FRACTURE OF THICK-WALLED CYLINDERS SUBJECTED TO TRANSIENT THERMAL STRESSES

In this paper, the fracture problem of a thick cylinder subjected to transient thermal stresses is considered. The problem has practical significance in the conventional and nuclear power industries where the structural integrity of components may be damaged due to sudden temperature changes. Neglecting the inertia effects, the thermal fracture problem is uncoupled. First the thermal stresses in a thick cylinder due to a sudden change in temperature are computed separately as a function of time. Then, these stresses are used as external loads in analyzing the fracture of a thick cylinder. The assumed crack, may be an inner edge crack, outer edge crack or an embedded crack. Extensive results are obtained by varying the parameters of the problems. The main parameters affecting fracture are identified and the results are discussed in some detail.