Abstract: The heat dipole consists of a heat source and a heat sink. The problem of an interfacial crack of a composite containing a circular inclusion under a heat dipole is investigated by using the analytical extension technique, the generalized Liouville theorem, and the Muskhelishvili boundary value theory. Temperature and stress fields are formulated. The effects of the temperature field and the inhomogeneity on the interfacial fracture are analyzed. As a numerical illustration, the thermal stress intensity factors of the interfacial crack are presented for various material combinations and different positions of the heat dipole. The characteristics of the interfacial crack depend on the elasticity, the thermal property of the composite, and the condition of the dipole.

Key words: thermoelasticity, heat dipole, interfacial crack, circular inclusion, inhomogeneity