Analysis of influence of conveyor belt overhang and cranking on pipe conveyor operational characteristics

• Simulation of the conveyor belt overhang and cranking on laboratory conditions.
• Analysis of the overhang and cranking influence on the pipe conveyor operational characteristics.
• Development of regression models describing dependence among the normal contact forces and the tension force.
• Development of regression models describing dependence among the normal contact forces in two neighbouring idler housings.

Conveyor belt, which is installed in a pipe conveyor, is subjected to various processes during its current operation, whereas these processes are causing a wear-out of the conveyor belt. The wearing process of the conveyor belt is induced predominately by influence of the transported material as well as due to improper operational conditions that are often caused as a result of an incorrect design of the idler housings. One of the possible consequences of the idler housing incorrect design is an irregular guiding of the pipe shaped belt. The incorrect guiding of the pipe shaped belt is manifested usually by an overhang and cranking of the conveyor belt. There are presented in this paper the experimentally obtained results based on a simulation of the cranking and overhang of the conveyor belt. The negative phenomena of the conveyor belt cranking and overhang were induced by means of an intentionally incorrect setting-up of the idler roller positions, in order to analyse their influence on the operational characteristics of the pipe conveyor. The experimentally investigated influence was verified by means of the developed regression models specified for description of a dependence among the normal contact forces and the tension force, as well as by the regression models, which are describing interrelations among the normal contact forces in two neighbouring idler rollers.