A Review on the design and analysis of composite drive shaft

Abstract

In current scenario, the most important component in any power transmission application is the drive shaft. Drive shaft is a mechanical component used to connect the drive train components which are not connected due to the distance between them. Drive shafts are used for transmitting torque and power which subjects the drive shafts to high torsional and shear stress. Composite materials are having high specific stiffness, strength, specific modulus, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, fatigue life and light weight properties. Automobile industries are exploring composite materials usage by replacing the conventional one because of light weight properties reduces the vehicle weight without compromising the quality and reliability. The literature raises the issue on torsion, buckling, natural bending frequency and the weight of the drive shaft. The objective of the paper is to review: (a) the work carried out on the composite drive shafts which are used in the automotive applications; (b) fabrication techniques and materials used in the fabrication of composite shafts (c) finite element analysis on composite shaft and steel shaft.