Calculation method of dynamic tension of belt conveyor based on digital twins

Abstract

As a core material handling device in industrial production, the operational stability of belt conveyors directly impacts production efficiency and safety. Addressing the limitations of traditional dynamic tension monitoring methods, such as their strong local nature and high costs, this paper proposes a method for calculating the dynamic tension of the entire section of a belt conveyor based on digital twin technology. By constructing a five-dimensional digital twin model architecture, integrating high-precision geometric modeling, dynamic elastic modulus modeling to characterize belt aging and degradation, Amesim dynamic models encapsulated as Functional Mock-Up Unit (FMU) files, and real-time data interaction technology, the method achieves verification of the belt’s dynamic tension. Experimental results show that this method utilizes radial basis function (RBF) interpolation algorithms and hue, saturation, value (HSV) color mapping to realize the display of a visual tension cloud map. The average simulation delay per step is 2.2 ms, with a maximum delay of no more than 7 ms, meeting real-time requirements and providing an efficient technical solution for dynamic tension calculation. Under stable operating conditions, the maximum error between the calculated values of the FMU model and the measured values of the CMOS laser displacement sensor is ∼11%, showing good consistency.