DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE PROPELLER SHAFT FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATION

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to design and analyze a composite drive shaft for power transmission applications. Composite structures substitutes conventional metallic structures and having many advantages. Its main advantages consist of higher specific stiffness and higher specific strength of composite materials. This paper deals with the design of conventional two-piece steel drive shafts with one-piece automotive composite drive shaft. A one-piece drive shaft for rear wheel drive automobile was designed using Carbon/Epoxy composites. .A composite shaft made of Carbon/Epoxy composites can be tested with the help of torque tester. The composite materials are having lower density which results in to reduction in the weight of shaft significantly. The design parameters are selected with the objective of minimizing the weight of composite drive shaft &increase in torque capability compared with a conventional two-piece steel drive shaft. By analysing performance conventional two piece steel drive shaft can be replaced by one piece composite drive shaft.

Keywords: Carbon/epoxy, drive shaft