• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.680-689
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• 2010

The crack-tip stress fields and fracture mechanics assessment parameters for a surface crack, such as the elastic stress intensity factor or the elastic-plastic J-integral, can be affected significantly by the adjacent cracks. Such a crack interaction effect due to multiple cracks can alter the fracture mechanics assessment parameters significantly. There are many factors to be considered, for instance the relative distance between adjacent cracks, the crack shape, and the loading condition, to quantify the crack interaction effect on the fracture mechanics assessment parameters. Thus, the current assessment codes on crack interaction effects (crack combination rules), including ASME Sec. XI, BS7910, British Energy R6 and API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, provide different rules for combining multiple surface cracks into a single surface crack. The present paper investigates crack interaction effects by evaluating the elastic stress intensity factor and the elastic-plastic J-integral of adjacent in-plane surface cracks in a plate through detailed 3-dimensional elastic and elastic-plastic finite element analyses. The effects on the fracture mechanics assessment parameters of the geometric parameters, the relative distance between two cracks, and the crack shape are investigated systematically. As for the loading condition, an axial tension is considered. Based on the finite element results, the acceptability of the crack combination rules provided in the existing guidance was investigated, and the relevant recommendations on a crack interaction for in-plane surface cracks are discussed. The present results can be used to develop more concrete guidance on crack interaction effects for crack shape characterization to evaluate the integrity of defective components.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.51-68
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• 2004

Since the linear elastic fracture analysis has been proved to be insufficient in predicting the failure of strain hardening materials, a number of fracture concepts have been studied which remain applicable in the presence of plasticity near a crack tip. This work thereby presents a new finite element model to predict the elastic-plastic crack-tip field and fatigue life of center-cracked panels(CCP) with ductile fracture under large-scale yielding conditions. Also, this study has been carried out to investigate the path-dependence of J-integral within the plastic zone for elastic-perfectly plastic, bilinear elastic-plastic, and nonlinear elastic-plastic materials. Based on the incremental theory of plasticity, the p-version finite element is employed to account for the accurate values of J-integral, the most dominant fracture parameter, and the shape of plastic zone near a crack tip by using the J-integral method. To predict the fatigue life, the conventional Paris law has been modified by substituting the range of J-value denoted by ${\Delta}J$ for ${\Delta}K$. The experimental fatigue test is conducted with five CCP specimens to validate the accuracy of the proposed model. It is noted that the relationship between the crack length a and ${\Delta}K$ in LEFM analysis shows a strong linearity, on the other hand, the nonlinear relationship between a and ${\Delta}J$ is detected in EPFM analysis. Therefore, this trend will be depended especially in the case of large scale yielding. The numerical results by the proposed model are compared with the theoretical solutions in literatures, experimental results, and the numerical solutions by the conventional h-version of the finite element method.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 1994.05a
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• pp.2-7
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• 1994

The dynamic fatigue life equation is applied to uniaxial tensile test. The resultant equations far the surface energy and fracture toughness are calculated with the data from the tensile test and compared with the ones from ASTM E399 test. During the crack propagation under model loading, the material of the crack tip undergoes the process of the elastic-plastic deformation in the uniaxial tensile test. The surface energy per unit area is proportional to the ratio of plastic and elastic elongations. The calculated fracture toughness of the metals are very well coincident to the ASTM E399's test results.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.17 no.9
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• pp.2223-2233
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• 1993

An engineering method is suggested to calculate the applied load versus crack extension in the elastic-plastic fracture. The condition for an increment of crack extension is set by a critical increment of crack-up opening displacement(CTOD). The ratio of the CTOD increment to the incremental crack extention is a critical crack-tip opening angle(CTOA), assumed to be constant for a material of a given thickness. The Dugdale model of crack-tip deformation in an infinite plate is applied to the method, and a complete solution for crack extension and crack instability is obtained. For finite-size specimens of arbitrary geometry in general yielding, an approximate generalization of the Dugdale model is suggested so that the approximation approaches the small-scale yielding solution in a low applied load and the finite-element solution in a large applied load. Maximum load is calculated so that an applied load attains either a limit load on an unbroken ligament or a peak load during crack extension. The proposed method was applied to three-point bend specimens of a carbon steel SM45C in various sizes. Reasonable agreements are found between calculated maximum loads and experimental failure loads. Therefore, the method can be a viable alternative to the J-R curve approach in the elastic-plastic fracture analysis.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.91-102
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• 1993

The elastic-plastic fracture thoughness J sub(IC) of Nuclear Reactor Vessel Steel(SA 508-3) which has high toughness was discussed at temperatures RT, $-20^{\circ}C$, $200^{\circ}C$ and 1/2/CT specimen was used for this study. Especially the two methods recommended in ASTM and JSME were compared. It was difficult to find J sub(IC) by ASTM R-curve method with the specimen used for this research, while JSME R-curve method yielded good result. The stretched zone width menthod gave slightly larger J sub(IC) values than those by the R-curve method for SA 508-3 steel.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.127-133
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• 2007

