NATIONAL CERTIFICATE

MECHANOTECHNICS N5
(8190225)

4 December 2024 (X-paper)

09:00–12:00

Nonprogrammable calculators may be used.

This question paper consists of 6 pages and a formula sheet of 3 pages.

235Q1E2404

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DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE
MECHANOTECHNICS N5
TIME: 3 HOURS
MARKS: 100

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

1. Answer all the questions.

2. Read all the questions carefully.

3. Number the answers according to the numbering system used in this question paper.

4. A correct answer is worth only one mark. Show all the steps to achieve as many marks as
possible. (An incorrect answer which must be carried forward will receive fair
consideration.)

5. Sketches must be done freehand and in good proportion in the ANSWER BOOK.

6. Write neatly and legibly.

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QUESTION 1: EPICYCLIC GEAR AND GEAR TRAINS

An epicyclic gear train has a sun wheel with 24 teeth, and two planetary wheels of
46 teeth each, The latter mesh with the internal teeth of a fixed annulus with 116 teeth.
The input shaft, carrying the sun wheel, transmits 4,5 kW at 280 r/min. The output shaft

🞚
is connected to an arm L that carries the planetary wheels.

Calculate the speed of the output shaft. [10]

QUESTION 2: CONVEYOR BELTS AND BELT DRIVES

The thickness of a 3-ply leather belt is 16 mm and it transmits power from a pulley that
is 1,4 m in diameter. The speed of this pulley is 250 r/min. The angle of wrap is 170° and
the coefficient of friction between the belt and pulley is 0,3. The density of the belt
material is 800 kg/m3 and the width is 1000 mm. Take the maximum allowable belt
tension as 7,8 KN/m width per ply.

Calculate the following:

2.1 The belt speed (2)

🞚
2.2 The mass of the belt in kg/m (3)

2.3 The centrifugal force (2)

2.4 The tensions T1 and T2 (take centrifugal force into account) (6)

2.5 The power transmitted by the drive if the efficiency of the drive is 80% (4)

2.6 The power transmitted if 6% slip occurs (3)

[20]

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QUESTION 3: BUCKET ELEVATORS

A bucket elevator used to transport coal has the following details:

The centre distance between the head and the tail pulley of the bucket elevator is 85 m
with bucket spacing of 800 mm. At a chain speed of 90 m/min, a mass of 1 350 tonnes
is transported in an effective shift time of 7 hours. The discharge of the coal takes place
at 30° after top dead centre.

Calculate the following:

3.1 The diameter of the head pulley

🞚 (4)

3.2 The total length of the chain. Assume the same diameter for both the head and
tail pulleys. Ignore also the deflection of the chain given by the
tensioning device. (2)

3.3 The driving motor power required if the drive is 80% efficient (9)
[15]

QUESTION 4: ELEVATORS

4.1 Explain why elevator cars are balanced against a balanced mass (1)

4.2 The loaded cage of a goods hoist has a mass of 1 500 kg. The rope passes
over a drum at the top of the shaft and then to a balanced mass of 450 kg. The
cage and balanced mass move in guides, and the friction force at each guide

🞚
is 300 N. The drum has a diameter of 1,6 m, a mass of 700 kg and a radius of
gyration of 0,5 m. The maximum acceleration attained is 2,1 m/s 2, which occurs
at a speed of 2,5 m/s.

Calculate the motor power required to drive the drum at maximum acceleration. (9)
[10]

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QUESTION 5: RAIL AND ROAD TRACTION

A locomotive has a mass of 100 ton, 80% of which is supported by the driving wheels.
The coefficient of adhesion friction between the wheels and the rails is 0,3 and the rolling
resistance is 80 N/ton of the mass of the locomotive. The 400-ton mass of the locomotive
is hauled by the trucks and the rolling resistance of 70 N/ton at a constant speed.

Calculate the following:

🞚
5.1 The tractive effort of the locomotive. (2)

5.2 The total rolling resistance of the locomotive and the trucks. (3)

5.3 The tractive effort of the locomotive required to haul the trucks on a level track
at a constant speed. (1)

5.4 The tractive effort of the locomotive required to haul the trucks up an incline
of 1 in 90 at a constant speed. (4)
[10]

QUESTION 6: FLYWHEELS 🞚
A flywheel, initially at rest, is subjected to a constant angular acceleration
of 2,5 rad/s2 for 50 seconds. The flywheel is then decelerated until it later comes to rest.

Calculate the number of revolutions made by the flywheel during the acceleration period. [5]

QUESTION 7: ROPE HAULAGES AND AERIAL ROPEWAYS

7.1 Name TWO major types of rope haulages. (2)

7.2 Endless rope haulage is required to deliver 850 ton of rock per eight-hour shift
over a distance of 900 m on a 10° average incline. The speed of the rope

🞚
is 3,5 km/h and its mass is 3 kg/m. The track resistance is assumed to be
180 N per ton and the mechanical efficiency is 80%. The tubs have a mass of
250 kg empty and 1 000 kg full.

