Belt conveyor systems are becoming progressively longer and belt speeds significantly faster, and as these trends continue it becomes increasingly important to accurately calculate the motion resistances of belt conveyors. The motion resistances include the belt and bulk solid flexure resistance, the rotational resistance of the idler rolls and the indentation rolling resistance of the conveyor belt. This paper presents a linear viscoelastic finite element analysis to calculate the indentation rolling resistance. As the conveyor belt travels over the idler rolls the bottom cover of the belt is indented due to the weight of the belt and bulk solid. Indentation rolling resistance occurs due to the viscoelastic nature of the bottom cover of the belt. The finite element analysis presented in this paper provides a means to calculate the indentation rolling resistance using experimentally measured viscoelastic properties. The results from the finite element method were found to compare favourably to experimentally measured values obtained from a recirculating belt test facility for a range idler roll diameters, belt speeds and applied loads.
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