Estimates of Elastic Crack Opening Displacements of Slanted Through-Wall Cracks in Plate and Cylinder

Abstract

This paper provides tractable solutions for elastic crack opening displacement (COD) of slanted through-wall cracks in plates and cylinders. The solutions were developed via detailed three dimensional elastic finite element analyses. The COD values were calculated along the thickness at the center of the crack. As for the loading conditions, only remote tension was considered for the plates, whereas remote tension, global bending moment, and internal pressure were considered for the cylinders. The finite element model employed in the present analysis was verified by using existing solutions for a cylinder with an idealized circumferential through-wall crack. The present results can be used to evaluate leak rates of slanted through-wall cracks, which can be used as a part of a detailed leak-before-break analysis considering more realistic crack shape development.