Numerical Optimization by Finite Element Method of Stainless Steel/Glass-Epoxy Composite Bolted Joint under Tension and Compression

The aim of this study was to optimize the geometry and the design of metallic/composite single bolted joints subjected to tension-compression loading. For this purpose, it was necessary to evaluate the stress state in each component of the bolted join. The multi-material assembly was based on the principle of double lap bolted joint. It was composed of a symmetrical balanced woven glass-epoxy composite material plate fastened to two stainless sheets using a stainless pre-stressed bolt. In order to optimize the design and the geometry of the assembly, ten configurations were proposed and studied: a classical simple bolted joint, two joints with an insert (a BigHeadR insert and a stair one) embedded in the composite, two “waved” solutions, three symmetrical configurations composed of a succession of metallic and composites layers, without a sleeve, with one and with two sleeves, and two non-symmetrical constituted of metallic and composites layers associated with a stair-insert (one with a sleeve and one without). A tridimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) was used to model each configuration mentioned above. The FE models taked into account the different materials, the effects of contact between the different sheets of the assembly and the pre-stress in the bolt. The stress state was analyzed in the composite part. The concept of stress concentration factor was used in order to evaluate the stress increase in the highly stressed regions and to compare the ten configurations studied. For this purpose, three stress concentration factors were defined: one for a monotonic loading in tension, another for a monotonic loading in compression, and the third for a tension-compression cyclic loading. The results of the FEM computations showed that the use of alternative metallic and composite layers associated with two sleeves gived low values of stress concentration factors, smaller than 1.4. In this case, there was no contact between the bolt and the composite part and the most stressed region was not the vicinity of the hole but the end of the longest layers of the metallic inserts.

Finite Element Modeling and Modal Analysis of Complicated Structure with Bolted Joints

A contact bolt model is proposed as a new modeling technique to investigate the complex structure with bolted joints for modal analysis and compared with the coupled bolt model, and the test results are given. Among these models, the coupled bolt model provides the best accurate responses compared with the experimental results. The contact bolt model shows the best effectiveness and usefulness in view of operational time. The bolt models proposed in this study are adopted for a dynamic characteristic analysis of a large diesel engine consisting of several parts which are connected by many bolts. The dynamic behavior of the entire engine structure was investigated by experiment. The coupled bolt model and the contact bolt model were applied to model the assembly of engine with high preload. The experimental results are in good agreement with the finite element method （FEM） results. Compared with the other models, the contact bolt model presented in this paper is more effective and useful in view of operational time and experience of analysts.

Effect Mechanisms of Hygrothermal Environments on Failure of Single-Lap and Double-Lap CFRP-Aluminum Bolted Joints

The high demands for load-carrying capability and structural efficiency of composite-metal bolted joints trigger in-depth investigations on failure mechanisms of the joints in hygrothermal environments.However,few studies have been presented to exhaustively reveal hygrothermal effects on the failure of CFRP-metal bolted joints,which differ from CFRP-CFRP or metal-metal bolted joints because of the remarkably different material properties of CFRPs and metals.In this paper,hygrothermal effects on tensile failures of single-lap and double-lap CFRP-aluminum bolted joints were experimentally and numerically investigated.A novel numerical model,in which a hygrothermal-included progressive damage model of composites was established and elastic-plastic models of metals were built,was proposed to predict the failures of the CFRP-metal bolted joints in hygrothermal environments and validated by corresponding experiments.Different failure mechanisms of single-lap and double-lap CFRP-aluminum bolted joints,under 23°C/Dry and 70°C/Wet conditions,were revealed,respectively.It follows that both the collapse failures of the single-lap and double-lap bolted joints were dominated by the bearing failure of the CFRP hole laminate in the two conditions,indicating that the hygrothermal environment did not change the macro failure modes of the joints.However,the hygrothermal environment considerably shortened the damage propagation processes and reduced the strength of the joints.Besides,the hygrothermal environment weakened the load-transfer capability of the single-lap joint more severely than the double-lap joint because it aggravated the secondary bending effects of the single-lap joint obviously.

