Analysis of the tensile mechanical performance of the adhesive and rivet hybrid connection in carbon fiber reinforced composite rail vehicles

Abstract

This study demonstrates the development of a high-strength carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite connection for rail vehicles. The structure combines adhesive bonding and riveting techniques. Experimental testing and numerical simulations were employed to conduct an in-depth investigation into the mechanical response and damage characteristics of the train body connection module under quasi-static tensile loading conditions. This study utilizes a validated finite element model to investigate the effects of adhesive length and rivet pitch on the tensile behavior of the components. A detailed analysis of the mechanical behavior of the components was performed using a finite element simulation model in Abaqus/Explicit. The model incorporated a progressive damage framework based on the modified Hashin-Yeh failure criterion to capture intralaminar damage mechanisms. The cohesive zone model was used to simulate delamination and adhesive failure. Based on the validated finite element model, an optimized design strategy was implemented to improve the load-bearing capacity of the structural components by 27.9 %. The results also revealed that both adhesive length and rivet pitch effectively enhanced the load-bearing capacity of the components, highlighting the potential of composite materials in optimizing the mechanical performance of CFRP body connection structures for rail vehicles.