Long-distance belt conveyors exhibit significant nonlinear dynamic characteristics due to factors such as the viscoelasticity of the conveyor belt, startup curves, and material loading, which lead to substantial variations in component loads and belt tension. This complexity poses challenges for dynamic analysis and the study of dynamic properties. Based on the Kelvin–Voigt viscoelastic constitutive relation, this paper establishes a discrete model of the conveyor belt and further develops a nonlinear dynamic model for long-distance belt conveyors. The model is numerically solved using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. On this basis, the influence of key parameters—such as integration step size, startup curve, operating time, and belt speed—on the dynamic behavior of the belt conveyor is investigated. The results indicate that increasing the counterweight mass effectively suppresses oscillation in the tensioning device and enhances system stability. Prolonging the startup duration and optimizing belt speed also mitigate load impacts. Compared with conventional methods, a composite transitional startup strategy is proposed, which significantly reduces transient tension peaks in the conveyor belt. This study provides a theoretical basis for optimizing control strategies and structural design of long-distance belt conveyors, thereby improving operational safety and reliability.
Gao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.