Abstract
This paper presents a small-scale laboratory system developed for emulating large belt conveyors in industrial systems. The aim was to develop a teaching tool that is suitable for use in teaching and training of both undergraduate students and engineers. Belt conveyor systems are applied to raw material (ore) transportation in mining beneficiation plants. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to build and improve students’ and engineers’ skills on belt conveyor operation and supervision. To that end, the training system discussed in this paper allows for training on belt conveyor systems under different loading levels and operating speeds. The typical belt conveyor behaviors—under transient and steady-state belt behavior—are emulated by means of an embedded system that controls the resistant torque at the electrical motor shaft. To assess the adequacy of the training tool developed, several laboratory assignments were accomplished by a class made up by electrical engineering undergraduate students. Pedagogical evaluation has shown that the methodology improved the overall students’ skill on belt conveyor operation.
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