Calvin Rans
Delft University of Technology
Supervised PhD Dissertation
Publication Types:
Multiple-site damage crack growth behaviour in Fibre Metal Laminate structures
Abstract
Fibre metal laminates (FMLs)were developed and refined for their superior crack growth resistance and critical damage size that complimented the damage tolerance design philosophy utilized in the aerospace sector. Robust damage tolerance tools have been developed for FMLs. However, they tend to focus on the evolution of an isolated crack. There is also a risk that they will be invalidated overtime as a result of the occurrence of multiple cracks within one structure (one form of widespread fatigue damage). To combat another failure due to widespread fatigue damage, the airworthiness regulations were revised to include the concept of a Limit of Validity (LOV) of the damage tolerance analyses. Consequently, it is crucial to examine fatigue crack growth (FCG) in FMLs containing Multiple-site Damage (MSD) cracks despite their superior damage tolerance merits. The focus of this thesis therefore is to analyse MSD crack growth in FML structures. Mechanically fastened FML joints are potentially weak structural designs that are susceptible to MSD due to the stress rising contributors such as secondary bending, pin loading and open holes subjected to bypass loading. In this thesis, predictive models were developed to address several key mechanisms that affect FCG in FML joints containing MSD, and validated with corresponding experimental work. Then the predictive models were systematically integrated and implemented for FML joints. It was identified that the nature of fatigue in FMLs led to the load redistribution mechanism as the key factor to be modelled in predicting MSD growth in FMLs. The structural stiffness reductions caused by the presence of multiple cracks resulted in load redistribution from the other cracks to the single crack to be analysed, exacerbating the total stress intensity factor (SIF) experienced at the tips of the single crack, increasing the crack growth rate (CGR). The load redistribution mechanism was first substantiated by investigating FCG in FMLs containing discretely notched layers. The prediction model fairly captured the load redistribution mechanism by idealizing the notches in the metal layers as removals of metal strips. The crack acceleration over a major portion of the crack propagation was well predicted with the model; however, the surge in CGR over roughly 3 mm crack length prior to the link-up was underestimated since the plasticity interaction was not accounted for. The capability of modelling the load redistribution mechanism allows the states of multiple cracks to be analysed one by one. It was found that the load redistribution could not be symmetric for every crack and non-symmetric crack configurations therefore developed in FMLs with finite width. Hence, non-symmetric crack growth in FMLs was also investigated in this work. It was also found that both crack tip non-symmetry and delamination shape non-symmetry affected the crack growth in the metal layers. The model for non-symmetric crack growth in FMLs was validated with experimental data. Good correlation was observed. The model for MSD growth in FML panels sequentially analyses each crack state. The other cracks are idealized as removals of metal strips when analyzing the state of a single crack. This non-physical idealization of the cracks led to consistently conservative prediction results in comparison with the test data. Nevertheless, the prediction model provided good predictions of the evolution of MSD configurations. Additionally, it was proven that a very non-conservative predicted fatigue life could be obtained if the load redistribution mechanism was not considered. The effects of pin loading on FCG in FMLs were also investigated. The test data showed very rapid growth of the crack in the vicinity of the pin loading. The CGR decreased with increasing crack length. The model applied the principle of superposition to split the non-symmetric tension-pin loading into simpler tensile loading and a pair of point loads acting on the crack flanks. The SIFs for the simpler loading cases were derived and superposed to obtain the total SIF as a result of the tension-pin loading. The predicted CGR and equivalent delamination shape correlated with the measurements very well, but the model failed to predict the crack path and the measured delamination shape which were trivial issues for this work. The relevance and applicability of the developed models in this thesis for predicting the MSD behaviour in mechanically fastened FML joints was examined. The predicted results captured the trends of the measured CGR in FML joints containing MSD cracks, although there were some discrepancies. The discrepancies are mainly due to the two major shortcomings of the model which are neglecting the load redistribution over multiple fastener rows and neglecting the effects of secondary bending stresses.
Mixed-Mode Fatigue Disbond on Metallic Bonded Joints
Abstract
Aerospace structures have been long dealing with the safety versus weight issue. Lighter airplanes are cheaper to operate, however, they may face a safety issue because of the reduced fatigue life. Consequently, a heavier/safer structure is designed. Adhesive bonding is a joining technique that offers potential for improvement in the fatigue behavior of a structure, resulting in reduced weight. However, predicting the fatigue behavior of a bonded joint for its use in a damage tolerance design philosophy still remains a problem with no satisfactory solution. Often, the joint is subjected to a combination of peeling and shearing stresses. Hence, one of the most important factors influencing the fatigue behavior of an adhesively bonded joint is the Mode Ratio. The objective of this investigation was to study of the Mode Ratio on the fatigue behavior of a bonded joint. First, the fatigue disbond mechanisms were investigated throughout the entire Mode Ratio range and compared to fatigue delamination mechanisms. After the mechanisms were identifed, a parameter related to the mechanisms was chosen as similitude in the Paris relation and the Mixed-Mode fatigue disbond model was developed. Later, the model was evaluated on a different adhesive and on a condition of variable Mode Ratio. The fatigue disbond mechanisms study identified the local principal stress as the driving force for the micro-crack formation and growth, and the Mode Ratio was identified as the controlling parameter for coalescence between the micro-cracks. Based on these findings, a parameter directly related to the principal stress was proposed as a similitude parameter. Additionally, a linear interpolation between Mode I and Mode II parameters of the Paris relation was proposed to predict the Mixed-Mode fatigue behavior. Thus, the model predicts the fatigue behavior for the entire Mode Ratio range using only pure Mode I and pure Mode II as inputs. The evaluation of this model revealed that it presents good predictions for Mode Ratios in the range of 0% to 50% and conservative predictions in the range of 50% to 100%. The model also seems to be valid in a variable Mode Ratio condition. The limitations and shortcomings of the model along with the limitations of using a damage tolerance philosophy on adhesive bonding were discussed. Despite these issues, the model is an improvement over the models available in the literature because it captures some of the phenomena involved in the Mixed-Mode fatigue disbond. Additionally, the model also reduces the amount of empirical data required for its implementation.