INTERACTION BETWEEN A CRACK AND A CIRCULAR ELASTIC INCLUSION UNDER REMOTE UNIFORM HEAT-FLOW

The plane interaction problem for a circular elastic inclusion embedde d in an elastic matrix with an arbitrarily oriented crack, located eit her in the matrix or in the inclusion under remote uniform heat flow, is considered. By using the complex variable theory and the existing s olutions for dislocation functions, the thermoelastic problem of a cra ck in the form of an arbitrary shape in the vicinity of the interface is formulated. The integral equations for a line crack are then obtain ed as a system of singular integral equations with logarithmic singula r kernels. The stress intensity factors, which can properly reflect th e interaction between a crack and a circular inclusion, are obtained i n terms of the values of the density functions of the integral equatio ns. Several numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effects of geometrical parameters and material property combinations on the stre ngth of the thermal stress singularity. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Sc ience Ltd.