Belt and Chain Drives ELMES

Belt and chain drives
Belt and chain drives are used to transmit power from one rotational drive to
another.A belt is a flexible power transmission element that runs tightly on a set of pulleys.A
chain drive consists of a series of pin-connected links that run on a set of sprockets.This
chapter introduces various types of belt and chain drives and presents selectionprocedures for
wedge, synchronous and flat belts and also for roller chains.
The speed ratio between the driving and driven shaft is dependent on the ratio of the
pulley or sprocket diameters as is given by
whereV pitchline = pitchline velocity (m/s),ω = angular velocity of driving pulley or sprocket
(rad/s), ω2 = angular velocity of driven pulley or sprocket (rad/s),
R1= radius of driving pulley or sprocket (m) and R2 = radius of driven pulley or
sprocket (m).
A belt drive transmits power between shafts by using a belt to connect pulleys onthe
shafts by means of frictional contact or mechanical interference. A chain consistsof a series
of links connected by pins. The chain is designed to mesh withcorresponding teeth on
sprockets located on both the driving and the driven shafts.Power transmission between
shafts can be achieved by a variety of means includingbelt, chain and gear drives and their
use should be compared for suitability and optimisation for any given application. In addition
to power transmission, constantspeed ratio or synchronisation of the angular position of the
driving and driven shaft may be critical to operation. This can be achieved by means of gears,
chains or special toothed belts called synchronous or timing belts,
Both belt and chain drives can transmit power between shafts that are widely
separated giving designers and engineers greater scope for control over machine layout.In
comparison to gears, they do not require as much precision in the location of centre
distances.Both belt and chain drives are often cheaper than the equivalent gear drive.Belts
and chains are generally complimentary covering a range of operationalrequirements.
In general, belt drives are used when the rotational tangential velocity componentof
the pulleys are of the order of 10–60 m/s. At lower speeds, the tension in the beltbecomes too
high for typical belt sections. At higher speeds, centrifugal forces throwthe belts off the
pulleys reducing the torque capacity and dynamic phenomena reducethe effectiveness and
life of the belt drive. Chain drives are typically used at lowerspeeds and consequently higher
torques than belts. Recall that for a rotating machine torque is proportional to power/ω. As
the angular velocity reduces, for a given power,the torque increases.
Belt drives can have numerous advantages over gear and chain drives including easy
installation, low maintenance, high reliability, adaptability to nonparallel drive and high-
transmission speeds. The principal disadvantages of belt drives are their limited power
transmission capacity and limited speed ratio capability. Belt drives are less compact than
either gear or chain drives and are susceptible to changes in environmental conditions such as
contamination with lubricants. In addition, vibration and shock loading can damage belts.
Chains are usually more compact than belt drives for a given speed ratio and power capacity.
Chain drives are generally more economical than the equivalent gear drive and are usually
competitive with belt drives. Chains are inherently stronger than belt drives due to the use of
steels in their manufacture and can therefore support higher tension and transmit greater
power. The disadvantages of chain drives are limited by a broken chain or belt and also to
prevent careless access to the chain or belt drive.
Application of timing or synchronous belts to power more than one driven shaft
Belt drive geometry definition
The power transmitted by a belt drive is given by
of friction 0.8, density 1100 KG/m3 and permissible stress 11 MN/m2 . The centre distance is
1500 mm. Determine the power capacity of the belt
The maximum tension in the tight side is given as a function of the maximum permissible
stress in the belt by
 Chain drives
A chain is a power transmission device consisting of a series of pin-connected links as
illustrated in Fig. 12.17. The chain transmits power between two rotating shafts by meshing
with toothed sprockets as shown inFig. 12.18. A sprocket is shown for simple chain inFig.
12.19, the cross section of a sprocket for the case of triplex chain is illustrated in
Fig.12.20and an application of triplex chain inFig. 12.21. Chain drives are usually
manufactured using high-strength steel and for this reason are capable of transmitting high
torque. Chain drives are complimentary and competitive with belt drives serving the function
of transmitting a wide range of powers for shaft speeds up to about 6000 rpm. At higher
speeds, the cyclic impact between the chain links and the sprocket teeth, high noise and
difficulties in providing lubrication, limit the application of chain drives. Table 12.21shows a
comparison of chain, belt and gear attributes. Chain drives are principally used for power
transmission, conveyors and for supporting or lifting loads (see, American Chain Association,
2005). Applications range from motorcycle and bicycle transmissions, automotive
camshafts drives (although synchronous belts have replaced chains in some automotive
applications), machine tools and aerospace drives such as the thruster nozzles for the classic
Harrier aircraft, to conveyors and packaging machinery. Efficiencies of up to 98.9%, where
necessary ratios of up to 9:1 and power transmission of several
Fig. 12.21 Use of triplex chain for a dynamometer.

 Roller chain selection
Once the use of a chain drive has been shown to be preferable to other forms of drive,
the type of chain to be used can be selected from the range available as illustrated in Fig.
12.22. The next step is the design of the chain drive layout and selection of the standard
components available from chain manufacturers. The method outlined here is for roller
chains. Procedures for the selection of other chain types can be found in manufacturers’
catalogues. The method is based upon the use of power rating charts for the chain drive,
which ensure 15,000 h operation assuming proper installation, operation and lubrication. The
steps for the method are itemised as follow and illustrated inFig. 12.33.
1. Determine the power to be transmitted.
2. Determine the speeds of the driving and driven shafts.
3. Determine the characteristics of the driving and driven shaft, for example type of
running,
whether smooth or shock loadings, etc.
4. Set the approximate centre distance. This should normally be in the range of 30–50
times the chain pitch
Chain drives should be protected against dirt and moisture (tell this to a mountain
biker!). Lubrication should be provided using a nondetergent mineral-based oil. For the
majority of applications, multigrade SAE20/50 is suitable. There are five principle types of
lubrication: manual application, drip feed, bath, stream (seeFig. 12.35) and dry lubrication.
Grease lubrication is not recommended but can be used for chain
Fig. 12.35 Chain lubrication methods.Courtesy of Renold Chain.
speeds of<4 m/s. In order to ensure the grease penetrates the working parts of the chain, it
should be heated until liquid and the chain dipped into the grease until the air has been
displaced. This process should be repeated at regular service intervals. For dry lubrication,
solid lubricant is contained in a volatile carrier fluid. When applied to chain, the carrier
transports the lubricant into the chain and then evaporates leaving the chain lubricated but dry
to touch. Applications for dry lubrication include food-processing, dusty environments and
fabric handling.
The pitch diameters for the driving and driven sprockets are given by
and the angle of contact (in radians) between the chain and the sprockets by
Note that the minimum angle of wrap recommended for the small sprocket is 120°. The chain
tension is given by
Standard sprockets can be purchased. The choice of sprocket material depends on the number
of teeth and the operating conditions as shown in Table 12.24. Example 12.6.A chain drive is
required for a gear pump operating at 400 rpm driven by a 5.5 kW electric motor running at
1440 rpm. The centre distance between the motor and pump shafts is approximately 470 mm

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Belt and chain drives

Fig. 12.21 Use of triplex chain for a dynamometer.

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