Analysis of the Tightening Process of Bolted Joint With a Tensioner: Effects of Interface Stiffness
Abstract Hydraulic tensioners are widely used in tightening important structural members such as large-sized diesel engines and pressure vessels. The ratio of desired clamping force to initial tension, which is termed effective tensile coefficient, is the most important factor to be predicted in the actual operation for given joint configurations. In this paper, an elementary approach to estimate this coefficient, taking the effects of interface stiffness into account, is proposed using spring elements. The influences of interface stiffness at four contact surfaces on the coefficient are discussed, and it is shown that interface stiffness of pressure flank of threads and bearing surface of nut has dominant effects on the coefficient.