Notch stress intensity factors of flat plates with periodic sharp notches by using the strain energy density

Notch stress intensity factors (NSIFs) of a number of flat plates with periodic sharp V-notches under a remote applied normal stress are calculated. The main objective of this study is to take advantage of the local strain energy density (SED) averaged on a control volume surrounding the tip of the middle notch and estimate the NSIF of each component by using a relatively coarse mesh. The unique advantage of the SED method is the most prominent application of such a technique in the current study. A wide range of notch opening angles, relative distance between periodic notches and relative depth of the notch for different number of notches of flat plate are examined. All in all, more than 300 models have been investigated. A new model of depth reduction factor for different ratios of relative depth of the notch is proposed to match the results from SED approach. In the case of shallow notches, the results of this study are compared with those provided by other researchers in the recent literature. In addition, based on best fit of numerical data from SED approach, some polynomials for non-dimensional NSIF in the case of intermediate and deep notches are presented.