COMPLAS 2023

Modular phase-field modelling of fatigue fracture

  • Schneider, Tom (TU Dresden)
  • Kalina, Martha (TU Dresden)
  • Kästner, Markus (TU Dresden)

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For the design of engineering structures fatigue cracks within the component due to cyclic loading are of great relevance. Different fatigue life ranges exist, each requiring an adapted modelling strategy. We present a modular and flexible approach which is able to account for both, low cycle fatigue and high cycle fatigue failure using a phase-field model. The phase-field method is a promising approach to model arbitrary fracture phenomena. However, fatigue comes along with high numbers of load cycles, so an explicit simulation of the loading path is very expensive. Therefore, time-efficient simulation methods are required. In this contribution, we approach this challenge by combining the phase-field method for brittle fracture with concepts of classical structural durability. In this way, we avoid the explicit simulation of the load cycles by executing a local cyclic damage accumulation. Based on that, the critical fracture energy is degraded locally in order to describe the dissipation due to damage. The modularity comes in to the model by using different concepts of structural durability for the calculation of the cyclic damage. This talk comprises two applications of our phase-field model for fatigue fracture: First, we use the local strain approach (LSA), an empirical method originally designed for life span estimation of metallic components, to account for low cycle fatigue [1]. The models parametrization for an aluminium material and general capabilities are discussed. Second, we present the application of the Dang Van criterion, a rolling contact high cycle fatigue criterion, in order to simulate the gear failure mode Tooth Flank Fracture using our modular phase-field model [2]. Numerical results for both applications are promising, highlighting the flexibility of the presented approach. REFERENCES [1] Seiler, M. et al., An efficient phase-field model for fatigue fracture in ductile materials. Eng. Fract. Mech. (2020) 224:106807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2019.106807 [2] Schneider, T. et al., Phase-field modeling of fatigue crack growth during tooth flank fracture in case-hardened spur gears. International Journal of Fatigue (2022) 163:107091. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2022.107091