ME 3227 Shaft Design Project

A transfer shaft with two spur gears shown below:

Weight lbf Teeth number Pressure angle PD (diametric pitch)

teeth/in
Gear A 4 50 25˚ 6
Gear C 2 25 25˚ 6
• Deep groove ball bearings at B and D.
• Pitch diameter of the gear is equal to the teeth number divided by diametric pitch.
• Shaft speed = 3000 rpm.
• Torque=2500 lbf-in through Gear C to shaft portion of BC and then to Gear A.
• Shaft material = AISI 4130 Q&T CD, E= 29× 106 psi, Sut=118× 103 psi, Sy=102× 103 psi, assume
Poisson’s ratio as 0.3.
• Reliability for fatigue life=99%, nd=2.
• nd for other criteria=1.
• Each gear is attached to the shaft by a Woodruff key, assume r/d=0.02
• Calculate the required diameter of the shaft for all the different considerations given on the
provided answer sheet.
• Use these design limit values:
1. Use Table 7-2 on textbook for allowable slope at bearings and deflection at each gear. Use the
minimum limit value for the design.
 Fig. 7-2 from Shigley’s Mechanical Engineering Design, R. G. Budynas and J. K. Nisbett, 10th Ed., McGraw Hill.
2. Limit slope at each gear to 0.005 radians.
3. Limit torsional wind up to 0.4 degrees/foot of separation of the gears.
4. Calculate critical speed by Raleigh Method, use nd≥1.5 for the operating frequency.

Note: Organize your report in sections. Each section for each of the questions on the answer
sheet. For summer course, you need to submit the course project in three parts.

Part 1 includes question 1-4. Part 2 is question 5. Part 3 includes question 6,7,8 and the summary
sheet. Each part has its own due date.

Grading Scheme

1. Answers 1-8 on the answer sheet 25

2. Free-body diagram, bending moment distribution, shear force distribution 15
3. Deflection and slope analyses: Plot the diagrams of 1) EI multiplies the total magnitude of
deflection, and 2) EI multiplies the total magnitude of the slope of the beam, with respect to
the axial position. 25
4. Summary sheet of resultant slopes and deflections 10
In the form of ΔA, ΔC, θA, θB, θC, θD=X/EI, give the number X, do not divide by value EI
5. Fatigue calculation must be done at the shaft critical location 10
6. Critical speed calculation 5
7. Torsional wind-up calculation 5
8. Material selection: Any reasonable discussion of the question is acceptable for full credit 5

Total 100

Note: This is an individual project. While discussions and group learning are encouraged, turning in
any report that partially includes work of others is not acceptable.
 Mandatory Form for Reporting Answers to Shaft Take-home Problem

Name:_________________________________________________
Attach this sheet as the first page. Failure to do so will result in a ten point penalty. Points will also be
taken off for a report which is difficult to follow. The analysis you perform should result in answers to
the following questions which should be answered in the space provided.

1. Diameter of the shaft required by consideration of the slope at the bearings? ________
2. Diameter of the shaft required by consideration of the slope at the gears? ________
3. Diameter of the shaft required by considering the deflection at the gears? ________
4. Diameter of the shaft required by consideration of torsional wind-up? ________
5. Diameter of the shaft required based on fatigue consideration at the critical location, identify
the critical location. ________
6. Diameter of the shaft required by considering of the critical speed? ________
7. Required diameter for the shaft? ________
8. You are asked to choose another material for this shaft (in place of AISI 4130 Q). Write a short
paragraph about each material property and what it affects. State what property maters to this
shaft based on the limiting consideration and comment on what would happen for the other
considerations. (Maximum half page) No new calculations needed.