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Composite Patch Repair Methodology for Damaged Aircrafts Structural

Components

Conference Paper · June 2004

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 Composite Patch Repair Methodology for Damaged Aircraft
Structural Components

Z. Marioli-Rigaa and E.E. Gdoutosb

a
Hellenic Aerospace Industry
GR-320 09 Schimatari, Greece
b
School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace
GR-671 00 Xanthi, Greece

ABSTRACT

Composite patch repair is a recent method of repairing damaged aircraft structural components. The basic
principle of the method is to adhesively bond a composite patch over the damaged area in order to restore
the load carrying capacity of the structure. The method of composite patch repair presents many advantages
over the traditional method of using metallic patches, such as, no fastener holes for patch application are
needed, and therefore, no microcracks develop, a uniform stress transfer results, no drilling is necessary,
and the time and cost for the repair are substantially reduced. In the present paper, a step by step stress
analysis methodology for the design of composite patch repairs is presented. This involves the selection of
patch material, determination of patch shape and dimensions, calculation of number of plies and their
stacking sequence and selection of the adhesive material and its thickness. The methodology is based on
Rose’s equations and finite element analysis of the repaired cracked plate. The stages of the analysis to
determine the above quantities for a cracked structure are presented in a systematic way. It is anticipated
that the suggested repair design methodology will be a useful tool for the engineer involved in aircraft
maintenance.

Introduction

Repairs based on adhesively bonded composite patches or reinforcements are attractive for many airframe
repair applications because, compared to traditional repair techniques based on mechanically fastened
metallic patches they offer cheaper, quicker and more durable repairs [1-5]. Other advantages include more
uniform and efficient load transfer into the patch, reduced stress concentrations, thinner patches, easy
application especially for double curvature surfaces and reduced risk of corrosion. Furthermore, for some
applications bonded composite patching may be the only alternative to costly component replacement.

For a composite patch repair the material of the patch, the patch shape and dimensions, the number of plies
including the stacking sequence, the adhesive material and its thickness must be selected. For the
calculation of patch dimensions analytical and numerical methods based on Rose; equations and finite
element or boundary element analysis, respectively, have been developed. In the following a standard
analytical methodology for repair of cracked aircraft structures based on Rose’s analytical equations is
developed. The method can equally be applied when numerical methods are used.

Analytical methodology for cracked aircraft structures

An analytical methodology for composite patch repair of metallic aircraft structures based on Rose’s
analytical equations is presented according to the following steps:
Step 1:
Determine the ultimate loads of the structure and find the corresponding stresses σ xx ,σ yy ,σ xy using the
stress report provided by the aircraft manufacturer. The equivalent stress of the structure is calculated
according to the Mises yield condition:

σ mises = σ yield (1)

where σ yield is the yield stress, and

σ mises = σ xx2 + σ yy2 − σ xxσ yy + 3σ xy2 (2)

Step 2

Determine the stress intensity factor (SIF) for the unrepaired cracked structure. For this reason analytical or
numerical methods are used. For a crack in an infinite plate subjected to uniaxial stress σyy normal to the
crack plane the SIF is given by

K IU = σ yy πa (3)

where a is the half crack length

Step 3

Determine the patch geometry.

The patch shape may be either rectangular or elliptical (Figure 1). Additionally, the patch may be double or
single sided. The patch dimensions should be at least 4 to 5 times the length of the crack.

The percentage of plies in each direction should be proportional to the load in this direction:

σ xx
0 degrees plies: × 100%
σ xx + σ yy + σ xy
σ xy
+/- 45 degrees plies: × 100%
σ xx + σ yy + σ xy
σ yy
90 degrees plies: × 100%
σ xx + σ yy + σ xy

For the case of pure tension in the y direction, there are only 90-degree fibers.

The thickness of the patch can be chosen based on the following equivalent stiffness criterion (which is valid
for pure tension loading):
Figure 1: Patch configurations

E p t p = ER t R (4)

where: Ep = Young modulus of cracked structure

tp = Thickness of cracked structure

ER = Equivalent Young’s modulus of the patch perpendicular to the crack

tR = Patch thickness

For a patch consisted of N plies of the same material and thickness the elastic moduli in the x and y
directions are given by the following equations:

1 ⎛⎜ ⎞
N N
Ex =
N⎝ ⎜ ∑i =1
∑
E11 cos 2 θ i + E 22 sin 2 θ i ⎟
i =1
⎟
⎠
modulus in x direction

1 ⎛⎜ ⎞
N N
Ey =
N ⎜⎝ ∑i =1
∑
E11 sin 2 θ i + E 22 cos 2 θ i ⎟
i =1
⎟
⎠
modulus in y direction

where E11 , E22 are the elastic moduli of one single ply parallel and perpendicular to the fibers direction

respectively and θi is the orientation of the ith ply with respect to the x axis.

Step 4:

Determine the stress intensity factor for the repaired structure.

