Measuring the Aero-Refueling Hose Model’s Sectional-Bending-Stiffness in the RMCFLM Experimental System
By modeling an aero-refueling hose as a flexible pipe, an experimental research is performed on measuring the sectional bending stiffness of a flexible pipe withstanding a internal-pressurized fluid. A Revised Midpoint-Concentrate-Force-Loading Methodology (RMCFLM) with its valid range is developed to measure the sectional bending stiffness of a flexible pipe. The total system measurement error would be controlled within 7%. Three test specimens of a silica gel pipe, a polyvinyl chloride pipe and a rubber hose with fabric insert are conducted to measure their sectional-bending-stiffness in variable internal-pressurized fluid. The sectional-bending-stiffness increases with an incremental fluid pressure in a flexible pipe. Furthermore, the equivalent elastic modulus of a pipe is smaller and a incremental rate of the sectional-bending-stiffness is larger.
