ASME STP-PT-005

This report provides recommendations to the ASME Hydrogen Project Team for design factors for composite hydrogen tanks. The scope of this study included stationary (e.g., storage) and transport tanks; it does not include vehicle fuel tanks. The report provides recommended design factors relative to short-term burst pressure and interim margins for long-term stress rupture based on a fixed 15-year design life for fully wrapped and hoop wrapped composite tanks with metal liners. These recommended margins are based on the proven experience with existing standards for composite reinforced tanks. Recommendations for further research are also provided, in particular for development of rules that would provide design life dependent design factors relative to stress rupture that would provide a means to design for longer or shorter lives than 15 years, and to provide a method for the manufacturer to determine, by testing, the stress ratio for their fiber reinforcement system.