Prediction of Leakage Life and Deterioration in Water for Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Vessels
SourceIn designing a water vessel made of discontinuous fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), it is necessary to estimate its leakage life due to water absorption as well as its strength deterioration. This paper discusses how to estimate the leakage life and the deterioration in strength of a FRP water vessel over a long period. The leakage life was estimated on the basis of the short-term water absorption and diffusion studies. When the design limit in the water vessel is maintained within the elastic limit in the stress-strain diagram, the effect of long-term stress on the leakage life can be ignored.
Furthermore, the deterioration in strength during the long-term exposure to the water was examined and an extrapolating method was established. Consequently, the more suitable laminate structure was proposed for water vessels, which proved its effectiveness.