Transient response of an insulating crack near to the interface between two piezoelectric half-planes under electromechanical impacts by BEM

A time-domain boundary element method (BEM) together with the sub-domain technique is applied to study transient response of an insulating crack near to the interface between two anisotropic piezoelectric half-planes under electromechanical impacts. The present time-domain BEM uses a quadrature formula for the temporal discretization to approximate the convolution integrals and a collocation method for the spatial discretization. Quadratic quarter-point elements are implemented at the crack tip. A displacement extrapolation technique is used to determine the dynamic stress intensity factors (DSIFs) and the dynamic electrical displacement intensity factor. Numerical examples are presented to show the effects of load combination, geometric configuration and material combination on dynamic intensity factors and dynamic energy release rate.     

Dynamic analysis of interfacial crack problems in anisotropic bi-materials by a time-domain BEM

A time-domain boundary element method (BEM) together with the sub-domain technique is applied to study dynamic interfacial crack problems in two-dimensional (2D), piecewise homogeneous, anisotropic and linear elastic bi-materials. The bi-material system is divided into two homogeneous sub-domains along the interface and the traditional displacement boundary integral equations (BIEs) are applied on the boundary of each sub-domain. The present time-domain BEM uses a quadrature formula for the temporal discretization to approximate the convolution integrals and a collocation method for the spatial discretization. Quadratic quarter-point elements are implemented at the tips of the interface cracks. A displacement extrapolation technique is used to determine the complex dynamic stress intensity factors (SIFs). Numerical examples for computing the complex dynamic SIFs are presented and discussed to demonstrate the accuracy and the efficiency of the present time-domain BEM.     

Transient response of a semi-permeable crack between dissimilar anisotropic piezoelectric layers by time-domain BEM

This paper studied the transient response of a semi-permeable crack between two dissimilar anisotropic piezoelectric layers by a time-domain BEM with a sub-domain technique and an iterative process for the non-linear crack-face boundary conditions. The present time-domain BEM uses a quadrature formula for the temporal discretization to approximate the convolution integrals and a collocation method for the spatial discretization. A universal matrix-form displacement extrapolation formula and its explicit formula are used to determine the dynamic intensity factors. Several examples are presented and discussed to show the effects of the electrical crack-face boundary condition on dynamic intensity factors.     

A 2D time-domain collocation-Galerkin BEM for dynamic crack analysis in piezoelectric solids

A time-domain boundary element method (TDBEM) for transient dynamic analysis of two-dimensional (2D), homogeneous, anisotropic and linear piezoelectric cracked solids is presented in this paper. The present analysis uses a combination of the strongly singular displacement boundary integral equations (BIEs) and the hypersingular traction boundary integral equations. The spatial discretization is performed by a Galerkin-method, while a collocation method is implemented for the temporal discretization. Both temporal and spatial integrations are carried out analytically. In this way, only the line integrals over a unit circle arising in the time-domain fundamental solutions are computed numerically by standard Gaussian quadrature. An explicit time-stepping scheme is developed to compute the unknown boundary data including the generalized crack-opening-displacements (CODs) numerically. Special crack-tip elements are adopted to ensure a direct and an accurate computation of the dynamic field intensity factors (IFs) from the CODs. Several numerical examples involving stationary cracks in both infinite and finite solids under impact loading are presented to show the accuracy and the efficiency of the developed hypersingular time-domain BEM.     

Transient dynamic analysis of interface cracks in layered anisotropic solids under impact loading

Transient elastodynamic crack analysis in two-dimensional (2D), layered, anisotropic and linear elastic solids is presented in this paper. A time-domain boundary element method (BEM) in conjunction with a multi-domain technique is developed for this purpose. Time-domain elastodynamic fundamental solutions for homogenous, anisotropic and linear elastic solids are applied in the present time-domain BEM. The spatial discretization of the boundary integral equations is performed by a Galerkin-method, while a collocation method is adopted for the temporal discretization of the arising convolution integrals. An explicit time-stepping scheme is developed to compute the unknown boundary data and the crack-opening-displacements (CODs). To show the effects of the crack configuration, the material anisotropy, the layer combination and the dynamic loading on the dynamic stress intensity factors and the scattered elastic wave fields, several numerical examples are presented and discussed.     

