AM 308

DESIGN OF AGRO-
PROCESSING MACHINERY

Chapter 2.4
Materials Handling Systems in
Agro-Processing:
ANALYSIS OF BELT CONVEYOR
 Typical belt conveyor with a belt tensioning
mechanism
u

Loadin Conveyed material

g

Charge idlers
Discharge

Take-up Return idlers Drive

Pulley Pulley
belt
m

Tensioning  There
mechanism
must be a structure to provide
proper support to pulleys, idlers and the
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driving system.
Design Consideration
Like any other engineering project, the design
of a belt conveyor must favour:
 The most cost effective solution for the
volume of material moved;
 Conveyor system simplicity including ease of
its maintenance;
 Conveyor flexibility for adaptation and its
ability to carry a variety of loads and even be
overloaded at times.
Design Consideration
The basic consideration is that the design of
a belt conveyor must begin with knowledge
of :
 The material to be moved and its
characteristics or properties such as bulk
density, flowability, angle of repose etc.
 Length and gradient over which the material
is to be moved; and
 Any other constraints.
 Material Bulk Density (ρ) [t/m3]
 This characteristic is important to gauge/measure the amount of
material that can be handled in a defined volume of conveyor space.
It is measured in tonnes/m3.
 Influences capacity of conveyors.

 Depends on physical properties, moisture content and particle size

of material.

 Allows materials classification as follows:

 If ρ < 0.6 t/m3, material is considered as light load;

 If 0.6 ≤ ρ < 1.1 t/m3, material is a medium load;

 If 1.1 ≤ ρ ≤ 2.0 t/m3, material is heavy load; and

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 If ρ > 2.0 t/m3, material is extra heavy load.
 Flowability of Materials
Flowability of material is characterized by Repose
Angle (φ) and flowability factor (k).
Different material respond to conveyor motion
differently, depending on the respective Repose
Angle.
 Repose Angle is defined as the steepest angle that
the material cross-section makes with the
horizontal surface when it has settled.

 It is influenced by cohesion and friction between

material particles when in relative motion and
also by moisture content in the material.
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Angle of Repose

Angle of repose Angle of surcharge

Angle of Repose
 Angle of Repose
Materials are classified as follows in terms of Repose
Angle (φ):

 If φ < 20° material is considered to be very free

flowing;

 If 20° ≤ φ < 30° material is free flowing;

 If 30° ≤ φ ≤ 45° material is averagely free

flowing; and

 If φ > 45° , material is sluggish.

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 Troughing of Belt Conveyors
Belt width = W
Original Capacity

Flat conveyor

Increased Capacity due to Belt width = W

increased cross-section of
material at same belt width βt – troughing angle
(W)
(15-45°)
Troughed conveyor

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 Conveyor Belt
A conveyor belt should have:
 Adequate strength
 High wear resistance
 Flexibility
 Low deadweight
 Low elastic and plastic elongations
 Low water absorption

In order to meet all these conditions, a belt

becomes the most expensive component of a
belt conveyor, accounting to 50-60% of the
total initial cost.

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 Conveyor Belt
 In general, belts consist of two elements, namely load
carrying element and protection cover.

(a) Fabric ply rubber belt

Protection Cover Load carrying element

Positioning
element (b) Steel-reinforced rubber belt

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 Conveyor Belt
Common load carrying materials (Carcass) for belts
include:

 Natural and synthetic textile fabric such as

rough wooven cotton, rayon, glass, lavsan,
nylon, capron, anide, polyester, kevlar and their
composites.

 To enhance tensile strength of the belt at

minimum elongation, steel wire cords are
used, but at lesser flexibility and increased
overall cost of conveyor.
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 Conveyor Belt
Common cover materials for belt protection are:

 Natural rubber and synthetic rubber including

PVC.

 Required key properties for these are

resistance to cutting, tearing, abrasion, aging,
moisture absorption and in some cases,
resistance to oil, chemical and heat.

