Experimental Study on Bolt Loosening Behavior of Hoop Structure of Precision Aircraft under Complex Environment

LI Shangji; DENG Shaoting; LUO Weifeng; ZHANG Hailiang; SHA Jiahui; XUE Jingdan; LIU Yuzhuo

doi:10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2026.07.005

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Equipment Environmental Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (7) : 44-53. DOI: 10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2026.07.005

Special Topic——Research on Application of Complex Dynamic Environment Analysis and Fine Adaptability Verification Technique for Precise Mother-Daughter UAV System

Experimental Study on Bolt Loosening Behavior of Hoop Structure of Precision Aircraft under Complex Environment

LI Shangji¹, DENG Shaoting¹, LUO Weifeng^1,2,*, ZHANG Hailiang¹, SHA Jiahui¹, XUE Jingdan¹, LIU Yuzhuo¹

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Abstract

The work aims to explore the loosening evolution law of bolts in hoop structures under complex mechanical loads. Taking the hoop connection bolts of precision aircraft as the research object, a combined vibration-impact test platform was established to simulate typical working conditions including functional vibration, durability vibration, free-flight vibration and landing impact. Based on the ultrasonic acoustoelasticity principle, piezoelectric sensing detection and the Pauta criterion denoising method were adopted to accurately collect ultrasonic time difference signals of bolts under various working conditions. A linear fitting model between bolt torque and relative acoustic time difference was constructed via calibration tests, so as to quantitatively analyze the attenuation characteristics of bolt preload and residual torque under coupled multi-load conditions. The direction and type of vibration and impact loads significantly affected the loosening behavior of thin-walled clamping bolts. Transverse Z-direction vibration was the critical condition that induced cumulative micro-slip in threads and rapid torque degradation. The two independent sets of test bolts exhibited highly consistent decay patterns, all showing a three-stage evolution characterized by “slow decay-rapid drop-stable convergence”, with final residual torques stabilizing at 2.65 N·m and 2.40 N·m respectively. No further preload degradation occured after prolonged load application. The linear model fitting for torque-time-of-flight difference achieved an R² value of 0.987, with a combined measurement error less than 0.07 N·m. Bolt loosening in thin-walled hoop structures of precision flight vehicles exhibits strong sensitivity to operating conditions and features progressive degradation. Under Z-direction lateral vibration, extensive reciprocating micro-slip at the contact interface between the hoop band and bolt is the fundamental cause of sudden torque drop. The experimental findings presented in this study provide quantitative basis and mechanistic support for anti-loosening design of similar aircraft hoops.

Key words

precision aircraft / hoop structure / bolt loosening / vibration and impact / acoustoelasticity principle / preload degradation

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LI Shangji, DENG Shaoting, LUO Weifeng, ZHANG Hailiang, SHA Jiahui, XUE Jingdan, LIU Yuzhuo. Experimental Study on Bolt Loosening Behavior of Hoop Structure of Precision Aircraft under Complex Environment[J]. Equipment Environmental Engineering. 2026, 23(7): 44-53 https://doi.org/10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2026.07.005

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