Equation Questions for a gas powered engine driving a pulley system.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the horsepower and torque required for a gas-powered engine to drive a pulley system that drags a 400 lbs. object up a 45-degree incline over a distance of 150 feet. Participants are exploring the necessary variables and equations involved in this calculation.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation, Mathematical reasoning, Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant outlines the need to calculate horsepower and torque for a pulley system dragging a 400 lbs. object up a 45-degree incline.
  • The participant provides initial calculations indicating that 1322 Newtons of force are required, equating to 297.19 Pounds Force.
  • Another participant asks for the desired speed of the object being dragged up the incline.
  • The original poster specifies a speed of three miles per hour.
  • A calculation is presented that converts the speed to feet per second and uses it to determine horsepower, resulting in an estimate of 2.38 horsepower needed for the task.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion includes calculations and assumptions made by participants, but there is no indication of consensus on the final horsepower requirement or the completeness of the variables needed for the calculations.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully explored all potential variables that could affect the calculations, such as the effects of dynamic conditions or additional resistances that may arise in practical applications.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in mechanical engineering, agricultural machinery design, or those working on similar pulley system projects may find this discussion relevant.

andywingett
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I am building a prototype for an agricultural pulley system and I need help calculating how much horse power I need.

The pulley system will need to drag a 400 lbs. object of a 45 degree incline for 150 feet. The static coefficient of friction is 0.1 and the kinetic friction is only 0.05.

According to my calculations the Newtons of force needed to do this is 1322 = 297.19 Pounds Force.

I need to know how much horse power is needed to do this, and the amount of torque that will need to be exerted.

What are the other variables I need to input to solve this?
 
Last edited:
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How fast do you want to drag the object up the incline?
 
Three Miles per hour.
 
Horsepower = P * V / 550

For your case, V = [3 mph * 5280 ft/mi] / 3600 s/hr = 4.4 ft/sec.

1 hp = 550 ft-lbs/sec.

P = 297.19 lbs

horsepower = 297.19 * 4.4 / 550 = 2.38 hp
 

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