Optimization Design of Patch Shape for Rivet Repair of Aircraft Skin

Abstract

In order to study the effect of patch shape on the strength of the damaged skin after rivet repair, the paper uses the elastic-plastic finite element method to analyze the rivet repair of the circular hole damage and gives the rivet loads of all the rivets under the three shapes of patches respectively. The results show that the circular patch can observably improve the strength of the aircraft skin after rivet repair, compared with the right-angled rectangle patch and the fillet-rectangle patch, in the same condition of the patch materials and rivet parameters and technology equipments. The design can enhance the security of the repaired aircraft and have some values for the peacetime repair and the emergent repair of aircraft structure.