ME 223: Solid Mechanics II

TORSION – Displacement formulation

Lecture – 30
2 ❑ Displacement Formulation

The displacement formulation starts by expressing the equilibrium equation in terms

of the warping displacement w.

𝜕2𝑤 𝜕2𝑤
+ =0 ...(1)
𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑦 2

Thus, the displacement components satisfy Laplace’s equation.

Now, the boundary condition on lateral side is given by,

𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤
− 𝑦𝛼 𝑛𝑥 + + 𝑥𝛼 𝑛𝑦 = 0 ...(2)
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
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Equation (2) can be rewritten as

𝜕𝑤 d𝑥 𝜕𝑤 d𝑦 d𝑥 d𝑦
+ = 𝛼 𝑥 +𝑦
𝜕𝑥 d𝑛 𝜕𝑦 d𝑛 d𝑠 d𝑠
...(3)
d𝑤 𝛼 d 2
= 𝑥 + 𝑦2
d𝑛 2 d𝑠

Again all the boundary conditions on the end can be specified similarly as in case of
stress function approach.
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The resultant torque condition will give

d𝑤 d𝑤 ...(4)
𝑇= 𝜇 ඵ 𝛼 𝑥2 + 𝑦2 +𝑥 −𝑦 d𝑥d𝑦
𝑅 d𝑦 d𝑥
This result is commonly written as

𝑇 = 𝛼𝐽 ...(5)

Where 𝐽 is called the torsional rigidity and is given by

2
𝑥 𝜕𝑤 𝑦 𝜕𝑤
2
𝐽= 𝜇 ඵ 𝑥 + 𝑦 + − d𝑥d𝑦 ...(6)
𝑅 𝛼 𝜕𝑦 𝛼 𝜕𝑥

This completes the displacement formulation for torsion problem.

5 ❑ Multiply Connected Cross-Sections

To solve the torsion of hollow cylinders with multiply connected cross-sections we

consider a typical section of this type as shown in fig below.
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It is assumed that the external boundary 𝑆𝑜 and all internal boundaries 𝑆𝑖 are free of
tractions.

𝜙 = 𝜙𝑖 on 𝑆𝑖
...(7)
d𝑤
= 𝛼 𝑦𝑛𝑥 − 𝑥𝑛𝑦 on 𝑆𝑖
d𝑛

The value of stress function is determined by requiring the displacement w to be

single valued. It is possible if

ර d𝑤 𝑥, 𝑦 = 0 ...(8)
𝑆1
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This integral can be written as

𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑤
ර d𝑤 𝑥, 𝑦 = ර d𝑥 + d𝑦
𝑆1 𝑆1 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 ...(9)
1
= ර 𝜏𝑥𝑧 d𝑥 + 𝜏𝑦𝑧 d𝑦 − 𝛼 ර 𝑥d𝑦 − 𝑦d𝑥
𝜇 𝑆1 𝑆1

Now 𝜏𝑥𝑧 𝑑𝑥 + 𝜏𝑦𝑧 𝑑𝑦 = 𝜏𝑑𝑠, where 𝜏 is the resultant shear stress.

Using Green’s theorem,

𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 ...(10)
ර 𝑥d𝑦 − 𝑦d𝑥 = ඵ + d𝑥d𝑦 = 2 ඵ d𝑥d𝑦 = 2𝐴1
𝑆1 𝐴1 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝐴1

Where 𝐴1 is the area enclosed by 𝑆1 .

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Combining these results, the single-valued condition in equation (8) implies that

ර 𝜏d𝑠 = 2𝜇𝛼𝐴1 ...(11)

𝑆1

If the cross-section has more than one hole then the equation (10) must be satisfied
for each; that is

ර 𝜏d𝑠 = 2𝜇𝛼𝐴𝑘 ...(12)

𝑆𝑘

where k = 1, 2, 3,… is the index corresponding to each of the interior holes.

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Boundary conditions on the end of the cylinder are satisfied and the resultant torque
condition will give

𝑇 = 2 ඵ 𝜙d𝑥d𝑦 + 2𝜙1 𝐴1 ...(13)

𝑅

For the case with N holes, this relation becomes

𝑇 = 2 ඵ 𝜙d𝑥d𝑦 + ෍ 2𝜙𝑘 𝐴𝑘 ...(14)

𝑅 𝑘=1