A modified maximum tangential tensile stress criterion for three-dimensional crack propagation

The three-dimensional （3D） crack propagation is a hot issue in rock mechanics. To properly simulate 3D crack propagation, a modified maximum tangential tensile stress criterion is proposed. In this modified criterion, it is supposed that cracks propagate only at crack front in the principal normal plane. The tangential tensile stress at crack front in the principal normal plane in local coordinates is employed to determine crack propagation, which is calculated through coordinate transformation from global to local coordinates. New cracks will propagate when the maximum tangential tensile stress at crack front in the principal normal plane reaches the tensile strength of rock-like materials. Compared with the previous crack propagation criteria, the modified crack propagation criterion is helpful in calculating 3D crack stress intensity factor, and can overcome the limitations of propagation step determined by individual experiences in previous studies. Finally, the 3D crack propagation process is traced by element-free Galerkin method. The numerical results agree well with the experimental ones for a frozen resin sample with prefabricated 3D cracks.

Linear stability theory with the equivalent spanwise wavenumber correction in 3D boundary layers

The prediction on small disturbance propagation in complex three-dimensional(3D) boundary layers is of great significance in transition prediction methodology, especially in the aircraft design. In this paper, the linear stability theory(LST) with the equivalent spanwise wavenumber correction(ESWC) is proposed in order to accurately predict the linear evolution of a disturbance in a kind of boundary layer flow with a vital variation in the spanwise direction. The LST with the ESWC takes not only the scale of the mean flow with the significant variation but also the wavenumber evolution of the disturbance itself. Compared with the conventional LST, the results obtained by the new method are in excellent agreement with those of the numerical simulations. The LST with the ESWC is an effective method on the prediction of the disturbance evolution in 3D boundary layers, which improves the prediction of the LST in the applications to complex 3D boundary layers greatly.