Cell-Based Smoothed Finite Element Method-Virtual Crack Closure Technique for a Piezoelectric Material of Crack

Abstract

In order to improve the accuracy and efficiency of solving fracture parameters of piezoelectric materials, a piezoelectric element, tailored for the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT), was used to study piezoelectric materials containing a crack. Recently, the cell-based smoothed finite element method (CSFEM) and VCCT have been used to simulate the fracture mechanics of piezoelectric materials. A center cracked piezoelectric materials with different material properties, crack length, mesh, and smoothing subcells at various strain energy release rates are discussed and compared with finite element method-virtual crack closure technique (FEM-VCCT). Numerical examples show that CSFEM-VCCT gives an improved simulation compared to FEM-VCCT, which generally simulates materials as too stiff with lower accuracy and efficiency. Due to its simplicity, the VCCT piezoelectric element demonstrated in this study could be a potential tool for engineers to practice piezoelectric fracture analysis. CSFEM-VCCT is an efficient numerical method for fracture analysis of piezoelectric materials.