Automated dynamic fracture procedure for modelling mixed-mode crack propagation using explicit time integration brick finite elements

ABSTRACT Several fracture codes have been developed in recent years to perform analyses of dynamic crack propagation in arbitrary directions. However, general‐purpose, commercial finite‐element software which have capabilities to do fracture analyses are still limited in their use to stationary cracks and crack propagation along trajectories known a priori. In this paper, we present an automated fracture procedure implemented in the large‐scale, nonlinear, explicit, finite‐element code DYNA3D which can be used to simulate dynamic crack propagation in arbitrary directions. The model can be used to perform both generation‐ and application‐phase simulations of self‐similar as well as non‐self‐similar dynamic crack propagation in linear elastic structures without user intervention. It is developed based on dynamic fracture mechanics concepts and implemented for three‐dimensional solid elements. Energy approach is used in the model to check for crack initiation/propagation. Dynamic energy release rate and stress intensity factors are determined from far‐field finite‐element field solutions using finite‐domain integrals. Fracture toughness is input as a function of crack‐tip velocity, and when the criterion for crack growth is satisfied, an element deletion‐and‐replacement re‐meshing procedure is used along with a gradual nodal release technique to update the crack geometry and model the crack propagation. Direction of crack propagation is determined using the maximum circumferential stress criterion. Numerical simulations of experiments involving non‐self‐similar crack propagation are performed, and results are presented as verification examples.