Video Lecture On Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 1
Video Lecture On Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 1
We will now move on to the chapter on energy release rate. In fact, many concepts in
fracture mechanics can be comfortably understood by looking at the energy. Although we
have seen in earlier classes, the solution by Inglis, for the sake of continuity we will start with
that. And what have we learnt in an Inglis solution? You have got, for an infinite plate with an
elliptical hole, the maximum stress is given as sigma into 1 plus 2a by b.
And another issue you have to look at is, I have an infinite plate subject to a uniaxial loading.
You have to watch it carefully; in the case of a plate with a circular hole we have taken
infinite plate with uniaxial loading, in the case of an elliptical hole also you have applied a
uniaxial loading. When we develop the stress field we have to look at very carefully for the
problem of a crack, are we looking at a uniaxial loading or a biaxial loading, which we would
look when we take up the chapter on crack-tip stress and displacement fields.
In this chapter, we would look at the energy approach and immediate consequence of Inglis
solution is even for a small load the crack may grow and break the component into pieces.
Surface energy
Video lecture on Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 2
In fact, atoms on the free surface and the ones below have to re-adjust to form an
equilibrium thereby developing strain in the material close to the free surface. Such
deformation requires energy and is known as surface energy. In fact, looking at the role of
surface energy was a conceptual step put forward by Griffith and we will look at the values
of surface energies for a variety of material.
Video lecture on Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 3
In fact, we would look up later in the chapter, how Irwin extended the analysis of Griffith
which was applicable to brittle solids to ductile solids? With a simple extrapolation of
Griffiths approach by using gamma P, he could apply concepts of fracture mechanics for
ductile solids. Thats the reason why I am showing right away the value of gamma P,
although in this chapter, in the major portion we would focus on brittle solids.
And the deflection of the spring is delta when P is supplied gradually. So, the area under the
curve is what is the energy that is stored within the spring, you all know about it because P
is applied gradually, you find elastic strain energy U equal to one half of P into delta.
Suppose I have a constant load acting then the energy would be P into delta, the
corresponding displacement is delta. In many problems in solid mechanics, when you show
a final load we implicitly assume that the final load was reached through a gradual process
Video lecture on Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 4
from 0 to the final value. This is very important, all these subtleties we will have to keep in
mind.
And here, again you find the incremental strain energy stored in the element is one half of
tau xy gamma xy dV. So, this is all you get for volume, per volume you are actually
calculating it, and also we will look at for a unit volume. In this chapter, we would look at for
unit thickness; we would also look at for finite thickness and so on. I have deliberately used
those equations one after another, because you should know in which context we are talking
about. And fracture mechanics is also uses a very funny symbol for thickness. It uses capital
B as representing the thickness of the specimen.
Video lecture on Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 5
So, if I have to do that, I have to use the stress strain relations. And one of the dangers
people use is, when they use a tension test, strain is only a function of the axial stress,
because the other components of stresses are 0. But if you write it for a generic situation,
strain will have component from other components of stresses also. The axial strain you
have to be very careful in writing it. So, you write epsilon x as 1 by E of sigma x minus nu
times sigma y plus sigma z, never forget to include this. This is very important. This is one of
the common mistakes students do, when they move from a tension test to a generic
situation, they never come out of the tension test.
In a tension test sigma y and sigma z are 0. So, strain is related to stress by epsilon equal to
sigma by E you cannot use that in a generic situation. So, the normal strains are related to
normal stress in this fashion, shears strain there is no problem, gamma xy is related to tau
xy, gamma yz is related to tau yz, gamma xz is related to tau x z.
So, when you are really looking at slender members, you want to find out energy on that
member. So, the distance is accommodated in your dx parameter and this is a very famous
Video lecture on Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 7
expression, you will get similar expressions for bending as well as for torsion. Nevertheless,
we will look at them. It is better that you have these equations in your notes and you should
also look at one more aspect, what is focused here is, the form of this strain energy. When I
have strain energy, it is like one half of sigma squared by E into unit volume. Here the unit
volume is taken, so that is why you dont have anything.
So, this is the form of the strain energy expression, because our final interest is to see, what
is the kind of strain energy in the presence of a crack in a solid. This is what we want to
arrive at. In fact, in this chapter we would go by dimensional analysis or a relaxation
analogy, after we develop crack-tip stress and displacement fields, we will come back and
derive them based on stress and displacements. In fact, we can avoid much of the
mathematics by looking at a relaxation approach.
So, it is possible, although you may not understand right now, we can take up an example
and see. And another minor detail is the points of the component at which external loads are
applied may or may not move. The moment you come to fracture mechanics literature, you
always talk about fixed grips; that means, you have constant displacement applied to the
specimen, this is one possibility, another possibility is constant load. Why do we do that? It
helps in our mathematical development, if you look at independently constant load and
constant displacement, we would develop certain kind of understanding in your theoretical
development.
Later on, we will show whatever the energy available for crack formation, in constant
displacement or constant loading is one and the same. And finally, we would also show a
general loading can be thought of as smaller steps of constant load and constant
displacement. This way, we will convince ourself, spending time on constant displacement
or constant load is good enough. So, we will develop certain concepts and simplify our
equations by choosing one of the two. That is the reason why we look at it.
On the one hand, it helps you to simplify the development of mathematics; on the other
hand, it also provides the via media to calculate the energy release rate experimentally. So it
serves both the purposes. So, when you say strain energy in component decreases or
increases that is actually dictated by are we having a fixed grip situation or a constant load
situation? So, if I have a fixed grip, work done by the external force is 0. Work is done only
when the forces move, that is what happens in the case of a constant load. And in all these
discussions, we have to keep in mind, energy is being consumed to create two new
surfaces. This was the key observation of Griffith.
