Computational dynamic fracture mechanics

This paper provides a review on the state of the art in computational dynamic fracture mechanics. The following important essential ingredients in computational dynamic fracture mechanics are included: (i) fundamental aspects of dynamic fracture mechanics, (ii) types of fracture simulation, (iii) computational models of dynamic crack propagation, and (iv) use of dynamic J-integral in computational models. In item (i), special attention is focused on the asymptotic eigen fields for various states of dynamic crack tips, which provide the foundation of dynamic fracture mechanics as Williams' asymptotic eigen solutions provided the foundation of static linear fracture mechanics. In item (ii), a new concept of mixed-phase simulation is presented for general nonself-similar crack propagation, in addition to the generation-phase and application-phase simulations. A comprehensive summary of computational models for dynamic crack propagation is given in item (iii). Finally, in item (iv), several attractive features of the dynamic J-integral are presented.