Extended Finite Element Methods Based Two-Parameter Fatigue Crack Growth Prediction

In this paper, a synthesized modeling and simulation methodology for fatigue crack growth in structural components is developed by implementing a new two-parameter crack growth model into the extended finite element method (X-FEM) combined with the level-set method. Basically, this new methodology consists of (1) X-FEM, and (2) two-parameter crack growth model. By using X-FEM, the merit of finite element methods (FEM) is retained, and the tedious and inaccurate remeshing process is avoided in the simulation and prediction of fatigue crack growth. By using the new two-parameter crack growth model, crack growth can be predicted at various stress ratios. Benchmark examples are presented to demonstrate the prediction of fatigue crack growth. As a result, an innovative next generation damage tolerance and durability design methodology and the associated fatigue crack growth simulation package are established for aerospace structures.

[1]  Attilio Frangi,et al.  3D fracture analysis by the symmetric Galerkin BEM , 2002 .

[2]  Ted Belytschko,et al.  THE ELEMENT FREE GALERKIN METHOD FOR DYNAMIC PROPAGATION OF ARBITRARY 3-D CRACKS , 1999 .

[3]  Shaofan Li,et al.  Meshfree Simulations of Ductile Crack Propagations , 2005 .

[4]  M. Duflot.  A study of the representation of cracks with level sets , 2007 .

[5]  Ted Belytschko,et al.  Modelling crack growth by level sets in the extended finite element method , 2001 .

[6]  James C. Newman,et al.  The Merging of Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Concepts: A Historical Perspective , 1998 .

[7]  Mool C. Gupta,et al.  Three-Dimensional Finite Element Prediction of Surface Crack Growth on Titanium Tubes , 2010 .

[8]  T. Belytschko,et al.  Dynamic crack propagation based on loss of hyperbolicity and a new discontinuous enrichment , 2003 .

[9]  A. K. Vasudevan,et al.  Crack tip driving forces and crack growth representation under fatigue , 2004 .

[10]  Bhushan Lal Karihaloo,et al.  Comprehensive structural integrity , 2003 .

[11]  Edward H. Glaessgen,et al.  Recent Advances in Durability and Damage Tolerance Methodology at NASA Langley Research Center , 2007 .

[12]  D. Sulsky.  Erratum: Application of a particle-in-cell method to solid mechanics , 1995 .

[13]  Steve Lambert,et al.  A study of the stress ratio effects on fatigue crack growth using the unified two-parameter fatigue crack growth driving force , 2007 .

[14]  Ted Belytschko,et al.  A finite element method for crack growth without remeshing , 1999 .

[15]  John A. Nairn,et al.  Three-Dimensional Dynamic Fracture Analysis Using the Material Point Method , 2006 .

[16]  Applications of MLPG Method in Dynamic Fracture Problems , 2006 .

[17]  Dale L. Ball,et al.  Joint Strike Fighter Airframe Durability and Damage Tolerance Certification , 2006 .

[18]  S. Atluri,et al.  A new Meshless Local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) approach in computational mechanics , 1998 .

[19]  David J. Unger,et al.  Analytical Fracture Mechanics , 1995 .

[20]  Marc Duflot,et al.  The extended finite element method in thermoelastic fracture mechanics , 2008 .

[21]  T. Anderson.  Fracture Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications, Third Edition , 1994 .

[22]  Ingo Scheider,et al.  3.03 – Computational Aspects of Nonlinear Fracture Mechanics , 2003 .

[23]  H. deLorenzi,et al.  On the energy release rate and the J-integral for 3-D crack configurations , 1982 .

[24]  Huafeng Liu,et al.  Meshfree particle method , 2003, Proceedings Ninth IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision.

[25]  Ted Belytschko,et al.  Modeling fracture in Mindlin–Reissner plates with the extended finite element method , 2000 .

[26]  Satya N. Atluri,et al.  SGBEM (for Cracked Local Subdomain) -- FEM (for uncracked global Structure) Alternating Method for Analyzing 3D Surface Cracks and Their Fatigue-Growth , 2002 .

[27]  Michael A. Sutton,et al.  Three-dimensional finite element simulations of mixed-mode stable tearing crack growth experiments , 2007 .

[28]  Shaofan Li,et al.  A multiscale Griffith criterion , 2007 .

[29]  Alain Combescure,et al.  Appropriate extended functions for X-FEM simulation of plastic fracture mechanics , 2006 .

[30]  Stéphane Bordas,et al.  Enriched finite elements and level sets for damage tolerance assessment of complex structures , 2006 .

[31]  T. Belytschko,et al.  Element‐free Galerkin methods , 1994 .