Fracture behaviors of all-steel gas cylinder with different axial cracks

Using the three-dimensional finite element method, the researches on the li near elastic and the nonlinear elasto-plastic fracture behaviors of all-ste el gas cylinders with different axially oriented cracks were carried out. T he crack mouth opening displacement CMOD and the crack driving forces for t he cylinders containing axial deep cracks, which have the crack depth of 25 %-100% of the wall thickness, and the crack length of ten times the wall th ickness, were obtained. The effects of the location of the cracks (whether external or internal) and the shape of the through-thickness crack front (w hether elliptical or straight front) on the crack driving forces are respec tively quantified in the linear elastic deformation state and in the elasto -plastic deformation state. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.