Glass fiber reinforced resin tank structures and method of fabricating

Abstract

Abstract 1. A method of on-site fabrication of glass fiber, reinforced, plastic-resin tank structures, using a plurality of pre-fabricated, structural, arcuate liner panels of glass fiber, reinforced resin, comprising: providing a base support for the tank structure, temporarily securing vertical support and alignment beams to the base support at spaced intervals corresponding to the width of the liner panels to define the circumference of the tank structure, the beams extending the height of the tank structure, providing a central beam extending upwardly from the base support having a plurality of lateral arms extending therefrom into contact with the temporary vertical support beams to support the side walls of the structure during fabrication thereof, temporarily securing by removable rivets the liner panels to the vertical support and alignment beams, the panels extending the height of the beams and abutting each other along their side edges in coincidence with the vertical support beams to define the side walls of the tank structure, providing a top cover for the tank structure of glass fiber, reinforced resin, securing the top cover to the top edges of the liner panels, applying a mixture of chopped glass fiber and resin over the joint areas between the abutting liner panels and between the top cover and the top edges of the liner panels to seal them and form an integral tank structure, mixing resin and catalyst together for impregnation of continuous glass fiber roving for winding of the side walls of the tank structure closely adjacent the point of application of the resin-impregnated glass fiber to the side walls, impregnating the glass fiber roving with the resin catalyst mixture, winding successive layers of the resin-impregnated continuous glass fiber roving around the outer surfaces of the liner panels in a helical pattern extending spirally both upward and downward to provide hoop strength for the tank structure, removing the support and alignment beams temporarily secured to the liner panels from the interior of the tank structure after curing of the resin, and applying resin-impregnated chopped glass fiber over the inner portion of the base support surrounded by the liner panels and joint areas between the lower ends of the liner panels in the base support to form an integral bottom wall for the tank structure.

Inventors

• 👤 W Jessup

Bibliographic Details