Coupling and its Types

Function of Coupling
• Due to sagging problem of shaft, length of
continuous shaft is not kept more than 10
meters
• To join two rotating shafts permanently,
Couplings are used.
• Function of coupling is to join shafts
permanently.
 Requirement of good Coupling
• It should transmit the full power from one
shaft to another.
• It should keep the shafts in perfect alignment.
• It should absorb the slight misalignment that
may be present between the driver and drive
shaft.
• It should be easy to connect and disconnect.
• It should have no projecting parts.
 Basic Types of Coupling
1. Rigid Coupling- Cannot tolerate misalignment
between the axes, Do not absorbs shocks,
Simple & inexpensive
2. Flexible coupling – Elements like bush or disk
is used, which tolerate 0.5 degrees of angular
misalignment, Absorbs shocks and vibrations,
Costlier than Rigid coupling
 Rigid Couplings
1. Muff Coupling
2. Clamp Coupling or split muff coupling
3. Rigid Flange Coupling

Muff Coupling
Split Muff Coupling Flange Coupling
 Design of Muff Coupling
1. Calculate Diameter of Solid Shaft (d): 4. Determine standard cross
16𝑇 section of the key from the table
(𝜏𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 )𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = (in next slide):
𝜋𝑑 3 𝐿
2. Dimension of the sleeve, by empirical Length of key = 𝑙 =
relation: 2
D= (2d+13) mm, L= 3.5d
5. Check Shear and compressive
D – Diameter of Sleeve stress in key, it must be less than
L – Length of Sleeve allowable stresses:
d – diameter of shaft 2𝑇 4𝑇
𝜏= ; 𝜎𝑐 =
3. Check shear stress induced in the sleeve by 𝑑𝑏𝑙 𝑑ℎ𝑙
using following formula:
16𝑇 × 𝐷
𝜏𝑆𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑣𝑒 =
𝜋(𝐷 4 − 𝑑4 )
If, 𝜏𝑆𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑣𝑒 <(𝜏𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 )𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑣𝑒 then design is safe
Else, Design is not safe
 Design of Key
𝐿
Length of Key, 𝑙 =
2
For rectangular key:
𝑑 𝑑
𝑤 𝒐𝒓 𝑏 = , ℎ =
4 6
For square key:
𝑑 𝑑
𝑤 𝒐𝒓 𝑏 = , ℎ =
4 4
Muff coupling Problem 1 :
Design a muff coupling to connect 2 steel shafts
transmitting 25kW power at 360 rpm. The shafts
and keys are made of plain carbon steel 30C8
(Syt = Syc = 400 N/mm2). The sleeve is made of
grey cast iron FG 200 (Sut= 200 N/mm2). The
factor of safety for the shafts and key is 4. For
the sleeve, the factor of safety is 6 based on
ultimate strength.
 Solution to Problem 1
1.Diameter of Shaft, d= 40.73 mm
2. Diameter of Sleeve, D = 103 mm
3. Length of Sleeve, L = 157.5 mm
𝑁 𝑁
4. 𝜏𝑆𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑣𝑒 = 3.02 < 16.67
𝑚𝑚2 𝑚𝑚2

5. Length of Key, l = 80 mm
𝑁 𝑁
6. 𝜏𝑘𝑒𝑦 = 26.32 < 50
𝑚𝑚2 𝑚𝑚2

𝑁 𝑁
7. 𝜎𝑐_𝑘𝑒𝑦 = 81.87 < 100
𝑚𝑚2 𝑚𝑚2
 Clamp Coupling or split muff coupling or
compression coupling
• Coupling sleeve in clamp coupling is made
up of two halves that are clamped
together with bolts.
• Number of bolts may be =4,8 etc.
(multiples of four)
• Bolts are placed in the recesses formed in
the sleeve halves.
 Torque transmission by Clamp
Coupling
• In clamp coupling Torque is transmitted by

