Propeller Shaft Yoke Phase and Inclination angle Optimization in Passenger Vehicles through Analytical Method

Customer satisfaction is the most important parameter to achieve the success in the highly competitive automobile industry. Comfortable ride and handling are one of the important aspects for customer viewpoint. Propeller shaft is the critical components in the vehicle to affect the smooth operation of the vehicle. Propeller shaft universal joint (UJ) phase and inclination angle significantly affect the vehicle performance during frequent braking and acceleration. So, for this conditions, comprehensive study of the propeller shaft should be performed for smooth operation. In this paper, Propeller shaft UJ phase and inclination angle optimization is studied through analytical method, which are very essential parameter for optimizing induced vibration performance and comfort. Propeller shaft characteristics influenced by several factors like vehicle torque, propeller shaft joint type, materials properties, UJ phase and inclination angle and shaft unbalance value. By optimizing the above parameter within specified tolerance limit, we can develop the optimized propeller shaft suitable for good performance. For optimizing these parameters, there are several techniques available to enhance the vehicle performance and comfort leads to customer satisfactions. In this paper, we studied the phase optimization of the flange yoke and propeller shaft inclination angle to minimize velocity fluctuations after the universal joint (UJ) using an analytical method. A numerical model is developed to calculate the velocity fluctuations due to different phasing (0°-360°) of the UJ flange yoke with different inclination angles (1°-5°). A comparative study is conducted for different phase angles at various inclination angles of the propeller shaft. Data will be plotted for one complete revolution of the propeller shaft using bar charts to visualize the computed data under different conditions. The results conclude that an optimized propeller shaft (phase and inclination angle) can operate with minimal velocity fluctuations and reduced vibration.