Enriched meshless manifold method for two-dimensional crack modeling

The meshless manifold method is based on the partition of unity method and the finite cover approximation theory which provides a unified framework for solving problems dealing with both continuum with and without discontinuities. The meshless manifold method employs two cover systems. The mathematical cover system provides the nodes for forming finite covers of the solution domain and the partition of unity functions. And the physical cover system describes geometry of the domain and the discontinuous surfaces in the domain. The shape functions are derived by the partition of unity and the finite covers approximation theory. In meshless manifold method, the mathematical finite cover approximation theory is used to model cracks that lead to interior discontinuities in the displacement. Therefore, the discontinuity is treated mathematically instead of empirically by the existing methods. However, one cover of a node is divided into two irregular sub-covers when the meshless manifold method is used to model the discontinuity. As a result, the method sometimes causes numerical errors at the tip of a crack. To improve the precision of the meshless manifold method, the enriched methods are introduced in this work for crack problems.