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This paper investigates the effect of ambient temperature on the performance characteristics of an automotive poly-rib belt operating in an under-the-hood temperature environment. A three-dimensional dynamic finite element model consisting of a driver pulley, a driven pulley, and a complete V-ribbed belt was constructed. Belt tension and rotational speed were controlled by means of loading and boundary inputs. Belt construction accounts for three different elastomeric compounds and a single layer of helical wound reinforcing cord. Rubber was considered as hyperelastic material. Cord is linear elastic. The material model was implemented in ABAQUS/Explicit for the simulation. Analysis was focused on rib flank and tip since stress concentrations in these regions are known to contribute to crack initiation and fatigue failure.

A general three-dimensional finite element model was built to simulate the tracking conditions inherent in automotive front-end accessory drives, specifically, serpentine V-ribbed belt drives. Commercial finite element code ABAQUS was used for the simulation. The analysis is based on a hyper-elastic material model for the belt, and includes the effect of the reinforced cords and fibers in the rubber compound. The model can be used to study different parameters of the belt drive system such as rib number, pulley misalignment, drive wrap angle and drive speed. Experiments were used to validate the finite element model. Belt misalignment force of two, four and six ribbed belts under different misalignment conditions was obtained from experiment and compared with the results from the finite element model. Good correlation between these results brings confidence to the finite element model. Finally, typical FEA simulation results for a six-ribbed belt are presented.