Section Geodesy and Mine Surveying

FEM ANALYSIS OF A CONVEYOR BELT ON THE DRIVING DRUM OF A

PIPE CONVEYOR

prof. Gabriel Fedorko, MSc., PhD. 1

Bc. Beata Jassova1
1
Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia

ABSTRACT
The contribution deals with pipe conveyors, which currently provide great environmental
and economic benefits. Construction of the pipe conveyor is developed from standard belt
conveyors with one major distinction, which is forming of the conveyor belt into the pipe.
Wrapping the belt into the pipe form prevent leakage of material under the conveyor path
and contamination of the surroundings. Among the main advantages belongs, in addition
to the environmental impact, the option to transport material in both belt strands, which
allows the application in the energy industry, construction and metallurgical industries.
The aim of the paper is to describe simulation of the passage of the conveyor pipe belt
through driving drum according to the selected criteria, using model formed in the
Abaqus/CAE program. The aim is to add the knowledge needed for research, testing and
designing of pipe conveyor belts. The results obtained represent a new knowledge base
in the field of ecological transportation of bulk and raw materials. When passing the
driving drum conveyor belts are subjected to deformation forces, which are due to its
structure, due to the influence of transported material and the tensile force.
Keywords: FEM, conveyor, transport, analysis

INTRODUCTION
Transport of bulk materials by means of the belt conveyors belongs among the most often
applied transport technologies in the area of mining and processing industry[1]. There
were introduced during the last 10 years various innovative or modified technical
solutions of the belt conveyor transport systems that are taking into consideration high
demands concerning their operation, transport capacity, operational reliability and
environmental protection.
The pipe conveyors are the most preferred modern belt conveyor systems. These
conveyors are widely used also in the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic [2]. It is
possible to say that technical potential of the pipe conveyors is very perspective, however
efficient application of them requires performing of the additional research and
development activities. Such kind of research work can be performed either on the real
operational conditions or by means of specific experimental equipment within the
specialised laboratories [3]. Reliability of the experimentally obtained results depends on
various factors, for example on the kind of strain gauge sensors and their placement [4].
The individual experimental measurements should be supported by a verification process
[5] using the proper simulation tools [6]. One of the most suitable scientific-research
methods, which is successfully applied in the area of the belt conveyor transport, is the
FEM [7] or DEM [8].

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The most important part of the pipe conveyor is the conveyor belt. The conveyor
belt requires a priority attention during the performed research activities [9]. There are
applied the steel-cord and rubber-textile conveyor belts in construction of the pipe
conveyors. Material characteristics of the steel ropes (cords) [10] and industrial textiles
inserted into the conveyor belts are very important with regard to the operational
characteristics of the pipe conveyors. The individual authors dealing with research of
these conveyors are usually analysing either the material properties [11] or the contact
forces [12] of the conveyor belts.
Operational loading of the conveyor belt is a combined loading, which depends
on global construction of the given transport equipment. One kind of the conveyor belt
operational loading is arising during shaping of the flat belt into the pipe form and vice
versa. Another kind of loading is caused due to the motional resistances. This article
describes loading of the conveyor belt during passing of it through driving drum of the
pipe conveyor. The conveyor belt on the driving drum has to overcome not only all the
motional resistances, but also impact of the transported material. There will be analysed
in this article passing of the rubber-textile conveyor belt through the driving drum of the
pipe conveyor.

THE DRIVING DRUM OF PIPE CONVEYOR

The driving drum is typically situated on the head end of the pipe conveyor (Fig.
1). The main task of the driving drum is transmission of the circumferential driving force
from the driving drum to the conveyor belt. The driving station with the installed driving
drum is also changing direction of the conveyor belt movement. The pipe conveyor is
usually equipped with only one driving drum, however there can be also applied several
driving drums in the case of more complicated transport situations.

Fig. 1 Example of driving drum installed in the pipe conveyor

External shell of the driving drum is manufactured from the wound rolled steel
metal plate and it has either a smooth or modified surface. Modification of the driving
drum surface increases the value of friction coefficient between the belt and the drum in
order to transmit higher value of the driving circumferential force.

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COMPUTATIONAL MODEL
The applied computational model simulates passing of the conveyor belt through
the driving drum and it represents the upper strand of the pipe conveyor (Fig. 2). The
upper strand of the pipe conveyor is used for transport of material. The tension force is
transmitted from the driving drum to the conveyor belt in the area of contact between the
belt and the drum. The global conception of the computational model is simplified,
however it is modeling the real situation authentically.

