(1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300130, China) (2. Integrated Computational Materials Research Centre, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences， Shanghai 201899, China) (3. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China)
Crack propagation around the TGO (thermally grown oxide) interface are formed by the accumulation of thermal stress during the thermal cycling process, which leads to the failure of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). To systematically understand the crack initiation and propagation of TBCs are vital to evaluate the reliability and durability of TBCs. In fact, the following experimental characterization methods after coating failure cannot reflect the real situation in the process of manufacturing and using TBCs. Finite element method (FEM) plays a significant role in the study of these problems, especially in the calculation of thermal insulation and fracture failure of TBCs. In this paper, the research progress of finite element method in the study of the influence of interface crack position, crack shape and crack density on the interface stress of coating and related failure problems is reviewed. The fracture mechanics method and the finite element method are used to calculate or simulate the failure of TBCs caused by cracks under the actual conditions. With the development of FEM technology, the crack growth behavior of TBCs has been simulated via the virtual crack closed technique (VCCT), extended finite element (XFEM) and cohesive zone model (CZM). The failure patterns of the TBCs can be monitored timely and dynamically considering these methods and the life prediction of the TBCs under the actual service conditions is expected to be realized eventually.