Sandwich panel

About: Sandwich panel is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 4665 publications have been published within this topic receiving 49812 citations.

Comparative study of carbon fabric reinforced and glass fabric reinforced thin sandwich panels under impact and static loading

Abstract: Glass fabric reinforced thin sandwich panel and carbon fabric reinforced thin sandwich panel of thickness close to 2.5 mm were studied to explore an alternative skin material for the outer body of various machines and appliances. The polyester foam Coremat XM of 2 mm thickness was used as core material in the thin sandwich panels. The panels were fabricated by vacuum bagging process and characterized through two plate tests: (i) low-velocity normal impact loading under a drop weight impact test set up and (ii) transverse static loading of a plate. The damage area, indentation depth and permanent depression over damage area, energy absorption capability, load-deflection relation and failure modes were observed under the test. The impact drop test was simulated by LS-DYNA. The properties of glass fabric reinforced thin sandwich panel and carbon fabric reinforced thin sandwich panel were compared with those of 0.8-mm-thick MS sheet, a widely used skin material for the outer body of various machines and appli...

Experimental characterisation of cork agglomerate core sandwich panels for wall assemblies in buildings

Abstract: In recent times, the construction market has seen a very significant increase in the demand of prefabricated solutions of nonstructural elements, such as sandwich panels for buildings walls. Due to the inherent low weight, good mechanical behaviour, ease of assembly and cost-effectiveness, these types of wall assemblies are especially competitive in construction of single-family houses or one unit dwelling structures. However, the low fire resistance of many of these solutions, such as sandwich panels with expanded polystyrene core or polyethylene terephthalate foam core, precludes their use in buildings with more than one floor. The substandard fire resistance is generally due to the fact that the constituent materials are combustible or, at least, their properties are extremely sensible when subjected to high temperatures or flame. Given the isolation properties, good mechanical damping and fire resistance, cork agglomerate can be used as the core material for sandwich panels. However, this material is heavier than the other materials commonly used as core for sandwich panels. In order to deal with this drawback, it is necessary to choose a material for the panel facings that could fulfil the mechanical requirements and the condition not excessively increase the panel weight. The use of a glass fibre reinforced polymer seemed a suitable solution for the facing component. Therefore, the proposed wall assembly solution consists in a sandwich panel with cork agglomerate core and glass fibre reinforced polymer facings. The scope of this work was the assessment of the feasibility of a new configuration of vertical (wall) sandwich panels that could, not only be a cost effective solution for prefabricated construction, but also provide good mechanical performance and fire resistance. This sandwich wall panel configuration was tested for characterisation of its mechanical behaviour, resistance to impact and to fire. The results of the experimental campaign carried out are presented in this manuscript along with some conclusions about the suitability of this solution as sandwich wall panel for buildings facades.

Built-in damage detection system for sandwich structures under cryogenic temperatures

Abstract: A built-in diagnostic system is being developed to identify de-bond between the skins and the honeycomb core of a sandwich structure. The system will be totally automated which will greatly reduce the time needed to inspect sandwich structures. The project is divided into two parts: Design and manufacturing of the sensors to detect damage and development of software to interpret the sensor data. Due to the extreme temperatures, most sensors will not survive the cryogenic temperatures of the inner skin where the damage is located. An array of sensors integrated in the sandwich panel is used to detect the damage. These sensors are embedded on the warmer side of the structure, but are able to probe for damage on the colder side of the tank. A cost-effective method is being developed to install these sensors without modifying the traditional sandwich manufacturing technique. The software compares the sensor and the baseline data. Based on the change in signal, it outputs the location and size of the damage.

Structural Response of Polyethylene Foam-Based Sandwich Panels Subjected to Edgewise Compression

Abstract: This study analyzes the mechanical behavior of low density polyethylene foam core sandwich panels subjected to edgewise compression. In order to monitor panel response to buckling, strains generated in the facesheets and overall out-of-plane deformations are measured with strain gages and projection moire, respectively. A finite element (FE) model simulating the experimental test is developed. Numerical results are compared with moire measurements. After having been validated against experimental evidence, the FE model is parameterized, and a trade study is carried out to investigate to what extent the structural response of the panel depends on the sandwich wall construction and facesheet/core interface defects. The projection moire set-up utilized in this research is able to capture the sudden and very localized buckling phenomena occurring under edgewise compression of foam-based sandwich panels. Results of parametric FE analyses indicate that, if the total thickness of the sandwich wall is fixed, including thicker facesheets in the laminate yields a larger deflection of the panel that becomes more sensitive to buckling. Furthermore, the mechanical response of the foam sandwich panel is found to be rather insensitive to the level of waviness of core-facesheet interfaces.