Abstract:
Fiber reinforced thermoplastic (FRTP) has been increasingly applied in the development of next-generation aircraft. During the assembly of FRTP components, titanium alloy high-lock bolts are generally adopted for connection, which results in disadvantages of FRTP joint structures such as high weight, high cost, and complex installation. Considering the unique material property of FRTP, i.e., "melting upon heating-reshaping upon cooling", a hot-press joining method with interference fit using thermoplastic composite fasteners (TPCF) is proposed in this paper. In view of structural load-bearing requirements, TPCF joints are designed at low-load positions, while titanium alloy bolt joints are arranged at high-load positions. This design can give full play to the performance advantages of each type of fastener, thereby achieving lightweight and high-strength connections. Experimental results indicate that the hybrid three-pin joint structure matches the load distribution and bearing capacity of the fasteners. Its failure mode is progressive, which avoids the risk of sudden failure. Compared with the traditional all-titanium alloy bolt joint structure, the hybrid three-pin joint structure reduces the bearing capacity by approximately 6% while achieving a weight reduction of about 30%.