Brittle fracture of samples cycled in the ultrasonic test system. Part I—A basic model

Abstract

The study is basically concerned with the reaction of an ultrasonic resonance system (used for destructive testing of materials) to sudden fracture within the sample. In particular the consequences of brittle failure in bodies with finite dimensions are studied. A one-dimensional model is developed, which explains the behaviour of a resonance system (i.e. a semi-infinite longitudinal standing wave) after a sudden decoupling of one part of the system. The solution of the problem is obtained grapho-analytically by use of the method of characteristics. By this, examples of displacement and stress distributions due to fracture are presented. Especially, the cause of the ejection of the specimen's free end is explained.