Finite element analyses of three-dimensional crack problems in piezoelectric structures

In this paper, electromechanical fracture mechanics and finite element techniques for crack analyses are extended to three-dimensional crack configurations. Penny-shaped cracks and elliptical cracks are analyzed, subjected to combined mechanical tension and electric fields. For the penny-shaped crack, exact solutions originating from different resources are compared with numerical results. Some errors in the literature concerning the analytical solution for the elliptical crack are corrected. Numerical results of the stress-intensity factors and energy release rates for these crack configurations are presented.