CHAPTER MECHANICS OF

3 SOLIDS
Torsion

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Contents
Introduction
Statically Indeterminate Shafts
Torsional Loads on Circular Shafts
Sample Problem 3.4
Net Torque Due to Internal Stresses
Design of Transmission Shafts
Axial Shear Components
Shaft Deformations
Shearing Strain
Stresses in Elastic Range
Normal Stresses
Torsional Failure Modes
Sample Problem 3.1
Angle of Twist in Elastic Range
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Torsional Loads on Circular Shafts

• Interested in stresses and strains of circular

shafts subjected to twisting couples or torques

• Turbine exerts torque T on the shaft

• Shaft transmits the torque to the generator

• Generator creates an equal and opposite torque

T’

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Net Torque Due to Internal Stresses
• Net of the internal shearing stresses is an internal
torque, equal and opposite to the applied torque,
T   dF    dA 
• Although the net torque due to the shearing stresses
is known, the distribution of the stresses is not
• Distribution of shearing stresses is statically
indeterminate – must consider shaft deformations
• Unlike the normal stress due to axial loads, the
distribution of shearing stresses due to torsional
loads can not be assumed uniform.

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Axial Shear Components
• Torque applied to shaft produces
shearing stresses on the faces
perpendicular to the axis.
• Conditions of equilibrium require the
existence of equal stresses on the faces
of the two planes containing the axis of
the shaft
• The existence of the axial shear
components is demonstrated by
considering a shaft made up of axial
slats.
The slats slide with respect to each
other when equal and opposite torques
are applied to the ends of the shaft.

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Shaft Deformations
• From observation, the angle of twist of the shaft is
proportional to the applied torque and to the shaft length.
 T
L

• When subjected to torsion, every cross-section of a circular

shaft remains plane and undistorted.
• Cross-sections for hollow and solid circular shafts remain
plain and undistorted because a circular shaft is
axisymmetric.
• Cross-sections of noncircular (non-axisymmetric) shafts are
distorted when subjected to torsion.

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Shearing Strain
• Consider an interior section of the shaft. As a torsional
load is applied, an element on the interior cylinder
deforms into a rhombus.

• Since the ends of the element remain planar, the shear

strain is equal to angle of twist.
• It follows that

L   or  
L

• Shear strain is proportional to twist and

radius
c 
max  and   max
L c

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Stresses in Elastic Range
• Multiplying the previous equation by the shear modulus,

G  Gmax
c
From Hooke’s Law,  G , so

   max
c
J  12  c 4 The shearing stress varies linearly with the radial position in the
section.
• Recall that the sum of the moments from the internal stress
distribution is equal to the torque on the shaft at the section,
 
T  dA  max  2 dA  max J
c c
• The results are known as the elastic torsion formulas,
Tc T

J  12  c24  c14   max  and  
J J
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Normal Stresses
• Elements with faces parallel and perpendicular to the shaft
axis are subjected to shear stresses only. Normal stresses,
shearing stresses or a combination of both may be found for
other orientations.
• Consider an element at 45o to the shaft axis,
F 2 max A0 cos 45  max A0 2
F  max A0 2
 45o    max
A A0 2
• Element a is in pure shear.
• Element c is subjected to a tensile stress on two faces and
compressive stress on the other two.
• Note that all stresses for elements a and c have the same
magnitude
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Torsional Failure Modes

• Ductile materials generally fail in shear. Brittle

materials are weaker in tension than shear.

• When subjected to torsion, a ductile specimen

breaks along a plane of maximum shear, i.e., a
plane perpendicular to the shaft axis.
• When subjected to torsion, a brittle specimen
breaks along planes perpendicular to the direction
in which tension is a maximum, i.e., along
surfaces at 45o to the shaft axis.

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Sample Problem 3.1
SOLUTION:

• Cut sections through shafts AB and BC

and perform static equilibrium analysis
to find torque loadings
• Apply elastic torsion formulas to find
minimum and maximum stress on shaft
BC
Shaft BC is hollow with inner and outer diameters
of 90 mm and 120 mm, respectively. Shafts AB • Given allowable shearing stress and
and CD are solid of diameter d. For the loading applied torque, invert the elastic
shown, determine (a) the minimum and maximum torsion formula to find the required
shearing stress in shaft BC, (b) the required diameter
diameter d of shafts AB and CD if the allowable
shearing stress in these shafts is 65 MPa.
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Sample
SOLUTION: Problem 3.1
• Cut sections through shafts AB and BC and perform static equilibrium analysis to
find torque loadings

