Modelling and Simulation of Conveyor Belt for Energy Efficiency Studies

Abstract

Belt conveyors have always been an efficient means of large tonnage transportation compared to other transportation methods. They play an important role in a continuous transportation of dry bulk material, especially at the mining and coal power stations. Speed control is expected to reduce the energy consumption of belt conveyors, however, the problem is the handling of the conveyors' dynamic behaviors and the speed control, which are significantly important because, poor dynamics and inaccurate control of the conveyors could lead to high energy consumption and poor performance. Hence, a proper study by modelling and simulating the conveyor belt could lead to reduction in power consumption on conveyor belts and operating costs for companies. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to model and simulate conveyor belt system dynamic behavior and control for energy efficiency studies by using Matlab/Simulink.