Transient Non-Fourier Fracture Analysis of a Central Crack in Aluminium Foams by Guyer-Krumhansl Theory

The measured temperature-time history of aluminium foams in heat pulse experiments has demonstrated that Fourier's law fails while the Guyer-Krumhansl (G-K) theory performs satisfactorily in characterising their thermal transport process. The purpose of this work is to explore the non-Fourier heat transport and fracture behaviours of an aluminium foam plate containing a central crack subjected to sudden hot thermal shocks by utilising the G-K model. The weight function methodology coupled with the superposition principle is adopted to address the mode-I fracture problem. Parametric investigations are conducted to examine the influences of thermal relaxation time, nonlocal length, and relative density of aluminium foams on the transient heat transfer and the dynamic fracture responses. The time lagging effect and the thermal nonlocal length scale are demonstrated to be critical factors governing the transient processes. The findings will facilitate an in-depth understanding and promote aluminium foam's applications as thermal insulation materials in extreme thermal conditions.