Restoration of Natural Frequency and Structural Stiffness in Cracked Aluminum Flexible Beams Using Epoxy-Composite Patch Repair: Experimental Study

A complete experimental research study, with the aid of analysis interpretation by Euler-Bernoulli beam relations formulas, was conducted to explore the impact of bonded repairs with epoxy-glass composite patches on the dynamic properties of the cracked aluminum Flexible Beams. The components were fabricated to undergo stiffness loss due to crack damage and explore the repairs caused by the application of one- and two-sided bonded epoxy-glass composite patches. A miniature version of the beam model simulating the shape and form of a Flexible Beam was tested over four stages - with and without damage and repairs. The results showed that stiffness loss was ۴.۴% due to the ۱۳.۵ mm crack damage; however, almost ۹۸% stiffness restoration was restored by one-sided bond application with one and two-sided application of the epoxy-glass patches. The outcome confirms that applying one- and two-sided bond applications with the use of epoxy-glass patches is significantly effective as an efficient solution with minimal weight to restore cracked Flexible Beams.

کلیدواژه ها:

bonded composite patch ، epoxy adhesive ، stiffness recovery ، modal testing