Department of Mechanical Engineering
Theory of Machines - Tutorial Questions – Belt and Rope Drives
1. An engine, running at 150 r.p.m., drives a line shaft by means of a belt.
The engine pulley is 750 mm diameter and the pulley on the line shaft
being 450 mm. A 900 mm diameter pulley on the line shaft drives a 150
mm diameter pulley keyed to a dynamo shaft. Find the speed of the
dynamo shaft, when 1. there is no slip, and 2. there is a slip of 2% at
each drive.
Ans: 1. 1500 rpm, 2. 1440 rpm
2. A prime mover running at 400 rpm drives a generator at 600 rpm by a
belt drive. Diameter of prime mover pulley 600 mm. Assuming a slip of
2%, determine the diameter of the generator pulley, if the belt thickness
is 6 mm.
Ans: 408.3 mm
3. A prime mover running at 300 rpm, drives a DC generator at 500 rpm
by a belt drive. Diameter of the pulley on the output shaft of the prime
mover is 600 mm. Assuming a slip of 3%, determine the diameter of the
generator pulley if the belt running over it is 6 mm thick.
Ans: 483.85 mm
4. The power is transmitted from a pulley 1 m diameter running at 200
r.p.m. to a pulley 2.25 m diameter by means of a belt. Find the speed
lost by the driven pulley as a result of creep, if the stress on the tight and
slack side of the belt is 1.4 MPa and 0.5 MPa respectively. The Young’s
modulus for the material of the belt is 100 MPa.
Ans: Speed lost by driven pulley due to creep = 0.2 rpm
5. The power is transmitted from pulley 1.5m diameter running at 210 RPM
to a pulley 2.25 m diameter by means of belt. Find the speed lost by
driven pulley as a result of creep, if the stress on tight and slack side of
belt is 1.5 MPa and 0.5 MPa respectively the young’s modulus for belt
material is 100Mpa.
Ans: Speed lost by driven pulley due to creep = 0.1 rpm
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Department of Mechanical Engineering
Theory of Machines - Tutorial Questions – Belt and Rope Drives
6. Two parallel shaft at 6 m centre distance are connected by a cross belt
have pulley diameters of 300 mm and 600 mm, respectively. Calculate
the length of the belt required. If the same belt is to be used for the open
belt drive, what is the remedy?
Ans: length of cross-belt = 13447 mm, length of open-belt = 13413.87
mm, The remedy is that the length of the belt be shortened by 33.13 mm
7. Two pulleys of diameters 450 mm and 150 mm are mounted on two
parallel shafts 2 m apart and are connected by a flat belt drive. Find the
power which can be transmitted by the belt when the larger pulley
rotates at 180 rpm. The maximum permissible tension in the belt is 1
kN, and the coefficient of friction between the belt and the pulley is 0.25.
Also find the length of the cross belt required and the angle of arc of
contact between the belt and the pulleys.
Ans: Angle of contact = 197.254° or 3.443 rad, Power transmitted = 2.447
kW, Length of cross belt = 4.987 m
8. Two pulleys, one 450 mm diameter and the other 200 mm diameter are
on parallel shafts 1.95 m apart and are connected by a crossed belt. Find
the length of the belt required and the angle of contact between the belt
and each pulley. What power can be transmitted by the belt when the
larger pulley rotates at 200 rev/min, if the maximum permissible tension
in the belt is 1 kN, and the coefficient of friction between the belt and
pulley is 0.25 ?
Ans: Length of the cross-belt = 4.975 mm, Power transmitted = 2.74 kW
9. A shaft running at 200 rpm drives another shaft at 400 rpm, and
transmits 7.5 kW through an open belt. The belt is 80 mm wide and 10
mm thick. The centre distance is 4 m. The smaller pulley is of 500 mm
diameter, and the coefficient of friction between the belt and pulley is
0.30. Calculate the stress in the belt.
Ans: Maximum stress in the belt = 1.5 N/mm2.
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Department of Mechanical Engineering
Theory of Machines - Tutorial Questions – Belt and Rope Drives
10. A shaft rotating at 200 r.p.m. drives another shaft at 300 r.p.m. and
transmits 6 kW through a belt. The belt is 100 mm wide and 10 mm
thick. The distance between the shafts is 4m. The smaller pulley is 0.5
m in diameter. Calculate the stress in the belt, if it is 1. an open belt
drive, and 2. a cross belt drive. Take μ = 0.3.
