Electrothermal coupled analysis and experimental research of lightning damage of carbon fiber composites with fastener

In order to study the lightning damage characteristics of CFRP with fastener, this paper established a three-dimensional finite element model of CFRP with fastener and CFRP without fastener, and analyzed the lightning damage morphology of CFRP through electrothermal coupling simulation by finite element software. The lightning current damage test was carried out and the damage characteristics of the two kinds of CFRP under different lightning current peaks were compared. The results show that when the peak value of lightning current is low, the surface damage degree of CFRP with fastener is lower than that of CFRP without fastener. As the peak value of the lightning current increases, the longitudinal damage of the CFRP with fasteners gradually increases along the carbon fiber, and eventually exceeds the CFRP without fasteners. In the experimental, when CFRP without fastener is struck by lightning, linear damage is appeared on the surface perpendicular to the direction of carbon fiber, but the linear damage of CFRP with fastener perpendicular to the direction of carbon fiber is not obvious.