Analysis of the Accidents Due to Failures of the Propeller Shaft System K.D. Theng* ‘Key Words: Propeller Shaft, Excessive Length, Spline Length, Yoke, Amplitude Abstract: eon The Ashok Layland bus belonging to Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation met with an accident in which 33 passengers burnt alive to death and the bust was completely burnt. After analysis of the accident, it was found that the accident occurred due to dislocation of the propeller shaft. The similar type of the accident occurred on 7/7/1993. The accident was analysed jointly by R&D Engineers of Ashok Leyland and the author. The author has suggested to M/s Ashok Layland to take corrective action but M/s. Ashok Layland ignore the suggestion. If the corrective action had been taken by M/s Ashok Leyland, the mishap to the bus could have been avoided, saving the life of 33 ill fated passengers. This accident and many more nos. of similar accidents are due to the design defects as the excessive length of propeller shaft is the main cause of the accident. This paper deals with the purpose and design aspects of the Propeller shaft system and the failure analysis in order to take corrective measures. * President “SAVE” (NGO Devoted to Road Safety), Former Chief Engineer (R&D), Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation Mumbai - 8 The similar type of the accident occurred to the vehicle no. MH-20-D- 0075 ON 7/7/1993. The accident was analysed jointly by R&D Engineers of Ashok Leyland and the author. The author has suggested to M/s Ashok Leyland to take corrective action to reduce the length of the propeller shaft, by converting 2 nos propeller shaft layout into 3 nos. layout but M/s Ashok Leyland ignore the suggestion. If the corrective action would have been taken by M/s Ashok Leyland to take corrective action to reduce the length of the propeller shaft, by converting 2 nos propeller shaft layout into 3 nos. layout but M/s ashok Leyland ignore the suggestion. If the corrective action would have been taken by M/s Ashok Leyland after first few accidents, the mishap to the bus no. MH-20-D-3690 would have been avoided, saving the life of 33 ill fated passengers. This accident and many more nos. of similar accidents are due to the design defects and the vehicle manufacturer ‘M/s Ashok Leyland is to be blamed as the excessive length of propeller shaft is the main cause of the accident. Introduction In the field no. of Ashok Leyland 2 nos. Propeller shaft layout heavy vehicle accidents are taking place due to failures in the Propeller Shaft system. The failures are due to design deficiencies. This paper deals with the purpose and design aspects of the Propeller shaft system and the failure analysis in order ‘The Indian Police Journal 6 April-June 2004 to take corrective measures.Purpose of the propeller shaft system The purpose of the Propeller Shaft System is to transmit torque to the rear axle which can be displaced during the operation. : The working conditions are determined by. an angle of inclination of the propeller shaft. Length of the propeller shaft diameter of the propeller shaft. slip joint for length changes during the operation due to displacement of the axle. length and working surface area of the splines of the slip joint. universal joint and its cross bearing. central bearing and its support ete. Important components of the propeller shaft system The following are the important components of the Propeller Shaft System. Propeller Shaft Tubes. Universal joints and UJ Cross Bearings. Slip Joints. Centre bearing and Its supports. Types of Failures The followings are the failures in the field. (A) Non critical failures from the safety points of view... - play due to wear in UJ Cross Bearing, Centre Bearing, Centre bearing housing surfaces and splines of slip joint and its yoke. - Bend in the Propeller Shaft Tube. - Failures of centre bearing from its rubber. - Wear of centre bearing seat in housing. + Failures of UJ Cross Bearing. (B) Critical failures from the safety point of view.. - Dislocation of the Propeller Shaft. - Critical Speed Failure it produces resonance, the system become unstable and vibration of large amplitude are likely to occur which may result in dislocation, bending and fracture or wipping out of the propeller shaft. Design Aspects of the propeller shaft system The following conditions has to be fulfill by the system while transmitting the torque. - Create conditions for reliable operation of the transmission during the long