Boundary integral formulation for interfacial cracks in thermodiffusive bimaterials

An original boundary integral formulation is proposed for the problem of a semi-infinite crack at the interface between two dissimilar elastic materials in the presence of heat flows and mass diffusion. Symmetric and skew-symmetric weight function matrices are used together with a generalized Betti's reciprocity theorem in order to derive a system of integral equations that relate the applied loading, the temperature and mass concentration fields, the heat and mass fluxes on the fracture surfaces and the resulting crack opening. The obtained integral identities can have many relevant applications, such as for the modelling of crack and damage processes at the interface between different components in electrochemical energy devices characterized by multi-layered structures (solid oxide fuel cells and lithium ions batteries).