ASTU 2023

CHAPTER 4
TORSION OF CIRCULAR SHAFTS AND POWER TRANSMISSION
4.1 Introduction
Torsion refers to the twisting of a straight bar when it is loaded by moments (or torques) that
tends to produce rotation about the longitudinal axis of the bar.
Examples: turning a screwdriver, drive shafts in automobiles, axles, propeller shafts, steering
rods, and drill bits.
4.2 Torsion of Circular Shafts
Consider a prismatic bar of circular cross section twisted by torques T acting at the ends. Since
every cross section of the bar is identical, and since every cross section is subjected to the same
internal torque T, we say that the bar is in pure torsion. From considerations of symmetry, it
can be proved that cross sections of the bar do not change in shape as they rotate about the
longitudinal axis. In other words, all cross sections remain plane and circular and all radii
remain straight. Furthermore, if the angle of rotation between one end of the bar and the other is
small, neither the length of the bar nor its radius will change.

Fig. 4-1: Deformations of a circular bar in pure torsion

Shear Strains at the Outer Surface

Consider an element of the bar between two cross sections distance dx apart. During twisting of
the bar, the right-hand cross section rotates with respect to the left-hand cross section through a
small angle of twist 𝑑𝜙 so that the lengths of the sides of the element do not change during this
small rotation.

Fig. 4-2: Deformation of an element of length dx cut from a bar in torsion

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The element is therefore in a state of pure shear, which means that the element is subjected to
shear strains but no normal strains. The magnitude of the shear strain at the outer surface of the
bar, denoted 𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥 is equal to
𝑏𝑏′ 𝑟𝑑𝜙
𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥 = =
𝑎𝑏 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝜙
The quantity 𝑑𝑥 is the rate of change of the angle of twist 𝜙 with respect to the distance x
𝑑𝜙
measured along the axis of the bar. We will denote by the symbol 𝜃 and refer to it as the rate
𝑑𝑥
of twist, or the angle of twist per unit length:
𝑑𝜙
𝜃=
𝑑𝑥
The shear strain at the outer surface:
𝑟𝑑𝜙
𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = 𝑟𝜃
𝑑𝑥
In the special case of pure torsion, the rate of twist is equal to the total angle of twist 𝜙 divided
𝜙
by the length L, that is, 𝜃 = . Therefore, for pure torsion only, we obtain
𝐿
𝑟𝜙
𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑟𝜃 =
𝐿
Shear Strains within the Bar
Interior elements are also in pure shear with the corresponding shear strains given by the
equation
𝜌
𝛾 = 𝜌𝜃 = 𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑟
NB: The shear strains in a circular bar vary linearly with the radial distance 𝜌 from the center,
with the strain being zero at the center and reaching a maximum value 𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥 at the outer surface.
Circular Tubes

𝑟2 𝜙 𝑟1 𝑟1 𝜙
𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝛾𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝐿 𝑟2 𝐿
Equations for the strains in a circular bar are based upon geometric concepts and do not involve
the material properties. Therefore, the equations are valid for any material, whether it behaves
elastically or in elastically, linearly or nonlinearly. However, the equations are limited to bars
having small angles of twist and small strains.

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Fig. 4-3: Shear stresses in a circular bar in torsion

If the material is linearly elastic, we can use Hooke’s law in shear.
𝜏 = 𝐺𝛾
In which G is the shear modulus of elasticity and is the shear strain in radians. Combining
this equation with the equations for the shear strains, we get
𝜌
𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐺𝑟𝜃 𝜏 = 𝐺𝜌𝜃 = 𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑟
In which 𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 is the shear stress at the outer surface of the bar (radius r), 𝜏 is the shear stress at
an interior point (radius 𝜌), and 𝜃 is the rate of twist. (In these equations, 𝜃 has a unit of radians
per unit of length.)
The Torsion Formula
The torsion formula relates the shear stresses and the torque T.
Consider an element of area 𝑑𝐴 located at radial distance 𝜌 from the axis of the bar.

The shear force acting on this element is equal to 𝜏𝑑𝐴, where 𝜏 is the shear stress at radius 𝜌.
The moment of this force about the axis of the bar is equal to the force times its distance from
the center, or 𝜏𝜌𝑑𝐴. Substituting for the shear stress 𝜏, we can express this elemental moment
as

The resultant moment (equal to the torque T) is the summation over the entire cross-sectional
area of all such elemental moments:

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In which

It is the polar moment of inertia of the circular cross section.

For a circle of radius r and diameter d, the polar moment of inertia is

This equation, known as the torsion formula, shows that the maximum shear stress is
proportional to the applied torque T and inversely proportional to the polar moment of inertia Ip.
The shear stress at distance r from the center of the bar is

Angle of Twist
The angle of twist of a bar of linearly elastic material can now be related to the applied torque T.

In which has units of radians per unit of length. This equation shows that the rate of twist
is directly proportional to the torque T and inversely proportional to the product GI P, known as
the torsional rigidity of the bar.
For a bar in pure torsion, the total angle of twist , equal to the rate of twist times the length of
the bar (that is, = L), is

The quantity GIP/L, called the torsional stiffness of the bar, is the torque required to produce a
unit angle of rotation. The torsional flexibility is the reciprocal of the stiffness, or L/GI P, and is
defined as the angle of rotation produced by a unit torque.
NB: Circular tubes are more efficient than solid bars in resisting torsional loads. As we know,
the shear stresses in a solid circular bar are maximum at the outer boundary of the cross
section and zero at the center. Therefore, most of the material in a solid shaft is stressed
significantly below the maximum shear stress. Furthermore, the stresses near the center of the
cross section have a smaller moment arm r for use in determining the torque.
Generally,
For a solid or hollow circular shaft subject to a twisting moment T, the torsional shearing
stress τ at a distance ρ from the center of the shaft is
𝑇𝜌 𝑇𝑟
𝜏= 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝐽 𝐽
where J is the polar moment of inertia of the section and r is the outer radius.
For solid cylindrical shaft:

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For hollow cylindrical shaft:

ANGLE OF TWIST
The angle θ through which the bar length L will twist is

where T is the torque in N·mm, L is the length of shaft in mm, G is shear modulus in MPa, J
is the polar moment of inertia in mm4, D and d are diameter in mm, and r is the radius in mm.

