Fatigue Crack Growth Prediction in 3D Crack Fronts
G.Cook, P.W.Claydon, C.Timbrell
STRUCENG & FEMCAD Conference, Grenoble, France, 1990
Abstract:
A method is presented for predicting full 3D fatigue crack growth
of arbitrary 3D crack fronts under mixed I, II and III mode loading.
It uses a generalized 3D virtual crack extension (VCE) method to evaluate
the distribution of the local maximum energy release rate, Gmax,
along the crack front. A modified Paris equation, relating the local
Gmax to the local crack growth rate, is then used to evaluate
the magnitude of the crack growth. The direction of local crack growth
is taken as the direction of the local Gmax.Good agreement with experimental data is produced for fatigue growth
against the number of cycles for an elliptical crack under mode I
cyclic loading. Although no experimental results are available, the
prediction of full 3D crack growth for a crack front under mixed mode
loading is also demonstrated.