ENERGY ABSORBING COMPOSITE PANELS

• Main Authors: HOLEMANS, Peter, BOLUKBASI, Akif O, GLEASON, Timothy R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 02.10.2019
• Subjects: AEROPLANES; AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; HELICOPTERS; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

Typical composite panels are brittle and unable to support transverse pressure loads that might be imposed on the panels. For example, when used around fuel tanks of a vehicle, typical composite panels are unable to support transverse pressure loads that might be imposed on the fuel tanks during a crash of the vehicle or a ballistic impact to the fuel tanks. In the embodiments described herein, panels include face sheets that are bonded to a foam core. The foam core includes a corrugated core sheet that is formed from a highly ductile material, such as polyethylene or aluminum. When a transverse pressure load is imposed on the panel, core crush of the foam occurs as the core sheet elongates from its original corrugated shape to a curved shape during deformation. This allows the panel to dissipate the energy of the transverse pressure load applied to the panel.