Dynamic Behavior of a Moving Belt Supported on Elastic Foundation

The dynamic behavior of a belt moving on an elastic foundation and supported on two pulleys at the ends is investigated. The problem is formulated to include the nonlinear terms arising from large amplitude oscillations as well as material damping and the variation in tension along the belt. The differential equation of motion is solved employing numerical techniques, and the spatial response variations with time are presented graphically for different belt velocities. These results indicate that in the absence of damping, the system is unstable for any belt velocity larger than the wave velocity in the belt material. The results are useful in investigating the stability of large continuous conveyor systems supported on elastic foundations.