On a moving interface crack with a contact zone in a piezoelectric bimaterial

An inplane problem for a crack moving with constant subsonic speed along the interface of two piezoelectric materials is considered. A mechanically frictionless and electrically permeable contact zone is assumed at the right crack tip whilst for the open part of the crack both electrically permeable and electrically insulated conditions are considered. In the first case a moving concentrated loading is prescribed at the crack faces and in the second case an additional electrical charge at the crack faces is prescribed as well. The main attention is devoted to electrically permeable crack faces. Introducing a moving coordinate system at the leading crack tip the corresponding inhomogeneous combined Dirichlet–Riemann problem is formulated and solved exactly for this case. All electromechanical characteristics at the interface are presented in a closed form for arbitrary contact zone lengths, and further, the transcendental equation for the determination of the real contact zone length is derived. As a particular case of the obtained solution a semi-infinite crack with a contact zone is considered. The numerical analysis performed for a certain piezoelectric bimaterial showed an essential increase of the contact zone length and the associated stress intensity factor especially for the near-critical speed region. Similar investigations have been performed for an electrically insulated crack and the same behavior of the above mentioned parameters is observed.     

Contact zone assessment for a fast growing interface crack in an anisotropic bimaterial

Summary A plane strain problem for a crack with a frictionless contact zone at the leading crack tip expanding stationary along the interface of two anisotropic half-spaces with a subsonic speed under the action of various loadings is considered. The cases of finite and infinite-length interface cracks under the action of a moving concentrated loading at its faces are considered. A finite-length crack for a uniform mixed-mode loading at infinity is considered as well. The associated combined Dirichlet-Riemann boundary value problems are formulated and solved exactly for all above-mentioned cases. The expressions for stresses and the derivatives of the displacement jumps at the interface are presented in a closed analytical form for an arbitrary contact zone length. Transcendental equations are obtained for the determination of the real contact zone length, and the associated closed form asymptotic formulas are found for small values of this parameter. It is found that independently of the types of the crack and loading, an increase of the crack tip speed leads to an increase of the real contact zone length and the correspondent stress intensity factor. The latter increase significantly for an interface crack tip speed approaching the Ragleigh wave speed.     

An interface crack with contact zones in a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic bimaterial

An interface crack with a frictionless contact zone at the right crack tip between two semi-infinite piezoelectric/piezomagnetic spaces under the action of a remote mechanical loading, magnetic and electric fluxes as well as concentrated forces at the crack faces is considered. Assuming that all fields are independent on the coordinate x ₂ co-directed with the crack front, the stresses, the electrical and the magnetic fluxes as well as the derivatives of the jumps of the displacements, the electrical and magnetic potentials are presented via a set of analytic functions in the (x ₁, x ₃)-plane with a cut along the crack region. Two cases of magneto-electric conditions at the crack faces are considered. The first case assumes that the crack is electrically and magnetically permeable, and in the second case the crack is assumed electrically permeable while the open part of the crack is magnetically impermeable. For both these cases due to the above-mentioned representation the combined Dirichlet–Riemann boundary value problems have been formulated and solved exactly. Stress, electric and magnetic induction intensity factors are found in a simple analytical form. Transcendental equations and a closed form analytical formula for the determination of the real contact zone length have been derived for both cases of magnetic conditions in the crack region. For a numerical illustration of the obtained results a bimaterial BaTiO₃–CoFe₂O₄ with different volume fractions of BaTiO₃ has been used, and the influence of the mechanical loading and the intensity of the magnetic flux upon the contact zone length and the associated intensity factors as well as the energy release rate has been shown.     

