SHAFTS AND AXLES

1. Overview
A Definitions
Shaft is a rotating member usua! "ir"uar use# to transmit $ower
or motion. %t $rovi#es the a&is or rotation for eements su"h as gears'
$ue!s' f!whees' "ran(s' s$ro"(ets' et".
A&e ) is a non)rotating member that "arries no tor*ue an# is use# to
su$$ort rotating whees or $ue!s. +Auto a&e is a misnomer,.

- Design .onsi#erations /e*uire# in Shafting

Defe"tions an# rigi#it!
1. -en#ing #efe"tion
0. Torsiona #efe"tion
1. So$e at the bearings an# shaft)su$$ort eements
Stress an# Strength
1. Stati" strength
0. Fatigue strength
1. /eiabiit!
2. Stabiit! +.riti"a S$ee#s,
0. 3eometri" .onstraints in Shaft Design
Ste$ one shaft materia
o 4se a ow "arbon stee if $ossibe
o Defe"tion is mo#uus "ontroe# +stee is stee,
No signifi"ant #ifferen"e in mo#uus
Step two si5e the gears or $ue!s
o .onsi#er s$ee#s an# $ower
o .onsi#er s$a"e for a (e!wa! or tor*ue transmitting
eement
o Determine the for"es6moments on the shaft
Ste$ two see"t bearings to $rovi#e a#e*uate ife for for"es an#
s$ee#s
See"t bearings +Later "ha$ters,
Determine #istan"e between bearings
Ste$ three ) "onsi#er shaft stresses
1
Ste$ four "onsi#er shaft #efe"tions
1. Strength .onstraints
T!$i"a! stati" stresses are not signifi"ant in shaft #esign be"ause
fatigue an# "riti"a s$ee#s $a! a more im$ortant roe in #esign.
Sin"e shafts rotate' there is a strong i(eihoo# of fatigue issues.
Shaft Fu"tuating Stresses "om$ete! reversing #ue to rotation

3
32
d
M
K
a
f a

=
3
32
d
M
K
m
f m

= E*n. +7)1,
Torsiona Stresses Stea#! state an# aternating torsiona stress
3
16
d
T
K
a
fs a

=
3
16
d
T
K
m
fs m

= E*n. +7)2,
4se e*uations 7)8 an# 7)9 to get :a&imum Distortion Energ!' :DE
e*uivaent stress
2
1
2 2 '
) 3 (
a a a
+ =
2
1
2 2 '
) 3 (
m m m
+ =
4se mo#ifie# 3oo#man e*uation for fatigue ana!sis on a shaft
ut
m
e
a
S S n
' '
1
+ =
Sove for the #iameter' # +note; fortunate! both ben#ing an# torsion
have stress in terms of #
1
,
4sing :DE :o#ifie# 3oo#man resuts in e*uations 7)7 for n an# 7)<
for the #iameter' #.
Other fatigue "riteria =e*ns. 7)> to 7)12?. @e wi use :DE 3oo#man.
See e&am$e7)1 for "om$arison of n with #ifferent "riteria
+3oo#man wi be the most "onservative e&"e$t for So#erberg,
For more "om$ete review see e&am$e 7)1 an# 7)0
The $otentia for !ie# must be "he"(e#
2
2. Defe"tion .onsi#erations se"tion 7)8
Defe"tion ana!sis re*uires "om$ete geometri" information
For"es an# o"ations of gears an# $ue!s
Su$$ort o"ations' rea"tion oa#s' et"
.onsi#er as beam #efe"tion
@ith rotating shafts must have bearing su$$orts
-earings ten# to a"t as sim$e su$$orts to shaftA bearings offer
su$$ort w6 ow fri"tiona resistan"e to rotation
See e&am$e 7)1 for #efe"tion ana!sis
%f #efe"tion is too great at a o"ation' the nee#e# shaft #iameter is
given b! e*uation +7)17,;
4 / 1
all
old d
old new
y
y n
d d =
@here n# is the #esign fa"tor
An# !a is the aowabe #efe"tion at that o"ation.
%f so$e is too great' use e*uation 7)1< to get a new #iameter
$rovi#ing an a""e$tabe so$e;
4 / 1
) (
) / (
all
old d
old new
slope
dx dy n
d d =
@here +so$e,a is the aowabe so$e.
Determine #new6#o# an# muti$! a #iameters b! this ratio.
8. Shaft :ateria
A stees have about the same BoungCs mo#uus so rigi#it! "anCt be
"ontroe# b! materia aone +on! b! geometr!,
As usua' metho# of manufa"ture #e$en#s on voume
9. Hoow Shafts
A hoow shaft "an be use# to re#u"e weight
3
Sin"e the $oar an# ben#ing moment of inertia are $ro$ortiona to the 2
th

