LAB REPORT 

Engineering Mechanics Lab

Flat and V Belts

Submitted To:
Sir Rehmat Bashir
Submitted By:
Muhammad Furqan
2021-ME-16
Section A
 

University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore

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 Table of Contents
1.1 Apparatus:........................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Theory:.......................................................................................................................................2
1.2.1 Friction:............................................................................................................................2
1.2.2 Belt:...................................................................................................................................2
1.2.3 Types of Pulleys:...............................................................................................................2
1.2.3.1 Fixed Pulley:........................................................................................................2
1.2.3.2 Movable pulleys:..................................................................................................3
1.2.3.3 Compound pulley:...............................................................................................3
1.2.3.4 Swivel eye pulley:.................................................................................................3
1.2.3.5 Fixed eye pulley:..................................................................................................3
1.2.3.6 Block and tackle Pulley:......................................................................................3
1.2.4 Flat Belts:..........................................................................................................................3
1.2.5 Types of Belt Drives:.........................................................................................................4
1.2.5.1 Open Belt Drive:..................................................................................................4
1.2.5.2 Crossed Belt Drive:..............................................................................................4
1.2.6 Material of Belts:...............................................................................................................4
1.2.7 Slip in Belt Drives:............................................................................................................5
1.2.8 Creep of Belts:...................................................................................................................5
1.2.9 Disadvantages of V Belt:...................................................................................................5
1.3 Procedure:........................................................................................................................................5
1.3.1 For V Belt:.........................................................................................................................5
1.3.2 Flat Belt..............................................................................................................................6
1.4 Formulation:....................................................................................................................................6
1.5 Specifications....................................................................................................................................8
1.6 Observations and calculations:.......................................................................................................8
1.6.1 Flat belt..............................................................................................................................8
1.6.2 V belt...................................................................................................................................8
1.7 Graphs:.............................................................................................................................................9
1.7.1 Force ratios.......................................................................................................................9
1.8 Explanation:...................................................................................................................................10
1.9 Applications:..................................................................................................................................11
1.9.1 V Belt...............................................................................................................................11

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 1.9.2 Flat Belt............................................................................................................................11
1.9.3 V Groove..........................................................................................................................11
1.10 References:...................................................................................................................................12

Title

To determine the coefficient of friction between pulley and belt ( flat

and v – belt ).
1.1 Apparatus:
 Belt and Pulley Apparatus
 Spring Balance
 V Belt
 Hangers
 Weights
 Digital Vernier Calipers

1.2 Theory:
1.2.1 Friction:
“Friction is a force that resists the movement of two contacting surfaces that slide
relative to one another. This force always acts tangent to the surface at the point of contact
and is directed so as to oppose the possible or existing motion between the surfaces.”[1]

Mathematically,

Fr = µo N

Where Fr is the frictional force, F is the normal force, µo is the constant of

proportionality called the coefficient of friction.

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 1.2.2 Belt:
“A belt is a loop of flexible material used to link two or more rotating shafts
mechanically, most often parallel. Belts may be used as a source of motion, to transmit
power efficiently or to track relative movement. Belts are looped over pulleys and may have
a twist between the pulleys, and the shafts need not be parallel.”[1]

Figure 1: Model of a Normal belt

1.2.3 Types of Pulleys:

Following are the different types of pulleys:

1.2.3.1 Fixed Pulley:

The simplest of pulleys are known as fixed pulleys. These systems are such that the
pulley’s wheel is attached to a solid object and can turn but can’t move up or down or in any
other way. A fixed pulley is used to lift or lower an object.

1.2.3.2 Movable pulleys:

Moveable pulleys are more advanced than fixed pulleys. They allow the pulley itself to
move as needed as the human applies force. The advantage of movable pulleys is that they
decrease the amount of force that’s needed to move an object. They also can be set up in a
way that uses less space than a fixed pulley.[1]

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 1.2.3.3 Compound pulley:
A system that includes both a fixed and a movable pulley is known as a compound
pulley and, depending on how many pulleys are used and the direction of the force applied
to them, these types of pulley systems can save even more energy and/or can lift/move even
heavier objects.

