Dynamic photoelastic study of wave fields in elastic plates with stress concentrators

The method of dynamic photoelasticity is used to study the dynamic failure of structural members in the form of plates with a curvilinear (circular or elliptic) hole and an isolated crack under impulsive loading. The time-dependences of the stress intensity factors and the crack tip velocity are investigated for two types of models __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 41, No. 12, pp. 84–92, December 2005.     

Subcritical crack growth in an aging plate with variable elastic modulus

The paper addresses subcritical growth of a crack in a thin isotropic plate made of an aging viscoelastic material with time-dependent elastic modulus. The behavior of the material is described by Arutyunyan’s creep theory. To simulate fracture, a modified Leonov–Panasyuk–Dugdale model and a critical crack opening displacement criterion are used. An equation describing the subcritical growth of the crack is derived assuming that Poisson’s ratio is constant. As an example, the critical loads are determined, and curves of subcritical crack growth are plotted for a specific material. The results are compared with the case of constant elastic modulus     

Analysis of the derivative of the energy functional with respect to the length of a curvilinear crack in an elastic body with a possible crack-edge contact

A homogeneous two-dimensional body with a crack of variable length is considered. At the crack edges, conditions are formulated in the form of inequalities that describe mutual nonpenetration of the edges. The derivative of the elastic-energy functional with respect to the length of the curvilinear crack is analyzed. It is shown that the derivative is independent of the crack path, provided that the curve along which the crack propagates is reasonably smooth. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 138–145, September–October, 2007.     

One model of fatigue crack growth

A model for crack growth is proposed based on studies of the variation in the curvature radius at the crack tip during cyclic loading. Relations are obtained between mechanical material characteristics, crack geometry, and the rate of crack growth in a structure under cyclic loading. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 167–175, July–August, 2009.     

Crack initiation in a stiffened plate

The fracture mechanics problem of crack initiation in a stiffened plate is considered. The crack nucleus is modeled by a prefracture zone with bonds between the crack faces, which is treated as a region of weakened interparticle bonds of the material. The boundary-value problem of the equilibrium of a stiffened plate with a crack nucleus reduces to a nonlinear singular integrodifferential equation with a Cauchy type kernel. The strains in the crack initiation zone are found by solving this equation. The case of the stress state of the plate with a periodic system of prefracture zones is considered. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 111–120, July–August, 2007.     

Optimization formulation of the evolutionary problem of crack propagation under quasibrittle fracture

For the evolutionary problem describing crack propagation in a solid with allowance for the irreversible work of plastic deformation due to the crack propagation, a general optimization formulation is proposed and investigated. For the optimum crack, data on the H²-smoothnesses of the displacement field in the solid and, hence, on the finiteness of the stress at the crack tip, are obtained. The solvability of the optimization problem (i.e., the existence of an optimum crack) is proved for a curvilinear crack propagation path specified a priori. For the particular case of a straight path, a generalized criterion of crack growth is proposed. The question of the choice of a crack propagation path is discussed and a comparison with existing fracture criteria is made. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 47, No. 5, pp. 107–118, September–October, 2006.     

Effects of the weak/micro-discontinuity of interface on the fracture behavior of a functionally graded coating with an inclined crack

The mechanical model was established for the anti-plane fracture problem of a functionally graded coating–substrate system with a coating crack inclined to the weak/micro-discontinuous interface. The Cauchy singular integral equation for the crack was derived using Fourier integral transform, and the Lobatto–Chebyshev collocation method put up by Erdogan and Gupta was used to get its numerical solution. Finally, the effects of the weak/micro-discontinuity of the interface on SIFs were analyzed, the “affected regions” corresponding to the two crack tips have been obtained and their engineering significance was discussed. It was indicated that, for the crack tip in the corresponding “affected region”, to reduce the weak-discontinuity of the interface and to make the interface micro-discontinuous are the two effective ways to reduce the SIF, and the latter way always has more remarkable SIF-reduction effect. For the crack tip outside the “affected region”, its SIF is mainly influenced by material stiffness, and to prevent such a tip from growing toward the interface “softer coating and stiffer substrate” is a more advantageous combination than “stiffer coating and softer substrate”.     

Integral equation for stress concentration at the edge of a plane crack of arbitrary contour

Equations are derived for stress concentration near a crack of closed contour lying in a plane. A system of one-dimensional integral equations for the concentration factor is obtained. The right sides of the equations contain the initial approximation—a solution of the problem of a circular crack whose sides are acted upon by nonaxisymmetric loading. Mining Institute, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630091. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 40, No. 5, pp. 143–148, September–October, 1999.     

