4/4/2016

Topics

Engineering theory of straight,

long beams under torsion
Textbook Chapter 5

Stress and strain characteristics of rods with circular cross

section under the effect of torsional loads
Problems with statically indeterminate shafts under torque

Dr. Francesco Simonetti

Torque of thin-walled tubes with close cross section

Torque transducers (Private reading)

Ultrasonic Imaging Laboratory

Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
University of Cincinnati
726 Rhodes Hall
Email: f.simonetti@uc.edu

Bernoulli-Euler beam theory

Circular cross-sections
The theory of torsion is greatly simplified for the case in which the
section of the beam or shaft is circular such in the case of a rod or
tube. We also assume that the shaft is under the effect of a pure
torque Mt

The planar cross-sections of the undeformed beam remain

plane after deformation
The planar cross-sections remain perpendicular to any axis
along the beam

The kinematic assumption

Determining the strains

The cross-section undergoes a rigid rotation around the center C,

characterized by the angle f(x). This assumption implies that no warping
occurs and is only valid in the case of circular cross sections.
z

The displacement equations can be used to determine the components of the

strain tensor
1
1

, , = 0
2 2
1
1
, , =
=

2
2
1
1
, , =

2 2

, , = 0 (no warping occurs)

=0

=0

, , =
, , =

=
=0

+
=
=

=
+
=
=

+
=0

torsional curvature

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Determining the corresponding stresses

The equilibrium equations

We now consider the constitutive equations for an elastic and isotropic medium

0
0

0
0

1
1 2 1 +

We assume that there are no body forces and we eliminate the zero stresses
from the equilibrium equations


+
=0
+
+
+ = 0

=0

+
+
+ = 0

=
=
1 2 1 +

+
+
+ = 0

=0

Based on the previous expression of the shear stresses

=
=
=
2
2 1+

= =
The corresponding stress tensor

= = = = 0

0
=

= =
= =

0
0

= =

0
0

The equilibrium equation are always satisfied as long as the torsional

curvature is constant
=

Convention on resultant moments

Convention on the resultant forces

=
=

shear force

shear force

bending moment

bending moment

torque

Distribute external forces

axial force

Distribute external moments

= ()
= ()

Determining the resultant shear forces and torque

= ()

The polar moment of inertia

The polar moment, J, plays the same role as the moment of inertia in bending

We compute the integral of the shear stress and their moment along the
generic cross-section, A, of the rod
= =

The shear forces vanish since C is

the centroid

= =

=
=

= 0

= 0

2 + 2

Solid rod
=

2 + 2

2 + 2 =

Polar moment of inertial

The torque is instead

=

Tube
=
0

4
0 4
2

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Torque summary

Torque summary
The total shear stress, t, is oriented tangentially and varies linearly with
distance from the center.

The torsional curvature is then given by

=

Hence the rotation, and nonzero components of displacement, strain, and

stress functions are

Mt

dq

, , =

dx

, , =

= =

=
y

Comparison with other types of loading conditions

Bending
l

=
G
=

Forces

= 0

D
F

Mt
J, G

q
I, E

= 0

+ = 0

Moments

+ = 0

+ = 0

Example
Consider a shaft clamped at the two ends and loaded by a torque T

Mt

+ = 0

Spring

A, E

Torsion

Torsional curvature

Summary of differential equation for resultants

There exists an analogy across different loading conditions and a simple spring
model

=
= =

ds
x

= =

Axial loading

du=rdf

Setting the boundary conditions

No rotation at the clamps

= 0
+ = 0

There are no continuously distributed torques mt, however the

concentrated torque T causes a discontinuity and therefore it is necessary
to solve the differential equation for the two sections of the shaft before
and after the torque

= 0

= =

+
= 0

+ = = +

0 = 0
+ = 0
Equilibrium and continuity of rotation at the section where the torque is applied

+ + () () = 0
= +

= =
=

+
+ +
= =
=

By integrating

+
+ =
++

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Determining the constants through the B.C.

