Torsional Fatigue Characteristics of Aluminum–Composite Co-Cured Shafts with Axial Compressive Preload

Abstract

Power transmission shafts such as driving shafts or automotive propeller shafts should transmit static and dynamic torques with vibrational stability. Hybrid shafts made of unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite and metal have high fundamental bending natural frequency as well as high torque transmission capability: composite increases the fundamental bending natural frequency due to its high specific stiffness and metal such as aluminum or steel transmits the required torque. However, fabrication-induced thermal residual stresses due to the coefficient difference of thermal expansion of the composite and the metal are developed during manufacturing hybrid shafts so that the high residual stresses decrease fatigue resistance of the hybrid shafts, especially at low operating temperatures. In this paper, the torsional fatigue characteristics of aluminum–composite co-cure joined shafts with axial compressive preload were investigated. To change the thermal residual stresses, an axial compressive preload was given to the aluminum tube by a compressive jig during the co-cure bonding operation. In order to determine the thermal residual stresses with respect to the preload and temperature difference, stress analyses were performed by simple equations from mechanics of materials and finite element method. Then the static torque capacities and fatigue strengths of the hybrid shafts from static and fatigue torsional tests were correlated with the calculated thermal residual stresses. The fatigue strength of the hybrid shaft was much improved by the axial compressive preload, exceeding that of a pure aluminum shaft. Also, the degradation of the fatigue resistance of the hybrid shaft at subzero operating temperature was overcome by the axial compressive preload.