MULTIPLE CRACKS IN THERMOELECTROELASTIC BIMATERIALS

The formulation for thermal stress and electric displacement in an inf inite thermopiezoelectric plate with an interface and multiple cracks is presented. Using Green's function approach and the principle of sup erposition, a system of singular integral equations for the unknown te mperature discontinuity defined on each crack face is developed and so lved numerically. The formulation can then be used to calculate some f racture parameters such as the stress-electric displacement and strain energy density factor. The direction of crack growth for many cracks in thermopiezoelectric bimaterials is predicted by way of the strain e nergy density theory. Numerical results for stress-electric displaceme nt factors and crack growth direction at a particular crack tip in two crack system of bimaterials are presented to illustrate the applicati on of the proposed formulation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig hts reserved.