Bearing Failure Optimization of Composite Double-Lap Bolted Joints Based on a Three-Step Strategy Marked By Feasible Region Reduction and Model Decoupling

To minimize the mass and increase the bearing failure load of composite double-lap bolted joints,a three-step optimization strategy including feasible region reduction,optimization model decoupling and optimization was presented.In feasible region reduction,the dimensions of the feasible design region were reduced by selecting dominant design variables from numerous multilevel parameters by sensitivity analyses,and the feasible regions of variables were reduced by influence mechanism analyses.In model decoupling,the optimization model with a large number of variables was divided into various sub-models with fewer variables by variance analysis.In the third step,the optimization sub-models were solved one by one using a genetic algorithm,and the modified characteristic curve method was adopted as the failure prediction method.Based on the proposed optimization method,optimization of a double-lap single-bolt joint was performed using the ANSYS®code.The results show that the bearing failure load increased by 13.5%and that the mass decreased by 8.7%compared with those of the initial design of the joint,which validated the effectiveness of the three-step optimization strategy.

Bolt Design of Ceramic Matrix Composite and Superalloy Bolted Joint Based on Damage Failure Load

Ceramic matrix composite(CMC)and superalloy bolted joints are commonly used high temperature connection structures in aerospace and aeronautical fields.In this paper,a finite element model coupled with progressive damage analysis of 2D C/SiC composites and superalloy bolted joint was implemented to simulate the uniaxial tensile loading process by using the ABAQUS finite element software.The parametric effects of raised head bolt on stress distribution,tensile performance,and damage process were studied for the CMC⁃superalloy bolted joint structures.The results showed that the final failure load increased first to the maximum value,and then decreased with the rise of bolt diameter,bolt head diameter,and bolt head thickness,respectively.When the three parameters were 5.0 mm,9.5 mm,and 2.8 mm for the current studied bolt configuration,the joint structure gave the maximum load bearing capacity for the considered parameter ranges.It was also found that around 42%potential improvement in load bearing capacity could be achieved by very small adjustments in bolt parameters of the joints.

Influence of bolt dynamic installation on topography characteristics and mechanical behaviors of CFRP interference-fit bolted joints

As the controlled research of Dynamic Installation(DI)and Static Installation(SI),a new interference installation method was developed based on electromagnetic loading to enhance the mechanical properties of composite structures.Four different interference-fit sizes were considered,ranging from a net fit to 2.0%.The experiments were conducted to evaluate the installation resistance and the mechanical behavior of the joint under external loads.Meanwhile,an FFA model to model the stress distribution and damage behavior of the bolt-hole contact interface was established.The load-displacement curve and damage modes of experiments were used to verify the FEA results.The results show that the installation resistance during DI process was remarkably lower than that of SI process corresponding to all interference-fit sizes,and the stress amplitudes induced by interference were larger and widely distributed.The damage of the hole wall was positively correlated with interference fit size,but DI can significantly reduce the damage compared to SI.In performance tests,DI enhanced the static bearing capacity and extended longer fatigue life of the joints than SI.DI methods can be an effective way to achieve highly reliable interference joints in composite structures.

Analysis of friction‐related acoustic emission in bolted joint structures

A bolted joint may be in a state of continuous fretting friction and wear under random oscillatory loading,which makes the bolted joint prone to loosening.Therefore,it is essential to find a way to monitor the contact state of a bolted joint on time and handle it adeptly.Acoustic emission(AE)signals will be generated during the reciprocating friction of the bolted joint interface.Exploring the relationship between the frictional slip features and the acoustic emission characteristics under different bolt preloads can lay the foundation for using the acoustic emission techniques to monitor the pretightening state of bolted joints.This paper experimentally investigates the acoustic emission signals of a bolted joint structure during friction under different preloads,three repeated tests are implemented.The relationship between friction behavior and acoustic emission characteristics under different preloads is studied.The evolution of classical acoustic emission parameters and kinematic parameters with bolt preload levels is also analyzed.The 3‐D topography of the specimens after parametric tests is analyzed.The results show that the characteristics of both burst‐type and continuous‐type acoustic emission can reflect different friction behavior under different bolt preloads.The evolution curves of acoustic emission parameters changed under the interaction of both frictional kinematic parameters and bolt preload levels.For the 3‐D surface topography,the reciprocating friction shears the peaks and fills the surface valleys,and the topography of the scratched surface areas is redistributed.

