The interaction of two collinear cracks in a rectangular superconductor slab under an electromagnetic force

The interaction of two collinear cracks is obtained for a type-II superconducting under electromagnetic force. Fracture analysis is performed by means of finite element method and the magnetic behavior of superconductor is described by the critical-state Bean model. The stress intensity factors at the crack tips can be obtained and discussed for decreasing field after zero-field cooling. It is revealed that the stress intensity factor decreases as applied field increases. The crack-tip stress intensity factors decrease when the distance between the two collinear cracks increases and the superconductors with smaller crack has more remarkable shielding effect than those with larger cracks.