Full thermo-mechanical coupling using eXtended finite element method in quasi-transient crack propagation

Area of Science:

• Computational mechanics
• Solid mechanics
• Heat transfer

Background:

• Thermo-mechanical analysis of cracked bodies is crucial for structural integrity.
• Modeling discontinuities like cracks requires advanced numerical techniques.
• Existing methods may struggle with complex crack geometries and thermal loads.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fully coupled extended finite element (XFEM) formulation for thermo-mechanical problems in cracked bodies.
• To address both mechanical and thermal discontinuities within a unified framework.
• To validate the XFEM implementation for accuracy and robustness.

Main Methods:

• Full coupling of thermo-mechanical effects using XFEM.
• Incorporation of mechanical and thermal discontinuity concepts.
• Development of a quasi-transient crack propagation model.
• Implementation within an object-oriented code.

Main Results:

• Benchmarks confirm accurate stress intensity factor calculations.
• Numerical mechanical and thermal responses are validated.
• The XFEM tool demonstrates robustness in modeling 2D thermo-mechanical problems with multiple cracks.
• Accurate estimation of stress intensity factors for complex scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The developed XFEM formulation provides a robust and accurate tool for thermo-mechanical analysis of cracked bodies.
• The method effectively handles mechanical and thermal discontinuities.
• This approach is suitable for modeling complex crack propagation under transient thermal loads.