Analysis of Metal to Composite Adhesive Joins in Space Applications

Sammanfattning: Within the European space programme, a new upper stage engine (Vinci) for the Ariane 5 launcher is being developed, and the Volvo Aero Corporation (VAC) is contributing with tur-bines for the fuel turbopumps. This MSc thesis investigates the possibility of designing the Turbine Exhaust Duct (TED) of the Vinci-engine in a carbon fibre composite material with adhesively attached titanium flanges. The focus of the project has been on stress analyses of the adhesive joints using Finite Element Methods (FEM), more specifically by using a cohe-sive zone material (CZM) to model the adhesive layer. Analysing adhesive joints is complex and an important part of the work has been to develop and concretise analysis methods for future use within VAC. To obtain the specialised material parameters needed for a CZM analysis, FE-models of ten-sile test specimens were analysed and the results compared to those of equivalent experimen-tal tensile tests. These parameters were then used when analysing the TED geometry with load cases specified to simulate the actual operation conditions of the Vinci engine. Both two-dimensional axisymmetric and fully three-dimensional models were analysed and, addition-ally, a study was performed to evaluate the effect of cryogenic temperatures on the strength of the joint. The results show that the applied thermal and structural loading causes local stress concentra-tions on the adhesive surface, but the stresses are not high enough to cause damage to the joint if a suitable joint design is used. Cryogenic temperatures (-150 °C) caused a significant strength reduction in the tensile specimens, partially through altered adhesive properties, but no such severe effects were seen in the temperature-dependent FE-analyses of the TED. It should be pointed out however, that some uncertainties about the material parameters exist, since these were obtained in a rather unconventional way. There are also several other impor-tant questions, beside the strength of the adhesive joint, that need to be answered before a metal-composite TED can be realised.