This document analyzes the minimum wall thickness required for cylindrical supercapacitors made of aluminum-3003, steel AISI 1020, and titanium Ti-5Al-2.5Sn to withstand 2000 psi of outward pressure. Cylinders of varying diameters from 20mm to 80mm were modeled in Solidworks and tested. The results show that aluminum-3003 requires the thickest walls, between 4-17.5mm, while steel and titanium require thinner walls of 0.5-1.8mm and 0.3-0.9mm respectively. Charts summarizing the minimum wall thickness needed for each material based on cylinder diameter are provided.

1. Materials Analysis of Cylindrical
Supercapacitors
LESC at UCSD
Prepared for Dr. Cyrus Rustomji
PI: Dr. Shirley Meng
Prepared by Clint Luna
September 2, 2016

2. Page 1 of 16
Table of Contents Page #
Analysis of Aluminum-3003 2
Analysis of Steel AISI 1020 7
Analysis of Titanium Ti-5Al-2.5Sn 11
Summary of Results 15

3. Page 2 of 16
Aluminum-3003 Analysis
Methods of Analysis: 1) To determine minimum wall thickness required for 2,000
psi in Aluminum-3003, wall thicknesses were varied and tested in increments of
0.5mm. 2) All components were fixed on the bottom side (as indicated by arrows
in figures below) during simulations. 3) Wall thickness was made uniform on
cylinder. 4) 2,000 psi applied uniformly and radially outward from inside 5) O.D.
refers to the outermost dimension of cylinders and includes wall thickness.
Fig 1: AL-3003, 80 / 60 / 40 / 20 mm Diameter (left to right), wall thickness of 4mm for all. Only 20mm
Dia. Cylinder survives.

4. Page 3 of 16
Fig 3: AL-3003, 20 mm O.D., 2000 psi, 4mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 3.95 x 10^4 KPa maximum
stress on inside of cylinder.

5. Page 4 of 16
Fig 3: AL-3003, 40 mm O.D., 2000 psi, 9mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 3.95 x 10^4 KPa maximum
stress near bottom of cylinder.

6. Page 5 of 16
Fig 4: AL-3003, 60 mm O.D., 2000 psi, 12.5mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 3.88 x 10^4 KPa
maximum stress on bottom of cylinder.

7. Page 6 of 16
Fig 5: AL-3003, 80mm OD, 2000 psi, 17.5mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 4.03 x 10^4 KPa
maximum stress on bottom of cylinder.

8. Page 7 of 16
Steel AISI 1020 Analysis
Methods of Analysis: 1) All components were fixed on the bottom side (as
indicated by arrows in figures below) during simulations. 2) Wall thickness was
made uniform on cylinder. 3) 2,000 psi applied uniformly and radially outward.
4) O.D. refers to the outermost dimension of cylinders and includes wall
thickness.
Fig 6: Steel AISI 2020, 20mm OD, 2000 psi, 0.5mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 3.31 x 10^5 KPa
maximum stress on cylinder.

9. Page 8 of 16
Fig 7: Steel AISI 2020, 40mm OD, 2000 psi, 0.9mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 3.43 x 10^5 KPa
maximum stress on cylinder.

10. Page 9 of 16
Fig 8: Steel AISI 2020, 60mm OD, 2000 psi, 1.4mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 3.31 x 10^5 KPa
maximum stress on cylinder.

11. Page 10 of 16
Fig 9: Steel AISI 2020, 80mm OD, 2000 psi, 1.8mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 3.42 x 10^5 KPa
maximum stress on cylinder.

12. Page 11 of 16
Titanium Ti-5Al-2.5Sn Analysis
Methods of Analysis: 1) All components were fixed on the bottom side (as
indicated by arrows in figures below) during simulations. 2) Wall thickness was
made uniform and radially outward on cylinder. 3) 2,000 psi applied uniformly.
4) O.D. refers to the outermost dimension of cylinders and includes wall
thickness.
Fig 10: Ti-5Al-2.5Sn, 20mm OD, 2000 psi, 0.3 mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 5.44 x 10^5 KPa
maximum stress on cylinder.

13. Page 12 of 16
Fig 11: Ti-5Al-2.5Sn, 40mm OD, 2000 psi, 0.5 mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 6.54 x 10^5 KPa
maximum stress on cylinder.

14. Page 13 of 16
Fig 12: Ti-5Al-2.5Sn, 60mm OD, 2000 psi, 0.7 mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 7.36 x 10^5 KPa
maximum stress on cylinder.

15. Page 14 of 16
Fig 13: Ti-5Al-2.5Sn, 80mm OD, 2000 psi, 0.9 mm uniform wall thickness minimum. 7.41 x 10^5 KPa
maximum stress on cylinder.

16. Page 15 of 16
Summary of Results:
4
9
12.5
17.5
0.5 0.9
1.4 1.8
0.3
0.5 0.7 0.90
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
MiniumumWallThicknessRequired(mm)
Outer Diameter (mm)
Aluminum 3003 / Steel AISI 1020 / Titanium Ti-5Al-2.5Sn
(Analyzed at 2,000 Psi in Solidworks)
Aluminum 3003
Steel AISI 1020
Titanium Ti-5Al-2.5Sn
4
9
12.5
17.5
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
MiniumumWallThicknessRequired(mm)
Outer Diameter (mm)
Aluminum 3003
(Analyzed at 2,000 Psi in Solidworks)

17. Page 16 of 16
0.5
0.9
1.4
1.8
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
MiniumumWallThicknessRequired(mm)
Outer Diameter (mm)
Steel AISI 1020
(Analyzed at 2,000 Psi in Solidworks)
0.3
0.5
0.7
0.9
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
MiniumumWallThicknessRequired(mm)
Outer Diamter (mm)
Titanium Ti-5Al-2.5Sn
(Analyzed at 2,000 Psi in Solidworks)