Interface crack problem in layered orthotropic materials under thermo-mechanical loading

In the present paper, the behavior of an interface crack for a homogeneous orthotropic strip sandwiched between two different functionally graded orthotropic materials subjected to thermal and mechanical loading is considered. It is assumed that interface crack is partly insulated, and the temperature drop across the crack surfaces is the result of the thermal resistance due to the heat conduction through the crack region. The elastic properties of the material are assumed to vary continuously along the thickness direction. The principal directions of orthotropy are parallel and perpendicular to the crack orientation. The complicated mixed boundary problems of equations of heat conduction and elasticity are converted analytically into singular integral equations, which are solved numerically. The main objective of the paper is to study the effects of material nonhomogeneity parameters and the dimensionless thermal resistance on the thermal stress intensity factors for the purpose of gaining better understanding of the thermal behavior of graded layer.     

Thermal response of a partially insulated interface crack in a graded coating-substrate structure under thermo-mechanical disturbance: Energy release and density

Consider the thermal fracture problem of a functionally graded coating-substrate structure of finite thickness with a partially insulated interface crack subjected to thermal-mechanical supply. A new model is proposed that the heat conduction through the crack region occurs and the temperature drop across the crack surfaces is the result of the thermal resistance. For the first time, real fundamental solutions are derived for the fracture analysis of functionally graded materials. The complicated mixed boundary problems of equations of heat conduction and elasticity are converted analytically into singular integral equations, which are solved numerically. The asymptotic expressions with higher order terms for the singular integral kernels are considered to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the numerical integration. Explicit expressions of various failure modes including stress intensity factors, energy release rate and strain energy density, are provided. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the effects of non-homogeneity parameters and the dimensionless thermal resistance on the temperature distribution along the crack surfaces and extended crack line, the thermal stress intensity factors and minimum strain energy density.     

Thermal stress intensity factors for an interface crack in a functionally graded layered structures

The fracture behavior of a functionally graded layered structure (FGLS) with an interface crack under thermal loading is investigated. Considering new boundary conditions, it is assumed that interface crack is partly insulated, and the temperature drop across the crack surfaces is the result of the thermal resistance due to the heat conduction through the crack region. The problem is formulated in terms of a system of singular integral equations. Numerical results are presented to show the influence of the material nonhomogeneity parameters and the dimensionless thermal resistance on the thermal stress intensity factors (TSIFs).     

Mixed-mode fracture analysis of orthotropic functionally graded materials under mechanical and thermal loads

Mixed-mode fracture problems of orthotropic functionally graded materials (FGMs) are examined under mechanical and thermal loading conditions. In the case of mechanical loading, an embedded crack in an orthotropic FGM layer is considered. The crack is assumed to be loaded by arbitrary normal and shear tractions that are applied to its surfaces. An analytical solution based on the singular integral equations and a numerical approach based on the enriched finite elements are developed to evaluate the mixed-mode stress intensity factors and the energy release rate under the given mechanical loading conditions. The use of this dual approach methodology allowed the verifications of both methods leading to a highly accurate numerical predictive capability to assess the effects of material orthotropy and nonhomogeneity constants on the crack tip parameters. In the case of thermal loading, the response of periodic cracks in an orthotropic FGM layer subjected to transient thermal stresses is examined by means of the developed enriched finite element method. The results presented for the thermally loaded layer illustrate the influences of the material property gradation profiles and crack periodicity on the transient fracture mechanics parameters.     

Thermal stresses factors of orthotropic graded layers with a finite line bond

In the paper, the problem of a finite line bond between two orthotropic functionally graded strips under thermal loading is considered. Considering some new boundary conditions, it is assumed that the temperature drop across the finite line bond is the result of the thermal conductivity index controlling heat conduction through the bond region. Using Fourier transforms technique, the therm-elastic mixed boundary value problems are reduced to a system of singular integral equations which can be solved approximately by applying the Chebyshev polynomials. The numerical results for the temperature and displacement field as well as the thermal stress intensity factors (TSIFs) are presented. The influence of the thickness of the layers and the thermo-elastic nonhomogeneity parameters on the temperature distribution and the TSIFs is discussed in detail. These results can be expected to be used for the purpose of gaining better understanding of the thermo-mechanical behavior of layered structures.     

