Effect of Winding Tension on the Mechanical Properties of Type IV High-Pressure Hydrogen Storage Vessel

Abstract As a promising solution for hydrogen energy storage and transportation, plastic liner composite fully wound high-pressure hydrogen storage vessel (Type IV hydrogen storage vessel) has attracted the interest of many researchers in recent years. The manufacturing process of the type IV hydrogen storage vessel involves many process parameters, among which fiber tension has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the liner and the whole structure. Because of the complex structure of a type IV hydrogen storage vessel, numerical simulation often replaces winding test as an effective means to optimize the design of winding process. In this work, based on the material constitutive behavior of the plastic liner, a high-fidelity finite element model including the angle and thickness of the carbon fiber layup was established for the type IV hydrogen storage vessel with a large length-to-diameter ratio. Considering the relationship between the fiber tension and fiber volume fraction, the influence of increased fiber tension on the residual stress emerging on the liner was analyzed by applying fiber tension through pre-defined stress method. Based on multiple failure modes of fiber-reinforced plastics, the potential effects of the fiber tension on the failure behaviors of carbon fiber and resin matrix were explored. Finally, a theoretical guidance for the winding tension design of type IV hydrogen storage vessel was obtained. These results can provide a reference for the winding design optimization of type IV hydrogen storage vessel and the burst pressure prediction method.