Philip rosenblum at 22:07, 28 June 2006

2006-06-28T22:07:42Z

New page

{{dablink|This article is about the mechanical device. For the fictional music group from the American television series ''Lost'', see [[Drive Shaft]].}}

[[Image:Cardan Shaft.jpg|thumb|200px|Cardan driveshaft with universal joints]]
A '''driveshaft''' or '''driving shaft''' or Cardan shaft is a [[machine|mechanical device]] for [[transmission (mechanics)|transferring]] [[power (physics)|power]] from the [[engine]] or [[motor]] to the point where useful [[Mechanical work|work]] is applied.

Most engines or motors deliver power as [[torque]] through rotary motion: this is extracted from the linear motion of [[piston]]s in a [[reciprocating engine]]; [[water]] driving a [[water wheel]]; or forced air or water in a [[turbine]]. From the point of delivery, the components of power transmission form the drive train.

Driveshafts are carriers of torque: they are subject to [[torsion (mechanics)|torsion]] and [[shear stress]], which represents the difference between the input [[force]] and the [[load]]. They thus need to be strong enough to bear the stress, without imposing too great an additional [[inertia]] by virtue of the weight of the shaft.

==Automotive driveshafts==
Most [[automobile]]s today use rigid driveshafts to deliver power from a transmission to the wheels. A pair of short driveshafts is commonly used to send power from a central [[differential (mechanics)|differential]], [[transmission]], or [[transaxle]] to the wheels.

In [[FR layout|front-engined, rear-drive]] vehicles, a longer driveshaft is also required to send power the length of the vehicle. Two forms dominate: The [[torque tube]] with a single [[universal joint]] and the [[Hotchkiss drive]] with two or more joints. This system became known as ''[[Systeme Panhard]]'' after the automobile company, [[Panhard et Levassor]] patented it.

Early automobiles often used [[chain drive]] or [[belt drive]] mechanisms rather than a driveshaft. Some even used electrical generators and motors to transmit power to the wheels.

In British English, the term "driveshaft" is restricted to a transverse shaft which transmits power to the wheels, especially the front wheels. A driveshaft connecting the gearbox to a rear differential is called a [[propeller shaft]] (or more commonly a "prop-shaft") and a driveshaft connecting a rear differential to a rear wheel is usually called a '''halfshaft'''. The name derives from the fact that two such shafts are required to form one rear axle.

There are different types of driveshafts in Automotive Industry:
* 1 piece driveshaft
* 2 piece driveshaft
* Slip in Tube driveshaft

The Slip in Tube Driveshaft is the new type which also helps in Crash Energy Management. It can be compressed in case of crash. It is also known as a collapsible driveshaft.

==Marine driveshafts==
On a power-driven ship, the driveshaft, or [[propeller shaft]], usually connects the transmission inside the vessel directly to the [[propeller]], passing through a [[stuffing box]] or other seal at the point it exits the [[hull (watercraft)|hull]].

As the rotating propeller pushes the vessel forward, the marine driveshaft is also subject to [[Physical compression|compression]], and when going reverse, to [[tension (mechanics)|tension]].

[[Category:Automotive technologies]]

[[cs:Hřídel]]
[[de:Welle (Mechanik)]]
[[es:palier]]
[[fr:Cardan (mécanique)]]
[[it:Giunto cardanico]]
[[io:Ax-arboro]]
[[sv:Kardanaxel]]

Driveshaft - Revision history

Philip rosenblum at 22:07, 28 June 2006