Crack redirection with thermal secondary loading

In the current paper crack redirection due to a strategic placing of a heat source in the vicinity of a crack tip is studied. Analysis suggests that for PMMA and considered temperature range the only factor responsible for the deviation of crack trajectory is thermal stress. The simulation of crack growth in PMMA under external tension and secondary heat loading shows that a moving heat source in the vicinity of a crack tip can serve as a pointer for the crack trajectory. In highly conductive materials, redirection can be possibly effected with low-power thermal dipoles.