Calculate:

7.2.1 The total number of tubs required (5)

7.2.2 The total mass in conveyance (5)

7.2.3 The motor power (8)

[20]

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QUESTION 8: REDUCTION GEARBOX

A motorcar gear in which the layshaft is driven by the constant meshing gears A and B
is shown below. Selection of gears is as follows:

First gear: engage G with H

Second gear: engage E with F
Third gear: engage C with D
🞚
Forth gear: engage the synchroniser unit between C and A.

If the sum of the number of teeth on any two gears in mesh is to be 54 and pinions A
and H have 18 teeth each, find suitable tooth numbers for all the gears to give drive
ratios of approximately 4:1; 3:1; 1,75:1 and 1:1 respectively. [10]

🞚
TOTAL: 100

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MECHANOTECNICS N5

FORMULA SHEET

PCD
1. m  2. DO = m × (T + 2)
T

m
3. C   ( TA  TB ) 1
2 4. Ke  mv 2
2
TA
5. VR  PCD of gear
TB 6. VR 
PCD of pinion
NB
7. VR  8. NA × TA = NB × TB
NA

2T
9. Ft 
PCD
10. Fr = Ft × Tan 

11. Fn = Ft × Sec 

12. Ie = IA + (VR)2 IB + (VR)2 IC + (VR)2 ID

( NB ) TBC ( ND ) TD
13. T  = Ie ×  A 14. T  TA  
( NA ) 1 ( NA ) 1 2

NB B B IA
15.    16. TOUTPUT  TINPUT  GR  η
NA A A IB

  PCD
17. P  18. Ti + To + Th = 0
n
Input speed Teeth on driven gears
19. TA = TS + 2TP 20. 
Output speed Teeth on driving gears

21. v =  × (d + t) × N 22. P = Te × v

 e 
T1
23.
T2 24. T1 =  ×A

T 1  TC
25. Tc = m × v2 26.  e cosec 
T 2  TC


27. L   D  d  
 D  d 2
 2C
2 4C

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28. Tg = m × g × sin  29. v =  × r

g br
30. v    g  r 31. v 
2h

   Tan    hTan  b / 2 
32. v  gr   33. v  gr 
1  Tan   
 h  b / 2 tan  
n
T1 1  Tan    Rr
34.   35. Cos 
T 2 1  Tan   2 C

 Rr
36. Cos  37. m = w × t × L × 
2 C

38. T1 = w × n × ft
39. P = Pg + Pµ
I 
40. t  2  N T
T 41. P 
60
42. T = F × r
43. w = do + 3d - 1,5155P

 m
44. do = de + 0,65P 45. w  (cos 2  )
2
p1 ( v1 )2 p 2 ( v2 )2
   47.   gh1    gh2
46. h  m 1  sin  Cos  Rho 2 Rho 2
 4 

gx2
48. Vw ( Va )  49. v  C mi
2y

f    O2
4  f    v2 51. hf 
50. hf  3,026  d 5
2 g d

Cd  A  a  ( 2 gh )
52. Q  53. Q  Cd  A 
( 2 gh )
2 2
(A a ) ( m2  1 )
ms
54. V  ( g  R  Cos ) 55. Vol. bucket =
v
56. L = 2C + D m1  g  S 2
57. Self-weight =
8 h
m2  g  S
58. One load =
4h 59. T (acc load) = (T1 - T2)R

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a
60. T (acc drum) = I    mk 
2
R
61. P =  × T 62.  = 2 × N

1 work done
63. Ke  I  2 64. Ke 
2 efficiency

65. P = Ke × operations/sec 66. (I1 + I2)  3 = I1  1 + I2  2

Tan 
67. µ = Tan  68.  
Tan (    )

  F  Re
70. T 
69. T = µ × F × Re × n sin 

72. Fc = m ×  2 × 
71. T = µ × n × (Fc - S) R
74. Tractive effort = mass on driving wheels × µ × g
mv 2
73. Fc 

FcCos  mgSin
75. Side thrust = FcCos   mg Sin 76.  
mgCos  FcSin

77. Pl  CmgL  mgh

Type of rope Mass/metre length Ultimate strength

1. 6/7 𝑑2 Rope area × ultimate
construction kg/m stress
250
0,36 D2 x ϭ
2. Locked coil 𝑑2
type 175
kg/m 0,6 D2 x ϭ
3.Spiral rope 𝑑2
type 195
kg/m 0,55 D2 x ϭ
4. Flexible 𝑑2
type 290
kg/m 0,31D2 x ϭ

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