Empirical Estimation of the Prestressed of a V-Belt Through the Slip of the Pulleys

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Eduardo Hernández-Dávila http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4899-2371
Julio Cajamarca-Villa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6568-6037
Luis Cacuango-Eugenio https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2075-3694
Verónica López-Pérez https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3488-7039

Abstract

Inspecting the pre-tension of belts is an essential preventive maintenance activity, which requires that the machine is powered off to be carried out. This generates an economic impact of lesser or greater degree depending on the operational context of each machine. The objective of this experimental investigation is to determine a mathematical model, for calculating the pre-tension of v-belts of classic profile and high performance as a function of the slip. To achieve this objective, a test module was built to establish the difference between the theoretical and real rotation frequencies of the driven pulley, as the pre-tension of the belt was increased. Then, an inverse exponential function was adjusted to the data obtained, resulting in two equations for v-belts of classic profile and of high throughput, respectively; these equations were validated using Pearson's r correlation coefficient. The proposed mathematical model can be used to minimize the economic impact of checking the pre-tension of the belts, since it allows carrying out this activity with the machine operating on full load, requiring only the measurement of the rotation frequencies of the pulleys.