Asymmetric high performance SIPS panels for loadbearing walls

This research will focus on the application of sandwich panels as structural wall components and will discuss methods to determine and improve the structural capacity of a panel by adding stiffeners, internally and/or\u3cbr/\u3eexternally, or by increasing the thickness of the faces. The paper presented here can be seen as a progress report on the ongoing research efforts carried out at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), in cooperation with industry, to provide scientific and experimental backgrounds to a building component which is widely used for residential housing. A Structural Insulated Panel System (SIPS) with stiffeners as presented in this paper are meant for load bearing walls;\u3cbr/\u3ethese panels are researched analytically, numerically and experimentally. Previous reports were presented at WCTE 2012 [1], WCTE 2014 [2] and WCTE 2016 [3]. The results presented in this paper demonstrate the significant role of load transfer through the core and its influence on\u3cbr/\u3ethe stress distribution. Symmetrical stiffening both faces will increase the bending stiffness of the panel considerably, but hardly influences the load distribution. Creating asymmetrical sandwich panels, i.e one face thicker or with higher Youngs modulus, will have a large influence on the distribution of loads and therefore the structural behaviour of the\u3cbr/\u3esandwich panel

Sandwich panels with stiffeners

\u3cp\u3eThis paper is the third in range presented at WCTE conferences. During the WCTE 2012 in Auckland the paper sandwich structures with wood-based faces [1] dealt with the behaviour of traditional sandwich panels. During the WCTE 2014 in Quebec, the paper focussed on these panels with openings for e.g. skylights [2]. In this third paper the modelling of a sandwich panel with stiffeners is analysed. This particular type of sandwich panel promises a considerably higher load bearing capacity, along with other advantages such as less brittle properties, socalled strong points in the structure itself, which allow for connections, and of course the lack of cold bridging as known from other stressed skin and stiffened panels. The paper presented here can be seen as a report on the research efforts carried out at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), in cooperation with Industry, to provide scientific and experimental background to a building component which is widely used for mainly roof structures. For this, sandwich panels with stiffeners, applied as infill panels and roof panels are analysed analytically, numerically and experimentally.\u3c/p\u3

The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing

The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) was studied within ESA M3 Cosmic Vision framework and participated in the final downselection for a launch slot in 2022-2024. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument, LOFT will study the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions, such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions of accretion flows close to black holes and neutron stars, and the supranuclear densities in the interior of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, 10 m2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1° collimated field of view) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM, 2-50 keV, 4 steradian field of view, 1 arcmin source location accuracy, 300 eV spectral resolution). The WFM is equipped with an on-board system for bright events (e.g. GRB) localization. The trigger time and position of these events are broadcast to the ground within 30 s from discovery. In this paper we present the status of the mission at the end of its Phase A stud