Boundary element method analysis of three-dimensional thermoelastic fracture problems using the energy domain integral

A boundary element method (BEM) implementation of the energy domain integral (EDI) methodology for the numerical analysis of three-dimensional fracture problems considering thermal effects is presented in this paper. The EDI is evaluated from a domain representation naturally compatible with the BEM, since stresses, strains, temperatures, and derivatives of displacements and temperatures at internal points can be evaluated using the appropriate boundary integral equations. Special emphasis is put on the selection of the auxiliary function that represents the virtual crack advance in the domain integral. This is found to be a key feature to obtain reliable results at the intersection Of the crack front with free surfaces. Several examples are analyzed to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the implementation.