4.3 Non-uniform Torsion

Case 1:
Bar consisting of prismatic segments with constant torque throughout each segment
The total angle of twist of one end of the bar with respect to the other is

Case 2:
Bar with continuously varying cross sections and constant torque

Case 3:
Bar with continuously varying cross sections and continuously varying torque

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4.4 Power Transmitted By the Shaft

A shaft rotating with a constant angular velocity ω (in radians per second) is being acted by a
twisting moment T. The power transmitted by the shaft is
𝑃 = 𝑇𝜔 = 2𝜋𝑇𝑓
where T is the torque in N·m, f is the number of revolutions per second, and P is the power in
watts.
Solved Examples
Examples 1:
A steel shaft 3 ft long that has a diameter of 4 in. is subjected to a torque of 15 kip·ft.
Determine the maximum shearing stress and the angle of twist. Use G = 12 × 106 psi.
Solution

Examples 2:
What is the minimum diameter of a solid steel shaft that will not twist through more than 3°
in a 6-m length when subjected to a torque of 12 kN·m? What maximum shearing stress is
developed? Use G = 83 GPa.
Solution

Examples 3:
A steel marine propeller shaft 14 in. in diameter and 18 ft long is used to transmit 5000 hp at
189 rpm. If G = 12 × 106 psi, determine the maximum shearing stress.
Solution

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Examples 4:
A solid steel shaft 5 m long is stressed at 80 MPa when twisted through 4°. Using G = 83
GPa, compute the shaft diameter. What power can be transmitted by the shaft at 20 Hz?
Solution

Examples 5:
A 2-in-diameter steel shaft rotates at 240 rpm. If the shearing stress is limited to 12 ksi,
determine the maximum horsepower that can be transmitted.
Solution

Examples 6:
A steel propeller shaft is to transmit 4.5 MW at 3 Hz without exceeding a shearing stress of
50 MPa or twisting through more than 1° in a length of 26 diameters. Compute the proper
diameter if G = 83 GPa.
Solution

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Examples 7:
Show that the hollow circular shaft whose inner diameter is half the outer diameter has a
torsional strength equal to 15/16 of that of a solid shaft of the same outside diameter.
Solution

Examples 8:
An aluminum shaft with a constant diameter of 50 mm is loaded by torques applied to gears
attached to it as shown in Fig. below Using G = 28 GPa, determine the relative angle of twist
of gear D relative to gear A.

Solution

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Examples 9:
Determine the maximum torque that can be applied to a hollow circular steel shaft of 100-
mm outside diameter and an 80-mm inside diameter without exceeding a shearing stress of 60
MPa or a twist of 0.5 deg/m. Use G = 83 GPa.
Solution

Examples 10:
The steel shaft shown in Fig. below rotates at 4 Hz with 35 kW taken off at A, 20 kW
removed at B, and 55 kW applied at C. Using G = 83 GPa, find the maximum shearing stress
and the angle of rotation of gear A relative to gear C.

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Solution

Examples 11:
A 5-m steel shaft rotating at 2 Hz has 70 kW applied at a gear that is 2 m from the left end
where 20 kW are removed. At the right end, 30 kW are removed and another 20 kW leaves
the shaft at 1.5 m from the right end. (a) Find the uniform shaft diameter so that the shearing
stress will not exceed 60 MPa. (b) If a uniform shaft diameter of 100 mm is specified,
determine the angle by which one end of the shaft lags behind the other end. Use G = 83 GPa.

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Solution

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Examples 12:
A compound shaft consisting of a steel segment and an aluminum segment is acted upon by
two torques as shown in Fig. below. Determine the maximum permissible value of T subject
to the following conditions: τst = 83 MPa, τal = 55 MPa, and the angle of rotation of the free
end is limited to 6°. For steel, G = 83 GPa and for aluminum, G = 28 GPa.

Solution

Examples 13:
A hollow bronze shaft of 3 in. outer diameter and 2 in. inner diameter is slipped over a solid
steel shaft 2 in. in diameter and of the same length as the hollow shaft. The two shafts are
then fastened rigidly together at their ends. For bronze, G = 6 × 10 6 psi, and for steel, G = 12
× 106 psi. What torque can be applied to the composite shaft without exceeding a shearing
stress of 8000 psi in the bronze or 12 ksi in the steel?

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Solution

Examples 14:
A solid steel shaft is loaded as shown in Fig. below. Using G = 83 GPa, determine the
required diameter of the shaft if the shearing stress is limited to 60 MPa and the angle of
rotation at the free end is not to exceed 4 deg.

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Solution

Examples 15:
A shaft composed of segments AC, CD, and DB is fastened to rigid supports and loaded as
shown in Fig. below. For bronze, G = 35 GPa; aluminum, G = 28 GPa, and for steel, G = 83
GPa. Determine the maximum shearing stress developed in each segment.

Solution

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