As a part of the welding fabrication procedure development for the next generation space shuttle external tank, aluminum-lithium wide-panel specimens were used to assess the interactions between repair weld residual stresses and external loading conditions. The detailed residual stress development in the wide panel specimens with a repair weld was analyzed using an advanced finite element procedure. External tension loading effects were then incorporated in the residual stress model to study the interactions between the residual stress field and external tensile loading. Wide-panel tensile tests were also performed to extract photo strain and strain-gage results. A good agreement between the finite element and experimental results was obtained. The results demonstrate that the presence of high tensile residual stresses within a repair weld has a drastic impact on the stress/strain distribution in the wide panel specimens subjected to external loading. Its implications on structural integrity are discussed in light of the wide-panel results. The effects of post-welding mechanical treatment such as planishing were also examined.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Topics:
Maintenance, Residual stresses, Tension, Stress, Finite element analysis, Welding, Aluminum, Lithium, Manufacturing, Space vehicles, Strain gages
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