 Natural rubber is used for positioning the steel

cords in steel reinforced belts.
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Conveyor Belt
Environmental Effects on Conveyor
Belting:
Effects of Moisture
Effect of Sunlight
Effects of Ozone
Effects of Heat
Effects of Cold
Effects of Oil
Effects of Chemicals
 Typical strength of rubber covered-
conveyor belts per unit of belt width
Belt Carcass σuts [N/mm]
Cotton 55 – 115
Lavsan and Cotton 120
Capron 150 – 300
Nylon 220 – 300
Anide 300
Steel wire cords 1500 – 3500
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 Design of Belt Conveyor
The design of a belt conveyor basically means to
determine the following:
 Belt type and its width
 Belt speed
 Belt load carrying capacity
 Power requirement for material carriage
 Belt tensions
 Idlers and their spacing
 Pulleys and their shafts
 Drive motor and its speed reduction system
 Belt tensioning devices
 The supporting structure
 Belt load carrying capacity
(page 2-2 Fenner Dunlop Handbook)

Belt capacity is dependent upon these inter-related

factors:
Belt width
Belt speed
Material bulk density and surcharge angle
Inclination angle of a conveyor
Troughing angle (βt = 20…..40 degrees, most common is
35 degrees).
Idler configuration – most common configuration is 3
rollers of equal length (see next slide).
Troughed belt cross-section
Idler configuration – three rolls of equal length
and normal clearances.
Belt load carrying capacity
The general formula for capacity is:
 Capacity [tones per hour] = 3.6 x Load
Cross Section Area [m2] x Belt Speed [m/s]
x Material Bulk Density [kg/m3] ….eq. 1
There are difficulties in determining the Load
Cross Section Area, but it has been estimated for
common idler configurations as indicated in the
next slide.
Belt load carrying capacity
Cross-sectional area (A) of load
The Area of load may be estimated from the
geometric relationship which is constructed from
the troughing angle, the usable belt width b and the
angle of surcharge ß as indicated in the figure
below.
 Belt load carrying capacity
Cross-sectional area (A) of load (cont…)

For 1, 2 and 3 roll carrying idler sets, the part cross-

sectional areas can be calculated as follows:

Determination of area A allows the use of eq. 1 to

find the conveyor capacity (t/h), given the other
parameters.
Belt load carrying capacity
Cross-sectional area (A) of load (cont…)
Legend
Belt Width and speed
Belt width and speed can be selected by
using Tables 5 & 6 (Fenner Dunlop H/Book).
 Table 5 gives the maximum recommended
material lump size for belt width. Therefore,
knowing lump size we can select belt width.
 Table 6 gives typical belt speeds (m/s) in
general use. Therefore, knowing the speed to
operate at, for a material to be transported,
the belt conveyor width can be chosen.
Properties of materials
Further from the Fenner Dunlop H/Book:

Table 7 provides typical bulk densities, angles

of repose and surcharge angles for various
materials.

Table 8 provides recommended conveyor

maximum slope angles for various materials.
For example, for grains the recommended
maximum conveyor slope is 15 degrees.
Belt Power Requirement
Power requirement of conveyor is
influenced by several factors such as:
 Complexity of conveyor
 Changes in slope of conveyor
 Design of idlers and the support structures
 Belt characteristics
 The environment
Belt Power and Tension Calculations
Many bodies, e.g. CEMA - Conveyor
Equipment Manufacturers Association,
ISO 5048, BS 8438 and DIN 22101, and
conveyor belt suppliers (e.g. Fenner Dunlop)
provide belt power calculation methods with
varying complexity but which are acceptable
when correctly applied.
The following Fenner Dunlop formulae
give fairly accurate results.
Belt Power and Tension Calculations
The power required to drive a conveyor is
comprised of the sum of three separate power
elements:
(a) Power to move load horizontally,
= [2.72 x L x F x (C+46)]/1000 kW
(b) Power to move empty belt,
= [9.81 x F x G x (C+46) x S]/1000 kW
(c) Power to elevate load,
= [2.72 x L x H]/1000 kW
Belt Power and Tension Calculations
The total power required = (a) + (b) + (c)
However, if the load is to be carried downhill, (c)
must be subtracted.

