Thermal stresses in an elastic solid weakened by two coplanar circular cracks

Abstract

Some linear thermoelastic problems are studied for the thermal stress and displacement fields in an infinite elastic medium weakened by cracks occupying the space interior to two coplanar circular regions with equal radii. The thermal stresses are caused by the uniform heating or heat flow disturbed by the presence of the coplanar cracks. The problem is reduced to the determination of the solution of infinite sets of Fredholm integral equations. Attention is given to the case when the plane occupying the space external to the cracks is insulated from uniform heat flow. The sets of integral equations are solved iteratively by assuming the spacing between the center of the cracks is large as compared to the radii. Physical quantity of interest such as crack-opening displacement is investigated.