Electro-mechanical performance of double-flushed riveted joints

Abstract

This paper revisits double-flush riveting to compare the static and fatigue performance of the resulting joints with those fabricated by conventional bolting. Experimental measurements of electrical resistance, combined with finite element analysis of electric current flow, serve a dual structural and electrical purpose of validating the number of cycles after which the loss of contact between the overlapping sheets becomes significant, and evaluating the relative performance of both types of joints in electric energy distribution systems built upon aluminum strips. The first of these purposes is a novelty in fatigue testing while the second paves the way for improving the efficiency of electric power grids.