What is Shaft: Definition and 389 Discussions

A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power and torque and rotation, usually used to connect other components of a drivetrain that cannot be connected directly because of distance or the need to allow for relative movement between them.
As torque carriers, drive shafts are subject to torsion and shear stress, equivalent to the difference between the input torque and the load. They must therefore be strong enough to bear the stress, while avoiding too much additional weight as that would in turn increase their inertia.
To allow for variations in the alignment and distance between the driving and driven components, drive shafts frequently incorporate one or more universal joints, jaw couplings, or rag joints, and sometimes a splined joint or prismatic joint.

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  1. S

    What is the Maximum Speed Limit for a Linear Shaft in Reciprocating Motion?

    Hi all. I am not a mechanical engineer but I've been working on an idea which consists of a linear shaft with Reciprocating motion. Since the device only works with rather a high speed shaft, I wanted to know what are the speed restrictions of a linear shaft? So let's give it some numbers. The...
  2. D

    Tapered vs. Straight Shaft Pulley I/F

    Hi all Need help to determine if adapting a pulley from a tapered shaft to straight bore will work. Can the clamping force be calculated for a tapered shaft to bore i/f and straight shaft? I have a professionally modified Porsche crankshaft in which 10mm of the tapered end was cut off creating...
  3. I

    Bearing support for vertical shaft

    I have short (12") vertical shaft. The shaft will supported at the top and bottom by a bearing. The only axial load will be from the weight of the shaft and gears on the shaft. I'll estimate the total weight of the shaft and gears at around 5 lbs. Shaft will rotate at around 1000 RPM. From...
  4. T

    I Design diameter of transmission shaft

    Please bear with me, I am trying to design a shaft that will be under torsion. I do not know the diameter of the shaft and I would like to be able to calculate it by the things that I do know about the system. There's a 15HP 3 Phase motor running at 85RPM [there's a gearbox] This will be...
  5. A

    Velocity of a piston in a piston-shaft mechanism

    Homework Statement In the figure, a piston P is connected to a cylinder. The piston is connected to a rotating wheel with two shafts AB and BC. The shaft AB is connected on the periphery of the wheel. The wheel is rotating with angular speed ω= 100 rad s-1. At the moment A,C and the center of...
  6. R

    Calculating the Torque that a fan would exert on a Hex shaft

    I have a 5/8" hex shaft that is turning at 90 RPM that I need to add a 2.7 N.m load to it. The shaft is running in a dust box. I would like to mount a fan on the hex shaft to create the torque but I am unsure how to calculate the torque that would be added by the fan. Would anyone be able to...
  7. V

    Calculating force: pulley and gear on the same axle / shaft

    Dear Forum, Please see the attached file below. I have trouble understanding what happens at the light green gear which drives the big brown one. I read somewhere that the force that the belt applies on the surfaces of the two pulley's is the same, so 353, 68 Nm. The torque and rpm on both...
  8. R

    Understanding Drive Shaft Stress and Deflection for Optimal Performance

    Long drive shaft of 5 inches fits into the end fitting and is rigidly attached by the bolts. Input torque is equal to output torque as we are ignoring losses from bearing. Let's assume that the load on the shaft is equal to 3*weight. (3 g's) (looking for more conceptual understanding rather...
  9. F

    Total moment caused by an unbalanced mass on a rotating shaft

    Homework Statement [/B] The shaft connecting A to D is rotating at 1200RPM clockwise and has a concentrated unbalanced load of W2 of 8lb at a radius of 2in. in a plane midway between points A and D as shown in the figure. A constant vertical load W1 of 1500 lb is applied by means of two...
  10. C

    Can I use thermal expansion to hold together materials?

    Okay, I will give a quick run down of what I am trying to do here. What I want to do is build a tesla turbine from old hard drive disks. Being that they're already rated for high RPM, it seems like a viable option. Now these disks are probably going to be aluminum and I am probably going to buy...
  11. chinmay

    Torsional Vibration of Rotor-Shaft

    I have developed a mathematical model to study the dynamic behavior of rotor (with 6 dof). It is assumed that rotor is rigidly mounted at the mid point of shaft, and both end of the shaft is attached to ball bearing. I have developed the FE model for it too, and the frequencies in X, Y, Theta...
  12. D

    How to attach a gear to a static shaft?

