Fracture of magnetoelectroelastic composite materials using boundary element method (BEM)

The behavior of cracked linear magnetoelectroelastic solids is analysed by means of the dual Boundary Element Method (BEM) approach. Media possessing fully coupled piezoelectric, piezomagnetic and magnetoelectric effects are considered. An explicit 2-D Green's function in terms of the extended Stroh formalism for magnetoelectroelastic full-plane under static loading is implemented. Hypersingular integrals arising in the traction boundary integral equations are computed through a regularization technique. Evaluation of fracture parameters directly from computed nodal values is discussed. The stress intensity factors (SIF), the electric displacement intensity factor (EDIF), the magnetic induction intensity factor (MIIF) as well as the mechanical strain energy release rate (MSERR) are evaluated for different crack configurations in both finite and infinite solids subjected to in-plane combined magnetic-electric-mechanical loading conditions. The accuracy of the boundary element solution is confirmed by comparison with selected analytical solutions in the literature. The new results that can be of interest in the design and maintenance of novel magnetoelectroelastic devices are also discussed. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.