Semi-analytical Stiffness Model of Bolted Joints in Machine Tools Considering the Coupling Effect

This study proposes an improved semi-analytical approach for contact stiffness modeling of bolted joints in a machine tool system.First,nonlinear contact stress distribution within a single-bolted joint is obtained from the simulation results of finite element analysis software.Second,employing the Hertz contact theory and fractal theory,the contact stiffness model of a single asperity is formulated,affording analytical expressions for normal and tangential contact stiffnesses of a single-bolted joint by integrating multi-asperities in the contact area.Subsequently,considering two test specimens as illustrations,the mode shapes and natural frequencies of the proposed model and modal analysis tests are compared,and the influence of coupling effects between two adjacent bolts is illustrated.The maximum error in the natural frequencies of the proposed approach is<2.73%relative to the experimental results.Finally,the measurements of frequency response functions on a box-in-box precision horizontal machine tool are conducted to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed model.The proposed model is highly efficient in revealing the influence of microcontact factors on the contact stiffness of bolted joints and in guiding the optimal functional design of bolt arrangements under the framework of virtual machine tools.

Experimental study on the shear performance of quasi-NPR steel bolted rock joints

Quasi-NPR(negative Poisson’s ratio)steel is a new type of super bolt material with high strength,high ductility,and a micro-negative Poisson’s effect.This material overcomes the contrasting characteristics of the high strength and high ductility of steel and it has significant energy-absorbing characteristics,which is of high value in deep rock and soil support engineering.However,research on the shear resistance of quasi-NPR steel has not been carried out.To study the shear performance of quasi-NPR steel bolted rock joints,indoor shear tests of bolted rock joints under different normal stress conditions were carried out.Q235 steel and#45 steel,two representative ordinary bolt steels,were set up as a control group for comparative tests to compare and analyze the shear strength,deformation and instability mode,shear energy absorption characteristics,and bolting contribution of different types of bolts.The results show that the jointed rock masses without bolt reinforcement undergo brittle failure under shear load,while the bolted jointed rock masses show obvious ductile failure characteristics.The shear deformation ca-pacity of quasi-NPR steel is more than 3.5 times that of Q235 steel and#45 steel.No fracture occurs in the quasi-NPR steel during large shear deformation and it can provide stable shear resistance.However,the other two types of control bolts become fractured under the same conditions.Quasi-NPR steel has significant energy-absorbing characteristics under shear load and has obvious advantages in terms of absorbing the energy released by shear deformation of jointed rock masses as compared with ordinary steel.In particular,the shear force plays a major role in resisting the shear deformation of Q235 steel and#45 steel,therefore,fracture failure occurs under small bolt deformation.However,the axial force of quasi-NPR steel can be fully exerted when resisting joint shear deformation;the steel itself does not break when large shear deformation occurs,and the supporting effect of the jointed rock mass is effectively guaranteed.

Bolt insertion damage and mechanical behaviors investigation of CFRP/CFRP interference fit bolted joints

Interference fit has advantages in improving fatigue behaviors of composite bolted joints,however, interference fit bolt insertion tends to cause damages in laminates weakening joint mechanical properties. Therefore, an experimental study was conducted to investigate bolt insertion damages of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer(CFRP)/CFRP interference fit bolted joints.Mechanical behaviors of joints were also evaluated experimentally under both quasi-static loads and cyclic loads. Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) and high-resolution X-ray micro-CT scan were used to examine micro damages in laminates. Damage and failure behaviors of joints were characterized. The results demonstrated that the hole entrance in upper laminate and the laminate boundary near the hole wall were the most critical regions for damages during bolt insertions. However, the influence of those damages on quasi-static failure loads and fatigue failure modes of joints was minimal. Delamination and matrix cracking occurred first in laminates following fiber and matrix fracture in quasi-static tensile tests. Interference fit could improve the fatigue resistance of the laminate hole, however, the bolt seemed to suffer a more critical local fatigue loading condition.This paper can contribute to composite structure designs, especially in understanding damage and failure behaviors of composite bolted joints.

