Gears & gear trains
- Meshing gears
- n1·N1 = n2·N2
- Torque
- T2 = T1·(N2/N1)·η
- Power
- P = T·ω, ω = 2π·n/60
- Compound train
- total ratio = product of the stage ratios
Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 12 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.
A 1.1 kW motor running at 960 rpm drives a pinion with 24 teeth, which meshes with a gear with 36 teeth. The gear pair has an efficiency of 96%. Find the output torque T2 on the gear shaft.
In a planetary gear set the sun gear has 18 teeth and each planet gear has 30 teeth. The ring gear is held fixed and the sun is driven at 600 rpm. Find the speed nc of the planet carrier.
A solid brass shaft is fixed at the wall and twisted by a torque T at its free end. Find the angle of twist φ of the free end, in degrees.
A solid brass shaft of diameter 20 mm is fixed to rigid walls at both ends A and B. A torque of 1000 N·m is applied at C, 2.5 m from A and 0.5 m from B. Find the reaction torque TA at wall A.
A point in a loaded part has σₓ = 30 MPa, σᵧ = −40 MPa and τₓᵧ = −20 MPa (tension positive). Find the maximum in-plane shear stress τmax.
A point in a loaded part has σₓ = −50 MPa, σᵧ = 70 MPa and τₓᵧ = 30 MPa (tension positive). Find the normal stress σθ on a plane whose normal is rotated 20° counter-clockwise from the x-axis.
Find the elongation δ of the brass bar under the axial load.
The stepped bar is fixed at the wall and loaded at its free end. Find the total elongation δ.
A column of length L made of aluminium is fixed at the base and free at the top. Using Euler’s formula, find its critical buckling load Pcr.
A solid round column of length L made of steel is fixed at the base and pinned at the top. It must carry 5 kN with a factor of safety of 2 against buckling. Find the smallest diameter d.
A 12 kg mass on a spring with a stiffness of 4 kN/m has a viscous damper giving a damping ratio of 0.45. Find the damped natural frequency fd of its free vibration in Hz.
A 100 kg mass hangs from two springs side by side (in parallel), with stiffnesses k₁ = 15 kN/m and k₂ = 80 kN/m. The mass stays level. Ignore damping and the masses of the springs. Find the natural frequency fn of vertical vibration in Hz.
Answer: T2 = 15.76 N·m
Gear trains: meshing gears have the same speed at the teeth, so n₁·N₁ = n₂·N₂: the gear with fewer teeth turns faster. Gears on one shaft turn at the same speed. Power is passed on (minus losses), so torque goes up when speed goes down: T₂ = T₁·(N₂/N₁)·η, and P = T·ω with ω = 2π·n/60.
Answer: nc = 112.5 rpm
Planetary gear sets: the speeds of sun, ring and carrier are linked by the Willis equation (ns − nc)/(nr − nc) = −Nr/Ns: seen from the carrier, the set is an ordinary train with the planets as idlers. Holding one member fixed turns the set into a single-ratio reducer.
Set nr = 0 and solve for the carrier speed.
The carrier turns in the same direction as the sun.
Answer: φ = 5.387 °
Torsion of circular shafts: shear stress grows linearly from zero at the centre to τmax = T·r/J at the surface, with J = πd⁴/32 for a solid shaft and J = π(do⁴ − di⁴)/32 for a hollow one. The angle of twist is φ = TL/(GJ) in radians. Power and torque are linked by P = T·ω.
Answer: TA = 166.7 N·m
Torsion of circular shafts: shear stress grows linearly from zero at the centre to τmax = T·r/J at the surface, with J = πd⁴/32 for a solid shaft and J = π(do⁴ − di⁴)/32 for a hollow one. The angle of twist is φ = TL/(GJ) in radians. Power and torque are linked by P = T·ω. When both ends are fixed, statics alone gives only TA + TB = T₀; the second equation is compatibility (equal twist of both parts at the loaded section).
Answer: τmax = 40.31 MPa
Plane stress transformation: on a plane rotated by θ, σ = (σₓ + σᵧ)/2 + (σₓ − σᵧ)/2·cos 2θ + τₓᵧ·sin 2θ. Mohr’s circle shows all planes at once: its centre is at C = (σₓ + σᵧ)/2 and its radius is R = √(((σₓ − σᵧ)/2)² + τₓᵧ²). The principal stresses are C ± R, and the largest in-plane shear stress is R.
Answer: σθ = −16.68 MPa
Plane stress transformation: on a plane rotated by θ, σ = (σₓ + σᵧ)/2 + (σₓ − σᵧ)/2·cos 2θ + τₓᵧ·sin 2θ. Mohr’s circle shows all planes at once: its centre is at C = (σₓ + σᵧ)/2 and its radius is R = √(((σₓ − σᵧ)/2)² + τₓᵧ²). The principal stresses are C ± R, and the largest in-plane shear stress is R.
Answer: δ = 17.51 mm
Hooke’s law: within the elastic range σ = E·ε. Combining with σ = P/A and ε = δ/L gives δ = PL/(AE).
E for brass = 100 GPa = 100000 MPa.
Answer: δ = 10.26 mm
Axially loaded members: each prismatic segment obeys δ = PL/(AE). For members in series the elongations add.
The free end carries P, so every section of the bar carries the same axial force P. Only the areas and materials change.
Answer: Pcr = 9.212 kN
Euler buckling: a slender column becomes unstable at Pcr = π²EI/(KL)², where KL is the effective length: K = 1 for pinned–pinned, 2 for fixed–free, 0.7 for fixed–pinned and 0.5 for fixed–fixed. It buckles about the axis with the smallest I. The formula holds for slender columns, whose critical stress stays below the yield stress.
A rectangle buckles about its weak axis, using the smaller dimension cubed.
Answer: d = 18.37 mm
Euler buckling: a slender column becomes unstable at Pcr = π²EI/(KL)², where KL is the effective length: K = 1 for pinned–pinned, 2 for fixed–free, 0.7 for fixed–pinned and 0.5 for fixed–fixed. It buckles about the axis with the smallest I. The formula holds for slender columns, whose critical stress stays below the yield stress.
Check: the slenderness KL/r is 228.7, so the column is slender and Euler applies.
Answer: fd = 2.595 Hz
Free vibration of a mass–spring system: the undamped natural frequency is ωn = √(k/m) in rad/s, and fn = ωn/(2π) in Hz. A viscous damper c gives the damping ratio ζ = c/cc, with critical damping cc = 2·√(k·m) = 2·m·ωn. An underdamped system (ζ < 1) oscillates at ωd = ωn·√(1 − ζ²). Springs in parallel add, k = k₁ + k₂; springs in series add as reciprocals, 1/k = 1/k₁ + 1/k₂.
Answer: fn = 4.905 Hz
Free vibration of a mass–spring system: the undamped natural frequency is ωn = √(k/m) in rad/s, and fn = ωn/(2π) in Hz. A viscous damper c gives the damping ratio ζ = c/cc, with critical damping cc = 2·√(k·m) = 2·m·ωn. An underdamped system (ζ < 1) oscillates at ωd = ωn·√(1 − ζ²). Springs in parallel add, k = k₁ + k₂; springs in series add as reciprocals, 1/k = 1/k₁ + 1/k₂.
Springs side by side share the deflection and add their forces, so their stiffnesses simply add: k = k1 + k2.
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