For this reason follow the steps: (Note that the equations that will be presented here are valid for an elliptical
patch, but can also be used for a rectangular patch with reasonable accuracy).

-Calculate the stress in the metal structure under the patch area:
 F
σ0 = (5)
⎛ E pt p ⎞
t p ⎜⎜1 + ⎟⎟
⎝ ERt R ⎠

where F is the distributed load (force per unit length) transmitted across y=0 within the reinforced
region ( x p A ).

-Calculate the maximum stress in the metal that takes place under the outer edge of the patch (at y = 0 ):

⎛ E pt p ⎞
σ max_
plate
⎜
edge = σ 0 ⎜1 +
⎟ (6)
⎝ E R t R ⎟⎠

-Calculate the characteristic crack length Λ :

1 1 ER t R
Λ= (1 + ) (7)
π β E pt p

where the constant β is given by the following equation:

GA 1 1
β2 = ( + ) (8)
t A E p t p ER t R

where: GA = Shear modulus of the adhesive film

tA = Thickness of the adhesive film

-Calculate the SIF of the repaired structure

πaΛ
K IR = σ 0 (9)
a+Λ

Step 5:

Determine the maximum shear strain in the adhesive:

σ 0t p β
γ max
A
= (10)
GA

Step 6:

Determine the maximum stress in the composite patch.

F
σ max
R
= (11)
tR
Step 7:

Check whether the repair is successful. Having calculated the quantities of steps 4, 5 and 6 check whether
the criteria of the following table are satiesfied.

Table 1
Metallic 1
structure ⎛ 1 ⎞m
• ∆K patched < ⎜ ⎟ ∆K unpatched ( ∆K = K max − K min for cyclic loading, λ
⎝λ⎠
is ratio of life increase e.g. 10 times, m is Paris’ law exponent e.g. 3 for
aluminium)
• σ VonMises
patched
< 0.7σ VonMises
unpatched
(at point of reinforcement)

• σ Edgesofpatch < σ strengthofmetal (stresses in the metal at the edges of patch)

Adhesive
• γ A < γ allowable
A
(shear strain in adhesive < allowable)
Composite
Patch
• σ xx < σ xxallowable (stress in load direction < tensile strength of patch)
• verification of non-failure using some interactive criterion (e.g. Tsai-Hill)

Repair process

A repair process follows the steps:

i. Non-destructive inspection of damage: This step includes detection of damage and identification of its
location and dimensions.
ii. Choice of repair material: The material of the patch and the adhesive must carefully be selected.
iii. Stress analysis: The objective of the repair is the reduction of stress intensity factor of the cracked panel.
Thus, the material and the stiffness of the repair should be selected properly
iv. Design of repair: The composite patch including its thickness, stacking sequence, distance between two
thickness steps, etc. must be determined in accordance with stress and application criteria.
v. Surface preparation and application process: The surface of the metallic structure to be repaired should
be carefully prepared for an efficient bonding of the composite patch.
vi. Design of validation test: Tests for the validation of the performed patch repair should be carefully
selected to simulate the actual repair.
vii. Airworthiness: A static and damage tolerance evaluation of the repair should be performed prior to the
release of the aircraft into service.

Application

The above described repair methodology was applied for the repair of three real cases. They include: A
stiffened skin with cracks, a corroded wing skin and a web crack in the aircraft fuselage initiated from a hole.
Details of these repairs will be presented elsewhere.

Conclusions

A step by step analysis methodology was presented for the design of composite patch repairs. The
methodology is part of the repair process of damaged metallic components. The suggested methodology
has adopted reliable analysis methods and has resulted into a single design algorithm. The stages of the
analysis were presented in a systematic way so that to blindly guide the designer through the
design/analysis process. It is anticipated that the suggested repair design algorithm will be a useful tool to
those involved with aircraft maintenance.
 Acknowledgments

This research was sponsored by European Union under the frame of the Brite Euram program.

References

1. “Composite Repairs of Cracked Metallic Airframe Structures”, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal
Aviation Administration, CT-92/32 (May 1993).
2. Fredell R., Mazza J., “Fatigue in New and Ageing Aircraft – The Development of an Integrated Bonded
Repair System”, 19th International Committee on Aeronautical Fatigue Symposium, Edinburgh, Scotland,
(June 1997).
3. Baker A.A, Jones R., “Bonded Repair of Aircraft Structures”, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht,
(1988).
4. Baker A.A., “Bonded Composite Repair of Metallic Aircraft Components – Overview of Australian
Activities”, AGARD, CP-550.6 “An introduction to fatigue in metals and composites”, R.L.Carlsson and
G.A. Kardomateas, Chapman & Hall, London (1996).
5. Tsamasphyros, G.J., Kanterakis, G.N., Karalekas, D., Rapti, D., Gdoutos, E.E., Zacharopoulos, D. and Marioli-
Riga, Z.P., "Study of composite patch repair by analytical and numerical methods", Int. J. Fat. Fract. Eng. Mat.
Struct., 24, 631-636 (2001).

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