Transmission Drive Shaft

Introduction:
The transmission drive shaft (also called propeller shaft or prop shaft) is a component
of the drive train in a vehicle, with the purpose of delivering torque from the transmission
to the differential, which then transmits this torque to the wheels in order to move the
vehicle.[2] The drive shaft is primarily used to transfer torque between components that are
separated by a distance, since different components must be in different locations in the
vehicle. A front-engine rear-wheel drive car must have a long drive shaft connecting the
rear axle to the transmission since these parts are on opposite sides of the car.
Drive shafts are used differently in different vehicles, varying greatly in cars with distinct
configurations for front-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, and the front-engine rear-wheel
drive. Other vehicles also use drive shafts, like motorcycles, locomotives, and marine
vessels.

Purpose of the Transmission Drive Shaft (Or Propeller

Shaft):
The torque that is produced from the engine and transmission must be transferred to the
rear wheels to push the vehicle forward and reverse. The drive shaft must provide a
smooth, uninterrupted flow of power to the axles. The drive shaft and differential are used
to transfer this torque.

Functions of the Transmission Drive Shaft:

a) First, it must transmit torque from the transmission to the differential gear box.
b) During the operation, it is necessary to transmit maximum low-gear torque developed by
the engine.
c) The drive shafts must also be capable of rotating at the very fast speeds required by the
vehicle.
d) The drive shaft must also operate through constantly changing angles between the
transmission, the differential and the axles. As the rear wheels roll over bumps in the road,
the differential and axles move up and down. This movement changes the angle between
the transmission and the differential.

Aim and Scope:

Shafts are one of the most important component in machines (like automobile etc) as they
transmit torque from one place to another, which is a key to the running of these machines.
So special care must be taken while designing them.
The aim of this project is to design a transmission drive shaft of car with the use of ASME
equation.
• A sensible minimum nominal diameter for the drive shaft is to be determined
• Mid-mounted spur gear and overhung pulley wheel are also to be taken into
consideration in the calculations.
• The shaft is to be design and then manufactured using 817M40 hot rolled alloy steel
because of its superior properties over conventional steel which has a low specific
stiffness and strength. 817M40 alloy is also lighter (less denser) than conventional steel
and this helps in designing a lighter shaft which would result in better fuel economy.

Material Properties:

The material used in the designing of shaft is 817M40 hot rolled alloy steel.
817M40 is a 1.5% Ni-Cr-Mo high hardenability, high tensile strength steel. It is generally
supplied in the Hardened and Tempered condition in the tensile range of (850 – 1000)
MPa (T Condition) but can be heat treated to (850 – 1550) MPa dependent on section size
(T – Z Condition). It could also be supplied in the annealed condition suitable for pre-heat
treatment machining.
This grade is very popular and widely used for many high strength applications where a
good combination of strength and impact properties are essential in fairly large
components.
This alloy is used in most industry sectors for a wide variety of applications including high
strength machine parts, collets, spindles, gears, bolts shafts and couplings etc.