• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.701-713
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• 2012

Results pertaining to 3D investigations on the effect of the thickness on the stress fields at the crack front are presented. A 3D finite element analysis is performed using a modified single edge-notched tension specimen configuration, with an inclined crack to include mixed mode I-II. A technique to mesh the crack front (3D) with singular finite elements in ANSYS without using third party software is introduced and used in this study. The effect of the specimen thickness is explicitly investigated for six thicknesses ranging from 1 to 32 mm. In addition, three crack inclination angles, including pure Mode-I, are used to study the effect of mixed-mode I-II fracture. An attempt is made to correlate the extent of a particular stress state along the crack front to thickness. In addition, ${\sigma}_{zz}/{\nu}({\sigma}_{xx}+{\sigma}_{yy})$ contours at the crack front are presented as a useful means to analyze the stress state.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.283-299
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• 2010

This paper addresses the numerical simulation of fatigue crack growth in arbitrary 2D geometries under constant amplitude loading by the using a new finite element software. The purpose of this software is on the determination of 2D crack paths and surfaces as well as on the evaluation of components Lifetimes as a part of the damage tolerant assessment. Throughout the simulation of fatigue crack propagation an automatic adaptive mesh is carried out in the vicinity of the crack front nodes and in the elements which represent the higher stresses distribution. The fatigue crack direction and the corresponding stress-intensity factors are estimated at each small crack increment by employing the displacement extrapolation technique under facilitation of singular crack tip elements. The propagation is modeled by successive linear extensions, which are determined by the stress intensity factors under linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) assumption. The stress intensity factors range history must be recorded along the small crack increments. Upon completion of the stress intensity factors range history recording, fatigue crack propagation life of the examined specimen is predicted. A consistent transfer algorithm and a crack relaxation method are proposed and implemented for this purpose. Verification of the predicted fatigue life is validated with relevant experimental data and numerical results obtained by other researchers. The comparisons show that the program is capable of demonstrating the fatigue life prediction results as well as the fatigue crack path satisfactorily.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.1 s.173
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• pp.144-155
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• 2000

초록 The validity, of a single parameter such as stress intensity, factor K or J-integral in traditional fracture mechanics depends strongly on the geometry, and loading condition. Therefore the second parameter like T-stress measuring the stress constraint is additionally needed to characterize the general crack-tip fields. While many, research works have been done to verify, the J-T description of elastic-plastic crack-tip stress fields in plane strain specimens, limited works (especially. for bimaterials) have been performed to describe the structural surface crack-front stress fields with the two parameters. On this background, via detailed three dimensional finite element analyses for surface-cracked plates and straight pipes of homogeneous materials and bimaterials under various loadings, we investigate the extended validity or limitation of the two parameter approach. We here first develop a full 3D mesh generating program for semi-elliptical surface cracks, and calculate elastic T-stress from the obtained finite element stress field. Comparing the J-T predictions to the elastic-plastic stresses from 3D finite element analyses. we then confirm the extended validity of fracture mechanics methodology based on the J-T two parameters in characterizing the surface crack-front fields of welded plates and pipes under various loadings.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.5 s.176
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• pp.1331-1342
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• 2000

In power generation systems a variety of structural components typically operate at high temperature and pressure. Therefore a life assessment methodology accounting for gradual creep fracture is increasingly needed for these components. The most critical defects in such structure are generally found in the form of semi-elliptical surface cracks in the welded tubular joints. Therefore the analysis of a semi-elliptical surface crack in a plate or a shell is an important problem in engineering fracture mechanics. On this background, via shell/line-spring finite element analyses of such surface cracks in the welded T and L joints under various loadings, we investigate J-integral along the crack front We first develop T and L joints auto mesh generation program providing ABAQUS input file composed of shell/line-spring finite elements. We then further develop a T and L joints life assessment program based on the experimental creep crack growth law and auto mesh generation program in a graphical user interface format Finally the remaining life of T and L joints for various analytical parameters are assessed using the developed life assessment program.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.255-260
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• 2002

This paper describes a fuzzy-based system for analyzing the stress intensity factors (SIFs) of three-dimensional (3D) cracks. A geometry model, i.e. a solid containing one or several 3D cracks is defined. Several distributions of local node density are chosen, and then automatically superposed on one another over the geometry model by using the fuzzy knowledge processing. Nodes are generated by the bucketing method, and ten-coded quadratic tetrahedral solid elements are generated by the Delaunay triangulation techniques. The singular elements such that the mid-point nodes near crack front are shifted at the quarter-points, and these are automatically placed along the 3D crack front. The complete finite element(FE) model is generated, and a stress analysis is performed. The SIFs are calculated using the displacement extrapolation method. To demonstrate practical performances of the present system, semi-elliptical surface cracks in a inhomogeneous plate subjected to uniform tension are solved.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.1091-1097
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• 2011

