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Pouch conveyor drive system dynamics

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Abstract

Pouch conveyors commonly employ point-contact drive systems, indenting a rigid drive wheel into the viscoelastic running surface of the conveyor. Rigid indentation of a viscoelastic surface exhibits regions of stick and slip, reducing the tractive limits of the contact. By modelling the conveyor cover as both an elastic material, and using a 3-parameter Maxwell approximation, a comparison can be made to predict the attainable traction of both indentation and load dependent contacts, highlighting the influence of viscoelasticity in the drive contact. Accurate prediction of the slip within the contact region allows appropriate drive placement and spacing along a conveyor, maximising transmission of drive power and efficiency, while minimising capital/operating cost and surface wear. Experimental results are presented to validate the model, using both polished steel and wheels with polyurethane, ceramic and rubber lagging.

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Funding

This work was supported by Australian Research Council under Grant LP0992172.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia

    P. W. Robinson, C. A. Wheeler & J. Guo

  2. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, New Delhi, India

    V. K. Agarwal & W. J. Srinivas

Authors
  1. P. W. Robinson
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  2. C. A. Wheeler
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  3. V. K. Agarwal
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  4. W. J. Srinivas
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  5. J. Guo
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Correspondence to P. W. Robinson.

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Robinson, P.W., Wheeler, C.A., Agarwal, V.K. et al. Pouch conveyor drive system dynamics. Int J Mech Mater Des 17, 187–199 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10999-020-09519-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10999-020-09519-5

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