Experimental and numerical investigations on fatigue behavior of aluminum alloy 7050-T7451 single lap four-bolted joints

The fatigue behavior of aluminum alloy 7050-T7451 single lap four-bolted joints was studied by high- frequency fatigue test and finite element （FE） methods. The fatigue test results showed that a better enhancement of fatigue life was achieved for the joints with highlocked bolts by employing the combinations of cold expansion, interference fit, and clamping force. The fractography revealed that fatigue cracks propagated tortuously; more fatigue micro-cliffs, tearing ridges, lamellar structure were observed, and fatigue striation spacing was simultaneously reduced. The evaluation of residual stress conducted by FE methods confirmed the experimental results and locations of fatigue crack initiation. The extension of fatigue lives can be attributed to the evolution of fatigue damage and effect of beneficial compressive residual stresses around the hole, resulting in the delay of crack initiation, crack deflection, and plasticityinduced crack closure.2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science ＆ Technology.

Influence of Non-uniform Parameter of Bolt Joint on Complexity of Frequency Characteristics of Cylindrical Shell

Bolt connection is one of the main fixing methods of cylindrical shell structures.A typical bolted connection model is considered as a tuned system.However,in the actual working conditions,due to the manufacturing error,installation error and uneven materials of bolts,there are always random errors between different bolts.To investigate the influence of non-uniform parameters of bolt joint,including the stiffness and the distribution position,on frequency complexity characteristics of cylindrical shell through a statistical method is the main aim of this paper.The bolted joints considered here were simplified as a series of springs with random features.The vibration equation of the bolted joined cylindrical shell was derived based on Sanders’thin shell theory.The Monte Carlo simulation and statistical theory were applied to the statistical analysis of mode characteristics of the system.First,the frequency and mode shape of the tuned system were investigated and compared with FEM.Then,the effect of the random distribution and the random constraint stiffness of the bolts on the frequency and mode shape were studied.And the statistical analysis on the natural frequencies was evaluated for different mistuned levels.And some special cases were presented to help understand the effect of random mistuning.This research introduces random theory into the modeling of bolted joints and proposes a reference result to interpret the complexity of the modal characteristics of cylindrical shells with non-uniform parameters of bolt joints.

Tensile properties of a composite–metal single-lap hybrid bonded/bolted joint

Hybrid bonded/bolted(HBB) joint has been widely used in engineering practice because it can overcome the potential weakness of pure bonded and pure bolted joints. However, studies on HBB joint are still at the initial stage. In this paper, tensile properties of a composite–metal singlelap HBB joint was investigated experimentally. And a detailed finite element model(FEM) was established to simulate the tensile behavior of the joint. The model was verified by the experimental results. Then the damage propagation and load transfer mechanism were explored based on the FEM. The results show that the HBB joint can provide multi-load transmission paths and resist damage propagation in the adhesive. The HBB joint has higher strength and energy absorption capacity than the pure bonded joint. And the HBB joint has greater initial damage load and tensile stiffness than pure bolted joint. Adhesive fillets can obviously improve the tensile performances of the HBB joint. Lateral stiffness of the joint boundary and testing machine show obvious effects on tensile performances of single-lap hybrid joints.

