Thermal Control Application for Operative Assessment of Axial Allowance and Radial Clearance in the Bolted Joints of Aviation Structures Components from Composites

Aeronautical and Space-Rocket Engineering


Аuthors

Vermel V. D.1*, Titov S. A.1, Chernyshev D. S.1, Kaz'min E. I.2, Kornilov G. A.1

1. Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after N.E. Zhukovsky (TsAGI), 1, Zhukovsky str., Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, 140180, Russia
2. Soluterm Company, Russian Federation

*e-mail: npk@tsagi.ru

Abstract

Under modern conditions, the increase in number of the parts from composite materials stipulated application of bolt-on junctions with metal bolts while the aggregate assembly. The strength and durability of the joints are largely determined by retention of the operational parameters such as axial tension of the bolts and radial gaps values between the bolt bodies and orifices edges of the parts being joined. As long as the multi-row bolt joints with a large number of the coupling elements are employed in the most loaded and critical structures, a high operational efficiency of the on-line inspection at the characteristic period of the post-flight inspections is necessary.
The article discusses thermal methods of operational non-destructive express inspection of bolted joints under the airfield conditions. The methods are based on the heat redistribution analysis between the heated metal bolts and connected parts made of composite material, recorded by a thermal imager in a sequence of shooting frames. The inspected connection is being heated by a thermal loading source, which includes a set of heating lamps and a uniform radiation reflector. Two heating methods have been studied, namely with the heat source placement from one side of the joint, and on the opposite side relative to the thermal imager.
Thermal imaging processing of the joint elements heating process provides thermograms of the heat distribution between the metal bolts and the PCM parts. 
Significant differences of the thermophysical properties allows evaluating by the heat redistribution the important parameters such as density of the adjacency of the parts surfaces in the joint, which determines axial tension of the connecting bolt. Thermal annular halos relative to the edges of the holes are presented as characteristics of the tension parameters in the joint.
The rational color-grade try-out in the images for their clearness enhancing was performed.
Experimental testing of the method on structurally similar samples allowed establishing correspondence between the thermogram and the controlled connection parameters, namely the radial gaps axial tension of the connecting bolts.
The efficiency of the considered thermal control is ensured by the area of the controlled fragment of the bolted joint, at the significantly limited control time.
The thermograms being obtained allowed identifying visual indicators of the bolted joint parameters quality. 
A patent of the Russian Federation has been obtained for the considered thermal control method.

Keywords:

bolted joints of PCM parts, thermal control of joints, conditions of operational durability for joints, operational control of bolted joints, thermal non-destructive testing of axial and radial tension, thermograms of structural parameters of bolted joints, experimental approbation of the thermal control method

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