what is a v-belt?

Is a v-belt the same as a fan belt? And what does it do?

A "fan belt" is a common venacular for "V-belt" as it is a form of V-belt. There are various forms of V-belts, wedge-belts, etc. but for all intents and purposes most people refer to these as fan belts. The main purpose of a fan belt, V-belt and other similar "belts" is to transmit mechanical power from one shaft to another via rotation. The actual physics involved is more complex than some might imagine, involving materials aspects, pitch angles, diameters, tension, friction, speed, torque, etc. Volvo even experimented with a continuously variable pitch diameter sliding pulley design controlled via centrifugally actuated weights as a new form of gearless automatic transmission in the 1980s. Very interesting or boring depending on your mindset. In any case, I believe you're looking for a good ol' garden variety fan belt.

- Bruce