    Homework Statement A shaft is being used as a cantilever and is held in the housing by its fit. It is to remain static whilst a gear is attached to the free end, how to you retain the gear on the free end of the shaft? Sketch a suitable method Homework Equations n/a The Attempt at a Solution...
  13. S

    Can rotating shafts experience changes in deflection due to inertial effects?

    I am curious how the deflection of a shaft changes due to rotation. In the force diagram image the green arrows show the rotational fixture locations and the purple arrow show the location of the applied force. The second image shows the deflection during a static test. If the force is applied...
  14. B

    Can I acquire the shaft position of my motor using my VFD

    The project I am working on is to design the control system for a shock dynamometer. I am using Labview and communicating to the VFD using Modbus. The shock dyno will look a little something like this; So one of the main objectives in my project is to produce a plot as seen below; The...
  15. ramzerimar

    Torsion in Shafts: Conceptual Doubt Explained

    I have some conceptual doubts about shafts subjected to torsion. When studying Strenght of Materials, to find stress and strain in power transmission shafts, we consider that one of the ends of the shaft is fixed, with all degrees of freedom restricted, and the other one is receiving torque. I'm...
  16. W

    Choosing the Right Tolerance for Bearing Housing Design: A Scientist's Guide

    I'm currently in the process of designing a bearing housing for an axle. Unfortunately I am not 100% on the diameter of my axle yet but I want to have a clear understanding what tolerances to use on my axle to bearing bore and bearing outer diameter to the bearing housing. I've looked over the...
  17. F

    Triangular shaft change to circular shaft

    Homework Statement for the circular cross section shaft , why we need to put an sin60 as to get the area ? Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution why the area shouldn't be pi(0.004) ^2 only ?
  18. S

    Help Removing A Plastic Washer from Corroded Steel Shaft

    I have a plastic slinger (hdpe, I believe) that is attached to a dishwasher motor shaft that I'm trying to disassemble so that I can replace it's bearings. The sling will twist independently of the shaft, but it won't come off. I've been thinking of hitting it with a penetrating catalyst (PB...
  19. O

    Critical speed of a vertical shaft

    Hi everyone, I have to calculate the critical speed of a vertical shaft. I have been looking on internet how to calculate, and I have found that this critical speed is based on the type of the supports of the shaft. The type of supports determine the deflection of the shaft (δ) and for this...
  20. M

    Shaft and Torque Calculations with Mass

    Suppose I have a motor driving a shaft that runs 1.5m long with a screw attached, the screw is mixing a product. Power = Torque x Speed Torque = Power/Speed To find my Torque I can use my Shear Max = Tr/J And J for a shaft is Tmax = (π / 16) τmax D3 My question is, where does the mass of the...
  21. E

    The Acceleration of a Sliding Collar on a Shaft

    Homework Statement For the mechanism shown, determine the speed and magnitude of the acceleration of collar C in terms of b, θ, θ-dot, and θ-dot-dot. Check the attached file for the diagram. We are given the length b and angle θ. Homework Equations ΣF=ma The Attempt at a Solution I...
  22. F

    Calculating Shaft Velocity from Torque: A Scientific Approach

    I was trying to figure out the velocity a 6mm diameter shaft would spin given a torque of 4000 N-mm. M =mass = .0227 Kg R=radius = .003 i=moment of inertia = 1/2*MR^2 = 1.04E-7 T/R=Force = 1300N <---Am I correct that this is force experienced by shaft? Bearing friction coefficient = .0015 iX''...
  23. BrainMan

    Turntable Rotating on Shaft Problem

    Homework Statement Homework Equations ωf = ωo = αt ∑τ = Iα The Attempt at a Solution [/B] 1) Find the acceleration ωf = ωo + αt (ωf-ωo) / t = α = -0.231 rad/sec 2) Find ∑τ ∑τ =Iα I assumed that the only torque acting on the turntable was the torque due to friction τfriction =...
  24. J

    Prop Shaft load parked on a grade

    What would the torque on a driveshaft be for a 8 ton vehicle in park on a 16% grade? Tire radius is 19". Axle ratio it 7.1.
  25. F

