Stress intensity factors for ring-shaped crack surrounded by spherical inclusions

Interaction of a ring-shaped crack with inhomogeneities such as inclusions is analyzed for the resulting three-dimensional stress field. Considered for the composite solid with a given volume fraction of inclusions are the two cases of (a) spherical voids and (b) spherical inclusions with elastic moduli different from the matrix. A ring-shaped crack is initiated at the equator of one of the voids or inclusions. A three-phase model is used to examine the interaction between the crack and surrounding inhomogeneities. Finite element method is then applied to calculate the stress intensity factor for different configurations. The effects of volume fraction of inhomogeneities, relative size of crack to inclusions, and material constants on crack behavior are discussed.     

The interaction of gas bubbles in an anisotropic elastic solid

The problem of finding the stress field induced in the neighbourhood of two spherical gas bubbles or voids in an anisotropic matrix is formulated in terms of an integral equation for the “transformation stress” in equivalent homogeneous inclusions. An iterative method of solution is outlined, involving the solution of a class of problems for a single spherical inclusion perturbing a polynomial field of stress. Explicit solutions are obtained for polynomials up to second degree. Estimates of the energy of interaction between gas bubbles in α-U and between voids in Mo are deduced as examples, and the results are discussed in relation to earlier calculations and to observations.     

Interaction between rigid-disc inclusion and penny-shaped crack under elastic time-harmonic wave incidence

Influence of a rigid-disc massive inclusion on a neighboring penny-shaped crack induced by the time-harmonic wave propagation in an infinite elastic matrix is investigated by the numerical solution of associated 3D elastodynamic problem. No restrictions on the mutual orientation of interacting objects and direction of wave incidence are assumed. The inclusion is perfectly bonded with a matrix and supposes the translations and rotations, the crack faces are load-free. Frequency-domain problem is reduced to a system of boundary integral equations (BIEs) relative to the interfacial stress jumps (ISJs) on the inclusion and the crack opening displacements (CODs). The subtraction technique in conjunction with mapping technique, under taking into account the structure of solution at the fronts of inclusion and crack, is applied for regularization of BIEs obtained. A discrete analogue of equations is constructed by using the collocation scheme. Numerical calculations are carried out for the grazing incidence of a plane P-wave on the crack, where the interacting inclusion is coplanar and perpendicular to the crack, and has the same radius. The shielding and amplification effects of inclusion are assessed by the analysis of mode-I stress intensity factor (SIF) in the crack vicinity depending on the wave number, incident wave direction, position of the crack front point, inclusion mass, crack-inclusion orientation and distance.     

双周期圆柱形夹杂纵向剪切问题的精确解

研究无限介质中矩形排列双周期圆柱形夹杂的纵向剪切问题．利用Eshelby等效夹杂理论并结合双周期与双准周期解析函数工具，为这类考虑夹杂相互影响的问题提供了一个严格又实用的分析方法，求得了问题的全场级数解．作为退化情形得到单夹杂问题的经典解答，双周期孔洞、双周期刚性夹杂及单行(列)周期弹性夹杂等问题也可作为特殊情况被解决．数值结果揭示了这类非均匀材料力学性质随微结构参数变化的规律．     

Mixed mode axisymmetric annular cracks in a finite layer: Off angle crack initiation

The solutions of axisymmetric Volterra type climb and glide edge dislocations are obtained in a layer by means of the Hankel transforms. Utilizing the same procedure, Green’s function solution is obtained for a layer under self-equilibration normal ring traction. The distributed dislocation technique is used to construct integral equations for a system of co-axial annular cracks where the layer is under axisymmetric normal loads. These equations are solved numerically to obtain dislocation density on the cracks surfaces. The results are employed to determine stress intensity factors for annular and penny-shaped cracks and the interaction between two co-axial penny-shaped cracks is studied. Moreover, the stress intensity factors of the interacting cracks are determined such that they can be further used in conjunction with strain energy density (SED) failure criterion to obtain the possible direction of crack initiation that may not be apparent under mixed mode conditions.     

