Analysis to the stress and strain structures of mode I 3-D crack in elastic-plastic state

In this paper, the stress and strain structures of Mode I 3-D crack in power hardening material are studied by analyzing the fundamental equations of elastic-plastic mechanics. It is shown that three regions, Z1,Z2 and Z3 can be divided in the thickness direction according to the stress characteristic. In region Z1, the stress components in the plane Perpendicular to z axis (thickness direction) can be solved first using the fundamental equations of plane strain state; in region Z3, they can be solved first by the equations of plane stress state. The region Z2 is defined as a transition layer. It is shown that the transition layer is the characteristic of Mode I 3-D crack in elastic-plastic state, and it is significant to the research on 3-D fracture. The crack tip opening displacement CTOD is chosen to describe the amplitude coefficient of the local stress field, and the distribution of CTOD in 3-D state is investigated.The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Mode I and mode II crack tip asymptotic fields with strain gradient effects

The strain gradient effect becomes significant when the size of fracture process zone around a crack tip is comparable to the intrinsic material lengthl, typically of the order of microns. Using the new strain gradient deformation theory given by Chen and Wang, the asymptotic fields near a crack tip in an elastic-plastic material with strain gradient effects are investigated. It is established that the dominant strain field is irrotational. For mode I plane stress crack tip asymptotic field, the stress asymptotic field and the couple stress asymptotic field can not exist simultaneously. In the stress dominated asymptotic field, the angular distributions of stresses are consistent with the classical plane stress HRR field; In the couple stress dominated asymptotic field, the angular distributions of couple stresses are consistent with that obtained by Huang et al. For mode II plane stress and plane strain crack tip asymptotic fields, only the stress-dominated asymptotic fields exist. The couple stress asymptotic field is less singular than the stress asymptotic fields. The stress asymptotic fields are the same as mode II plane stress and plane strain HRR fields, respectively. The increase in stresses is not observed in strain gradient plasticity for mode I and mode II, because the present theory is based only on the rotational gradient of deformation and the crack tip asymptotic fields are irrotational and dominated by the stretching gradient. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19704100), National Natural Science Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KJ951-1-20), CAS K.C. Wong Post-doctoral Research Award Fund and Post-doctoral Science Fund of China     

Determination of elastic-plastic stresses and strains from measured surface strain data

A rigorous approach founded in the fundamental principles of plasticity is used to develop an accurate numerical algorithm for the determination of stresses and elastic and plastic strains from total strain data measured on a structure surface. The approach used to develop the algorithm and its relationship to both the flow theory of plasticity and recent advances in tangent stiffness-based numerical solution procedures for elastic-plastic boundary value problems are presented. Verification of the method for plane stress problems is demonstrated. A discussion of how the method can be used with measured surface displacement data is proved.     

The brittle fracture criterion based on the maximum tensile stress on the surface of blunt crack tip

The brittle fracture criterion is developed for a blunted crack. The curvature radius of the blunt crack tip is suggested as a characteristic length for brittle materials, and then the fracture toughness of the brittle materials can be determined from the cohesion strength and the characteristic length of the materials.     

Modification of the fracture criterion for V-shaped notches (plane problem). Relationship between toughness and strength and structural parameters

A fracture criterion of the type of the Neuber-Novozhilov criterion is proposed to describe the fracture in the vicinity of the tip of a V-shaped notch under tensile and shear loading. In the proposed criterion, the limits of averaging of the stresses along the notch axis depend on the presence, location, and size of the initial defects in the material. The crystal lattice parameter of the initial material is chosen for the characteristic linear size. For a V-shaped notch subjected to tension and shear, simple equations are obtained that relate the stress intensity factors for the modified singularity coefficients, the singularity coefficients themselves, and the theoretical tensile and shear strengths of a single crystal of the material taking into account the damage to the material in the vicinity of the notch tip. The equations obtained allow a passage to the limit from a notch to a crack. It is shown that the classical critical stress intensity factor used in the strength analysis of cracked solids is not a material constant.Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 106–115, January–February, 2005.     

Asymptotics of stresses and strain rates near the tip of a transverse shear crack in a material whose behavior is described by a fractional-linear law

An approximate solution of the problem of determining the fields of stresses and strain rates due to creep near the tip of a transverse shear crack in a material whose behavior is described by a fractional-linear law of the theory of steady-state creep is given. It is shown that the strain rates have a singularity of the type ∼ r^−α near the crack tip; the order of singularity α changes discretely, depending on the polar angle, and takes the values 1, 2/3, and 1/2. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 165–176, January–February, 2009.     

Stress field of a damaged material near the crack tip

In this paper, a deformation theory of plasticity for damaged materials is proposed. An asymptotic expression forH near a crack tip is obtained. Finally, the stress and strain fields near the crack tip are presented.     

