Design of Belt Conveyors with Horizontal Curves

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Holger Lieberwirth, Germany
Courtesy : Trans Tech Publications - Bulk Solids Handling Journal
1. Introdution
Belt conveyors with horizontal curves have been successfully used for soe years! as deonstrated by a
variety of e"isting #lants$ The belt conveyors in the Power Station Plant Soa! Turkey! %&ig$ '( with a length
of )$* k! and the + k long belt conveyor in the ,#tiu Coal -ine! South .frica /01! are entioned as
e"a#les$ Plans to use conventionally designed belt conveyor systes for ever narrower curves re2uire that
basic calculation #rinci#les used in the #ast should now be critically analysed! and that other factors! which
were insufficiently considered in the #ast! should now be taken into account$
Belt conveyor in Soa Power Plant co#le" /31
!. "resent #tatus
The develo#ent of the theoretical #rinci#les for the design of belt conveyors over the course of tie can be
derived fro /*1$ Published research u# to now has ainly investigated the influence of
a$ a$ radiaily acting force co#onents &4B fro deadweight of the belt 4B and its troughability!
b$ radially acting force co#onents &44 fro dead-weight of the aterial 44 and
c$ radially acting co#onents &5 fro friction force by tilted carrying idlers on the #osition of the
conveyor belt in the horizontal curved %&ig$ 3($ These forces! with an adissible off-centre belt run!
are re2uired to be in balance with the force &T obtained fro the belt tension force T acting radial to
the inner side of the curve$
&T 6 &4B 7 &44 7 &5 %'(
&ig$ 3: Cross-section through a belt conveyor in a horizontal curve! forces and geoetry
&ig$ 0 shows the basic odel for calculation of the radial force resulting fro the belt tension force with
&
T
6 T 8 9
T
: 5 %3(
&ig$ 0: To# view of a belt conveyor in a horizontal curve! forces and geoetry
where T is the belt tension force in the relevant section of the belt! 9T the s#acing between the carrying
idlers and 5 the radius of the horizontal curve$ Past evaluations did not consider that the radial force &T at
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the troughed belt has to be s#lit! analogously to the weight forces 4B and 44! into co#onents vertical and
#arallel to the carrying idlers to #ro#erly deterine the effect of this force on the #osition of the belt$
.s far as the norally used horizontal curve radii of conventionally designed belt conveyors is concerned! an
a##ro"iate a##roach can be set u# assuing the belt tension force T to be uniforly distributed over the
total belt cross-section %&ig$ ;($ .s a conse2uence thereof! the radial force share <&T is in #ro#ortion to the
width of the belt section in contact with the carrying idlers of the belt trough$
&ig$ ;: =istribution of the belt tension force T and the radial force &T in a horizontal curve over the belt cross
-section
The following calculation e2uations are obtained for the co#onents of the radial force &T'! &T- and &T3 %&ig$
*(
&T'
S
B'
8 &T %0(
B
&T-
9-
8 &T %;(
B
&T3
SB3
8 &T %*(
B
&ig$ *: -odel fro distribution of te radial force &T to individual sections of the belt cross-section
where SB' and SB3 re#resent the length of the outer carrying idlers in contact with the belt and 9- the length
of the center carring idler$ The co#onents
&T>' 6 &T' 8 sin%? 7 @( %+(
&
T>-
6 &
T-
8 sin@ %A(
&T>3 6 &T3 8 sin%? - @( %)(
are acting vertically to the shell surface of the carrying idlers and have to be considered for deterination of
the friction forces of tilted idlers$
The radial force co#onents
&TT' 6 &T' 8 cos%? 7 @( %B(
&TT- 6 &T- 8 cos@ %'C(
&TT3 6 &T3 8 cos%? - @( %''(
act #arallel to the carrying idlers and have a direct influence on the #osition of the belt$ Thereby it was
considered that the forces #arallel to the carrying idlers follow the direction of the belt trough in the case of
coonly used troughing angles! this being a conse2uence of the transverse stiffness of the belt in the
transition area between two adDacent carrying idlers$ This was su##orted by e"#eriental investigations /'1
Thus! with &TT as su of the co#onents of &T acting #arallel to the carrying idlers!
