The fracture behaviour of functionally graded piezoelectric materials containing collinear dielectric cracks

Abstract

In this paper, the problem of two collinear cracks in functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPMs) under in-plane electromechanical loads is examined. The elastic, piezoelectric and dielectric constants of the FGPMs are assumed to vary continuously in space. The theoretical formulations are derived by using Fourier transforms and the resulting singular integral equations are solved with Chebyshev polynomials. A dielectric crack model with deformation-dependent electric boundary condition is adopted in the fracture analysis of FGPMs. Numerical simulations are made to show the effect of the dielectric medium, the material gradient and the geometry of interacting cracks upon the fracture parameters at crack tips. A critical state for applied electromechanical loading is identified, which determines whether the traditionally impermeable (or permeable) crack model serves as the upper or lower bound of the current dielectric crack model.