Applicability of the crack faces thermoelectric boundary conditions for thermopiezoelectric materials

The applicability and effect of the crack surfaces thermoelectric boundary conditions in thermopiezoelectric fracture mechanics problem are discussed by using the finite thickness notch approach. The stress and electric displacement intensity factors at the notch tips, and thermal flux and electric displacement inside the notch are derived in closed-form. The numerical results are compared with the ideal crack solutions. It is found that the electrically impermeable crack boundary condition assumption is reasonable if the flaw in the material is a notch with finite width, and the thermal conductivity of air or vacuum inside the crack must be considered.     

Non-overlapping conditions for crack face displacement of anisotropic bodies

Crack tip stress and displacement fields are useful for studying the fracture behavior of cracks in both isotropic and anisotropic materials. Under certain boundary conditions, crack surfaces could overlap, a condition that could be more prevalent for the anisotropic case as compared with isotropic materials. Conditions can be derived for different loading conditions and material properties such that overlap of the crack faces would not occur.     

Fracture of piezoelectromagnetic materials

The crack problem in a medium possessing coupled piezoelectric, piezomagnetic and magnetoelectric effects is considered. A conservative integral is derived based on the governing equations for magnetoelectroelastic media. Closed-form solution is obtained for an anti-plane crack in an infinite medium. The conservative integral is used to obtain the path-independent integral near the crack tip. Expressions for stresses, electric displacements and magnetic inductions in the vicinity of a crack tip are derived. It is found that the path-independent integral around the crack tip equals the energy release rate. In the absence of applied mechanical loads, the energy release rate is always negative.     

基于有限断裂法和比例边界有限元法的裂纹扩展模拟

基于有限断裂法和比例边界有限元法提出了一种裂缝开裂过程模拟的数值模型。采用基于有限断裂法的混合断裂准则作为起裂及扩展的判断标准,当最大环向应力和能量释放率同时达到其临界值时,裂缝扩展。结合多边形比例边界有限元法,可以半解析地求解裂尖区域附近的应力场和位移场,在裂尖附近无需富集即可获得高精度的解。计算能量释放率时,只需将裂尖多边形内的裂尖位置局部调整,无需改变整体网格的分布,网格重剖分的工作量降至最少。裂缝扩展步长通过混合断裂准则确定,避免了人为假设的随意性,并可以实现裂缝变步长扩展的模拟,更符合实际情况。通过对四点剪切梁的复合型裂缝扩展过程的模拟,对本文模型进行了验证,并应用于重力坝模型的裂缝扩展模拟,计算结果表明,本文提出的模型简单易行且精度较高。     

A mode III crack in functionally graded piezoelectric materials

This paper considers the mode III crack problem in functionally graded piezoelectric materials. The mechanical and the electrical properties of the medium are considered for a class of functional forms for which the equilibrium equations have an analytical solution. The problem is solved by means of singular integral equation technique. Both a single crack and a series of collinear cracks are investigated. The results are plotted to show the effect of the material inhomogeneity on the stress and the electric displacement intensity factors.     

Dynamical evolution of fracture process region in ductile materials

The aim of this paper is to investigate the dynamics of evolving finite fracture process regions in ductile material taking into account the dislocation motion.     

Applicability of the crack-face electromagnetic boundary conditions for fracture of magnetoelectroelastic materials

This paper discusses the different electromagnetic boundary conditions on the crack-faces in magnetoelectroelastic materials, which possess coupled piezoelectric, piezomagnetic and magnetoelectric effects. A notch of finite thickness in these materials containing air (or vacuum) is also addressed. Four ideal crack-face electromagnetic boundary condition assumptions, that is, (a) electrically and magnetically impermeable crack, (b) electrically impermeable and magnetically permeable crack, (c) electrically permeable and magnetically impermeable crack and (d) electrically and magnetically permeable crack, are investigated separately. The influence of notch thickness on the field intensity factors at notch tips and the electromagnetic field inside the notch are obtained in closed-form. The results are compared with the ideal crack solutions. Applicability of crack-face electromagnetic boundary condition assumptions is discussed.     

Effect of electric boundary conditions on crack propagation in ferroelectric ceramics

In this paper, the effect of electric boundary conditions on Mode I crack propagation in ferroelectric ceramics is studied by using both linear and nonlinear piezoelectric fracture mechanics. In linear analysis, impermeable cracks under open circuit and short circuit are analyzed using the Stroh formalism and a rescaling method. It is shown that the energy release rate in short circuit is larger than that in open circuit. In nonlinear analysis, permeable crack conditions are used and the nonlinear effect of domain switching near a crack tip is considered using an energy-based switching criterion proposed by Hwang et al.（Acta Metal. Mater.,1995）. In open circuit, a large depolarization field induced by domain switching makes switching much more diffcult than that in short circuit. Analysis shows that the energy release rate in short circuit is still larger than that in open circuit, and is also larger than the linear result. Consequently,whether using linear or nonlinear fracture analysis, a crack is found easier to propagate in short circuit than in open circuit, which is consistent with the experimental observations of Kounga Njiwa et al.（Eng. Fract. Mech., 2006）.     

