Identification of crack and disbond fronts in repaired aircraft structural panels with bonded FRP composite patches

Structural health monitoring of fatigue-cracked aircraft structural panels repaired with bonded FRP composite patches for extending the service life of aging aircraft has received wide attention. In this paper a method for identifying the locations and shapes of crack and disbond fronts in aircraft structural panels repaired with bonded FRP composite patches is presented. The identification is performed by minimizing the residual norm between the measured in-plane strain range on a strain measurement plane in the FRP composite patches and the calculated in-plane strain range. Several numerical examples of identification of the locations and shapes of crack and disbond fronts are examined. The effects of the number of strain measurement points, position of the strain measurement plane, and measurement errors of the in-plane strain ranges on the identification results are discussed. The validity of this identification method is verified by comparing the identification results with the exact ones.     

基于FBG传感技术的复合材料T型加筋板低速冲击损伤监测

针对碳纤维增强树脂复合材料低速冲击损伤的实时监测,设计将布拉格光纤光栅（FBG）传感器埋植在复合材料T型加筋板结构的三角填充区,在线监测复合材料T型加筋板冲击损伤过程。分别将FBG传感器埋植于复合材料层合板内部和复合材料T型加筋板的三角填充区,对比FBG传感器的埋入对复合材料层合板和复合材料T型加筋板力学性能的影响。结果表明,内埋FBG传感器的复合材料层合板试样的拉伸强度比未埋植传感器的层合板试样降低了约5%,但在FBG传感器的破坏应变范围内,FBG传感器可以准确、实时地监测复合材料的应变信号。将FBG传感器埋入复合材料T型加筋板的三角填充区,内埋FBG传感器的T型加筋板样件压缩破坏载荷与未埋植的样件基本一致。通过对比T型加筋板蒙皮上冲击位置、冲击能量对FBG传感器测得的冲击过程持续时间和最大应变值的影响,表明冲击过程持续时间随着冲击能量增大而延长,最大应变值随着冲击距离的增加呈下降趋势,而最大应变值随着冲击能量的增大呈上升趋势。利用FBG传感器测得的应变信号可初步实现对复合材料T型加筋板蒙皮冲击损伤位置及冲击能量的实时监测。      

热残余应力对内埋光纤光栅传感器性能的影响

将布拉格光纤光栅(FBG)埋植于复合材料T型加筋板结构非干涉区—三角填充区作为应变传感器对复合材料加筋板在固化过程及冲击后压缩过程中的应变变化进行监测。对比了光纤刻栅区采用UV光固化树脂涂层保护和未保护的两种FBG传感器的波谱信号变化; 分析了复合材料在固化成型过程中产生的非轴对称热残余应力对FBG传感性能的影响。结果表明, 刻栅区采用聚合物涂层保护的FBG传感器的半峰宽(FWHM)在固化过程中未发生变化, 并且聚合物涂层可以有效地消除非轴对称热残余应力对光纤光栅反射波谱的影响。在冲击后压缩过程中, 采用聚合物涂层保护的FBG传感器测得的应变与贴于试样表面的应变片测得的应变数据一致性较好。本文对埋植于复合材料加筋板三角填充区的FBG传感器在复合材料固化过程及冲击后压缩过程中应变监测的有效性及可靠性进行了有益的探索。     

Damage monitoring of CFRP stiffened panels under compressive load using FBG sensors

FBG sensors were embedded in each of two CFRP stiffened panels fabricated by VaRTM. Low-velocity impacts were applied to one of the panels in order to compare the methods of monitoring impact events using FBG sensors. The main impact damage was an interlaminar delamination inside the skin, which could be observed by an ultrasonic C-scan. A monitoring method using the full spectral signals was more effective in evaluating the impact damages in detail than that using the center wavelength. Following the impact tests, buckling behaviors were investigated under compressive loading using FBG sensors and surface-attached strain gauges. The FBG sensors could evaluate strain changes resulting from buckling behaviors under relatively low compressive loading. They could also evaluate damage growth until the final failure and difference of buckling behaviors between panels with and without impact damages.     

