A Comparative Study of Adhesively Bonded Composite Patch

Abstract

Advanced fiber reinforced composite materials are increasingly being used in the manufacture of aerospace structures due to their strength and high strength to weight ratios. In these structures, fastened joints are indispensable for the assembly of structural components. As a result, the development of efficient methods for the design and analysis of fastened composite joints has been the focus of numerous researches over the years. In this study, strain monitoring was investigated in a single sided patched structure. An aluminium (AI-2024 T3) substrate which was repaired with a graphite / epoxy patch is considered under tension. The predictions of the present analysis are verified against those obtained by a three-dimensional ANSYS FE model and the experimental measurements. The measured and predicted strain values are in agreement, verifying the accuracy of the predicted tensile loads.