Energy Balance Approach- Griffith Theory

Objectives
y To explain the term strain energy release rate, G1c y Giffith Criterion y Derive G1c
 Fixed Grip condition  Constant load condition

y Experimental determination of G1c y Relationship between G and K

Introduction
y There are two alternative approaches to fracture analysis: the stress intensity approach

and the energy criterion. These two approaches are equivalent in certain circumstances. y The energy approach states that crack extension (i.e. fracture) occurs when the energy available for crack growth is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the material. The material resistance may include the surface energy, plastic work, or other type of energy dissipation associated with a propagating crack.
y Griffith was the first to propose the energy criterion for fracture, but Irwin is primarily

responsible for developing the present version of this approach: the energy release rate, G, which is defined as the rate of change in potential energy with crack area for a linear elastic material. At the moment of fracture, G = Gc, the critical energy release rate, which is a measure of fracture toughness.
y The Griffith equation describes the relationship between applied nominal stress and

crack length at fracture, i.e. when it becomes energetically favourable for a crack to grow. Griffith was concerned with the energetic of fracture, and considered the energy changes associated with incremental crack extension.

The total energy content, U, of an elastic remotely loaded cracked plate is: U = Uo +Ua + UK  F (1)

Where Uo = elastic energy of the loaded uncracked plate, a constant Ua = change in elastic strain energy caused by introducing crack in the plate UK = change in elastic surface caused by formation of crack surfaces F = work performed by external forces (force x displacement) Variations of these energy as function of crack length is as shown in Fig below

Variation of the energy as function of crack length, a

Energy
Surface Energy. UK

Total energy

Crack Length a

Strain Energy

Figure 1

y The surface energy term (UK) represents energy absorbed in

crack growth, while the some stored strain energy (Ua) is released as the crack extends (due to unloading of regions adjacent to the new fracture surfaces). y Surface energy has a constant value per unit area (or unit length for a unit thickness of body) and is therefore a linear function of (crack length). y The stored strain energy released in crack growth is a function of a2, and is hence parabolic.

y Crack growth instability occur when the total energy, U, no

longer increases with increasing crack length, i.e when dU/da 0 y Hence from equation (1)

d  a  U K  F e 0 U da or dU K d F  U a u da da

.. (2)

y The left hand side of eqn (2) represents the amount of energy remains

available for crack extension (equivalent to the rate of elastic energy released, G), y The right-hand-side represents the elastic energy of the crack surfaces or equivalent to the crack resistance force, R . y Thus we have

d F  U a ! G da dU K !R da

(3)

y Hence equation (2) can be written as

y y y y y

GR for instability The above analysis considered a unit thickness plate Let say, for a through crack in a plate of thickness B, then the surface energy is UK = K x HA where K is the surface energy per unit area of the material ( a material property) Since there involved two crack surfaces, thus HA = 2BHa, substitute into eqn (2) above Thus the critical value of strain energy released rate is

Gc = 2K

......

(4)

y Gc is a material property, the fracture toughness of the material, called the

critical strain energy release rate or crack extension force

G can also be determined from another alternative approach. Let assume that a defect-free material has a uniform strain energy density U0,(is the strain energy per unit volume) and assumes that the strain energy density reduces to 0 in the area in the vicinity of a crack (say an area of ka2 near a defect of size 2a). (See Figure 2)
Figure 2

Thus the loss of elastic energy due to the presence of a crack is given by:

 U ! ka 2 BU 0

or

xU ! 2kaBU 0 xa

Now, from eqn 3 above, at the point of fracture if no external work is done,

Gc = (d/da)(U)= 2kaUc,
where Uc is the strain energy at fracture.

If the material is elastic, Therefore In practice K} T Therefore

W c2 1 U c ! W cI c ! 2 2E

kaW c2 Gc ! E

Gc

2 TaW c ! E

Eqn (5a)

Eqn (5a) therefore gives the maximum permissible applied stress for a given crack size or vice versa. This equation corresponds to the case for plane stress. For plane strain, it can be shown that TaW c2 5(b) G1c ! (1  R 2 ) E It can be shown that G is related to K via the expression: G = K2/E Where E = E for plane stress E = E/(1R2)

Example 1 If the specific surface energy for polmethyl acrylate is 0.04J/ m2 and its corresponding modulus of elasticity is 2.38 GPa. Compute the critical stress required for propagation of an internal crack length is 0.03m. Solution Assuming plane stress,
2 TaW c Gc ! ! 2K E

Wc= [2(2.38*109)(0.04) / ( T(0.03m)/2) ]0.5 Wc= 44,946 Pa

Derivation of G based on the compliance, C

Graphical Approach
a) Fixed Grip Condition(constant
displacement
The drop (or decrease) in the elastic energy is represented by area OAB. Or (FUa) =(U= OAB Hence, G = (1/B)((U/(a). (4), if the plate thickness is B. Now, OAC =OAC  OBC =(P1.vP2v) = (P.v Hence G =()(1/B)v(dP/da) ...... (i) (noting that (P/(a tends to dP/da) Using the relation compliance C= v/P or P = v/C Hence dP/da = (vdC/da Cdv/da)/C2
Load-displacement response of a cracked plate for propagation of a crack from length a1 to a2 under "fixed grips" conditions along AB.

y Since v is constant dv/da = 0; dP/da = v(dc/da)/C2.