1.2.3.4 Swivel eye pulley:

A swivel eye pulley provides dynamic rotation (the pulley’s block, which holds the
pulley wheel, rotates). This type of pulley is a great option when someone needs a bit of
rotation when picking up a load. A swivel eye pulley can be mounted on a rod, bolt, shackle,
etc. What’s more, the “eye” of a swivel eye pulley can slide over pipes, bolts, rods. They can
be used with nylon, fibrous or wire ropes.

1.2.3.5 Fixed eye pulley:

A fixed eye pulley is similar to a swivel eye, except the eye itself is fixed on the pulley
block: the eye cannot turn or swivel.

1.2.3.6 Block and tackle Pulley:

A set of pulleys assembled so that they rotate independently on the same axle from a
block. Two blocks with a rope attached to one of the blocks and threaded through the two
sets of pulleys form a block and tackle.

1.2.4 Flat Belts:

“Flat belts are designed for light-duty power transmission and high-performance
conveying. They are best-suited for applications with smaller pulleys and large central
distances. Flat belts can connect inside and outside pulleys and can come in both endless and
jointed construction. They have a high power transmission efficiency, are cost effective, and
are easy to use and install. The small bending cross- section of the flat belt causes little
bending loss. The frictional engagement on the pulley outer surface requires only a small
cross- section and makes flat belts very flexible, resulting in negligible energy loss. A flat
belt does not require grooves, minimizing the energy loss and wear from the belt wedging in
and pulling out from the grooves.[2]

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 Additional benefits of flat belts include energy savings, a long service life of
belts and pulleys, less down time and high productivity, and low noise generation from a
smooth belt operation. Flat belts can be installed simply and securely. Belts are tensioned to
the calculated initial tension by means of simple measuring marks to be applied to the belt.
There is a constant tension on the belt so the belt will not need to be re-tensioned.

1.2.5 Types of Belt Drives:

In a two pulley system, depending upon the direction the belt drives the pulley, the
belt drives are divided into two types. They are Open belt drive and Crossed belt drive. The two
types of belt drives are discussed below in brief.[3]

1.2.5.1 Open Belt Drive:

“An Open Belt Drive is used to rotate the driven pulley in the same direction of driving pulley.”

In the motion of belt drive, power transmission results make one side of pulley more tightened
compared to the other side. In horizontal drives, tightened side is always kept on the lower side of
two pulleys because the sag of the upper side slightly increases the angle of folding of the belt on the
two pulleys.

1.2.5.2 Crossed Belt Drive:

“A Crossed Belt Drive is used to rotate driven pulley in the opposite direction of driving
pulley.”

Higher the value of wrap enables more power can be transmitted than an open belt drive.
However, bending and wear of the belt are important concerns.

1.2.6 Material of Belts:

The material used in belt drive should have certain qualities. They are listed below:

 It can withstand high tensile stress.

 It should process high flexibility and low rigidity.

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  Chemical stability, oil and other solvent resistance must be fair.
 High coefficient of friction between belt and pulley.
 It should have excellent resistance to wear and fatigue.
 Excellent dimensional stability.
 Low weight per unit length.
 High ply separation resistance.
 Low elongation during operation, creep must be very trifling.
 It can use at the wide range of temperature.

Following are the different materials used for making belts:

 Leather
 Cotton or fabric

 Rubber • Urethane

 Balata • Polyamide

 Plastic • Polyester

 Neoprene • Aramid
 Platinum
 Gold

1.2.7 Slip in Belt Drives:

“Slip in the belt drive is a phenomenon of the relative motion between belt and pulley.”

Due to insufficient grip of friction between pulley and belt, there are some relative motion in
between those two is present, this motion is called slip of the belt. Ideally it should be a zero. In
other words, when the belt gets mounted on slip arch of the pulley; At that time due to inappropriate
friction between two the pulley travels with relatively greater velocity leaving the belt behind. This
virtue of relative motion is called as Slip in Belt Drives.[4]

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 1.2.8 Creep of Belts:
“When a belt rotates through two pulleys, upper side of this drive will tight side and lower side
will be slack side, now a certain portion of belt will pass through the area where it will change from
tight side to slack side, then the length of that specific portion of the belt will expand and contract
subsequently and a relative motion will happen between belt and pulley surface. This phenomenon is
called Creep of Belt.” This effects a slight reduction in velocity of follower pulley than driven one.
proper selection of belt material and belt length can reduce this loss.

