The Utah Chapter of SAMPE Welcomes

Tom Delay of
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

On Wednesday March 15th at 6:30 pm at Five Star Restaurant

Development of Cryogenic Pressure Vessels

NASA has recently announced the new vision for space exploration and plans to develop new launch vehicles to replace the space shuttle. Components of the Crew Launch Vehicle(CLV) and Crew Exploration Vehicle(CEV) may include cryogenic high pressure composite over-wrapped pressure vessels(COPVs) and high pressure cryogenic fuel tanks. Mr. DeLay's M&P research has resulted in a COPV that performs very well at cryogenic temperatures. This was demonstrated by the fabrication and testing of a large number of COPVs that were burst tested at cryogenic(liquid nitrogen) and ambient conditions. The cryogenic COPV tests were also supported by material development and tests at cryogenic conditions(tensile tests of neat resin, tensile tests of fibers and short-beam-shear tests of composite coupons) to help gain a better understanding of how composite materials perform. Additional work is being done related to impact and ballistic performance of cryogenic COPVs.

Tom has worked at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center since 1989. Most of the time in the non-metallic materials and processes laboratory. The majority of his work has been with composite M&P and manufacturing development of all-composite cryogenic tanks and composite over-wrapped pressure vessels. Tom has had special assignments at NASA headquarters in D.C. and various field centers(Michoud Assembly Facility New Orleans, THIOKOL Solid Rocket Motor Facility in Brigham City Utah and Kennedy Space Center). He holds several patents and patents pending related to composite tank development.

Thomas Delay
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center