Open Access

ARTICLE

SGBEM-FEM Alternating Method for Simulating 3D Through-Thickness Crack Growth

Jai Hak Park¹, Maan Won Kim², Gennadiy P. Nikishkov³

1 Dept. of Safety Engineering, Chungbuk National University, Chungbuk 361-763, Korea
2 Korea Nuclear Engineering & Technology Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Daejeon 305-343, Korea
3 Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, The University of Aizu, Fukushima 965-8580, Japan

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2010, 68(3), 269-296. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmes.2010.068.269

Abstract

A SGBEM-FEM alternating method had been proposed by Nikishkov, Park and Atluri for the analysis of three-dimensional planar and non-planar cracks and their growth. In the method, the symmetric Galerkin boundary element method is used for the crack solution in an infinite body and the finite element method is used to perform stress analysis for the uncracked body only. In this paper the method is extended further to analyze through-thickness cracks. Adequate shape of boundary element mesh is examined and it is found that the fictitious portion of the boundary element mesh, which is located outside the body, plays an important role in the method. In order to check the accuracy and efficiency of the method, the obtained stress intensity factors are compared with the known solutions or the results obtained from finite element method. Using the proposed method stress corrosion crack growth simulation is performed for a through-thickness crack with unequal surface lengths.

---

Keywords

---