technologies Article A Robust Multifunctional Sandwich Panel Design with Trabecular Structures by the Use of Additive Manufacturing Technology for a New De-Icing System Carlo Giovanni Ferro 1,*, Sara Varetti 2,3, Fabio Vitti 1, Paolo Maggiore 1, Mariangela Lombardi 3, Sara Biamino 3, Diego Manfredi 4 and Flaviana Calignano 4 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace (DIMEAS), Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy;
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[email protected] (P.M.) 2 3D-New Technologies (3D-NT), via Livorno 60, 10144 Turin, Italy;
[email protected] 3 Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy;
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[email protected] (S.B.) 4 Center for Sustainable Future Technologies CSFT@Polito, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Corso Trento 21, 10129 Turin, Italy;
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[email protected] (F.C.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +39-11-090-6858 Academic Editor: Manoj Gupta Received: 29 January 2017; Accepted: 7 June 2017; Published: 15 June 2017 Abstract: Anti-ice systems assure a vital on-board function in most aircraft: ice prevention or de-icing is mandatory for all aerodynamic surfaces to preserve their performance, and for all the movable surfaces to allow the proper control of the plane. In this work, a novel multi-functional panel concept which integrates anti-icing directly inside the primary structure is presented. In fact, constructing the core of the sandwich with trabecular non-stochastic cells allows the presence of a heat exchanger directly inside the structure with a savings in weight and an improvement in thermal efficiency.