Cryogenic structures
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsMichael T. Callaghan, William K. Schrader, Robert E. Duckert
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Abstract
The invention provides cryogenic structures, e.g. vessels or tanks joined by longerons, which are made of durable plastic composite materials rather than of metal, which vessels can contain cryogenic materials including fuel, without need of a liner or other weighty layers of the prior art. The structures are made of, e.g. a fiber network impregnated with a matrix of thermoset plastics, thermoplastics or a combination thereof. Thus the invention includes a cryogenic vessel of, e.g. 3 tank lobes, made of a composite of plastic reinforced with fibers, which lobes are joined together and supported by woven, cruciform shaped longerons which are also impregnated with plastic, to define a composite support member.
Claims11
A cryogenic structure comprising, a plurality of lobes and at least one flanged longeron connecting said lobes together, said longeron being woven with fibers in the X and Y directions in at least two substantially continuous overlying layers and having fibers woven in the Z direction relative to the X and Y fibers adjacent thereto, said fibers woven in the Z direction encompassing said at least two substantially continuous overlying layers of fibers in the X and Y directions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.