Belt tensioning monitoring device for monitoring the belt tensioning of a belt of a belt drive system having a driving pulley and a driven pulley rotated by the driving pulley. The belt tensioning monitoring device is configured to determine the belt slip effect with at least one mark provided on the belt and a sensor configured to detect the mark and to send a signal to an electronic control unit.

An HVAC system includes a blower. The blower includes a driven pulley and a motor with a driver pulley. A motor drive supplies electrical power to the motor. A controller receives a benchmark rate of the flow of air provided by the blower and a corresponding benchmark output current of the motor drive. A benchmark input power corresponding to the benchmark output current is determined based on a predetermined relationship between input power and output current for the motor drive. A ratio of the benchmark rate of the flow of air provided by the blower to the benchmark input power is determined. The controller determines a pulley ratio for the blower based on this ratio.

An HVAC system includes a blower. The blower includes a driven pulley and a motor with a driver pulley. A motor drive supplies electrical power to the motor. A controller receives a benchmark rate of the flow of air provided by the blower and a corresponding benchmark output current of the motor drive. A benchmark input power corresponding to the benchmark output current is determined based on a predetermined relationship between input power and output current for the motor drive. A ratio of the benchmark rate of the flow of air provided by the blower to the benchmark input power is determined. The controller determines a pulley ratio for the blower based on this ratio.

A belt examination system includes a defect candidate detecting processor that detects a candidate for a belt defect of an intermediate transfer belt of an image forming apparatus from a belt image, the defect candidate detecting processor executes a background pattern reduction step to reduce a texture-pattern like background noise present in the belt image and detects the candidate based on the belt image generated during the background pattern reduction step, the background pattern reduction step is to execute a locally adaptive binarization process on the belt image in a range having a specific size based on a typical size of the belt defect to generate a binary image and subtract the binary image from the belt image, and the binary image includes a first value into which a lowest color value of the belt defect is converted and a second value larger than the first value.

A belt examination system includes a defect candidate detecting processor that detects a candidate for a belt defect of an intermediate transfer belt of an image forming apparatus from a belt image, the defect candidate detecting processor executes a background pattern reduction step to reduce a texture-pattern like background noise present in the belt image and detects the candidate based on the belt image generated during the background pattern reduction step, the background pattern reduction step is to execute a locally adaptive binarization process on the belt image in a range having a specific size based on a typical size of the belt defect to generate a binary image and subtract the binary image from the belt image, and the binary image includes a first value into which a lowest color value of the belt defect is converted and a second value larger than the first value.

A method for monitoring a belt drive with a power-transmitting endless drive belt which is in the form of a traction belt and wraps around the drive and driven pulleys circumferentially over a partial circumference in each case, wherein the belt has at least one first marking and a first sensor element assigned to the belt is provided and is used to detect the passage of the first marking during the belt revolution, wherein the first sensor element has devices for outputting a signal S.sub.R dependent on the detection of the first marking, wherein the rotor of the drive motor has a second marking and a second sensor element which is provided with corresponding electronic devices and is assigned to the drive motor is provided, wherein, while the rotor is rotating, the passage of the second marking is detected by the second sensor element and a signal S.sub.M dependent on the detection of the second marking is output, wherein, furthermore, a computing unit provided with memories and processors for processing the signals S.sub.R and S.sub.M is provided, wherein a temporal or local correlation of the occurrence of the signals S.sub.R and S.sub.M is calculated in the computing unit when the drive belt is new and is stored as a reference value, and the associated signals S.sub.R and S.sub.M are then repeatedly determined for further specified belt revolutions or periods of time and their current temporal or local correlation of the occurrence is compared with the reference value.

A method for monitoring a belt drive with a power-transmitting endless drive belt which is in the form of a traction belt and wraps around the drive and driven pulleys circumferentially over a partial circumference in each case, wherein the belt has at least one first marking and a first sensor element assigned to the belt is provided and is used to detect the passage of the first marking during the belt revolution, wherein the first sensor element has devices for outputting a signal S.sub.R dependent on the detection of the first marking, wherein the rotor of the drive motor has a second marking and a second sensor element which is provided with corresponding electronic devices and is assigned to the drive motor is provided, wherein, while the rotor is rotating, the passage of the second marking is detected by the second sensor element and a signal S.sub.M dependent on the detection of the second marking is output, wherein, furthermore, a computing unit provided with memories and processors for processing the signals S.sub.R and S.sub.M is provided, wherein a temporal or local correlation of the occurrence of the signals S.sub.R and S.sub.M is calculated in the computing unit when the drive belt is new and is stored as a reference value, and the associated signals S.sub.R and S.sub.M are then repeatedly determined for further specified belt revolutions or periods of time and their current temporal or local correlation of the occurrence is compared with the reference value.

A drive belt monitoring system for a passenger conveyor (10) is provided having a drive belt (30) having at least one cord (36) extending longitudinally within the drive belt (30). The monitoring system (50) includes: a first sensor (52) configured to measure the pretension of the drive belt (30); a second sensor (54) configured to determine a passenger load on the drive belt (30); a third sensor (56) configured to determine the resonance frequency of the drive belt (30); and a controller (60) configured to evaluate a condition of the drive belt (30) based on: the measured pretension of the drive belt (30), the determined passenger load of the drive belt (30), and the determined resonance frequency of the drive belt (30).

A drive belt monitoring system for a passenger conveyor (10) is provided having a drive belt (30) having at least one cord (36) extending longitudinally within the drive belt (30). The monitoring system (50) includes: a first sensor (52) configured to measure the pretension of the drive belt (30); a second sensor (54) configured to determine a passenger load on the drive belt (30); a third sensor (56) configured to determine the resonance frequency of the drive belt (30); and a controller (60) configured to evaluate a condition of the drive belt (30) based on: the measured pretension of the drive belt (30), the determined passenger load of the drive belt (30), and the determined resonance frequency of the drive belt (30).

A method for estimating wear of a polymer drive belt of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) provided in a vehicle is disclosed. The method comprises: determining a first belt wear-affecting factor based on at least one first operating parameter of the vehicle; determining a second belt wear-affecting factor based on at least one second operating parameter of the vehicle; applying the first and second wear-affecting factors to a belt wear-representative parameter to obtain an adjusted belt wear-representative parameter; and adjusting a total belt wear-representative parameter based on the adjusted belt wear-representative parameter to obtain an updated total belt wear-representative parameter. A vehicle having an electronic control unit configured to perform the method is also disclosed.