Shaft Couplers

Question 1

What are the different types of misalignment shaft couplers can account for

Answer 1

Axial, Radial and Angular misalignment

Question 2

Explain the difference between flexible and rigid couplers and their uses

Answer 2

Flexible couplers permit some radial, axial and angular misalignments while rigid couplers are used when precision is needed

Question 3

What are some types of flexible couplers

Answer 3

Encoder couplers (can accommodate up to 90 degrees of misalignment), jaw couplers (has a spider which is press fit between two hubs which can be swapped out for different torque ratings. Bad for axial loads because of press fit), miniature beam couplers (come in small diameters but can only accommodate up to 3 degrees)

Question 4

What are some types of rigid couplers

Answer 4

Flywheel coupler (used to connect internal combustion engineer flywheel and driven components of car at high speeds), magnetic disk couplers (two magnetic disks separated by air gap to prevent high torque from damaging driven components), two-piece couplers (easy to to assemble and disassemble without having to remove other components unlike flywheel couplers)

Question 5

Define a universal joint/Cardan joint

Answer 5

A simple flexible coupler consisting of a pair of hinges orientated at 90 degrees from each other. Allows two shafts at different angles to be connected. Simple design but even if input shaft rotates at constant speed, the output shaft will rotate at variable speeds

Question 6

Define a constant velocity joint

Answer 6

A coupler that allows two shafts at different angles to be connected and allows for constant speed unlike the universal/Cardan joint