Chapter 4 Energy Considerations Why energy methods

• The total energy needed to create new crack surfaces is the

internal strain and surface energy. Other external energy
variations are neglected.
• New crack surfaces are created during crack
Etot    Ws propagation
• The total energy in the structure does not change during creation
of new crack surfaces,
dEtot d dWs • To create new crack surfaces energy is needed.
  0
dA dA dA
d
G 1. Internal elastic strain energy, U, is stored and released during
• Define a energy release rate: dA
-LEFM, when crack is located at the edge (J-integral): GJ crack propagation
• we get crack growth criteria: 2. External energy from forces and moments performing work, W.
dWs
G  Gcritical  Gc  , J I  J IC
dA
Discussions: G and load, stable and unstable crack growth, G, J and K?

1 2

Notations used for this chapter The Griffin energy balance

• From the first law of thermodynamics “Conservation of Energy
a,A a crack length (m), A crack area (m2)
states” that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. A system
u,U internal elastic strain, u per unit volume (Nm/m3), U total (Nm)
going from a nonequilibrium state to an equilibrium there is a net
ws, W s surface energy, ws, per unit area (Nm/m2), W s, total (Nm) decrease in energy. Meaning when a crack forms or grow only when
wf fracture energy per unit of area (Nm/m2) it causes the total energy decreasing or remain constant.
W work done by generalized forces (Nm)
∏ potential (Nm)
• The energy needed to create or grow cracks is energy stored in the
Etot total energy
structure as elastic strain energy, u, and work, W, by the loading of
G energy release rate (Nm/m2) the structure.
C compliance (m/N), inverse stiffness
R material resistance to crack extension, R=R(a) (Nm/m2)
• We will come back to this global balance, first we need to look at
Wp plastic deformation energy
surface energy, internal elastic strain and potentials.

3 4

Surface energy, Ws Internal elastic strain energy, U

• To create crack surfaces energy is • A material that is linear elastic the internal
needed elastic strain U is  ij  ij
• Consider interatomic forces, U   udV   dV
2
attraction and repulsion. V V
𝜀 = 𝜎 𝜎 𝛿
• Using Hooke’s law
𝐸
𝜇
2 1 𝜈
Picture of schematic breaking of • Rewriting the first equation using the second
a lattice plane gives the total elastic strain energy in the
loaded structure of linear elastic material.

𝑈 𝑑𝑉 𝜎 𝜎 𝜎 𝛿 𝑑𝑉

5
𝜎 𝜎 𝜎 𝜎 𝑑𝑉 6

1
 Potential Π
• Here we will first consider a structure under load control and
secondly a structure under displacement control.

Fracture mechanics • When subjected to a load control, P (force or moment), the

Chapter 4, an energy consideration potential is defined as   U  P    U  W, where W is the
potential of the load.

Prepared by KHL • When subjected to a displacement control, Δ , the potential is

defined as   U. When the crack grow no work will be
performed by the structure since the loading points is not
moving in this case.

7 8

Global energy balance Surface energy corrections, fracture energy wf

• The total energy needed to create new crack surfaces is the • If the material considered is brittle only energy absorbing processes
internal strain and surface energy. Other external energy variations is involved.
are neglected. • If plastic flow is present in the near vicinity of the crack tip some
Etot    Ws energy is required for this plastic deformation.
• To propagate the crack more energy wp than ws is needed. For a
• The total energy in the structure does not change during creation of ductile material, wp>>ws.
new crack surfaces, dA. dE d dWs • Other effects might take place as viscoelsastic and viscoplastic
tot
  0 effects and meandering crack surfaces is then not plane giving a
dA dA dA
larger crack area and branching, crack is divided in two or more
d dWs cracks.
• This gives  
dA dA
• Then wf = ws+wp+ … and sometimes wf is considered a material
• This condition on energy balance must be fulfilled to make crack parameter, but can also be a function of crack length and other
propagation possible factors.1
1Page 120 in Failure Fracture Fatigue, Dahlberg. T., Ekberg. A.
9 10

