National Institute of Technology Durgapur

Assignment – 3: Torsion of Circular shafts and Theories of Failure (Date: 13 Oct 2023)
Programme Name : B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering Semester : III
Course Name : Solid Mechanics Due Date : 03 November 2023
Course Code : MEC 301 Max. Marks : 7.5

Instruction:
• No submission of the Answer Sheets shall be entertained after due time.
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course name, course code, name of the student, Roll No at the top (as in the format),
and signature at the bottom of every page (right-hand side bottom corner)
• Submit the physical hardcopy to the classroom.

Part I: Torsion of Circular shafts (Q1 — Q15)

Q1: Prove that a hollow shaft is stronger and stiffer than a solid shaft of same length and
weight and made of same material.

Q2: What should be the length of a 5 mm diameter wire made of aluminium so that it can
be twisted through 360° (one complete revolution) of maximum allowable shear stress 42
MPa? Consider G = 27 GPa.

Q3: A solid circular shaft transmits 75 kW power at 200 r.p.m. Calculate the shaft diameter,
if the twist in the shaft is not to exceed 1° in 2 meters length of shaft, and shear stress is
limited to 50 MN/m2 . Take G = 100 GN/m2 .

Q4: A solid cylindrical shaft is to transmit 300 kW at 100 r.p.m.

(a) If the shear stress is not to exceed 80 MN/m2 , find its diameter.
(b) What percentage saving in weight would be obtained if this shaft is replaced by a
hollow one whose internal diameter equals 0.6 of the external diameter, the length,
the material and maximum shear stress being the same?

Q5: When drilling a hole in a table leg, a furniture maker

uses a hand-operated drill (Fig. 5) with a bit of diameter
𝑑 = 4.0 mm.
(a) If the resisting torque supplied by the table leg is
equal to 0.3 N-m, what is the maximum shear
stress in the drill bit?
(b) If the shear modulus of elasticity of the steel is
𝐺 = 75 GPa, what is the rate of twist of the drill
bit (degrees per meter)?
Fig. 5
Page 1 of 7
 National Institute of Technology Durgapur
Assignment – 3: Torsion of Circular shafts and Theories of Failure (Date: 13 Oct 2023)
Programme Name : B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering Semester : III
Course Name : Solid Mechanics Due Date : 03 November 2023
Course Code : MEC 301 Max. Marks : 7.5

Fig. 6

Q6: A circular steel tube of length 𝐿 = 1.0 m is loaded in torsion by torques T (see Fig. 6).
(a) If the inner radius of the tube is 𝑟1 = 45 mm and the measured angle of twist
between the ends is 0.5°, what is the shear strain 𝛾1 (in radians) at the inner
surface?
(b) If the maximum allowable shear strain is 0.0004 rad and the angle of twist is to be
kept at 0.45° by adjusting the torque T, what is the maximum permissible outer
radius (𝑟2 )𝑚𝑎𝑥 ?

Q7: A solid circular shaft is subjected to a maximum torque of 25 kN-m. Find a suitable
diameter of a solid shaft, if the allowable shear stress and the twist are limited to 80
N/mm2 and 1°, respectively for a length of 20 times the diameter of the shaft.

Q8: The steel shaft of a socket wrench has a diameter of 8.0 mm and a length of 200 mm
(see Fig. 8). If the allowable stress in shear is 60 MPa, what is the maximum permissible
torque 𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 that may be exerted with the
wrench? Through what angle 𝜃 (in
degrees) will the shaft twist under the Fig. 8
action of the maximum torque? (Assume
G = 78 GPa)

Q9: A hollow shaft of diameter ratio 3:8 is required to transmit 600 kW power at 110 rpm,
the maximum torque being 20% greater than the mean. The shear stress is not to exceed
63 MN/m2 and angle of twist in a length of 3 m is not to exceed 1.4°. Determine the
diameter of the shaft. Assume modulus of rigidity for the shaft material as 84 GN/m2.

Page 2 of 7
 National Institute of Technology Durgapur
Assignment – 3: Torsion of Circular shafts and Theories of Failure (Date: 13 Oct 2023)
Programme Name : B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering Semester : III
Course Name : Solid Mechanics Due Date : 03 November 2023
Course Code : MEC 301 Max. Marks : 7.5

Fig. 10(a) Fig. 10(b)

Q10: A solid brass bar of diameter 𝑑 = 32 mm is subjected to torques 𝑇1 as shown in Fig.

