IPASJ International Journal of Mechanical Engineering (IIJME)

A Publisher for Research Motivation........

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Web Site: http://www.ipasj.org/IIJME/IIJME.htm

Email: editoriijme@ipasj.org
ISSN 2321-6441

NUMERICAL STUDY ON ELASTIC

DEFORMATION OF BELT IN POWER
TRANSMISSION OF BELT DRIVE SYSTEM
Cherukumalli Venu1 , A.Purushotham2
1

Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sree Nidhi Institute of Science & Technology Hyderabad,
India.
2
Supervisior & Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sree Nidhi Institute of Science & Technology
Hyderabad, India

ABSTRACT
Most of Automotive Engines use belt drive for power transmission. The amount of power transmitted to any given application
depends on many parameters such as the elastic nature of shafts pulleys, belt materials etc. The change of power transmission
from IC engine crankshaft to output shaft of application is dynamic in nature. Understanding rotational dynamic behaviour of
each element in belt drive system plays important role. Considering the belt drive in diesel power generator, this paper
addresses dynamic models developed each system between crank-shaft to alternator shaft. With the help of dynamic models the
paper gives the dynamic characteristics of varies elements involved between crank to alternator. The sevearity of changing the
values of stiffness of belt on power transmission is studied with the developed dynamic models. Simulink codes are exhaustively
used for dynamic modelling of the belt drive system.
Keywords: Belt Slip, Belt shear deformation, dynamic behaviour, Simulink.

1. INTRODUCTION
The belts are used to transmit power from one shaft to another by using of pulleys which rotate at the same speed or at
may be different speeds. The types of belts in use major applications are leather, cotton or fabric, rubber and balata belts
which are used for the transmission of large amount of power in industrial applications. The increased functionalities in
one system makes complicated belt layout The amount of power transmitted depends on varies factors such as arc of
contact, tension under which the belt is placed, type of belt material[1]. The belt has strong influence in efficiency of
transmission because through which the driving force is transmitted from driving pulley to driven pulley, while doing
action there will be direct contact between pulley and belt due to it is important to study the belt pulley mechanics to
overcome the disorders and to improve the efficiency of belt drive system.
The studies of Euler in 1762, Reynolds in 1847, and Swift in 1928 led to development of classical creep theory
[2].Creep theory defines the action taking place in a running elastic belt and describe the contact mechanism of leather
or woven flat belts used in the past for the large amount of power transmission in industrial plants and machines used
in agriculture. The creep theory is not adequate to describe the contact mechanics and internal mechanics of the
multilayered belts. The model introduced by Firbank in 1970 [3] shows that determining drive behaviour in modern
belts is given by the shear strains along the radial direction of the belt in the arc of adhesion and not by the longitudinal
strains in the slip arc. The studies of Childs and Parker [4] in 1989 on the power transmission of the flat and V and
timings belts confirm that amount of power loss can be justified by introducing shear deformation in the belt. The
review of the above mentioned literature shows how the research has been addressed to the study of the belt pulley
contact mechanism in steady and dynamic operating conditions. The role played by the elastic deformation is not till
investigated. The aim of the present paper is to analyze this effect the numerical model of the belt transmission has
been created in terms of sub systems.

2. DYNAMIC MODEL DESCRIPTION

A belt drive power transmission consist number of interacting systems such as driving pulley, driven pulley tensioner
pulley and belt. The dynamic model starts with crankshaft and ends with alternator shaft, belt is intermediate one. The
belt is in itself a dynamic (moving) system. The dynamic model is created by using inputs and outputs from each
system to another system is shown in fig2.1 as below. The connection between one system to another system by using
these input/output relations are made to establish the desire dynamic model of transmission.

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Page 12

IPASJ International Journal of Mechanical Engineering (IIJME)

A Publisher for Research Motivation........

