NONSTEADY THERMAL-STRESS ANALYSIS AND THERMAL FATIGUE-STRENGTH OF METAL-CFRP BONDED JOINTS

In this paper, a finite-element method (FEM) system of non-steady thermal stress analysis has been developed to analyze the problem of metal-fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) bonded joints. The authors have presented a new algorithm for the system, which can provide an effective thermal stress analysis for metal-carbon-FRP (CFRP) bonded joints. The effectiveness, in terms of the accuracy and central processing unit (CPU) time, has been discussed by analyzing some typical problems. The thermal fatigue strength of Al-CFRP bonded joints has been studied through a series of thermal cyclic fatigue tests. It has been shown that the thermal fatigue strength of the joints can be well described by the maximum equivalent stress at the adhesive layer, which can be calculated by the developed FEM system.