Fig. 2 Geometrical model

Geometry of the computational model consists of two sets of the hexagonal idler
housings with six guiding idler rolls overall. The individual idler rolls are arranged in the
open form in order they will able to shape consequently the conveyor belt into the required
pipe form. The boundary conditions were defined with regard to following rotation of the
idler rolls into the required position. There are defined local coordinate systems for the
individual idler rolls and the given idler rolls are mutually interconnected by means of
kinematic linkages, namely always two neighbouring idler rolls are interconnected each
other (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3 Generated FEM-Mesh and defined local coordinate systems

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The FEM-mesh is generated from the elements of type Shell. The whole surface of the
conveyor belt was divided into several pseudo-areas.
The pseudo-areas were used for generation of the finite elements with various
dimensions. The finest mesh was generated in the contact area between the conveyor belt
and idler rolls as well as in the contact between the belt and drum.
The material characteristics of the conveyor belt were defined by means of an
orthotropic material model (Tab. 1) taking into consideration a fact that the mechanical
properties of the conveyor belt are different in the longitudinal and transversal direction.

Table 1 Material characteristics of the conveyor belt

E1 E2 Nu12 G12 G13 G23
[MPa] [MPa] [MPa] [MPa] [MPa] [MPa]
Value 397 5,4 0,499 2,9 2,9 2,9

Other material characteristics that are valid for the idler rolls and for the driving
drum were defined in a classic way and they are given in Tab.2.

Table 2 Material characteristics of the idler rolls and driving drum of pipe conveyor
E Nu
Value 210 000 MPa 0,3 MPa

Time behaviour of the computational process is managed by means of the time

curves (Fig. 4). The time curves are used for rotation of the left half of the idler rolls first
and afterwards for rotation of the second half of the idler rolls. Thanks to this procedure
the conveyor belt is shaped into the pipe form, together with the required overlapping of
the belt edges.

Time curve 1 Time curve 2

1
0.8 1
0.8
0.6
0.6
0.4 0.4
Value [-]

0.2
Value [-]

0.2
0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time [s] Time [s]

Fig. 4 Time curves used for computation

Defining of the contact couples was realised by means of a global contact

function, whereas it was considered a possibility of own contact due to overlapping of the
belt edges.
The whole computation was performed using the method Abaqus/Explicit. The
Abaqus/Explicit is a finite element analysis product that is particularly well-suited to

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simulate brief transient dynamic events such as consumer electronics drop testing,
automotive crashworthiness, and ballistic impact. The ability of Abaqus/Explicit to
effectively handle severely non-linear behaviour such as contact makes it very attractive
for the simulation of many quasi-static events, such as rolling of hot metal and slow
crushing of energy absorbing devices. Abaqus/Explicit is designed for production
environments, so ease of use, reliability, and efficiency are key ingredients in its
architecture. Abaqus/Explicit is supported within the Abaqus/CAE modeling
environment for all common pre- and post-processing needs”[13].

ANALYSIS OF CONVEYOR BELT ON THE DRIVING DRUM

The results obtained from the performed computations are identifying such zone
of the conveyor belt, which is significantly influenced by passing of the belt through the
driving drum. It is visible from the stress value fields presented in Fig.5 that this zone is
beginning before the entering contact point belt-drum. Value of the deformations depends
not only on passing of the belt through the driving drum, but also on shaping of the belt
into the pipe form. This fact is confirmed by the values of belt edge deformations or
displacements according to Fig. 6, as well.

Fig. 5 Resulting Von Mises stress values in the analysed section of the pipe conveyor

Fig. 6 Resulting displacements of the pipe-shaped conveyor belt in Y-axis direction

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The conveyor belt edges have an unfavourable tendency to deform themselves in

the pipe shape also in the entering area in front of the initial contact between the belt and
the drum due to the previous pipe forming process of the belt, however in this entering
area the belt has to be guided in a flat form. From this reason there is induced additional
stress in the belt and furthermore this stress is accentuated due to bending of the belt
during passing through the drum. Fig.7 illustrates the resulting stress values in the
transversal direction of the conveyor belt

Fig. 7 Stress values in transversal direction of the conveyor belt

The stress values on the both edges of the conveyor belt are almost identical. There
are only some small differences caused by mutual overlapping of the belt edges in the
hexagonal idler housings. According to the computational results it is possible to say that
the deformation value in the above-mentioned entering area in front of the initial contact
between the belt and the drum can be reduced by installation of driving drum with a
suitable diameter and by selection of a proper length of the transition section between the
pipe shaped belt and flat belt.

CONCLUSION
Questions relating to passing of conveyor belt through the driving drum of the belt
conveyor are very difficult and demanding with regard to research of them and therefore
they are sometimes neglected. The presented results confirm a relevant fact that the stress-
deformation situation in the conveyor belt is influenced by the various factors. Analysis
of these conditions is a key factor, which is substantial for a correct setting of the optimal
operational conditions, for reduction of the operational costs of the pipe conveyor as well
as for reduction of wear and in this way for prolongation of the conveyor belt operational
durability, too. The wear-out process of the conveyor belt relates not only to decrease of

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the top cover thickness, but also to reduction of cohesion among the individual internal
layers. From this reason it is necessary to verify the kind of conveyor belt applied for the
given pipe conveyor, together with the conveyor belt mechanical properties. The
computer simulation is a very suitable method for such verification with regard to
realisation and fastness of the verification process.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work is a part of these projects VEGA 1/0063/16, KEGA 018TUKE-4/2016.

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