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Web Site: http://www.ipasj.org/IIJME/IIJME.htm

Email: editoriijme@ipasj.org
ISSN 2321-6441

Fig2.1. Dynamic modelling of belt drive transmission including crank Shaft, motor Pulley, alternator Pulley Belt and
Alternator with Corresponding Angular Speeds and Torques.
From the input-output relations the engine crankshaft apply the angular speed m to the motor pulley, from there it
transmitted to varies elements through belt which is driving the system, at the end it transmitted to alternator shaft. The
belt passes through number stages and resists varies mechanical properties to transmit it to final stage. The behaviour
of dynamic model of belt drive system cannot be predicted directly because it is continuous system, so need to convert
discrete system by using lumped parameters model (finite lumped masses, springs and dampers). After converting to
lumped parameters model the dynamic system of equations can be written by using vibration formulation.

Fig2.2 Lumped Parameters models of the pulleys (a) Motor Pulley, (b) Alternator Pulley and (c) Belt.
2.1 BELT SUBSYSTEM
The lumped parameters model of belt system is shown above. The belt spans are modelled as spring-damper
assemblies. The belt and pulley interaction is modelled as spring damper series Crpm-Krpm and Crpa- Krpa. The arcs of
contact of the belt are represented as rotational inertias Jrpm, Jrpa. The Free spans are modelled as massless strings with
spring-damper parallel assemblies.
2.2 PULLEYS
A brief description of each model is given in the following subsections for each of these models.
2.2.1 MOTOR PULLEY
The motor pulley consists of a hub, rigidly connected to the crankshaft, and of a ring with ribs welded to it another side
on which belt interact with pulley. The lumped parameters model of the motor pulley (m) is represented above. It
includes the rotational inertia of its outer ring (Jpm) connected to the hub by the parallel of the Torsional stiffness Kpm

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Page 13

IPASJ International Journal of Mechanical Engineering (IIJME)

A Publisher for Research Motivation........

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Web Site: http://www.ipasj.org/IIJME/IIJME.htm

Email: editoriijme@ipasj.org
ISSN 2321-6441

and equivalent viscous damping Cpm.The input to the motor pulley are the torque applied by the belt Mpm and the
angular speed of the motor shaft m the outputs are the angular speed of the ring and the torque acting on the
crankshaft in response to the given speed.
2.2.2 ALTERNATOR PULLEY
The alternator pulley is usually rigid, and is connected to the alternator shaft by means of a rigid shaft. The lumped
parameters model of the alternator pulley (a) of fig2.2 includes the pulley and alternator model. The moments of inertia
of the alternator and the pulleys are Jalt and Jpa respectively. They are connected by a Torsional spring with stiffness Kpa
and viscous damper with coefficient Cpa.The input in the alternator pulley is the torque applied by the belt Mpa: the
corresponding output is the angular speed of the alternator pulley pa
2.2.4DYNAMIC SYSTEM OF EQUATIONS
The Dynamic system of equations are written below from the crankshaft to alternator shaft (to the end) [5]

Where, S1 and S2 are the slip factors occur at arc of contact of belt.

3. SIMULINK MODEL
The implementation of the dynamic system of equations from 1 to6 written above has been done in the MATLAB
Simulink module by using varies Simulink codes The architecture of the Simulink model created consistent with the
dynamic model of belt drive transmission system. The model created in Simulink has a flexibility to change required
values to get different conditions of output for making varies numerical studies of different parameters of belt drive
system. Fig shows3.1 the MATLAB Simulink model of the belt drive transmission system of simple Driving pulley
(motor pulley), Driven pulley (alternator pulley) including crankshaft and alternator shaft and** varies parameters of
belt transmission system. Fig shows3.2 the belt transmission data used for implementing the numerical model of
dynamic system of equations obtained in lumped parameter model in MATLAB for obtaining the values of crankshaft
and alternator speeds.

Fig 3.1 Shows Simulink Model of Elements of Belt drive Transmission system using dynamic system of equations

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Page 14

IPASJ International Journal of Mechanical Engineering (IIJME)

A Publisher for Research Motivation........