Thermoelastic problem of steady-state heat flows disturbed by a crack at an arbitrary angle to the graded interfacial zone in bonded materials

Plane thermoelasticity solutions are presented for the problem of a crack in bonded materials with a graded interfacial zone. The interfacial zone is treated as a nonhomogeneous interlayer having spatially varying thermoelastic moduli between dissimilar, homogeneous half-planes. The crack is assumed to exist in one of the half-planes at an arbitrary angle to the graded interfacial zone, disturbing uniform steady-state heat flows. The Fourier integral transform method is employed in conjunction with the coordinate transformations of field variables in the basic thermoelasticity equations. Formulation of the current nonisothermal crack problem lends itself to the derivation of two sets of Cauchy-type singular integral equations for heat conduction and thermal stress analyses. The heat-flux intensity factors and the thermal-stress intensity factors are defined and evaluated in order to quantify the singular characters of temperature gradients and thermal stresses, respectively, in the near-tip region. Numerical results include the variations of such crack-tip field intensity factors versus the crack orientation angle for various combinations of material and geometric parameters of the dissimilar media bonded through the thermoelastically graded interfacial zone. The dependence of the near-tip thermoelastic singular field on the degree of crack-surface partial insulation is also addressed.     

The dynamic response of an edge crack in a functionally graded orthotropic strip

The dynamic response of a functionally graded orthotropic strip with an edge crack perpendicular to the boundaries is studied. The material properties are assumed to vary continuously along the thickness direction. Laplace and Fourier transforms are applied to reduce the problem to a singular integral equation. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the influences of parameters such as the nonhomogeneity constant and geometry parameters on the dynamic stress intensity factors (SIFs).     

Stress intensity factor for an edge crack in two bonded dissimilar materials under convective cooling

The transient thermal stress crack problem for two bonded dissimilar materials subjected to a convective cooling on the surface containing an edge crack perpendicular to the interface is considered. The problem is solved using the principle of superposition and the uncoupled quasi-static thermoelasticity. The crack problem is formulated by applying the transient thermal stresses obtained from the uncracked medium with opposite sign on the crack surfaces to be the only external loads. Fourier integral transform is used to solve the perturbation problem resulting in a singular integral equation of Cauchy type in which the derivative of the crack surface displacement is the unknown function. The numerical results of the stress intensity factors are calculated for both the edge crack and the crack terminating at the interface using two different composite materials and illustrated as a function of time, crack length, coefficient of heat transfer, and the thickness ratio.     

Buckling of an orthotropic graded coating with an embedded crack bonded to a homogeneous substrate

To simulate buckling of nonuniform coatings, we consider the problem of an embedded crack in a graded orthotropic coating bonded to a homogeneous substrate subjected to a compressive loading. The coating is graded in the thickness direction and the material gradient is orthogonal to the crack direction which is parallel with the free surface. The elastic properties of the material are assumed to vary continuously along the thickness direction. The principal directions of orthotropy are parallel and perpendicular to the crack orientation. The loading consists of a uniform compressive strain applied away from the crack region. The graded coating is modeled as a nonhomogeneous medium with an orthotropic stress–strain law. Using a nonlinear continuum theory and a suitable perturbation technique, the plane strain problem is reduced to an eigenvalue problem describing the onset of buckling. Using integral transforms, the resulting plane elasticity equations are converted analytically into singular integral equations which are solved numerically to yield the critical buckling strain. The Finite Element Method was additionally used to model the crack problem. The main objective of the paper is to study the influence of material nonhomogeneity on the buckling resistance of the graded layer for various crack positions, coating thicknesses and different orthotropic FGMs.     