life. - Itshould be reliable and have long life of all components and minimum wear. - have high efficiency with minimum friction in all joints including spline joints. - Vibration and noise level should be minimum. - Absence of resonance phenomena and the propeller shaft should never approach to critical or whirling or whipping speed. The Indian Police Journal ¢ April-June 2004Analysis of the Accidents Due to Failures of the Propeller Shaft System Safety, so as the accident will not occur due to failure of any components. - The spline length of the slip joint, should be of sufficient length so as it will not be dislocated in vibration of large amplitude, from its yoke, keeping yoke fastner bolt intact. The propeller shaft is subjected to the following stresses and forces while transmitting the torque. - Centrifugal forces due to rotational movement & unbalance. - Bending stresses or forces. - Torsional forces. Tension and compression in propeller shaft tube. The propeller shaft is subjected to twisting, and bending and tension and compression during lateral oscillations of the shaft. Critical Speed of the Propeller Shaft It is known that rotating shafts at certain speeds can became dynamically unstable and vibrations of large amplitude are likely to occur which may result in dislocation, bending and fracture or wipping out of the propeller shaft. This phenomenon is due to shaft unbalance force and resonance and is known as critical or whirling or whipping speed’. Resonance is a condition which exists when the forcing frequency of coincides with the natural frequency of responding system so as to produce a vibration of maximum amplitude. When the propeller shaft rotational frequency corresponds to bending resonant frequency, the disturbance can oceur. It is the speed at which the rotational speed coinsides with transverse natural vibration frequency of the shaft. As the system becomes dynamically unstable at critical speed resulting into accidents, the design should be such that the rotating shaft will never reach the critical speed in operation, and therefore the length and diameter of the propeller shaft are determined by the critical rotational speed and the torque to be transmitted. The increase in diameter has limitation, therefore the length is very important in design in order to avoid critical speed failure and thereby the accidents. It is generally considered that the critical speed itself is a potential failure situation. As a critical speed is approached there is a large increase exciting force transferred to the mounts. There is also an increase in flexure stresses within shaft itself. There would normally be much disturbing vibration and the possibility of wiping out the Propeller Shaft? (Exhibit A) Emperical Formula for the Critical Speed For the Propeller shaft having rigid support or without slip joint’. Ner= 12 X 10°X L Where Ner - The critical rotational speed of the Propeller Shaft ‘The Indian Police Journal ¢ April-June 2004D- Outside diameter of the Propeller shaft tube in meters. d - Inside diameter of the Propeller Shaft tube in meters. L.- Fitting length of the Propeller Shaft in meters. It is desirable to have the critical speed on higher side, so as in operation, it will never approach to reach. For higher critical speed, diameter of the Propeller Shaft tube should be on higher side and the length should be on lower side. It is also necessary to avoid slip joint wherever it is possible. The Critical speed failure, combined with transmitted vibration produces on instananeous type failure with little vibration warning to the vehicle occupants. These failures and practical effect occur quickly with little warning and are explosive in nature. It is, therefore, becomes extremely important to avoid any operation at or approaching, this made of vibrations’. The effective way to increase the critical speed is to reduce the length, as diameter increase has limitation. When the slip joint is provided, the critical speed decreases, therefore it is always desirable to avoid slip joint wherever it is possible. For the satisfactory operation and safety point of view, the safety factor must be introduced into the empirical formula to calculate the critical speed. Ner K Nmax Where K is the factor of safety Ner_ - Critical Rotational speed in RPM of the propeller shaft. Nmax- The maximum rotational speed of the propeller shaft in RPM. In order to avoid critical speed operation Ner critical rotational speed should be well above Nmax Maximum