Friction coefficient.
There are certain factors that help determine the value of the friction coefficient.
These determining factors are:
Belting material used
The age of the material also plays a part, where worn out and older material tends to bemore rough and therefore experience greater friction when sliding.
Construction of the drive-pulley system
This involves strength and stability of the material used, like the pulley,and how greatly it will oppose the motion of the belt or rope.
Conditions in which the test is being
The friction between the belt and pulley will decrease immensely if thebelt happens to be muddy or wet, as it acts as lubricant to the force. This also applies to extremely dry or warmconditions which will evaporate any water naturally found in the belt, making friction much greater.
Overall design of the setup
The setup involves the initial conditions of the construction, such as the angle whichthe belt is wrapped around and the maximum amount of tension that can be sustained by the belt.
Applications
An understanding of belt friction is essential for sailing crews and mountain climbers.
Their professions require being able to maximize the amount of weight a rope with a certain tension capacity can hold versus the amount of wraps around a pulley.
Too many revolutions around a pulley make it inefficient to retract or release rope, and too few may cause the rope to slip. Misjudging the ability of a rope to sustain itself against a certain force will ultimately lead to failure or serious injury.
References[1] Attaway, Stephen W. (1999). “The Mechanics of Friction in Rope Rescue” (http://www.jrre.org/att_frict.pdf) (PDF). InternationalTechnical Rescue Symposium. . Retrieved February 1, 2010.[2] Mann, Herman (May 5, 2005). “Belt Friction” (http://www.esr.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/rt1/currentcourse/node57.html). Ruhr-Universität. .Retrieved 2010-02-01.[3] Chandoo. “Couloumb Belt Friction” (http://web.mst.edu/~bestmech/preview/chandoo/8_2_2_1/8_2_2_1.htm). Missouri University ofScience and Technology. . Retrieved 2010-02-01.[4] “Belt Tension Theory” (http://www.ckit.co.za/secure/conveyor/troughed/belt_tension/belt_tension_factors.htm). CKIT–The BulkMaterials Handling Knowledge Base. . Retrieved 2010-02-01.
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