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AN IMPROVED NUMERICAL TECHNIQUE FOR SIMULATING THE GROWTH OF PLANAR FATIGUE CRACKS
Author(s) -
Lin X. B.,
Smith R. A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
fatigue and fracture of engineering materials and structures
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1460-2695
pISSN - 8756-758X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-2695.1997.tb01495.x
Subject(s) - paris' law , finite element method , crack closure , stress intensity factor , structural engineering , fracture mechanics , crack tip opening displacement , materials science , planar , displacement (psychology) , stress concentration , crack growth resistance curve , tension (geology) , bending , mechanics , engineering , composite material , computer science , compression (physics) , physics , psychology , computer graphics (images) , psychotherapist
— This paper describes a versatile technique for simulating the fatigue growth of a wide range of planar cracks of practical significance. Crack growth is predicted on a step‐by‐step basis from the Paris law using stress intensity factors calculated by the finite element method. The crack front is defined by a cubic spline curve from a set of nodes. Both the 1/4‐node crack opening displacement and the three‐dimensional J ‐integral (energy release rate) methods are used to calculate the stress intensity factors. Automatic remeshing of the finite element model to a new position which defines the new crack front enables the crack propagation to be followed. The accuracy and capability of this finite element simulation technique are demonstrated in this paper by the investigation of various problems of both theoretical and practical interest. These include the shape growth trend of an embedded initially penny‐shaped defect and an embedded initially elliptical defect in an infinite body, the growth of a semi‐elliptical surface crack in a finite thickness plate under tension and bending, the propagation of an internal crack in a round bar and the shape change of an external surface crack in a pressure vessel.