Inner and Outer Cracks in Internally Pressurized Cylinders

Stress intensity factors of pressurized surface cracks at the internal surface and un-pressurized surface cracks at the external surface of an internally pressurized cylinder are estimated from stress intensity factors of a semi-elliptical crack in a finite-thickness flat plate. Curvature effects of the cylinder are determined by comparing two-dimensional finite element solutions of fixed-grip, single edge-notched plates and single edge-notched cylinders. Stress intensity factors for semi-elliptical cracks with crack aspect ratios of b/a = 0.2 and 0.98 at crack depths up to 80 percent of the cylindrical wall thickness are shown for internally pressurized cylinders with outer to inner diameter ratios, R_o/R_i, ranging from 10:9 to 5:4 for outer surface cracks and to 3:2 for inner surface cracks.