rotational speed of the propeller shaft. ‘The factor of safety should be above one. The critical speed should more than maximum roatational speed or vehicle speed. Minimum Value of the safety factor can be taken provided that through balancing of the propeller shaft, high manufacturing accuracy of splined joints, minimum clearances in hinged joints and minimum wear of working surfaces even after long life. If slip joint is provided, additional factor of safety is necessary in order to avoid critical speed operation, as slip joint reduces the critical speed. Additional Design Parameters:- The propeller shaft is intended to transmit torque to rear axle which can be displaced during operation. It is subjected to severe forces and various modes of vibrations while transmitting the torque due to following reasons. (D)_ Non-symmetry of roating parts- Universal joint yokes can be essentially heavier on one side than the other, tubing wall thickness can vary considerably around the diameter. These, and other items of the same type, can produce unbalance effect. (2) Running clearances of universal joints, splines allow some initial ‘The Indian Police Journal 6 April-June 2004Analysis of the Accidents Due to Failures of the Propeller Shaft System small amount of unbalance to push all the clearances to one side and allow shaft to rotate off center and produce an added unbalance. (3) The Propeller Shaft rotating at high speed is subject to unbalance. The effect of unbalance is to vibrate and disturb the support structures. (4) By providing the slip joint, critical rotational speed of the propeller shaft decreases. It is better to avoid slip joint, wherever it is possible. Fracture of the Propeller Shaft:- Uneven distribution of the material mass over the shaft surface and the static sag due to shaft mass when shaft rotates gives rise to a centrifugal force. This force produces bending stresses which at definite speed of the Propeller Shaft can result in the fracture of latter’, The propeller shaft is dislocated from one end and it bends near centre and produces fracture near the bend (Exhibit B). The Length of the Propeller Shaft: As explained above, it is therefore, extremely important to avoid any operation approaching or attaining the critical speed. In order to avoid critical speed operation, the length of the Propeller Shaft should never exceed the permissible design limit. Whenever the Propeller Shaft in 2 nos propeller shaft system exceeds the length 70” or 1.77 mtr, 3 nos. propeller shaft system with center support bearing should be used. One more propeller shaft than existing, will reduce the length to avoid critical speed operation’. Length Comparison Between 2 Nos. Propeller Shaft Layout Model with 3 Nos. Layout:- M/s, Ashok Layland was having 210” wheel base cheetah model having 2 nos. propeller shaft layout and other models having 3nos. propeller shaft layout whereas M/s. Tata heavy vehicle model have only 3 nos. propeller shaft layout and no model with 2 nos. propeller shaft layout, The length comparison is explained in the table. The permissible length should be below 1770 mm. The main reason of the accident is the propeller shaft system is approaching to critical speed, because of its excessive length. The accidents are occuring only in Ashok Leyland 210" cheetah model having 2 nos. propeller shaft layout, whereas there are no. such accidents in Ashok Leyland 231” wheel base cheetah model and Tata heavy vehicles, as the propeller shaft lengths are below the design limit of 1770 mm. Safe operating speed in RPM M/s. Spicer (Dana Corporation) reknown manufactures of the propeller shaft system has provided the chart for calculating the safe operating speed in RPM. The safe operating speed in RPM should be always be more that engine RPM, so as the system will never exceed the safe operating speed. ‘The Indian Police Journal » April-June 2008Table 1 Sr. Model Length of first Length of 2 Length of 3" Or No. Propeller shaft. Propeller shaft. rear Propeller shaft. 