Energy release rate and Fracture

Energy release rate (with an example)
Toughness
d
Energy release rate is defined as: G
dA • G is sometimes called crack driving force or crack extension force.
Study a through thickness crack (picture). d
G d  2 2( 2at )  2a
The potential energy, by griffin: G  
dA dA 4 Et E
 2 (2at ) 2
  0  A  2at
4 Et
• The relation between energy release rate and stress intensity
factor, can be found by combining the two first equations below.
The energy release rate is then:
 2a
G K I   a
E
d  2( 2at )  a
2 2
G   
dA 4 Et E K I2  E '  E Plane Stress
G  E
E' E '  Plane Strain
11  1  2 12

2
 Fracture criterion Energy release rate at load control
• Crack growth is possible when the energy release rate reach a • Recalling potential is Π=U-W
critical value: dWs • Load controlled structure the elastic strain is
G  Gcritical  Gc   2w f  
k2 P
dA U   Pd   kd  
0 0
2 2
• Gc is a measure of fracture toughness and considered a material
property. • And, W  P  

• Gc does not tell if the crack will grow or stay just at the limit. Neither • Since the structure is assumed to be linear elastic, P  k 
does it tell if the crack is stable or unstable.
• Then the potential becomes
P P
  U W   P    U
2 2
Meaning the potential equals the internal elastic strain but with
opposite sign for equilibrium.
13 14

Energy release rate G as function of

Energy release rate at displacement control
structural compliance C
P  d
• Recalling potential is Π=U, W=0  U  C G
2 P dA
• The energy release rate G becomes

 d  1  dU  1   dP  P  d (P  C)  P 2  dC 
G          G     
 dA   cons tan t t  da   t 2  da   2t  da  P 2t  da  P

where t is plate thickness, Δ displacement and a crack length.

  d    2  1  dC  P 2  dC 
Recall that at force control: G          
P P 2t  da  da   2t C 2  da  2t  da  
  U W   P    U
2 2
P 2 dC
G
15
2t da 16

Elastic strain energy U stored in a structure Stable and unstable crack growth
 dU   dU 
• From potential it can be shown     
 da  P  da  
• An increased crack length will decrease the stiffness of the structure:

dG
G  2w f and 0
da

a) A structure containing a crack, elastic strain energy is stored

U=U(a)=PΔ/2.
dG
b) If load control is applied the energy U(a) increase to U(a+da) when G  2w f and 0
the crack has grown from a to a+da. da
c) If displacement control is applied the energy U(a) decreases to
U(a+da) when the crack has grown from a to a+da.

17 18

3
 Stable and unstable crack growth when Gc
Stable and unstable crack growth, forts
is constant/not constant
Define: When Gc is constant, R=const. and vis versa. • When Gc is varying with crack length R=R(a).
• For load control, normally G increases with increasing a. • This might be the case when the plastic zone at the crack tip
Then dG/da is positive and the crack growth leads to an
unstable crack growth. varies with different crack length.
• For displacement control G normally decreases with
increasing a, giving negative value of dG/da and the crack dG dR
growth is stable. • Crack growth is stable G  2 w f (a ) and 
da da

dG dR
• Crack growth is unstable G  2 w f ( a ) and 
da da

Gc=const. Gc is not const. 19 20

Relationship between energy release rate G and

Summarize
stress intensity factor KI

Relations for quantities G and K might be useful Griffin energy balance is introduced
Internal elastic strain and potentional is explained
For plane strain 1  2 2 Energy release rate G is defined d
G KI
E G
1 2 dA
For plane stress G  KI
E
A fracture criterion is defined based upon the energy release rate
These relations can sometimes be seen in the following form The relation of stable and unstable crack growth and crack
 1 2 length is shown
G KI The relationship between energy release rate G and stress
8
intensity factor KI is shown
  3  4 plane deformation
3 
 plane stress
1 
21 22

Home Work
 Home work
• 4.3, 4.5 • Home Work
 Home work for discussion 1. What is The relationship between energy release rate
G and stress intensity factor KI .
1. What is The relationship between energy release rate G and stress • 2. How to judge if Crack growth is stable or
intensity factor KI .
unstable?

2. How to judge if Crack growth is stable or unstable?

dG
• f.ex.
f.ex. G  2w f and 0
da

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