The Boeing Company
COMPOSITE TANKS FOR REUSABLE LAUNCH VEHICLES AND METHODS OF FABRICATING THEREOF

Abstract:

A composite tank for a reusable launch vehicle comprises a composite wall, having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The composite wall comprises a first end, a second end, a central axis, which passes through the first end and through the second end, and a cylindrical interior surface. The composite tank also comprises slosh baffles, formed from a second material, having a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion. Each of the slosh baffles is attached to the cylindrical interior surface of the composite wall. Each of the slosh baffles is annular and is separated from the cylindrical interior surface of the composite wall by a radial gap, selected, in part, based on a difference between the first coefficient of thermal expansion and the second coefficient of thermal expansion. The radial gap is configured to change responsive to changes in temperature of the composite tank.