ANALYSIS OF DIRECT-CURRENT POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE IN A MULTIPLE-CRACKEDMATERIAL

The electric field in a conductive material with multiple circular cra cks was analyzed by means of crack-flow modification method (CFMM). It was found by the analysis that the increase in potential difference o f the cracked material normalized by the potential difference without cracks, Delta V/V-o, was in proportion to the product of the effective volumetric crack density and the mean of cubed crack radius, eta(eff) [r(3)](m). This universal relationship was also valid for multiple sem i-circular cracks distributed on the surface of the material and gave the physical meaning of damage detected by the direct current electric al potential method.