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Web Site: http://www.ipasj.org/IIJME/IIJME.htm

Email: editoriijme@ipasj.org
ISSN 2321-6441

Table 3.2 Belt Transmission Data [6]

Description

Symbol

Value

Unit

Belt stiffness per unit length

kl

128.1

kN

Belt loss factor

Belt mass per unit length

315e-3

Kg/m

Belt shear modulus

0.44

Mpa

Belt width

21e-3

Thickness of belt envelope

3e-3

Rotational inertia of motor pulley

Jpm

3.3e-3

Kg m2

Torsional stiffness of motor pulley

Kpm

10.9e3

N m/rad

Viscous damping of motor pulley

Cpm

1.51

N m s/rad

Rotational inertia of the arc of contact of motor pulley

Jrpm

4.9e-3

Kg m2

Stiffness of the arc of contact of motor pulley

Krpm

6727.1

N m/rad

Viscous damping of the arc of contact of motor pulley

Crpm

14161

N m s/rad

Rotational inertia of alternator pulley

Jpa

0.3e-3

Kg m2

Torsional stiffness of alternator pulley

Kpa

220e3

N m/rad

Viscous damping of alternator pulley

Cpa

151.9

N m s/rad

Rotational inertia of the arc of contact of alternator pulley

Jrpa

1.8e-4

Kg m2

Stiffness of the arc of contact of alternator pulley

Krpa

294.3

N m/rad

Viscous damping of the arc of contact of alternator pulley

Crpa

466

N m s/rad

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The dynamic nature of varies elements in belt drive system effects the total power transmission of belt from the
crankshaft to the output alternator due to varies factors such as stiffness of belt, slip, shear deformation etc... The effect
of stiffness of the belt on the power transmission has been studied and plotted in the graphs format as discussed below

Fig 4.1 Shows graph plotted crankshaft speed vs Alternator speed for varies stiffness values
The figure 4.1 shows the graph plotted between the crankshaft speed and alternator speed at decreased values of
stiffness of the belt material due to increased working hours
The graphs plotted are from values obtained in the Simulink model of belt drive system at different operating
conditions i.e at varies speeds of crankshaft. The model is structured using dynamic system of equations by using
vibration analysis. From the graph showed above it understands that the increased working hours of the belt material
yields to the considerable decrease in stiffness of belt material and that leads to the reduces of power transmission
efficiency of belt driving system with numerical models

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Page 15

IPASJ International Journal of Mechanical Engineering (IIJME)

A Publisher for Research Motivation........

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Web Site: http://www.ipasj.org/IIJME/IIJME.htm

Email: editoriijme@ipasj.org
ISSN 2321-6441

5. CONCLUSION
The effect of the elastic deformation of the belt on the power transmission of belt drive system is studied numerically in
the present paper by using dynamic system of equations of a lumped parameter model. As the working or usage hours
of belt material increases the stiffness of the belt driving the pulleys decreases there by decrease- in power transmission
efficiency of the belt drive system. So there is a strong influence of the stiffness of the belt material on power
transmission which is proved numerically by using of MAT LAB Simulink domain. In designing of belt material for
selected application of transmission for knowing the abilities of different belt material this type of analysis is helpful as
tool and also for the selection of belt material for required applications.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Author thank Head of the Department Mechanical Engineering, Principal and Director, Sreenidhi institute of
Science and Technology Hyderabad for giving necessary support and help to complete M Tech thesis research work
from which this paper has been prepared.

REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]

Theory machines by R.S Khurmi and J.K Gupta

Johnson, K. L., 1985, Contact Mechanics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Firbank, T. C., 1970, "Mechanics of the Belt Drive," Int. J. Mech. Sci., 12, pp. 1053-1063.
Childs, T. H. and Parker, J. E., 1989, "Power Transmission by Flat, V and Timing Belts," in Tribological
Design of Machine Elements, T. S. Leeds-Lyon, ed., Leeds-Lyon 15, Tribology Series No. 14, Elsevier,
Amsterdam, pp. 133142.
[5] Mechanical Vibrations by Dukkipati Srinivas
[6] Dynamic modelling of belt drive system: effect of shear deformation ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics
..,2006 by Andrea Tonoli, Nicola Amati Enrico Zenerino.

Volume 3, Issue 7, July 2015

Page 16