Torque transmission capabilities of adhesively bonded tubular lap joints for composite drive shafts

Abstract

The stresses and torque transmission capabilities of adhesively bonded circular, hexagonal and elliptical lap joints were analyzed by the three-dimensional finite element method and compared with the experimental results. The adherends of the joints were composed of carbon fiber epoxy composite shafts and steel shafts. In calculating the torque transmission capabilities, the linear laminate properties of the composite material and the nonlinear shear properties of the adhesive were used. Using this method, the torque transmission capabilities of the adhesively bonded lap joints could be calculated accurately, except the circular and the hexagonal single lap joints whose adherends were failed by bulging when the composite adherends had small stacking angles from the shaft axis. The experiments revealed that the hexagonal joint had the best torque transmission capability among the single lap joints, and the double lap joint had better torque transmission capability than the single lap joint. The torque transmission capability of the hexagonal single lap joint was found to be comparable to that of the circular double lap joint.