1.2.9 Disadvantages of V Belt:

 The V-belt drive cannot be used for long distances due to greater weight per unit of
length.
 They are not applicable to the synchronous machines because they are not free from
creep.
 The centrifugal tension prevents the use of belts at speeds below 5 m/s and above 50 m/s.
 The construction of pulleys for v-belts is more complicated than the flat belt.

1.3 Procedure:
1.3.1 For V Belt:
 Set the angle to 30°.
 Measure the tension “T1” of belt before setting on pulley and note it down.
 Set the belt on the pulley with its rough side resting upon the pulley.
 After the belt is set upon, rotate the pulley so that there is friction between the belt and
pulley.
 Due to this friction, the tension reduces and T2<T1.
 Measure the T2 and note down the values in the table.
 Take 3 values of different weights and its outcome i.e. T2.
 Now increase the angle to 60° and repeat the same steps.
 Keep on increasing angle at 30° increments until you reach 150°.
 Note the log natural of (T1/T2) and note down.
 Take the mean of log of ratio of tension for each angle
 Now divide log of ratio of tension by the angle of contact “θ” and note down the values.
 Calculate the mean of these values too.
 Calculate the Coefficient of Friction using the formula

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 1.3.2 Flat Belt
 Set the angle to 30°.
 Measure the tension “T1” of belt before setting on pulley and note it down.
 Set the belt on the pulley with its rough side resting upon the pulley.
 After the belt is set upon, rotate the pulley so that there is friction between the belt and
pulley.
 Due to this friction, the tension reduces and T2<T1.
 Measure the T2and note down the values in the table.
 Take 3 values of different weights and its outcome i.e. T2.
 Now increase the angle to 60° and repeat the same steps.
 Keep on increasing angle at 30° increments until you reach 150°.
 Note the log natural of (T1/T2) and note down.
 Take the mean of log of ratio of tension for each angle
 Now divide log of ratio of tension by the angle of wrap “θ” and note down the values.
 Calculate the mean of these values too.
 Calculate the coefficient of friction using the formula:

Figure 2: Diagram of V Belt

1.4 Formulation:
For a simple flat pulley, it has been observed that the ratio of tension across the
pulley as it rotates is exponentially related to the coefficient of friction and the angle the belt
subtends at the center of the pulley. These observations are called the Capstan Equations or
Belt Equations.

Mathematically,

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 Let ,

T1 = tension in a tight string .

And, T2 = Tension in a slack string

µФ
T1
So, there ratio gives =e sinα …………….(1) (standard form)
T2

T1 µФ
ln T = sinα ln e ( ln e = 1 )
2

Taking log on both sides in (1) ,

T1 µФ
ln T = sinα
2

sinα T1
µ = Ф ln T
2

Figure 3: Free Body Diagram

where , Ф = Angle of contact.

α = Groove angle/Angle of Belt

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 α can be found out by the X section of the belt from figure above ,

b1−b 2
Tan α =
2h

α = tan -1[ b 1−b2

2h ]

Figure 4: Lab Apparatus

Plot a graph for angle-log tension data, and find

mean value of coefficient of friction.

1.5 Specifications
b 1 = 1.25 cm

b 2 = 0.75 cm

h = 0.81 cm

so , solving above equation for α gives

α = 14.02o or 0.245 rad

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 1.6 Observations and calculations:
1.6.1 Flat belt.

