Design and analysis of hybrid joints (bonded and bolted) for aerospace structures

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To make useful structures using composites materials, consideration must be given to the way structural components are joined together. The goal of this project is to develop an optimized design methodology for combined bolted and bonded joints for attaching composite structures. When analyzed independently, there are existing methodologies for both bonded and bolted joints. Combined together as load transfer mechanisms within a joint, the problem becomes more complex. The interactions and failure modes must be understood in order to avoid overdesign and weight penalty in aerospace structures. The benefits of using a combined bolted/bonded joint must be clearly defined so that this joint option can be a logical design choice or alternative. The underlying complexity due to the large number of expected design variables means that any design methodology will benefit from optimization techniques in order to arrive at an optimal solution for the design of bolted/bonded joints. Thus, the goal of this project is to develop an optimized design methodology for combined bolted and bonded joints for attaching composite structures. This is a problem that is essential to design of joints in the Aerospace industry, and is of great academic interest because of the complexity of the problem. Furthermore, there is great potential, due to the applied nature of the research, for training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) that will be useful for future employment in the aerospace sector.