1] Friction between sleeve halves & shaft

2] Shear resistance of keys

While in muff coupling Torque is transmitted by : Shear

resistance of key only
 Design of Clamp Coupling
• For Sleeve halves,
D= outer Diameter of sleeve halves (mm)
L = length of sleeve (mm)
d= Diameter of shaft (mm)
1) D = 2.5 d
2) L= 3.5 d
 Design of Clamp Coupling
For clamping bolt, Suppose, N= coupling force
P1 = Clamping force on each bolt on each shaft due to bolt
d1 = core diameter of clamping bolt n= total number of bolts
𝒏
4) 𝑵 = 𝑷𝟏
𝜎𝑡 = Permissible tensile stress 𝟐
𝝅
1) P1 = 𝒅𝟏 𝟐 𝝈𝒕
𝟒
2) 𝒅𝟏 = (0.2 d + 10) mm ; d<55 mm
3) 𝒅𝟏 = (0.15 d + 15) mm ; d>55 mm
 Frictional Torque
• As there is friction between sleeve halves
(having bolts which applies P1 force) & shaft
𝑑 𝑑
Torque, T = 𝜇 𝑁 +𝜇 𝑁= 𝜇 𝑁𝑑
2 2
𝜇 𝑑 𝑛 𝑃1
𝑇=
2
 Split muff Coupling Problem 2
It is required to design a split muff coupling to
transmit 50 kW power at 120 rpm. The shafts,
key and coupling bolts are made of plain carbon
steel 30C8 (Syt = 400 N/mm2). The yield strength
in compression is 150% of the tensile strength.
The factor of safety for the shafts, key and bolts is
5. The number of clamping bolts is 8. The co-
efficient of friction between sleeve halves and
shaft is 0.3.
 Solution to Problem 2
1. Diameter of shaft, d = 79.72 mm or 80 mm
2. Diameter of Sleeve, D = 200 mm
3. Length of Sleeve, L = 280 mm
4. Diameter of bolt, d1 = 26 mm
5. Length of key, l =140 mm
𝑁 𝑁
6. 𝜏𝑘𝑒𝑦 = 32.3 < 40
𝑚𝑚2 𝑚𝑚2

𝑁 𝑁
7. 𝜎𝑐_𝑘𝑒𝑦 = 101.5 < 120
𝑚𝑚2 𝑚𝑚2
 Design of Flange Coupling
• Types of flange coupling- Protected type ,
Marine type and Unprotected type
 Design of Protected Type Flange
Coupling
1. Outside diameter of hub, 6. Diameter of spigot and
dh = 2d recess, dr = 1.5 d
2. Length of Hub or Length 7. Outside diameter of flange,
of key, Do= 4d+t1
lh = 1.5 d d=shaft diameter in mm
3. Pitch circle diameter of
Bolt, D=3d
4. Thickness of flanges, t=
0.5 d
5. Thickness of protecting
rim, t1=0.25 d
 Design of Bolts in Protected Flange
Coupling
Case 1 Bolts fitted in reamed and Case 2 Bolts fitted in large clearance
ground holes hole
1. Shear force in each bolt due to Total torque transmitted, T = 𝜇𝑃𝑖 𝑁𝑅𝑓
𝑃
rotation of shaft, 𝜏 = 𝜋 2 𝜇 = co-efficient of friction between
𝑑 flanges
4 1
2. Total torque due to ‘N’ bolts, 𝑃𝑖 = Initial tension in each bolt
𝐷 𝑁 = number of bolts
T=Px xN
2 2 (𝑅𝑜3 −𝑅𝑖3 )
𝑅𝑓 =
3(𝑅𝑜2 −𝑅𝑖2 )
Torque ‘T’ will be same torque 𝐷𝑜
transmitted by shaft. 𝑅𝑜 = 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 =
2
𝑑𝑟
𝑅𝑖 = 𝑅𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 =
2
 Design of Protected Flange coupling

1. Calculate Diameter of Solid Shaft (d): 4. Calculate the diameter of bolt, d1:
16𝑇 a) Using Case 1 equation:
(𝜏𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 )𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑓𝑡 = 𝐷
𝜋𝑑 3 T=Px2xN
2. Dimension of the sleeve, by empirical
b) Using Case 2 equation:
relation:
Calculate all 7 dimensions shown in previous
T = 𝜇𝑃𝑖 𝑁𝑅𝑓 → Find 𝑃𝑖 → Find diameter of bolt
slide no. 18 𝜋
3. Check shear stress induced in the hub by (𝑑1 ), Using 𝑃𝑖 = 4 𝑑12 𝜎𝑡 ,
using following formula: 𝜎𝑡 = Permissible tensile strength of bolt
16𝑇 × 𝑑ℎ material
𝜏ℎ𝑢𝑏 =
𝜋(𝑑ℎ4 − 𝑑 4 )
If, 𝜏ℎ𝑢𝑏 <(𝜏𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 )ℎ𝑢𝑏 then design is safe
Else, Design is not safe
 Problem 3 based on Flange coupling
A rigid coupling is used to transmit 20 kW power
at 720 rpm. There are four bolts and the pitch
circle diameter of the bolts is 125 mm. The bolts
𝑁
are made of steel 45C8 (𝑆𝑦𝑡 = 380 2 ) and
𝑚𝑚
factor of safety is 3. Assume Shear strength ,
(𝑆𝑠𝑦 = 0.577 𝑆𝑦𝑡 ) and determine the diameter
of the bolts.
Case is reamed and ground holes. [CASE 1]
 Solution to problem 3
2𝜋𝑁𝑇
1. Find Torque transmitted, Power =
60
2. Find Allowable shear stress in bolts, 𝜏𝑎𝑙𝑙 =
𝑆𝑠𝑦
𝐹𝑂𝑆
3. Find load P transmitted due to torque , T= P x
𝐷
xN
2
4. Using equation of shear stress for bolt, find
𝑃
diameter of bolts, 𝜏𝑎𝑙𝑙 = 𝜋 2
𝑑
4 1