High-Order Interior Penalty Finite Element Methods for Fourth-Order Phase-Field Models in Fracture Analysis

Abstract

This paper presents a novel approach for solving fourth-order phase-field models in brittle fracture mechanics using the Interior Penalty Finite Element Method (IP-FEM). The fourth-order model improves numerical stability and accuracy compared to traditional second-order phase-field models, particularly when simulating complex crack paths. The IP-FEM provides an efficient framework for discretizing these models, effectively handling nonconforming trial functions and complex boundary conditions. In this study, we leverage the FEALPy framework to implement a flexible computational tool that supports high-order IP-FEM discretizations. Our results show that as the polynomial order increases, the mesh dependence of the phase-field model decreases, offering improved accuracy and faster convergence. Additionally, we explore the trade-offs between computational cost and accuracy with varying polynomial orders and mesh sizes. The findings offer valuable insights for optimizing numerical simulations of brittle fracture in practical engineering applications.