Tubular Joint Design in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic

Abstract

A theoretical and experimental study of the performance of a torsional joint between a CFRP tube and an aluminum end fitting was conducted. Three different types of end fitting joint were compared, one bolted and two bonded. The theoretical analysis was performed using a finite element technique, which provided close agreement between the predicted and the experimental strains. One of the designs gave a considerable improvement in performance, in terms of both weight and strength, over the other designs.