where:
 C = centre horizontal distance (m)
 F = Friction factor, where normally 0.022 can be
used but this may be reduced to 0.018 for well
engineered and maintained applications or increased
up to 0.030 for poor conveyor installations.
Belt Power and Tension Calculations
 G = Inertia factor of moving parts, esp.
idlers [kg/m] – Table 2B.1
 H = Net change in elevation (m)
 L = Peak loading (tonnes/hr)
 S = Belt speed (m/s)
 Belt Power and Tension Calculations
Belt Idler Diameter
Table 2B.1: G – Width 102 mm 127 mm 152/168
mm mm
Factors in [kg/m]
500 29 35 44
600 34 40 50
650 35 43 53
750 40 49 59
800 43 52 62
900 47 65 77
1000 52 71 84
1050 53 74 87
1200 61 84 101
1350 67 93 111
1400 96 114
Belt Power and Tension Calculations
Before the optimum belt type for a given
installation can be determined, maximum tension
(T1) must be established.
To establish T1 the following information is
necessary:
 Total power requirement (kW)
 Belt width (mm)
 Belt speed (m/s)
 Take up details
 Drive configuration
Belt Power and Tension Calculations
The maximum tension for which the selected
belt must cater can be calculated from the
following formula:
 T1 = KP/S (kN)
Where:
 K = Drive factor dependent on pulley surface, arc of
contact and type of tensioning (Table 2B.2)
 P = Total power requirement as considered above
(slide 28) (kW)
 S = Belt speed (m/s)
 Belt Power and Tension Calculations
Table 2B.2: Drive factor Angle of Screw tensioning Gravity
K wrap tensioning
[Degrees] Bare Lagged Bare Lagged
Pulley Pulley Pulley Pulley

180 2.00 1.84 1.64 1.52

200 1.87 1.72 1.54 1.44
210 1.81 1.67 1.50 1.40
220 1.76 1.60 1.46 1.37
240 1.66 1.55 1.40 1.32
250 1.63 1.50 1.37 1.30
270 1.55 1.45 1.32 1.25
300 1.46 1.37 1.26 1.20
360 1.34 1.26 1.18 1.13
420 1.25 1.19 1.13 1.09
430 1.24 1.18 1.12 1.08
Belt Power and Tension Calculations
Once the maximum tension has been determined, it
must be divided by the belt width (metres) such that
the tension can be expressed in kN/m. Based on a
safety factor (traditionally considered as 10), the
appropriate belt type can then be determined to satisfy
this strength requirement.
Also, the power of the motor can be determined
from:
 Pm = P/η, where Pm = motor power; P =
power requirement calculated above; η =
power transmission efficiency.
Belt Power and Tension Calculations
Driving (peripheral) force Fu

T1 = Tight side tension

T2 = Slack side tension

Or

At the limit of slip,

 Belt Power and Tension Calculations
From the formulae for Fu and T1 the following
relationships can be derived.

Where C1 and C2 are the drive factors.

 Conveyor Pulleys
General Considerations
There are 2 basic types of conveyor pulleys,
namely, end pulleys - drive/head pulley and take-up
pulley and snub pulleys, which are introduced to
change direction of belt motion or increasing
contact angle between end pulleys and belt.

Snub Pulley
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 Conveyor Pulleys
General Considerations
Pulleys are mainly made from weldable steels or
cast iron.

Drive pulleys may be lagged by rubber, wood, or

PVC whenever necessary, to increase friction and
hence tractive ability for belt conveyors.

In any case, the lagging material should be softer

than that of the belt cover.
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 Conveyor Pulleys
General design Considerations

Construction-wise, pulleys are made as

continuous rim and two end discs fitted with
hubs. Intermediate stiffening discs are also
frequently incorporated, welded inside the rim.

Drive and take-up pulleys are made with a

crown face (i.e. with tapered ends) while snub
pulleys are made flat.
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 Conveyor Pulleys
General Considerations: Lagged pulley

δ (crown facing)

Bare pulley
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 Conveyor Pulleys
Estimation of Pulley Size
Δp Wb Δp Belt

Dp

δ
Lp Lp

Snub pulley Drive/Take-up pulley

(a) Lp = Wb + 2Δp, (where Δp = 60….75 mm)

(b) Crowning δ = Lp/200 or 4 mm (whichever is

42 greater)
Conveyor Pulleys
Pulley Size
The minimum pulley diameter recommended
for a particular belt depends upon three
factors:
Carcass thickness
Operating tension
Carcass modulus of elasticity
Refer to the Fenner Dunlop Handbook
(Chapter 6, pages 6-1 to 6-6) for recommended
minimum pulley diameters based on the above
factors.
 Conveyor Pulleys
Pulley Size
Pulleys for steel band belts (or “steel belts”) can
be made such that:

