Belt Drive Or Chain Drive?

[Maine farmer]

I am in the process of putting together a generator system to be powered by an excercise machine, and am a bit hung up on weather to use a chian drive or a belt drive. Any thoughts?

[sanctus]

On efficiency I don't know. But I think chain-drive will be a lot easier to build/repair, you don't need such high tension as is usually the case with belt drives..

[joekgamer]

A chain drive would (probably) be more expensive, but it would have a much lower energy loss.

[JMJones0424]

Just throwing some observations out there based on my understanding of timing chains versus timing belts and various automotive applications. Use what follows at your own risk :)

 

Almost certainly, a belt with tensioner pulley would be cheaper and more than sufficient in your stated application. By exercise machine, I hope you mean stationary bike, as this would be simple to convert. If so, given some time, I should be able to dig up some designs and performance graphs as well.

 

In high speed and high load applications, chain drives offer longer life and less stretch over time, but if this is a human powered device, I don't see how the expense and maintenance of a really high quality chain drive would be worth the performance gain.

 

If there is no tensioner pulley on a belt, and you rely solely on tension between the drive and load pulleys, and poor quality bearings are used, then you could end up wearing through bearings faster using a belt than if you used a chain.

 

Basically, if you are comparing a belt system with tensioner pulley and a cheap chain and sprocket system like those found in bicycles, I'd go for whichever is cheapest or most accessible for you.

[C1ay]

See this report(pdf) for some insight on chain vs belt efficiency.

[Maine farmer]

Thanks to all for the input. Nice to know where to go for help with brainstorming.