Finite element fatigue propagation of induced cracks by stiffeners in repaired panels with composite patches

Fatigue crack growth analyses of aluminum panels with stiffeners repaired by composite patches have been rarely investigated. Generally, cracks may occur around the rivets which are capable to propagate under cyclic loadings. A composite patch can be used to stop or retard the crack growth rate. In this investigation, finite element method is used for the crack propagation analyses of stiffened aluminum panels repaired with composite patches. In these analyses, the crack-front can propagate in 3-D general mixed-mode conditions. The incremental 3-D crack growth of the repaired panels is automatically handled by a developed ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) code. Effects of rivets distances and their diameters on the crack growth life of repaired panels are investigated. Moreover, the obtained crack-front shapes at various crack growth steps, crack trajectories, and life of the unrepaired and repaired panels with various glass/epoxy patch lay-ups and various patch thicknesses are discussed.     

REPAIR EFFICIENCY IN FATIGUE-CRACKED ALUMINIUM COMPONENTS REINFORCED WITH BORON/EPOXY PATCHES

This paper describes studies on fatigue crack propagation in cracked aluminium alloy (2024 T3) panels repaired with boron/epoxy patches, adhesively bonded with either an epoxy-nitrile film adhesive or an acrylic adhesive. Studies were undertaken to assess the effect on patching efficiency of (a) disbonding of the patch system and (b) test temperature. A simple model is proposed for estimating the reduction of patching efficiency due to cyclic disbonding of the reinforcement. In the elevated-temperature tests it was found, unexpectedly, that patching efficiency in panels patched using the film adhesive was unaffected by temperatures up to 100°C.     

Experimental fatigue crack growth and crack-front shape analysis of asymmetric repaired aluminium panels with glass/epoxy composite patches

In this study, we investigate the experimental fatigue crack-growth behaviour of centrally cracked aluminium panels in mode-I condition which have been repaired with single-side composite patches. It shows that the crack growths non-uniformly from its initial location through the thickness of the single-side repaired panels. The propagated crack-front shapes are preformed for various repaired panels with different patch thicknesses. It is shown that there are considerable differences between the crack-front shapes obtained for thin repaired panels with various patch thicknesses. However, the crack-front shapes of thick repaired panels are not significantly changed with various patch thicknesses. Furthermore, effects of patch thickness on the crack growth life of the repaired panels are investigated for two typical thin and thick panel thicknesses. It shows that the crack growth life of thin panels may increase up to 236% using a 16 layers patch. However, for thick panels, the life may extended about 21–35% using a 4 layers patch, and implementing 8 and 16 layers patches has not a significant effect on the life extension with respect to the 4 layers patch life.     

Numerical and experimental fatigue crack growth analysis in mode-I for repaired aluminum panels using composite material

Crack-front shape is an important parameter influencing the stress intensity factor and crack propagation rate in asymmetric repaired panels. In this study, the numerical and experimental fatigue crack growth behaviour of centrally cracked aluminum panels in mode-I condition repaired with single-side composite patches are investigated. It is shown that the crack growths non-uniformly from its initial location through the thickness of a single-side repaired panel. There is a good agreement between the propagated crack-front shapes obtained from finite element analysis with those obtained from the experiments for various repaired panels with different patch thicknesses. Furthermore, effects of plate and patch thickness on the crack growth life of the repaired panels are investigated. The experimental results show that the crack growth life of thin panels may increase up to 236% using a 16 layers patch. However, for thick panels, the life may extend about 21–35% using a 4 layers patch. Implementing of 8 and 16 layers patches has not a significant effect on the life extension of thick panels with respect to the 4 layers patch life.     

Fibre composite repair of cracked metallic aircraft components — practical and basic aspects

Crack patching, the use of advanced fibre composite patches (such as boron/epoxy or graphite/epoxy) bonded with structural film adhesives to repair cracks in metallic aircraft components, is a significant development in aircraft maintenance technology, offering many advantages over conventional repair procedures based on metallic patches and mechanical fasteners. This paper reviews selected theoretical and experimental aspects of Australian work on this topic and describes a preliminary design approach for estimating the minimum thickness patch that could be employed in a given repair situation. Finally, the paper provides a case study on our repair to the wing skin of Mirage III aircraft. Aspects discussed include evaluation of minimum cure and surface treatment conditions for adhesive bonding in repair situations, potential thermal and residual stress problems, resulting from patching, studies on overlap joints representing repairs and crack propagation behaviour in patched panels.     