    Torsion on a shaft calculated by hand vs FEA

    Hi, I am a bit confused. So I have a shaft with a step on both sides so it gets really large in the middle. I am trying to model torsion on the rotor of a BLDC motor with FEA (or by hand calculations). If I apply a moment on the sides and fix the faces at the end of the shaft I get 1 result...
  26. PM22

    Formula to calculate force as a function of angle

    What formula can I use to calculate the force I need to apply to a sliding arm that makes a point contact along the edge of a rotating arm attached to a shaft driving a load in order to push the rotating arm to rotate the shaft? The rotating arm is 1 cm wide. The load at the shaft is 1 Nm...
  27. Sirsh

    Synchronous Speed to Shaft Speed

    Hi All I have a standard induction motor torque vs. synchronous speed diagram and I want to calculate the shaft-speed at any point along the curve (from 0% synchronous speed to 100% synchronous speed). I know that the synchronous speed is 1500 rpm at 95% synchronous speed (which is also at...
  28. F

    Shaft radius from shear modulus

    Hi. I am trying to determine the size of a shaft for a motor I am designing. The thing is, I can't seem to find shear stress alone for steel. I can find shear modulus easy though... But I don't really know the angle of twist. I know torque and I am trying to figure out radius. Should I just...
  29. D

    Atmospheric Pressure on Shaft of piston cylinder assembly

    Homework Statement In a vertical piston cylinder assembly, a vertical shaft whose cross sectional area is 0.8 cm^2 is attached to the top of the piston. Determine the magnitude F, of the force acting on the shaft, in N, required if the gas pressure inside the cylinder is 3 bar. The masses of...
  30. S

    Overhung load, extending output shaft

    I have a hollow output shaft gearbox that will accept a 1-1/8" solid shaft, I want to extend the output shaft of a gearbox by 6 inches from the face of output seal to the end of the shaft. The manufacturer states that gear reducer is rated 899 lbs with the hollow shaft or a solid shaft that...
  31. T

    Breaking solid shaft in torsion purposefully

    I am trying to design a drive shaft that breaks when i apply a specific torque to protect fro over torquing. I made a few samples, and now i am trying to compare the results to my equations. My problem is, none of the equations seem to match the actual results. Your help would be appreciated: I...
  32. shintashi

    For gear teeth to linear shaft, what's the center point?

    I used to know this back when i worked with Flash animation, but I'm working on a 3D printer now and I've forgotten, when you have a set of teeth, on a linear shaft and a gear, do you base the unrolling of the gear, for the spacing, on the inside of the teeth, the outside of the teeth, or the...
  33. I

    Torque needed to rotate shaft in pipe?

    I have a shaft within a pipe, all horizontal. Shaft diameter is 2.875" and pipe inner diameter is 5". Shaft and pipe length is 650 ft. Shaft weight is 2500 lb. I need to determine the torque needed to begin rotating the shaft. The coefficient of static friction between the shaft and the pipe is...
  34. Paul Nicholson

    The easiest way to run wires through a rotating shaft?

    I found this closed thread and I'd like to continue it: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/design-question-wiring-motors.459672/ I am building a rotating ceiling mount (or rotating a floor plate) and am trying to solve the problem of the continuous rotation servo motor getting in the way of...
  35. I

    Calculating the maximum shear stress in a shaft

    Homework Statement Homework Equations Torque = Force x Distance Shear stress = Force/Area 3. The Attempt at a Solution I know how to do this question as I've seen the mark scheme. However, initially I did it wrong. What I did was as follows: Torque = Force x Distance therefore...
  36. r_prieto5

    Start-up acceleration, max speed and torque of a transfer car

    Homework Statement A transfer car moves concrete slabs. Given values are wheel diameter D, shaft diameter d, rolling resistance FL , speed v, car weight mv , load weight mk , output power P at rotation speed n, average torque Mm , motor moment of inertia Jm , fan moment of inertia Jt and...
  37. J

    Calculating Gear RPM: Understanding Tire and Shaft Rotation | 60 Tooth Gear

    Hey Guys, So in the attached image I'm trying to determine what the rpm of the 60 tooth gear will be given the 8.4" tire will be rotating at .68 rpm, everything else is just an assumption on my part. I'm assuming the following which is probably wong: The tire being rotated at .68 rpm will...
  38. K