A penny-shaped crack in a filament-reinforced matrix—II. The crack problem

Using the filament model developed in the previous paper, the elastostatic interaction problem between a penny-shaped crack and a slender inclusion or filament in an elastic matrix is formulated. For a single filament as well as multiple identical filaments located symmetrically around the crack the problem is shown to reduce to a singular integral equation. The solution of the problem is obtained for various geometries and filament to-matrix stiffness ratios, and the results relating to the angular variation of the stress intensity factor and the maximum filament stress are presented.     

Microscopic analysis of crack propagation for multiple cracks, inclusions and voids

The elastic crack interaction with internal defects, such as microcracks, voids and rigid inclusions, is investigated in this study for the purpose of analyzing crack propagation. The elastic stress field is obtained using linear theory of elasticity for isotropic materials. The cracks are modeled as pile-ups of edge dislocations resulting into a coupled set of integral equations, whose kernels are those of a dislocation in a medium with or without an inclusion or void. The numerical solution of these equations gives the stress intensity factors and the complete stress field in the given domain. The solution is valid for a general solid, however the propagation analysis is valid mostly for brittle materials. Among different propagation models the ones based on maximum circumferential stress and minimum strain energy density theories, are employed. A special emphasis is given to the estimation of the crack propagation direction that defines the direction of crack branching or kinking. Once a propagation direction is determined, an improved model dealing with kinked cracks must be employed to follow the propagation behavior.     

Stress intensity factor of an elliptical crack as influenced by a spherical inhomogeneity

The interaction between an elliptical crack and a spherical inhomogeneity embedded in a three-dimensional solid subject to uniaxial tension is investigated. Both the inhomogeneity and the solid are isotropic but have different elastic moduli. The Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method is applied together with the principle of superposition. An approximate solution for the stress intensity factor is obtained by an approach that expands the distance between the center of the crack and inhomogeneity in series. The local stress field can be increased or decreased depending on the relative modulus of the spherical inhomogeneity and matrix. If the inhomogeneity modulus is larger than that of the matrix, a reduction in the stress intensity factor prevails. Displayed numerically are results to exhibit the influence of inhomogeneity and its distance to the crack.     

Three dimensional microstructural effects on plane strain ductile crack growth

Ductile crack growth under mode I, plane strain, small scale yielding conditions is analyzed. Overall plane strain loading is prescribed, but a full 3D analysis is carried out to model three dimensional microstructural effects. An elastic-viscoplastic constitutive relation for a porous plastic solid is used to model the material. Two populations of second-phase particles are represented, large inclusions with low strength, which result in large voids near the crack tip at an early stage, and small second-phase particles, which require large strains before cavities nucleate. The larger inclusions are represented discretely and the effects of different three dimensional distributions on the crack path and on the overall crack growth rate are analyzed. For comparison purposes, a two dimensional distribution of cylindrical inclusions is analyzed. Crack growth occurs off the initial crack plane in all 3D computations, whereas straight ahead crack growth occurs with the two dimensional cylindrical inclusions. As a consequence, the three dimensional distributions of spherical inclusions exhibit an increased crack growth resistance as compared to the two dimensional distribution of cylindrical inclusions.     

The in-plane loading of rigid disc inclusion embedded in a crack

The paper examines the in-plane loading of a disc shaped rigid disc inclusion which is embedded in bonded contact with the plane surfaces of a penny-shaped crack. The mixed boundary value problem governing the elastostatic problem is reduced to the solution of a system of coupled integral equations, which are solved numerically to determine results of engineering interest. These results include the in-plane stiffness of the disc inclusion and the crack opening mode stress intensity factor at the boundary of the penny-shaped crack.     

A THEORY OF EFFECTIVE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY FOR MATRIX-INCLUSION- MICROCRACK THREE-PHASE HETEROGENEOUS MATERIALS BASED ON MICROMECHANICS

