General treatment of mode III interfacial crack problems in piezoelectric materials

Summary  The anti-plane problem of N collinear interfacial cracks between dissimilar transversely isotropic piezoelectric media, which are subjected to piecewise uniform out-of-plane mechanical loading combined with in-plane electric loading at infinity, and also a line loading at an arbitrary point, is addressed by using the complex function method. In comparison with other relevant works, the present study has two features: one is that the analysis is based on the permeable crack model, i.e. the cracks are considered as permeable thin slits, and, thus, both the normal component of electric displacement and the tangential component of electric field are assumed to be continuous across these slits. The other feature is that explicit closed-form solutions are given not only in piezoelectric media, but also inside cracks when the media are subjected to the most general loading. It is shown that the singularities of electric displacement and electric field in the media are always dependent on that of stress for the general case of loading, and all the singularities of field variables are independent of the applied uniform electric loads at infinity. For the interfacial cracks the electric field is square-root singular at the crack tips and shows jumps across the interface, while the normal component of the electric field is linearly variable inside the crack, but the tangential component is square-root singular. However, for a homogeneous medium with collinear cracks, the electric field is always nonsingular in the medium while the electric displacement exhibits square-root singularity. Moreover, in this case, the electric field inside any crack is equal to a constant when uniform loads are applied at infinity. Received 22 November 1999; accepted for publication 20 July 2000     

On the dynamic behaviour of a piezoelectric laminate with multiple interfacial collinear cracks

This paper investigates the dynamic behaviour of a piezoelectric laminate containing multiple interfacial collinear cracks subjected to steady-state electro-mechanical loads. Both the permeable and impermeable boundary conditions are examined and discussed. Based on the use of integral transform techniques, the problem is reduced to a set of singular integral equations, which can be solved using Chebyshev polynomial expansions. Numerical results are provided to show the effect of the geometry of interacting collinear cracks, the applied electric fields, the electric boundary conditions along the crack faces and the loading frequency on the resulting dynamic stress intensity and electric displacement intensity factors.     

An exact solution of crack problems in piezoelectric materials

IntroductionInrecentyearscrackproblemsinpiezoelectricmaterialhavereceivedmuchattention.Manytheoreticalanalyseshavebeengivenby[1～16].Itshouldbe,however,notedthatalltheaboveanalysesarebasedonaso-calledimpermeablecrackassumphon,i.e.thecrackfacesareassumedtobeimpermeabletoelectricfield,sotheelectricdisplacementvanishesinsidethecrack.Usingthisassumption,onewillobtainthefollowingresultS[2'3'5,6'9'16]=whentheelectricloadsaresolelyaPPliedatinLfinity,theelectricdisplacementissquare-rootsingularatthe…     

Fracture analysis of electromagnetic thermoelastic solids

This paper analyzes the problem of collinear permeable cracks in a magnetoelectroelastic solid subjected to uniform heat flow at infinity. The analysis is conducted according to the extended Stroh formalism. Concise expressions are given for the field intensity factors and the electric–magnetic field inside cracks. It is shown that all the field singularities are independent of the applied electric–magnetic loads, and the electric–magnetic field inside cracks is linearly variable with position along the crack line.     

Exact solutions of two semi-infinite collinear cracks in piezoelectric strip

Using the complex variable function method and the conformal mapping technique,the fracture problem of two semi-infinite collinear cracks in a piezoelectric strip is studied under the anti-plane shear stress and the in-plane electric load on the partial crack surface.Analytic solutions of the field intensity factors and the mechanical strain energy release rate are derived under the assumption that the surfaces of the crack are electrically impermeable.The results can be reduced to the well-known solutio...     

热压电介质中的渗透型周期裂纹问题

利用Stroh公式,研究了含共线周期裂纹热的压电介质的广义二维问题。该工作有两个特征：一是裂纹被建模为具有渗透表面的缝隙,并假设为跨越上下表面时,电场的切向分量和电位移的法向分量是连续的;另一个特征是,机－电载荷和热载荷被假设作用在无限远处,而不是在裂纹表面。基于这两个假设,我们获得了有关场强因子,以及裂纹内电场的相当简洁的表达式。结果表明：①在裂纹内电场是线性变化的,②电位移的奇异性总是取决于应力的奇异性.③所有场的奇异性与所加的电载荷无关。     

