Damage Tolerant Design Guidelines for Seamless Carbon Fiber Composite Structures for Pressurized Cylinders

Seamless carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix (CFRP) composites are being investigated in many structural applications with the purpose of withstanding the extreme pressures and maintaining stiffness in mechanical systems. This report focuses on: fabrication of CFRP tubes and end caps, the production of a pressurization system to test standards set by Fiber Reinforced Composite (FRC) Pipe and Fittings for Underground Fire Protection Service [1], developing a library for different damage types for seamless composite pipes, and evaluating pre-existing flaws with flash thermography, carrying out hydrostatic testing, and performing nondestructive testing (NDT) to characterize damage induced on the pipes such as cracking, crazing, and fiber breakage. The tasks outlined will be used to develop design guidelines for different combinations of loading systems.