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Direct Measurement of Opening Mode Stress Intensity Factors Using Flexoelectric Strain Gradient Sensors

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Abstract

This paper presents a new method for direct measurement of Mode-I stress intensify factor of cracks using Ba0.64Sr0.36TiO3 flexoelectric strain gradient sensors. Firstly, strain gradient field around the opening mode crack tip was analyzed, followed by the derivation of induced flexoelectric polarization in the strain gradient sensors attached in the vicinity of a crack tip. It was found that the constant stress term makes no contribution to the strain gradient, thus the flexoelectric output directly reflects the singular effect. This unique property eliminates the special requirement for sensor placement coordinates and improves the accuracy of the stress intensify factor predication. A specimen with Mode-I crack was then prepared with two strain gradient sensors (4.7 mm × 0.9 mm × 0.3 mm) attached close to the crack tip to verify the analytical model for measurements of stress intensity factor. The experimental results matched well with the empirical estimation confirming that flexoelectric strain gradient sensing can be a convenient and accurate avenue for measuring the stress intensify factor.

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Acknowledgments

This material is based on work supported by, or in part by, the US Army Research Laboratory and the US Army Research Office under contract/grant number W911NF-11-1-0516 and in part by National Science Foundation under grant number CMMI-1068345. We also appreciate De Zhang and Jared Little’s help for the experimental implementation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Wenbin Huang, Shaorui Yang, Ningyi Zhang, Fuh-Gwo Yuan & Xiaoning Jiang

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  1. Wenbin Huang
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  2. Shaorui Yang
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  3. Ningyi Zhang
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  4. Fuh-Gwo Yuan
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  5. Xiaoning Jiang
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Correspondence to Fuh-Gwo Yuan or Xiaoning Jiang.

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Huang, W., Yang, S., Zhang, N. et al. Direct Measurement of Opening Mode Stress Intensity Factors Using Flexoelectric Strain Gradient Sensors. Exp Mech 55, 313–320 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-014-9914-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-014-9914-y

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