Nonlinear FEM Simulation of Air Cushion Vehicle (ACV) Skirt Joint Under Tension Loading

Abstract

The mechanical properties of an air cushion vehicle (ACV) skirt cloth, which is a nonlinear rubber-coated fabric, are tested on a Series IX 4465 electron tension machine manufactured by Instron Company. Compared with the Mooney–Rivlin and Ogden form, the second-order Mooney–Rivlin form agrees with the model test result better. The ultimate bearing capacity of an ACV skirt joint structure is tested on a mechanical tension machine and the ultimate load is recorded manually. Then, considering the contact effect of each assembly and the large-displacement of skirt elements, a nonlinear finite element method (FEM)-based simulation process of an ACV skirt joint structure under tension loading is presented. The simulation process comprises three steps: assembly of parts, bolts' tightening, and tensioning the skirt cloth. Under these loadings, the stress distribution and deformation of the skirt cloth, and the cloth broken locations and directions are obtained. These results agree well with the test results. As for the ultimate bearing capacity of the skirt joint, the simulation result is slightly smaller than the test result. Thus, this FEM-based simulation method is proven to be reliable and relatively conservative.