Fabrication of seamless metallic liners for COPV’s

Abstract

An innovative tube forming process is utilized to shape commercial tubes made from a variety of materials and available in many shapes into seamless, real size, metallic liners for composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPV's) that are commonly utilized in aerospace applications. The process makes use of unconventional dies with very sharp edges and recyclable metallic mandrels made from a low melting point alloy that prevent collapse by wrinkling and local instability.