Vessel insulation assembly
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsJonathan D. Embler, Timothy Leo Gaynor, III, Christopher S. Roper, Tobias A. Schaedler, Jeffrey Dale Fukushima, Michael Leslie Hand, Keith Y. Chong, Randall Colin Schubert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vessel includes a vessel wall and an insulation assembly coupled to the vessel wall. The insulation assembly includes a stochastic foam material and a microtruss structure encased within the foam material. The microtruss structure includes a plurality of truss members interconnected at a plurality of nodes. Each truss member is in contact with the foam material such that the microtruss structure provides a structural core for the foam material.
Claims20
A vessel comprising:
- a vessel wall;
- and
- an insulation assembly coupled to said vessel wall, said insulation assembly comprising:
- a stochastic foam material;
- a microtruss structure comprising a plurality of truss members interconnected at a plurality of nodes, said microtruss structure encased within said foam material such that said foam material is in contact with said plurality of truss members, wherein said plurality of truss members each include a first end and an opposing second end;
- and
- a plurality of adhesion features extending obliquely with respect to an outer surface of said plurality of truss members from said plurality of truss members between said first end and said second end to facilitate adhesion between said microtruss structure and said foam material.
An aerospace vehicle comprising:
- a vessel comprising a vessel wall defining an inner volume that is configured to hold a propellant supply;
- and
- a reinforced insulation assembly coupled to said vessel wall, said insulation assembly comprising;
- a stochastic foam material;
- a microtruss structure encased within said foam material, said microtruss structure comprising a first end and an opposing second end and providing a structural core for said foam material;
- and
- a plurality of adhesion features extending from said microtruss structure between said first end and said second end, wherein said plurality of adhesion features facilitates adhesion between said microtruss structure and said foam material, wherein said plurality of adhesion features comprise elongated members that extend away from said microtruss structure.
A method of manufacturing an insulation assembly, said method comprising:
- fabricating a microtruss structure having a plurality of truss members interconnected at a plurality of nodes;
- coupling a plurality of adhesion features to the plurality of truss members such that the plurality of adhesion features extend only partially about a circumference of the plurality of truss members;
- coupling the microtruss structure to a wall of a vessel;
- and
- applying a foam material to the microtruss structure and the vessel wall such that the microtruss structure is encased within the foam material to provide a structural core for the foam material, wherein the plurality of adhesion features facilitate adhesion between the microtruss structure and the foam material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.