Megawatt-Scale Synchronous Belts: Has It Been Done?

One prominent manufacturer of such belts mentions horsepower of up to 200 (≈150 kW). Someone else might claim a bit higher, but it doesn't look as though mW ratings are in practical range yet. I suppose that one could gang several such drives in parallel, with hefty outboard bearings and a multitude of fairly expensive sprockets and belts.

Have you seen those kevlar loaded belts on the rear of Harley Davidson Motorcycles?

Oh, wow, a megawatt Harley? That would be something to see--and hear!

I don't think you'd hear much more than.

The motor spooling up,

The belt whining over the coggs,

The tire burning its way down the strip.

And some poor SOB screaming like a little girl.

Try Gates Belts. If anyone can help you they are the company. There URL is: http://www.gates.com/

I left an inquiry with the Gates website.

most likely, if I need it to happen tomorrow, I will have to use multiples as Tornado said.

But I am hoping progress is being made in this area, roller chain is a pain.

What other alternatives are there? I mean shafts and bevel gearing is just too expensive, heavy, and etc at this size...

--North

I'm with you 100% on the hopes for such designs. It doesn't look as though the current technology is ready for such high power, but we can hope for continued advances.

You wouldn't be the first person to try and work out how best to transfer high power through other than a direct drive. In the absence of some entirely new concept - that is not going to happen either at all or without massive development overheads - you will find that you answer lays in what has already been used.

Roller chain has many advantages, though the silence of a rubber belt is not one of them. Ship drives would be one application where the best options have been and tested over time. In generic terms you will be looking at hydraulic and electric drives, which don't have the efficiency, or gears, which don't have the utility.

Good luck 'cause I think you are going to need it.

Hi good day to you!can you be more specific on your case

A while back Goodyear came out with a new flat belt design. It had a "Herring bone" cog design. I believe it was called the Eagle series.

@Tornado: I thought the water was good in Ketchikan, what have you been drinking out of?

@More Specific: not much, I am designing a system to generate electricity, the driving sprocket needs to be very large, there is room for >20 feet diameter! but whatever is cost effective. Ratio with driven sprocket should be as high as possible, center distance is greater than 20 feet (greater than 40 actually) Driving rpm is slow, around 5 to 20 rpm. Need to drive DC dynamo at highest possible RPM (not AC synchronous with load!) Yes there may need to be an additional gearbox but the power still has to be transfered, even if at 1:1 ratio. Static torque as high as 1 million ft/lbs. Dynamo of 300 hp (224 kW) would probably do, but I need reserve capacity as control.

@Icarus: Hmm, Goodyear product looks good too, I think I will contact them. I think they have done plenty of custom stuff in the past...

@All thanks for all the input!!!

Signed, Blarvin (North)

Have you considered "Silent Chain" It has some of the advantages of belts and chain, although i don't know about its efficiency. It does not drive on the pin but on a tooth. Check out Ramsey Products www.ramseychain.com

When you are on MW scale, despite all your reservations, I will propose geardrive, may be planetary- with transfer efficiency as high as 95%, I don't think the others will match.

Due to this fact (and also compactness), the Wind Turbines are with the planetary drive.