Torsional and Translational Vibrations of a Drive Shaft System With a Cardan Joint

A drive-shaft system was designed and built for studying the effects of a Cardan joint on torsional and translational shaft vibrations. The design of the system is described, and the results of a modal test are included. The system was also used to test the validity of a new optical torsional vibrometer. Measurements on the system indicate that (1) clearances significantly effect the torsional resonances, (2) second order responses due to the parametric variations in the Cardan joint dominate the response, and (3) the optical probe system shows promise as a non-contacting torsional and translational vibrometer.