Periodic cracks in a functionally graded piezoelectric layer bonded to a piezoelectric half-plane

Studied is the problem of a periodic array of cracks in a functionally graded piezoelectric strip bonded to a homogeneous piezoelectric material. The properties of the functionally graded piezoelectric strip, such as elastic modulus, piezoelectric constant and dielectric constant, are assumed in exponential forms and vary along the crack direction. The crack surface condition is assumed to be electrically impermeable or permeable. Integral transform and dislocation density functions are employed to reduce the problem to the solution of a system of singular integral equations. The effects of the periodic crack spacing, material constants and the geometry parameters on the stress intensity factor, the energy release ratio and the energy density factor are studied.     

Electromechanical impact of an impermeable parallel crack in a functionally graded piezoelectric strip

The dynamic fracture problem for a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) strip containing a crack parallel to the free boundaries is considered in this study. It is assumed that the electroelastic properties of the strip vary continuously along the thickness direction of the strip, and that the strip is under the in-plane mechanical and electric impact. Integral transform techniques and dislocation density functions are employed to reduce the problem to the solutions of a system of singular integral equations. The dynamic stress and electric displacement intensity factors versus time are presented for various values of dimensionless parameters representing the crack size, the crack location, the material nonhomogeneity and the loading combination.     

Crack initiation behavior of functionally graded piezoelectric material: prediction by the strain energy density criterion

Transient response of a functionally graded piezoelectric medium is considered for a through crack under the mixed-mode in-plane mechanical and electric load. Integral transforms and dislocation density functions are employed to reduce the problem to singular integral equations. The energy density factor criterion is applied to obtain the maximum of the minimum energy density factor. This determines the direction of crack initiation. Numerical results display the effects of material constants, loading combination parameter, mechanical loading angle and material gradient parameter on the possible fracture behavior.     

Angle cracks in two bonded functionally graded piezoelectric material under anti-plane shear

Consider two bonded functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) with finite height. Each material contains an arbitrary oriented crack. The material properties are assumed in exponential forms in the direction normal to the interface. The crack surface condition is assumed to be electrically impermeable or permeable. Using the Fourier transform technique, the problem can be reduced to a system of singular integral equations, which are then solved numerically by applying the Gauss-Chebyshev integration formula to obtain the stress intensity factors at the crack tips. Numerical calculations are carried out to obtain the energy density factor S and the energy release rate G. In impermeable case, the energy release rate has been shown to be negative as the electric loads are applied. The positive definite characteristic of the energy density factor makes it possible for predicting the fracture behavior of the cracked structure. The influences of the non-homogeneous parameters and crack orientation on the energy density factors at the crack tips are discussed in detail. The results show that the energy density factor at the crack tip will be increased when the crack tip is located within the softer material.     

Time-harmonic P-waves engulfing a rectangular limited-permeable crack in piezoelectric medium: Energy density and energy release

The dynamic behavior of a limited-permeable rectangular crack in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric material is impinged by to a P-wave. The generalized Almansi theorem and the Schmidt method are used to determine the stress intensity factor and energy density factor as the primary fracture criterion of failure. The mixed boundary value problem entails the evaluation of the appropriate crack edge stress singularities that are characteristics of the fundamental functions. The stress and electric displacement intensity factors are also used to find the energy release rate that can be computed numerically and compared with the results corresponding to those of the stress intensity factor, and energy density factor. Graphical presentation shows that the energy release rate is always negative for the boundary conditions considered while the energy density factors always remain positive. Under certain conditions, the stress and electric displacement intensity factors can be negative and subject to physical limitations. Piezoelectric material boundary value problem solutions should therefore be qualified by the application of failure criteria by fracture of otherwise, particularly when the mechanical and electrical energy can release by creating free surface at the macroscopic and microscopic scales. Negative energy release rate found for the piezoelectric medium in this work can be a case in point.Positive definiteness of the energy density factor can be applied to mutliscale fracture. This is not true for the stress intensity factor nor the energy release rate. Hence, crack initiation behavior for the permittivity of a rectangular crack due to the wave propagation effects may be studied. In particular, the initiation of micro-cracks may be identified with certain critical stress wave frequency band. Negative stress intensity factor may not enhance macrocracking but it does not exclude microcrack initiation.     