Interaction between collinear periodic cracks in an infinite piezoelectric body

The problem of collinear periodic cracks in an infinite piezoelectric body is studied. Effect of saturation strips at the crack-tips is taken into account. By means of the Stroh formalism and the conformal mapping technique, the general periodic solutions for collinear cracks are obtained. The stress intensity factors and the size of saturation strips are derived analytically, and their dependencies on the ratio of the periodicity on the half-length of the crack are analyzed in detail. Numerical results show the following two facts. (1) When h/l>4.0, the stress intensity factors become almost identical to those of a single crack in an infinite piezoelectric body. This indicates that the interaction between cracks can be ignored in establishing the criterion for the crack initiation in this case. (2) The speed of the saturation strip size of periodic cracks approaching that of a single crack depends on the electric load applied at infinity. In general, a large electric load at infinity is associated with a slow approaching speed.     

Closed form solution for two unequal collinear semi-permeable straight cracks in a piezoelectric media

The problem of two unequal collinear straight cracks weakening a poled transversely isotropic piezoelectric ceramic is addressed under semi-permeable electric boundary conditions on the crack faces. The plate has been subjected to combined in-plane normal(to the faces of the cracks) mechanical and electric loads. Problem is formulated employing Stroh formalism and solved using complex variable technique. The elastic field, electric field and energy release rate are obtained in closed analytic form. A case study is presented for poled PZT-5H cracked plate to study the effect of prescribed mechanical load, electric load, inter-crack distance and crack lengths on crack arrest parameters stress intensity factor (SIF), electric displacement intensity factor (EDIF) and mechanical and total energy release rates (ERR). Moreover a comparative study is done of impermeable and semi-permeable crack face boundary conditions on SIF, EDIF and ERR, and results obtained is presented graphically. It is observed that the effect of dielectric medium in the crack gap cannot be ignored.     

The behavior of two non-symmetrical permeable cracks emanating from an elliptical hole in a piezoelectric solid

Based on the Stroh-type formalism, we present a concise analytic method to solve the problem of complicated defects in piezoelectric materials. Using this method and the technique of conformal mapping, the problem of two non-symmetrical collinear cracks emanating from an elliptical hole in a piezoelectric solid is investigated under remotely uniform in-plane electric loading and anti-plane mechanical loading. The exact solutions of the field intensity factors and the energy release rate are presented in closed-form under the permeable electric boundary condition. With the variation of the geometrical parameters, the present results can be reduced to the well-known results of a mode-III crack in piezoelectric materials. Moreover, new special models used for simulating more practical defects in a piezoelectric solid are obtained, such as two symmetrical edge cracks and single edge crack emanating from an elliptical hole or circular hole, T-shaped crack, cross-shaped crack, and semi-infinite plane with an edge crack. Numerical results are then presented to reveal the effects of geometrical parameters and the applied mechanical loading on the field intensity factors and the energy release rate.     

Exact solutions for the plane problem in piezoelectric materials with an elliptic or a crack

Based on the complex potential approach, the two-dimensional problems in a piezoelectric material containing an elliptic hole subjected to uniform remote loads are studied. The explicit, closed-form solutions satisfying the exact electric boundary condition on the hole surface are given both inside and outside the hole. When the elliptic hole degenerates into a crack, the field intensity factors are obtained. It is shown that the stress intensity factors are the same as that of isotropic material, while the electric displacement intensity factor depends on both the material properties and the mechanical loads, but not on the electric loads. In other words, the uniform electric loads have no influence on the field singularities. It is also shown that the impermeable crack assumption used previously to simply the electric condition is not valid to crack problems in piezoelectric materials.     

An exact and explicit treatment of an elliptic hole problem in thermopiezoelectric media

This paper presents an exact solution for the problem of an elliptic hole or a crack in a thermopiezoelectric solid. First, based on the extended version of Eshelby–Stroh's formulation, the generalized 2D problems of an elliptical hole in a thermopiezoelectric medium subject to uniform heat flow and mechanical–electrical loads at infinity are studied according to exact boundary conditions at the rim of the hole. The complex potentials in the medium and the electric field inside the hole are obtained in closed form, respectively. Then, when the hole degenerates into a crack, the explicit solutions for the field intensity factors near the crack tip and the electric field inside the crack are presented. It is shown that the singularities of all the field are dependent on the material constants, the applied heat load and mechanical loads at infinity, but not on the applied electric loads. It is also found that the electric field inside the crack is linearly variable, which is different from the result based on the impermeable crack model.     

