Concurrent fatigue crack growth simulation using extended finite element method

Abstract

In this paper, a concurrent simulation framework for fatigue crack growth analysis is proposed using a novel small time scale model for fatigue mechanism analysis and the extended finite element method (X-FEM) for fatigue crack growth simulation. The proposed small time scale fatigue model does not require the cycle counting as those using the classical fatigue analysis methods and can be performed concurrently with structural/mechanical analysis. The X-FEM greatly facilitates crack growth simulation without remeshing requirements ahead of the crack tip as in the classical finite element method. The basic concept and theory of X-FEM was briefly introduced and numerical predictions of stress intensity factors are verified with reference solutions under both uniaxial and multiaxial loadings. The small time scale fatigue model is integrated into the numerical simulation algorithm for concurrent fatigue crack growth analysis. Model predictions are compared with available experimental observations for model validation.

Keywords

small time scale model / extended finite element method (X-FEM) / crack growth / multiaxial