Universal regularities of hydraulic fracturing within the framework of the Perkins-Kern-Nordgren model

An algorithm that permits one to find a solution of the Perkins-Kern-Nordgren problem for standard regimes of hydraulic fracturing is suggested. The universal qualitative specifics, of the behavior of a crack is shown; in particular, the asymptotics of crack opening at the tip is found, and it is shown that the character of the crack is determined by the rate of increase or decrease in the crack size. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 149–157, May–June, 1998.     

Limiting velocity of crack propagation in elastic materials

A crack is represented as a continuous set of linear dislocations. Simple analytical expressions are obtained for the potential and kinetic energies of the environment of moving cracks and the attached mass of cracks for an arbitrary form of the stress applied to the crack P(x). It is shown that the indicated analytical expressions are bilinear integrals of the functions P(x) and ∂P(x)/∂x. These integrals are calculated in explicit form for a constant stress over the entire crack length and the stress due to the action of molecular adhesion forces in a narrow region near the crack openings. It is shown that the calculation results does not depend on the form of molecular adhesion forces. The proposed approach to describing cracks and calculations based on it has made it possible for the first time to obtain a complete analytical expression for the limiting crack propagation velocity in elastic materials as a function of the main mechanical characteristics of such materials. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 158–166, July–August, 2009.     

Effect of scattering of elastic harmonic waves in the far zone by a spatial crack

A three-dimensional wave field formed owing to diffraction of low-frequency waves on a curved crack in an infinite elastic solid at a large distance from the defect is studied by the method of boundary integral equations. Direction diagrams of the scattered field versus the excentricity of the crack surface and wavenumber are obtained for different directions of incidence of planar longitudinal waves onto a gently sloping spheroidal crack. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 115–123, July–August, 2006.     

Crack growth under alternating loading

Crack propagation under alternating loading is investigated. Relations between the growth rate of a fatigue defect and loading parameters and the expression for the stress intensity factor are derived for compression of a cracked solid taking into account the possible contact of the crack faces. A model for the deformation of a small region near the crack tip is proposed which allows one to formulate the conditions of residual opening of a growing fatigue crack. The experimental data obtained in tests of steel samples are compared with the results of calculation using the developed procedure. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 5, pp. 190–198, September–October, 2008.     

Mircopolar Model of Fracture for Composite Material

Failure of a composite is a complex process accompanied by irreversible changes in the microstructure of the material. Microscopic mechanisms are known of the accumulation of damage and failure of the type of localized and multiple ruptures of the fibers delamination along interphase boundaries, and also mechanisms associated with fracture of fibers. In this work, we propose a mathematical model of the local mechanism of failure of a composite material randomly reinforced with a system of short fibers. We implement the Cosserat moment model of crack tip for filament material, reinforced with whiskers or in fiber- reinforced polycrystalline materials. It is assumed that the angular distribution of the fibers is isotropic and the elastic characteristics of the fibers are considerably higher than the elastic constants of the matrix. We implement the homogenization procedure for the effective Cosserat constants similarly to the effective elastic constants. The singular solution in the vicinity of the crack tip in the Cosserat moment model is found. Using this solution, we examine the bending stresses in the filaments due to effective moment stresses in the material. The constructed model describes the phenomenon of fracture of the fibers occurring during crack propagation in those composites. The following assumptions are used as the main hypotheses for the micromechanical model. The matrix contains a nucleation crack. When the load is increased the crack grows and its boundary comes into contact with the reinforcing fibers. A further increase of the stress causes bending of the fiber. When~the fiber curvature reaches a specific critical value, the fiber ruptures. If the stress at infinity is given, the fibers no longer delay the development of failure during crack propagation The degree of bending distortion of the fiber in the vicinity of the boundary of the crack is determined by the moment model of the material. The necessity to take into account the moment stresses in the failure theory of the reinforced material was stressed in [Muki and Sternberg (1965) Zeitschrift f angew Math und Phys 16:611–615; Garajeu and Soos (2003) Math Mech Solids 8(2):189–218; Ostoja-Starzewski et al (1999) Mech Res Commun 26:387–396]. The moment Cosserat stresses were accounted also for inhomogeneous biomechanical materials by Buechner and Lakes (2003) Bio Mech Model Mechanobiol 1: 295–301. We should also mention the important methodological studies [Sternberg and Muki (1967) J Solids Struct 1:69–95; Atkinson and Leppington (1977) Int J Solids Struct 13: 1103–1122] concerned with the moment stresses in homogeneous fracture mechanics.     