层状磁电复合材料界面共线裂纹平面问题分析

本文研究了面内电磁势载荷作用下双层压电压磁复合材料中共线界面裂纹问题．考虑了压电材料的导磁性质和压磁材料的介电性质,引入了界面电位移和磁感强度的连续性条件．利用Fourier 变换得到一组第二类Cauchy 型奇异积分方程．进一步导出了相应问题的应力强度因子、电位移强度因子和磁感强度强度因子的表达式,给出了应力强度因子的数值结果．结果表明电磁载荷会导致界面裂纹尖端I、II 混合型应力奇异性,同时还伴随着电位移和磁感强度的奇异性．比较了双裂纹左右端的应力强度因子,发现在面内极化方向上施加面内磁势载荷时共线裂纹内侧尖端区域的两个法向应力场发生互相干涉增强．     

Fracture analysis of circular-arc interface cracks in piezoelectric materials

The anti-plane problem of N arc-shaped interfacial cracks between a circular piezoelectric inhomogeneity and an infinite piezoelectric matrix is investigated by means of the complex variable method. Cracks are assumed to be permeable and then explicit expressions are presented, respectively, for the electric field on the crack faces, the complex potentials in media and the intensity factors near the crack-tips. As examples, the corresponding solutions are obtained for a piezoelectric bimaterial system with one or two permeable arc-shaped interfacial cracks, respectively. Additionally, the solutions for the cases of impermeable cracks also are given by treating an impermeable crack as a particular case of a permeable crack. It is shown that for the case of permeable interfacial cracks, the electric field is jumpy ahead of the crack tips, and its intensity factor is always dependent on that of stress. Moreover all the field singularities are dependent not only on the applied mechanical load, but also on the applied electric load. However, for the case of a homogeneous material with permeable cracks, all the singular factors are related only to the applied stresses and material constants.     

The mode III cracks originating from the edge of a circular hole in a piezoelectric solid

A mode III fracture problem of edge cracks originating from a circular hole in an infinite piezoelectric solid is studied based on complex variable method combined with the method of conformal mapping. Explicit and exact expressions for the complex potentials, field intensity factors and energy release rates are presented under the assumption that the surface of the cracks and hole is electrically impermeable. Numerical analysis is then conducted to discuss the influences of crack length and applied mechanical/electric loads on the field intensity factors and energy release rate for one and two edge cracks, respectively. It is found that for the case of a single edge crack, the field intensity factors are greater than those of double edge cracks, and moreover the electric loads can either promote or retard crack growth, depending on the magnitude and direction of the applied electric loads.     

Analysis of electric boundary condition effects on crack propagation in piezoelectric ceramics

There are three types of cracks: impermeable crack, permeable crack and conducting crack, with different electric boundary conditions on faces of cracks in piezoelectric ceramics, which poses difficulties in the analysis of piezoelectric fracture problems. In this paper, in contrast to our previous FEM formulation, the numerical analysis is based on the used of exact electric boundary conditions at the crack faces, thus the common assumption of electric impermeability in the FEM analysis is avoided. The crack behavior and elasto-electric fields near a crack tip in a PZT-5 piezoelectric ceramic under mechanical, electrical and coupled mechanical-electrical loads with different electric boundary conditions on crack faces are investigated. It is found that the dielectric medium between the crack faces will reduce the singularity of stress and electric displacement. Furthermore, when the permittivity of the dielectric medium in the crack gap is of the same order as that of the piezoelectric ceramic, the crack becomes a conducting crack, the applied electric field has no effect on the crack propagation. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19672026, 19891180)     

Periodic set of limited electrically permeable interface cracks with contact zones

Plane problem for an infinite space composed of two different piezoelectric or piezoelectric/dielectric semi-infinite spaces with a periodic set of limited electrically permeable interface cracks is considered. Uniformly distributed electromechanical loading is applied at infinity. The frictionless contact zones at the crack tips are taken into account. The problem is reduced to the combined Dirichlet–Riemann boundary value problem by means of the electromechanical factors presentation via sectionally analytic functions, assuming that the electric flux is uniformly distributed inside the cracks. An exact solution of the problem is proposed. It permits to find in a closed form all necessary electromechanical characteristics at the interface and to formulate the equation for the determination of the electric flux value. Analysis of this equation confirms the correctness of the assumption concerning the uniform distribution of the electric flux in the crack region.Formulae for stresses, electric displacement vector, elastic displacements and electric potential jump at the interface as well as the intensity factors at the crack tips are given. Equation for the contact zone length determination is presented. Calculations for certain material combinations are carried out. The influence of electric permeability of cracks on electromechanical fields and the fracture mechanical parameters is analyzed.     

