Crack propagation simulation in brittle elastic materials by a phase field method

Abstract

To overcome the difficulties of re-meshing and tracking the crack-tip in other computational methods for crack propagation simulations, the phase field method based on the minimum energy principle is introduced by defining a continuous phase field variable φ (x) ∈ [0,1] to characterize discontinuous cracks in brittle materials. This method can well describe the crack initiation and propagation without assuming the shape, size and orientation of the initial crack in advance. In this paper, a phase field method based on Miehe's approach [Miehe et al., Comp. Meth. App. Mech. Eng. (2010)] is applied to simulate different crack propagation problems in two-dimensional (2D), isotropic and linear elastic materials. The numerical implementation of the phase field method is realized within the framework of the finite element method (FEM). The validity, accuracy and efficiency of the present method are verified by comparing the numerical results with other reference results in literature. Several numerical examples are presented to show the effects of the loading type (tension and shear), boundary conditions, and initial crack location and orientation on the crack propagation path and force-displacement curve. Furthermore, for a single edge-cracked bi-material specimen, the influences of the loading type and the crack location on the crack propagation trajectory and force-displacement curve are also investigated and discussed. It is demonstrated that the phase field method is an efficient tool for the numerical simulation of the crack propagation problems in brittle elastic materials, and the corresponding results may have an important relevance for predicting and preventing possible crack propagations in engineering applications. Keywords: Brittle fracture, Phase field method, Crack propagation, Finite element method