The high-pressure tanks developed by Blackwave.Christoph Krenn / Blackwave
A startup in Germany that started building building carbon-fiber parts for race cars has taken things into a new direction by unveiling an ultralight pressure tank that could significantly improve the performance of future space rockets.
Blackwave, a young spin-off from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), just presented its carbon-fiber high-pressure tanks which are designed to withstand 420 bars of operating pressure.
The innovative tanks, which were originally developed through work on race-car components, can also endure aggressive fuels and temperature fluctuations from -58 to 248 degrees Fahrenheit (-50 to 120 degrees Celsius).
As noted by the Taufkirchen-based company, the revolutionary technology could play a critical role in rocket design by maintaining internal pressure as the main fuel tanks empty during flight.
Bastian Behrens, Blackwave founder and TUM alumnus, revealed that the tank is the most elegant application for carbon fibers. “The stresses in tanks are purely tensile – and if carbon fibers excel at one thing, it’s handling tensile stress.”
Race-car tech to space
Behrens revealed that glossy, black carbon fibers had captivated him since he was a schoolboy, when he laminated carbon parts for his motorcycle. That’s why when he came across the newly established Chair of Carbon Composites while choosing a degree, the decision was immediate.
“I’ve always been passionate about race cars – especially the high-performance components,” he noted. “However, I think airplanes are a bit cooler. And as a huge Star Wars and Star Trek fan – I know, an unusual combination – rockets and space were my ultimate goal.”
During his studies, he joined the TUM student club TUfast and began developing carbon components for its electric racing team. Several international competitions then opened the door to his first contacts in the automotive sector. This paved the way for the early foundations of Blackwave.
After expanding his network into the aerospace industry, he quickly realized that rocket components were the natural next step. He also saw that space rocket tanks had relied on heavy, spherical steel designs for decades, and set his mind on changing that.
Redesigning rocket tanks
With the help of his team, Behrens soon discovered that carbon fibers could give space rockets a clear advantage. Not only do they offer exceptional strength for high-pressure applications, but, unlike metal, they also don’t chemically react with fuels.
In addition, unlike spherical steel tanks, bottle-shaped carbon tanks are far easier to integrate into fuel systems. They are also significantly lighter and more flexible.
These benefits matter even more in practice, because rocket stability relies heavily on what happens inside their high-pressure tanks. Rockets are designed to be as light as possible, which means they lose structural stability as their primary fuel tanks empty.
To prevent this, noble gases are released from internal high-pressure secondary tanks, filling the empty space and maintaining the rocket’s structural integrity.
“It’s like a can of soda – the ratio of wall thickness to diameter is actually quite similar in aerospace,” Behrens stated. As long as the can is filled with liquid and CO2, it can support weight without any issue. “But once it’s empty, it immediately loses its structural integrity,” he concluded in a press release.
Behrens is certain that ultralight pressure tanks will become a key focus of interest in modern aerospace. He believes that replacing steel with carbon composites will give aerospace engineers more design freedom at a fraction of the weight.
The Blueprint