Isotropic/orthotropic two-layered strips containing cracks terminating at and going through an interface

Crack problems for isotropic/orthotropic two-layered strips have been investigated. A system of two singular integral equations can be derived by using Fourier integral transformation and boundary conditions of crack problems. After stress singularities at crack tips or other special points are determined for internal and edge cracks, and for cracks terminating at and going through the interface, the system of singular integral equations is solved numerically by Gauss-Jacobi or Gauss-Chebyshev integration formulas for stress intensity factors at the tips and other singular points of cracks. Finally, possible crack growth behavior for cracks approaching and going through the interface is discussed.     

Transient dynamic response of a coated piezoelectric strip with a vertical crack

In this study, the dynamic response of a coated piezoelectric strip containing a crack vertical to the interfaces under normal impact load is considered. Based on the superposition principle and the integral transform techniques, the solution in the Laplace transformed plane is obtained in terms of a singular integral equation. The order of stress singularity around the tip of the terminated crack is also obtained. The singular integral equation is solved by using the Gauss–Jacobi integration formula, and the numerical Laplace inversion is then carried out to obtain the resulting dynamic stress and electric displacement intensities. The effects of the material properties and the geometric parameters on the dynamic stress intensity factor and the dynamic energy density factors are shown graphically.     

An embedded crack in a functionally graded orthotropic coating bonded to a homogeneous substrate under a frictional Hertzian contact

In this paper, we consider the elasto-static problem of an embedded crack in a graded orthotropic coating bonded to a homogeneous substrate subject to statically applied normal and tangential surface loading. The crack direction is parallel to the free surface. The coating is graded in the thickness direction and is orthogonal to the crack direction. This coating is modelled as a non-homogeneous medium with an orthotropic stress–strain law. The equivalent crack surface stresses are first obtained and substituted in the plane elasticity equations. Using integral transforms, the governing equations are converted into singular integral equations which are solved numerically to yield the displacement field as well as the crack-tip stress intensity factors. This study presents a complete theoretical formulation for the problem in the static case. A numerical predictive capability for solving the singular integral equations and computing the crack-tip stress intensity factors is proposed. Since the loading is compressive, a previously developed crack-closure algorithm is applied to avoid interpenetration of the crack faces. The main objective of the paper is to investigate the effects of the material orthotropy and non-homogeneity of the graded coating on the crack-tip stress intensity factors, with and without using the crack-closure algorithm, for the purpose of gaining better understanding on the behavior and design of graded coatings.     

A closed crack tip model for interface cracks inthermopiezoelectric materials

The interface crack problem of a bimaterial thermopiezoelectric solid was treated byapplying the extended version of Strohs formalism and singular integral equation approach. Theinterface crack considered is subjected to combined thermal, mechanical and electric loads.Under the applied loading, the interface crack is assumed to be partially opened. Formulation ofthe problem results in a set of singular integral equations which are solved numerically. Thestudy shows that the contact zone is extremely small in comparison with the crack length. Basedon the formulation, some physically meaningful quantities of interest such as stress intensityfactors and size of contact zone for a particular material group are analyzed.     

Crack growth prediction of an inclined crack in a half-plane thermopiezoelectric solid

The strain energy density theory is used to determine the direction of crack propagation in the case of an inclined crack in a half-plane thermopiezoelectric sheet subjected to uniform heat flow. Based on the Stroh's formulation and the thermoelectroelastic Green's function, a system of singular integral equations for the unknown thermal analog of dislocation density defined on the crack faces is presented and used to calculate the corresponding strain energy density. The direction of crack extension is then determined by way of the minimum strain energy density criterion. The study shows that the criterion is easy-to-use for thermal fracture problems.     

