Lengthwise Fracture Analysis of a Moving Thin-Walled Elliptical Cylinder

Abstract

Тhis paper is devoted to the problem of lengthwise fracture in moving thin-walled elliptical cylindrical shell structures with non-linear elastic behavior. Elliptical cylinders have continuous material inhomogeneity in height. The parameters of the non-linear constitutive law and the bulk density of the material of the cylinder wall change continuously in height. The lengthwise crack represents an elliptical surface whose location coincides with the middle surface of the cylinder. Two types of cylinder motion are considered (translational motion with constant upward acceleration and uniform rotation around the longitudinal axis). The cylinders are loaded with their own weight and with inertial forces from both types of motion. Strain energy release rate (SERR) solutions are obtained for both cylinder motions. In this regard, expressions for the complementary strain energy stored in both arms of the lengthwise crack and in the intact portion of the elliptical cylinder are obtained. A check was made with an existing approach in scientific literature.