Thermoelastic cracked plates carrying nonstationary electrical current

Problems related to the distribution of electromagnetic field and of the Joule heating along/around the cracks in a thermo- and electroconductive plate are addressed. It is assumed that the plate carries a nonstationary electrical current and contains two finite collinear cracks that are located perpendicular to the current direction. The cracks are free of mechanical loads. The formulated problem is reduced to a system of singular integral equations with Cauchy-type singular kernels and solved numerically. The influence of interaction of the cracks as well as non-stationarity of the current on the distribution of current and Joule heating are clarified. The results are instrumental toward arrest and de-acceleration of crack propagation in electro-conductive material structures.