A scientific evaluation of the approximate 2D theories for composite repairs to cracked metallic components

In this paper, we show how the published literature reveals that the approximate two-dimensional solution for the stress intensity factor associated with cracked panel repaired using an externally bonded composite repair is inconsistent with experimental data, and that for short to mid-size cracks the fibre bridging effect is often a second-order effect. The result of this finding is that prediction of the effect of a composite repair on the structural integrity of cracked components repaired by an externally bonded composite repair is dramatically simplified. We also show why structures repaired using Glare patches have a fatigue performance that is superior to structures repaired using boron epoxy or carbon fibre patches.     

智能结构振动同位配置控制中的局部应变研究

摘 要：在压电结构振动主动控制中,往往采用同位配置的方法。实验中发现当压电驱动器施加控制电压后,其反向同位的压电传感器将会受到局部应变的影响,控制效果就会降低。为进一步分析局部应变的影响机理,以板结构为研究对象,采用ANSYS进行了谐响应分析,比较了对称位置传感片电压幅值与相位,理论上验证了局部应变存在。最后通过方波激励和MCS算法对飞机壁板进行振动控制实验验证了局部应变的影响,为进一步提高主动控制效果研究奠定了良好的基础。     

Compressive behaviour of CFRP laminates repaired with adhesively bonded external patches

Composite patches can be used to reinforce and repair both cracked composite and metallic aircraft structures. The repair of a composite structure with a composite patch may use mechanical fastening, which often introduces undesirable stress concentrations or adhesive bonding, external or flush patches. To ensure a reliable and durable bond, various parameters such as the quality of surface preparation and the design of the composite patch (size, shape, stiffness) are very important. This paper describes the testing of bonded external patch repaired CFRP laminates loaded in compression. It is found that the critical failure mechanism is fibre microbuckling in the 0° plies accompanied by matrix cracking and delamination, triggered by failures at the adhesive/adherend interface. A three-dimensional finite element analysis is performed to estimate the stress field in the repaired region. The calculated stresses are then used with the maximum stress and average stress failure criteria to predict damage initiation, mode and location. Carefully designed external patch repairs can recover more than 80% of the undamaged compressive strength.     

金属裂纹板复合材料胶接修补强度的弹塑性有限元预测

金属裂纹板经复合材料补片胶接修补后,其结构强度明显提高,但裂纹板中的裂纹会导致严重的应力集中现象,并易产生塑性变形,呈现强烈的材料物理非线性特性,需要采用弹塑性力学原理,进行复合材料胶接修复结构的静强度预测。为此,考虑金属板材料的非线性特性,建立了金属裂纹板复合材料胶接修补结构的弹塑性有限元模型,并通过试验验证了模型的有效性。在此基础上,提出了基于裂纹尖端的张开位移(COD)判据的拉伸强度预测方法,分析了修复结构的塑性应变、COD以及静拉伸强度。结果表明:相对于应力强度因子K判据, COD判据能更有效地预测修复试件的静拉伸强度。      

Damage Assessment of Composite Structures Using Digital Image Correlation

The steady increase of Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Structures in modern aircraft will reach a new dimension with the entry into service of the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350. Replacement of damaged parts will not be a preferable solution due to the high level of integration and the large size of the components involved. Consequently the need to develop repair techniques and processes for composite components is readily apparent. Bonded patch repair technologies provide an alternative to mechanically fastened repairs with significantly higher performance, especially for relatively thin skins. Carefully designed adhesively bonded patches can lead to cost effective and highly efficient repairs in comparison with conventional riveted patch repairs that cut fibers and introduce highly strained regions. In this work, the assessment of the damage process taking place in notched (open-hole) specimens under uniaxial tensile loading was studied. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques were employed to obtain full-field surface strain measurements in carbon-fiber/epoxy T700/M21 composite plates with different stacking sequences in the presence of an open circular hole. Penetrant enhanced X-ray radiographs were taken to identify damage location and extent after loading around the hole. DIC strain fields were compared to finite element predictions. In addition, DIC techniques were used to characterise damage and performance of adhesively bonded patch repairs in composite panels under tensile loading. This part of work relates to strength/stiffness restoration of damaged composite aircraft that becomes more important as composites are used more extensively in the construction of modern jet airliners. The behaviour of bonded patches under loading was monitored using DIC full-field strain measurements. Location and extent of damage identified by X-ray radiography correlates well with DIC strain results giving confidence to the technique for structural health monitoring of bonded patches.     

