Transverse vibration of a two-segment cross-ply composite shafts with a lumped mass

The advantages of having higher stiffness to weight ratio and strength to weigh ratio that composite materials have resulted in an increasing interest in them. In automotive engineering, weight savings has positive impacts on other attributes like fuel economy, performance and possibly noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The driveline of an automotive system can be a target for possible weight reduction. This can be done through the use of composite materials. The design of the driveshaft of an automotive system is primarily driven by its natural frequency. This paper presents an exact solution for the vibration of a cross-ply laminated composite driveshaft with an intermediate joint. The joint is modeled as a frictionless internal hinge. The Euler–Bernoulli beam theory is used. Lumped masses are placed on each side of the joint to represent the joint mass. Equations of motion are developed using the appropriate boundary conditions and then solved exactly.