500
movement until the belt contacted the idler. Thus positioned on the idler sets, the belt was
used to determine its cross-section in the middle idler set. This cross-section in turn served to
generate a CAD solid body of a belt resting on idlers with zero loading (Fig. 4b).
3 MODEL TESTS
For the sake of the model development, the conveyor belt’s trough was filled with DEMsimulated ore extracted from an underground mine. Parameters describing ore particles and
their contact with the rubber of the conveyor belt came from own original research. The
measurable parameters describing the ore and its contact with steel and rubber were examined. The examined parameters were averaged and then calibrated using a flow property test
(Doroszuk et al., in press). The ore particles on the belt were modeled to be approximately
5 cm in size (Fig. 5).
A model of a belt section 2.5 m in length was positioned symmetrically on 3 idler sets. The
mesh of the outer idler sets was not altered. The middle idler set and the belt were discretized
with three-node elements 20 mm and 100 mm in size, respectively. The belt model was discretized with an algorithm for mesh refinement in the contact zone with the middle idler set. The
support of the middle idler set is shown in Figure 6. The belt ends on both sides were defined
as fixed supports in order to meet the condition of maximum allowable belt sag.
The resulting model with mesh refined in the contact zone with the idler set was imported
into the EDEM computer application in order to perform DEM-based simulations. The
model which served as a probing area was extended with a longer belt fragment (Fig. 7), in
which ore particles were automatically generated and accelerated to belt speed v = 2 m/s.
Figure 3. Results of FEM-based belt analysis with the Ogden model.
Figure 4. Conveyor belt: (a) prior to resting on the idler sets; (b) cross-section through the middle set
after positioning the belt.
Type: Directional Deformation(Z Axis)
Unit: mm o,oo
200.:...-~·00 !mmJ
5,03 Max
-39,4
-83,8
-1 28
-173
-217
-261
-306
-350
-395 Min
100,00
300,00
(a)
z
L:.,
(b)
movement until the belt contacted the idler. Thus positioned on the idler sets, the belt was
used to determine its cross-section in the middle idler set. This cross-section in turn served to
generate a CAD solid body of a belt resting on idlers with zero loading (Fig. 4b).
3 MODEL TESTS
For the sake of the model development, the conveyor belt’s trough was filled with DEMsimulated ore extracted from an underground mine. Parameters describing ore particles and
their contact with the rubber of the conveyor belt came from own original research. The
measurable parameters describing the ore and its contact with steel and rubber were examined. The examined parameters were averaged and then calibrated using a flow property test
(Doroszuk et al., in press). The ore particles on the belt were modeled to be approximately
5 cm in size (Fig. 5).
A model of a belt section 2.5 m in length was positioned symmetrically on 3 idler sets. The
mesh of the outer idler sets was not altered. The middle idler set and the belt were discretized
with three-node elements 20 mm and 100 mm in size, respectively. The belt model was discretized with an algorithm for mesh refinement in the contact zone with the middle idler set. The
support of the middle idler set is shown in Figure 6. The belt ends on both sides were defined
as fixed supports in order to meet the condition of maximum allowable belt sag.
The resulting model with mesh refined in the contact zone with the idler set was imported
into the EDEM computer application in order to perform DEM-based simulations. The
model which served as a probing area was extended with a longer belt fragment (Fig. 7), in
which ore particles were automatically generated and accelerated to belt speed v = 2 m/s.
Figure 3. Results of FEM-based belt analysis with the Ogden model.
Figure 4. Conveyor belt: (a) prior to resting on the idler sets; (b) cross-section through the middle set
after positioning the belt.
Type: Directional Deformation(Z Axis)
Unit: mm o,oo
200.:...-~·00 !mmJ
5,03 Max
-39,4
-83,8
-1 28
-173
-217
-261
-306
-350
-395 Min
100,00
300,00
(a)
z
L:.,
(b)