First, a simplified analysis of the factors affecting the joint behavior has been performed. From this simple analysis, it has been shown the necessity of in-depth studies of both the stress states of the laminate in the vicinity of the joint, and the strength of the laminate for its different failure modes.
The next point that has been developed is the stress analysis of the laminate, which has been performed by means of a three-dimensional finite element model of the joint. First of all, the stresses and strains of a typical joint geometry under three different load situations have been calculated, and the evolution of the contact area between the nut and the laminate has been estimated. Next, a comparison between the stress states of the T-bolt joint and those of a double-lap joint has been carried out. Finally, the influence of the laminate curvature on the stress distributions has been evaluated.
One of the main obstacles to the determination of the strength of the laminate in the joint zone is that, in the usual T-bolt designs, the stud fails far before the laminate has reached any of its ultimate loads. Therefore, special fixtures have been designed that are able to transfer the necessary loads to the joint. Tests have been performed using specimens made of two different laminates which have been designed to fail either in the net tension or the bearing mode.
Finally, it has been shown that it is possible to accurately predict the laminate failure load using as input data, on one hand, the net tension and bearing strengths of the laminate, and, on the other, the stress distributions of both the T-bolt and the test specimen used in the estimation of the laminate strengths.
It has been also shown that the safety factors against the laminate failure in a typical T-bolt design used nowadays in the wind turbine industry is quite high (between 3.5 and 5), which shows that there is still some margin for the optimization of the laminate thickness, providing that the presence of some matrix cracks is allowed.
本文转自：China Industry News