Hydrostatic Pressure Testing of a Square-Cross Section Stainless Steel Propellant Tank Manufactured Using Selective Laser Sintering

<p>The purpose of this study was to determine if parts manufactured using metal selective laser sintering (SLS) exhibit the same isotropic material properties as conventionally made metal parts. This was accomplished by performing a hydrostatic pressure test (HPT) of a metal SLS manufactured propellant tank, constructed for a nano-satellite of the cubesat class. Strain measurements from twelve strain gage locations on the propellant tank were recorded. A finite element analysis (FEA) model, which assumes isotropic material properties, was generated and a FEA analysis was ran at several pressure loads. The tanks strain data at the corresponding pressure loads from the HPT was then compared to the FEA data at the same pressure loads ranging from 500 to 3000psi. The two data sets were used for comparing material properties of the metal SLS and of theisotropic FEA model of the tank.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Aerospace Engineering

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace Engineering

Year

2011

Author dc:creator

• Fuller, Spencer

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bogdan Udrea
• Yi Zhao
• Sathya Gangadharan

• hydrostatic
• pressure testing
• propellant tank
• laser sintering
• Aerospace Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.erau.edu/db-theses/68

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.erau.edu:db-theses-1092