Lp = 0.8 Wb

Dp=1200tsb , for LH or Li ≤ 30m

Dp=1000tsb , for LH or Li > 30m

Where, tsb is band thickness

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 Conveyor Idlers
General Considerations
 Conveyor idlers are normally made from cast iron or
tubular steel stock. For applications requiring high
flexibility and wear resistance, idlers are made from
glass fibre-reinforced polyester resin and neoprene. In
any case, they possess simple construction as
conceptually shown below.

Belt
Bearing Bearing

Pin (Fitted to Frame)

Roller (idler)

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 Conveyor Idlers
General Considerations
 For light to medium load and duty applications simple
lubricated ball bearings are used to support the idlers.
Otherwise, use is made of tapered roller bearings
lubricated by means of grease cups.

 For handling very abrasive loads idlers are covered by a

thin rubber sleeve. This is intended to protect the belt
from wear, particularly when in contact with idlers on
the return run (lower idlers).

 At loading points, impact of heavy loads is cushioned by

fitting idlers with interference rubber discs.
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 Conveyor Idlers
Estimation of Size and Spacing
Idlers are standardized.
 Lidler ≈ Lp

For supporting ply/rubber covered belts

135mm ≤ Didler< 200 mm, in handling coarsely
broken material or u ≥ 4 m/s.
Didler = 90-135 mm, in all other applications

For supporting steel band belts

350mm ≤ Didler < 400 mm

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 Conveyor Idlers
Estimation of Size and Spacing
 Spacing of idlers is such that,

For supporting ply/rubber covered belts

tup= 1.0 to 1.5m

tlow= (2.0 to 2.5) tup or tlow= 3.5m
(whichever is greater)

For supporting steel band belts

tup= 1.0 to 2.0m

tlow= (2.0 to 2.5) tup or tlow= 4.0m
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(whichever is greater)
 Drive Unit
General Considerations
 Operation of drive unit rely heavily on friction (μ)
between belt and pulley as well as angle of wrapping the
belt around the pulley (α).
 In most cases, α ≤ 180°. In order to increase α, and hence
drive-ability, various configuration of snub pulleys are
introduced in the system to manipulate belt direction. A
typical example is shown hereunder.

α=180° Typical measure to increase α

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 Drive Unit: General Considerations
 Coefficient of friction depends on belt and pulley contact
materials as well as ambient conditions:
BELT TYPE PULLEY CONTACT S/FACE MATERIAL μ
Plain and dry cast iron/steel 0.3
Plain and moist cast iron/steel 0.2
Plain and wet cast iron/steel 0.1
Ply/Rubber Covered
Wood-lagged and dry 0.35
Wood-lagged and wet 0.15
Rubber-lagged and dry 0.4
Rubber-lagged and moist 0.15
Steel pulley in humid surrounding 0.15
Steel pulley in dry surrounding 0.20
Steel Band
Wood-lagged and wet 0.30
Rubber-lagged and dry 0.35
 Drive Unit
General Considerations
 A typical arrangement of drive unit for belt conveyors is
as shown hereunder.

Sbtight = Sbslack.e μα

Sbslack
Belt

Legend

C C – coupling
M – Electric Motor
Reducer
μ – Coeff of friction (belt/pulley)
C
α – wrap angle of belt in radian
M
e – Napierian base
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 Drive Unit
Power Requirement
 Power requirement at the shaft of the drive pulley
Pr = Fmax.u

Where, Fmax = Sbmax. (eμα – 1)/ eμα

 Drive motor rating

Pm = Pr/η
Where, η – transmission efficiency

Nm = i.Nr

52 Where, i – transmission speed ratio

 Drive Unit
Efficiencies of Speed Reducers
Type of Reduction Mechanism Transmission
Efficiency
V-belt drive 0.94

Roller chain drive 0.93

Single stage spur gear 0.94

Single stage helical gear 0.95

Worm gear (20 ≤ i ≤ 60:1) 0.70

Worm gear (60:1< i ≤ 100:1) 0.50

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