ENERGY SAVING BELTS / REDUCED ROLLING RESISTANCE
ENERGY SAVING CONVEYOR BELTS
A conveyor belt is deformed when running over the idlers. This internal friction - or asymmetrical tension between idler and conveyor belt -consumes energy.
Special rubber compounds and belt designs - for instance an additional transverse reinforcement - reduce the indentation and let the belt run easier over the idlers.
Such belt types, on long distance conveyors, can save a lot of money.
They are marketed as LRR, XLL or EOB conveyor belts.
For the determination of the energy saving properties of a conveyor belt, a standardized test described in DIN 22123 has been implemented.
The test parameters - temperature, idler diameter, pressure - can be adjusted.
The illustration shows the motion resistances on a 1 km long horizontal conveyor as found by Hintz. The indentation rolling resistance of the conveyor belt, >60%, has by far the highest share.
Findings can be translated into FEA programmes.
POWER CONSUMPTION COMPARISON
Horizontal conveyor
10 % inclined conveyor
10 % declined conveyor
8 %
23 %
23 %
Difference
f = 0.020
147 kW
449 kW
-127 kW
f = 0.015
110 kW
412 kW
-157 kW
37 kW
37 kW
30 kW