10(a). The allowable shear stress in the brass is 90 MPa.
(a) What is the maximum permissible value of the torques 𝑇1 ?
(b) If a hole of diameter 16 mm is drilled longitudinally through the bar, as shown in
Fig. 10(b), what is the maximum permissible value of the torques 𝑇2 ?
(c) What is the percent decrease in torque and the percent decrease in weight due to
the hole?

Q11: Two 20 mm diameter steel shafts are connected using a brass coupling as shown in
Fig. 11. If the yield point for steel is 100 MPa, find out the applied torque T to cause
yielding in steel shafts. If d = 40 mm, find out the maximum shear stress developed in brass.
The coupling has an inner diameter of 20 mm.

Q12: The splined ends and the gears

attached to the steel shaft (Fig. 12) are
subjected to torques as shown in Fig.
12. Find out the angle of twist of end B
with respect to end A. Assume shear
modulus to be 75 GPa.
Fig. 11

Fig. 12

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 National Institute of Technology Durgapur
Assignment – 3: Torsion of Circular shafts and Theories of Failure (Date: 13 Oct 2023)
Programme Name : B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering Semester : III
Course Name : Solid Mechanics Due Date : 03 November 2023
Course Code : MEC 301 Max. Marks : 7.5

Q13: The solid shaft is made of steel as shown in Fig. 13. It has a uniform diameter of 40
mm and it runs at 525 r.p.m. A driving belt feeds 50 hp to pulley A, whereas 30 hp and 20
hp, respectively, are taken off from the
other two pulleys B and C, respectively.
Find out the maximum shear stress induced
in the shaft and the total angle of twist.
Consider G =100 GPa.

Fig. 13

Q14: Find out the maximum Fig. 14

shear stress and angle of twist
at B where a torque of 4 kN-m is
applied as shown in Fig. 14.
Position AB is solid and made
up of aluminum with G = 28
GPa, whereas position BC is
hollow and made up of steel
with G = 84 GPa. Both ends of the stepped shaft are fixed to walls.

Q15: An electric generator rotates at 200 r. p. m. and receives 260 kW from the driving
engine as shown in Fig. 15. The armature is 610 mm long and is located between two
bearings 1.22 mapart (center to center of bearing surface). Owing to the combined weight
of armature and magnetic pull of the poles, the shaft is subjected to a force of 82 kN acting
at right angles to the shaft. The
shaft is forged from steel that has
ultimate tensile and shear
strengths of 435 MN/m2 and
380 MN/m2 , respectively. Obtain
the diameter of the shaft for a
factor of safety 6.

Fig. 15

Page 4 of 7
 National Institute of Technology Durgapur
Assignment – 3: Torsion of Circular shafts and Theories of Failure (Date: 13 Oct 2023)
Programme Name : B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering Semester : III
Course Name : Solid Mechanics Due Date : 03 November 2023
Course Code : MEC 301 Max. Marks : 7.5

Part II: Theories of Failure (Q16 — Q25)

Q16: An aluminium shaft (𝜎𝑦 = 330 MPa) of circular cross-section with 20 mm diameter is
subjected to an axial load 𝑃 = 50.0 kN. Using the maximum distortion energy theory or
octahedral shear stress criterion of failure by yielding, determine
a) the torque T that can be applied to initiate yielding.
b) the torque T that can be applied to the shaft, if it is designed with a factor of safety of
1.75 for both P and T against the initiation of yielding.

Q17: A low carbon steel shaft of 30 mm diameter is to be designed to carry an axial load
𝑃 = 30 kN, a bending moment 𝑀 = 150 Nm and a torque 𝑇 = 250 Nm. If the yield point
strength for the material is 280 MPa, calculate the factor of safety in design of the shaft
based on the maximum shear stress criterion of failure against yielding.

