Experimental and Numerical Studies on Compressive Failure Behaviors of Stepped-Scarf Repaired Composite Stiffened Panels

Composite materials have been widely used in aerospace and other fields due to their superior mechanical properties. The repair of composite structures has received increasing attention in recent decades. In this work, the compressive failure behaviors of intact, defective and stepped-scarf repaired composite stiffened panels are analyzed experimentally and numerically. The evaluation of repair schemes of composite stiffened panels based on finite element (FE) analysis is investigated by comparison with experimental results. The maximum error of the load-carrying capacity between the numerical and experimental results does not exceed 3.65%. Progressive failure analysis model and cohesive zone model are utilized to reveal the damage evolution of multilayered composites and adhesive film. The failure modes obtained from FE analysis are in good agreement with the experimental observations. Moreover, the influence of the stepped-scarf ratio and repair patch angle deviation on the compressive strength is investigated to determine optimum repair parameters based on the established FE models. On the basis of the conducted studies, the results provide valuable insights into the evaluation and validation of repair schemes for composite stiffened panels with high accuracy and cost-effectiveness.