Fatigue behaviors of square-to-square hollow section T-joint with corner crack. II: Numerical modeling

Based on the experimental results obtained in the first part of the study, a geometrical model and a mesh generation procedure are suggested for the numerical modeling of the uncracked and cracked square-to-square hollow section (SSHS) T-joints. In the proposed model, the surface crack is represented as an unsymmetrical 3D curved surface with the deepest point located at the corner of the brace-chord intersection. The mesh generation scheme developed is capable to generate well graded finite element (FE) meshes for cracked SSHS T-joints with multiple cracks. The validity of the proposed geometrical model and the reliability of the proposed mesh generation scheme are checked by comparing the predicted SIFs and the residual life against those computed based on the actual measurements. It is found that the suggested modeling method is reliable in the sense that conservative predictions for the SIFs and the residual life are obtained from the numerical simulations.     

Exact Solutions for the Stability and Free Vibration of Multilayered Functionally Graded Material Hollow Cylinders under Axial Compression

Exact three-dimensional stability and free vibration analyses of simply-supported, multilayered functionally graded material (FGM) circular hollow cylinders and laminated composite ones under axial compression are presented. The material properties of each FGM layer are assumed to obey a power-law distribution of the volume fractions of constituents through the thickness coordinate. The Pagano method, which is based on the principle of virtual displacement and is conventionally used for the analysis of laminated composite structures, is modified to be feasible for the study of multilayered FGM cylinders, in which Reissner's mixed variational theorem, the successive approximation and transfer matrix methods, and the transformed real-valued solutions of the system equations are used. The present modified Pagano solutions for laminated composite cylinders are in excellent agreement with the exact 3D ones available in the literature, and those for sandwich FGM cylinders may be used as the benchmark solutions to assess the ones obtained using various two-dimensional theories and numerical models. The influence of some effects on the lowest critical load parameters of multilayered FGM cylinders and laminated composite ones is investigated, such as the derivation between using von Karman nonlinearity and full kinematic one, and the difference between using the uniform stress assumption and the uniform strain one. In addition, a parametric study with regard to some effects on the lowest frequency parameters of axially loaded, multilayered FGM cylinders is carried out, such as the magnitude of the applied compressive loads, the radius-to-thickness, length-to-radius and orthotropic ratios, and the material-property gradient index.     

A unified formulation of RMVT-based finite cylindrical layer methods for sandwich circular hollow cylinders with an embedded FGM layer

A unified formulation of finite cylindrical layer methods (FCLMs) based on the Reissner mixed variational theorem (RMVT) is developed for the quasi-three-dimensional (3D) analysis of simply-supported, multilayered composite cylinders and sandwich circular hollow cylinders with an embedded functionally graded material (FGM) cylindrical layer, subject to mechanical loads. The material properties of the FGM layer are assumed to obey an exponent-law varying exponentially with the thickness coordinate. In this formulation, the circular hollow cylinder is divided into a number of finite cylindrical layers, in which the trigonometric functions and Lagrange polynomials are used to interpolate the in- and out-of-surface variations of the field variables of each individual layer, respectively. Because an h-refinement instead of a p-refinement process is adopted to yield the convergent solutions in this work, the layerwise linear, quadratic or cubic function distribution through the thickness coordinate is assumed for the related field variables. The accuracy of the FCLMs developed in this article is assessed by comparing their solutions with the exact 3D ones available in the literature, and the convergence rate and possibility of numerical instability of these FCLMs are also investigated.     

The cyclically symmetric anti-plane fracture analysis for the arc-shaped interface in a non-homogeneous bimaterial cylindrical structure

A hollow cylinder, which consists of an inner functionally graded elastic substrate and an outer functionally graded elastic layer with cyclically symmetric cracks (a special case of multiple cracks), is considered under anti-plane shear load. The method of variable separation is employed to reduce the mixed boundary value problems to a Cauchy singular integral equation, which is solved numerically by the Lobatto–Chebyshev quadrature technique. Numerical results are presented to show the effects of geometrical and physical quantities on the stress intensity factors (SIFs). Parametric studies are conducted on the SIFs, and practical guidelines are given for the optimization of the fracture performance: (a) the SIFs depend on the ratio between the outer and inner radii, and the ratio should be at least 1.1; (b) the outer elastic layer should be stiffer than the inner elastic substrate; (c) large non-homogeneity parameter of the outer graded layer and small non-homogeneity parameter of the inner graded substrate are beneficial to SIFs reduction; (d) there is a strong interference between the stress fields around multiple cracks when the cyclically symmetric parameter increases.     

