Deformation Behavior and Connection Mechanism of EMP Connections in Aluminum Pipe Joints

• Published in: Metals (Basel ) Vol. 12; no. 11; p. 1892
• Main Authors: Yu, Haiping, Ma, Boyang, He, Yihan, Qi, Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.11.2022
• Subjects: Aircraft; Aluminum alloys; Aluminum base alloys; Aluminum products; Aviation; aviation fitting; Clearances; Deformation; Deformation mechanisms; Electric potential; Electromagnetic pulses; Embedding; fitting rate of groove; Grooves; local bulk deformation of thin-walled tube; magnetic-pulse forming; Pipe joints; Piping systems; Process controls; Process parameters; Steel pipes; Voltage; China
• ISSN: 2075-4701; 2075-4701
• DOI: 10.3390/met12111892

The joint is a key component of the aviation piping system, with severe performance requirements and better requirements for connection technology. With a focus on the manufacturing demand of AA6061 aerospace pipe joints, as well as the characteristics of EMP forming technology, this paper investigates the deformation behavior of the EMP forming on AA6061 aerospace pipe joints, the influence of process parameters on the deformation behavior, and the deformation mechanism of the tube wall. The results show that under the conditions of this paper, with an increase in the initial tube-sleeve gap and discharge voltage, the degree of local deformation of the AA6061 tube wall and the trench embedding rate increase. Keeping the width and depth of the grooves as 1.14 mm and 0.23 mm, the embedding rate of the grooves is less than 85% under the clearance conditions of 0.11 mm and 0.5 mm, while the lowest voltage for the embedding rate of the grooves to reach more than 85% under the clearance conditions of 1 mm, 1.5 mm and 2 mm is 7 kV, 6 kV, and 5 kV, respectively. The metallographic organization of the deformation area shows that the tube is deformed by the intense shear at the edge of the groove of the tube sleeve, thereby showing streamlined organization characteristics and deformation characteristics. The electromagnetic pulse forming process of the AA6061 tube is mainly divided into two stages: free bulging and local deformation; the inertia of high-rate deformation causes the groove filling to exhibit volume deformation characteristics in the local deformation stage.