Riveting Sequence Study of Horizontal Stabilizer Assembly Using Finite-Element Analysis and Riveting Equivalent Unit
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 27, Issue 6
Abstract
Ribs and edges are the typical deformable aluminum components of the horizontal stabilizer. Riveting is the most common method of joining ribs and edges. Riveting bulging is unavoidable but extremely undesirable in the aircraft assembly. When the bulging effects of rivets coupling, there will be deformation in the aircraft’s structure. Riveting sequence is one important approach to eliminate the coupling effect of the bulging and control the deformation of the aircraft structure. Riveting sequence study of horizontal stabilizer assembly was conducted using finite element method. A riveting equivalent unit is proposed and employed to analyze the deviation induced by different riveting sequences. Equivalent unit for riveting brings a good balance between accuracy and the computational efficiency in finite element analyzing. The results have shown that different riveting sequence results in different dimensional quality, and an optimal riveting sequence of the trailing edge is obtained. It will enhance the understanding of the compliant components assembly with riveting and help systematically improving the precision control efficiency in civil aircraft assembly.
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Acknowledgments
In this article, we show several graphics to explain our method, but we do not need any of them for making practical computation. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51275308), the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2010CB731703) and Fund of National Engineering and Research Center for Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing, China (SAMC13-JS-15-025). The author is also grateful to Mr. Xin Ding conducted the FEA and provided some data and materials in the paper.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 27 • Issue 6 • November 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 8, 2013
Accepted: Jul 9, 2013
Published online: May 28, 2014
Discussion open until: Oct 28, 2014
Published in print: Nov 1, 2014
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