Open Access

ARTICLE

Mixed-mode Fracture Mechanics Analysis of Large-scale Cracked Structures Using Partitioned Iterative Coupling Method

by

1 The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2013, 91(6), 445-461. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmes.2013.091.445

Abstract

For large-scale fracture mechanics simulation, a partitioned iterative coupling method is investigated. In this method, an analysis model is decomposed into two domains, which are analyzed separately. A crack is introduced in one small domain, whereas the other large domain is a simple elastic body. Problems concerning fracture mechanics can be treated only in the small domain. In order to satisfy both geometric compatibility and equilibrium on the domain boundary, the two domains are analyzed repeatedly using an iterative solution technique. A benchmark analysis was performed in order to validate the method and evaluate its computational performance. The computed stress intensity factors were as accurate as those obtained using the conventional method and the theoretical solution, and the computational performance was comparable. Based on a benchmark, a cracked structural component model having three million degrees of freedom was analyzed. Mode-I, mode-II, and mode-III stress intensity factors were successfully obtained after several iteration steps.

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