Devendra Kumar, R.K. Mandloi / International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) ISSN: 2248-9622 www.ijera.com Vol. 3, Issue 1, January -February 2013, pp.581-587 581 | P a g e Analysis & Prospects of Modification in Belt Conveyors - A Review Devendra Kumar 1 , R.K. Mandloi 2 1M-Tech (Maintenance Engineering), Department of Mechanical Engineering M.A.N.I.T. Bhopal India 2Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering M.A.N.I.T. Bhopal India Abstract— Now a day’s Belt conveyor system not only used in mining industries but also applied in cement industries, power plant, food industries, production industries etc. So it is essential equipment for in house material transportation today. The paper presents the review of belt conveyor design modification and latest technologies or methodologies used in different applications to reduce failures, maintenance cost and equipment related fatal accidents occurs during operation. The focus is on methodologies as Design modification, Drum and pulley failures, Belt design and its failure, energy & efficiency, friction, inspection, operation & maintenance and fire & safety. The analysis shows, different design parameters required for different applications such as coal mines, cement and food industries. Some of the common design parameters required in each application and the importance of each parameter which impacts on different application. Keywords— Belt Conveyor, Design Modification, Failures, Maintenance, pulley. I. INTRODUCTION As a kind of in house continuous transportation equipment, belt conveyor is widely used in today‟s modern port, especially in the transport of coal and mineral powder because of its high efficiency and environmental protection. [1] Belt-conveyors are more acceptable than other means of transporting bulk materials; they neither pollute the air nor deafen the ears. They operate quietly, often in their own enclosures, which when desirable can be located above the confusion and safety hazards of surface traffic or in small tunnels out of sight and hearing. [2] Belt conveyor is one of the main transport equipment in coal mine, driving drum and belt is its key part. Friction principle is used to initiate mechanical drive for belt conveyor. So friction is the driving force. In order to raise transportation efficiency of belt conveyor, driving force of drum must be increased. Energy saving & efficiency, friction, fire & safety, maintenance and inspection are the other key factors of belt conveyor design. [3] Most of the researchers focused on design modification to reduce the pulley (drum) and belt failures, maintenance cost, breakdowns, energy consumption and overall cost of the system for continuous transportation of material. The technologies used to reduce failures of the equipment and to increase the operational ability of the system the mechanisms like cam drive system, hydro-viscous soft start, magneto-rheological soft starter, Control strategy of disc braking system to be designed for efficient driving of belt conveyors. Most of technologies focused on Fatigue Failures of Welded Conveyor Drums, shell of drums and fracture analysis of collapsed heavy-duty pulleys and other typical failure analysis on pulley shafts by using finite element method. Conveyor Belt is a key part of belt conveyor system, sometimes its incorrect designing also make an important role in conveyor failure. Therefore belt Safety and Eco-design of non- metallic layer composites with a better capability of elongation should be considered. Transversal Vibrations and tension around a drive drum of a Conveyor Belt with a Low and Time-Varying Velocity are also considered. Control of whole system, operation & maintenance of belt conveyor and their inspection should be managed. II. METHODOLOGY There are many methodologies used according to their application and design modification. Most of the researchers focused on design of drive mechanisms of belt conveyors, drum(pulley) and belt failures, energy & efficiency, increasing friction, fire & safety, maintenance and inspection. A. Design Modification Different designs in the field of drive mechanism and other modification used for reducing starting torque on drive pulley and operational efficiency. 1) Multi-Step Cam Mechanism: A multi-step cam mechanism is preferred to drive belt conveyor for the self-orientation of the conveyed rigid objects. It is also used as velocity reduction, so doing away with costly gear transmissions; thereby reduce the possibility of failure due to gears. [4] 2) Control strategy of a hydro-viscous soft start device: The control system of hydro-viscous soft start (HVSS) device and a fuzzy – immune PID