    [Cam Design] Calculation of torque required by cam shaft

    Hello all, I am trying to figure out how to calculate the torque on a cam shaft. Say we are looking at this cam and cam follower: If we know that the total force downward caused by the cam follower is, let's say, 50lb, how do I determine the torque required of the cam shaft to rotate the...
  39. T

    Working Out Shaft Torque in a Stirred Tank with a Cylindrical Shape

    Here is some background to the problem (in a stirred tank): "With yield stress non-Newtonian (viscoplastic) fluids, it is possible to generate an agitated volume around the impeller, defined as a cavern, surrounded by a stagnant region where the shear stress is insufficient to overcome the...
  40. P

    Solving Disk Shaft (ENES102) Homework Equations

    Homework Statement [/B] Homework Equations r[/B]BA= rA-rB UBA= rBA/rBAF= KS F= Magnitude of force S=Spring deformation >Lf-LiThe Attempt at a Solution So far I have found the components for RB and some RA, but the thing I'm missing is the R AZ. I know that at 0 and 90 degree the spring is...
  41. Spinnor

    Torsion, helicity of drive shaft, direction of energy-flow.

    The drive shaft of a truck undergoing acceleration twists a small amount. That twist defines a helicity. If you just know the rotation of a drive shaft you can not tell which way power flows but if given rotation and the twist of the shaft that can determine the direction of power flow? Thanks!
  42. P

    Terminology for rotating shaft with blades?

    Technical terminology: what’s it called? A cylindrical shaft which rotates in a fluid medium and carries a set of radially-arranged blades (?splines) attached by hinges. The blades fold flat against the shaft when it rotates in one direction (say clockwise) but they sweep out automatically to...
  43. L

    Braking Torque Needed to Stop Shaft w/ 34kg m Inertia @ 600rpm

    A tyre on a shaft with a moment of inertia of 34kg m is initially running at 600rpm. It is brought to rest in 18 complete revolutions by a braking torque; reversed, and accelerated in the opposite direction by a driving torque of 675Nm. The friction couple throughout Is 160Nm. Find the braking...
  44. R

    Frequency of gears (given frequency of shaft)

    Homework Statement Homework Equations tangential velocity v = ωr angular velocity ω = 2πf The Attempt at a Solution Not really looking for help to solve the problem. I'm just confused about the speed/angular velocity and frequency If the frequency of the motor is given as 24 Hz, then...
  45. L

    Strength of material in hollow shaft torque and safety factor

    Homework Statement the tube has ID of 450mm, t= 6mm, OD= 462mm, pressure is 1.2MPa This is based on ASTM A36 steel, which have Ultimate Tensile strength 400-550MPa Yield Tensile strength 250Mpa Modululs of Elasticity 200Gpa Shear Modulus 79.3GPa Determine the factor of...
  46. P

    Shaft and Pin Size of Slider Crank Mechanism

    Hi all, I am working on a slider crank mechanism for moving an object of about 100 kg back and forth 30 mm at about 600 rpm. I plan to attach the connecting rod onto a flywheel that act as a crank, or attach to a pulley (in case need to use a transmission system to reduce input speed, increase...
  47. I

    Determining the number of gear teeth?

    I have a system that consists of a shaft and two selected gears. I want the shaft to be rotating at 250 RPM and to deliver an input power to the system of 850W. The input torque at the shaft is 71Nm. How can i use this information to determine how large my driving and driven gears will be...
  48. I

    Selecting the best material for gears?

    This system consists of a shaft that is connected to a motor that is rotating at 200rpm. The whole shaft consists of two gears. The input power of the system is 500W. Is there a way i can calculate how exactly i can find the best material for my gears that is able to withstand the input power...
  49. S

    How can incorrect torque calculations lead to contradictory solutions?

    Hi, Struggling with calculating the angle of twist, using TL/GJ. The answer to (b)(i) is 946.1 Nm. Using 0.3 m length section. 946.1 * 0.3 / 75 x 10^9 * 2.047 x 10^-7 = 0.0185 * 180/pi = 1.06 rads Answer is 0.273. Question below (b)(ii):
  50. S

    Calculating Shaft Size for 100 Nm of Torque

    hello i have a torque of 100 Nm. how to calculate the shaft size?
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