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A method for making a storage tank with an integral vane starts with a feed pipe. A thin, flat vane has a shape which defines an inner and outer curve extending between attachment and second ends. The outer curve of the vane is dimensioned to lie just within the inner periphery of the tank, spaced t

A method for making a storage tank with an integral vane starts with a feed pipe. A thin, flat vane has a shape which defines an inner and outer curve extending between attachment and second ends. The outer curve of the vane is dimensioned to lie just within the inner periphery of the tank, spaced therefrom by a particular gap. The attachment end of the vane is affixed to a first part of a coupling region of the feed pipe, with the pipe axis lying in the plane of the vane. The vane-pipe combination is placed in the cavity of a mold having the desired interior shape of the tank, with the edge of the outer curve of the vane spaces away from the wall of the mold by the desired gap. A dissolvable, hardenable liquid is injected into the mold and hardened. The mold is removed, leaving a soluble mandrel in the shape of the cavity of the tank. A copper coating is applied to the mandrel and the pipe, to form a metal liner including a neck extending over the feed pipe. A composite reinforcing shell is applied over the liner, after which solvent is passed through the feed pipe to dissolve the mandrel, leaving a reinforced, metal-lined cavity including the vane. In one embodiment of the invention, the vane is supported at the second e

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A method for making a fluid storage tank defining a tank cavity with an inner periphery, and including a propellant management vane within said tank cavity and spaced from the walls of said tank cavity by a predetermined gap, said method comprising the steps of: producing a metal feed pipe including

A method for making a fluid storage tank defining a tank cavity with an inner periphery, and including a propellant management vane within said tank cavity and spaced from the walls of said tank cavity by a predetermined gap, said method comprising the steps of: producing a metal feed pipe including a bore defining a longitudinal axis, and also defining a coupling region at an attachment end of said pipe, said coupling region including a first portion adjacent said attachment end of said pipe and a second portion remote from said attachment end of said pipe, said second portion of said coupling region including a substantially cylindrical outer surface portion; forming a propellant management vane lying generally in a plane, said vane having a generally semicircular shape in said plane, edges of said generally semicircular vane defining an attachment end and a second end, said edges of said vane also defining an outer curve and an inner curve extending between said attachment and second ends, said edge of said vane defining said outer curve being curved in a manner similar to that of a portion of said inner periphery of said tank cavity; attaching said attachment end of said vane to said first portion of said coupling region of said pipe, with said longitudinal axis of said pipe lying in said plane of said vane, and with said second end of said vane near the projection of said longitudinal axis of said pipe, to thereby form a complete propellant management arrangement affixed to said first portion of said coupling region at said attachment end of said feed pipe; placing said complete propellant management arrangement into a mold defining a mold cavity, the shape of which is the desired shape of said tank cavity, with said edge of said vane defining said outer curve spaced away from the walls of said mold cavity by the dimension of said predetermined gap, whereby said second portion of said coupling region of said feed pipe is without said mold cavity; injecting into said mold cavity the liquid phase of a material having liquid and solid phases, which material is soluble from said solid phase; solidifying said material and removing said mold from around the solidified material to produce a mandrel affixed to said first portion of said coupling region at said attachment end of said feed pipe, said mandrel having the desired shape of said tank cavity, said vane and said coupling portion of said feed pipe being embedded in which mandrel; if necessary for a following plating step, applying an electrically conductive material to the outer surface of said mandrel; coating a ductile metal tank liner onto said mandrel and said second portion of said coupling region of said feed pipe to thereby form said tank liner including a neck portion extending onto said second portion of said coupling region of said feed pipe; applying a composite reinforcing shell to the exterior of said ductile metal tank liner, and at least part of said neck portion; and flowing a solvent through said feed pipe to dissolve said material, thereby leaving said tank cavity with said vane spaced therefrom by said predetermined gap.