Torsion of Solid Shafts

Assumptions:
1. The shaft is composed of a succession of
thin concentric tubes;

2. Each thin tube carries shear force

independent of, and without interfering
with, its neighbours.

3. Lines which are radial before twisting are

assumed to remain radial after twisting;

4. The shaft is not stressed beyond the elastic

limit.
Area, dA = 2π r x dr
If q is the shear stress at radius r, then
Shear force on tube = 2π r x dr x q
Torque carried by tube = 2π r x dr x q x r
= 2π r2q dr

We know that
q Gθ
=
r l
 Gθ
Torque carried by tube = 2πr 2 x r x dr
l
Gθ 3
= 2π r dr
l

The whole torque T carried by the solid shaft is the sum

of all the elementary torques, ie

R Gθ 3
T= ∫ 0
2π
l
r dr
Since radial lines before twisting remain radial after
twisting, θ is the same for all the thin tubes making up
the shaft. Also G and l are constant, therefore

Gθ R Gθ
∫
3
T= 2π r dr = Ip
l 0 l

Ip is the polar second moment of area of a shaft

of circular section.
 T Gθ
Rearranging =
Ip l
q Gθ
Since =
r l

A useful re-arrangement

T Gθ q
= =
Ip l r
Another useful re-arrangement

Tl
θ=
GIp
Important points:
The angle of twist θ varies directly with length
l; Tr
q=
Ip
Since
for a given torque T, the shear stress q is
proportional to the radius r. Thus the
maximum shear stress occurs at the outside
surface where r=d/2, and the shear stress at
the centre of the shaft is zero.
A thin steel tube 90 mm inside diameter is subjected
to a torque of 500Nm.

a)If the shear stress is not to exceed 28 MN/m2,

calculate the tube thickness.

b)If the twist is not to exceed 2.5mm of arc on a

600mm length what would be the thickness required?

G = 84 GN/m2.
A thin tube 1.5 mm thick, 80 mm mean diameter is
subjected to a torque of 350 Nm. Calculate (a) the
shear stress in the tube, (b) the twist on a 1 m
length.

G = 84 GN/m2.
 Twisting of Hollow shafts

If d2 and d1 are the outside and inside diameters

of a hollow shaft subject to a twisting moment T
then the equation
Gθ R
T=
l ∫ 0
2π r 3 dr

may be rewritten as:

Gθ d2 / 2
T=
l ∫d1 / 2
2π r 3 dr
 Twisting of Hollow shafts

Gθ d2 / 2
Ip =
l ∫
d1 / 2
2π r 3 dr

4 4
π (d 2 - d 1 )
Ip =
32
Since
T q
=
Ip r

then
T
q= .r
Ip

The maximum shear stress for a given torque is

again at the outside fibres of the shaft, where r =
d2/2.
Comparison of shear stress distributions in a solid
and a hollow shaft
 Stiffness and Strength

The stiffness or torsional rigidity of a shaft is the

torque to produce unit angle of twist. Thus if a
torque T produces a twist θ then

T G Ip
stiffness = =
θ l
 Stiffness and Strength

The strength of a shaft is measured by the

torque it can transmit for a given permissible
value of the maximum shear stress.

For a given shear stress the strengths of two

shafts are the ratio of the corresponding torques.
 Power and Torque

2π * N * T
Power = (kW) where
1000

N – number of revolutions per second;

T – torque (Nm).
Compare the torsional stiffness of a
solid shaft 50 mm diameter, 300 mm
long, with that of a hollow shaft of the
same material having diameters 75
mm, 50 mm and length 200 mm.
The propeller shaft of an aircraft engine
is steel tubing of 75 mm external and
60 mm internal diameter. The shaft is
to transmit 150 kW at 1650 rev/min.
The failing stress in shear for this shaft
is 140 MN/m2. What is the safety
factor?
7.87