• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.98-105
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• 2021

This study presented the results of the static load tests conducted to verify the structural robustness of the composite oxidant tank for a space launch vehicle. First, we introduced the test equipment used in the static load test of the composite oxidant tank, and then described the test requirements that the composite oxidant tank must satisfy. In addition, we presented a test set-up diagram consisting of the static load test fixture, hydraulic pressure, control equipment, and data acquisition equipment, and the load profile of the static load test of the composite oxidant tank consisting of shear, equivalent compression, bending, and combination tests. As a result of load control, we verified the reliability of this test by showing the errors between the input load and the feedback load in each channel according to the increase of the test load, and the feedback error between the channel A and channel B of load cell in each load actuator. As a result of the static load test, the load of the actuator was properly controlled within the allowable error range in each test, and we found that the test specimen did not cause damage or buckling that causes significant structural defects in the required load.

• Composites Research
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2023

A linerless composite propellant tank was designed and manufactured by using the carbon fiber-reinforced composite materials which have superior strength-to-weight ratio in order to reduce weight of the tank. In this research, we designed a sub-scale composite propellant tank with a diameter of 800 mm to withstand an MEOP of 1.7 MPa. We manufactured the boss of the tank by using the same composite materials to reduce the thermal expansion difference between the boss and the secondary-bonded composite layers of the barrel in the cryogenic environment. We used the collapsible mandrel to manufacture the tank without any liner. The mandrel was made from epoxy-based composite tooling prepregs to reduce weight of the mandrel. We manufactured the test tanks by laying up the carbon fiber fabric prepregs manually on the mandrel and then applying the autoclave cure process. We performed a proof test, a helium tightness test, a repeated pressurization test, and a burst test in room temperature. The test results demonstrate that the proposed design and manufacture process satisfies all strength requirements as well as an anti-leakage requirement.

• Composites Research
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.309-314
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• 2020

Polymer composites were used to reduce the weight of the spacecraft's cryogenic propellant tank. Since these materials were directional, the permeability performance of the gas permeated or delivered in the stacking direction was an indicator directly related to performance such as tank stability and onboard fuel quantity estimation. In addition, the results of permeation measurements and optical analysis of the surface to verify the effect of the number of cycles exposed to the cryogenic-room temperature environment are included. As a result, the permeability was inversely proportional to the thickness and was proportional to the number of thermal shocks, and it was verified that the permeability performance was suitable for the cryogenic propellant tank material for the space launch vehicle.