&TT 6 &TT' 7 &TT- 7 &TT3 %'3(
the following e2uation is valid to deterine the off-centre belt run
&TT 6 &4B 7 &44 7 &5 %'0(
Since E&TTE F E&TE is valid for a troughed belt! it becoes obvious that #ast calculation #rinci#les started
fro too high forces acting towards the inner curve$ .ccording to /*1 the following e2uation is valid for the
deterination of &4B and &44
&4B 6
4B 8 9T
/SB' 8 sin%? 7 @( 7 9- 8 sin@ - SB3 8 sin%? - @(1 %';(
B
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res#ectively$
&
44
6 9
T
8 G 8 /.
H'
8 sin%? 7 @( 7 .
H-
8 sin@ - .
H3
8 sin%? - @(1 %'*(
where G is the bulk density of the aterial conveyed and .Hl! .H- and .H3 the bulk aterial cross-section
situated above the relevant carrying idlers$ The guiding force fro friction between belt and tilted carrying
idlers is
&5 6 S' /%ks 8 SB':B 8 4B 7 .H' 8 9T 8 G( 8 cos%? 7 @( 7 &T>'1 7 - 8 /%k- 8 9-:B 8 4B 7 .H- 8 9T 8 G( 8 cos@ 7
&T>-1 - S3 8 /%ks 8 SB':B 8 4B 7 .H3 8 9T 8 G( 8 cos%? - @( - &T>31 %'+(
where s'! - and s3 are the friction values between belt and the relevant carrying idlers de#ending on loading
and degree of tilting$ ks and k re#resent e"#erientally deterined values for consideration of the
troughabiiity of the belt! the develo#ent of which is shown in /*1 de#ending! inter alia! on belt troughing$
The co#onents &T>' and &T>3! hitherto not considered in the basic calculation #rinci#les! cause an increase
in friction force of the inner and centre carrying idlers while that of the outer carrying idlers is decreased$ 9n
this way an additional force co#onent directed to the outer curve is obtained for tilted carrying idlers$
Conluding $emar%s
Ihile investigations ade u# to now were ainly concentrated on the vertically acting co#onents of the
weight force of both belt and aterial conveyed as well as on the resulting force for tilted idlers! the #resent
#a#er investigated the radial force of a troughed belt in ore detail$ 9t could be deonstrated that only a
#ortion of this force contributes to a shifting of the belt towards the inner curve! while certain co#onents
are acting towards the outer curve as a function of the friction between the belt and tilted carrying idlers$
$eferenes
'$ JKSSLK5! &$: Mntersuchung der &hrungskrfte 2uer zur 4urtlaufrichtung bei 4urtfrderern it
HorizontalkurvenN =issertation 'B)+! -ontanuniversitt Leoben$
3$ S.4HKK5! -$: Turkey o#erates its first overland conveyor with horizontal curvesN -ining
Kngineering Ool$ ;C %'B)B( >r$ ;! ##$ 30;-30*$
0$ B5,IK5! T$: 4ro-Jurvenfrderer in SdafrikaN &rdern und Heben Ool$ 0B %'B)B( >o$ ' '! ##$ B';-
B'+$
;$ JKSSLK5! &$: Kinflu der -uldungsfhigkeit des &rdergurtes auf die Oerteilung der >orakrfte
zwischen 4urt und TragrollenN Hebezeuge und &rderittel Ool$ 0C %'BBC( >o$ 'A! ##$ )-''$
*$ JKSSLK5! &$! 45.B>K5! J$! 459--K5! J$-J$: >euer kurvengngiger 4urtfrderer it #endelnder
.ufhngung! &rdern und Heben Ool$ ;; %'BB;( >o$ '-3! ##$ AA-)C$
=r$ Holger Lieberwirth! -anager ProDects for -aterial Handling Systes!
Jru## &rdertechnik 4bH! &ranz-Schubert-Strasse '-0! =-;A33+ =uisberg! 4erany
Tel$: 7;B 3C+* A)-33C*N &a": 7;B 3C+* A) 0*'C
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