RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TORQUE AND SHEARING STRESS

ON CIRCULAR SHAFTS

 Shear Stress in the Shaft

When a shaft is subjected to a torque or twisting a shearing stress is produced in the

shaft. The shear stress varies from zero in the axis to a maximum at the outside
surface of the shaft.

The shear stress in a solid circular shaft in a given position can be expressed as:

τ=Tr/J (1)

where

τ = shear stress (Pa, psi)

T = twisting moment (Nm, in lb)

r = distance from center to stressed surface in the given position (m, in)

J = Polar Moment of Inertia of Area (m4, in4)

Note

 the "Polar Moment of Inertia of an Area" is a measure of a shaft's ability to

resist torsion. The "Polar Moment of Inertia" is defined with respect to an axis
perpendicular to the area considered. It is analogous to the "Area Moment of
Inertia" - which characterizes a beam's ability to resist bending - required to
predict deflection and stress in a beam.

SAMPLE PROBLEMS

Example - Shear Stress and Angular Deflection in a Solid Cylinder

1.) A moment of 1000 Nm is acting on a solid cylinder shaft with diameter 50 mm

(0.05 m) and length 1 m. The shaft is made in steel with modulus of rigidity 79
GPa (79 109 Pa).

Maximum shear stress can be calculated as

τmax = T r / J

= T (D / 2) / (π D4 / 32)
 = (1000 Nm) ((0.05 m) / 2) / (π (0.05 m)4 / 32)

= 40764331 Pa

= 40.8 MPa

The angular deflection of the shaft can be calculated as

θ = L T / (J G)

= L T / ((π D4 / 32) G)

= (1 m) (1000 Nm) / ((π (0.05 m)4 / 32) (79 109 Pa))

= 0.021 (radians)

= 1.2 o

Example - Shear Stress and Angular Deflection in a Hollow Cylinder

2.) A moment of 1000 Nm is acting on a hollow cylinder shaft with outer diameter 50
mm (0.05 m), inner diameter 30 mm (0.03 m) and length 1 m. The shaft is made
in steel with modulus of rigidity 79 GPa (79 109 Pa).

Maximum shear stress can be calculated as

τmax = T r / J

= T (D / 2) / (π (D4 - d4) / 32)

= (1000 Nm) ((0.05 m) / 2) / (π ((0.05 m)4 - (0.03 m)4) / 32)

= 46.8 MPa

The angular deflection of the shaft can be calculated as

θ = L T / (J G)

= L T / ((π D4 / 32) G)

= (1 m) (1000 Nm) / ((π ((0.05 m)4 - (0.03 m)4) / 32) (79 109 Pa))

= 0.023 radian)

= 1.4 o
 TORSION DEFORMATION

Torsional Deformation

Torque is a moment that twists a structure. Unlike axial loads which produce a uniform,
or average, stress over the cross section of the object, a torque creates a distribution of
stress over the cross section. To keep things simple, we're going to focus on structures
with a circular cross section, often called rods or shafts. When a torque is applied to the
structure, it will twist along the long axis of the rod, and its cross section remains
circular.

We can immediately learn a few things from this equation. The first thing might be
obvious: the more angle of twist, the larger the shear strain (denoted by the Greek
symbol gamma, as before). Second, and this is the big difference between axial-loaded
structures and torque-loaded ones, the shear strain is not uniform along the cross
section. It is zero at the center of the twisted rod, and is at a maximum value at the edge
of the rod. Finally, the longer the rod, the smaller the shear strain.

So far, we've focused our attention on displacements and strain. To discuss the stress
within a twisted rod we need to know how torque and stress relate. Since twist applies
a shear strain, we expect that torque will apply a shear stress. The relationship
between torque and shear stress is detailed in section 5.2 of your textbook, and it
results in the following relation:

In this equation, J denotes the second polar moment of area of the cross section. This
is sometimes referred to as the "second moment of inertia", but since that already has a
well-established meaning regarding the dynamic motion of objects, let's not confuse
things here. We'll discuss moment's of area in more detail at a later point, but they take
on a very simple form for circular cross sections:
(Note: those are both the same equation – solid rods have an inner radius of ci=0).

Now we have equations for our shear strain and our shear stress, all that is left to do is
use Hooke's law in shear to see how they are related. Hooke's law lets us write down a
nice equation for the angle of twist – a very convenient thing to measure in lab or our in
the field.

SOURCES:

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/torsion-shafts-d_947.html

https://www.bu.edu/moss/mechanics-of-materials-torsion/