Effect of thermal stress on crack growth in inhomogeneous cylindrical superconductor

AbstractThe effect of thermal stress on the growth of central cracks in inhomogeneous cylindrical superconductors is investigated assuming that the material properties vary linearly with the radial coordinate and temperature differences. General expressions for the temperature distribution and thermal stress in terms of a Bessel equation and the plane strain approach are derived. The results indicate that the distributions and variations in the radial and hoop thermal stresses in an inhomogeneous superconductor differ from those in homogeneous superconductors. However, thermal stress affects the crack growth similarly in both superconductor types. The thermal-stress analysis should be useful for the crack growth prediction regarding inhomogeneous superconductors.