A unified formulation of RMVT-based finite cylindrical layer methods for sandwich circular hollow cylinders with an embedded FGM layer

A unified formulation of finite cylindrical layer methods (FCLMs) based on the Reissner mixed variational theorem (RMVT) is developed for the quasi-three-dimensional (3D) analysis of simply-supported, multilayered composite cylinders and sandwich circular hollow cylinders with an embedded functionally graded material (FGM) cylindrical layer, subject to mechanical loads. The material properties of the FGM layer are assumed to obey an exponent-law varying exponentially with the thickness coordinate. In this formulation, the circular hollow cylinder is divided into a number of finite cylindrical layers, in which the trigonometric functions and Lagrange polynomials are used to interpolate the in- and out-of-surface variations of the field variables of each individual layer, respectively. Because an h-refinement instead of a p-refinement process is adopted to yield the convergent solutions in this work, the layerwise linear, quadratic or cubic function distribution through the thickness coordinate is assumed for the related field variables. The accuracy of the FCLMs developed in this article is assessed by comparing their solutions with the exact 3D ones available in the literature, and the convergence rate and possibility of numerical instability of these FCLMs are also investigated.     

Three-Dimensional Free Vibration Analysis of Sandwich FGM Cylinders with Combinations of Simply-Supported and Clamped Edges and Using the Multiple Time Scale and Meshless Methods

An asymptotic meshless method using the differential reproducing kernel (DRK) interpolation and multiple time scale methods is developed for the three-dimensional (3D) free vibration analysis of sandwich functionally graded material (FGM) circular hollow cylinders with combinations of simply-supported and clamped edge conditions. In the formulation, we perform the mathematical processes of nondimensionalization, asymptotic expansion and successive integration to obtain recurrent sets of motion equations for various order problems. Classical shell theory (CST) is derived as a first-order approximation of the 3D elasticity theory, and the motion equations for higher-order problems retain the same differential operators as those of CST, although with different nonhomogeneous terms. Expanding the primary field variables of each order as the Fourier series functions in the circumferential direction, and interpolating these in the axial direction using the DRK interpolation, we can obtain the leading-order solutions of this analysis. The higher-order modifications can be obtained in a systematic manner, in which the solvability and normality conditions are used to eliminate secular terms and uniquely determine these modifications. Some 3D solutions of the natural frequencies of sandwich FGM cylinders and their corresponding through-thickness distributions of modal variables are given to demonstrate the performance of the asymptotic DRK-based meshless method.     

Stress intensity factors for internal semi-elliptical surface cracks in pressurized thick-walled cylinders using the hybrid boundary element method

The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive range of results of mode I SIFs of three-dimensional surface cracks in internally pressurized thick-walled cylinders. The hybrid boundary element method is summarily reviewed and used to calculate the SIFs of surface cracks in pressurized thick-walled cylinders. The analyzed ratio of crack depth to wall thickness ranges from 0.2 to 0.8; the ratio of crack depth to crack length ranges from 0.25 to 1.0; and the ratio of wall thickness to cylinder radius is 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0. The present normalized SIFs are also compared with other solutions from the literature. The recent results of the body force method and the finite element method agree well (ca 3%), and the early ones of the boundary integral equation and the finite element method agree fairly well (ca 10%) with the present results.     

Inverse problem of material distribution for desired fracture characteristics in a thick-walled functionally graded material cylinder with two diametrically-opposed edge cracks

This study concerns the inverse problem of evaluating the optimum material distribution for desired fracture characteristics in a thick-walled functionally graded material (FGM) cylinder containing two diametrically-opposed edge cracks emanating from the inner surface of the cylinder. The thermal eigenstrain developed in the cylinder material due to nonuniform coefficient of thermal expansion as a result of cooling from sintering temperature is taken into account. Based on a generalized method of evaluating stress intensity factors developed in a previous study, an inverse method is developed to optimize material distribution intending to realize prescribed apparent fracture toughness in the FGM cylinder. To present some numerical results, a TiC/Al₂O₃ FGM cylinder is considered and the inverse problems are solved to evaluate material distributions for two examples of prescribed apparent fracture toughness. The effect of cylinder wall thickness on the material distribution and comparison of material distributions corresponding to a single and two cracks are also discussed. The numerical results reveal that the apparent fracture toughness of FGM cylinders can be controlled by choosing the material distributions properly.     