$ower of the #iameter of a "ir"uar shaft an# the "ross se"tiona area is
$ro$ortiona to the 0
n#
$ower of the #iameter' a hoow shaft "an be
#esigne# to "arr! >DE of the tor*ue "a$abiit! of a soi# shaft with mu"h
ess weight
E&am$e from han#out
7. .riti"a S$ee#s ) Se"tion 7)9
Shaft #esign re*uires "riti"a s$ee#s that mu"h higher than the
anti"i$ate# o$erationa s$ee#s of the a$$i"ations =.riti"a s$ee# at east
0X o$erating s$ee#?
Frime mover ma&imum s$ee#s "an be use# as a gui#e to the re*uire#
"riti"a s$ee#s for the shaft;
i. % . engines GGGGGGGGG. H7DDD r$m +ma&,
ii. Ee"tri" motors GGGGGGG.. H 1<DD to 19DD r$m
iii. 3as Turbine engine GGGGG.. H 10'DDD I r$m
See "ass notes an# han#outs for "a"uation of "riti"a s$ee#s
-asi" e*uation
Shaft b! itsef

A
gEI
l
n
c 2
30
=
is the engthA A is X)se"tiona areaA J is s$e"ifi" weight
E is BoungCs :o#uus an# % is the moment of inertiaA n" is
the "riti"a s$ee# in r$mA g is the a""eeration of gravit!
+10.0 ft6se"
0
or 1<9 in6se"
0
,.
Shaft with one eement =/a!eighCs metho# ?
st c
g n

30
=
4
@here n" is the "riti"a s$ee# in r$mA g is the a""eeration
of gravit! +10.0 ft6se"
0
or 1<9 in6se"
0
,A st is the stati"
#efe"tion +ft. or in.,.This is for a shaft with one eement
mounte# on it' an# the shaft is of negigibe weight with
res$e"t to the eement weight +often the "ase,.
E&am$e $robem with one mass ) see "ass han#out
E*uation for shaft with muti$e eements
) ... (
) ... ( 30
2 2
2 2
2
1 1
2 2 1 1
m m
m m
c
w w w
w w w g
n


+ + +
+ + +
=
or

=
m
i
i i
m
i
i i
c
w
w g
n
2

@here wi is the i
th
eement weightA i is the tota stati"
#efe"tion at the i
th
eement o"ationA g is the a""eeration of
gravit! +10.0 ft6se"
0
or 1<9 in6se"
0
,
E*uation for shaft with 0 eementsA this e*uation re#u"es to
) (
) ( 30
2
2 2
2
1 1
2 2 1 1


w w
w w g
n
c
+
+
=
<. :is"eaneous Shaft .om$onents See se"tion 7)7
Tor*ue transfer eements
o Ke!s
o S$ines
o Sets"rews
o Fins
o Fress or shrin( fits
Eement o"ation #evi"es
o .otter $in an# washer
o Nut an# washer
o Seeve
o Shaft shou#er
5
o /ing an# groove
o Sets"rew
o S$it hub or ta$ere# two)$ie"e hub
o .oar an# s"rew
o Fins
See "ass notes
>. Limits an# Fits ) see se"tion 7)<
1D. Shaft Design Summar! ) +for mo#ifi"ation of an e&isting shaft,
a. Fin# the uniform)#iameter shaft that meets the so$es an# #efe"tion at
the bearings an# $ower transmission eements
b. .onsi#er the $ower transmission features; ste$s' shou#ers' et".
". 4sing the a$$ro&imate geometr!' $erform a #efe"tion an# so$e ana!sis
#. Ferform a strength ana!sis using :DE)3oo#man theor!. E&amine
feature b! feature the (e!wa!s' bearing shou#ers' gear shou#er' et".
6