1. Ashok Leyland 2115 mm with slip Not provided 1952 mm with 210" wheelbase Joint at frontend. slip Joint at rear| cheetah model end. 2. Ashok Leyland 1430 mm with slip 1395 mm with slip _—-1660 mm with 231" wheelbase _—_jointat frontend. jointat frontend. slip joint at rear cheetah model. end. 3. Tataheavy vehicle 820mm without 1630 mm without 1540 mm with earlier model slip joint slip joint slip joint at rear 1210/1510 end. 4, Tataheavy vehicle 610mm without 1615 mm without 1715 mm with current model 1512 _ slip joint. slip joint. slip joint atrear end. Design of the Slip Joint: To compensate for the variation in the length of the Propeller Shaft, due to displacement of the rear axle, the slip joint is provided. Whenever, the length changes occur while transmitting torque, axial force is created. These forces must be supported by the mounting structure. Forces themselves can be very large when sliding splines are used. The presence of the large axle forces due to small working surfaces of splines give rise to intensive wear of splines, which increases unbalance and results into the appearances of the vibrations. In order to reduce wear, it should have large surface area of working surface of splines. It should be glyco coated to minimize wear. The pressure between working surfaces and their wear will reduce, if the ration of working length of splines Is is to their maximum dim is not less than two?. Is > 2 dm The splines should have sufficient length, to avoid removal out from the yoke. keeping yoke fastener bolt intact. Comparison of Slip Joint:- The comparison of the slip joint of Ashok Leyland and Tata heavy vehicles is explained in the following table 2 (Exhibit C & D) The working surface area of spline is less in Ashok Leyland vehicle as compare with Tata vehicles resulting faster wear, adding unbalance to the system. The length required for spline end removal out from its yoke is less in Ashok ‘The Indian Police Journal » April-June 2004Analysis of the Accidents Due to Failures of the Propeller Shaft System Leyland vehicles as compare to Tata vehicles making it more easier to disclocate spline end from its yoke. Table-2 Sr. Particulars ‘Ashok Tata No. Layland Heavy Heavy Heavy Vehicle Vehicle 1. Thelengthofsplines 78mm. 140mm. 2. Diameter of spline end. 45mm. 45mm. 3. The ratioof spline lengthtodiameter 1.738 3.11 4, Depthofsplinesteeth. 9mm. 11 mm, 5. Thelengthrequired tocome out propeller spline end from its yoke. 90mm. 140mm. Catching of the Fire to the Vehicles:- In case of the dislocation of the propeller shaft from the slip joint yoke, it hit the diesel tank and it is broken. The fire can catch, if leaking diesel falls on the muffler of the silencer. In order to avoid fire, the silencer muffler or exhaust pipe should not be nearby the diesel tank. Design Defieiencies in the Propeller Shaft System The accident bus no. MH-20-D-3690 was having 2 nos. propeller shaft layout 210” wheel base Cheetah model. As per the design requirement, the followings are the deficiencies:- (1) The length of all the propeller shaft exceeds the design limit (2) (3) 70” or 1.77 meters or it is more than the safe permissible limit, so as the system can reach the critical speed failure operation. The length of 1st propeller shaft is 2115 mm. (part No.F8047500 series 1500) tube dia-88.9 mm (3.5”) From the chart (Dana Corporation) safe operating speed in RPM is 1840 RPM which is not safe in operation as engine RPM is 2400 to 2500. The ratio of working length of spline to its diameter of slip joint is less than two causing the fast wear of splines, adding unbalance to the system. The length required for removal of the propeller shaft from its yoke is 90 mm, and being less, the propeller shaft can be removed from the yoke keeping yoke fastener bolt intact in operation where there is vibration with large amlitude, resulting into accident. The length of splines of slip joint is 78 mm which is less causing the fast wear of splines. The ratio of length of spline to the diameter is 78/45 i.e. 1.73, below 2. As per requirement it should be more than 2. The silencer muffler is immediately below the diesel tank. The leaking diesel falls on the surface of the muffler catching the fire.STUUR SEDER nena ese Sequence of Failures in Accidents:- () Due to excess length of the Propeller Shaft, the critical speed is approachable. The vehicles, when reaches to critical speed, the system becomes unstable, there are larges forces on mounts and dislocation of propeller shaft from the universal joint yoke, such failures are instantaneous and little warning to vehicle occupants and the driver. It is impossible for the driver to avoid the accidents as failures oceurs with no prior warning and explosive in nature. (2) The end of the dislocated first Propeller Shaft piece tries to rotate, due to movement of intertia, while rotating it hits the chassis and bends. The bend end ditches into road, resulting to topple down the vehicle. (3) The bend first piece also hit the diesel tank and