Testing belt conveyor resistance to motion in underground mine conditions

This paper presents a method of measuring the resistances to motion of a single three-roller idler set with the use of a specially designed measuring stand. The design and calibration of the stand are described. The stand allows to conduct measurements in real operating conditions and with variable stream of bulk material. The frame with the data acquisition equipment is mobile and thus allows the measuring system to be installed in any point along the route of any belt conveyor. A base (reference) belt conveyor representative for the group of belt conveyors used in copper ore mines was selected for the tests. The results of research into the resistance to motion of a single carrying idler set are presented. The measuring system enabled determination of the loading of the tested idler set in the whole range of belt conveyor capacity. Owing to this fact, the dependence between the motion resistance of a single carrying idler set and the mass capacity was determined. The degree of belt conveyor loading was found to have a significant impact on the values of motion resistances generated by a single three-idler set.