Influence of the curvature of thin-walled elements with cracks on the parameters of fracture (Theoretical and experimental investigation)

The influence of curvature of a cylindrical panel containing a crack on the value of the J-integral in the process of axial loading is investigated. We study the entire range of curvatures of the panel, namely, from a plate to a closed cylindrical shell. The critical values of the J-integral are determined numerically according to the experimentally obtained values of critical loads corresponding to the onset of crack propagation. The contributions of membrane and bending strains to the total value of the J-integral are evaluated. In the case of an almost plane panel, we analyze the influence of nonlinear bending (buckling) in the vicinity of the crack on the increase in the J-integral. The influence of crack length on the critical value of the J-integral is studied. __________ Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 3, pp. 75–84, May–June, 2006.