Simulation of Propeller Shaft for Composite Material

Abstract

Composites are today widely used to design the automobile components as they have outstanding specific stiffness and strength properties. Weight reduction can be primarily achieved by the introduction of better material. The conventional system uses metallic shaft, has inherent limitations like heavy weight, corrosion, flexibility problems, vibrations, which magnifies with increase in shaft diameter. Advanced composite materials offer the potential to improve propulsion shafting, by reducing weight, bearing loads, alignment problems, flexibility, and vibration damping characteristics. The purpose of this study is to compare the shaft made by steel and various fibers. The main focus of this research is to study the use of jute fiber for making the driveshaft for vehicle. Driveshaft in vehicle is what makes any vehicle move by connecting the differential to the engine’s transmission system. Driveshaft undergoes various torsional loads during their operational life cycles. Due to fluctuating load most of the times, it fails and tends to stop power transmission. Thus, it is important to make and design this shaft as per load requirement with optimum strength to weight ration and stiffness to avoid failure. However, in this project work, an attempt was to evaluate the suitability of composite material such as fibers with epoxy resin for the purpose of automotive drive shaft application. A one-piece composite shaft was optimally analyzed using Finite Element Analysis Software with the objective of minimizing the weight of the shaft and comparative analysis for different types of fibers like carbon fiber, e-glass fiber and jute fiber. Jute fiber is one of the natural fibers with many advantages over conventional steel material and other fibers. Jute fiber reinforced composites are not used till for this particular application. Torsional, natural frequency and angular deformation analysis are performed to check the suitability of jute fiber composites for driveshaft application. Composites are today widely used to design the automobile components as they have outstanding specific stiffness and strength properties. Weight reduction can be primarily achieved by the introduction of better material. The conventional system uses metall ic shaft, has inherent limitations like heavy weight, corrosion, flexibility problems, vibrations, which magnifies with increase in shaft diameter. Advanced composite materials offer the potential to improve propulsion shafting, by reducing weight, bearing loads, alignment problems, flexibility, and vibration damping characteristics. The purpose of this paper study is to compare the shaft made by steel and various fibers. The main focus of this research is to study the use of jute fiber for making the d rive shaft shaft for vehicle. Driveshaft in vehicle is what makes any vehicle move by connecting the differential to the engine’s transmission system. Driveshaft undergoes various torsional loads during their operational life cycles. Due to fluctuating load mos t of the times, it fails and tends to stop power transmission. Thus, it is important to make and design this shaft as per load requirement with optimum strength to weight ration [AG1] and stiffness to avoid failure. However, in this project work , an attempt w ill be as to evaluate the suitability of composite material such as f ibers with e poxy resin for the purpose of automotive drive shaft application. A one-piece composite shaft w ill be as optimally analyze d using Finite Element Analysis Software with the objec tive of minimizing the weight of the shaft and comparative analysis for different types of fibers like c arbon fiber, e-glass fiber and jute f iber. Jute fiber is one of the natural fibers with many advantages over conventional steel material and other fiber s. Jute fiber reinforced composites are not used till for this particular application. Torsional, n atural frequency and angular deformation analysis are performed to check the suitability of jute fiber composites for driveshaft application. [AG1] ratio ?