So, the graph will be below the earlier one, the slope will be different, and this also can be
recorded, and you have a graph which is for a plus da. Mind you, in this chapter, we want
to find out what is the energy required for a crack to grow incrementally. And we are
proceeding towards that. For that, we develop so much of background information, before
we finally take up the energy balance equation.
So, now I have taken two similar components: one, you have a crack of length a, another
you have a crack of length a plus da and these figures are also drawn very carefully. This
load has come down, because the stiffness is lower. Now, what I will do is, I will keep on
increasing the load in this gradually. So what will happen is, at a particular load, it so
happens that the crack advances by the distance da.
We would look at it graphically and what our interest is, to find out what is the strain energy
stored in the first case as well as the second case. Then we will find out and comment up on
what happens to the strain energy, when the crack has advanced by da. That is what our
final aim is. So, what I will do now is, I will increase the load and observe the crack has
started to advance when the load has increased to a value P1. And it has moved by a
distance dv. Animation is very nicely done, its as if I am doing an experiment, the animation
is shown. So this will go and touch this graph.
You know now, I have sufficient data to analyze what is the final strain energy of the system
and how the strain energy has changed because of an incremental extension of the crack?
You have already seen for the case of a spring, you have seen the load deflection graph and
area below the graph is the strain energy stored. Here again the loads are gradually applied.
So, I can use the similar approach and when I want to find out the difference, I will find out
the final strain energy minus initial strain energy. We will look at now.
So, what is the change in strain energy is what we want to look at. The final strain energy is
the one below this line and you have this triangular area, and that is given by half of P1 into
v2. Mind you, we are looking at a case of constant loading, so in the case of a constant load,
I have P1 remains constant, so the final strain energy is half of P 1 into v2. What is the initial
strain energy? That is below this graph, below this line. It is below this line and you have this
triangular area. Mathematically it is half of P 1 into v 1. So, what is the change in strain
energy? That is this small triangle, what you see here.
Video lecture on Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 11
But what happens in this is slightly different. What you find is when the load P1 is reached,
suddenly the crack has jumped to a plus delta a, but the load has remained same. It has
had a displacement of dv. So the external work done is P1 into dv. So, you will have to be
very careful about that, this is the rectangular area. We should not make a mistake,
everywhere we use half of P1; you should not say that this is also half of P1. It is actually P1
into dv. And what we have learnt here is, under constant load when there is an
advancement of crack from a to a plus da, the strain energy of the system increases.
Make a sketch of this also, here again we will find out what way the strain energy changes.
So, we will look at what is the final strain energy, we look at the initial strain energy, and
comment what happens to the strain energy in this case. And before that, you will have to
make one important observation: as the crack advances, no external work is done on the
system because the external load is not allowed to move. Its a very important observation.
We are looking things in detail. So there is no external work done in this case.
And obviously, you know you can look at the final triangle is this. Initial triangle is much
larger. So what you find is that the strain energy decreases in this case. First one is external
work done is 0, strain energy changes, half of v1 into P2 is the final one minus initial one,
half of v1 into P1. In this case, it is happening at a constant displacement so, v remains
same for the final as well as initial cases
So, I will have an extra red portion like this. And here only mathematics comes to your
rescue in appreciating what kind of processors that we are looking at. And you know the
animation is also very well done to give you this visual experience. For understanding, we
show these incremental changes as large, for us to draw the diagram comfortably. In the
limit what we want, delta P tends to 0 or delta v tends to 0 irrespective of whether constant
load or displacement. Ihe quantum of energy available for crack extension is the same from
a mathematics point of view, what will happen?
You will find dv is small, dP is tending to 0 and da is also tending to 0. What will happen to
this triangle? This triangle will keep on shrinking. So, from this observation it is possible to
make a statement, the quantum of energy available for crack extension is the same for both
constant load and constant displacement. Have a look at it, the animation will give you that
physical observation.
So, what I have is, the load and displacement may vary in a generic fashion like this. This
could be thought of as steps of constant load, constant displacement, constant load,
constant displacement soon and so forth. So, what we have seen in this exercise is, the
quantum of energy available is same in both the cases of constant load and constant
displacement. In one case, the strain energy increases by crack advancement, in another
case, strain energy decreases by crack advancement.
So, in this class, we started of with Inglis solution, just for continuity sake. Which reminded
us stresses become very high when you have a crack. And in order to explain physical
observation, Griffith came out with the brilliant idea, that you need energy for the formation
of new surfaces. It is a very very key step that Griffith has taken. And this is termed as a
surface energy. But the surface energy is very, very small. If you dont conceptually look at
the problem, you would normally take that as a second order effect and ignore it. This is
what engineers will do. When you compare the plastic energy that is required, it is very high,
several orders of magnitude than the surface energy.
Griffith developed the theory based on brittle materials. So he was very intelligent to identify
the role of surface energy. And this was a very important conceptual step. So, the goal in
this chapter is to find out, what is the kind of energy required for advancement of a crack. In
order to do that, we have reviewed various expressions that we have learned in a general
course in mechanics of solids to find out the elastic strain energy.
Video lecture on Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Prof. K. Ramesh, IIT Madras 14
Then we moved on to analyzing a cracked body under constant load and constant
displacement. In one case, we found strain energy increased, in another case, strain energy
decreased. However, we were able to show when the incremental changes are small, the
energy availability is same in both the cases. We will see further advancements in next
class.