Open cellular sandwich structures having sealed edges and methods of manufacturing the same
A method of manufacturing a sandwich structure having an open cellular core and a fluid-tight seal surrounding the core includes coupling a mold to a first facesheet to define a reservoir. The method also includes irradiating a volume of photo-monomer in the reservoir with a series of vertical collimated light beams to form a cured, solid polymer border extending around a periphery of the first facesheet. The method also includes irradiating a remaining volume of photo-monomer in the reservoir with a series of collimated light beams to form an ordered three-dimensional polymer microstructure core defined by a plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides coupled to the first facesheet and surrounded by the cured, solid polymer border. The method further includes coupling a second facesheet to the ordered three-dimensional microstructure core and the cured, solid polymer border to form the sandwich structure.
1. A sandwich structure, comprising:
a first facesheet having a contoured profile;
an ordered three-dimensional microstructure core defined by a plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides coupled to the first facesheet; and
a second facesheet coupled to the first facesheet, wherein the first and second facesheets cooperate to form a fluid-tight seal around a periphery of the core to prevent fluid ingress into the core,
wherein the ordered three-dimensional microstructure core is directly attached to the first facesheet, and
wherein each of the first and second facesheets comprises metal.
2. The sandwich structure of claim 1 , wherein the first facesheet is a trapezoidal prism.
3. The sandwich structure of claim 1 , wherein the first facesheet is a cuboid.
4. A sandwich structure, comprising:
a first planar facesheet;
an ordered three-dimensional microstructure core defined by a plurality of interconnected polymer optical waveguides coupled to the first planar facesheet;
a continuous border enclosing the ordered three-dimensional microstructure core coupled to the first planar facesheet; and
a second planar facesheet spaced apart from the first planar facehsheet, the second planar facesheet coupled to the continuous border, wherein the continuous border forms a fluid-tight seal around a periphery of the core,
wherein the first planar facesheet overlaps a first end of the continuous border,
wherein the second planar facesheet underlaps a second end of the continuous border,
wherein the first and second planar facesheets each comprises a first material and the continuous border comprises a second material different than the first material,
wherein the continuous border extends from the first planar facesheet to the second planar facesheet, and
wherein the ordered three-dimensional microstructure core is directly attached to the first planar facesheet and the continuous border.
5. The sandwich structure of claim 4 , wherein the continuous border comprises solid photo-polymer.
6. The sandwich structure of claim 4 , wherein the continuous border comprises a material selected from the group of materials consisting of metal, metal alloy, composite, polymer, and ceramic.
7. The sandwich structure of claim 4 , further comprising a seal extending around a periphery of the continuous border and the first and second planar facesheets.
8. The sandwich structure of claim 4 , wherein the continuous border comprises a rectangular tube defining an interior cavity.
9. The sandwich structure of claim 8 , further comprising:
one or more manifold inlet tubes housed in the interior cavity and configured to direct fluid into the core; and
one or more corresponding manifold outlet tubes housed in the interior cavity and configured to direct fluid out of the core.
10. The sandwich structure of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of openings defined in the continuous border, and a plurality of fasteners extending into the plurality of openings and coupling the first and second planar facesheets to the continuous border.