Structural, cellular core with corrugated support walls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764818-B2
Application number	US-201615040663-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2016
Priority date	Feb 10, 2016
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A structural panel may be configured for attenuating noise. This panel includes a first skin, a second skin and a core forming a plurality of cavities vertically between the first skin and the second skin. The core may include a wall connected to and extending vertically between the first skin and the second skin. The wall may be laterally between and fluidly separate at least a first of the cavities from a second of the cavities. The wall may include a vertical stiffener. One or more perforations in the first skin may be fluidly coupled with the first of the cavities.

First claim

We claim:

1. A structural panel, comprising:
a first skin;
a second skin; and
a core forming a plurality of cavities vertically between the first skin and the second skin, the core including a wall connected to and extending vertically between the first skin and the second skin, the wall laterally between and fluidly separating at least a first of the cavities from a second of the cavities;
wherein the wall includes a vertical stiffener;
wherein one or more perforations in the first skin are fluidly coupled with the first of the cavities; and
wherein the first of the cavities forms a resonance chamber having a minimum length that extends between the first skin and the second skin, and the minimum length is longer than a vertical thickness of the core.

2. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the vertical stiffener is one of a plurality of vertical stiffeners included with the wall, and one of the vertical stiffeners is disposed a longitudinal distance along the wall from an adjacent one of the vertical stiffeners.

3. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the vertical stiffener projects laterally partially into the first of the cavities.

4. The panel of claim 3 , wherein the vertical stiffener projects laterally partially into the second of the cavities.

5. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the vertical stiffener is hollow and includes a bore extending at least vertically within the vertical stiffener.

6. The panel of claim 5 , wherein one or more perforations in the first skin are fluidly coupled with the bore.

7. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the vertical stiffener extends vertically to the first skin and/or the second skin.

8. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the vertical stiffener is connected to the first skin and/or the second skin.

9. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the vertical stiffener is configured to enable vertical bending of the wall.

10. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the vertical stiffener is configured as an accordion bellow.

11. The panel of claim 1 , wherein
the wall is a first wall and the vertical stiffener is a first vertical stiffener;
the core includes a second wall connected to and extending vertically between the first skin and the second skin;
the second wall is laterally between and fluidly separates at least the first of the cavities from a third of the cavities; and
the second wall includes a second vertical stiffener.

12. The panel of claim 11 , wherein
the core includes a plurality of baffles and a plurality of septums;
the baffles are arranged in a longitudinal linear array, each of the baffles is connected to and extends laterally between the first wall and the second wall, and the first of the cavities extends longitudinally between an adjacent pair of the baffles; and
the septums are arranged in a longitudinal linear array, each of the septums is connected to and extends laterally between the first wall and the second wall, a first of the septums is disposed between the adjacent pair of the baffles and divides the first of the cavities into fluidly coupled first and second sub-cavities.

13. The panel of claim 12 , wherein the first of the septums is connected to and extends between the adjacent pair of the baffles.

14. The panel of claim 12 , wherein the baffles are arranged with the septums together in a corrugated configuration.

15. The panel of claim 12 , wherein the vertical stiffener is at an intersection between the first of the septums and one of the adjacent pair of the baffles.

16. The panel of claim 12 , wherein
the vertical stiffener is a first vertical stiffener and the wall further includes a second vertical stiffener; and
the first vertical stiffener is at an intersection between the first of the septums and a first of the adjacent pair of the baffles, and the second vertical stiffener is at an intersection between the first of the septums and a second of the adjacent pair of the baffles.

17. The panel of claim 1 , wherein
the vertical stiffener is one of a plurality of vertical stiffeners included with the wall;
each of the vertical stiffeners is configured as a structural flange portion; and
the wall further includes a plurality of webs, where each of the webs extends longitudinally between an adjacent pair of the vertical stiffeners.

18. The panel of claim 1 , wherein the panel is configured as a component of an aircraft propulsion system.

19. A structural panel for attenuating noise, comprising:
a first skin;
a second skin; and
a core forming a plurality of cavities vertically between the first skin and the second skin, the core including a plurality of walls connected to and extending vertically between the first skin and the second skin, a first of the walls laterally between and fluidly separating at least a first of the cavities from a second of the cavities, and a second of the walls laterally between and fluidly separating at least the first of the cavities from a third of the cavities;
wherein each of the walls includes a substantially flat and planar first portion, a substantially flat and planar second portion and a vertical stiffener longitudinally between the first portion and the second portion, and the vertical stiffener of the first of the walls projects partially laterally into the first of the cavities and out from the first portion and the second portion; and
wherein one or more perforations in the first skin are fluidly coupled with the first of the cavities.

20. A structural panel for attenuating noise, comprising:
a first skin;
a second skin; and
a core forming a plurality of cavities vertically between the first skin and the second skin, the core including a plurality of walls, an array of baffles and an array of septums, a first of the walls laterally between and fluidly separating at least a first of the cavities from a second of the cavities, and a second of the walls laterally between and fluidly separating at least the first of the cavities from a third of the cavities;
wherein the baffles are interdisposed with the septums in a corrugated configuration, the first of the cavities extends between an adjacent pair of the baffles, and a first of the septums is disposed between the adjacent pair of the baffles and divides the first of the cavities into fluidly coupled first and second sub-cavities;
wherein the first of the walls includes a plurality of vertical stiffeners distributed along a longitudinal length of the first of the walls;
wherein one or more perforations in the first skin are fluidly coupled with the first of the cavities; and
wherein a first of the adjacent pair of the baffles is acutely angled relative to the first skin and the second skin.

Assignees

• Rohr Inc

Inventors

• Nampy Sreenivas Narayanan
• Adams David M

Classifications

• G10K11/172

  using resonance effects · CPC title

• B64D29/00

  Power-plant nacelles, fairings or cowlings · CPC title

• B64C1/40 Primary

  Sound or heat insulation {, e.g. using insulation blankets} · CPC title

• G10K11/168

  Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches · CPC title

• B64C1/066

  Interior liners · CPC title