expanded the overall database of information available concerning cryogenic pressure vessels and demonstrated that all of the material systems performed differently at ambient temperature after being cryogenically tested. Most of the material systems tested degraded in performance at ambient temperatures after having been cryogenically tested. This is exactly the type of "real world data" HEI was seeking with this Phase I SBIR. Knowing what material systems degraded in performance and by how much, is valuable information, but something HEI believes to be even more valuable information is the fact that one material system (T-1000 with the cryogenic experimental resin) showed essentially no degradation and another system (T-1000 prepregged with UF3325-95) demonstrated a significant increase in performance. Also, several of the material systems tested showed improvements in consistency (smaller coefficients of variation), even though their overall performance degraded. This was somewhat of an unexpected result, but a result that offers amazing potential.

It is the position of HyPerComp Engineering that this Phase I SBIR was entirely successful and demonstrates a significant potential improvement in both commercial and aerospace composite pressure vessels for cryogenic applications and ambient applications alike. Typically aerospace designs are extremely weight critical. Reducing the amount of required composite material on an aerospace pressure vessel by improving consistency and overall performance, and subsequently reducing the weight of that pressure vessel, shows tremendous potential in the aerospace industry. The commercial industry is constantly searching for better lighter weight pressure vessels as well. HyPerComp Engineering intends to pursue this development and is submitting a proposal for phase II funding to do so.

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HyPerComp Engineering, Inc.; SBIR NAS8-03027 Final Report