Fiberglass barrels and pressure vessels.

[Ichabod]

Hey guys,
I was wondering if anyone here has used either filament wound fiberglass tubes or fabric wrapped tubes for barrels or pressure vessels? I am wondering because I do high powered rocketry which involves lots of composites, the main one being fiberglass so I though I could put scraps to good use. Any tips or ideas for this? Also what cad program do you guys use? I use AutoDesk inventor 2015 student edition.

[jrrdw]

That's going to be trial and error no matter what. Too many variables from one batch to the next to be / give a accurate answer. Far as modeling programs go use what ever but there is a library of parts done in Solidworks by Dewey_1.

Welcome to Spudfiles!

[bravootome]

Hey guys,
I was wondering if anyone here has used either filament wound fiberglass tubes or fabric wrapped tubes for barrels or pressure vessels?

I had used once a fiber glass barrel( the fiber was linear ).....it cracked pretty fast...if that's your question.............

[Ichabod]

Hey guys,
I was wondering if anyone here has used either filament wound fiberglass tubes or fabric wrapped tubes for barrels or pressure vessels?

I had used once a fiber glass barrel( the fiber was linear ).....it cracked pretty fast...if that's your question.............

Intersting, how exactly did it crack?

[matti]

I think there are two main types of fiberglass pipes, one is the cheap one that is used in camping tent pipes and sport equipment like floorball sticks and others.. those are propably done mostly the fibers being linear, for good bending strength.
Then there is the industrial type fiberglass pipes that are meant to be used for piping that has pressure. They are mostly cross laminated for good pressure strength.. and I think this is the only suitable one for pressure use.

[bravootome]

It just cracked even i reinforced it with an outlet barrel.....any how that was the most accurate barrel i ever had, even so cracked , it was shooting in the same hole steel bb by 20 yards. The fiber barrel was a pipe used in aeromodelism .

[mako]

Odd. I would have thought reinforced fiberglass would make a really good barrel. That stuff is remarkably strong, especially as regards bursting. If your barrel cracked, bravootome, my guess is the fiberglass was laminated length-wise, rather than across, like matti suggested.

Ichabod, if you don't mind my asking, is having the stuff lying around the only reason you want to use it? I think you could pull it off and have a good, lightweight, strong barrel, but it might be way too much effort. If you have pipes that are already made, that would work, but if you were going to try to make your own, getting them perfectly smooth would be tough.

[Gippeto]

. Any tips or ideas for this?

They have this stuff called "seamless tubing"...most often made of "metal"....my favorites are 1026, 4130 or 2024...it tends to have known mechanical properties, and one can actually calculate where it will fail...I like it!

Also what cad program do you guys use? I use AutoDesk inventor 2015 student edition.

I use napkin cad, CAD (cardboard aided design) and on occasion, Autocad. I don't do any 3d stuff, just construction drawings to print out and take out to the shop.