A periodic array of cracks in a transversely isotropic magnetoelectroelastic material

Magnetoelectroelastic materials are inherently brittle and prone to fracture. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the fracture behavior of these advanced materials. In this paper, a periodic array of cracks in a transversely isotropic magnetoelectroelastic material is investigated. Hankel transform is applied to solve elastic displacements, electric potential and magnetic potential. The problem is reduced into a system of integral equations. Both impermeable and permeable crack-face electromagnetic boundary conditions assumptions are investigated. Quantities of the stress, electric displacement and magnetic induction and their intensity factor are obtained. Effect of the crack spacing on these quantities is investigated in details.     

On the fracture toughness of ferroelastic materials

The toughness enhancement due to domain switching near a steadily growing crack in a ferroelastic material is analyzed. The constitutive response of the material is taken to be characteristic of a polycrystalline sample assembled from randomly oriented tetragonal single crystal grains. The constitutive law accounts for the strain saturation, asymmetry in tension versus compression, Bauschinger effects, reverse switching, and strain reorientation that can occur in these materials due to the non-proportional loading that arises near a propagating crack. Crack growth is assumed to proceed at a critical level of the crack tip energy release rate. Detailed finite element calculations are carried out to determine the stress and strain fields near the growing tip, and the ratio of the far field applied energy release rate to the crack tip energy release rate. The results of the finite element calculations are then compared to analytical models that assume the linear isotropic K-field solution holds for either the near tip stress or strain field. Ultimately, the model is able to account for the experimentally observed toughness enhancement in ferroelastic ceramics.     

On the no-slip boundary conditions for squeeze flow of viscous fluids

A typical class of boundary conditions for squeeze flow problems in lubrication approximation is the one in which the squeezing rate and the width between the squeezing plates are constant. This hypothesis is justified by claiming that the plates moves so slowly that they can be considered static. In this short note we prove that this assumption leads to a contradiction and hence cannot be used.     

A path-independent integral for fracture of solids under combined electrochemical and mechanical loadings

In this study, we first demonstrate that the J-integral in classical linear elasticity becomes path-dependent when the solid is subjected to combined electrical, chemical and mechanical loadings. We then construct an electro-chemo-mechanical J-integral that is path-independent under such combined multiple driving forces. Further, we show that this electro-chemo-mechanical J-integral represents the rate at which the grand potential releases per unit crack growth. As an example, the path-independent nature of the electro-chemo-mechanical J-integral is demonstrated by solving the problem of a thin elastic film delaminated from a thick elastic substrate.     

Investigation on the choice of boundary conditions and shape functions for flexible multi-body system

The objective of this investigation is to examine the correctness and efficiency of the choice of boundary conditions when using assumed mode approach to simulate flexible multi-body systems. The displacement field due to deformation is approximated by the Rayleigh-Ritz assumed modes in floating frame of reference (FFR) formulation. The deformations obtained by the absolute nodal coordinate (ANC) formulation which are transformed by two sets of reference coordinates are introduced as a criterion to verify the accuracy of the simulation results by using the FFR formulation. The relationship between the deformations obtained from different boundary conditions is revealed. Numerical simulation examples demonstrate that the assumed modes with cantilevered-free, simply-supported and freefree boundary conditions without inclusion of rigid body modes are suitable for simulation of flexible multi-body system with large over all motion, and the same physical deformation can be obtained using those mode functions, differ only by a coordinate transformation. It is also shown that when using mode shapes with statically indeterminate boundary conditions, significant error may occur. Furthermore, the slider crank mechanism with rigid crank is accurate enough for investigating boundary condition problem of flexible multi-body system, which cost significant less simulating time.     

Meshless simulation of crack propagation in multiphase materials

The material body considered in this work consists of multiphases. Digital imaging data are taken as the input to specify the configuration and composition of the specimen. Meshless method is demonstrated as a superior numerical tool to analyze crack initiation and propagation in multiphase material. A fracture criterion, based on the ratio of the opening stress over the material toughness distributed in front of the crack tip, is proposed to determine the direction of crack propagation of mixed mode fracture problem in multiphase material. Numerical results are presented and discussed.     

Semi-permeable crack analysis in a 2D magnetoelectroelastic medium based on the EMPS model

For a crack in a magnetoelectroelastic plane under the electrically and magnetically semi-permeable boundary condition, we derive the non-linear analytical solution of the strip electric–magnetic polarization saturation (EMPS) model. Using the extended dislocation theory and integral equation method, we obtain the electric and magnetic yielding zones, as well as the field intensity factor and local J-integral. Adapting an iterative method, numerical examples were performed to analyze the effect of different boundary conditions and the electric–magnetic saturated properties on the electric displacement and magnetic induction in the crack cavity, electric and magnetic yielding zones, stress intensity factor and local J-integral.     

