Design of Strong and Lightweight Cylindrical Pressure Vessel Using Carbon Fibers and Epoxy Resin

Got you—this is already strong, it just needed a slightly more formal, tightened tone. Here's a cleaner, more polished version that reads less "chatty" but still natural: --- Pressure vessels are critical components used in applications ranging from industrial processing to aerospace structures, where they must safely contain fluids under high pressure. These systems are inherently susceptible to failure due to internal stresses, particularly hoop stress, and inadequate design can result in catastrophic rupture, leading to significant safety and economic consequences. The primary engineering challenge is to design a vessel that achieves both high strength and low weight while maintaining reliability under elevated internal pressures. To address this, a cylindrical pressure vessel with a capacity of up to 2 liters was designed and fabricated to investigate the influence of geometry on structural performance. The vessel was constructed using a hybrid approach that combines additive manufacturing and composite reinforcement: the base structure was 3D printed as two semi-cylindrical halves and subsequently bonded to form a complete shell. Structural strength was enhanced through the application of carbon fiber reinforced with epoxy resin, selected for its high strength-to-weight ratio and its ability to remain within the elastic region under loading, thereby minimizing permanent deformation. The design was guided by the hoop stress relationship, σ = (P·d)/(2t), which relates internal pressure, diameter, and wall thickness to the stresses experienced by the vessel walls; this relationship informed key design decisions, as reducing diameter or increasing wall thickness improves resistance to failure. The final prototype integrates a 3D-printed inner shell, carbon fiber/epoxy reinforcement, and a ball valve system for controlled pressurization. Testing is conducted using water as the pressure medium due to its incompressibility and improved safety compared to compressed air, with internal pressure gradually increased to assess deformation and failure behavior. Preliminary results indicate that reduced diameter and increased wall thickness improve failure resistance, consistent with theoretical predictions, and that carbon fiber reinforcement significantly enhances pressure tolerance. Ongoing testing focuses on determining maximum pressure capacity, identifying failure modes, and validating analytical models. Overall, this work demonstrates how material selection, geometric design, and manufacturing methods can be optimized to improve the safety and efficiency of pressure vessels, with potential applications in aerospace systems, portable pressurized containers, and industrial processes.