Thermal stress intensity factor for functionally gradient half space with an edge crack under thermal load

Summary The aim of this work is to investigate the thermal stress intensity factor of a functionally gradient half space with an edge crack under a steady heat flux. All material properties of the functionally gradient half space, except for the coefficient of linear thermal expansion, are exponentially dependent on the distance from the boundary of the plate. The coefficient of linear thermal expansion is assumed to be two-dimensionally dependent. The problem is reduced to a singular integral equation by using the Fourier transform. The thermal stress intensity factor versus the nonhomogeneous material parameters is calculated and represented in figures. The numerical results show that thermal stress intensity factor is dramatically decreased when the material nonhomogeneous parameters are appropriately selected.     

Cracking of an orthotropic substrate reinforced by an orthotropic plate

A solution method is derived to determine the stress intensity factors for both an internal crack and an edge crack in an orthotropic substrate that is reinforced on its boundary by a finite-length orthotropic plate. The method utilizes the Green’s functions for a pair of dislocations and a concentrated force on the boundary while invoking the concept of superposition. Enforcing the traction-free boundary condition along the crack surfaces and the continuity of displacement gradients along the plate/substrate interface results in a coupled system of singular integral equations. An asymptotic analysis of the kernels in these equations for the region of the junction point between the plate corner and the substrate boundary reveals the strength of the singularity in the case of an edge crack. The numerical solution of the integral equations provides results for the stress intensity factors for both an internal crack and an edge crack perpendicular to the substrate boundary and aligned with one of the corners of the plate. The present results have been validated against previously published stress intensity factors for an internal crack and an edge crack in an isotropic substrate.     

Transverse cracking of orthotropic composite laminates: a fracture mechanics approach

This research is concerned with the fracture mechanics of a laminated composite medium, which contains a central layer sandwiched by two outer layers. There is a periodic array of cracks in the central layer along the central axis of the medium. Fourier transform is used to reduce the problem to the solution of a system of dual integral equations, which are solved by the singular integral equation technique. Rigorous fracture mechanics analysis, which exactly satisfies all boundary conditions of the problem, is conducted. Numerical solutions for the crack tip field and the stress in the medium are obtained for various values such as crack length, crack spacing and layer thickness. Results are also given for the reduction of the equivalent Young’s modulus of the laminate due to multiple cracking. The cases of axial extension and residual temperature change of the composite medium are accounted for.     

Thermo-mechanical contact behavior of a finite graded layer under a sliding punch with heat generation

The problem of a rigid punch contacting with a finite graded layer on a rigid substrate is investigated within the framework of steady-state plane strain thermoelasticity, in which heat generated by contact friction is considered with a constant friction coefficient and inertia effects are neglected. The material properties of the graded layer vary according to an exponential function in the thickness direction. Fourier integral transform method and transform matrix approach are employed to reduce the current thermocontact problem to the second kind of Cauchy-type singular integral equation. Distributions of the contact pressure and the in-plane stress under the prescribed thermoelastic environment with different parameter combinations, including ratio of shear moduli, relative sliding speed, friction coefficient and thermal parameters are obtained and analyzed, as well as the stress singularity and the stress intensity factors near the contact edges. The results should be helpful for the design of surfaces with strong wear resistance and novel graded materials for real applications.     

Closed-form solution for two collinear mode-III cracks in an orthotropic elastic strip of finite width

The problem of an orthotropic strip containing two collinear cracks normal to the strip boundaries is considered. The Fourier series method is used to reduce the associated boundary value problem to triple series equations, then to a singular integral equation, which can be solved analytically. Under remote uniform antiplane shear loading, the stress field and the crack sliding displacement are determined analytically and stress intensity factors are also given in a closed form.     

The mixed-mode fracture mechanics analysis of an embedded arbitrary oriented crack in a two-dimensional functionally graded material plate

Mixed-mode fracture mechanics analysis of an embedded arbitrarily oriented crack in a two-dimensional functionally graded material using plane elasticity theory is considered. The material properties are assumed to vary exponentially in two planar directions. Then, employing Fourier integral transforms with singular integral equation technique, the problem is solved. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) at the crack tips are calculated under in-plane mechanical loads. Finally, the effects of crack orientation, material non-homogeneity, and other parameters are discussed on the value of SIF in mode I and mode II fracture.