Spring 1999 ME14 Design Project:

Estimation of Mechanical Parameters for a Ski Lift Design

Phase II: Drive Shaft & Cable Stresses

With the completion of Phase I, your basic design is starting to take shape and you have a set
of operating parameters. In this installment, you will use these operating parameters to beginning
looking at some of the associated stresses in the lift cable and in the drive shaft(s) of the lift-
pulley. The outcome of this and subsequent stress analyses will help you to decide on materials
and dimensions for some of the components of the chair lift system.

Cable Tensions. In Phase I you calculated the torque required for the lift pulleys and also
specified the pulley diameter. From this the net force ∆F acting on the pulley follows immediately.
But this does not provide the tension in the cable on the opposite sides of the pulley; to obtain this
we need to look at the mechanism by which the torque (i.e., the ∆F ) is actually generated. The
force differential arises from the frictional contact force between the cable and the pulley (Figure
1). The frictional force is what keeps the cable from slipping over the pulley, and is analogous to
the situation of a block sliding over a rough surface with a coefficient of friction µ. Neglecting

Figure 1: Schematic diagram showing the forces acting on the lift-pulley. The torque and rotation
are in the direction from F− to F+ . The pressure of the cable against the pulley also increases
in this direction and gives rise to an opposing frictional force µN. The magnitude of the fricional
force is proportional to the radial pressure.

centrifugal forces associated with the pulley rotation,1 it can be shown that the difference in forces
1
this effect only becomes important in instances of high-rpm rotations, which is clearly not the case here

ME14 Design Project - Spr99 March 31, 1999

on the ‘high-tension side’ F+ and the ‘low-tension side’ F− is given by2
F+
= eµϕ (1)
F−
where ϕ is the ‘wrap angle’ of the cable and µ is the coefficient of static friction between the cable
and pulley. In our case, the wrap angle is π (i.e., 180◦ ) and this becomes
F+
= eµπ (2)
F−

• Using Eq. (2) along with the knowledge of your power, torque and rotation rate from Phase
I, calculate the forces F+ and F− . These tensions represent bounds for the maximum and
minimum tensions in the cable. To do this, you will need to estimate a coefficient of friction
which is dependent on the materials used for the cable and pulley. Decide on these materials
and obtain an estimate for a reasonable coefficient of friction (you may have to do a little
research on this). Be sure to justify the choice of materials and reference your source for the
coefficient of friction.

• For the choice of material for the cable, determine a minimum diameter so that the cable
does not yield. In answering this you may wish to specify a factor of safety in the interests
of avoiding litigation.

• Next, you should account for thermal effects in the cable. It is reasonable to assume that
the system would be installed during the off-season when the average temperature is around
75◦ F. For your choice of material for the cable, estimate the thermal stress induced when the
temperature may drop to as low as -30◦ F. How does this impact your cable diameter?

• Once you have determined the cable diameter (including thermal considerations), ask yourself
whether it is consistent with your design thus far. If not, you may need to go back and re-
evaluate some of your design parameters.

Shaft Stresses. The shaft which rotates and supports the lift pulley is subjected to a number of
shearing and bending stresses which we will begin to examine here. As a first approximation, con-
sider the free-body diagram for the lift pulley depicted in Figure 2; the details of actual connection
of the lift-pulley shaft to a gearbox and the motor will be deferred until a later time. From this
diagram, it is apparent that the shaft will be subjected to the following stresses: (a) a transverse
shear stress due to the cable tensions; (b) a shear stress arising from the torque on the lift pulley;
and (c) a bending stress due to the cable tensions. You will use this model to make a first pass at
determining a minimum diameter for the lift pulley shaft. To do this, first select an appropriate
material for the shaft and decide whether it will be solid or a hollow. Based on the material prop-
erties and strength, determine the required shaft dimensions such that all of the following criterion
are met:
2
see separate handout for the derivation

ME14 Design Project - Spr99 March 31, 1999

Figure 2: Schematic diagram showing the forces acting on the supporting shaft of the lift pulley.
The details of the shaft connection to the gearbox and motor are not considered here.
• The maximum bending stress (where will it be?) in the shaft is less than the normal yield
stress.

• The maximum shear stress due to the torque is less than the yield stress in shear.

• The maximum shear stress due to the transverse loading is less than the yield stress in shear.
In answering this, assume for now that the transverse shear stress is uniform across the shaft
cross section; this is wrong, but we will fix it at a later time.

You may wish to include a factor of safety in deciding on your final shaft cross section; however,
it is not essential here since some of the stress estimates above will be refined later.

ME14 Design Project - Spr99 March 31, 1999