Numerical modeling based on moving mesh method to simulate fast crack propagation

An analysis to show the capability of moving mesh strategy to predict dynamic crack growth phenomena in 2D continuum media is proposed. The numerical method is implemented in the framework of the finite element method, which is coupled with moving mesh strategy to simulate the geometry variation produced by the crack tip motion. In particular, a computational procedure based on the combination of Fracture Mechanics concepts and Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian approach (ALE) is developed. This represents a generalization of previous authors’ works in a dynamic framework to propose a unified approach for predicting crack propagation in both static and dynamic frameworks. The crack speed is explicitly evaluated at each time step by using a proper crack tip speed criterion, which can be expressed as a function of energy release rate or stress intensity factor. Experimental and numerical results are proposed to validate the proposed approach. Mesh dependence problem, computational efficiency and numerical complexity are verified by comparative results.