A Coupled Thermomechanical Crack Propagation Behavior of Brittle Materials by Peridynamic Differential Operator

Abstract

This study proposes a comprehensive, coupled thermomechanical model that replaces local spatial derivatives in classical differential thermomechanical equations with nonlocal integral forms derived from the peridynamic differential operator (PDDO), eliminating the need for calibration procedures. The model employs a multi-rate explicit time integration scheme to handle varying time scales in multi-physics systems. Through simulations conducted on granite and ceramic materials, this model demonstrates its effectiveness. It successfully simulates thermal damage behavior in granite arising from incompatible mineral expansion and accurately calculates thermal crack propagation in ceramic slabs during quenching. To account for material heterogeneity, the model utilizes the Shuffle algorithm and Weibull distribution, yielding results that align with numerical simulations and experimental observations. This coupled thermomechanical model shows great promise for analyzing intricate thermomechanical phenomena in brittle materials.