5 - SHAFT DESIGN ME 418

TOPIC NO. 5
SHAFT DESIGN

SHAFT UNDER PURE TORSION

This topic includes the following:

4.1 Pure Bending

4.2 Pure Torsion
4.3 Combined Loads(Torsion: Bending/
Axial) Maximum torsional stress
4.4 Shaft design using codes
- PSME Code 16T
Ss   S sd (for a solid shaft)
- ASME Code
 D3

16TD
Ss   S sd (for a hollow shaft)
SHAFTING   D4  d 4 

Shaft – a rotating member, usually of circular

Or
section, used to transmit power or motion.
Its primary load is torsion.
16T  1  d
Axle – a non-rotating member which carries Ss  3  4 
 Ssd : B 
 D  1 B  D
no torque and is used to support wheels,
pulleys, and the like. Its primary load is
Angle of twist (torsional deformation)
bending.
TL
Spindle – a short shaft or axle.  ; in radians
JG

Terms such as line shaft, head shaft, 

Where: J  D4 for solid shaft
transmission shaft, machinery shaft, 32
countershaft, and flexible shaft are names

associated with special usage. J
32
D 4
 d 4  for hollow shafts

Most machine design books generally

used the term shaft to mean all of the above
terms.

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SHAFT UNDER PURE BENDING *Case c) Shaft has fixed supports with load P
at midspan

Maximum Flexural Stress

32M Csc  192

Sf   Sd (for a solid shaft)
 D3

32MD Two General Classifications of Shafts

Sf   Sd (for a hollow shaft)
  D4  d 4 
Transmission Shaft – shaft that connects a
Or
prime mover to a machine.
32M  1  d
Sf  S B
 D3  1  B 4  d
;
D Machinery Shaft – shaft that is an integral
part of a machine

Shaft Deflection Shaft Design Stresses (Only Sy and Su are

3
PL known)
y ;(For special cases only)*
C xc EI  Shear design stress:

S sd  0.3S  Whichever is smaller:

*Case a) Shaft acts as a cantilever with load  If shaft has a keyway,
S sd  0.18Su 
P at free end Consider a strength
Reduction factor of 0.75

 Normal design stress:

Sd  0.6S  Whichever is smaller:

Csc  3  If shaft has a keyway,
Sd  0.36Su 
Consider a strength
Reduction factor of 0.75
*Case b) Shaft is simply supported with load
P at midspan
Allowable deformations
 Angle of Twist
Machinery shaft:
 allow  0.08 to 1 per foot of
length
Csc  48

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Transmission shaft: Note:

 allow  1 in a length of 20 diameters For combined torsion and bending on
a solid shaft, above formula can be
reduced to
 Transverse Deflection
Machinery shaft: 16
Ss max   K sT    K m M   Sd
2 2

 allow  0.01 inch per foot of length  D3

And
between supports
Transmission shaft: S s max 
16 K M   K sT    K m M 
2 2 S
 D3  m  d

 allow  0.002 inch per foot of length

between supports … then solve for the diameter D from each of
the formulas, and use whichever is larger! If
Combined Stresses the Km and Ks are not specified, use
Km=Ks=1.0

Transmission Shaft from the PSME Code

From the Maximum Shear Stress theory

16  1   aFD 1  B 2  
S  K sT    Km M    Sd
2

 D3  1  B 4   8 

And from the Max. Normal Stress theory

16  1

 aFD 1  B 2   aFD 1  B 2   
S Km M    K sT    KmM    Sd
3

 D3  1  B 4   8  8  
 

Where:
a  factor for column action
Ks = combined shock and fatigue factor
for shear
Km = combined shock and fatigue factor
for bending
B = ratio of inside to outside
diameters of hollow shaft

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Main Power Transmitting Shafts c). for short, solid shaft subjected only
to heavy transverse shear
D3 N
P
80 1.7V
D
Line Shafts Carrying Pulleys Ss

