Using OBR for pressure monitoring and BVID detection in type IV composite overwrapped pressure vessels

Abstract

Type IV COPVs (Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels) are among the most suited structures for hydrogen storage. However, its complex modes of failure and requirement for periodic maintenance has led the industry to apply high safety factors on designs. This is one of the challenges inhibiting the widespread usage of the H2 in commercial vehicles. Structural health monitoring based on optical fibers is an emerging technology that can overcome these problems, as a neural network of sensors can be integrated to the structure during manufacturing and is readily accessible over the vessel lifetime. This gives information about the real structure condition, reducing overall maintenance costs. Here, core optical fibers were embedded in type IV COPVs during the manufacturing process and monitored with OBR (Optical Backscatter Reflectometer). Sensors were interrogated during an impact detection test and a pressurization test until burst failure. Fibers were capable of detecting the position and intensity of the damage in the first test and provided strain profiles over the entire length of the vessel for longitudinal and circumferential directions on the second. Optical microscopy of vessel sections showed matrix accumulation around the optical fiber as the main cause of sensor’s failure. During pressurization, steep peaks of strain in the dome regions from the early measurements indicated the burst failure site.

Experiment, simulation, optimization design, and damage detection of composite shell of hydrogen storage vessel-A review

“…181 G Souza et al wounded the optical fiber sensors to different layers in the manufacturing process of type IV vessels, and obtained the location and severity of the failure of composite shells by optical backscatter reflector method. 182 However, the optical fiber measurement method is mainly used to obtain the local failure behavior. And whether different failure modes can be distinguished is not mentioned.…”

Mechanical and optical performance evaluations of embedded polyimide and PEEK coated distributed optical sensors in glass fibre reinforced composites with vinyl ester resin systems

“…Further, the in-service internal strains were monitored by embedding DFOSs in a wide variety of composite structures varying from composite panels, pressure vessels, wind turbine blades, and composite sandwich panels in different research studies. [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] Besides the DFOSs, FBG-based OFSs were also embedded into different composite structures for monitoring the curing process and for SHM applications. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41] However, in the above-mentioned studies, the aforementioned fabrication and material aspects associated with the OFs embedment into VRI composite structures were not addressed.…”

Construction of monitoring system for pump, pressure vessel and pressure pipeline based on big data analysis

“…Therefore, the quality of their equipment has an important impact on the safety and stability of applications, the life safety of relevant operators and the effective implementation of process technology 1 . Non-destructive testing technology can find defects in the interior and surface of materials or workpieces, measure the geometric features and dimensions of workpieces, and determine the internal composition, structure, physical properties and state of materials or workpieces 2 . In order to avoid the failure of pressure vessels and pressure pipes, it is need to inspect the equipment regularly.…”