Numerical investigation on the position of holes for reducing stress concentration in composite plates with bolted and riveted joints

This paper studies the effects of fiber orientaion and holes position on stress concentration and the determination of weakened areas in the composite of glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin around the hole for joints by using the finite element method.In this study,for the observation of areas affected by stress concentration Tsai-Wu failure criterion is used to determine the failed elements and ANSYS Software is implemented for modeling.In order to compare the effect of geometric parameters on stress concentration around the holes,two types of hole position arrangement along with fibers orientation have been studied.Results show that the stress concentration coefficient is lower in the second type of holes arrangement in comparison with the first type for the same component dimensions.Increasing the distance from hole center to upper or lower edge of the sample and also decreasing the distance between holes,would result in an increase in the stress concentration.

Experimental study on anti-penetration mechanism of bolted composite protective structure with limited span under impact of low-velocity projectile

In order to study the influence of the bolt joint mode on low-velocity projectiles penetrating the composite protective structure,two bolt joint models which connect the composite target to the fixed frame were designed,the ballistic test of the bolted composite protective structure with limited span was carried out,and the bearing and failure characteristics of the bolted region,as well as the energy dissipation of each part of the structure,were analyzed.The results show that in the condition of lowvelocity impact,there are three failure modes for the bolted composite protective structure subjected to projectile penetration,including failure of the impact point of the composite target,failure of protective structure connecting components and failure of the holes in the bolted region of the composite target;the failure mode of bolt holes in the bolted region has a great influence on the protection performance,and the allowable value of the bearing capacity of the bolted region depends on the sum of the minimum failure load in the failure modes and the friction force;shear-out failure occurring in the bolt holes in the bolted region exerts the greatest effect on ballistic performance,which should be avoided;When simultaneous failure occurs in the bolted region and the free deformation region of the composite protective structure,the energy absorption per unit surface density of the composite protective structure reaches the maximum,which can give full play to its anti-penetration efficiency.

Experimental and numerical investigation of a composite structure with frame and skin

A composite structure with frame and skin based on cabin structure in a large space telescope is studied in this paper.The frame is composed of longitudinal and transverse beams with hybrid bonded/bolted joints,and the skin is connected to the frame by bolts.Tensile tests are conducted on the structure by a set of test stand.It is observed that residual deformation occurs in the first test of the structure,which is attributed to the relative sliding between the skin and frame because of bolt-hole clearances.The high tightening torque and the increased number of the skin-frame bolts contribute to the high stiffness of the structure.A finite element model(FEM)of this composite structure is established,and the simulation model is verified by the experimental results.The FEM is contrastively analyzed with different frame joints,and it is found that adhesive joining in the hybrid bonded/bolted joints enhances the stiffness of the structure significantly.Given that adhesive plays a leading role in the stiffness of the hybrid joints,Tie contact in FEM is proposed to simulate bonded or hybrid joints when studying the stiffness performance of undamaged structure.

Experimental study and stress analysis of rock bolt anchorage performance

A new method was developed to apply pull-and-shear loads to the bolt specimen in order to evaluate theanchorage performance of the rebar bolt and the D-Bolt. In the tests, five displacing angles （0°, 20°, 40°,60°, and 90°）, two joint gaps （0 mm and 30 mm）, and three kinds of host rock materials （weak concrete,strong concrete, and concrete-granite） were considered, and stressestrain measurements were conducted.Results show that the ultimate loads of both the D-Bolt and the rebar bolt remained constantwith any displacing angles. The ultimate displacement of the D-Bolt changed from 140 mm at the0 displacing angle （pure pull） to approximately 70 mm at a displacing angle greater than 40. Thedisplacement capacity of the D-Bolt is approximately 3.5 times that of the rebar bolt under pure pull and50% higher than that of the rebar bolt under pure shear. The compressive stress exists at 50 mm from thebolt head, and the maximum bending moment value rises with the increasing displacing angle. The rebarbolt mobilises greater applied load than the D-Bolt when subjected to the maximum bending. Theyielding length （at 0） of the D-Bolt is longer than that of the rebar bolt. The displacement capacity of thebolts increased with the joint gap. The bolt subjected to joint gap effect yields more quickly with greaterbending moment and smaller applied load. The displacement capacities of the D-Bolt and the rebar boltare greater in the weak host rock than that in the hard host rock. In pure shear condition, the ultimateload of the bolts slightly decreases in the hard rock. The yielding speed in the hard rock is higher thanthat in the weak rock. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combined and interactive effects of interference fit and preloads on composite joints

