Thermoelastic behavior of a transversely isotropic material containing a flat toroidal crack

The thermoelastic behavior of a transversely isotropic material containing a flat toroidal crack is investigated using the techniques of Hankel transf orms and multiplying factors. The thermal conditions are symmetrical with r espect to the crack plane and the boundary conditions have three different parts. Exact expressions for the thermoelastic stress intensity factors at the inner and outer crack tips are obtained as the products of a dimensiona l quantity and nondimensional functions. The fracture transition of a flat toroidal crack to a penny-shaped crack and to a central crack is studied at different values of the ratio of the inner crack radius to the outer crack radius. The temperature distribution on the crack plane is also presented at different values of inner and outer crack radii.