Substitute C = v/P
y Hence dP/da = P2. (dc/da)/v. From eqn (i), y Hence G =()(1/B)P2. (dc/da)

(b) Fixed-load The energy supplied to the body for fracture is equal to (OAC) + (ABDC) - (OBD) = OAB Thus dU = area OAB OAC = ()Pv1, OBD =()Pv2 ABCD = P(v Hence, OAB = ()P(v + P(v *Note that (V = v2 v1

Load-displacement response of a cracked plate for propagation of a crack from length a, to q under constant load along A B.

If the plate thickness is B, Then G = (1/B)((U/(a)=()P(dv/da) Substitute v = PC, where C is the compliance and Therefore dv/da = PdC/da + CdP/da noting that dP/da = 0 dv/da = PdC/da. Thus G =

For both conditions (i.e Fixed load and Fixed displacement) give the same result.

P xc Gc ! 2 B xa

2 max

(6)

Example 2

Determine the critical value of the strain energy release rate G, = R from: (a) the load-displacement records, and (b) the compliance-crack length curve.

SOLUTION. (a) Load displacement record Load-displacement (P - u) records up to the point of crack growth for different crack lengths.

Figure (i)

The load-displacement (P - u) records up to the point of crack growth for the crack lengths of the problem are shown in Figure (i). Note that the P u curves are linear and revert to the origin when the load is removed.The critical value of the strain energy release rate G, = R is calculated from Equation (4) for the various segmental areas. When the points (Pi,u i)a nd (Pj ,u j )a re joined by straight lines we have (Figure ii) (0A;Aj) = (OAi A:) + (AiA:Ai Aj ) - (OAj A; ) or

Calculation of the critical strain energy release rate G, = R from the segmental area OAiAj.

Figure (ii)

Or

Thus from equation (4) becomes

By applying Equation (2) we obtain the following values of G, = R from the corresponding segmental areas of Figure (ii)

Ans.

(b)Using Compliance-crack length curve

y First we determine the corresponding values of the

compliance C = u/P for the various crack length

y The values of C vs crack length is plotted as shown in figure

(iii)

Variation of the compliance C versus crack length a.

Figure (iii)

For crack length, a1= 30 mm, P = 4 kN ,

For the crack lengths a2, a3, a4 and a5, dC/da can be determined as the mean value of the left and right derivatives of C. For example, for the crack length a = 50.5 mm, we have P = 3.12 kN,

Hence

and

Using this procedure and repeating for the other crack lengths, the results can be tabulated as shown

Comparing both methods

(a) Load-displacement record

(b) compliance-crack length curve

Relationship between G and K

For an infinite plate with central crack under tesnile load, the stress intensity factor K = WTa xU TW 2 a Griffith calculated that dU/da as: ! E xa per unit thickness. Hence, the strain energy release rate is

xU TW 2 a K 2 G! ! ! xa Ed Ed
per unit thickness

or in terms of their critical values

K lc Glc ! Ed
Where E E 1 R 2 = E for plane stress = for plane strain

(7)

y Comparing equation (5) and (6),

K2 = E

P2 x C 2B x a

(8)

Equation (8) enables the use of compliance to determine the stress intensity factors for certain specimen and crack geometries.

Experimental determination of stress intensity factor

For the experimental determination of the stress intensity factor from Equation 8 a series of specimens with different crack lengths are used to calculate the derivative of the compliance with respect to the crack length. This is shown in Figure (a) and (b) below The accuracy of the experimental determination of K1 depends on the changes in the displacement between loading points remote from the crack as crack extends. This experimental technique provides a quick way of determining KI when the crack geometry is complicated and the mathematical solution is difficult.

Fig: (a) Load-displacement response for different crack lengths , b) compliance versus crack length.

Exercises: Griffith criterion.

See given sheet

Given table below values of K1c, determine the corresponding values of its G1c

The following data were obtained from a series of tests conducted on precracked specimens of thickness 10 mm. where P is the critical load at crack growth. The load-displacement record for all crack lengths is linearly elastic up to the critical point. Determine the critical value of the strain energy release rate for crack growth.

The following data were obtained from a series of tests conducted on precracked specimens of thickness 20 mm. Where P and u are the critical load and displacement at crack growth.The load displacement record for all three cracks is linearly elastic up to the critical point. Determine the critical value of the strain energy release rate for crack growth.