Transient thermal fracture of a piezoelectric cylinder

This paper investigates the fracture mechanics problem of a piezoelectric cylinder under a sudden heating on its outer surface. The temperature field and the associated thermal stresses and electric displacements are obtained first. These stresses and electric displacements are added to the crack surface to form a mixed-mode boundary-value problem for the electromechanical coupling fracture. Both electrically impermeable and permeable crack-face boundary conditions are considered. An exact and closed-form solution for the thermally induced crack-tip field is obtained for infinitesimal cracking. Also obtained are the analytical expressions for the crack opening displacement and the electric displacement on the crack faces as a function of time. The maximum thermal stress and electric displacement inside the medium and the maximum thermal stress and electric displacement intensity factors near the crack border are given. These results are useful for the strength evaluation of piezoelectric materials under transient thermal environments.