Application of a stress triaxiality dependent fracture criterion in the finite element analysis of unnotched Charpy specimens

Nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis (FEA) is conducted to simulate the fracture of unnotched Charpy specimens of steel under pendulum impact loading by a dedicated, oversized and nonstandard Bulk Fracture Charpy Machine (BFCM). The impact energy needed to fracture an unnotched Charpy specimen in a BFCM test can be two orders of magnitude higher than the typical impact energy of a Charpy V-notch specimen. To predict material failure, a phenomenological, stress triaxiality dependent fracture initiation criterion and a fracture evolution law in the form of strain softening are incorporated in the constitutive relations. The BFCM impact energy results obtained from the FEA simulations compare favorably with the corresponding experimental data. In particular, the FEA predicts accurately the correlations of the BFCM impact energy with such factors as specimen geometry, impactor tup width and material type. The analyses show that a specimen’s progressive deterioration through the thickness dimension displays a range of shear to ductile fracture modes, demonstrating the necessity of applying a stress state dependent fracture initiation criterion. Modeling the strain softening behavior helps to capture the residual load carrying capability of a ductile metal or alloy beyond the onset of damage. The total impact energy can be significantly under predicted if a softening branch is not included in the stress-strain curve. This research supports a study of the puncture failure of railroad tank cars under dynamic impact loading. Applications of the presented fracture model in failure analyses of other structures are further discussed.     

Estimating the error of the beam approximation in the plane stability problem for a rectangular plate with a central crack

The plane stability problem for a rectangular, linearly elastic, isotropic plate with a central crack is solved. The dependence of the critical load on the crack length is studied using exact (the three-dimensional linearized theory of stability of elastic bodies) and approximate (beam approximation) approaches. The results produced by the beam approach are evaluated.Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 40, No. 11, pp. 117–126, November 2004.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Refinement of the plastic-zone boundary in the vicinity of a crack tip for the quasiviscous and viscous types of fracture

A refined solution of the elastoplastic problem of an insulated mode I crack in a thin plate of reasonably large dimensions is obtained. Estimates of the plastic zone in the vicinity of the crack tip are given for quasiviscous and viscous types of fracture.Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 126–132, January–February, 2005     

On the types and number of plane waves in hypoelastic materials

General principles are formulated for modeling the elastic deformation of materials and analyzing plane waves in nonlinearly elastic materials such as hyperelastic, hypoelastic, and those governed by the general law of elasticity. The results of studying the propagation of plane waves in hypoelastic materials are further outlined. The influence of initial stresses and initial velocities on the types and number of plane waves is studied. Wave effects characteristic of hypoelastic materials are predicted theoretically. One of such effects is blocking of certain types of plane waves by initial stresses __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 41, No. 11, pp. 96–107, November 2005.     

The application of Moire interferometry in the measurement of displacement field and strain field at notch-tip and crack-tip

This paper presents the application of Moire interferometry in measuring the displacement and strain field at notch-tip and crack-tip before and after crack propagation. The experiment is carried out using a three point bending beam with a notch. TheN _x andN _y fringe patterns representing displacement field, and the ΔN _x/Δx and ΔN _γ/Δγ fringe patterns representing the strain field are obtained. The sensitivity of the measured displacement is 0.417 μm per fringe order. The displacement and strain distribution along the sectionx=0 have been worked out according toN _x andN _γ fringe patterns. The project supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Natural Science Foundation of China     

A combined first principles and analytical determination of the modulus of cohesion,surface energy,and the additional constants in the second strain gradient elasticity

Mindlin’s (1965) second strain gradient theory due to its competency in capturing the effects of edges, corners, and surfaces is of particular interest. Formulation in this framework, in addition to the usual Lamé constants, requires the knowledge of sixteen additional materials constants. To date, there are no successful experimental techniques for measuring these material parameters which reflect the discrete nature of matter. The present work gives an accurate remedy for the atomistic calculations of these parameters by utilizing the first principles density functional theory (DFT) for the calculations of the atomic force constants combined with an analytical formulation. It will be shown that writing the consistency conditions obtained from the equivalency between the atomistic crystal lattice dynamics of the bulk material and its counterpart in the second strain gradient elasticity is insufficient for the calculations of all the additional constants. As it will be discussed, there are two missing conditions which are then provided by consideration of the free standing film problem that bring the surface effect into account. As a consequence of surface effect consideration, the modulus of cohesion which is one of the important additional constants is calculated. Moreover, an analytical expression for the surface energy in terms of the modulus of cohesion, Lamé constants, materials characteristic lengths, and the film thickness is presented. If the film thickness is much bigger than the magnitude of the characteristic lengths of the material, then the surface energy would no longer depend on the film thickness.