D3 N Where:
P
53.5 D = shaft diameter in inches

Small, Short Shaft and Countershafts T = torque in in-lb

V = maximum transverse shear
D3 N
P load, lb
38
Ss = maximum torsional
shearing stress, psi
Where:
P = horsepower transmitted
Shaft Supported length VS. Shaft Diameter
N = rpm
(Deflection is limited to 0.01 inch per foot of
D = shaft diameter in inches
length)
Note:
a). Shafting subjected to no bending
Above formulas were based on design
action except its own weight
stresses of:
- 4ksi for main power transmitting L  8.95 3 D2
shaft
- 6ksi for line shafts, and b). Shafting subjected to bending
- 8.5ksi for small/short shafts, and action due to pulleys
countershafts
L  5.2 3 D2

Empirical Formula from Machinery Where:

Handbook L = maximum distance between

Required Shaft diameter: bearings, feet

a). for an allowable angle of twist not D = shaft diameter in inches

exceeding 0.08o per foot of length

D  0.29 T
b). for an allowable angle of twist not
exceeding 1o in a length of 20 diameters

D  0.13 T

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COLUMNS Members Under Compression

Column – a member under compression A. Short Compression Member

whose failure is due to instability called - slenderness ratio Lc/k<30, not
buckling (bending sideways). possible to fall by buckling-no
“column action”
The longer and slenderer the column is, the - Its compressive stress is generally
lower the safe stress that it can withstand. F
computed from the usual St 
A
The slenderness of a column is measured by
its slenderness ratio, Lc/k; where Lc is its B. Long and Slender Column
equivalent length and k is the least radius of - a column whose slenderness ratio
gyration of its cross section. Lc/k>120
- failure is due to instability
- its compressive stress is computed as
F
Se  aE
A
where
aE = factor for column action
from the Euler’s formula

I C. Short Column
k
A - a column whose slenderness ratio is
30<Lc/k<120
I = rectangular - its compressive stress is computed
moment of inertia as
A= cross sectional area F
Se  aBJ
Lc = effective length of A
column Where
aBJ = factor for column action
For a solid circular section of diameter D:
from the J. B. Johnson’s formula
    D
I    D 4 and A    D 2 ;thus k 
 64  4 4

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Effective Lengths of Columns Where:

Rounded or pinned ends
one end fixed
F = actual load of column
N = factor of safety
S = yield strength of column material
A = column’s cross sectional area
Lc = effective length of column
k = least radius of gyration of column’s
cross section
E = material’s modulus of elasticity
One end rounded,
Fc = critical load of column

DESIGN PROBLEMS
1. The piston rod on an air operated press is
to exert a maximum force of 20kN. During
the application of this force, the air pressure
in the cylinder is maintained at 700kPa.
Assume the piston rod length to be 760mm
long with its right hand end pin connected to
the operating lever and the piston end of the
Fixed Ends One end fixed, the
rod fix ended.
other free
A. If the piston rod diameter is 15mm,
determine its slenderness ratio.
B. Determine the rod diameter. Use an
COLUMN FORMULAS
Sy=250MPa, E = 200GPa and a factor
of safety of 2.5. (COLUMN)
Euler’s formula:

 2 EA 2. A 76mm solid shaft is to be replaced by a

FN  2
 Fc for (Lc/k > about 120)
 Lc  hollow shaft of equal torsional strength.
 k 
  Determine the percent savings in weight
by using hollow shaft. Outside diameter
J.B. Johnson’s formula: of hollow shaft is l00mm.(SHAFTING)

  Lc  
2

 S    3. A marine propeller shaft is to transmit

FN  S A 1   2    Fe
k
3700kW at 126 rpm without exceeding a
 4 E 
  torsional stress of 42 MPa or twisting
 
more than 1 degree in a length of 20
for(30<Lc/k<120)
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5 - SHAFT DESIGN ME 418

diameters. The modulus of rigidity is

taken as 83 GPa. Find the required shaft
diameter.

4. What power should short shaft, 50 mm in

diameter, transmit at 750rpm?

5. What would be the diameter of a main

power transmitting shaft to transmit 150
kW at 500 rpm?

6. A 16 ft steel line shaft has no bending

action except its own weight. What
power in hp can shaft deliver at a speed
of 200 rpm. Consider that the torsional
deflection wm not exceed 0.08º/ft of
length.

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