Modeling and validation of composite patch repair to cracked thick and thin metallic panels

A two-dimensional finite element analysis is presented to predict crack growth behavior of cracked panels repaired with bonded composite patch. Fatigue experiments were conducted with precracked aluminum specimens of two thicknesses (1 and 6.35 mm), with and without debond, and repaired asymmetrically. Fatigue lives of thick and thin repaired panels extended four and ten times relative to unrepaired cases, respectively. The predicted fatigue crack growth rates were in agreement with experimental values at the unpatched face but not at the patched face. Thus, the present analysis provides a conservative assessment of durability and damage tolerance of repaired thin and thick panels.     

复合材料胶接修补件力学性能的实验研究与数值模拟

进行复合材料修补的铝合金板的静强度实验,测定载荷-位移曲线,分析破坏机理,并讨论了胶层材料性能、复合材料补片性能与厚度等因素对修补件静强度的影响;建立了修补件的三维有限元模型,模拟修补件的载荷-位移曲线和应力分布,验证了模型的有效性;根据应力分布计算结果和失效准则,预测初始损伤及裂纹产生的位置,并估算破坏强度,预测结果...     

Fatigue crack growth behavior of cracked aluminum plate repaired with composite patch

In this study, we investigated the fatigue crack growth behavior of cracked aluminum plate repaired with bonded composite patch especially in thick plate. Adhesively bonded composite patch repair technique has been successfully applied to military aircraft repair and expanded its application to commercial aircraft industry recently. Also this technique has been expanded its application to the repair of load bearing primary structure from secondary structure repair. Therefore, a through understanding of crack growth behavior of thick panel repaired with bonded composite patch is needed. We investigated the fatigue crack growth behavior of thick panel repaired with bonded composite patch using the stress intensity factor range (ΔK) and fatigue crack growth rate (da/dN). The stress intensity factor of patched crack was determined from experimental result by comparing the crack growth behavior of specimens with and without repair. Also, by considering the three-dimensional (3D) stress state of patch crack, 3D finite element analyses were performed to obtain the stress intensity factor of crack repaired by bonded composite patch. Two types of crack front modeling, i.e. uniform crack front model and skew crack front model, were used. The stress intensity factor calculated using FEM was compared with the experimentally determined values.     

Finite element analysis of bonded repairs to edge cracks in panels subjected to acoustic excitation

The skin of an aircraft can vibrate as a result of pressure waves caused by engine and/or aerodynamic effects. In modern fighter aircraft such as the F/A-18, sound pressure levels have been recorded up to 170 dB over the surface of the skin. In the F/A-18 cracking has occurred in the lower nacelle, typically along the boundaries of the panel. These cracks often originate from a fastener line, grow along the boundary and then turn into the centre of the panel. In the case of the F/A-18, cracking was due to higher than expected pressure levels caused by an aerodynamic disturbance at the inlet lip. Attempts have been made to repair these panels with boron fibre patches, however the cracks have continued to grow. This paper aims at attempting to understand the mechanisms of cracking of the panels subjected to acoustic excitation and the influence of bonded repairs. Also, the analysis is extended to a feasibility study on the effects of enlarging the patch and increasing material damping on the stress intensity factor.     

复合材料胶接修理层合板拉伸性能及影响参数

胶接修理是效率较高、应用较广的复合材料结构修补技术。对采用不同参数进行挖补和贴补修理的复合材料层合板的拉伸性能进行实验研究。结果表明:挖补修理实验件的强度恢复率约为66%~91%,贴补修理实验件的强度恢复率约为44%~61%。在挖补修理实验件中,减小挖补斜度、采用双面挖补、使用热压罐固化,在贴补修理实验件中,采用双面贴补、增大补片尺寸,均可得到更高的强度恢复率。在实验基础上建立的有限元模型,能够有效预测实验件的失效载荷、破坏模式,并可分析实验件的应力分布和渐进损伤过程,为设计修理方案提供参考。