Winding Design and Strength Analysis of a Type IV Hydrogen Storage Cylinder Based on Abaqus WCM

Abstract

This study addresses the composite overwrap design and strength verification of a 70 MPa Type IV high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinder using Abaqus with the WCM plug-in. Based on netting theory, the helical winding angle on the dome and the helical and hoop thicknesses in the cylindrical section are determined. A stepwise polar-opening enlargement strategy combined with cubic spline interpolation is used to optimize the dome fiber-thickness distribution and define a multi-angle layup. The cylinder consists of a PA6 liner, a T700-24K carbon-fiber/epoxy overwrap, and metal bosses. Axial and circumferential symmetries are used to construct a three-dimensional sector model with tie constraints and internal-pressure loading. The results show that polar-opening enlargement markedly mitigates fiber accumulation and reduces the peak dome-overwrap thickness by approximately 24.1 mm. At 70 MPa, the maximum fiber-direction tensile stresses in the cylindrical and dome sections are 995.8 and 559.4 MPa, respectively, both below the allowable tensile strength of 2031 MPa. The proposed layup therefore satisfies the preliminary strength requirement at the rated working pressure and provides a numerical basis for subsequent experimental validation.