A study of the suitability of electric drives to the task of driving conveyors

An attempt was made to determine the suitability of electric drives to the task of driving large belt conveyors. A basis upon which the merits of conveyor drives could be judged had to be determined. The following criteria were used for this purpose: the extent to which the output torque of the drive could be controlled; the ability of the drive to operate continuously at speeds below rated speed; the cost of the initial outlay and that of running the drive; and the ease of maintenance and reliability of the system. Following the determination of these criteria, a survey was done on the operation and merits of the conventional conveyor drive systems available so that the electric drive systems being proposed could be considered against this background. The operation and merits of a number of controlled electric drive systems are described. When the conventional drive systems are compared to the electric drives, it is clear that these modern drives offer superior performance in all spheres with the possible exception of the ease of maintenance. Particularly noteworthy is the high efficiency at which electric drives may be operated. It is thus concluded that controlled electric drives are well suited to the application of driving belt conveyors