Design and Testing of Large Diameter Composite Reinforced Pressure Vessels for Offshore Gas Applications

Bulk transportation of compressed natural gas is becoming a viable and flexible option for moving stranded gas reserves to existing or remote markets. One such technology that is currently being developed for this application is the Gas Transport Module (GTM™). Gas Transport Modules are large diameter, high pressure, fiber reinforced composite/steel pressure vessels intended for the mobile transport of natural gas on a variety of carriers including ships, barges, trucks and trains. The purpose of this paper is to discuss recent work concerning the design and testing of these large diameter, composite pressure vessels. The advantages of the proposed hybrid composite/steel design for offshore use are discussed. An overview of current standards development, specialized analysis methods and testing requirements is also provided.