Composite structures for aerospace vehicles, and associated systems and methods
Composite structures for space vehicles and other aerospace vehicles are disclosed herein. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a space vehicle pressure vessel includes composite panels or sidewalls with septumized core. In another embodiment, a splice joint for joining septumized composite panels in space vehicle structures is disclosed herein.
1. A space vehicle configured to contain at least one of crew or payload, the space vehicle comprising:
a first septumized composite sandwich panel that forms a first outer wall portion of the space vehicle;
a second septumized composite sandwich panel that forms a second outer wall portion of the space vehicle, wherein each of the first and second septumized composite sandwich panels comprises
an outer face sheet that forms an exterior surface of the outer wall of the space vehicle;
an inner face sheet spaced apart from the outer face sheet;
at least one intermediate sheet disposed between the outer and inner face sheets;
a first core portion disposed between the outer face sheet and the intermediate sheet; and
a second core portion disposed between the inner face sheet and the intermediate sheet; and
a joint attaching the first septumized composite sandwich panel to the second septumized composite sandwich panel,
wherein the outer face sheet and the first core portion of the first septumized composite sandwich panel define a first edge portion, and the inner face sheet, the second core portion and the intermediate sheet of the first septumized composite sandwich panel define a second edge portion offset from the first edge portion to form a first step,
wherein the outer face sheet, the intermediate sheet, and the first core portion of the second septumized composite sandwich panel define a third edge portion, and the inner face sheet and the second core portion of the second septumized composite sandwich panel define a fourth edge portion offset from the third edge portion to form a second step, and
wherein the first step faces the second step and the second edge portion is bonded to the third edge portion at the joint.
2. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the outer and inner face sheets, the intermediate sheets, and the first and second core portions form a pressure vessel.
3. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the outer and inner face sheets, the intermediate sheets, and the first and second core portions form a pressure vessel configured to maintain an internal pressure that is greater than an external pressure.
4. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the outer and inner face sheets, the intermediate sheets, and the first and second core portions form a space vehicle capsule.
5. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the outer face sheets, the inner face sheets, and the intermediate sheets are comprised of fiber reinforced epoxy fabric, and wherein the first and second core portions are comprised of a honeycomb core.
6. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein at least the outer face sheets include a layer of electrically conductive material.
7. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein at least the outer face sheets include a layer of material with a high ballistic modulus.
8. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein at least the outer face sheets include a layer of para-aramid synthetic fiber material.
9. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the space vehicle is a pressure vessel, and wherein each of the septumized composite sandwich panels includes a low porosity sealing layer to at least reduce pressure leakage from the pressure vessel.
10. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the intermediate sheet of the first septumized composite sandwich panel is a first intermediate sheet, and wherein the first septumized composite sandwich panel further comprises:
at least a second intermediate sheet disposed between the outer and inner face sheets and spaced apart from the first intermediate sheet; and
a third core portion disposed between the first intermediate sheet and the second intermediate sheet.
11. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first septumized composite sandwich panel further comprises:
four or more core portions disposed between the outer and inner face sheets; and
three or more intermediate sheets alternatingly interposed between each of the core portions.
12. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the septumized composite sandwich panels form a sidewall portion of the space vehicle.
13. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the septumized composite sandwich panels form a cylindrical sidewall portion of the space vehicle.
14. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the septumized composite sandwich panels form a cylindrical sidewall portion of the space vehicle, and wherein the space vehicle further comprises:
a forward cap sealably attached to a forward end of the cylindrical sidewall portion; and
an aft cap sealably attached to an aft end of the cylindrical sidewall portion, wherein the cylindrical sidewall portion, the forward cap, and the aft cap form a pressure vessel.
15. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the septumized composite sandwich panels form a cylindrical sidewall portion of the space vehicle, and wherein the space vehicle further comprises:
a forward cap sealably attached to a forward end of the cylindrical sidewall portion, wherein the forward cap is formed from a septumized composite sandwich structure; and
an aft cap sealably attached to an aft end of the cylindrical sidewall portion, wherein the aft cap is formed from a septumized composite sandwich structure, and wherein the cylindrical sidewall portion, the forward cap, and the aft cap form a pressure vessel.
16. The space vehicle of claim 1
wherein the septumized composite sandwich panels form a damage resistant outer wall of the space vehicle in which (a) the intermediate sheet, the second core portion, and the inner face sheet are constructed to perform in flight without structural failure when the outer face sheet and the first core portion are damaged, or (b) the intermediate sheet, the first core portion, and the outer face sheet are constructed to perform in flight without structural failure when the inner face sheet and the second core portion are damaged, or (a) and (b).
17. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the outer face sheet of the first septumized composite sandwich panel is aligned with the outer face sheet of the second septumized composite sandwich panel, and the inner face sheet of the first septumized composite sandwich panel is aligned with the inner face sheet of the second septumized composite sandwich panel.
18. The space vehicle of claim 1 wherein the first septumized composite sandwich panel is a first sidewall portion of a pressure vessel, and wherein the second septumized composite sandwich panel is a second sidewall portion of the pressure vessel.