Dynamic crack propagation under thermal impact

Abstract

This paper addresses the dynamic crack growth in an isotropic media subjected to a non-classical thermal shock by implementing the Green-Naghdi (GN) generalized thermoelasticity theory in the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM). To satisfy the crack tip singularity for modeling dynamic crack growth via XFEM, proper enrichment functions for field variables are needed, which are extracted from the asymptotic fields for a dynamically growing crack in a thermoelastic media. These near tip fields of a dynamically moving crack are also used in the formulations of the maximum circumferential stress criterion and the equivalent stress intensity factor. Finally, numerical examples of the dynamic crack propagation under thermal shock are given out, and the effect of the dissipation coefficient in the GN model and the thermal shock amplitude on the crack growth path is studied in detail. In addition, the crack propagation under GN thermal shock is compared with that under classic thermal shock. The main difference between them is discussed in a numerical example.