Mean coefficient of friction: 0.71

1.6.2 V belt.

Half groove angle= 14.02 degrees

Mean coefficient of friction: 0.316

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 1.7 Graphs:
1.7.1 Force ratios

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 1.8 Explanation:
The above graphs shows the ratio of tension generated in the tighter side of the
belt to the tension generated in the looser side of the belt. As the tension in tighter side is
greater, the ratio is always greater than one. From the above graphs, it is evident that the
tension developed in the tighter side increases with the contact angle of the belt with the
pulley. Also, the increase is exponential, which agrees with the theoretical formula of the
tension generated in a belt-and-pulley system. The values for flat belt are smooth and less
varied as compared to the values for V-belt. The primary reason is the wedge action of V-
belts, which is a frictional phenomenon. The wedge action of V-belts causes error in the

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 experiment, but it is an unavoidable error since it is a property of V-belts. The graphs of
each load approximately overlap each other, indicating that only the contact angle and
coefficient of friction affects the ratio of generated tensions.

The graphs for coefficient of friction are approximately constant horizontal lines,
indicating that the coefficient of friction does not vary with varying the hanged load or the
contact angle of the belt. As mentioned earlier, the values for flat belt are less varied than the
values for V-belt. The reason is the same: frictional forces due to wedging action come into
play and produce variations in the experiment.

The groove angle plays an important part in force ratio and coefficient of friction.
The coefficient of friction calculated in case of V-belts are considerably less than the
coefficient calculated in case of flat belts. This indicates that the normal forces generated by
the grooved shape of V-belt allow for lesser friction to produce same effects. However, V-
belts can generate greater tension difference than flat belts; this is evident from the graphs.
So, V-belts can produce greater tension difference at lesser friction than flat belts. 

1.9 Applications:
1.9.1 V Belt
The V-belts are transmission belts used in auto-industry. These belts are used to
transmit the force from the engine to the ancillary components. They are considered as low-
cost and efficient means of transmitting power. Forming an integral part of industrial tool
supply kit, these V- Belts are available in different varieties like cogged, raw-edge, wrapped
and banded v-belts (two or more v-belts joined together to make a single belt). As a Power
Transmission tool, the V-Belts have two major function to perform:

 Transmit power from one shaft to another

 Increase or Decrease the speed of a motion.

MK Industrial Suppliers (MKIS) are one of the leading names offering wide range of
products that facilitate motion transfer, power transmission and application conveyance. The
company sources top-quality V-Belts and products from Fenner Drives which is a trusted
brand in the global engineering community. In fact, MKIS serves as the fennor v belt

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 distributor , sourcing products directly from the manufacturer and delivering the same to the
end customer.

1.9.2 Flat Belt

The power transmission flat belt can be used in many forms of power
transmission. It is known as a two pulley drive, consisting of a driving pulley, a driven
pulley, and the belt. Below are examples of pulley design variations. Flat belts may be
customized for a wide range of applications. Such configurations include an incline to carry
product to another level. Flat belts may also have a tracking sleeve under the system to
ensure that the belt does not slip, or that the coefficient of friction can be adjusted to prevent
slippage.

Typical applications include conveyors, compressors, machine tools,and other

heavy industrial equipment.

1.9.3 V Groove
V grooves along the belt allows for better stability against lateral slippage when
the input and output are misaligned. V grooves perpendicular to the belt allows for better
traction when transmitting high torque or rotational velocity. However, V belts undergo a
wedging effect when they enter and leave the pulley, and a considerable amount of force is
required to wedge and wedge out the belt from the pulley. This causes a loss of power and a
decrease in efficiency of V belts. Flat belts undergo no wedging effect due to having flat
contact surfaces, so they have better efficiency than V belt.

Belt and pulley systems are used in:

 Automotive systems.
 Motors.
 Machines.

1.10 References:
[1] S. Agrawal and A. Lalwani, “Decoding the performance in an out-of-context problem
during blocked practice,” ACM Int. Conf. Proceeding Ser., pp. 118–123, Mar. 2020, doi:

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 10.1145/3375462.3375542.

[2] “Flat Belts Selection Guide: Types, Features, Applications | Engineering360.”

https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/motion_controls/power_transmission_mechanical/
flat_belts (accessed Jun. 13, 2022).

[3] “Belt Drives & Types of Belts | Fractory.” https://fractory.com/belt-drives/ (accessed

Jun. 13, 2022).

[4] “Slip And Creep In Belt Drive - Nirmal Trans Belts.” https://nirmaltransbelts.com/slip-
and-creep-in-belt-drive/ (accessed Jun. 13, 2022).

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