NUMERICAL-ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF RESIDUAL-STRESSES ON CRACK CLOSURE IN RINGS

The stress intensity factors which result when an axially cracked ring containing residual stresses is subjected to an external load have been calculated using a numerical method. When partial crack closure occurs, it has been taken into account. The computations show that residual stresses can cause both cracking problems in service and scatter in experimental data. The method uses a finite-element procedure that is similar to those used with contact problems to provide the basis for a numerical solution. The procedure can be applied to any geometrical configuration that can be analyzed with the finite-element method. © 1979.