含任意方向裂纹功能梯度材料的应力分析研究

功能梯度材料是在航空航天领域的需求背景下发展起来的,但由于生产技术及工作环境等方面的原因,功能梯度材料内部常常产生各种形式的裂纹并最终导致材料破坏,因此研究含任意方向裂纹功能梯度材料的断裂问题具有重要意义。以含有任意方向裂纹的功能梯度材料为对象,运用积分变换方法,给出了相应材料平面问题的位移场的形式解。通过引入辅助函数并利用相关条件,可将问题转化为求解一组带有Cauchy核的奇异积分方程,继而采用Lobatto-Chebyshev方法对奇异积分方程进行数值求解。最后分析了裂纹方向、材料非均匀指数、载荷条件对混合型应力强度因子的影响。      

Material tailoring for functionally graded hollow cylinders and spheres

We present a technique to tailor materials for functionally graded (FG) linear elastic hollow cylinders and spheres to attain through-the-thickness either a constant hoop (or circumferential) stress or a constant in-plane shear stress. The volume fractions of two phases of a FG material (FGM) are assumed to vary only with the radius and the effective material properties are estimated by using either the rule of mixtures or the Mori-Tanaka scheme; the analysis is applicable to other homogenization methods. For a FG cylinder we find the required radial variation of the volume fractions of constituents to make a linear combination of the radial and the hoop stresses uniform throughout the thickness. The through-the-thickness uniformity of the hoop stress automatically eliminates the stress concentration near the inner surface of a very thick cylinder. The through-the-thickness variations of Young’s moduli obtained with and without considering the variation of Poisson’s ratio are very close to each other for a moderately thick hollow cylinder but are quite different in a very thick hollow cylinder. For an FG sphere the required radial variation of the volume fractions of the two phases to get a constant circumferential stress is similar to that in an FG cylinder. The material tailoring results presented here should help structural engineers and material scientists optimally design hollow cylinders and spheres comprised of inhomogeneous materials.     

XFEM simulation of cracks, holes and inclusions in functionally graded materials

The present work aims at the numerical simulation of inhomogeneities/discontinuities (cracks, holes and inclusions) in functionally graded materials (FGMs) using extended finite element method (XFEM). A FGM with unidirectional gradation in material properties is modeled under plane strain condition. The domain contains a major crack either at the center or at the edge of the domain along with multiple minor discontinuities/flaws such as minor cracks and/or voids/inclusions distributed all over the domain. The effect of the variation in stress intensity factor (SIF) of the major crack due to the presence of the minor cracks and voids/inclusions is studied in detail. The simulations show that the presence of minor discontinuities significantly affects the values of SIFs.     

Vibro-acoustic behavior of a hollow FGM cylinder excited by on-surface mechanical drives

The linear three-dimensional elasticity theory in conjunction with the powerful transfer matrix solution technique is employed to investigate the steady-state nonaxisymmetric sound radiation characteristics of an arbitrarily thick functionally graded hollow cylinder of infinite length subjected to arbitrary time-harmonic on-surface concentrated mechanical drives. A formal integral expression for the radiated pressure field in the frequency domain is obtained by utilizing the spatial Fourier transform along the shell axis and Fourier series expansion in the circumferential direction. The method of stationary phase is subsequently employed to evaluate the integral for an observation point in the far-field. The analytical results are illustrated with numerical examples in which water-submerged metal-ceramic FGM cylinders are driven by harmonic concentrated radial/transverse surface forces and circumferential moment. The far-field radiated pressure amplitudes and directivities are calculated and compared with those of equivalent bi-laminate hollow cylinders with comparable volume fractions of constituent materials. The effects of FGM material profile, cylinder thickness, excitation frequency and type on the radiated far-field are examined. Limiting cases are considered and the validity of results is established by comparison with the data in the existing literature as well as with the aid of a commercial finite element package.     

