Effect of the smart cure cycle on the performance of the co-cured aluminum/composite hybrid shaft

In this work, a smart curing method for the co-cured aluminum/composite hybrid shaft which can reduce the thermal residual stresses generated during co-curing bonding operation between the composite layer and the aluminum tube was applied. In order to reduce the thermal residual stresses generated during co-cure bonding stages due to the difference of coefficients of thermal expansions (CTE) of the composite and the aluminum tube, a smart cure cycle composed of cooling and reheating cycles was applied. The heating and cooling operations were realized using a pan type heater and water cooling system. The thermo-mechanical properties of the high modulus carbon epoxy composite were measured by a DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) and rheometer to obtain an optimal time to apply the cooling operation. Curvature experiment of the co-cure bonded steel/composite strip was performed to investigate the effect of cure cycle on generation of the thermal residual stress. Also, the thermal residual stresses of the aluminum/composite hybrid shaft were measured using strain gauges with respect to cure cycles. Finally, torsional fatigue test and vibration test of the aluminum/composite hybrid shaft were performed, and it has been found that this method might be used effectively in manufacturing of the co-cured aluminum/composite hybrid propeller shaft to improve the dynamic torque characteristics.