Opening and contact zones of an interface crack in a piezoelectric bimaterial under combined compressive-shear loading

A plane problem for a tunnel electrically permeable interface crack between two semi-infinite piezoelectric spaces is studied. A remote mechanical and electrical loading is applied. Elastic displacements and potential jumps as well as stresses and electrical displacement along the interface are presented using a sectionally holomorphic vector function. It is assumed that the interface crack includes zones of crack opening and frictionless contact. The problem is reduced to a combined Dirichlet–Riemann boundary value problem which is solved analytically. From the obtained solution, simple analytical expressions are derived for all mechanical and electrical characteristics at the interface. A quite simple transcendental equation, which determines the point of separation of open and close sections of the crack, is found. For the analysis of the obtained results, the main attention is devoted to the case of compressive-shear loading. The analytical analysis and numerical results show that, even if the applied normal stress is compressive, a certain crack opening zone exists for all considered loading values provided the shear field is present. It is found that the shear stress intensity factor at the closed crack tip and the energy release rates at the both crack tips depend very slightly on the magnitude of compressive loading.     

Fracture mechanical assessment of interface cracks with contact zones in piezoelectric bimaterials under thermoelectromechanical loadings: I. Electrically permeable interface cracks

An electrically permeable interface crack with a frictionless contact zone at the right crack tip between two semi-infinite piezoelectric spaces under the action of a remote electromechanical loading and a temperature flux is considered. Assuming that all fields are independent on the coordinate x₂ co-directed with the crack front, the stresses, the electrical and the temperature fluxes as well as the derivatives of the jumps of the displacements, the electrical potential and the temperature at the interface are presented via a set of analytic functions in the (x₁,x₃)-plane with a cut along the crack. Due to this representation firstly an auxiliary problem concerning the direction of the heat flux permitting a transition from a perfect thermal contact to a separation has been solved for a piezoelectric bimaterial. Besides, an inhomogeneous combined Dirichlet–Riemann boundary value problem has been formulated and solved exactly for the above mentioned interface crack. Stress and electrical displacements intensity factors are found in a clear analytical form which is especially easier for a small contact zone length. A simple equation and a closed form analytical formula for the determination of the real contact zone length have been derived and compared with the associated equation of the classical (oscillating) interface crack model defining the zone of crack faces interpenetration. For a numerical illustration of the obtained results a bimaterial cadmium selenium/glass has been used, and the influence of the heat flux upon the contact zone length and the associated stress intensity factor has been shown.     

Fracture-mechanical assessment of electrically permeable interface cracks in piezoelectric bimaterials by consideration of various contact zone models

Summary An interface crack with an artificial contact zone at the right-hand side crack tip between two piezoelectric semi-infinite half-planes is considered under remote mixed-mode loading. Assuming the stresses, strains and displacements are independent of the coordinate x ₂, the expression for the displacement jumps and stresses along the interface are found via a sectionally holomorphic vector function. For piezoceramics of the symmetry class 6 mm and for electrically permeable crack faces, the problem is reduced to a combined Dirichlet-Riemann boundary value problem which can be solved analytically. Further, analytical expressions for the stresses, electrical displacements, derivatives of elastic displacement jumps, stress and electrical intensity factors are found at the interface. Real contact zone lengths and the well-known oscillating solution are derived from the obtained solution as well. Analytical relationships between the fracture-mechanical parameters of various models are found, and recommendations are suggested concerning the application of numerical methods to the problem of an interface crack in the discontinuity area of a piezoelectric bimaterial. Received 16 March 1999; accepted for publication 31 May 1999     

Limited permeable crack moving along the interface of a piezoelectric bi-material

