Tube comprising composite layers with different modulii of elasticity

A hollow tube comprising:

• means for transferring or storing water or hydrocarbons under pressure, the means for transferring or storing having an interior surface for contacting the water or hydrocarbons under pressure and an exterior surface separated by a wall thickness with the interior surface being subjected to the pressure of the water or hydrocarbons in a radially outward direction from a center of the means for transferring or storing;
• a plurality of pressure resisting means for resisting the radial outward pressure of the water or hydrocarbons on the means for transferring or storing, each pressure resisting means having an interior surface and an exterior surface separated by a wall thickness, an innermost pressure resisting means having its interior surface in surface contact with the exterior surface of the means for transferring or storing and an exterior pressure resisting means being located farthest from the center of the means for transferring or storing;
• at least one tractive force resisting means for resisting tractive forces applied to the hollow tube along a longitudinal axis of the tube, each tractive force resisting means having an interior surface and an exterior surface separated by a wall thickness with each tractive force resisting means being disposed between a pair of the plurality of pressure resisting means with the interior surface of each tractive force resisting means being in surface contact with an exterior surface of a different one of the plurality of the pressure resisting means and the exterior surface of each of tractive force resisting means being in surface contact with an interior surface of a different one of the pressure resisting means;
• and wherein
• each of the plurality of pressure resisting means comprises a fiber coated with a matrix to form a composite and is wound at an angle greater than 70.degree. with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tube, each of the at least one tractive force resisting means comprises a fiber coated with a matrix to form a composite and is wound with an angle between 0.degree. and 30.degree. with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tube, a circumferential modulus of elasticity of the exterior pressure resisting means is greater than a circumferential modulus of elasticity of internal pressure resisting means and any pressure resisting means disposed between the innermost and the exterior pressure resisting means has a circumferential modulus of elasticity which is between the circumferential modulii of elasticity of the innermost and exterior pressure resisting means and the means for transferring or storing has a circumferential modulus of elasticity which is greater than a circumferential modulus of elasticity of each pressure resisting means which is inside of the exterior pressure resisting means.