Antiplane internal crack normal to the edge of a functionally graded piezoelectric/piezomagnetic half plane

This paper deals with the antiplane magnetoelectroelastic problem of an internal crack normal to the edge of a functionally graded piezoelectric/piezomagnetic half plane. The properties of the material such as elastic modulus, piezoelectric constant, dielectric constant, piezomagnetic coefficient, magnetoelectric coefficient and magnetic permeability are assumed in exponential forms and vary along the crack direction. Fourier transforms are used to reduce the impermeable and permeable crack problems to a system of singular integral equations, which is solved numerically by using the Gauss-Chebyshev integration technique. The stress, electric displacement and magnetic induction intensity factors at the crack tips are determined numerically. The energy density theory is applied to study the effects of nonhomogeneous material parameter β, edge conditions, location of the crack and load ratios on the fracture behavior of the internal crack.     

A piezoelectric material strip with a crack perpendicular to its boundary surfaces

A cracked piezoelectric material strip under combining mechanical and electrical loads is considered. The crack is vertical to the top and bottom edges of the strip. The edges of the strip are parallel to the x-axis and perpendicular to the z-axis. When a piezoelectric ceramic is poled, it exhibits transversely isotropic behavior. Among many possible poled axis orientations, a particular orientation when the poling direction lies parallel to x-axis is examined in this paper. Both impermeable crack and permeable crack assumptions are considered. Numerical results are included for three kinds of fracture mechanics specimens, namely an edge-cracked strip, a double edge-cracked strip, and a center-cracked strip, subjected to uniform tensions and uniform electric displacement loads simultaneously, at the far ends. In addition, an edge-cracked strip under pure bending and uniform electric displacement loads at the far ends is also investigated in this paper.     

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.     

Impact response of a functionally graded piezoelectric plate with a vertical crack

The dynamic fracture problem for a functionally graded piezoelectric plate containing a crack perpendicular to the free boundaries is considered in this study. It is assumed that the electroelastic properties of the medium vary continuously in the thickness direction. Integral transform techniques and dislocation density function are employed to reduce the problem to the solution of a singular integral equation. Mode I dynamic energy density factors are presented for an internal crack as well as an edge crack for various values of dimensionless parameters representing the size and location of the crack and the material nonhomogeneity.     

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...     

Impact failure prediction of Mode III crack in orthotropic functionally graded strip

Mode III impact of a crack in an orthotropic functionally graded strip is investigated. The shear moduli in two directions of the material are assumed to vary proportionately with gradient. Laplace transform and Fourier cosine transform are used to reduce the problem to solving a Fredholm integral equation. The crack tip stress field is obtained by considering the asymptotic behavior of Bessel function. Energy density factor criterion is applied to obtain the maximum of minimum energy density and direction of crack initiation. Numerical results are given graphically. The effects of orthotropy, nonhomogeneity and height of the strip on the energy density factor are discussed.     

Electroelastic analysis of a penny-shaped crack in a piezoelectric ceramic under mode I loading

Following the theory of linear piezoelectricity, we consider the electroelastic problem for a piezoelectric ceramic with a penny-shaped crack under mode I loading. The problem is formulated by means of Hankel transform and the solution is solved exactly. The stress intensity factor, energy release rate and energy density factor for the exact and impermeable crack models are expressed in closed form and compared for a P-7 piezoelectric ceramic. Based on current findings, we suggest that the energy release rate and energy density factor criteria for the exact crack model are superior to fracture criteria for the impermeable crack model.     

Mode I fracture analysis of a piezoelectric strip based on real fundamental solutions

In existing papers, mode I crack problems of piezoelectric ceramics are generally solved in complex domain because of the complex fundamental solutions of in-plane piezoelectric governing equations. In fact, these problems can alternatively be analyzed in real number field by recasting the solutions in real form instead. The main purpose of the present work is to develop such real fundamental solutions by detailed eigenvalue and eigenvector analyses. As an example of application, the widely studied fracture problem of a piezoelectric strip with a center-situated crack under mode I loading condition is then revisited based on the real fundamental solutions. Mixed boundary value conditions of the crack are transformed into Cauchy singular integral equations, which are then solved numerically to get fracture parameters including the energy release rate and intensity factors. Convergence behaviors of the kernel functions are surveyed. Theoretical derivation and computation are validated by the exact solution in a special case. The effect of a combined geometrical parameter on the crack is also investigated.     

