Fatigue crack growth in aluminum panels repaired with different shapes of single-sided composite patches

Abstract In this study, the effects of patch shape on the performance of bonded composite repairs on aircraft structures are investigated using experimental and numerical approaches. Fatigue tests under constant amplitude loading, with a positive stress ratio, are performed on V-notch cracked specimens using two aluminum alloys, 2024-T3 and 7075-T6 that are repaired with bonded carbon/epoxy patches. Three composite patch shapes are used: rectangular, trapezoidal, and triangular. Left- and right-oriented triangular patch shapes are used to analyze the effects of the patch orientation on the repair efficiency. Numerical models are built with these patch shapes and orientations. The stress intensity factors and adhesive stresses are computed to numerically evaluate the repair performances obtained with the different patch shapes and orientations. The experimental results demonstrate that rectangular patches provide the most efficient repair, whereas the triangular shape with a left-orientation may lead to catastrophic results, particularly with the 2024-T3 aluminum alloy. The numerical results concur with the experimental observations.