The SGBEM-FEM alternating method has been known to be a very effective method for analyzing threedimensional cracks in a finite body. The accurate values of the stress intensity factor can be obtained for a general planar or nonplanar three-dimensional crack. In the existing method, eight-noded quadrilateral boundary elements are used to model a crack. In some cases, three-node triangle boundary elements are more convenient for the modeling of a crack with a general shape. In this study, a crack is modeled with three-noded triangular and seven-noded quadrilateral elements by using the advancing-front mesh generation method. The stress intensity factors are obtained for cracks with several shapes and the accuracy of results is examined.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.182-191
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• 2002

The reliable stress intensity factor analysis is required for fracture mechanics design or safety evaluation of mechanical joints at which cracks often initiate and grow. It has been reported that cracks in mechanical joints usually nucleate as corner cracks at the faying surface of joints and grow as elliptical arc through cracks. In this paper, three dimensional finite element analyses are performed for elliptical arc through cracks in mechanical joints. Thereafter stress intensity factors along elliptical crack front including two surface points are determined by the virtual crack closure technique. Virtual crack closure technique is a method to calculate stress intensity factor using the finite element analysis and can be applied to non-orthogonal mesh. As a result, the effects of clearance on the stress intensity factor are investigated and crack shape are then predicted.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 1997.04a
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• pp.496-500
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• 1997

This paper describes an automated system for analyzing the stress intensity factors(SIFs) of three-dimensional (3D) cracks. A geometry model, i.e.a solid containing one or several 3D cracks is defined. Several distributions of local node density are chosen, and then automatically superposed on one another over the geometry model by using the fuzzy knowledge processing. Nodes are generated by the bucketing method, and ten-noded quadratic tetrahedral solid elements are generated by the Delauuay triangulation techniques. The singular elements such that the mid-point nodes near crack fornt are shifted at the quarter-points are automatically placed along the 3D crack front. THe complete finite element (FE) model generated, i.e the mesh with material properties and boundary conditions is given to one of the commercial FE codes, and a stress analysis is performed. The SIFs are calculated using the displacement extrapolation method. To demonstrate practical performance of the present system, a semi- elliptical surface crack in a plate subjected to tension is solved.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1009-1016
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• 2007

Finite element alternating method has been suggested and used effectively to obtain the fracture parameters in assessing the integrity of cracked structures. The method obtains the solution from alternating independently between the FEM solution for an uncracked body and the crack solution in an infinite body. In the paper, the finite element alternating method is extended in order to obtain the elastic-plastic stress fields of a three dimensional inner crack. The three dimensional crack solutions for an infinite body were obtained using symmetric Galerkin boundary element method. As an example of a three dimensional inner crack, a penny-shaped crack in a finite body was analyzed and the obtained elastc-plastic stress fields were compared with the solution obtained from the finite element analysis with fine mesh. It is noted that in the region ahead of the crack front the stress values from FEAM are close to the values from FEM. But large discrepancy between two values is observed near the crack surfaces.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.639-652
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• 2005

In this paper, a full-scale K-joint specimen was tested to failure under cyclic combined axial and in-plane bending loads. In the fatigue test, the crack developments were monitored step by step using the alternating current potential drop (ACPD) technique. Using Paris' law, stress intensity factor, which is a fracture parameter to be frequently used by many designers to predict the integrity and residual life of tubular joints, can be obtained from experimental test results of the crack growth rate. Furthermore, a scheme of automatic mesh generation for a cracked K-joint is introduced, and numerical analysis of stress intensity factor for the K-joint specimen has then been carried out. In the finite element analysis, J-integral method is used to estimate the stress intensity factors along the crack front. The numerical stress intensity factor results have been validated through comparing them with the experimental results. The comparison shows that the proposed numerical model can produce reasonably accurate stress intensity factor values. The effects of different crack shapes on the stress intensity factors have also been investigated, and it has been found that semi-ellipse is suitable and accurate to be adopted in numerical analysis for the stress intensity factor. Therefore, the proposed model in this paper is reliable to be used for estimating the stress intensity factor values of cracked tubular K-joints for design purposes.