The roots of trees

The root of a tree develops the twofold function of absorbing water mixed with mineral salts, and anchoring the plant to the substrate. The former activity is the more important in determining the spreading of a root. If, however, the root is regarded only as a bundle of stiffeners implanted in a semi–infinite elastic medium and we want to optimize its shape, then the problem can be reduced to an optimization problem in elasticity. Received June 24, 1997     

Effect of contact interaction of the crack faces for a crack under harmonic loading

This paper is concerned with dynamic problems in fracture mechanics for elastic solids having cracks with contacting faces. The contact problem for a penny-shaped crack with a nonzero initial opening under normally incident harmonic wave is solved by the method of boundary integral equations. The solutions are compared with those that neglect the contact interaction of the crack faces. Results are presented for different values of the initial crack opening Presented at the 6th International Conference on Modern Practice in Stress and Vibration Analysis (Bath, United Kingdom, September 5–7, 2006). Published in Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 43, No. 7, pp. 125–131, July 2007.     

Nucleation of cracks in a perforated fuel cell

A mathematical model is constructed for crack nucleation in an isotropic fuel cell (heat-releasing solid material) attenuated by a biperiodic system of cooling cylindrical channels with a circular cross section. Cracks are assumed to appear with increasing heat-release intensity in the bulk of the material. The solution of the problem on equilibrium of an isotropic perforated fuel cell with crack nuclei reduces to the solution of a nonlinear singular integral equation with a Cauchy-type kernel. The solution of the latter equation yields the forces in the band of crack nucleation. The condition of crack nucleation is formulated with allowance for the criterion of ultimate extension of bonds in the material. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 121–133, September–October, 2007.     

Analytical and experimental modal analysis of nonuniformly ring-stiffened cylindrical shells

In this research, the free vibration analysis of cylindrical shells with circumferential stiffeners, i.e., rings with nonuniform stiffener eccentricity and unequal stiffener spacing, is investigated using analytical and experimental methods. The Ritz method is applied in analytical solution, while stiffeners are treated as discrete elements. The polynomial functions are used for Ritz functions. The effects of nonuniformity of stiffener distribution on natural frequencies are considered for free–free boundary conditions. Results show that, at constant stiffener mass, significant increments in natural frequencies can be achieved using nonuniform stiffener distribution. In experimental method, modal testing is performed to obtain modal parameters, including natural frequencies, mode shapes, and damping in each mode. Analytical results are compared with experimental ones, showing good agreement. Because of insufficient experimental modal data for nonuniform stiffener distribution, the results of modal testing obtained in this study could be a useful reference for validating the accuracy of other analytical and numerical methods for free vibration analysis.     

Anti-plane dynamic hole–crack interaction in a functionally graded piezoelectric media

The anti-plane dynamic problem of a functionally graded piezoelectric plane containing a hole–crack system is treated by a non-hypersingular traction-based boundary integral equation method. The material parameters vary exponentially in the same manner in an arbitrary direction. The system is loaded by an incident SH-type wave, and impermeable boundary conditions are assumed. Using a frequency-dependent fundamental solution of the wave equation, the boundary value problem is transformed into a system of integro-differential equations along the boundary of the hole and on the crack line. Its numerical solution yields the dynamic stress intensity factors and stress concentration factors. A parametric study reveals their dependence on the hole–crack scenario and its geometry, characteristics of the dynamic load and magnitude and direction of material inhomogeneity.     

Contact problem for a plane crack under a normally incident antiplane shear wave

The contact-interaction problem for a stationary plane crack with friction between its edges under the action of a normal (to the crack plane) harmonic shear wave is addressed. Antiplane deformation conditions are considered. The distribution of contact forces and displacement discontinuity of crack edges are studied Published in Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 138–142, May 2007.     

Use of the energy criterion of fracture to determine the shape of a slightly curved crack

An asymptotic formula is obtained for the total-energy increment during quasistatic growth of a semiin finite crack in an anisotropic elastic plane under complex loading. It is assumed that the shear loads are much larger than the tearing loads. The shape of the slightly curved crack was determined using the Griffith criterion in two versions: global and local. It is shown, in particular, that the first version leads to an improbable result. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 47, No. 5, pp. 119–130, September–October, 2006.