Q18: A solid circular shaft of steel (𝜎𝑦 = 400 MPa) has a 20 mm diameter and is subjected
to a combination of static loading Axial load 𝑃 = 25.0 kN Bending moment 𝑀 = 50.0 Nm,
and Torque 𝑇 = 120 Nm. Calculate the factor of safety for design based on the
(a) maximum distortion energy theory or octahedral shear stress criterion of failure and
(b) maximum shearing stress criterion of failure.
Q19: The shaft is supported in flexible bearings A and B as shown in Fig. 19. Two spur
gears are attached at point B and C of the shaft as shown in the figure. Assume that the
gears are subjected to tangential forces as shown in the side view of the shaft. Also, assume
that the shaft is made of ductile steel (𝜎𝑦 = 290 MPa) and factor of safety used in the design
against the yielding using maximum shearing stress criterion is 1.85. Calculate the shaft
diameter.

Fig. 19

Page 5 of 7
 National Institute of Technology Durgapur
Assignment – 3: Torsion of Circular shafts and Theories of Failure (Date: 13 Oct 2023)
Programme Name : B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering Semester : III
Course Name : Solid Mechanics Due Date : 03 November 2023
Course Code : MEC 301 Max. Marks : 7.5

Q20: In a material the principal stresses are 60 MN/m2, 48 MN/m2 and – 36 MN/m2. Take:
E = 200 GN/m2, and 𝜈 = 0.3. Calculate:
(a) Total strain energy.
(b) Volumetric strain energy.
(c) Shear strain energy.
(d) Factor of safety on the total strain energy criterion if the material yields at 120
MN/m2.
Q21: A mild steel shaft of 50 mm diameter is subjected to a bending moment of 1.5 kN-m
and torque T. If the yield point of steel in tension is 210 MPa, find the maximum value of
torque without causing yielding of the shaft material according to
(a) Maximum principal stress theory and
(b) Maximum shear stress theory.

Q22: A shaft is subjected to a maximum torque of 10 kN-m and a maximum bending

moment of 7·5 kN-m at a particular section. If the allowable equivalent stress in simple
tension is 160 MN/m2. Find the diameter of the shaft according to the
(a) Maximum shear stress theory.
(b) Maximum distortion energy theory.

Q23: A circular steel shaft is subjected to combined bending and torsion, the bending
moment being 20 Kn-m and torque 10 kN-m. If safe equivalent stress in simple tension is
200 N/mm2 and Poisson’s ratio is 0·25, find suitable diameter of the shaft based on the
following theories:
(a) Maximum principal stress theory,
(b) Maximum shear stress theory, and
(c) Maximum distortion energy theory
Q24: A solid shaft circular in section, is 100 mm in diameter and subjected to combined
bending and twisting moments, the bending moment being three times the twisting
moments. If the direct tensile yield point of the material is 350 N/mm2 and factor of safety
on the yield is to be 4. Calculate the allowable twisting moments by the following three
theories of elastic failure:
(a) Maximum principal stress theory,
(b) Maximum shearing stress theory, and
(c) Maximum distortion energy theory

Page 6 of 7
 National Institute of Technology Durgapur
Assignment – 3: Torsion of Circular shafts and Theories of Failure (Date: 13 Oct 2023)
Programme Name : B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering Semester : III
Course Name : Solid Mechanics Due Date : 03 November 2023
Course Code : MEC 301 Max. Marks : 7.5

Q25: A closed thin-walled tube has a mean radius of 40.0 mm and a wall thickness of 4.0
mm. It is subjected to an internal pressure of 11.0 MPa. In addition to the internal pressure,
the tube is subjected to an axial load 𝑃𝑧 = 80 kN, bending moments 𝑀𝑥 = 600 N-m and
𝑀𝑦 = 480 N-m and torque 𝑇 = 3.6 kN-m as shown in Fig. 25. If yielding is impending in the
tube, calculate the yield point stress (𝜎𝑦 ) of the material based on the
(a) maximum shear stress criterion of failure by yielding and
(b) maximum octahedral shear stress criterion of failure by yielding.

Fig. 25

Note:
1. Look at the unsolved problems of Chapter: Torsion in Mechanics of Materials
by Barry J. Goodno & James M. Gere.
2. Look at the unsolved problems of Chapter: Torsion in Mechanics of Materials
by F.P. Beer, E.R. Johnston, J.T. DeWolf, D.F. Mazurek.
3. Look at the unsolved problems of Chapter: Theories of Failure in Strength of
Materials by R K Rajput.

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