A two-dimensional time-domain boundary element method for dynamic crack problems in anisotropic solids

A time-domain boundary element method (BEM) for transient dynamic crack analysis in two-dimensional, homogeneous, anisotropic and linear elastic solids is presented in this paper. Strongly singular displacement boundary integral equations (DBIEs) are applied on the external boundary of the cracked body while hypersingular traction boundary integral equations (TBIEs) are used on the crack-faces. The present time-domain method uses the quadrature formula of Lubich for approximating the convolution integrals and a collocation method for the spatial discretization of the time-domain boundary integral equations. Strongly singular and hypersingular integrals are dealt with by a regularization technique based on a suitable variable change. Discontinuous quadratic quarter-point elements are implemented at the crack-tips to capture the local square-root-behavior of the crack-opening-displacements properly. Numerical examples for computing the dynamic stress intensity factors are presented and discussed to demonstrate the accuracy and the efficiency of the present method.     

Transient dynamic crack analysis in piecewise homogeneous, anisotropic and linear elastic composites by a spatial symmetric Galerkin-BEM

Transient elastodynamic analysis of two-dimensional, piecewise homogeneous, anisotropic and linear elastic solids containing interior and interface cracks is presented in this paper. To solve the initial boundary value problem, a spatial symmetric time-domain boundary element method is developed. Stationary cracks subjected to impact loading conditions are considered. Elastodynamic fundamental solutions for homogenous, anisotropic and linear elastic solids are implemented. The piecewise homogeneous, anisotropic and linear elastic solids are modeled by the multi-domain technique. The spatial discretization is performed by a symmetric Galerkin-method, while a collocation method is utilized for the temporal discretization. An explicit time-stepping scheme is obtained for computing the unknown boundary data. Numerical examples are presented and discussed to show the effects of the interface cracks, the material anisotropy, the material combination and the dynamic loading on the dynamic stress intensity factors.     

A time-domain collocation-Galerkin BEM for transient dynamic crack analysis in anisotropic solids

This paper presents a time-domain boundary element method (BEM) for transient elastodynamic crack analysis in homogeneous and linear elastic solids of general anisotropy. A finite crack subjected to a transient loading is investigated. Two-dimensional (2D) generalized plane-strain or plane-stress condition is considered. The initial-boundary value problem is described by a set of hypersingular time-dependent traction boundary integral equations (BIEs), in which the crack-opening displacements (CODs) are unknown quantities. The hypersingular time-domain BIEs are first regularized to weakly singular ones by using spatial Galerkin method, which transfers the derivatives of the fundamental solutions to the unknown CODs and the weight functions. To solve the time-domain BIEs numerically, a time-stepping scheme is developed. The scheme applies the collocation method for temporal discretization of the time-domain BIEs. As spatial shape-functions, two different functions are implemented. For elements away from crack-tips, linear spatial shape-function is used, while for elements near the crack-tips a special ‘crack-tip shape-function’ is applied to describe the local ‘square-root’ behavior of the CODs at the crack-tips properly. Special attention of the analysis is devoted to the numerical computation of the transient elastodynamic stress intensity factors for cracks in general anisotropic and linear elastic solids. Numerical examples are presented to verify the accuracy of the present time-domain BEM.     

A comparative study of three BEM for transient dynamic crack analysis of 2-D anisotropic solids

Three different boundary element methods (BEM) for transient dynamic crack analysis in two-dimensional (2-D), homogeneous, anisotropic and linear elastic solids are presented. Hypersingular traction boundary integral equations (BIEs) in frequency- domain, Laplace-domain and time-domain with the corresponding elastodynamic fundamental solutions are applied for this purpose. In the frequency-domain and the Laplace-domain BEM, numerical solutions are first obtained in the transformed domain for discrete frequency or Laplace-transform parameters. Time-dependent results are subsequently obtained by means of the inverse Fourier-transform and the inverse Laplace-transform algorithm of Stehfest. In the time-domain BEM, the quadrature formula of Lubich is adopted to approximate the arising convolution integrals in the time-domain BIEs. Hypersingular integrals involved in the traction BIEs are computed through a regularization process that converts the hypersingular integrals to regular integrals, which can be computed numerically, and singular integrals which can be integrated analytically. Numerical results for the dynamic stress intensity factors are presented and discussed for a finite crack in an infinite domain subjected to an impact crack-face loading.     

