Solid Mechanics-I (ME-202)

CHAPTER-5
TORSION

Course Teacher: Dr Maaz Akhtar (Associate Professor)

Mechanical Engineering Department
 TORSION
The act of twisting or turning, that produce stress or
deformation when one end of an object is twisted in one
direction and the other end is held motionless or twisted in
the opposite direction, is referred as Torsion.

Most common example is transmission shaft.

Solid Mechanics-I 1 Torsion

 TORSION
• Structural members and machine parts that are
subjected to twisting couples, or torques, will be
considered.
• These couples have a common magnitude T, and
opposite senses produce stress and strain

Solid Mechanics-I 1 Torsion

 TORSION
• Consider a circular shaft subjected to torsion (Couple
moment), as shown where shaft AB subjected to equal
and opposite torques at A and B.

• For simplicity, half portion of the

shaft is considered such that the
shaft is supposed to be fixed at one
end and Torque is applied at free
end. At fixed support the resultant
torque is produced.
Solid Mechanics-I 2 Torsion
 TORSION
• The free-body diagram of the portion BC of the shaft
must include the elementary shearing forces dF,
perpendicular to the radius of the shaft, that portion AC
exerts on BC as the shaft is twisted.

• But the conditions of equilibrium for shaft BC, require

that the system of these elementary forces be equivalent
to an internal torque T, i.e. equal and opposite to T’.

Solid Mechanics-I 2 Torsion

 TORSION
Denoting by 𝜌, the perpendicular distance from the force
dF to the axis of the shaft, and expressing that the sum of
the moments of the shearing forces dF, Hence Torque can
be given as:
𝑇 = 𝜌𝑑𝐹

Since d𝐹 = 𝜏𝑑𝐴 ⇒𝑇= 𝜌𝜏𝑑𝐴

Consider a circular shaft of length L

and radius c attached to fixed support
at one end and twisted by torque T
applied to free end. Shaft will twist,
with its free end rotating through an
angle 𝜙 called angle of twist
Solid Mechanics-I 2 Torsion
 TORSION
• Distribution of shearing strain is
determined by detaching a
cylinder of radius ρ and consider
small square element formed by
two adjacent circles and two
adjacent straight lines traced on
the surface of the cylinder
before any load is applied
• As the shaft is subjected to
torsional load, the element
deforms into a rhombus.

Solid Mechanics-I 3 Torsion

 TORSION
• Shearing strain 𝛾 must be
equal to the angle between
lines AB and A’B,
AA′ = Lγ also, AA′ = ρ𝜙
𝜌𝜙
⇒𝛾=
𝐿

• The shearing strain in a circular shaft varies linearly with

the distance from the axis of the shaft.
• It follows that shearing strain is maximum on the surface
of the shaft, where ρ=c, We have
𝑐𝜙 𝛾𝐿 𝜌
𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥 = & 𝜙= ⇒ 𝛾 = 𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝐿 𝜌 𝑐
Solid Mechanics-I 4 Torsion
 TORSION
• Multiplying previous equation by shear modulus,
𝜌
G𝛾 = 𝐺 𝛾𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑐
• Using Hooke’s law: τ = 𝐺𝛾
𝜌
⇒ τ = 𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑐
• Shearing stress varies linearly with the distance ρ till
proportional limit

Solid Mechanics-I 4 Torsion

 TORSION
𝜌
• Since 𝑇= 𝜌𝜏𝑑𝐴 & τ= 𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑐

𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 Since 𝐽 = 𝜌2 𝑑𝐴
⇒ 𝑇= 𝜌2 𝑑𝐴
𝑐
𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥
𝑇= 𝐽
𝑐
𝑇𝑐 𝑇𝜌
⇒ 𝜏𝑚𝑎𝑥 = or τ =
𝐽 𝐽

• ‘𝐽’ is Polar Moment of Inertia is a geometric property of

cross-section.
• Polar moment of inertia is a quantity used to predict an
object's ability to resist torsion
Solid Mechanics-I 5 Torsion
 TORSION
• Physically, Polar moment of inertia is a measure of how
difficult it is to turn a cross-section about an axis
perpendicular to it (the inherent rotational stiffness of
the cross-section). 𝑻𝝆
• This means: 𝑱 =
𝝉
1) The greater the Polar Moment of Inertia, the more
torque is require to turn the shaft by a certain angle.
2) The greater the Polar Moment of Inertia, the smaller
the Shear Stress required to produce a given torque.
More polar moment of inertia simply means more
diameter. Since more diameter we have larger area
and less stress produced as stress is inversely
proportional to diameter
Solid Mechanics-I 5 Torsion
 TORSION
• Polar moment of inertia for circular cross-section is
calculated using,
𝜋 4
𝐽 = 𝑟
2
𝜋 𝑑 4
𝐽 = ( )
2 2
𝜋 4
𝐽 = 𝑑
32
• It’s unit is m4 or mm4. For hollow shaft ‘𝐽’ is given by,
𝜋 4 4
𝐽 = (𝑑𝑜 −𝑑𝑖 )
32
Note: Polar moment of inertia is a geometric constant
Solid Mechanics-I 5 Torsion
 Problem-1

A
B

Solution

Solid Mechanics-I 6 Torsion

Solid Mechanics-I 6 Torsion
 Problem-2

Solution: The only unknown at the section is the internal torque T,

Solid Mechanics-I 8 Torsion

Solid Mechanics-I 8 Torsion
 IMPORTANT POINTS
• In this lecture an important driving potential i.e. Torque is
studied.
• Torque can be applied in the form of couple moment in
which torque is applied on both ends but in opposite
directions
• Torque can also be applied by keeping one end fix and
applying torque on free end
• Due to torque applied, twisting or turning occurs that
produces stress or deformation
• For torsion, relationship is derived for calculating stress
𝑇 τ
=
𝐽 𝜌

Solid Mechanics-I 1 Torsion