Self-sealing process modeling of a multilayer polymer coating system for fuel tanks subjected to a foreign object damage

This project started in August 2022.

Ground vehicle fuel tanks are equipped with self-sealing bladders to limit fuel loss when a small ballistic threat pierces through the fuel tank. This self-sealing bladder liner consists of outer coatings and an inner intermediate layer. The inner layer of bladder is made of a composite polymeric material (containing a polymer matrix and embedded beads) which gets exposed to fuel as the threat perforates the outer layers. The outer layers are capable to stretch extensively during the bullet impact and hence to retract substantially after the impact, which makes the puncture much smaller than the initial bullet size. This process paves the way for the second stage of sealing when the fuel in the tank comes into contact with the polymeric beads (within the polymer matrix) making them swell significantly. The beads swelling ultimately closes the hole and prevents fuel leakage. The fuel resistant layer (outer layer) in self-sealing fuel tank could be any flexible gasoline resistant material with acceptable strength and resiliency. Several polymeric materials such as neoprene, poly(vinylphenyl) sulphide, polyimides, poly (vinyl alcohol) and polyurthane have been proposed for this application. Materials for sealing membrane (inner layer) should have rapid swelling characteristics in fuel as well as good strength with resiliency.

Basic material properties data on the core component (polymeric beads) of the self-sealing coating system as well as fundamental approaches to model self-sealing phenomenon in the bladder material system after the ballistic impact is lacking. As such, the ability to model this self-sealing behavior with phenomenological approach based on fundamental material characteristics that enables advanced fuel tank modeling and simulation methodology (M&S) is much needed.

This project aims to create a post-impact model for the self-contact (polymer-to-polymer) and self-sealing behaviors of the multilayer polymer system for Army fuel tank applications. In particular, we will extract the fundamental material/mechanical properties of the polymer system and use mechanistic-based fully finite element (FE) simulation to model the three-layer polymer and tank wall system. We will focus on inner core layer polymer self-sealing phenomenon, measuring fuel loss, and determining potential fuel leakage after a small puncture due to a foreign object damage (e.g., ballistic impact). The proposal focuses on post-impact modeling and will not cover the high strain rate ballistic impact phenomenon.

Publications from Prior Work closely related to the proposed project:

1. Beheshti, A., & Khonsari, M. M. (2014). On the contact of curved rough surfaces: contact behavior and predictive formulas. Journal of Applied Mechanics, 81(11), 111004.
2. Lee, J., Beheshti, A., & Polycarpou, A. A. (2017). Rough surface normal nanocontact stiffness: experimental measurements and rough surface contact model predictions.Journal of Applied Mechanics, 84(3).
3. Palma, T., Munther, M., Damasus, P., Salari, S., Beheshti, A., & Davami, K. (2019). Multiscale mechanical and tribological characterizations of additively manufactured polyamide 12 parts with different print orientations. Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 40, 76-83.
4. Salari, S., & Beheshti, A. (2021). Asperity-based contact and static friction with provision for creep: A review. Surfaces and Interfaces, 24, 101144.
5. Menezes, O., Roberts, T., Motta, G., Patrenos, M. H., McCurdy, W., Alotaibi, A., Vanderpool, M., Beheshti, A., & Davami, K. (2022). Performance of Additively Manufactured Polylactic Acid (PLA) in Prolonged Marine Environments. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 109903.
6. Bagheri, S., Anwer, A., Rizvi, R., Naguib, H., Dutta, T., Fernie, G. (2019). Methods of manufacturing a high friction composite material for footwear. US Patent App. 16/378,933.
7. Bagheri, S., Anwer, A., Rizvi, R., Naguib, H., Dutta, T., Fernie, G. (2019). Effects of multi-functional surface-texturing on the ice friction and abrasion characteristics of hybrid composite materials for footwear. Wear, 418-419, 253-264.
8. Anwer, A., Bagheri, S., Fernie, G., Dutta, T., Naguib, H. (2017). Evolution of the coefficient of friction with surface wear for advanced surface textured composites. Advanced Materials Interfaces. 4(6):1600983.

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