A plane problem for a crack moving with a subsonic speed along the interface of two piezoelectric semi-infinite spaces is considered. The crack is assumed to be free from mechanical loading. The limited permeable electric condition with an account of electric traction is adopted at its faces. A uniformly distributed mixed mode mechanical loading and an electric flux are prescribed at infinity. The problem is reduced to the Riemann–Hilbert problem by means of introducing a moving coordinate system and assuming that the electric flux is uniformly distributed along the crack region. An exact solution of this problem is proposed. It permits to find in closed form all necessary electromechanical characteristics at the interface and to formulate the equation for the determination of the electric flux. Analysis of this equation confirms the correctness of the assumption concerning the uniform distribution of the electric flux in the crack region. The values of the electric flux are determined by solving the obtained equation. Thereafter, the stress and electric intensity factors as well as their asymptotic fields at the crack tip are also found. The particular case of a crack moving in a homogeneous piezoelectric material is considered. The values of the electric flux and the fracture parameters are found exactly in a simple form for this case. Also, a numerical analysis is performed for a crack propagating with a subsonic speed between PZT4 and PZT5 materials and for a crack moving in PZT4 material. The electric flux in the crack region, stress and electric intensity factors, crack opening and the energy release rate (ERR) are found as functions of the crack speed, loading and electric permeability of the crack medium. The influence of the electric traction on the crack faces upon the mentioned parameters is demonstrated.     

An electrically conducting interface crack with a contact zone in a piezoelectric bimaterial

A plane problem for an electrically conducting interface crack in a piezoelectric bimaterial is studied. The bimaterial is polarized in the direction orthogonal to the crack faces and loaded by remote tension and shear forces and an electrical field parallel to the crack faces. All fields are assumed to be independent of the coordinate co-directed with the crack front. Using special presentations of electromechanical quantities via sectionally-analytic functions, a combined Dirichlet–Riemann and Hilbert boundary value problem is formulated and solved analytically. Explicit analytical expressions for the characteristic mechanical and electrical parameters are derived. Also, a contact zone solution is obtained as a particular case. For the determination of the contact zone length, a simple transcendental equation is derived. Stress and electric field intensity factors and, also, the contact zone length are found for various material combinations and different loadings. A significant influence of the electric field on the contact zone length, stress and electric field intensity factors is observed. Electrically permeable conditions in the crack region are considered as well and matching of different crack models has been performed.     

Interface crack with a contact zone in an isotropic bimaterial under thermomechanical loading

A plane problem for a thermally insulated interface crack with a contact zone in an isotropic bimaterial under tension–shear mechanical loading and a temperature flux is considered. The expressions for the stresses and the electrical flux as well as for the derivatives of the displacement and the temperature jumps at the material interfaces via sectionally holomorphic mechanical and thermal potential functions are given. After the solution of the thermal problem the inhomogeneous combined Dirichlet–Riemann boundary value problem is formulated and solved exactly. The stresses at the interface and the stress intensity factors at the singular points are presented in a clear analytical form. Special attention is devoted to the case of a small contact zone when the stress intensity factors can be presented in form similar to the associated presentation for an “open” crack model. A transcendental equation and an asymptotic analytic formula for the determination of the real contact zone length are derived. It is shown that for a certain bimaterial this length as well as the correspondent stress intensity factor are defined by a single parameter which depends on the normal-shear loading and the heat flux.     

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.     

An analytically-numerical approach for the analysis of an interface crack with a contact zone in a piezoelectric bimaterial compound

An interface crack with an artificial contact zone at the right-hand side crack tip between two dissimilar finite-sized piezoelectric materials is considered under remote mixed-mode loading. To find the singular electromechanical field at the crack tip, an asymptotic solution is derived in connection with the conventional finite element method. For mechanical loads, the stress intensity factors at the singular points are obtained. As a particular case of this solution, the contact zone model (in Comninou’s sense) is derived. A simple transcendental equation and an asymptotic formula for the determination of the real contact zone length are derived. The dependencies of the contact zone lengths on external load coefficients are illustrated in graphical form. For a particular case of a short crack with respect to the dimensions of the bimaterial compound, the numerical results are compared to the exact analytical solutions, obtained for a piezoelectric bimaterial plane with an interface crack.     

