SHAFT DESIGN

1.Introduction:
• Shafts are rotating machine element that transmit power from
one place to another
• Pulleys and gears are mounted on it by means of keys and
splines
• Generally mild steel shaft are available
• When high strength is required, alloy steel(Nickle/ chromium or
Chrome/Vanadium) shafts to be used
2.Types of shafts

• Transmission shaft:
Transmit power between power source and machine
Subjected to axial tensile forces, bending moment and torsion
simultaneously
• Machine shaft:
Integral part of machine itself
• Axal:
Stationary machine element that support bending moment only
Act as a support for some rotating bodies
3.Design of shaft

The shafts are designed on the basis of

• Strength
 Shaft subjected to bending moment only
 Shaft subjected to torsion only
 Shaft subjected to combined bending moment and torsion

• Torsional rigidity
4. Shaft subjected to bending moment only

Bending equation

• Note : you have to remember this equation

• Where, y= radius of the shaft

• I= moment of inertia = , for solid shaft

• = Bending stress
• M= bending moment
Shaft subjected to bending moment only…

• == =
Example 1:
A pair of wheels of a railway wagon carries a load of 50kN on each axle box.,
acting at a distance of 100mm outside the wheel base. both wheels are 1400mm
apart. find the diameter of the axle between two wheels.
maximum allowable shear stress is 100mpa.
Shaft subjected to bending moment only…
example 1…
This axle act as a simply supported shaft with no torsional moment
W= 50x N
L=100mm
X= 1400mm
=100MPa = 100 x N/
Maximum bending moment occurs between point A and B according to the
bending moment diagram.
Maximum bending moment = W x L = 50 x x 100 x Nm = 5000 Nm
Then, we can take ,M = 5000Nm
Example 1…
• = = = 100 x
• =5.0955 x
• d= 79.9m
• Then we can take d=80mm
Note: for the simplicity, we have not consider the effect of keyways, shock
loads and fatigue in this example. We will discuss those effects later
5.Shaft subjected to torsion only

Torsion equation,

Where
• r= radius of the shaft = (d/2)
• J= Polar moment of inertia = , for solid shaft
• T= torque
• τ= shear stress due to torsion
Shaft subjected to torsion only…

•τ = = =
Example 2 : A solid shaft is transmitting 1MW at 240rpm speed. Maximum
torque transmitted is exceed 20% by its mean torque. Maximum allowable
shear stress of the shaft material is 60MPa. Determine the shaft diameter
Example 2…
P= 1MW = 1 x W
ω=240rpm = 240 x 2π/60 rad/s
P=T ω
T= = 39810Nm
Maximum torque transmitted = (120/100 ) x 39810 Nm = 47,772Nm
τ==
==
d= 159.4mm
Say , d=160mm
6. Combination of bending moment and torsion

a) Maximum Shear Stress theory (Guest’s theorem)

b) Maximum normal Stress theory (Rankine’s Theory)
a)Maximum Shear Stress theory (Guest’s theorem) is used for analyze two
moments( Bending and torsional) simultaneously for ductile materials
According to the theory,
= ½ √ (+4)
Where,
= bending stress due to bending moment
τ= shear stress due to torsion
Combination of bending moment and torsion..

• = √{(}

= √(

√( is called equivalent twisting moment and is denoted by

 Combination of bending moment and torsion…

b)Maximum normal Stress theory (Rankine’s Theory) is used for analyze two
moments( Bending and torsional) simultaneously for brittle materials
According to the theory,
= ½ + ½ √ (+4)
Where,
= bending stress due to bending moment
τ = shear stress due to torsion
Combination of bending moment and torsion…

• = { [M + √(] }

• [M + √(] is called equivalent bending moment and is denoted

by

• Note: Diameter of the shaft may be calculated by using both theorems

and the larger of the two values is selected
Combination of bending moment and torsion…

• If shaft is subjected to axial load(F) in addition to the torsion and bending,

stress due to axial load must be added to the bending stress
Stress due to axial load =
Stress due to bending, σ=
Example 3:
A rotating shaft, 40mm in diameter is made of steel having yield strength 580N/. It is
subjected to a steady tortional moment of 250Nm and bending moment of 1250Nm.
Calculate the factor of safety based on,
a) Maximum normal stress theory
b) Maximum shear stress theory
Take, yield shear strength = 0.5 x yield strength of the material
a) M=1250Nm
T= 250Nm
d= 0.04m
According to the maximum normal stress theory,
= { [M + √(] }
 Example 3: …

• = { [1250 + √(] }
= 201 x N
But, =
201 x N =
Factor of safety= 2.89
Example 3: …
b)

= √(
=√(
= 101.5 x N
=
101.5 x N =
Factor of safety= 2.86
Example 4:
• A transmission shaft is supported between two bearings which are 750mm
apart. Power is supplied to the shaft through a coupling, which is located to
the left of the left hand bearing. Power is transmitted from the shaft by
means of the belt pulley, 450mm in diameter, which is located at the distance
200mm to the right of the left hand bearing. The weight of the pulley is 300N
and the ratio of the belt tension of tight and slack side is 2:1. The belt tension
act in vertically downward direction. The shaft is made of steel having yield
strength in tension 300Nand factor of safety is 3. Determine the shaft
diameter, if it transmit 12.5kW power at 300rpm from the coupling to the
pulley. Assume τ= 0.5
 Example 4…
Given,
P=12.5kW = 12500W
ω = 300 rpm = 300x 2π/60 = 31.4 rad/sec
Factor of safety = 3
W= 300N

