Three‐dimensional fatigue crack growth simulation and fatigue life assessment based on finite element analysis

Abstract Damage tolerance design allows manufactures to assess fatigue crack propagation of components containing initial defects. A new modeling approach is proposed to carry out a systematic crack growth analysis based on an analytical method using reduced order models and three‐dimensional (3D) finite element (FE)‐based fatigue crack growth (FCG) analysis. 3D FE‐based FCG analysis is adopted as an advanced modeling approach for component geometries without any simplifications with respect to crack front shape or planarity of the crack path. The FE‐based FCG approach was verified and validated in two different stages: Ti‐6Al‐4V plate geometry with three different single elliptical crack configurations and Al 2024‐T3 specimens with two different multiple crack configurations. The analytical FCG approach was developed to estimate crack front evolution and crack growth life for three different elliptical cracks to verify the FE‐based approach. Experimental data of Al 2024‐T3 specimens with multi‐edge cracks was used to further validate the FE‐based FCG approach. The FE‐based FCG approach proved to be both accurate and powerful in assessing crack propagation life and crack paths of structural parts.