SG-365 steel is an important material and used for manufacturing a pressure vessel which the gas piping. In this investigation, the elastic plastic fracture toughness of this material is evaluated by the unloading compliance method according to the ASTM E813-97 and E1152-97 method on the smooth and side groove 1CT specimens. The effect of smooth and side groove is studied on the elastic plastic fracture toughness. The side grooved specimen is very useful in estimation of the $J_{IC}$. It is much easier than the smooth specimen to the onset of the ductile tearing by the R curve method. Besides, it improves the accuracy of toughness values, decreases a phenomenon of the tunneling and shear lip by the side groove.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.19-29
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• 1988

This paper reports on the elatic-plastic analysis and fracture behavior of cylinder with outer surface crack which is under external or internal pressure. For the studuty of crack length effects in cylinder, ratios of crack lengths to finite thickness (a/t) are dertermined 0.3, 0.4, 0.5. For the study of curvature effects in cylinders, ratios of mean diameter to finite thicknees (Rm/t) are determined 10.0, 15.0, 20.0. Analysis is conduceted using the theory of fracture mechanics and two dimensional finite element solution assuming the axi-symmetrical plane strain conditon. Main results of this study are as follows. 1) It is known from this paper that elastic-plastic strain is initiated near crack tip and enlarged between crack tip and inner side of cylinder. 2) $K_{1}$ of cylinder under external or internal pressure is evaluated memebrane stress .root..pi.* crack length. The results of this study are inclined to Lomacky's results and Kobayshi's result. 3) Distribution of stress near crack tip is looked higher than of other zone, as crack length of equal model is longer, and as diameter of cylinder is longer. 4) When other conditions are equal, displacemenet near crack tip is looked duller, as length is longer.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.131-147
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• 2013

In this paper, constraint-based fracture mechanics analyses of hollow cylinders with internal circumferential crack under tensile loading are conducted. Finite element analyses of the cracked cylinders are carried out to determine the fracture parameters including elastic T-stresses, and fully-plastic J-integrals. Linear elastic finite element analysis is conducted to obtain the T-stresses, and elastic-plastic analysis is conducted to obtain the fully plastic J-integrals. A wide range of cylinder geometries are studied, with cylinder radius ratios of $r_i/r_o$ = 0.2 to 0.8 and crack depth ratio a/t = 0.2 to 0.8. Fully plastic J-integrals are obtained for Ramberg-Osgood power law hardening material of n = 3, 5 and 10. These fracture parameters are then used to construct conventional and constraint-based failure assessment diagrams (FADs) to determine the maximum load carrying capacity of cracked cylinders. It is demonstrated that these tensile loaded cylinders with circumferential cracks are under low constraint conditions, and the load carrying capacity are higher when the low constraint effects are properly accounted for, using constraint-based FADs, comparing to the predictions from the conventional FADs.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.519-527
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• 1997

AISI 316 steel has been used extensively for heater and boiler tube of the structural plants such as power, chemical and petroleum plants under severe operating conditions. Usually, material degradation due to microcrack or precipitation of carbides and segregation of impurity elements, is occured by damage accumulated for long-term service at high temperature in this material. In this study, the effect of aging time on fracture toughness was investigated to evaluate the measurement of material degradation. The elastic-plastic fracture toughness behaviour of AISI 316 steel pipe aged at $550^{\circ}C$for 1h-10000h (the aged material) was characterized using the single specimen J-R curve technique and eletric potential drop method at normal loading rate(load-line displacement speed of 0.2mm/min) in room temperature and air environment. The fracture toughness data from above experiments is compared with the $J_{in}$ obtained from predicted values of crack initiation point using potential drop method.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 1989

The application of fracture mechanics is being increased gradually to assess the safety of welded structures containing crack. Fatigue crack propagation behavior and elastic-plastic fracture toughness J$_{IC}$ of home made flux cored wire(1.22mm) CO$_{2}$ weldments was discussed. Especially fatigue crack propagation test was carried out by .DELTA.K control instead of load control and elastic-plastic fracture toughness J$_{IC}$ was obtained by ASTM-R curve method on C.T.specimen in transverse direction of weldments. The results obtained are as follows; (1) Weld metal presented an almost complete similarity to base metal on fatigue crack propagation rate in transverse direction. (2) Weld metal was more than base metal on J$_{IC}$ value in transverse direction. (3) F.C.W. CO$_{2}$ weldments had an excellent characteristic of fatigue crack propagation rate and J$_{IC}$ in less than 50kg/mm$^{2}$ steel grade, this would result from that weld metal had good static strength.trength.