Local thermal stress intensity factors for an axial semi-elliptical crack in a hollow cylinder using the finite element method

Abstract

METHODS: In this paper, based on the three-dimensional finite element method, the local thermal stress intensity factor is computed using ANSYS software. The weight function method is also used to determine closed-form stress intensity factors at the deepest point of the crack. The effects of crack relative depth, aspect ratio and heat transfer coefficient on the stress intensity factor along the crack front are studied. The results show to be in accordance with those cited in the literature in the special case of loading. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results show that the small inner surface crack in a cylinder due to thermo-mechanical loading sometimes is more critical than that for the deeper one. It is also shown that the maximum of thermal stress intensity factors are always in the case of conductive heat transfer instead of the convective one.