An electrically impermeable and magnetically permeable interface crack with a contact zone in magnetoelectroelastic bimaterials under a thermal flux and magnetoelectromechanical loads

An interface crack with a frictionless contact zone at the right crack-tip between two dissimilar magnetoelectroelastic materials under the action of a thermal flux and remote magnetoelectromechanical loads is considered. The open part of the crack is assumed to be electrically impermeable and magnetically permeable, and the crack faces are assumed to be heat insulted. The inhomogeneous combined Dirichlet–Riemann and Hilbert boundary value problems are, respectively, formulated and solved analytically. Stress, electrical displacement intensity factors as well as energy release rate are found in analytical forms, and analytical expressions for the contact zone length have been obtained for both the general case and the case of small contact zone length. Some numerical results are presented, which show clearly the effects of thermal and magnetoelectromechanical loads on the contact zone length, stress intensity factor and energy release rate. Results presented in this paper should have potential applications to the design of multilayered magnetoelectroelastic structures and devices.     

Permeable cracks between two dissimilar piezoelectric materials

An interfacial crack with electrically permeable surfaces between two dissimilar piezoelectric ceramics under electromechanical loading is investigated. An exact expression for singular stress and electric fields near the tip of a permeable crack between two dissimilar anisotropic piezoelectric media are obtained. The interfacial crack-tip fields are shown to consist of both an inverse square root singularity and a pair of oscillatory singularities. It is found that the singular fields near the permeable interfacial crack tip are uniquely characterized by the real valued stress intensity factors proposed in this paper. The energy release rate is obtained in terms of the stress intensity factors. The exact solution of stress and electric fields for a finite interfacial crack problem is also derived.     

Fracture mechanical assessment of interface cracks with contact zones in piezoelectric bimaterials under thermoelectromechanical loadings II. Electrically impermeable interface cracks

This paper constitutes the second part of a study of interface cracks with contact zones in thermopiezoelectrical bimaterials, and it is concerned with the case of an electrically impermeable interface crack. The principal physical peculiarity of this case in comparison with an impermeable interface crack is connected with the dependencies of the contact zone length and the fracture mechanical parameters on the prescribed electrical flux, and in a mathematical sense the main peculiarity is concerned with the reduction of the problem in question to the joint solution of inhomogeneous combined Dirichlet–Riemann and Hilbert boundary value problems. The exact analytical solutions of the mentioned problems have been found for an arbitrary contact zone length, and the required thermal, mechanical and electrical characteristics at the interface as well as the associated fracture mechanical parameters at the corresponding crack tips are presented. The transcendental equations for the determination of the real contact zone length have been obtained for a general case and for a small contact zone length in an especially simple form. Using the admissible directions of the heat and the electrical fluxes defined in this paper as well, the dependencies of the real contact zone length and the associated fracture and electrical intensity factors on the intensities of the thermal and electrical fluxes are presented in tables and associated diagrams.     

Dynamic behaviors of mode III interfacial crack under a constant loading rate

In an earlier study on intersonic crack propagation, Gao et al. (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 49: 2113–2132, 2001) described molecular dynamics simulations and continuum analysis of the dynamic behaviors of a mode II dominated crack moving along a weak plane under a constant loading rate. The crack was observed to initiate its motion at a critical time after the onset of loading, at which it is rapidly accelerated to the Rayleigh wave speed and propagates at this speed for a finite time interval until an intersonic daughter crack is nucleated at a peak stress at a finite distance ahead of the original crack tip. The present article aims to analyze this behavior for a mode III crack moving along a bi-material interface subject to a constant loading rate. We begin with a crack in an initially stress-free bi-material subject to a steadily increasing stress. The crack initiates its motion at a critical time governed by the Griffith criterion. After crack initiation, two scenarios of crack propagation are investigated: the first one is that the crack moves at a constant subsonic velocity; the second one is that the crack moves at the lower shear wave speed of the two materials. In the first scenario, the shear stress ahead of the crack tip is singular with exponent ?1/2, as expected; in the second scenario, the stress singularity vanishes but a peak stress is found to emerge at a distance ahead of the moving crack tip. In the latter case, a daughter crack supersonic with respect to the softer medium can be expected to emerge ahead of the initial crack once the peak stress reaches the cohesive strength of the interface.     