A 2D time-domain BEM for transient wave scattering analysis by a crack in anisotropic solids

A two-dimensional (2D) time-domain boundary element method (BEM) is presented in this paper for transient analysis of elastic wave scattering by a crack in homogeneous, anisotropic and linearly elastic solids. A traction boundary integral equation formulation is applied to solve the arising initial-boundary value problem. A numerical solution procedure is developed to solve the time-domain boundary integral equations. A collocation method is used for the temporal discretization, while a Galerkin-method is adopted for the spatial discretization of the boundary integral equations. Since the hypersingular boundary integral equations are first regularized to weakly singular ones, no special integration technique is needed in the present method. Special attention of the analysis is devoted to the computation of the scattered wave fields. Numerical examples are given to show the accuracy and the reliability of the present time-domain BEM. The effects of the material anisotropy on the transient wave scattering characteristics are investigated.     

Time-domain BEM analysis of a rapidly growing crack in a bi-material

Rapid propagation of a matrix crack in a bi-material system is studied with emphasis on the dynamic interaction between the crack and the interface by combining the traditional time-domain displacement boundary element method (BEM) and the non-hypersingular traction BEM. The crack growth is controlled by the fracture criterion based on the maximum circumferential stress, and is modeled by adding new elements to the moving crack tip. Detailed computation is performed for an unbounded bi-material with a crack subjected to incident impact waves and a bounded rectangular bi-material plate under dynamic wedged loading. Numerical results of the crack growth path, speed, dynamic stress intensity factors (DSIFs) and dynamic interface tractions are presented for various material combinations and geometries. The effects of the interface on the crack growth are discussed.     

Generalized Kelvin solution based boundary element method for crack problems in multilayered solids

This paper presents a new boundary element method (BEM) for linear elastic fracture mechanics in three-dimensional multilayered solids. The BEM is based on a generalized Kelvin solution. The generalized Kelvin solution is the fundamental singular solution for a multilayered elastic solid subject to point concentrated body-forces. For solving three-dimensional elastic crack problems in a finite region, a multi-region method is also employed in the present BEM. For crack problems in an infinite space, a large finite body is used to approximate the infinite body. In addition, eight-node traction-singular boundary elements are used in representing the displacements and tractions in the vicinity of a crack front. The incorporation of the generalized Kelvin solution into the boundary integral formulation has the advantages in elimination of the element discretization at the interfaces of different elastic layers. Three numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed method for the calculation of stress intensity factors for cracks in layered solids. The results obtained using the proposed method are well compared with the existing results available in the relevant literature.     

Calculation of mode III stress intensity factor by BEM for cracked axisymmetric bodies

This paper is concerned with the numerical calculation of Mode III stress intensity factor by BEM for cracked axisymmetric bodies, under torsion. Mode III stress intensity factors K _III are obtained using the asymptotic displacement field in the vicinity of the crack border. The asymptotic field is derived by integration along the boundary of the meridian of the cylinder. For traction free cracks no discretization of the crack surface was found necessary. Numerical results proving the efficiency of the proposed method are presented and compared with results given in the literature and with those obtained by FEM.     

A frequency-domain BEM for 3D non-synchronous crack interaction analysis in elastic solids

A frequency-domain boundary element method (BEM) is presented for non-synchronous crack interaction analysis in three-dimensional (3D), infinite, isotropic and linear elastic solids with multiple coplanar cracks. The cracks are subjected to non-synchronous time-harmonic crack-surface loading with contrast frequencies. Hypersingular frequency-domain traction boundary integral equations (BIEs) are applied to solve the boundary value problem. A collocation method is adopted for solving the BIEs numerically. The local square-root behavior of the crack-opening-displacements at the crack-front is taken into account in the present method. For two coplanar penny-shaped cracks of equal radius subjected to non-synchronous time-harmonic crack-surface loading, numerical results for the dynamic stress intensity factors are presented and discussed.     

Crack-tip amplification and shielding by micro-cracks in piezoelectric solids – Part I: Static case

Analysis of the crack-tip amplification and shielding by micro-cracks in an unbounded two-dimensional piezoelectric solid is presented in this paper. A boundary element method (BEM) based on the hypersingular traction boundary integral equations (BIEs) is developed for this purpose. Integrals with hypersingular kernels are analytically transformed into weakly singular and regular integrals. A collocation method is applied for the spatial discretization. Quadratic quarter-point elements are implemented at all crack-tips. The amplification ratios of the field intensity factors and mechanical strain or electrical energy release rate are defined to show the crack-tip amplification and shielding. Numerical results are compared with the analytical results for isotropic materials to verify the present BEM. The influences of various loading conditions, the location and orientation angles of micro-cracks on the amplification ratios are investigated. The contours of the amplification ratios for an arbitrarily located micro-crack are also presented to show the crack-tip amplification and shielding effects.     

