Investigation on crack propagation properties of flange-stiffened plate structure in a sleeve

A 3D FE model has been developed to investigate the crack propagation properties of flange-stiffened plate structure in a sleeve used for loading transition, according to practical observations of the crack morphology. The stress intensity factor (SIF) was applied to analyze the crack propagation properties along crack tip in different positions of the sleeve; simulation models including either one crack or multiple cracks were studied. Results showed that crack formation had insignificant influence on the structural effective stress and deformation variations. The faces of the crack formed at the bolt hole edge were opened, meanwhile the crack possessed the highest potential to grow, while cracks in the connecting fillet between flange and stiffened plate and the flange mounting interface were less likely to propagate. Compared with the one-crack model, when multiple cracks co-existed there were limited changes on the crack respective propagation properties.