Analysis of cracked functionally graded piezoelectric strip

The fracture behavior of a cracked strip under antiplane mechanical and inplane electrical loading is studied. A functionally graded piezoelectric strip with exponential material gradation is under consideration. The mechanical and electrical loading is combined via loading coupling factor. The problem of a graded piezoelectric strip containing a screw dislocation is solved. This solution results in stress and electric displacement components with Cauchy singularity. Based on the solution achieved for the dislocation, the distributed dislocation technique (DDT) is utilized to form any geometry of multiple cracks and analyze the behavior of a cracked strip under antiplane mechanical and inplane electrical loading. This technique is capable of the analysis of a strip with a system of interacting cracks. Several examples including strips with single crack, two straight cracks and two curved cracks are presented.     

Mode III fracture problem of an arbitrarily oriented crack in an FGPM strip bonded to a homogeneous piezoelectric half plane

This paper studies the Mode III electric-elastic field of a cracked functionally graded piezoelectric strip bonded to a homogeneous piezoelectric half plane. The crack is oriented in arbitrary direction. The material properties of the strip vary along the strip thickness in exponential forms. By using the Fourier transform, the problem can be formulated to a system of singular integral equations and solved by applying the Gauss-Chebyshev integration formula. The effects come from the edge, crack orientations and the nonhomogeneous material parameter on intensity factors are discussed graphically.     

Fracture of piezoelectric materials: energy density criterion

In this paper, the concept of energy density factor S for piezoelectric materials is presented. In addition to the mechanical energy the electrical energy is included as well. The direction of crack initiation is assumed to occur when S_min reaches a critical value S_cr that can be used as an intrinsic materials parameter and is independent of the crack geometry and loading. The result agrees with empirical evidence qualitatively and explains rationally the effect of applied electric field on fracture strength: positive electric fields decrease the apparent fracture toughness of piezoelectric materials while negative electric fields increase it.     

Electrical nonlinear anti-plane shear crack in a functionally graded piezoelectric strip

The electrical nonlinear behavior of an anti-plane shear crack in a functionally graded piezoelectric strip is studied by using the strip saturation model within the framework of linear electroelasticity. The analysis is conducted on the electrically unified crack boundary condition with the introduction of the electric crack condition parameter that can describe all the electric crack boundary condition in accordance with the aspect ratio of an ellipsoidal crack and the permittivity inside the crack, in particular, including traditional permeable and impermeable crack boundary conditions. The resulting mixed boundary value problem is analysed and near tip field is obtained by using the integral transform techniques. Numerical results for the normalized five kinds of energy release rates under the small scale electric saturation condition are presented and compared to show the influences of the electric crack condition parameter with the variation of the ellipsoidal crack parameters, electric loads, functionally graded piezoelectric material gradation, crack length, electromechanical coupling coefficient, and crack location. It reveals that there are considerable differences between the results obtained from the traditional electric crack models and those obtained from the current unified crack model.     

Electroelastic intensification near anti-plane shear crack in orthotropic piezoelectric ceramic strip

The theory of linear piezoelectricity is applied to solve the antiplane electroelastic problem of an orthotropic piezoelectric ceramic strip with a finite crack, which is situated symmetrically and oriented in a direction normal to the edges of the strip. Fourier transforms are used to reduce the problem to the solution of a pair of dual integral equations. They are then reduced to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. Numerical values on the stress intensity factor and the energy release rate for some piezoelectric ceramics are obtained and the results are displayed numerically to exhibit the electroelastic interactions.     

Torsional impact response of a penny-shaped crack in a functional graded strip

The torsional impact response of a penny-shaped crack in a nonhomogeneous strip is considered. The shear modulus is assumed to be functionally graded such that the mathematics is tractable. Laplace and Hankel transforms were used to reduce the problem to solving a Fredholm integral equation. The crack tip stress field is obtained by considering the asymptotic behavior of Bessel function. Explicit expressions of both the dynamic stress intensity factor and the energy density factor were derived. And it is shown that, as crack driving force, they are equivalent for the present crack problem. Investigated are the effects of material nonhomogeneity and strip‘s highness on the dynamic fracture behavior.Numerical results reveal that the peak of the dynamic stress intensity factor can be suppressed by increasing the nonhomogeneity parameter of the shear modulus, and that the dynamic behavior varies little with the adjusting of the strip‘ s highness.     

Thermally induced fracture of a smart functionally graded composite structure

Discussed is the fracture behavior of a cracked smart actuator on a substrate under thermal load. The actuator is made of piezoelectric material with functionally graded material (FGM) properties. Integral transform method is used to reduce the problem to the solution of a set of singular integral equations and is solved numerically. This paper is completed by including graphical plots of the thermal flow, stress and electric displacement intensity factors around the crack for different crack positions and material gradients. Directions of crack initiation are also predicted by using the energy density criterion.