Numerical simulation of domain switching in multilayer ferroelectric actuators

Micromechanical finite element methods are developed based on a nonlinear constitutive model of ferroelectric polycrystals. Electromechanical behaviors ahead of an internal electrode tip are numerically simulated in multilayer ferroelectric actuators. Around the electrode edge, the nonuniform electric field generates a concentration of stress due to the incompatible strain as well as spontaneous strain. The preferred domain switching enhances the concentration of residual stress and may cause the actuators to crack. An electrically permeable crack emanating from an internal electrode is analyzed. A large scale domain switching zone is found in the vicinity of crack tips. The larger the actuating strain and electric field are, the larger the switching zone will be. The size of switching zone even reaches the scale of crack length with increasing electromechanical loading.     

An interface crack with partially electrically conductive crack faces under antiplane mechanical and in-plane electric loadings

An interface crack in a bimaterial piezoelectric space under the action of antiplane mechanical and in-plane electric loadings is analyzed. One zone of the crack faces is electrically conductive while the other part is electrically permeable. All electro-mechanical values are presented using sectionally-analytic vector-functions and a combined Dirichlet-Riemann boundary value problem is formulated. An exact analytical solution of this problem is obtained. Simple analytical expressions for the shear stress, electric field and also for mechanical displacement jump of the crack faces are derived. These values are also presented graphically along the corresponding parts of the material interface. Singular points of the shear stress, electric field and electric displacement jump are found. Their intensity factors are determined as well. Intensity factors variations with respect to the external electric field and different ratios between the electrically conductive and electrically permeable crack face zones are also demonstrated.     

Special approach for the determination of fracture mechanical parameters at an interface crack tip

An interface crack of finite length is considered between two semi-infinite planes with an artificial contact zone at one of the two crack tips. A transcendental equation and certain simple asymptotic formulas are established for the real contact zone (in the Comninou-Dundurs sense) in terms of the stress intensity factors (SIFs) of the considered model. In these terms analytical expressions are also provided for the energy release rate and for the SIF of the classical interface crack model with an oscillating singularity at the crack tip. The appropriate length of the artifical contact zone is shown to be attainable on the basis of the analysis of the stresses at the crack tip. The use of the proposed model is suggested for integrity assessment of inhomogeneous structural elements of composites containing interface cracks. Received 26 March 1997; accepted for publication 12 September 1997     

Unified electrical boundary conditions for a crack interacting with a dislocation in piezoelectric media

This paper investigates the interaction problem between a dislocation and a finite crack in piezoelectric media. Analytical solutions for the generalized two-dimensional problem of a dislocation that is interacting with a finite crack in piezoelectric media are formulated via Stroh formalism. The analysis is conducted on the unified electrical crack boundary condition with the introduction of the electric crack condition parameter that can describe all the electric crack boundary conditions. The two ideal crack boundary conditions, namely, the electrically impermeable and permeable crack assumptions are obtained as two special cases for the current solutions. Based on the complex variable method and the perturbation technique, closed form solutions are obtained. The field intensity factors at the crack tip and the image forces on the dislocation due to the crack are computed and discussed.     

Electroelastic Analysis of an Internal Interface Crack in a Half-Plane Consisting of Two Bonded Dissimilar Piezoelectric Quarter-Planes

The problem of an interface crack in a half-plane consisting of two bonded dissimilar piezoelectric quarters is considered under antiplane shear and inplane electric loading. The problem is solved under the electrically permeable assumption for a crack. The integral transform technique is employed to reduce the problem to triple integral equations, which is further converted to a hypersingular integral equation for the crack sliding displacement. By solving the resulting equation analytically, the electroelastic field along the interface and the energy release rate are obtained in explicit form, respectively. Several examples are given to illustrate the influence of the material properties and the crack position on the energy release rate.