Design and Analysis of the Shaft for a Solar-Powered Fish Feeder Machine
The transmission shaft is one of the most critical mechanical components in a solar-powered automatic fish feeder because it transfers rotational power from the DC gear motor to the feed-spreading mechanism while supporting combined torsional and bending loads during operation. An inappropriate shaft design may lead to excessive stress, deformation, and structural failure, reducing the reliability and operational lifespan of the feeding system. Therefore, this study aims to design and evaluate the structural performance of the transmission shaft using analytical calculations and finite element analysis (FEA). The shaft was designed using AISI 1045 medium-carbon steel with a diameter of 12.7 mm based on classical machine design equations. A three-dimensional model was developed using SolidWorks 2021 and analyzed through static structural simulation under operational loading conditions. The evaluated parameters included equivalent Von Mises stress, total displacement, and factor of safety. The analytical calculation produced a maximum equivalent stress of 8.62 MPa, while the finite element simulation predicted 22.566 MPa, both of which remained considerably below the yield strength of AISI 1045 steel. The theoretical and simulated maximum displacements were 0.009 mm and 0.001 mm, respectively, indicating excellent structural rigidity. Furthermore, the analytical and numerical factors of safety were 66.25 and 61.756, demonstrating that the shaft possesses a substantial safety margin against yielding under the specified loading conditions. The comparison between theoretical calculations and finite element simulation confirms that the proposed shaft design is structurally reliable and capable of safely transmitting power in a solar-powered automatic fish feeder. The findings of this study provide a practical engineering reference for the design and optimization of transmission shafts employed in automatic aquaculture feeding systems and other rotating mechanical applications.