Predicting fatigue crack growth in complex geometries using numerical methods

Abstract

Fatigue cracks growth in three different wing spar geometries is simulated using xFEM, as the most suitable numerical method for this purpose. The goal of this analysis was to find out how crack paths affect number of cycles, i.e. fatigue life, so that the optimal geometry can be defined. The extended finite element method was applied using Morfeo/Crack for Abaqus software. Results provided better understanding and prediction of multiple cracks propagation in complex 3D structures and provided data for the optimal design of wing spar.