Theoretical and experimental determination of the pressure distribution on a loaded conveyor belt

• A novel analytical model to determine the pressure on loaded conveyor belts is presented.
• Tactile pressure sensors are first employed for direct measurement of the pressure distribution on a running conveyor belt.
• Techniques of improving application performance of tactile pressure sensors.
• The pressure on loaded conveyor belts is visualized with identification of high pressure region.

The objective of this study is to determine the pressure distribution caused by bulk material on a loaded conveyor belt using theoretical and experimental approaches. The determination of the pressure distribution is important for the engineering design of conveyor belts and the analysis of the belt–bulk material interaction. A theoretical model has been developed to predict the pressure distribution but not fully verified yet. There has been no satisfactory method for the direct measurement of the pressure. Using a tactile pressure sensor, we measured the pressure distribution directly on a running conveyor belt. The measured pressure is assessed using a conveyor scale. High pressure regions are identified. Comparisons between theoretical and experimental results indicate that a good correlation has been achieved and the theoretical model is further verified. The study attests the applicability of both theoretical and experimental approaches for the determination of the pressure distribution on loaded conveyor belts.

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