The effective thermal conductivity of matrix-inclusion-microcrack three-phase heterogeneous materials is investigated with a self-consistent micromechanical method (SCM) and a random microstructure finite element method(RMFEM). In the SCM, microcracks are assumed to be randomly distributed and penny-shaped and inclusions to be spherical, the crack effect is accounted for by introducing a crack density parameter, the effective thermal conductivity is derived which relates the macroscopic behavior to the crack density parameter. In the RMFEM, the highly irregular microstructure of the heterogeneous media is accurately described, the interaction among the matrix-inclusion-microcracks is exactly treated, the inclusion shape effect and crack size effect are considered. A Ni/ZrO₂ particulate composite material containing randomly distributed, penny-shaped cracks is examined as an example. The main results obtained are: (1) the effective thermal conductivity is sensitive to the crack density and exhibits essentially a linear relationship with the density parameter; (2) the inclusion shape has a significant effect on the effective thermal conductivity and a polygon-shaped inclusion is more effective in increasing or decreasing the effective thermal conductivity than a sphere-shaped one; and (3) the SCM and RMFEM are compared and the two methods give the same effective property in the case in which the matrix thermal conductivity λ₁ is greater than the inclusion one λ₂. In the inverse case of λ₁ < λ₂, the two methods agree as the inclusion volume fraction and crack density are low and differ as they are high. A reasonable explanation for the agreement and deviation between the two methods in the case of λ₁ < λ₂ is made. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chnese “863” High-Tech, Program.     

Interaction between annular crack and rigid disc inclusion in a transversely isotropic solid

An analytical approach has been presented to analyze the asymmetric and axisymmetric interactions between an annular crack and a rigid disc inclusion embedded in a transversely isotropic full-space. With the aid of a method of potential functions, Hankel and Abel transforms, the solution of the problems is reduced to a system of Fredholm integral equations, which are solved by using a numerical method. In each case, the stiffness of the disc inclusion and the stress intensity factor at the tips of the annular crack for different degrees of material anisotropy and different ratios of the inner and outer radius of the crack are illustrated graphically. Several limiting cases such as penny-shaped crack and external crack along with some exact solutions are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the method.     

Penny-shaped crack in a fiber-reinforced matrix

Using the slender inclusion model developed earlier the elastostatic interaction problem between a penny-shaped crack and elastic fibers in an elastic matrix is formulated. For a single set and for multiple sets of fibers oriented perpendicularly to the plane of the crack and distributed symmetrically on concentric circles the problem is reduced to a system of singular integral equations. Techniques for the regularization and for the numerical solution of the system are outlined. For various fiber geometries numerical examples are given and distribution of the stress intensity factor along the crack border is obtained. Sample results showing the distribution of the fiber stress and a measure of the fiber-matrix interface shear are also included.     

Stress state of a piezoceramic body with a plane crack opened by a rigid inclusion

The paper establishes a relationship between the solutions for cracks located in the isotropy plane of a transversely isotropic piezoceramic medium and opened (without friction) by rigid inclusions and the solutions for cracks in a purely elastic medium. This makes it possible to calculate the stress intensity factor (SIF) for cracks in an electroelastic medium from the SIF for an elastic isotropic material, without the need to solve the electroelastic problem. The use of the approach is exemplified by a penny-shaped crack opened by either a disk-shaped rigid inclusion of constant thickness or a rigid oblate spheroidal inclusion in an electroelastic medium __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 44, No. 7, pp. 47–60, July 2008.     

CRACK INTERACTING WITH AN INDIVIDUAL INCLUSION BY THE FRACTURE CRITERION OF CONFIGURATIONAL FORCE

基于构型力概念提出一种可判断裂纹起裂以及裂纹扩展方向的新断裂准则.该准则假设当构型合力值达到一个临界值时裂纹开始扩展,而裂纹扩展的方向则为构型合力的矢量方向.基于此断裂准则,本文开发构型力的有限元计算方法,实现对裂纹扩展的数值模拟,并着重对工程中常见的含孔洞/夹杂结构的裂纹扩展问题展开研究.研究结果表明,基于构型力的裂纹扩展准则可以很好地预测裂纹与孔/夹杂的干涉作用,其数值模拟结果与实验结果相符,从而验证了该裂纹扩展模拟方法的有效性.通过对裂纹和夹杂（圆孔、软夹杂、硬夹杂）干涉问题的数值模拟表明,裂纹前端夹杂对裂纹的扩展具有重要影响.裂纹的扩展方向与裂纹和夹杂的相对位置、以及夹杂类型密切相关.软夹杂和圆孔会吸引裂纹向其扩展,而硬夹杂会排斥裂纹扩展,裂纹在扩展过程中会绕开硬夹杂.当裂纹与夹杂夹角较小时,夹杂对裂纹扩展的影响作用明显,当夹角较大时,夹杂对裂纹扩展的影响较小;特别当裂纹与夹杂夹角为45°时,软夹杂和圆孔可能会抑制裂纹的扩展,使裂纹扩展发生止裂.研究结果有助于认清含孔洞/夹杂结构中的裂纹扩展或止裂问题,对于工程中的断裂问题具有重要指导意义.     