横观各向同性材料的三维断裂力学问题

从三维横观各向同性材料弹性力学理论出发, 使用Hadamard有限部积分概念, 导出了三维状态下单位位移间断(位错)集度的基 本解. 在此基础上, 进一步运用极限理论, 将任意载荷作用下, 三维无限大横观各向 同性材料弹性体中, 含有一个位于弹性对称面内的任意形状的片状裂纹问题, 归结为求 解一组超奇异积分方程的问题. 通过二维超奇异积分的主部分析方法, 精确地求得了裂纹前沿光滑点附近的应力奇异指数和奇异应力场, 从而找到了以裂纹表面位移间断表示的应力强度因子表达式及裂纹局部扩展所提供 的能量释放率. 作为以上理论的实际应用,最后给出了一个圆形片状裂纹问题 的精确解例和一个正方形片状裂纹问题的数值解例. 对受轴对称法向均布载荷作用下圆形片状裂纹问题, 讨论了超奇异积分方程的精确求解方法, 并获得了位移间断和应力强度因子的封闭解, 此结果与现有理论解完全一致.     

On pressure boundary conditions for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

The pressure is a somewhat mysterious quantity in incompressible flows. It is not a thermodynamic variable as there is no ‘equation of state’ for an incompressible fluid. It is in one sense a mathematical artefact—a Lagrange multiplier that constrains the velocity field to remain divergence-free; i.e., incompressible—yet its gradient is a relevant physical quantity: a force per unit volume. It propagates at infinite speed in order to keep the flow always and everywhere incompressible; i.e., it is always in equilibrium with a time-varying divergence-free velocity field. It is also often difficult and/or expensive to compute. While the pressure is perfectly well-defined (at least up to an arbitrary additive constant) by the governing equations describing the conservation of mass and momentum, it is (ironically) less so when more directly expressed in terms of a Poisson equation that is both derivable from the original conservation equations and used (or misused) to replace the mass conservation equation. This is because in this latter form it is also necessary to address directly the subject of pressure boundary conditions, whose proper specification is crucial (in many ways) and forms the basis of this work. Herein we show that the same principles of mass and momentum conservation, combined with a continuity argument, lead to the correct boundary conditions for the pressure Poisson equation: viz., a Neumann condition that is derived simply by applying the normal component of the momentum equation at the boundary. It usually follows, but is not so crucial, that the tangential momentum equation is also satisfied at the boundary.     

Asymptotic mechanical fields at the tip of a mode I crack in rubber-like solids

Asymptotic analyses of the mechanical fields in front of stationary and propagating cracks facilitate the understanding of the mechanical and physical state in front of crack tips, and they enable prediction of crack growth and failure. Furthermore, efficient modelling of arbitrary crack growth by use of XFEM (extended finite element method) requires accurate knowledge of the asymptotic crack tip fields. In the present work, we perform an asymptotic analysis of the mechanical fields in the vicinity of a propagating mode I crack in rubber. Plane deformation is assumed, and the material model is based on the Langevin function, which accounts for the finite extensibility of polymer chains. The Langevin function is approximated by a polynomial, and only the term of the highest order contributes to the asymptotic solution. The crack is predicted to adopt a wedge-like shape, i.e. the crack faces will be straight lines. The angle of the wedge and the order of the stress singularity depend on the hardening of the strain energy function. The present analysis shows that in materials with a significant hardening, the inertia term in the equations of motion becomes negligible in the asymptotic analysis. Hence, there is no upper theoretical limit to the crack speed.     

Exact solutions for variable-thickness inhomogeneous elastic plates under various boundary conditions

In this paper, an exact solution to the governing equations of the bending of a variable-thickness inhomogeneous rectangular plate is presented. The procedure is applicable to variable-thickness inhomogeneous rectangular plates with two opposite edges simply supported. The remaining ones subjected to a combination of clamped, simply supported, and free boundary conditions and between these two edges the plate may have varying thickness. The procedure is valuable in view of the fact that tables of deflections and stresses cannot be presented for variable-thickness inhomogeneous orthotropic plates as for uniform-thickness homogeneous isotropic plates even for commonly encountered loads because the results depend on the inhomogeneity coefficient and the orthotropic material properties instead of a single flexural rigidity. Numerical results, useful for the validation or otherwise of approximate solutions, are tabulated. The influences of the degree of the inhomogeneity, aspect ratio, thickness parameter and degree of non-uniformity on the deflections and stresses are investigated. This paper is partially supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at King AbdulAziz University (Grant no. 172/427).