0 = 0

+
+ =
++

+ = 0
+ + () () = 0

+ =

= + +

= 1

= 0

+ = 0

+ =

() =

+ =

+
1

+ =

+
1

+ + = 0

+ + () () = 0
= +

+ =

+
=
1

Torque diagram
1

Thin-walled tubes with closed cross section

We consider a tube with arbitrary cross section (not necessarily circular)
characterized by a wall thickness much smaller than the cross-section
characteristic dimension. Moreover, the thickness may vary around the
cross section and is defined by the function t(s) where s is the
coordinate measured along the centerline of the tube wall.

We consider a small element of axial length Dx and width Ds. The balance of
forces along the x-direction can be expressed in terms of the average shear
stresses tA and tB

The shear stress

Due to the stress free condition on the lateral surface of the tube (inner and
outer) and the fact that the thickness is small, the shear stress can be
assumed to be parallel to the wall center line.

Imposing equilibrium

Rotation diagram

= + +
= + +

= +

0 = 0

= + +

The shear flow

The product of the average shear stress times the thickness of the tube is
the same at each point on the tubes cross-sectional area. We therefore
define the shear flow, q, as

=
= ()

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Shear flow and applied torque

The moment of the shear forces along the wall needs to balance the applied
torque
=

= 2

where A is the mean area enclosed by the centerline of the tubes thickness.
From the above we obtain the following identities
= =

End rotation
A simple way of determining the rotation is by the use of Clapeyrons
theorem. It can be shown that the energy stored by an elastic solid, U, as a
result of its deformation under externally applied loads is equal to half the
work done by the loads, W

In our case the work done by the applied torque is related to the end rotation
f as
=
Which substituting into the expression of Clapeyrons theorem yields

End rotation: Strain energy

We know that for an elastic solid of volume W the total strain energy is given by
1
=
2

End rotation
The area integral can be expressed in terms of the coordinate along
the centerline

+ + + + +

2 =

22

2
=

Since we only have shear stress this reduces to

=

1
2

since = /2 we obtain

we also note that t is not a function of x

therefore we can substitute the volume integral
with the area integral over the wall area S

From which we finally obtain

2
82

=
42

The equivalent polar moment

The torque transducer

Consider a strain gage mounted on the surface of a cylinder around a point of
polar coordinates R, q, and x0. Moreover, the strain gage is oriented at an angle
b as shown in the figure. To unit vector parallel to the strain gage is

For circular cross sections we found that

=

For an arbitrary thin-walled cross section we have
=

=
42

1
=

42

sin
= cos sin
cos cos

Therefore if one defines

42

0

=

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Using multiple strain gages a 45o orientation

The measured elongation strain

1

2
1

2
0
1

=
2
2

sin
2

cos sin

0
0

0 =
sin
2
0
cos

0
cos cos sin
cos

sin
0
0

sin
0
0

cos
0
0

Although a single strain gage could be sufficient, the use of four strain gages
greatly increases the robustness of the measurements by rejecting the effects of
non-torsional loads. The strain gages are mounted forming two crosses on
diametrically opposite sides of the cylinder

cos
0
0

sin
cos sin
cos cos

1 = 45

2 = 45 2 =
2

3 = 45 3 =
2

which leads to

=
sin cos =
sin 2

and hence
=

2
sin 2

= 1 2 + 3 4

Due to symmetry

can be measured using a Wheatstone bridge

unknown
sensor
resistance

#3

+
Vexc _

R1

R4
_

unknown
sensor
resistance

#2

unknown
sensor
resistance

#4

= 1 2 + 3 4 = 0

R 2 unknown

R3

sin2 cos2

Vm

1 = 2 = 3 = 4 =

2
=

4 = 45 4 =

Rejection of axial loads

From the previous expression, it follows that

1 =

sin 2
2

#1

sensor
resistance

which leads to measured voltage proportional

to


=
1 2 + 3 4 =

4
4

Rejection of bending moment

Here we consider a bending moment parallel to the y-axis, the same results
apply to bending moment parallel to the z-axis
1
1
=

2
1

2
1
1
0
=

2
0

0
0

from which

=
sin2 cos2

Observing that the angle q difference between #1

and #2 and #3 and #4 is 180 o one obtains
1 = 2 = 3 = 4

= 1 2 + 3 4 = 0