Thesis title : Damage tolerance analysis of bonded joints on helicopter’s blade leading edge. Study of defaults solicited in mode I and II, in static and fatigue in different environmental conditions, supevised by M. Imad TAWFIQ, Ms Olga KLINKOVA, M.Tony DA SILVA and M. Cederic LANOUETTE (AIRBUS)

Summery

This thesis explains the analysis of damage propagation in a metallic/composite hybrid structure, assembled with structural adhesives. The chosen approach is based on the experimental identification of the energies release rates for a solicitation in mode I and II. The DCB (Double Cantilever Beam) specimen, which design was first adapted in order to adequately represent the hybrid structure, allows the construction of the R-Curve (evolution of G versus the crack length, a) and the study of the crack speed propagation under dynamic solicitations. The same study was carried out on the ENF specimen (End Notched Flexure).A testing machine was created in order to perform quasi-static and dynamic tests. A thermal chamber was designed to carry out temperature tests and observe the impact of the latter on the fracture mechanics properties of the adhesives. Performing dynamic tests with an imposed ΔG, which allows one to overcome the dependence of G to the damage length in mode I, is what makes this work original.The obtained results highlight the variation of the speed propagation in different environmental conditions, for mode I and II, on composite/metal bonded assemblies.