DIS/belt is a time-accurate finite element code for predicting the dynamic response of belt-drives.

DIS/Belt is a specialized version of DIS adapted specifically for simulating belt-drives including automotive accessory drives. This DIS version includes the DIS Solver and special-built pre- and post-processors (DISPRE/Belt - DISPOST/Belt), which allow belt-drive designers to quickly build, analyze, and visualize accessory drives in a user-friendly object-oriented graphical design environment.

DIS/Belt is the only finite element code on the market that can accurately and efficiently model the stick-slip behavior between the belt(s) and the pulleys. This is enabled by the DIS finite element formulation and explicit-time integration solver, which together can maintain time accuracy, and energy/momentum conservation over very long simulation times.



  • Formulation
    • Formulation of the equations of motion using a total Lagrangian, total displacement approach
    • A library of nonlinear large rotation finite elements
    • Degrees-of-freedom referenced to the global inertial reference frame
    • Gravity field
    • Ability to specify any system parameter as a constant or a user-defined scalar time-history
    • Flexibility in specifying scalar time-histories as:
      • Tabular data
      • Linear graph segments with superimposed harmonics of specified frequencies and amplitudes




  • Solver
    • Time-accurate explicit time-integration solver
    • Parallel solution on shared-memory multi-processor PCs and workstations
    • Multiple runs can be performed simultaneously in the background on one computer

  • Belt Model
    • Truss and beam elements for belt discretization
    • Linear belt material model including viscous damping
    • Support for multiple belts
    • V or flat belts

  • Pulley and Accessory Models
    • Pulleys modeled as circular rigid bodies
    • Ability to specify prescribed or PID controlled pulley angular velocity profiles
    • Ability to specify prescribed opposing torque on pulleys
    • Pulley angular damping and Coulomb friction
    • Clutch and coupler elements that can be used to couple an accessory and a driven pulley

  • Pulley-belt Contact Model
    • Coulomb friction between the belt and the pulleys modeled using an accurate and very efficient asperity-based friction model
    • Normal contact between the pulleys and the belt modeled using a penalty formulation

  • Constraints
    • Ground (fixed pulley centers) constraints
    • Linear (prismatic joint) constraints

  • Tension-arms
    • Rotational and linear tension-arms with parameter specifications for stiffness, damping, and Coulomb friction force/moment

  • Types of Response Prediction
    • Dynamic response of belt-drives due to a transient excitation (e.g.1-2 shift, cycling of an air-conditioner or non-stationary accessory loads, acceleration and deceleration of the engine, …)
    • Harmonic excitation from the engine
    • Steady-state and quasi-steady-state operation:
      • Engine idling
      • Cruising engine speeds
      • Slow engine acceleration
    • Belt-drive stability and natural frequencies



  • Post-Processing
    • Display an animation of the motion of the belt-drive system
    • Graphing of response time-histories, including: global nodal positions, pulleys angular velocities, transverse belt-spans vibrations, belt-spans tensions, tensioner arm motion/forces, hub loads, and distribution of belt contact forces (normal and tangential) over the pulleys
    • FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis of any response time-history for determining frequency content. Typically, it is used to measure pulley rotational natural frequencies and belt-spans transverse deflection natural frequencies



Sample Animation Movie (Reduced to 435K)

  • Graphical Pre-processor
    • Graphically construct and display the belt-drive by selecting objects from a toolbox
    • 3D graphical display of the belt drive with rotation panning and zooming
    • Automatically generate the finite element mesh of the belt-drive
    • Submit the finite element model to the DIS solver


  • Objects Toolbox
    • Pulley
    • Belt
      • Belt-Span
      • Belt-Arc
    • Linear Constraint
    • Ground Constraint
    • One Way Clutch
    • Tension Arm
    • Scalar Time-History (for specifying angular velocity and torque time-histories for pulleys).
    • Physical Linear Material
    • Material Color

   

  • Tabular input of objects' parameters