The V-belt is used in automotive engines to transfer power from the crankshaft to the units. V-belts are made up of reinforcements, a rubber base and a fabric wrap. Classic, narrow and toothed V-belts and multi-V belts are used in car engines.
V-belts are a type of drive belt - flexible elements used to transfer torque between the drive and driven pulleys of belt drives. In automobile construction, V-belts are used to supply power from the crankshaft to units driven by the engine.
Geometric characteristics
The V-belt has a trapezoidal cross-section, the sides of which are pressed by frictional forces against the mating surfaces of the pulley. The pulley depth should allow for clearance between the underside of the belt and the pulley groove.
Modern standards and technical conditions governing the standard sizes of V-belts used in the design of automobile engines provide for such varieties as belts of a classic section, narrow section and belts with a toothed edge. The section of the V-belt is selected from catalogs depending on the maximum peripheral speed developed at the peripheral diameter of the pulley.
Design
The V-belt consists of three main structural elements - cord, backing and fabric wrap. Cord is a reinforcing fiber made from synthetic or carbon fabrics. The cord takes up the bulk of the load acting on the belt. The core of the V-belt is made of rubber and provides the required flexibility. The fabric wrap is designed to improve adhesion between the belt and the pulley surface, as well as reduce wear on the rubber base of the belt.
The load capacity of a V-belt depends not only on its geometric characteristics, but also on the materials used. Belts from different manufacturers of the same standard size and load capacity are completely interchangeable.
Features of different types of V-belts
A narrow section V-belt is capable of transmitting more power than a classic belt of equal dimensions. To enable the transmission of high power, narrow V-belts are produced with stronger cords than the classic ones.
Toothed V-belts are also widely used in automotive engines. They do not have a cloth wrap on the contact surfaces, which are sanded for more even adhesion.
For the transmission of high power without a significant increase in the size of the transmission, multi-V-belts are used, geometrically representing several closely spaced V-belts.