Interface cracking between functionally graded coatings and a substrate under antiplane shear

Coating technology plays a significant role in a number of applications such as high temperatures, corrosion, oxidation, wear, and interface. In this paper, we investigate the interface cracking between ceramic and/or functionally graded coatings (FGM coatings) and a substrate under antiplane shear. Four coating models are considered, namely single layered homogeneous coating, double layered piece-wise homogeneous coating, single layered FGM coating and double layered coating with an FGM bottom coat. Mode III stress intensity factors (SIFs) are calculated for the different coating models. In the case of μ_L > μ₀ where μ₀ is the shear modulus of the substrate and μ_L the shear modulus of the material at the surface of the coating, it is found that the single layered FGM coating reduces SIF slightly, whereas the coating system with a top homogeneous layer and a thin FGM bottom layer reduces SIF significantly. In the case of μ_L < μ₀ the SIF is found to be larger for the FGM coatings than for the homogeneous coatings. The FGM coating, however, may still be superior to homogeneous coatings in this case as FGM coatings usually provide better bonding strength between the coating and substrate. Finally, the applicability of the SIF concept in the fracture of FGM coatings is discussed. Large modulus gradients in thin coatings may seriously restrict the application of SIFs as the SIF-dominant zone may fall into the crack tip nonlinear deformation and damage zone. The same argument exists for some interphase models in interface crack solutions.     

Estimation of three‐dimensional stress intensity factor for structural ‘T’ details

Three‐dimensional (3D) opening mode stress intensity factors (SIFs) for structural steel‐welded ‘T’ details were investigated by the finite element method. A 3D shape‐dependent correction factor is proposed for semi‐elliptical surface cracks. The aspect ratio (a/c) of a semi‐elliptical crack plays a key role in the approximation of 3D‐SIF values, and in the present study, it was estimated for a 3D crack analysis. The estimated 3D‐SIF was determined through a correlation between the a/c ratio and the two‐dimensional SIF for semi‐elliptical cracks in the thickness direction adjacent to the web‐flange junction of a welded ‘T’. The resulting equation can be used to estimate the 3D‐SIF values from the two‐dimensional SIF without much ambiguity.     

Influences of initial stresses on guided waves in functionally graded hollow cylinders

Limitations of the manufacturing technology result in the existence of initial stresses in functionally graded material (FGM) structures. In the context of the theory of “Mechanics of Incremental Deformations,” the guided wave characteristics in FGM hollow cylinders under initial stresses in the radial and axial directions are investigated. The Legendre polynomial series method is used to solve the coupled wave equations with variable coefficients. The convergence of the method is discussed through numerical examples. It is found that the influences of initial stresses on the longitudinal waves and on the torsional waves are quite distinct, and that the influences of initial stresses in the axial direction are very different from those in the radial direction, both on the dispersion curves and on the displacement and stress distributions.     

Fatigue crack growth simulation in a first stage of compressor blade

A first-stage rotary compressor blade of a Model GE-F6 gas turbine failed due to vibration in early March 2008. Initial investigations showed that pitting on the pressure side of the blade caused micro cracks, leading to larger cracks due to high cycle fatigue. To assess this failure, a series of experimental, numerical, and analytical analyses were conducted. Fractography of the fractured surface of the blade indicated that two semi-elliptical cracks incorporated and formed a single crack. In this study, static and dynamic stress analyses were performed in Abaqus software. Moreover, fracture mechanics criterion was accomplished to simulate fatigue crack growth. This was carried out using a fracture analysis code for 3-dimensional problems (Franc3D) in two states. Firstly, stress intensity factors (SIFs) for one semi-elliptical surface crack and then SIFs for two semi-elliptical surface cracks were taken into account. Finally, the Paris and Forman–Newman–De Koning models were used to predict fatigue life. Since stress level and crack shape in both conditions are the same and the SIF at the crack tip reaches the fracture toughness of the blade, SIFs results indicate that insertion of a second crack has no effect on the final SIF, however, the second crack facilitates the process of reaching the critical length. So, fatigue life in two-crack condition is less than in the one-crack state.     

