J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008

II. Stress Intensity Factors

It is instructive to examine the concentrated stresses at the
edge of an elliptical hole in a thin plate, when the plate is
subjected to tensile stresses


The maximum stress at the long end of the elliptical hole is

max 0
SCF
(1 2 )
t
K
a
b

=
= +

Note that when a=b (circular hole), the stress concentration
factor is 3, i.e. a well-known result.


J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008

The radius of curvature at the end of the major axis is

2
1 2
t
b
a
a
K

=
= +

Thus, as 0, K
t
and
max
. This marks the
transition from a smooth defect to a sharp crack.

The formal definition of the stress intensity factor is:

0
lim ( , 0) 2
I r yy
K r r

The SIF depends on the intensity of the stress near the
crack tip. It will depend only on the geometry and
loading (material also if a composite)
J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008


1.) Stress Analysis of Cracks Handbook
Center-cracked plate
Double-edge crack plate
Single edge crack plate
Edge-cracked beam
Edge-cracked simply supported beam
Cracks emanating from a thru-holes in a plate
Crack emanating from an elliptical notch
Buried penny-shaped crack
Edge-cracked solid shaft
Semi-elliptical surface crack
Circumferentially cracked thin-walled pressure vessel
Longitudinally cracked thin-walled pressure vessel

18 of 109
19 of 109
20 of 109
21 of 109
22 of 109
23 of 109
24 of 109
25 of 109
26 of 109
27 of 109
28 of 109
29 of 109
30 of 109
31 of 109
32 of 109
33 of 109
34 of 109
35 of 109
J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008


2.) Practical applications

Design of a high strength steel pressure vessel-

Data: p
0
=5000psi, D=2R=30in, t>0.5in,
steel
=489lb/ft
3

ys
K
Ic
$/lb
A 260ksi 80ksi-in
1/2
$1.40
B 220 110 1.40
C 180 140 1.00
D 180 220 1.20
E 140 260 0.50
F 110 170 0.15

Problem: Design for satisfactory performance (SF=2),
minimum cost and weight are also important
J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008


Stress based design:

max allow
0
max hoop
ys
allow
ys
0
min
0
min
ys ys ys
2
2
5000(30) 150, 000
p R
t
p R
t
p D
t

=
= =
=
=
= = =

allow
t
min
Cost-$/ft Weight-lb/ft
A 130ksi 0.58in 255$/ft 182lb/ft
B 110 0.68 298 213
C 90 0.83 258 258
D 90 0.83 310 258
E 70 1.07 165 330
F 55 1.36 62 416












J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008

Fracture mechanics based design:

The leak-before-break (LBB) failure mode assumes a thru-
wall crack with length equal to twice the wall thickness.
This crack is designed to leak before causing a failure by
fracture


0
min
min
2
2
0
min
2
2
265, 868
Ic
I
Ic
Ic Ic
K
K
p R K
t
t
p D
t
K K

=
=


= =







J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008

c
/2

t
min
Cost-$/ft Weight-lb/ft
A 40ksi-in
1/2
11.04in 3126 $/ft 2233 lb/ft
B 55 5.84 2107 1505
C 70 3.61 1016 1016
D 110 1.46 533 444
E 130 1.05 162 324
F 85 2.45 108 720

J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008

Hot Isostatic Press failure-


HIP Specs:
Pressure= 15,000psi
Temperature=2400F
Up to 24hr process times
Q&T steel,
uts
=185ksi,
ys
=165ksi
OD=97in, ID=76in, L=14ft (huge!)
Failed at cycle 1898, 507 cycles after change in
cooling jacket





J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008



Failure Analysis

Failed pieces reassembled- crack map points to
multiple origin sites, presence of corrosion pits on
vessel OD
Final fracture origin sites indicate semi-circular
surface flaws in the r- plane on vessel OD near
diameter transition
Possible temper embrittlement of steel during heat
treatment at manufacture
Problems with water treatment chemistry
J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008


Stress Analysis:

Force on lid:


Axial stress (due to pressure only):



Axial stress (thermal, 300F T):





Total stress:
zz
=65,700psi
Stress concentration at diameter taper neglected so
far, FEA only way to calculate
Concentrated total stress with FEA
zz
=118,000psi
Various heat flux models yield a range 90,600<
zz

<173,000psi
2
68, 000, 000
i
F p r lbs = =
2
2 2
23, 700
i
zz
o i
pr
psi
r r
= =

42, 000 (OD)

2(1 )
zz
E T
psi

= = +

J W Eischen, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Short Course Notes, February 2008


Fracture Mechanics Analysis:

Flaw model:


SIF

Critical crack size measurements 0.857<a
cr
<1.2in

Fracture toughness measurements K
Ic
=146ksi-in
1/2


Stress at failure:

Fatigue analysis will come later!

OD
r
ID
2a
a
1.12
I zz
a
K
Q

=
( )
93 110ksi
0.746
Ic
zz
cr
cr
K
a

= =