Ans: Stress in the belt for an open belt drive = 1.267 N/mm2, Stress in
the belt for a cross belt drive = 1.184 N/mm2
11. A 100 mm & 10 mm thick belt transmits 5 kW of power between two
parallel shafts. The distance between shaft centers is 1.5 m & diameter
of the smaller pulley is 440 mm. The driving & driven shafts rotate at 60
rpm & 150 rpm respectively. The coefficient of friction is 0.22. Find the
stress in the belt if the two pulleys are connected by
i. An open belt; and
ii. A cross belt
Ans: i. 3.16 N/mm2, ii. 2.339 N/mm2.
12. A casting weighing 9 kN hangs freely from a rope which makes 2.5 turns
round a drum of 300 mm diameter revolving at 20 r.p.m. The other end
of the rope is pulled by a man. The coefficient of friction is 0.25.
Determine 1. The force required by the man, and 2. The power to raise
the casting.
Ans: 1. 176.47 N, 2. 2.772 kW.
13. A leather belt is required to transmit 8 kW from a pulley 1.5 m diameter
running at 240 rpm. The angle of contact is 160° and the coefficient of
friction between belt and pulley is 0.25. The safe working stress for
leather is 1.5 MPa and density of leather is 1000 kg/m3. Determine the
width of the belt if its thickness is 10 mm. Take into account the effect
of centrifugal tension.
Ans: 73.8 mm
14. A leather belt is required to transmit 7.5 kW from a pulley 1.2 m in
diameter, running at 250 r.p.m. The angle embraced is 165° and the
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Department of Mechanical Engineering
Theory of Machines - Tutorial Questions – Belt and Rope Drives
coefficient of friction between the belt and the pulley is 0.3. If the safe
working stress for the leather belt is 1.5 MPa, density of leather 1 Mg/m3
and thickness of belt 10 mm, determine the width of the belt taking
centrifugal tension into account.
Ans: 65.8 mm
15. A belt drive transmits 8 kW of power from a shaft rotating at 240 rpm to
another shaft rotating at 160 rpm. The belt is 8 mm thick. The diameter
of smaller pulley is 600 mm & the two shafts are 5 m apart. The
coefficient of friction is 0.25. If the maximum stress in the belt is limited
to 3 N/mm2, find the width of the belt for
i. An open belt drive, and
ii. A crossed belt drive
Ans:
16. A pulley is driven by a flat belt, the angle of lap being 120°. The belt is
100 mm wide by 6 mm thick and density1000 kg/m3. If the coefficient of
friction is 0.3 and the maximum stress in the belt is not to exceed 2 MPa,
find the greatest power which the belt can transmit and the
corresponding speed of the belt.
Ans: Speed of the belt for greatest power = 25.82 m/s, Greatest power
which the belt can transmit = 9.67 kW.
17. In a flat belt drive the initial tension is 2000 N. The coefficient of friction
between the belt and the pulley is 0.3 and the angle of lap on the smaller
pulley is 150°. The smaller pulley has a radius of 200 mm and rotates at
500 r.p.m. Find the power in kW transmitted by the belt.
Ans: 15.7 kW.
18. A V-belt drive consists of three belts in parallel on grooved pulleys of the
same size. The angle of groove is 40°, and the coefficient of friction 0.15.
The cross-sectional area of each belt is 800 mm2 and the permissible
stress in the belt material is 3 MPa. Calculate the power that can be
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Department of Mechanical Engineering
Theory of Machines - Tutorial Questions – Belt and Rope Drives
transmitted between two pulleys 400 mm in diameter rotating at 960
rpm.
Ans: 108.23 kW.
19. A V-belt of 6 cm2 cross-section has a groove angle of 40° and angle of lap
of 150°, µ = 0.1. The mass of belt per metre run is 1.2 kg. The maximum
allowable stress in the belt is 850 N/cm2. Calculate the power that can
be transmitted at a belt speed of 30 m/s.
Ans: 64.5 kW.
20. Power is transmitted using a V-belt drive. The included angle of V-groove
is 30°. The belt is 20 mm deep and maximum width is 20 mm. If the
mass of the belt is 0.35 kg per metre length and maximum allowable
stress is 1.4 MPa, determine the maximum power transmitted when the
angle of lap is 140°. μ = 0.15.
Ans: 6.53 kW.
21. A rope drive transmits 600 kW from a pulley of effective diameter 4 m,
which runs at a speed of 90 r.p.m. The angle of lap is 160° ; the angle of
groove 45° ; the coefficient of friction 0.28 ; the mass of rope 1.5 kg/m
and the allowable tension in each rope 2400 N. Find the number of ropes
required.
Ans: 20.
22. A rope drive is required to transmit 250 kW from a sheave of 1 m
diameter running at 450 rpm. The safe pull in each rope is 800 N and
the mass of the rope is 0.46 kg/m length. The angle of lap is 160° and
the groove angle is 45°. If the coefficient of friction is between the rope
and the sheave is 0.3, find the number of ropes required.
Ans: 22
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