SSM INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

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Department of Mechanical Engineering
CE8395 – STRENGTH OF MATERIALS - Question Bank

Class: IV Semester Section : C Date: 19-02-2019

HELICAL SPRINGS
1. What are springs? Name the two important types.
Springs are energy absorbing units whose function is to store energy and to restore it slowly or rapidly
depending on the particular application. (i) helical spring (ii) Spiral spring (iii) Leaf springs
2. What are the uses of springs?
(a) To apply forces and to control motions as in brakes and clutches.
(b) To measure forces as in spring balance.
(c) To store energy as in clock springs.
(d) To reduce the effect of shock or impact loading as in carriage springs.
(e) To change the vibrating characteristics of a member as inflexible mounting of motors.
3. Differentiate open coiled helical spring from the close coiled helical spring.
S.
Close coiled helical Spring Open coiled helical Spring
No.
1. Helix angle will be less than 100 and very small. Helix angle will be more than 100.
They have very small pitch. Closed coiled helical They have high pitch. There will be large space
spring wires are very close to each other and between two consecutive wires of open coiled
2.
hence, spring turns or coils will lie in same plane. helical springs and hence, no two turns of open
coiled helical spring will lie in same plane.
Closed coiled helical springs are also termed as Open coiled helical springs are also termed as
3. tension springs as such springs are designed to compression springs as such springs are designed
resist the tensile load and twisting load to resist the compressive load.
Example :Garage door assemblies, Carburetors, Valve assemblies in engines, Feeder mechanism,
4.
Vise-grip pliers Ball point pen
4. Define stiffness of a spring.
Spring stiffness: The stiffness is defined as the load per unit deflection (N/mm) therefore

5. State the type of stress induced in each spring due to an axial load.
Helical springs are made of wire coiled into a helical form, the load being applied along the axis of the helix.
In these types of springs the major stress is torsional shear stress due to twisting. They are both used in tension
and compression.
6. What is spring index (C)?
Spring index is basically defined as the ratio of mean diameter of spring to the wire diameter of spring.
C=D/d
7. Write down the equation for Wahl factor.
Wahl factor: In order to take into account the effect of direct shear and change in coil curvature, a stress
factor is defined, which is known as Wahl's factor.
Where K = Wahl' s factor and C = spring index = D/d
[Note: if we take into account the Wahl's factor than the formula for the shear stress becomes ]

8. A closely coiled helical spring having 12 coils of wire diameter 16 mm and made with coil diameter 250
mm is subjected to an axial load of 300 N. Find axial deflection, strain energy stored and torsional shear
stress. Modulus of rigidity = 80 GN/m2.

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9. A close coiled helical spring is required to absorb 2250 joules of energy. Determine the diameter of the wire,
the mean coil diameter of the spring and the number of coils necessary if (i) the maximum stress is not to
exceed 400 MPa, (ii) the maximum compression of the spring is limited to 250 mm (iii) the mean diameter of
the spring is eight times the wire diameter. For the spring material, rigidity modulus is 70 GPa.

10. A closed coiled helical spring has a stiffness of 10 N/mm. its length when fully compressed with adjacent coils
touching each other is 400 mm. the modulus of rigidity of the material of the spring = 80 GPa.
(i) Determine the wire diameter and mean coil diameter if their ratio is 1/10.
(ii) If the gap between any two adjacent coils is 2 mm. What maximum load can be applied before the
spring becomes solid (ie) adjacent coils touch.
(iii) What is the corresponding maximum shear stress in the spring?
[Ans: d = 20 mm, D = 200 mm, W = 400 N, τmax= 25.456 N/mm2]
11. A close coiled helical spring is to be made out of 5 mm diameter wire 2 m long so that it deflects by 20 mm
under an axial load of 50 N. Determine the mean diameter of the coil. Take C= 8.1 x 104N/mm2.
[Ans: D= 63.06 mm]
12. A close coiled helical spring of mean diameter 20 cm is made of 3 cm diameter rod and has 16 turns. A
weight of 3 kN is dropped on this spring. Find the height by which the weight should be dropped before
striking the spring so that the spring may be compressed by 18 cm. Take C= 8 x 104N/mm2.
[Ans: W= 11390 N, h=161.7 mm]
13. The stiffness of a close coiled helical spring is 1.5 N/mm of compression under a maximum load of 60 N. The
maximum shearing stress produced in the wire is 125 N/mm2. The solid length of the spring (when the coils
are touching) is given as 50 mm. Take C = 4.5 x 104N/mm2Find (i) the diameter of wire (ii) the mean diameter
of the coils and (iii) number of coils required. [Ans: R = 0.40971 d3, n =14.6 ~= 15 turns]
14. A hollow shaft with diameter ratio 3/8 is required to transmit 500 kW at 100 rpm, the maximum torque being
20% greater than the mean. The maximum shear stress is not to exceed 60 N/mm2 and the twist in a length of
3 m is not to exceed 1.4o. Calculate the minimum diameters required for the shaft. Take C = 84 kN/mm2.

