Dynamic Analysis Of The Gear Transmission System Of An Armoured Face Conveyor

Since design requirements for armored face conveyors have been developing recently towards increasingly high power, large capacity, long distance and high speed, there is currently a high demand for gearboxes in the field of coal mining. Most armored face conveyors adopt the double drive method, which requires a head motor and a tail motor. The principal components of the head of an armored face conveyor are a headstock, a drive system, a sprocket, a chain device and a base support. The drive system is composed of a motor, a hydraulic coupler and a gearbox. The gearbox is one of the key components of the conveyor system, since it affects the stability and reliability of the conveyors. This paper presents an in-depth study of the dynamics of the gearbox in an armored face conveyor, including the optimization of the mathematical model and a simulation model of the gear transmission system, and an analysis of the dynamic characteristics of a gearbox under typical conditions. The paper also lays a foundation for the further study of the armored face conveyor. The principal research projects and conclusions presented in the paper are as follows:Firstly, a typical Kelvin-Voigt model is adopted to describe the viscoelastic properties of a gear transmission system. Then a finite-element model of a gear transmission system is established by the finite-element method for a rigid body. Finally, Newtonian dynamics equations are deduced to generate a mathematical model of the system.Secondly, the principal parameters for a specified gearbox are calculated, including masses, moments of inertia, stiffness coefficients and damping coefficients. The excitations in the gear transmission system are also studied. Standard formulas are used to calculate some of the parameters. The stiffness coefficient has been acquired by FEA based on ANSYS software.Thirdly, simulation models of gear transmission system under typical working conditions have been established based on MATLAB or Simulink software package modules, including the determination of equations of state and programming of the S function.Fourthly, a graphical user interface of the simulation model is established using the MATLAB GUI, including the window designing of parameter inputting, data outputting and control buttons. Users can input simulation model parameters conveniently via a window interface.Fifthly, some typical working conditions are simulated, including a No-load start, full start, full freedom downtime and blocked chains. Simulation curves are obtained to analyze the dynamic characteristics of the gear transmission system, providing a theoretical foundation for designing gearboxes for use in coal mining.