On the three-dimensional problem of an interface crack under uniform heat flow in a bimaterial periodically-layered space

This paper deals with the study of thermal stresses due to a plane crack lying on an interface in a microperiodic two-layered composite under a uniform perpendicular heat flow. An approximate analysis is carried out within the framework of linear stationary thermoelasticity with microlocal parameters. Taking this approach, a general method of solving the resulting boundary-value problem is presented. Effective results have been achieved through the use of suitable potential solutions and reducing the thermal crack problem to its skew-symmetric isothermal mechanical counterpart. An illustrative example is given in the paper by considering an insulated stress-free penny-shaped crack. For this problem the solution is obtained in terms of elementary functions and discussed from the point of view of fracture theory.