 M x 0 6 kN m  TAB
 M x 0 6 kN m  14 kN m  TBC
TAB 6 kN m TCD
TBC 20 kN m

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Sample Problem 3.1
• Apply elastic torsion formulas to find • Given allowable shearing stress and applied
minimum and maximum stress on torque, invert the elastic torsion formula to
shaft BC find the required diameter

c24  c14  0.060 4  0.045 4 

 
J
2 2
Tc Tc 6 kN m
13.92 10 6 m 4  max   4 65MPa 
J c  c3
T c
 max  2  BC 2 
20 kN m 0.060 m  2 2

J 13.92 10 6 m 4 c 38.9 10 3 m

86.2 MPa d 2c 77.8 mm
 min c1  min 45 mm
 
 max c2 86.2 MPa 60 mm  max 86.2 MPa
 min 64.7 MPa  min 64.7 MPa
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Practice Problem

3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 3.7, 3.9, 3.17, 3.13,

3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 3.21, 3.24, 3.26,
3.27

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Angle of Twist in Elastic Range
• Recall that the angle of twist and maximum shearing
strain are related,  c

max
L
• In the elastic range, the shearing strain and shear are related by
Hooke’s Law,  Tc
max  max 
G JG
• Equating the expressions for shearing strain and solving
for the angle of twist,
TL

JG
• If the torsional loading or shaft cross-section changes
along the length, the angle of rotation is found as the sum
of segment rotations   Ti Li
i J i Gi
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Statically Indeterminate Shafts
• Given the shaft dimensions and the applied torque, we would
like to find the torque reactions at A and B.
• From a free-body analysis of the shaft,
TA  TB 90 lb ft
which is not sufficient to find the end torques.
The problem is statically indeterminate.
• Divide the shaft into two components which must have
compatible deformations,
TA L1 TB L2 L1 J 2
 1  2   0 TB  TA
J 1G J 2G L2 J 1
• Substitute into the original equilibrium equation,
LJ
TA  1 2 TA 90 lb ft
L2 J1
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Sample Problem 3.4
SOLUTION:

• Apply a static equilibrium analysis on the

two shafts to find a relationship between
TCD and T0
• Apply a kinematic analysis to relate the
angular rotations of the gears
• Find the maximum allowable torque on
each shaft – choose the smallest
Two solid steel shafts are connected by gears. • Find the corresponding angle of twist for
Knowing that for each shaft G = 11.2 x 106 psi
each shaft and the net angular rotation of
and that the allowable shearing stress is 8 ksi,
determine (a) the largest torque T0 that may be
end A
applied to the end of shaft AB, (b) the
corresponding angle through which end A of
shaft AB rotates.
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Sample Problem 3.4
SOLUTION:
• Apply a kinematic analysis to relate the angular
• Apply a static equilibrium analysis on the two rotations of the gears
shafts to find a relationship between TCD and T0

rB B rCC
 M B 0  F 0.875 in. T0
rC 2.45 in.
 M C 0  F 2.45 in. TCD  B  C  C
rB 0.875 in.
TCD 2.8 T0
 B  2 .8  C
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Sample Problem 3.4
• Find the T0 for the maximum allowable torque • Find the corresponding angle of twist for each shaft and
on each shaft – choose the smallest the net angular rotation of end A

A / B 
TAB L

561lb in.24in.

J ABG  0.375 in.4 11 .2 106 psi
2

0.387 rad 2.22o
TAB c T 0.375 in. 2.8 561lb in.24in.
 max  8000 psi  0 TCD L
C / D  
J AB  0.375 in.4
2 
J CDG  0.5 in.4 11 .2 106 psi
2

T0 663 lb in.
0.514 rad 2.95o
TCD c 2.8 T0 0.5 in.
 max 
J CD
8000 psi 
 0.5 in.4
2
 
 B 2.8C 2.8 2.95o 8.26o
 A 10.48o
T0 561lb in. T0 561lb in  A  B   A / B 8.26o  2.22o
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Design of Transmission Shafts

• Principal transmission shaft • Determine torque applied to shaft at specified

performance specifications are: power and speed, P T 2fT
­ power
P P
­ speed T 
 2f
• Designer must select shaft material
• Find shaft cross-section which will not
and cross-section to meet
exceed the maximum allowable shearing
performance specifications without
stress,
exceeding allowable shearing stress. Tc
 max 
J
J  3 T
 c  solid shafts 
c 2  max
J

 4 4
c2 2c2
 
c2  c1 
T
 max
hollow shafts 
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Assignment Problems

3.31, 3.33, 3.37, 3.38, 3.39, 3.41, 3.42, 3.43,

3.48, 3.55, 3.64, 3.65, 3.69, 3.70, 3.72, 3.73,
3.75, 3.80, 3.82

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