THERMO-ELASTIC ANALYSIS OF EMBEDDED ELLIPTICAL

DELAMINATIONS ON CYLINDRICAL PLATES

In the present work, influence of residual thermal stresses on Strain Energy Release Rates
(SERR) at the embedded elliptical delaminations on cylindrical pressure vessels is studied.
Modified Crack Closure Integral (MCCI) method is used to calculate the strain energy release
rates from thermo-elastic stress and displacement fields due to a combined Thermal and
Mechanical loading.
Here we have taken a practical example of Pressure Cooker made of stainless steel
material with its actual dimensions and properties:
Dimensions:
Inside diameter

= 24cm

Thickness

= 6mm

Material Properties:
S.N
o
1.
2.
3.
4
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Parameter

Value (units)
250e6 (N/m2)
0.295
1.816 to 2.016 (bar)
1210C
1370oC
16.3 to 16.7 (W/mK)
0.000016 (per oC)
7.9 (W/m2K)
11.3 (W/m2K)

Youngs Modulus (E)

Poissons Ratio ()
Operating pressure
Operating temperature
Melting temperature
Thermal Conductivity (K)
Linear Expansion Co-efficient ()
Heat Transfer Co-efficient in air (ha)
Heat Transfer Co-efficient in water (hw)

By taking above parameters we have designed a basic sub-model and introduced an

elliptical crack and applied thermal and mechanical loadings. Comparing energy release rates
around the crack with three different types of loadings:
a) Mechanical loading only,

b) Thermal loading only,

c) Combined Mechanical and Thermal loading
and also by varying: i) ellipse a/b ratio from 0 to 1
ii) laminate angles from 0 to 90
This analysis in structural components is of great importance in fracture mechanics, the
reason is being that, such cracks may easily develop from small defects to cause catastrophic
failure of structure.

Strain Energy Release Rate (SERR) Evaluation:

Modified Crack Closure Integral (MCCI) method:
According to this method, the energy released by a similar propagation of a crack of
length a to that of a+a due to a sequential Thermo-Mechanical loading is nothing but the
work required to close the crack from a+a length to a.
Mathematically, W=1/2 0a[M(x)+T(x)] [M(x-a)+T(x-a)] dx

.(1)

Where M,T represents Mechanical and Thermal effects,

(x-a) is the crack opening displacement,
(x) is the stress at the crack front.
But as our consideration is cylindrical plate we have curved crack. For a Curved crack
front the tangential and normal along the curvature varies from location to location. Here an
elliptical co-ordinate (n,t) transformation is needed for calculation of strain energy released. So
eq.(1) changes to :
W= 1/2 0a [M(n)+T(n)] [M(n-a)+T(n-a)] dn(2)

And then the Energy release rate is obtained as:

G = Lima0 (W/a)
Practical explanations:

A sub-model from a full model is taken with an elliptical crack and is studied by applying
thermal and mechanical loads by taking above mentioned variations and G is to be compared.

BASIC MODEL IN ANSYS:

The above basic model was designed as a composite plate of having four laminates and then
analysed by applying certain boundary conditions for structural and thermal loadings.
ANALYSIS OF MECHANICAL LOADING:
Boundary conditions: fixed at 2 edge surfaces and subjecting to Symmetry boundary conditions
on remaining two edge surfaces
Loads: applying internal pressure of 100 Mpa

took the

LAMINATE
ANGLES(+/-/-/
+)
[+0/-0/-0/+0]
[+15/-15/15/+15]
[+30/-30/30/+30]
[+45/-45/45/+45]
[+60/-60/60/+60]
[+75/-75/75/+75]
[+90/-90/90/+90]

First we
G-I(kJ/m2)

G-II(kJ/m2)

G-III(kJ/m2)

0.023318

0.043286

0.316084

0.223949

0.038783

0.076313

0.150831

0.040248

0.333764

0.374965

0.04794

0.534322

0.498589

0.054633

0.410183

0.173868

0.029142

0.097821

0.112283

0.042334

0.017619

crack

displacements of open crack mode and nodal loads by closing the crack and then calculated the
STRAIN ENERGY RELEASE RATE (SERR) by some mathematical formulations mentioned
above. The same procedure we carried on by changing different laminate angles like for
0,15,30,90.
The results are tabulated here:

LAMINATE
ANGLES(+//-/+)
[+0/-0/-0/+0]
[+15/-15/15/+15]
[+30/-30/30/+30]
[+45/-45/45/+45]
[+60/-60/60/+60]
[+75/-75/75/+75]
[+90/-90/90/+90]

G-I(kJ/m2)

G-II(kJ/m2)

G-III(kJ/m2)

0.000246471
0.00032212

0.000512
0.000561

0.004442
0.001684

0.000529957

0.000284

0.000964

0.000553473

0.000147

0.000595

0.000429032

7.42E-05

0.000324

0.000168065

1.99E-05

5.42E-05

5.92626E-05

6.12E-06

2.5E-06

ANALYSIS OF THERMAL LOADING:

Boundary conditions: fixed at 2 edge surfaces and subjecting to Symmetry boundary conditions
on remaining two edge surfaces
Linear expansion coefficients: X,Z = 22.5*10-6 ,Y = 0.025*10-6/ oC
Loads: applying curing temperature of -110oC

Same procedure which is done to Structural loading is carried here and calculated SERR
values for different laminate angles like 0,15,30,90.
The results are tabulated here:

Work to be done:
The remaining combined structural and thermal analysis is to be done and results are
compared.