Question

The torques on the winding drum due to loaded and empty cage can be balanced as far as practicable by

• A. Balancing rope
• B. Use of suitable drum
• C. Changing the load on two cages
• D. Controlling the speed

Hint:

A balancing rope acts as a counterweight that moves from one side of the system to the other.
Its purpose is to cancel out the changing weight of the main winding ropes as the cages move up and down.
This reduces the peak power demand on the winder motor, making it more energy-efficient.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks for the method used to balance the static torque on a winding drum, which is caused by the weight of the ropes hanging in the shaft.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In a balanced drum winding system, there are two cages.
When one cage (the loaded one) is at the bottom of the shaft, the other (empty) is at the top.
In this position, the full length of the hoisting rope for the bottom cage is hanging in the shaft, while almost no rope is hanging for the top cage.
This difference in the weight of the suspended ropes creates a large out-of-balance load or torque that the winder motor must overcome, especially at the start of the wind.
To counteract this, a

balancing rope (or tail rope) is used.
This is a separate rope that hangs in a loop at the bottom of the shaft, connecting the undersides of the two cages.
As the loaded cage ascends and its hoisting rope gets shorter, the balancing rope on its side gets longer.
Simultaneously, as the empty cage descends and its hoisting rope gets longer, its balancing rope gets shorter.
The effect is that the total weight of rope hanging on each side of the drum remains nearly constant throughout the wind, thus balancing the static torque.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The torques are balanced by using a balancing rope.
This corresponds to option (A).