Flexible Mechanical Elements (Belt, Rope and Chain Drives)

 Belt Drives Advantages Limitations

• long distance power • Occupy more space

transmission • Velocity ratio not
• Low cost & ability to constant due to slip
absorb shocks • Short service life
 Chain Drives
• A no. of shafts can be • More wear & tear
driven from a single
driving sprocket • Not suitable for non-
parallel shafts
• It does not require
initial tension • Generates noise &
needs to be lubricated
 Gear Drives
• Positive drive &
constant velocity ratio • Costly & high
maintenance cost
• Compact construction
• Needs precise
• Efficiency up toPadhi
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Mechanical Engineering Dept.
Belt Drives:
• The belts or ropes are used to transmit power from one shaft to another by means
of pulleys which rotate at the same speed or at different speeds.
• Belts and ropes transmit power due to friction between them and the pulleys. If
the power transmitted exceeds the force of friction, the belt or rope slips over the
pulley.
• Belts and ropes are strained during motion as tensions are developed in them.
• Owing to slipping and straining action, belts and ropes are not positive type of
drives, i.e., their velocity ratios are not constant. On the other hand, chains and
gears have constant velocity ratios.
• The amount of power transmitted depends upon the following factors :
• The velocity of the belt.
• The tension under which the belt is placed on the pulleys.
• The arc of contact between the belt and the smaller pulley.
• The conditions under which the belt is used.
• The speed of the driven shaft can be varied by
varying the diameters of the two pulleys.
• The effective radius of rotation of a pulley is
obtained by adding half the belt thickness to the
Radius of the pulley.
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Types of Belts :

• Flat belt is used for transmission of moderate amount of power and the distance
between the pulleys are not more than 8 meters apart. In this case the rim of the
pulley is slightly crowned , which helps to keep the belt running centrally on the
pulley rim.
• V- belt is used when the two pulleys are very near to each other for transmission
of moderate amount of power. Due to wedge action, V-belts transmit more
power without slip, as compared to flat belts.
• Circular belt or rope is used for transmission of power between long distance
shafts.

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Types of Flat Belt Drives :
a. Open belt drive:- b. Cross belt drive

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Velocity Ratio of Belt Drive
It is the ratio between the velocities of the driver and the follower or driven. It may
be expressed, mathematically, as discussed below :

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 Slip of Belt
• The motion of belts and shafts assuming a firm frictional grip between the belts
and the shafts. But sometimes, the frictional grip becomes insufficient. This may
cause some forward motion of the driver without carrying the belt with it. This
may also cause some forward motion of the belt without carrying the driven
pulley with it. This is called slip of the belt and is generally expressed as a
percentage.
• The result of the belt slipping is to reduce the velocity ratio of the system.
• Thus, the belt should never be used where a definite velocity ratio is of
importance (as in the case of hour, minute and second arms in a watch).

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 Creep of Belt
• When the belt passes from the slack side to the tight side, a certain portion of the
belt extends, and it contracts again when the belt passes from the tight side to
slack side.
• Due to these changes of length, there is a relative motion between the belt and
the pulley surfaces. This relative motion is termed as creep.
• The total effect of creep is to reduce slightly the speed of the driven pulley or
follower. Considering creep, the velocity ratio is given by

Question:

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Power Transmitted by a Belt

The effective turning (driving) force at the circumference of the follower is the difference
between the two tensions (i.e. T1 – T2).
Work done per second = (T1 – T2) v N-m/s
power transmitted, P = (T1 – T2) v W

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Ratio of Driving Tensions For Flat Belt Drive

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Determination of Angle of Contact

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Centrifugal Tension
• Since the belt continuously runs over the pulleys, therefore,
some centrifugal force is caused, whose effect is to increase the
tension on both, tight as well as the slack sides.
• The tension caused by centrifugal force is called centrifugal
tension.
• At lower belt speeds (less than 10 m/s), the centrifugal tension
is very small, but at higher belt speeds (more than 10 m/s), its
effect is considerable and thus should be taken into account.

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Maximum Tension in the Belt

• Maximum tension in the belt (T) is equal to the total tension in the tight side of
the belt (Tt1).

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Condition For the Transmission of Maximum Power

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 Brakes & Dynamometers

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Brake:
• A Brake is a device used to apply frictional resistance to a moving body to stop
or retard it by absorbing its kinetic energy.
• In general, in all types of motion, there is some amount of resistance which
retards the motion and is sufficient to bring the body to rest. However, the time
taken and distance covered in this process is usually too large.
• So by providing brakes, the external resistance is considerably increased and the
period of retardation shortened.

Types of Brakes:
I. Block or shoe brake
II. Band brake
III. Band & block brake
IV. Internal expanding shoe brake

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Single Block or Shoe Brake

• A single block or shoe brake consists of a block or shoe which is pressed against
the rim of a revolving brake wheel drum. The block is made of a softer material
than the rim of the wheel. This type of a brake is commonly used on railway
trains and tram cars.
• The friction between the block and the wheel causes a tangential braking force
to act on the wheel, which retard the rotation of the wheel. The block is pressed
against the wheel by a force applied to one end of a lever to which the block is
rigidly fixed as shown in Figure. The other end of the lever is pivoted on a fixed
fulcrum O.

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If the angle of contact is less than 60°, then it may be assumed that the normal
pressure between the block and the wheel is uniform. In such cases, tangential
braking force on the wheel.

Case 1
When the line of action of tangential braking force (Ft ) passes through the fulcrum O of the
lever, and the brake wheel rotates clockwise. It is same as when rotates ACW.

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Case 2
When the line of action of tangential braking force (Ft ) passes through a distance ‘a’ below
the fulcrum O of the lever, and the brake wheel rotates clockwise.

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Case 3
When the line of action of tangential braking force (Ft ) passes through a distance ‘a’ above
the fulcrum O of the lever, and the brake wheel rotates clockwise.

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From above we see that when the brake wheel rotates anticlockwise in case 2 and
when it rotates clockwise in case 3, the equations (i) and (ii) are same.

[Link] this we see that the moment of frictional force (μ.RN.a) adds to the moment
of force (P.l). In other words, the frictional force helps to apply the brake. Such type
of brakes are said to be self energizing brakes. When the frictional force is great
enough to apply the brake with no external force, then the brake is said to be self-
locking brake.
2. From the above expression, we see that if x ≤ μ.a , then P will be negative or
equal to zero. This means no external force is needed to apply the brake andhence
the brake is self locking. Therefore the condition for the brake to be self locking is.
3. The brake should be self energizing and not the self locking.
4. In order to avoid self locking and to prevent the brake from grabbing, x is kept
greater than μ . a.

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