A state space differential reproducing kernel method for the 3D analysis of FGM sandwich circular hollow cylinders with combinations of simply-supported and clamped edges

A state space differential reproducing kernel (DRK) method is developed for the three-dimensional (3D) analysis of functionally graded material (FGM) sandwich circular hollow cylinders with combinations of simply-supported and clamped edges and under sinusoidally (or uniformly) distributed loads. The strong formulation of this 3D elasticity problem is derived on the basis of the Reissner mixed variational theorem (RMVT), which consists of the Euler–Lagrange equations of this problem and its associated boundary conditions. The primary field variables are expanded as the single Fourier series in the circumferential coordinate, then interpolated in the axial coordinate using the early proposed DRK interpolation functions, and finally the state space equations of this problem are obtained, which represent a system of ordinary differential equations in the thickness coordinate. The present state space DRK solutions can then be obtained by means of the transfer matrix method. In the illustrative examples, three different edge conditions, the simple-simple (SS), simple-clamped (SC), and clamped–clamped (CC) edges, are considered, and the accuracy and convergence of this method are examined by comparing their solutions with the exact 3D ones available in the literature and the solutions using the ANSYS commercial software.     

Analysis of apparent fracture toughness of a thick-walled FGM cylinder with two diametrically opposed edge cracks

This study focuses on the analysis of apparent fracture toughness of a thick-walled functionally graded material (FGM) cylinder with two diametrically opposed edge cracks emanating from the inner surface of the cylinder. The crack surfaces and the inner surface of the cylinder are subjected to an internal pressure. The incompatible eigenstrain developed in the cylinder due to non-uniform coefficient of thermal expansion after cooling from sintering temperature is taken into account. Based on a generalized method of evaluating stress-intensity factor developed in our previous study, an approach is presented to evaluate apparent fracture toughness. To demonstrate the approach, some numerical results of apparent fracture toughness are presented for a TiC/Al₂O₃ FGM cylinder. The effects of material distribution, cylinder wall thickness, application temperature and number of cracks on apparent fracture toughness are investigated in details. It is found that all these factors play an important role in controlling apparent fracture toughness of a thick-walled FGM cylinder.     

Three dimensional fracture analysis of FGM coatings under thermomechanical loading

The main objective of this study is to examine the three dimensional surface crack problems in functionally graded coatings subjected to mode I mechanical or transient thermal loading. The surface cracks are assumed to have a semi-elliptical crack front profile of arbitrary aspect ratio. The cracks are embedded in the functionally graded material (FGM) coating which is perfectly bonded to a homogeneous substrate. A three dimensional finite element method is used to solve the thermal and structural problems. Collapsed 20-node isoparametric elements are utilized to simulate the strain singularity around the crack front. The stress intensity factors are computed by using the displacement correlation technique. Four different coating types are considered in the analyses which have homogeneous, ceramic-rich (CR), metal-rich (MR) and linear variation (LN) material composition profiles. In the mechanical loading problems, the composite medium is assumed to be subjected to fixed-grip tension or three point bending. In the thermal analysis, a transient residual stress problem is considered. The stress intensity factors calculated for FGM plates are in good agreement with the previously published results on three dimensional surface cracks. The new results provided show that maximum stress intensity factors computed during transient thermal loading period for the FGM coatings are lower than those of the homogeneous ceramic ones.     

Stress intensity factors of two diametrically opposed edge cracks in a thick-walled functionally graded material cylinder

A method is developed to evaluate stress intensity factors for two diametrically-opposed edge cracks emanating from the inner surface of a thick-walled functionally graded material (FGM) cylinder. The crack and the cylinder inner surfaces are subjected to an internal pressure. The thermal eigenstrain induced in the cylinder material due to nonuniform coefficient of thermal expansion after cooling from the sintering temperature is taken into account. First, the FGM cylinder is homogenized by simulating its nonhomogeneous material properties by an equivalent eigenstrain, whereby the problem is reduced to the solution of a cracked homogenized cylinder with an induced thermal and an equivalent eigenstrains and under an internal pressure. Then, representing the cracks by a continuous distribution of edge dislocations and using their complex potential functions, generalized formulations are developed to calculate stress intensity factors for the cracks in the homogenized cylinder. The stress intensity factors calculated for the cracks in homogenized cylinder represents the stress intensity factors for the same cracks in the FGM cylinder. The application of the formulations are demonstrated for a thick-walled TiC/Al₂O₃ FGM cylinder and some numerical results of stress intensity factors are presented for different profiles of material distribution in the FGM cylinder.