=2
= 300N/
τ= 0.5
Example 4…
P=T ω

T= = 398.1 Nm = 400Nm

τ= 0.5 = 0.5 x 300N/ = 150N/

By applying factor of safety
τ = = 50N/
12500W = (- ) x x x 31.4
(- ) = 1.77 x N
=2
 Example 4…
By using above two equations,
= 3.54 x N and = 1.77 x N
Then total force on the pulley due to its belt tensions = + =5310N
Then,+ = 5310N +300 N= 5610N ①
By taking moments at point P,
200 550 4 = 11 ②
from ① and ②
= 4114N and =1496N
 Example 4…
According to the bending moment diagram, maximum bending moment occurs
at point P.
Maximum bending moment = x 200 x
= 4114 x 200 x
= 822.8 Nm =825Nm
Then, T=400Nm and M= 825Nm
According to the maximum shear stress theory,
= √(
= √( ≤ 50 x
Example 4…
d ≥ 45.34mm
According to the maximum normal stress theory,
= { [M + √(] }
= { [825 + √(] }≤
d ≥ 44.6mm
So maximum value of d= 45.34mm ( from maximum shear stress theory)
Factor of safety

d= 46mm or d=50mm
7.ASME codes for shaft design
• = 0.5
• For shaft without keyways
= 0.30 OR =0.18
Whichever is minimum
If keyways are available, the above values are to be reduced by 25%
=maximum permissible shear stress
= yield strength in tension
= Ultimate tensile strength
= yield strength in shear
 7. ASME codes for shaft design…
• To account shock and fatigue loads, maximum shear stress and maximum
bending stress can be defined as

= √{(}
AND
= . ½ {(M) + √[(] }
Where, = combined shock and fatigue factor applied to bending moment
= combined shock and fatigue factor applied to torsional moment
7. ASME codes for shaft design…
 Example 5
• A shaft as shown in figure is driven by pulley B from a electric motor. Another belt drive
from pulley A is running a compressor. The belt tensions for pulley A are 1500N and
600N. The ratio of belt tension for pulley B is 3.5. The diameters of pulley A and B are
150mm and 480mm. Allowable tensile strength for shaft material is 170MPa and
allowable shear strength is 85MPa.
• Take tension and bending factors 1.25 and 1.75.
• Find the shaft diameter.
Example 5…
Torque, T =(1500-600)x 75 x =67.5Nm
( = 67.5
( = 281.25 N ①

= 3.5 ②
From ① and ②,
= 393.75N
= 112.5N
Example 5…
• Vertical plane
+ 506.25 ③
250 =100
=2.5 ④
From ③and ④,
=114.6N
=361.6N
Maximum bending moment in this plane = x 250 x
= 28.65Nm
Torque = 67.5Nm
Example 5…
• Horizontal plan
+ ⑤
100 =250 ⑥
From and ,
=1500N
=600N
Maximum bending moment in this plane = x 100 x
= 1500 x 100 x
= 150Nm
Torque = 67.5Nm
Example 5…
Example 5…
According to the two bending moment diagrams, maximum bending moment
of the system occurs at point A .Therefore,
Maximum bending moment = √{ = 150.43Nm
Maximum torque = 67.5Nm
Then we can apply both maximum shear stress theory and maximum
normal stress theory to find out shaft diameter
Maximum shear stress theory;
= √{(}
= √{(} ≤ 85 x
 Example 5…
≥ 16.572 x
d ≥ 25.5 mm
Maximum normal stress theory;
= . ½ {(M) + √[(] }
= . ½ {(1.75 x ) + √[(] }≤ 170 x
≥ 16.18 x
d ≥ 25.3 mm
Using above two criteria, we can select d=30mm shaft for the application
8. Shaft design on torsional rigidity basis

•In certain applications like machine tool spindles, cam shafts etc, it is
necessary to design the shaft on torsional rigidity basis.
•It has permissible angle of twist per unit length of a shaft
Using torsional equation, =
=
Where T= Torsion
L=Shaft length
J=polar moment of inertia
G= Modulus of rigidity of shaft material
= angle of twist in radian
≤ 0.25 degrees/m for machine tool application
≤ 3 degrees/m for line shaft
 Example 6
• A shaft is required to transmit 1MW power at 240rpm. The shaft must not
twist more than 1 degree on a length of 15 diameters. Modulus of rigidity
of the shaft is 80GP. Find the diameter of the shaft and shear stress
induced.
• P=Tω

• T= =39810 Nm
• J=
• Shaft length, L= 15d
Example 6…
== ≤
d ≥ 163.4mm
d= 165mm

τ = = = 0.04516 x = 45.2MPa
9. For hollow shafts

• Under section 6, design of solid shaft discussed. Same theory can be

applied for hollow shaft as well.
• Design of hollow shaft consists of determining the correct inner and outer
diameters from strength and rigidity considerations.
• Let us assume,
C= where, = inner diameter and = outer diameter
9. For hollow shaft…

For hollow circular cross sections,

I= = ) and
J= = )
When a shaft subjected to bending moment only
• == =
For hollow shaft…

When a shaft subjected to torsion only

• τ= = =
When a shaft subjected to combination of bending moment and torsion
• Using maximum shear stress theory

= √{[}
= √(
For hollow shaft…
• Using maximum normal stress theory

= { [M + √(] }
= {[M + √(] }
 Example 7:
• A hollow steel shaft transmitting 600kW at 500rpm. The maximum shear stress
is 62.4MPa. Find the outside and inside diameters of the shaft, if the outer
diameter is twice the inner diameter assuming that the maximum torque is 20%
greater than the mean torque.
• P=T.ω
• C = = 0.5

T= = 11465 Nm
Maximum output torque = 1.2 x 11465 = 13758Nm
Example 7…
• Since the shaft is subjected to torsion only,
•τ= = =
= ≤ 62.4 x
= 106.2 mm
We can select,

= 110mm
= 55mm