Application of EFGM and XFEM for Fatigue Crack growth Analysis of Functionally Graded Materials

Abstract

The present work investigates the fatigue life of a functionally graded material (FGM) made of aluminum alloy and alumina (ceramic) under cyclic mix mode loading. Element free Galerkin Method (EFGM) and extended finite element method (XFEM) are employed to simulate and compare the fatigue crack growth. The fatigue lives of aluminum alloy, FGM and an equivalent composite (having the same composition as of FGM) are compared for a major edge crack in a rectangular domain.