Improving the Mechanical Properties of the Propeller Shaft by Using Composite Materials

Abstract

This work deals with the replacement of conventional two-piece steel drive shaft with a single-piece high strength composite drive shaft for an automotive application. The structural design parameters were optimized with the help of modelling software with the objective of minimizing the weight of composite drive shaft. The design optimization also showed significant potential improvement in the performance of propeller shaft. The modelling and analysis of the drive shaft [1] assembly was done using CATIA[2]/ANSYS software. Glass fiber reinforced polymer with silicon carbide is used in fabricating the propeller shaft. Finally, the analysis results were compared with conventional steel drive shaft.