Thermal shock resistance of brittle ceramic materials with embedded elliptical cracks

An analytical model is established for the prediction of the thermal shock resistance of a ceramic plate with an embedded elliptical crack with ideal thermal insulation. The thermal stress intensity factors at the crack fronts are formulated by fitting the thermal stress to a polynomial form in an un-cracked plate. The thermal shock resistance of sapphire ceramic is evaluated as an example. In addition, the numerical solution of thermal shock resistance suitable for practical engineering applications is provided. The model developed applies to any brittle material in high temperature applications.