brakes it. (4) The diesel from broken diesel tank falls on nearby below silencer muffler catching the fire to the vehicles. Accident Failures in the Field All such accident failures are in Ashok Leyland vehicles having 2 nos. propeller shaft layout in which the length of the propeller shaft is more than the design permissible limit as the system approach to critical speed operation. There are more nos. of such accidents. For example the following cases are given as per information available. ‘The accidents are from the beginning of the inception of 2 no. propeller shaft. faulty design. The similar accidents are not reported in the vehicle having 3 nos. propeller shaft layout as the lengths are within design limit :- M/s. Ashok Leyland should never sale the faulty design model to any customer. It is not expected that the customer should be well conversant with design formulas, equations and other technical design details. Action Taken by M/s Ashok Layland:- From the inception of the faulty design, the accidents are taking place. Instead of correcting the design, M/s. Ashok Leyland suggested to fit a bracket, so as the dislocated propeller shaft will not fall on the ground, so as to avoid further failure consequences. But the system at the time of critical speed failures, becomes unstable and due to vibrant forces, it’breakages the bracket and failure consequence could not be stopped. There were no use of the brackets suggested by M/s Ashok Leyland to avoid critical speed failure accidents. After constant follow up by the author, at the last M/s Ashok Leyland corrected the design by converting into 3 no. propeller shaft layout in year 2001. The responsibility to correct it on old vehicles is not taken by M/s Ashok Leyland. ‘The Indian Police Journal 6 April-June 2004Analysis of the Accidents Due to Failures of the Propeller Shaft System Conclusion: The accidents were due to the faulty design of 2 nos. propeller shaft in which the length of the propeller shaft is excessive than the design permissible limit. Because of the excess length of the propeller shaft, the system ‘is approaching to critical speed and becoming unstable, dislocating the propeller shaft from the yoke resulting ‘into the accident. The dislocation of the propeller shaft became easier, due to short length of spline end, and short distance required to come out from the yoke. The dislocated end bends in rotation due to moment of inertia. The bend end ditches into the road, toppling the vehicle. The dislocated bend propeller shaft in rotational moment hits the diesel tank breaking it dropping the diesel on underneath silencer muffler, and catching the fire to the vehicle. Recommendation: The vehicle manufacturer who have such tendency to earn profit by little investment and introducting the faulty and the bad design, even not bothering the safety of the travelling public can enjoy freedom and reputation in a country like India only, due to lack of suitable legislation and awareness among the public. Even after noticing the first few accidents, the vehicle manufacturer is not correcting the design, ignoring the safety of the travelling public which is a big crime of purposefully killing the travelling public. The government should appoint high power committee to introduce legislation so as any manufacturer will not play with the life of the travelling public. It is necessary to introduce clause recall and guarantee so as the manufacturer has to pay compensation for defective defective design and correct it on all sold vehicles. References:- 1) SAE Universal joint and drive shaft design manual. Advances in Engineering series No.7. 2) Phillip J. Mazziotti, “Dynamic Characteristics of Truck Driveline Systems” Research & Development,, Corporation. 3) P. Lukkin, G. Gasparyants, V. Radlonov The book “Automobiles chassis Design and Calculations’ Mir Publishers Moscow. 4) Robert N Brady, Departmental Head Carda Reston Co. ‘The book “On highway trucks Power Transmission system” Dana ‘The Indian Police Journal ¢ April June 2004Exhibit - A Wipping out of the Propeller Shaft. ‘The Indian Police Journal ¢ April-June 2004Fracture ——> Exhibit -B Fracture at the Bend of the Propeller Shaft. ‘The Indian Police Journal # April-June 2004TATA -PROPELLAR SHAFT Exhibit -"C" 14° 45 O outerdia 10 Teethx 140 Long Teeth Length on Shaft ve} < ‘The Indian Police Journel ¢ April June 2004 LidPropellar Shaft-leyland Exhibit -"D" 45 O outer DIA Igteeth X 78 Teeth Length on Shaft ‘The Indian Police Journal « April-June 2004