Belt and Rope Drives: Sunil Belbase

BELT AND ROPE
DRIVES
Sunil Belbase
Contents
1.Introduction
2.Types of belt
3.Belt drives
4.Application
5.Rope drives
Introduction
The belts or ropes are used to transmit power from one shaft to another by means of pulleys which rotate at the
same speed or at different speeds.
The amount of power transmitted depends upon the following factors :
The velocity of the belt.
The tension under which the belt is placed on the pulleys.
The arc of contact between the belt and the smaller pulley.
The conditions under which the belt is used.

Types of Belts
1. Flat belt: is mostly used in the factories and workshops, where a moderate amount of power is to be
transmitted, from one pulley to another when the two pulleys are not more than 8 meters apart.
2. V-belt: is mostly used in the factories and workshops, where a moderate amount of power is to be
transmitted, from one pulley to another, when the two pulleys are very near to each other.
3. Circular belt or rope: is mostly used in the factories and workshops, where a great amount of power
is to be transmitted, from one pulley to another, when the two pulleys are more than 8 meters apart.
Types of Belt Drive
The belt drives are usually classified into the following three groups :
1. Light drives. These are used to transmit small powers at belt speeds up to about
10 m/s, as in agricultural machines and small machine tools.
2. Medium drives. These are used to transmit medium power at belt speeds over
10 m/s but up to 22 m/s, as in machine tools.
3. Heavy drives. These are used to transmit large powers at belt speeds above 22
m/s, as in compressors and generators
Following are the various important factors upon which the
selection of a belt drive depends:
Selection 1. Speed of the driving and driven shafts, 2. Speed reduction

ratio,
of a Belt 3. Power to be transmitted, 4. Centre distance between the

shafts,
Drive 5. Positive drive requirements, 6. Shafts layout,

7. Space available, and 8. Service conditions.
Types of Flat Belt Drives
1. Open belt drive. The open belt drive is used with shafts arranged parallel and rotating in the same
direction. In this case, the driver A pulls the belt from one side (i.e. lower side RQ) and delivers it to the
other side (i.e. upper side LM). Thus the tension in the lower side belt will be more than that in the
upper side belt. The lower side belt (because of more tension) is known as tight side whereas the upper
side belt (because of less tension) is known as slack side.
2. Crossed or twist belt drive.
The crossed or twist belt drive is used with shafts arranged parallel and rotating in the opposite
directions. In this case, the driver pulls the belt from one side (i.e. RQ) and delivers it to the other side (i.e.
LM). Thus the tension in the belt RQ will be more than that in the belt LM. The belt RQ (because of more
tension) is known as tight side, whereas the belt LM (because of less tension) is known as slack side.
In order to avoid excessive wear and tear at a point where the belt crosses the shafts should be placed at a
maximum distance of 20 b, where b is the width of belt and the speed of the belt should be less than 15
m/s.
Velocity Ratio of Belt Drive
It is the ratio between the velocities of the driver and the follower or driven
d1 = Diameter of the driver, d2 = Diameter of the follower
N1 = Speed of the driver in r.p.m., and N2 = Speed of the follower in r.p.m.
∴ Length of the belt that passes over the driver, in one minute = π d1 .N
Similarly, length of the belt that passes over the follower, in one minute
= π d2 . N2
Since the length of belt that passes over the driver in one minute is equal to the length of belt that
passes over the follower in one minute, therefore
π d1 . N1 = π d2 . N2
Velocity Ratio of a Compound Belt Drive
Slip of Belt
We assume a firm frictional grip between the belts and the shafts. But sometimes, the frictional
grip becomes insufficient. This may cause some forward motion of the driver without carrying the
belt with it. This is called slip of the belt and is generally expressed as a percentage.
S1 % = Slip between the driver and the belt, and S2 % = Slip between the belt and the follower
Effect of Belt thickness
Belt stresses, pulley angular velocities, belt slip, and belt-drive energy efficiency significantly depend on
belt thickness therefore the standard flat belt thickness and width are :
• 5 mm for nominal belt widths of 35 to 63 mm
• 6.5 mm for nominal belt widths of 50 to 140 mm
• 8 m for nominal belt widths of 90 to 224 mm
10mm for nominal belt widths of 125 to 400 mm and
12 mm for nominal belt widths of 250 to 600 mm

Length of an
Open Belt Drive
Length of a Cross Belt Drive
Ratio of Driving Tensions For Flat Belt Drive
Power Transmitted by a Belt
Let, T1 = Tension in the tight side of the belt

T2 = Tension in the slack side of the belt
V = Velocity of the belt in meter/s.
The effective tension or force acting at the
circumference of the driven pulley is the difference
between the two tensions (i.e., T1 – T2).
Ratio of Driving Tensions for V-belt
Rope Drive
• The rope drives are widely used where a large amount of
power is to be transmitted, from one pulley to another, over a
considerable distance. One of the main advantage of rope drives
is that a number of separate drives may be taken from the one
driving pulley. For example, in many spinning mills, the line shaft
on each floor is driven by ropes passing directly from the main
engine pulley on the ground floor. The rope drives use the
following two types of ropes :
1. Fiber ropes: Operate successfully when the pulleys are about
60 meters apart.
2. Wire ropes: While the wire ropes are used when the pulleys
are up to 150 meters apart.
Ratio of Driving Tensions for Rope Drive
Wire Ropes: When a large amount of power is to be transmitted over long

distances from one pulley to another (i.e. when the pulleys are upto 150 metres
apart), then wire ropes are used. The wire ropes are widely used in elevators,
mine hoists, cranes, conveyors, hauling devices and suspension bridges. The wire
ropes run on grooved pulleys but they rest on the bottom of the *grooves and are
not wedged between the sides of the grooves.
These are lighter in weight, 2. These offer silent operation, 3. These can withstand
shock loads, 4. These are more reliable, 5. They do not fail suddenly, 6. These are
more durable, 7. The efficiency is high, and 8. The cost is low.
Thank you!

Belt and Rope Drives: Sunil Belbase

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Belt and Rope Drives: Sunil Belbase

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BELT AND ROPE

The amount of power transmitted depends upon the following factors :

The velocity of the belt.

The tension under which the belt is placed on the pulleys.

The conditions under which the belt is used.

Selection 1. Speed of the driving and driven shafts, 2. Speed reduction

of a Belt 3. Power to be transmitted, 4. Centre distance between the

Drive 5. Positive drive requirements, 6. Shafts layout,

• 5 mm for nominal belt widths of 35 to 63 mm

• 6.5 mm for nominal belt widths of 50 to 140 mm

• 8 m for nominal belt widths of 90 to 224 mm

10mm for nominal belt widths of 125 to 400 mm and

12 mm for nominal belt widths of 250 to 600 mm

Let, T1 = Tension in the tight side of the belt

Wire Ropes: When a large amount of power is to be transmitted over long

You might also like