Progressive failure modelling of Type IV composite overwrapped pressure vessels for compressed natural gas (CNG) storage
Lucas Leal Agne, José Humberto S. Almeida, Martin Hideki Mensch Maruyama, Diego T. de Souza, Sandro Campos Amico, Maikson Luiz Passaia Tonatto
Abstract
Type IV composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) are widely used for CNG storage. This study improves burst pressure prediction using a progressive damage model that accounts for fibre angle and thickness variations in the dome, key effects from filament winding, often overlooked in conventional models. These variations significantly influence stress and failure behaviour. The proposed composite formulation was first validated against results from commercial software, showing strong agreement in stress, fibre orientation, and thickness predictions. Further verification was conducted by comparing with the GFRP and CFRP actual prototypes. The numerically predicted burst pressures were 29.4 MPa and 27.7 MPa, respectively, closely matching the experimental results (29.39 MPa and 27.04 MPa), with deviations under 2.4 %. These results demonstrate the high accuracy and robustness of the model, supporting its application in the design, optimisation, and safety assessment of high-performance composite pressure vessels.