Fracture behavior of inclined elliptical cavities subjected to mixed-mode I and II electro-mechanical loading

Abstract

Consider a piezoelectric plate, which contains an inclined elliptic cavity, subjected to a remote mixed mode electro-mechanical loading. A failure criterion is extended based on the energy density factor (S) to predict the fracture path and critical load of the above-mentioned structure, by implementing the exact electric boundary conditions on the cavity surface to the analytical solutions. It is found that the energy density factor is a function of the aspect ratio of the elliptical cavity (b/a), orientation angle (β), the ratio of the electric and mechanical loading (γ = E/σ), the core region (r0) around the point of crack initiation, the permittivity of the medium in the cavity and material constants. Note that both the electric and mechanical loading are mixed mode. Moreover, it is found that the location where the minimum strain energy density (SED) (Smin) occurs is very sensitive to the variation of β, r0/a, b/a, and γ. The results obtained are quite different from those of a horizontal elliptical cavity obtained in our previous studies. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.