Influence of tension force asymmetry on distribution of contact forces among the conveyor belt and idler rolls in pipe conveyor during transport of particulate solids

• Influence of particulate solids on individual forces acting on the pipe conveyor idler rolls.
• New methodology for evaluation of influence in the case of two selected factors: “tension force” and “asymmetry”.
• Change of the tension force is statistically relevant with regard to a distribution of the contact forces.
• Factor asymmetry is statistically relevant for more idler roll positions.
• If there is changed distribution of the tension forces from symmetry to asymmetry, there are also changed contact forces.

Contact forces among the conveyor belt and conveyor idler rolls are playing an important role because they are relevant factors during transport of particulate solids by means of the pipe conveyors. The contact force values are influencing significantly the global operational characteristics of the given transport system. There are changing force conditions in the conveyor belt during transport of material using the pipe conveyors. From this reason it is necessary to investigate and to analyse an impact of the conveyed particular solids on the contact force values. There is described in this article an influence of the transported material (i.e. particulate solids) on the contact force values in combination with their asymmetry during conveyor belt tensioning. There were investigated five measuring points loaded with a symmetrical and asymmetrical tensioning of a specimen section of the pipe conveyor transport belt, using the Friedman test. The Friedman test was calculated separately for the factor asymmetry with setting of tension force and separately for the factor tension force with setting of asymmetry.