Dynamic simulation of belt conveyor based on virtual prototyping

Belt conveyor is one the most important equipments for bulk material transportation. Traditional static analysis methods can not meet the design requirements of the heavy-duty belt conveyor. In this study virtual prototyping (VP) technology is applied to virtual simulation of belt conveyor. The simplified prototype of belt conveyor is established by RecurDyn software. And the VP can simulate belt conveyor's dynamic characteristics when it runs in the virtual environment. The result of the simulation is in accord with the real working state of the belt conveyor. Furthermore, the belt's viscoelasticity and the regularity of belt tension are also verified by analyzing the simulative data. In conclusion, the dynamic simulation shows the correctness and the feasibility of the simplified VP of heavy-duty belt conveyor.