Crack growth induced by thermal-mechanical loading

Advanced aerospace structures are often subjected to combined thermal and mechanical loads. The fracture-mechanics behavior of these structures may be altered by the thermal state existing around the crack. Hence, design of critical structural elements requires the knowledge of stress-intensity factors under both thermal and mechanical loads. This paper describes the development of an experimental technique to verity the thermal-stress-intensity factor generated by a temperature gradient around the crack. Thin plate specimens of a model material (AISI-SAE 1095 steel) were used for the heart transfer and thermal-mechanical fracture tests. Rapid thermal loading was achieved using high-intensity focussed infrared spot heaters. These heaters were also used to generate controlled temperature rates for heat-transfer vertification tests. The experimental results indicate that thermal loads can generate stress-intensity factors large enough to induce crack growth. The proposed thermal-stress-intensity factors appear to have the same effect as the conventional mechanical-stress-intensity factors with respect to fracture.