Nonlinear analysis of flexural wave propagation through 1D waveguides with a breathing crack

An analytical–numerical approach is presented to investigate the flexural wave propagation through a slender semi-infinite beam with a breathing edge-crack. A Fourier transform based spectral finite element method is employed in an iterative manner to analyze the nonlinear response of the cracked beam subjected to a transverse tone burst excitation. Results obtained using the spectral finite element method are corroborated using 1D finite element analysis that involves the formulation and solution of a linear complementarity problem at every time step. In both the methods, an equivalent rotational spring is used to model the local flexibility caused by an open crack and the respective damaged beam element is formulated. The effect of crack-breathing is accounted for by an intermittent contact force acting at the nodes of the damaged beam element. A parallel study involving the open crack model is performed in the same setting to facilitate a comparison between the open and the breathing crack model. An illustrative case study reveals clearly the existence of higher order harmonics originating from the crack-breathing phenomenon which are absent if the crack is assumed to remain open throughout. A thorough investigation of the wrap-around effect associated with spectral finite element method reveals that the relative strengths of the higher order harmonics are not influenced by the wrap-around effect. A brief parametric study involving the variation of crack depth is presented at the end which suggests that the magnitudes of the higher harmonic peaks increase with increasing levels of crack severity. The present study can be potentially useful in the efforts geared toward the development of damage detection/localization strategies based on the nonlinear wave-damage interaction. •Nonlinear interaction of flexural wave with breathing crack is modeled analytically.•Wave response is obtained by iterative use of Fourier spectral finite element method.•Results are corroborated with 1D finite element method.•Amplitudes of higher harmonics are found to be proportional to the crack depth.