COMPUTATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE STRENGTH OF A COMPOSITE DRIVE SHAFT

Abstract

This computational and experimental work is dedicated to the development of promising designs of vehicle drive shafts made of polymer composite materials. This paper analyzes the existing models of drive shaftsof“Formula Student” class vehicles and substantiates the use of a carbon-fiber drive shaft with titanium tips. A manufacturing technology for such a product is also presented.Evaluation of structure performance under the action of ultimate loads was carried out by the finite element method. Prototypes of composite drive shafts were produced for further laboratoryand fieldtests. The author proposed a new design of composite drive shafts and a method for calculating the strength of the proposed design;the results were verified by bench laboratory and field tests. From the results ofthis work, conclusions about the performance of the developed structures and their applicability to racing cars were drawn.

Keywords

• composite materials
• drive shafts
• filament winding
• racing car