Constant Acceleration Control for AMT's Application in Belt Conveyor's Soft Starting

Abstract

In order to start belt conveyor softly, automated mechanical transmission (AMT) is used as a new soft-starting device. Constant belt acceleration control is proposed as a method for AMT’s application in belt conveyor’s soft starting. Belt velocity is adopted as the single parameter for shift schedule. Based on the idea of half engagement point, fast-slow-fast law is taken for clutch engagement. Simulation model is established in AMESim environment. On the basis of horizontal belt conveyor driven by one induction motor with 110 KW power, simulation research on start-up process in first gear and shift process from first gear to eighth gear are carried out respectively. Simulation results show that the constant belt acceleration with 0.2 m/s 2 could achieve the purpose of AMT’s application in belt conveyor’s soft starting. The phenomenon of short-time belt acceleration mutations appears during shift process. The maximum value of belt acceleration is less than 1 m/s 2 while the clutch is just at the beginning of engagement. Under the influence of belt acceleration mutations, main characteristic parameters of the system are within their allowable limits, such as belt maximum tension and driving pulley torque. After the completion of upshift process, the belt maximum tension and other parameters curves tend to be stable.