Phase field modeling of thermal fatigue crack growth in elastoplastic solids and experimental verification

It is challenging to simulate thermal fatigue crack growth in elastoplastic solids, meanwhile, the phase field model is very attractive for simulating complex cracking problems. A thermal-elastoplastic phase field model for thermal fatigue was developed, and its accuracy and availability were verified by typical examples. Then a verified thermal fatigue experiment of the V-notch specimen was carried out and the crack growth was simulated based on the phase field model. The results indicate that the process of thermal fatigue crack in elastoplastic solids from initiation to propagation is effectively simulated by the proposed phase field model. As the regularization length increases, the simulated crack has a longer length and stronger diffusivity. The appropriate regularization length needs to be determined based on experimental results.

Automated summary

A thermal-elastoplastic phase field model was developed to simulate thermal fatigue crack growth. The accuracy and availability of the model were verified through typical examples. The results indicate that the proposed model effectively simulates the process of thermal fatigue crack propagation in elastoplastic solids. The appropriate regularization length needs to be determined based on experimental results.