THIN CYLINDERS AND SPHERICAL SHELL

1. How do you classify a cylinder or a shell in to thick or thin?
Thin cylinder is cylinder whose wall thickness is lesser than 1/20 times of its internal diameter. (If d =400mm then its
thickness would be less than 20mm) or cylinder whose wall thickness is 7% less than its internal diameter.
Thick cylinder is cylinder whose wall thickness is greater than 1/20 times of its internal diameter. (If d =20mm then
its thickness would be greater than 400mm) or cylinder whose wall thickness is 7% more than its internal diameter.
2. Distinguish between spherical shells and cylindrical shells.
(i) Thin cylindrical and spherical shells are also termed as pressure vessels and such vessels are usually used in various
engineering applications such as for storing the fluid under pressure.
(ii) Wall thickness of a thin cylindrical and spherical shell will be equal or less than the 1/20 of the internal diameter of
shell.
(ii) Boilers, LPG cylinders, Air receiver tanks are the best examples of thin cylindrical shells.
(iv) Thin cylindrical shells are mainly subjected to circumferential and longitudinal stresses. Thin spherical shells are
mainly subjected to circumferential stresses.
3. Find the thickness of the pipe due to an internal pressure of 10 N/mm2 if the permissible stress is 120 N/mm2.
The diameter of pipe is 750 mm.
4. Calculate the thickness of metal required for a cast-iron main 800 mm in diameter for water at a pressure head
of 100 m if the maximum permissible tensile stress is 20 MN/m2 and weight density of water is 10 kN/m3.
5. A cylindrical shell of 500 mm diameter is required to withstand an internal pressure of 4 MPa. Find the
minimum thickness of the shell, if maximum tensile strength in the plate material is 400 N/mm2 and efficiency
of joint is 65%. Take factor of safety as 5.
6. A spherical shell of 1 m diameter is subjected to an internal pressure 0.5 N/mm2. Find the thickness of the
shell, if the allowable stress in the material of the shell is 75 N/mm2.
7. What are wire wound cylinders?
One way to strengthen a thin walled cylinder against an Internal Pressure is to wind the cylinder
outside with strong steel wire under tension. This puts the cylinder into compression and consequently reduces

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 the Hoop Stress. In many applications the maximum Stress will be in the wire, which must be made of high-
tensile material.
8. Define radial pressure in thin cylinder.
The radial stress for a thick-walled cylinder is equal and opposite to the gauge pressure on the inside
surface, and zero on the outside surface. The circumferential stress and longitudinal stresses are usually much
larger for pressure vessels, and so for thin-walled cylinder, radial stress is usually neglected.
9. How does a thin cylinder fail due to internal fluid pressure?
Failure of materials under combined tensile and shear stresses are not simple to predict.
Maximum Principal Stress Theory
Component fails when one of the principal stresses exceeds the value that causes failure in simple
tension
Maximum Shear Stress Theory
Component fails when maximum shear stress exceeds the shear stress that causes failure in simple
tension
Maximum Strain Energy Theory
Component fails when strain energy per unit volume exceeds the value that causes failure in simple
tension
10. Name the types of stresses induced in a thin cylindrical vessel subjected to internal pressure.

1. A steel cylindrical shell 3 m long which is closed at its ends, had an internal diameter of 1.5 m and a wall
thickness of 20 mm. Calculate the circumferential and longitudinal stress induced and also the change in
dimensions of the shell if it is subjected to an internal pressure of 1.0 N/mm 2. Assume the modulus of
elasticity and poisson’s ratio for steel as 200 kN/mm2 and 0.3 respectively.