Multiple cracks in thermoelectroelastic bimaterials

The formulation for thermal stress and electric displacement in an infinite thermopiezoelectric plate with an interface and multiple cracks is presented. Using Green's function approach and the principle of superposition, a system of singular integral equations for the unknown temperature discontinuity defined on each crack face is developed and solved numerically. The formulation can then be used to calculate some fracture parameters such as the stress-electric displacement and strain energy density factor. The direction of crack growth for many cracks in thermopiezoelectric bimaterials is predicted by way of the strain energy density theory. Numerical results for stress-electric displacement factors and crack growth direction at a particular crack tip in two crack system of bimaterials are presented to illustrate the application of the proposed formulation.