Fracture mechanics J-integral calculations in thermo-elasto-plasticity

A finite element post-processor has been developed to calculate an incremental plasticity-based J-integral for fracture mechanics evaluations. The post-processor accounts for elastic-plastic deformations and thermal strains. The ADINA finite element computer program, with minor modifications by Babcock and Wilcox, was used with the Ramberg-Osgood stress-strain law and provides through its “porthole” files the required results of stresses, strains, displacements, and elastic and plastic strain energies.

The numerical results of the post-processor indicate that the thermal J-integral, which consists of a line integral for the isothermal case and an additional area integral for the thermal effect, can be considered path-independent even in the presence of plastic and thermal strains.