The combined and interactive effects of the bolt-hole fit conditions and the preloads of the fasteners on the load carrying capacity of single-lap composite-to-titanium bolted joints have been investigated both experimentally and numerically. Quasi-static tests of the hybrid joints with different fit conditions are implemented, and a three dimensional finite element progressive failure analysis model is proposed to predict the influences of the bolt-hole fit conditions and fastener＇s pre- loads on the mechanical behaviors of the joints. Based on the experimental validated simulation method, a multi-factor, mixed levels orthogonal design table and the analysis of variance method are used to arrange the simulation conditions and to further study the interactive effects of preloads and fit conditions. Through the analysis of the results, for the researched double bolt, single-lap composite-titanium joints, it is found that： the effects of both the interference fit and the preloads change from positive into negative mode with the increase of the interference fit values or preload values; appropriate bolt-hole fit conditions and preloads can improve the bolt-hole contact conditions of the loaded joints, and then retard the fiber failures around the fastener holes, and increase the load carrying capacity of the joints eventually; the interactive effect of the bolt-hole interference fit conditions and preloads cannot be ignored and the parameters need to be considered together and synthetically as the joints are being optimized.

Uncertainty evaluation for bearing fatigue property of CFRP double-lap,single-bolt joints

The considerable uncertainty in mechanical properties of composite bolted joints not only prevents advanced composite materials from efficient applications,but also threatens the safety and reliability of the aircraft structures.In this paper,the uncertainty in bearing fatigue properties of a CFRP double-lap,single-bolt joint was evaluated by combing a Progressive Fatigue Damage Model(PFDM)with the interval analysis method.In the PFDM,a residualstrain-based gradual material degradation model and a strain-based fatigue failure criterion were combined with a micromechanics-based sudden material degradation model to predict fatigue properties of the joint.Based on the interval analysis,the key uncertain parameters,which were firstly picked out from eighteen structural parameters of the joint,were described by estimated intervals,and the envelope cases were determined to estimate the lower and upper bounds of fatigue properties of the joint.The predicted results have the same tendency with the experimental results in literatures,which indicates that the PFDM combined with the interval analysis shows potential in efficiently evaluating the fatigue reliability of the complex bolted joints with an adequate accuracy.

Tensile properties analysis of CFRP-titanium plate multi-bolt hybrid joints

Hybrid joints have better tensile properties than pure bonded and bolted bolts,and are increasingly used in the aerospace field.Tensile tests are carried out for the Hybrid Bonded/Bolted(HBB)joints of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer(CFRP)laminate and titanium alloy plate under different bolt numbers,and the corresponding load–displacement curves are obtained.At the same time,based on Continuum Damage Mechanics(CDM)theory,which is derived from 3D Hashin failure criteria,and a Cohesive Zone Model(CZM),the tensile strength prediction model of the composite laminate-titanium alloy plate multi-bolted HBB joint was established,and the numerical simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental height,which validate the feasibility of the model.The difference in the bearing capacity of HBB joints under different numbers of bolts is compared and analyzed.On this basis,the influence of inter-bolt distance on the tensile properties of the HBB joints is explored.The results show that the double-nail HBB joints can effectively improve the end warpage and low bearing capacity of the single-nail HBB joints.The tensile failure load of the double-nail HBB joints under the standard lap width(30 mm)is 82.6%higher than that of the single nail,the tensile failure load of the three-bolt HBB joints is 34.1%higher than that of the double nail.For the three-bolt HBB joint,the joint strength is controlled by the adhesive and the external bolt,while the internal bolt is redundant,the hybrid joint can be simplified by reducing the middle bolt.The inter-bolt distance has a great influence on the failure load of the hybrid joint.Increasing the inter-bolt distance can effectively improve the bearing capacity of the structure.