A new numerical methodology for simulation of unstable crack growth in time independent brittle materials

This paper focuses on a new algorithm for the quasi-static simulation of unstable crack propagation in time-independent brittle material. The proposed approach is based on a combination of the standard Newton's algorithm with a fictive path loading algorithm. First, a time step refinement process, associated to the Newton's algorithm, enables us to efficiently detect the beginning of unstable crack extension. Then, a fictive path loading algorithm is performed to assess an estimation of the post instability solution. Finally, this estimated solution is used as initial guess in the standard Newton's algorithm for the same time increment. The final converged solution satisfies both the mechanical equilibrium and the mechanical behaviour integration. This paper highlights several advantages of the proposed algorithm such as robustness, easy implementation on an existing Newton's type solver, genericity for different unstable nonlinear physical problems. An application of this new method is presented for a smeared crack model, based on a local continuous damage formulation, devoted to the simulation of brittle nuclear fuel rupture. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through a set of 2d and 3d simulation results. (authors)