Compliance based assessment of stress intensity factor in cracked hollow cylinders with finite boundary restraint: Application to thermal shock part I

Abstract

Abstract A Compliance Adjusted Weight Function (CAWF) approach has been recently developed to enable the estimation of stress intensity factor in thermal shocked cracked hollow cylinders with finite boundary restraint. In this article the CAWF approach is used to analyse three case studies that collectively encompass the hollow cylinder configurations, crack configurations and load configurations with which this CAWF formulation is currently applicable. The results of these analyses highlight that the CAWF approach is suitable for estimates within 5–10% of benchmark fracture mechanics finite element values for a wide range of targeted cracked hollow cylinder configurations and boundary restraint. An exception occurs for the semi-elliptical surface cracked hollow cylinders, where a free boundary effect can be observed at a free or near free boundary restraint condition.