Dynamic behavior of moving tail ropes

The rope line of a tensioned rope can be described with the catenary. In contrast, the rope line of a free bent rope cannot be described by an analytical function. Practical applications of freely curved ropes can be found, for example, on tail ropes in rope drives with traction sheaves. In [1] a method for a numerical calculation of the static shape of a freely curved rope was presented. If the skips run vertically through the shaft, the tail rope gets a higher D/d ratio in the area of the free bend and the rope figure begins to swing. In addition, the rope figure begins to twist due to the rope torque that occurs. The phenomenon of the three partial movements is described and a simulation model is presented with which the shape of the rope figure can be represented.

Author(s): U.Briem