BEM for crack-hole problems in thermopiezoelectric materials

The boundary element formulation for analysing interaction between a hole and multiple cracks in piezoelectric materials is presented. Using Green's function for hole problems and variational principle, a boundary element model (BEM) for a 2-D thermopiezoelectric solid with cracks and holes has been developed and used to calculate stress intensity factors of the crack-hole problem. In BEM, the boundary condition on the hole circumference is satisfied a priori by Green's function, and is not involved in the boundary element equations. The method is applicable to multiple-crack problems in both finite and infinite solids. Numerical results for stress and electric displacement intensity factors at a particular crack tip in a crack-hole system of piezoelectric materials are presented to illustrate the application of the proposed formulation.     

Transient dynamic elastoplastic analysis by the time-domain BEM formulation

This paper presents a time-domain BEM formulation applied to the solution of transient dynamic elastoplastic problems. The initial stress approach is adopted to solve the elastoplastic problem. Linear time variation is assumed for the displacements and initial stress components whereas traction components are assumed to have a constant time variation. Boundary discretization employs linear elements and the part of the domain where plastic deformation is expected to occur is discretized by employing linear triangular cells. Time integrals are computed analytically, boundary integrals are computed numerically and the domain integrals are computed by following a semi-analytical procedure. A numerical example is presented and the results are compared with another BEM formulation.     

Time-domain BEM for 3-D transient elastodynamic problems with interacting rigid movable disc-shaped inclusions

Formulation of time-domain boundary element method for elastodynamic analysis of interaction between rigid massive disc-shaped inclusions subjected to impinging elastic waves is presented. Boundary integral equations (BIEs) with time-retarded kernels are obtained by using the integral representations of displacements in a matrix in terms of interfacial stress jumps across the inhomogeneities and satisfaction of linearity conditions at the inclusion domains. The equations of motion for each inclusion complete the problem formulation. The time-stepping/collocation scheme is implemented for the discretization of the BIEs by taking into account the traveling nature of the generated wave field and local structure of the solution at the inclusion edges. Numerical results concern normal incidence of longitudinal wave onto two coplanar circular inclusions. The inertial effects are revealed by the time dependencies of inclusions’ kinematic parameters and dynamic stress intensity factors in the inclusion vicinities for different mass ratios and distances between the interacting obstacles.     

Boundary element analysis of structures with bridged interfacial cracks

The direct boundary integral equations method has been applied to analyze stresses in a fracture process zone (a crack bridged zone) and to calculate stress intensity factors module for structures with bridged interfacial cracks under mechanical loading. Bridged zones at interfacial cracks are considered as parts of these cracks with assumption that surfaces of interfacial cracks are connected by distributed spring-like bonds with given bond deformation law. For numerical analysis of piecewise structures with bridged interfacial cracks the multi-domain formulation of the boundary elements method is used. The stress intensity factors module evaluation is performed on the basis of displacements and stresses computed at nodal points of special quadratic boundary elements adjoined to a crack tip. The comparative study between the results obtained by the boundary elements method and the results obtained previously by the singular integral–differential equations method is performed and the validity of the presented numerical formulation is demonstrated. The new problem for a bridged circumferential crack between a cylindrical inclusion and a matrix in plate of finite size is also solved. Stresses distributions along the bridged zone and the stress intensity factors modulus dependencies versus the bridged zone length and bonds stiffness are presented and discussed for this problem.     

On the dynamic behaviour of interfacial cracks between a piezoelectric layer and an elastic substrate

Surface-bonded piezoelectric layers can be used as actuators/sensors for advanced structural applications. The current paper provides a theoretical study of the dynamic behaviour of interacting cracks between a piezoelectric layer and an elastic medium under antiplane mechanical loads. The electromechanical field of a single interfacial crack is determined first using Fourier transform technique and solving the resulting integral equations. This fundamental solution is then imple- mented into a pseudo-incident wave method to account for the interaction between different cracks. The dynamic behaviour of the resulting stress field is studied with special attention being paid to the stress intensity factors at the crack tips. Typical examples are provided to show the effect of the size and position of the cracks, the material combination and the loading frequency upon the stress intensity factors.