Ply Angle Optimisation and Thermo-Mechanical Failure Assessment of Filament-Wound Carbon/Epoxy Composite Pressure Vessels Using SolidWorks Simulation

Abstract

Filament-wound carbon/epoxy composite pressure vessels are increasingly employed in aerospace, automotive, energy, water treatment, and mining applications owing to their high specific strength, lightweight characteristics, and corrosion resistance. This study investigated the effects of ply angle, internal pressure, and elevated temperature on the behaviour of filament-wound T300/LY5052 carbon/epoxy pressure vessels using SolidWorks Simulation. A quarter-symmetry finite element model incorporating a 12-ply symmetric laminate configuration, [±θ]₆s, was developed and subjected to mesh convergence analysis. Ply angles ranging from 0° to 90° at 5° intervals were evaluated under internal pressures of 15, 20, and 30 bar to identify the optimum laminate configuration, which was subsequently assessed under thermo-mechanical loading within a temperature range of 40–180 °C. Performance was evaluated using equivalent strain, total displacement, factor of safety, and Tsai– Hill, Tsai–Wu, and Maximum Stress failure criteria. The results showed that fibre orientation significantly influenced the response of the pressure vessel, with the 50° ply angle exhibiting the highest safety margins and lowest deformation responses. Compared with the 0° laminate, the optimum configuration reduced equivalent strain by approximately 56% and increased the Tsai–Hill factor of safety to about 3.9 while maintaining failure indices below their critical limits. Thermo-mechanical analyses further revealed that internal pressure dominated the structural response, whereas elevated temperatures had only marginal effects on structural reliability. The consistent identification of the 50° laminate by all three failure criteria strengthened confidence in the findings. For the geometry and loading conditions investigated, the proposed methodology provides a practical framework for the preliminary design and optimisation of lightweight, structurally reliable filament-wound composite pressure vessels.