Fracture modelling of a cracked pressurized cylindrical structure by using extended iso-geometric analysis (X-IGA)

Abstract

In this study, a NURBS basis function-based extended iso-geometric analysis (X-IGA) has been implemented to simulate a two-dimensional crack in a pipe under uniform pressure using MATLAB code. Heaviside jump and asymptotic crack-tip enrichment functions are used to model the crack’s behaviour. The accuracy of this investigation was ensured with the stress intensity factors (SIFs) and the J-integral. The X-IGA—based SIFs of a 2-D pipe are compared using MATLAB code with the conventional finite element method available in ABAQUS FEA, and the extended finite element method is compared with a user-defined element. Therefore, the results demonstrate the possibility of using this technique as an alternative to other existing approaches to modeling cracked pipelines.