Closed-form solution for a piezoelectric strip with two collinear cracks normal to the strip boundaries

The problem of two collinear cracks of equal length and normal to the strip boundaries in an infinitely long piezoelectric strip of finite width is analyzed. By using the Fourier series method, the mixed boundary value problem is reduced to triple series equations, which are then transformed to a singular integral equation. For four combined cases of uniform antiplane shear and uniform inplane electric loading at infinity, the solution is obtained in closed-form, and explicit expressions for the electroelastic field are determined. The formulae for calculating the intensity factors of the electroelastic field and the energy release rate at the inner and outer crack tips are given, respectively. Some special cases for the electroelastic field intensity factors and the energy release rate of the present results are discussed.     

The weight function for cracks in piezoelectrics

The weight function in fracture mechanics is the stress intensity factor at the tip of a crack in an elastic material due to a point load at an arbitrary location in the body containing the crack. For a piezoelectric material, this definition is extended to include the effect of point charges and the presence of an electric displacement intensity factor at the tip of the crack. Thus, the weight function permits the calculation of the crack tip intensity factors for an arbitrary distribution of applied loads and imposed electric charges. In this paper, the weight function for calculating the stress and electric displacement intensity factors for cracks in piezoelectric materials is formulated from Maxwell relationships among the energy release rate, the physical displacements and the electric potential as dependent variables and the applied loads and electric charges as independent variables. These Maxwell relationships arise as a result of an electric enthalpy for the body that can be formulated in terms of the applied loads and imposed electric charges. An electric enthalpy for a body containing an electrically impermeable crack can then be stated that accounts for the presence of loads and charges for a problem that has been solved previously plus the loads and charges associated with an unsolved problem for which the stress and electric displacement intensity factors are to be found. Differentiation of the electric enthalpy twice with respect to the applied loads (or imposed charges) and with respect to the crack length gives rise to Maxwell relationships for the derivative of the crack tip energy release rate with respect to the applied loads (or imposed charges) of the unsolved problem equal to the derivative of the physical displacements (or the electric potential) of the solved problem with respect to the crack length. The Irwin relationship for the crack tip energy release rate in terms of the crack tip intensity factors then allows the intensity factors for the unsolved problem to be formulated, thereby giving the desired weight function. The results are used to derive the weight function for an electrically impermeable Griffith crack in an infinite piezoelectric body, thereby giving the stress intensity factors and the electric displacement intensity factor due to a point load and a point charge anywhere in an infinite piezoelectric body. The use of the weight function to compute the electric displacement factor for an electrically permeable crack is then presented. Explicit results based on a previous analysis are given for a Griffith crack in an infinite body of PZT-5H poled orthogonally to the crack surfaces.     

Anti-plane analysis of semi-infinite crack in piezoelectric strip

Using the complex variable function method and the technique of the conformal mapping, the fracture problem of a semi-infinite crack in a piezoelectric strip is studied under the anti-plane shear stress and the in-plane electric load. The analytic solutions of the field intensity factors and the mechanical strain energy release rate are presented under the assumption that the surface of the crack is electrically impermeable. When the height of the strip tends to infinity, the analytic solutions of an infinitely large piezoelectric solid with a semi-infinite crack are obtained. Moreover, the present results can be reduced to the well-known solutions for a purely elastic material in the absence of the electric loading. In addition, numerical examples are given to show the influences of the loaded crack length, the height of the strip, and the applied mechanical/electric loads on the mechanical strain energy release rate.     

Closed-form solution for two collinear cracks in a piezoelectric strip

Under the permeable electric boundary condition, the problem of two collinear anti-plane shear cracks lying at the mid-plane of a piezoelectric strip is investigated. By using the Fourier transform, the associated problem is reduced to a singular integral equation. Solving the resulting equation analytically, the electro-elastic field intensity factors and energy release rates at the inner and outer crack tips can be determined in explicit form. Numerical results for PZT-5H piezoelectric ceramic are also presented graphically. The results reveal that the effect of electric field on crack growth in piezoelectric materials is dependent on applied elastic displacement.