THE RESEARCH PROPOSED HEREIN IS CONCERNED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEORY AND SOFTWARE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF RAPIDLY-HEATED CRACKED STRUCTURES.

THE RESEARCH PROPOSED HEREIN IS CONCERNED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEORY AND SOFTWARE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF RAPIDLY-HEATED CRACKED STRUCTURES. THE FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE, UPON WHICH THIS EFFORT IS BASED, IS THAT THE PROBLEM OF CRACK PROPAGATION IN "HOT STRUCTURES" REQUIRES THE USE OF A COUPLED THERMOELASTIC ANALYSIS CAPABILITY. THUS, THE DESIGNER MUST HAVE AN ANALYTICAL TOOL THAT CAN BOTH SOLVE A COUPLED THERMAL AND STRUCTURAL PROBLEM AND DESCRIBE THE BEHAVIOR OF MATERIALS WHICH POSSESS ARBITRARY CRACKS. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL CULMINATE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COUPLED THERMOELASTIC CAPABILITY INTO THE COSMIC/NASTRAN PROGRAM. THIS PARTICULAR COMPUTER CODE WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE OF ITS WIDE USE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AND BECAUSE IT MAY BE EASILY MODIFIED. ALSO, IT SHOULD BE NOTED, THE PROPOSER HAS RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED INTO THE AIR FORCE COSMIC/NASTRAN PROGRAM A STATE-OF-THE-ART FRACTURE ELEMENT WHICH ALREADY HAS THE CAPABILITY TO HANDLE THERMAL AND BODY-FORCE LOADS. THUS, THE PRESENT PROPOSAL ADDRESSES AN URGENT NEED FOR THE ANALYSIS OF HOT STRUCTURES IN A VERY COST-EFFICIENT MANNER.