Calculating the torque needed to rotate a drum

In summary, the question is unanswerable with the information you've provided. It really matters a lot if the rotation is accelerating, and if so what the mass moment of inertia around the axis is, if the drum is doing any work (like if there is maybe stones inside it to be fractured or whatever), if there is friction, etc. etc.
  • #1
jonas_biermann
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Imagine this: You have a drum with a radius of 12cm, around that drum is a toothed belt which is connected to a motor. The drum weighs 10kg
The motor should be placed under the drum

How would I calculate the amount of torque needed to rotate the drum

I don't have any idea how to calculate this but it would be nice if somebody could answer :)
 
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  • #2
This question is unanswerable with the information you've provided. It really matters a lot if the rotation is accelerating, and if so what the mass moment of inertia around the axis is, if the drum is doing any work (like if there is maybe stones inside it to be fractured or whatever), if there is friction, etc. etc.
 
  • #3
Arjan82 said:
This question is unanswerable with the information you've provided. It really matters a lot if the rotation is accelerating, and if so what the mass moment of inertia around the axis is, if the drum is doing any work (like if there is maybe stones inside it to be fractured or whatever), if there is friction, etc. etc.
The accelaration is static. There are plants in the drum but the center of mass is in the middle of the drum. For my example friction can be neglected.
 
  • #4
If there is no friction and no acceleration, and the drum does no other type of work, then the torque is zero
 
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  • #5
jonas_biermann said:
around that drum is a toothed belt which is connected to a motor. The drum weighs 10kg
The motor should be placed under the drum
How can the motor be under the drum if there is a horizontal belt connecting them? Or are they both horizontal and the belt is vertical, and you are tumbling something inside the drum?
jonas_biermann said:
For my example friction can be neglected.
What about the motor bearing friction, and the losses in the belt drive?
 

1. How do you calculate the torque needed to rotate a drum?

To calculate the torque needed to rotate a drum, you will need to know the drum's moment of inertia, the angular acceleration, and the radius of the drum. The formula for torque is T = I * α, where T is torque, I is moment of inertia, and α is angular acceleration.

2. What is moment of inertia?

Moment of inertia is a measure of an object's resistance to changes in its rotation. It is calculated by multiplying the mass of the object by the square of its distance from the axis of rotation.

3. How do you measure angular acceleration?

Angular acceleration can be measured by dividing the change in angular velocity by the change in time. It is typically measured in radians per second squared.

4. Can you give an example of calculating torque for a drum?

Sure, let's say we have a drum with a moment of inertia of 2 kg*m^2, an angular acceleration of 4 radians per second squared, and a radius of 0.5 meters. Plugging these values into the formula T = I * α, we get T = 2 * 4 = 8 N*m. Therefore, 8 N*m of torque is needed to rotate the drum.

5. What are some factors that can affect the torque needed to rotate a drum?

The torque needed to rotate a drum can be affected by the weight and distribution of the load inside the drum, the friction between the drum and its axle, and the speed at which the drum is rotating. Additionally, any external forces acting on the drum can also affect the required torque.

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