Calculation of Fatigue Crack Initiation Life by Coupled Finite Element Method

Applied damage mechanics and coupled finite element method, to study the fatigue crack initiation life problem. Application of coupling finite element method, the damage coupling effect can be modified through the global stiffness matrix to achieve. The step length of the damage evolution is divided by the damage variable of the critical element, and then the damage evolution is analysised. The corresponding stiffness matrix and loading matrix can be obtained continually under the condition of increasing the damage evolution step of the critical element,then the equivalent stress can be calculated. The corresponding fatigue crack initiation life can be calculated by using the damage evolution equation, the progress will not stop until the damage degree of the critical element reaches to one. The fatigue crack initiation life is obtained by adding the fatigue crack initiation lives with different damage variable.