Study of the behavior of a complex revolute joint of aircraft landing gear

International audienceComplex mechanical joints are modeled by basic joints, but their architectures make the study of behavior difficult. A numerical study raises the issue of compatibility during the transfer between different simulation tools. The low compatibility of digital data when transferring information between multiple simulation software is a real problem. It could lead to the loss of information or an increase of the time needed to produce a numerical model. This study focuses on the experimental analysis of behavior of a revolute joint overhang called “complex” as applied to the real case of a torque link of a landing gear. The effect of simple and combined loading was used to determine the overall stiffness of the joint. A calculation program was developed to extract the experimental results and identify a polynomial response surface. The analysis of those results highlights the nonlinear behavior of the joint with a hysteresis effect. This phenomenon includes the geometric shape defects, clearances and local deformations of the parts. The extraction of a surface response of the rotating joint stiffness overhang can be exploited in an approach like "Virtual Testing"