Design and manufacture of 3D printed cores for the integration of photovoltaic cells in sandwich panels

• DOI: 10.23967/r.matcomp.2024.02.12
• Publication Date: 2024-10-28T11:16:14Z
• Authors: I. Sukia; A. Esnaola; J. Aizpurua; W. Cambarau; J. Hernández; J. Aurrekoetxea
• Keywords: 3d printed

Multifunctional sandwich panels that can lighten and generate electrical energy are strategic for many industrial sectors, such as electric vehicle roofs or drones. This work analyses the integration of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells between the glass/epoxy skins and the core manufactured by 3D printing with a polyamide reinforced with short carbon fibres. 3D printing has enabled the development of lightweight and stiff cores, with integrated wiring and junction box housings within the sandwich structure, as well as facilitators for the skin infusion process. The core design, with ramps on the periphery, facilitates the lamination and impregnation flow in the infusion process and the re-coating operations after infusion. The results, comparing the performance of the sandwich panel with and without integrated photovoltaic cells, show that the effect on the mechanical properties of the sandwich panel is not very significant. The maximum force recorded under a complex bending-twisting load is 11% lower with cells, but no delamination phenomena were observed in any case. As for the penetration energies under quasi-static and impact loads, the energies recorded for structures with photovoltaic cells are 5% and 2% lower respectively.