An analysis of ductile rupture modes at a crack tip

An elastic-Viscoplastic model of a ductile, porous solid is used to study the influence of the nucleation and growth of micro-voids in the material near the tip of a crack. Conditions of small scale yielding are assumed, and the numerical analyses of the stress and strain fields are based on finite strain theory, so that crack tip blunting is fully accounted for. An array of large inclusions or inclusion colonies, with a relatively low strength, results in large voids near the crack tip at a rather early stage, whereas small second phase particles in the matrix material between the inclusions require large strains before cavities nucleate. Various distributions of the large inclusions, and various critical strains for nucleation of the small scale voids between the inclusions, are considered. Localization of plastic flow plays an important role in determining the failure path between the crack tip and the nearest larger void, and the path is strongly sensitive to the distribution of the large inclusions. Values of the J-integral and the crack opening displacement at fracture initiation are estimated, together with values of the tearing modulus during crack growth, and these values are related to experimental results.     

刃型位错和圆弧形刚性线夹杂的干涉效应

位错和夹杂的干涉效应对于理解材料的强化和韧化机理具有十分重要的意义。文中研究了晶体材料中刃型位错和多条共圆弧刚性线夹杂的干涉作用。利用Riemann—Schwarz反照原理和复势函数的奇性主部分析技术，得到了问题的一般解答；对于只含一条刚性线夹杂的情况，给出了复势函数的封闭形式解。由Peach-Koehler公式求出了作用在刃型位错上的位错力，并讨论了圆弧形刚性线夹杂对位错力的影响规律，发现弧形刚性线对刃型位错有很强的排斥作用。本文解答不但可作为格林函数获得任意分布位错的相应解答，而且可以用于研究刚性线夹杂和任意形状裂纹的干涉效应问题。     

Thermal stress analysis of a three-dimensional anticrack in a transversely isotropic solid

A three-dimensional analysis is performed for an infinite transversely isotropic elastic body containing an insulated rigid sheet-like inclusion (an anticrack) in the isotropy plane under a remote perpendicularly uniform heat flow. A general solution scheme is presented for the resulting boundary-value problems. Accurate results are obtained by constructing suitable potential solutions and reducing the thermal problem to a mechanical analog for the corresponding isotropic problem. The governing boundary integral equation for a planar anticrack of arbitrary shape is obtained in terms of a normal stress discontinuity. As an illustration, a complete solution for a rigid circular inclusion is obtained in terms of elementary functions and analyzed. This solution is compared with that corresponding to a penny-shaped crack problem.     

On One Contact Problem in Fracture Mechanics for a Normally Incident Tension–Compression Wave

The contact interaction of the faces of a penny-shaped crack in a three-dimensional space is studied for the case of normal incidence of a harmonic tension–compression wave. The problem is solved by the method of boundary integral equations. The dependence of the mode I stress intensity factor on the wave number is studied. The solution is compared with the results obtained for a penny-shaped crack when the contact interaction is neglected.     

Interaction of an Ellipsoidal Inclusion with an Elliptic Crack in an Elastic Material under Triaxial Tension

The interaction of an elastic ellipsoidal inclusion with an elliptic crack in an infinite elastic medium under triaxial loading is analyzed. The stress state in the elastic space is represented as a superposition of the principal state and perturbed states, which are due to the presence and interaction of the inclusion and the crack. The analytical solution of the problem is found using the method of equivalent inclusion, the potential of an inhomogeneous ellipsoid, and a system of harmonic functions for an elliptic crack. The effect of triaxial loading on the stress intensity factors is analyzed