303 Predictions of Three-Dimensional Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior Considering the Partial Elastic Contact of Crack Surfaces

Abstract

In residual stress fields, sometimes the so-called partial elastic contact of crack surfaces occurs, where fatigue crack is closed at the crack mouth while it is opening at crack tip. The partial elastic contact has significant effect on lives of fatigue cracks. However there are few studies on the partial elastic contact of crack surfaces for three-dimensional cracks. In this paper, the propagation paths and lives of fatigue cracks were predicted by using three-dimensional fatigue crack propagation simulations considering the partial elastic contact of crack surfaces. The finite element method was employed for these simulations. The results of simulations considering the partial elastic contact of crack surfaces differed from those neglecting the contact, demonstrating the necessity of simulation considering the partial elastic contact of crack surfaces.