On a moving Griffith crack in anisotropic piezoelectric solids

 The generalized plane problem of a finite Griffith crack moving with constant velocity in an anisotropic piezoelectric material is investigated. The combined mechanical and electrical loads are applied at infinity. Based on the extended Stroh formalism, the closed-form expressions for the electroelastic fields are obtained in a concise way. Numerical results for PZT-4 piezoelectric ceramic are given graphically. The effects on the hoop stress of the velocity of the crack and the electrical to mechanical load ratios are analyzed. The propagation orientation of a moving crack is also predicted in terms of the criterion of the maximum tensile stress. When the crack speed vanishes, the results of the present paper are in good agreement with those given previously in the literature.