On the Loads for Strength Design of Cutterhead of Full Face Rock Tunnel Boring Machine

Cutterhead loads are the key mechanical parameters for the strength design of the full face hard rock tunnel boring machine(TBM).Due to the brittle rock-breaking mechanism,the excavation loads acting on cutters fluctuate strongly and show some randomness.The conventional method that using combinations of some special static loads to perform the strength design of TBM cutterhead may lead to strength failure during working practice.In this paper,a three-dimensional finite element model for coupled Cutterhead–Rock is developed to determine the cutterhead loads.Then the distribution characteristics and the influence factors of cutterhead loads are analyzed based on the numerical results.It is found that,as time changes,the normal and tangential forces acting on cutters and the total torque acting on the cutterhead approximately distribute log normally,while the total thrusts acting on the cutterhead approximately show a normal distribution.Furthermore,the statistical average values of cutterhead loads are proportional to the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of cutting rocks.The values also change with the penetration and the diameter of cutterhead following a power function.Based on these findings,we propose a three-parameter model for the mean of cutterhead loads and a method of generating the random cutter forces.Then the strength properties of a typical cutterhead are analyzed in detail using loads generated by the new method.The optimized cutterhead has been successfully applied in engineering.The method in this paper may provide a useful reference for the strength design of TBM cutterhead.

Numerical Simulation of Bone Remodeling Coupling the Damage Repair Process in Human Proximal Femur

Microdamage is produced in bone tissue under the long-termeffects of physiological loading,as well as age,disease and other factors.Bone remodeling can repair microdamage,otherwise this damage will undermine bone quality and even lead to fractures.In this paper,the damage variable was introduced into the remodeling algorithm.The new remodeling algorithm contains a quadratic term that can simulate reduction in bone density after large numbers of loading cycles.The model was applied in conjunction with the 3Dfinite elementmethod(FEM)to the remodeling of the proximal femur.The results showed that the initial accumulation of fatigue damage led to an increase in density but when the damage reached a certain level,the bone density decreased rapidly until the femur failed.With the accumulation of damage,bone remodeling was coupled with fatigue damage to maintain the function of bone.When the accumulation of damage reached a certain level,bone remodeling failed to repair the accumulated fatigue damage in time,and continued cyclic loading significantly weakened the loadbearing capacity of the bone.The new mathematical model not only predicts fatigue life,but also helps to further understand the compromise between damage repair and damage accumulation,which is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of clinical bone diseases.

多层级手性结构生物丝束力学性能的理论模拟

高度有序的多层级手性结构赋予肌腱、韧带和植物卷须等生物丝束优异的力学性能.然而,多层级手性结构如何影响丝束的力学性能尚不清楚.本文建立了具有自相似多层级手性结构的生物丝束的理论模型.基于此模型,研究了丝束载荷传递机制、材料手性和手性组装形式及结构层级数对生物丝束的模量、刚度等力学性能的影响.结果表明,丝束的力学性能显著依赖于纤维的材料手性和多层级手性结构.材料手性可以使纤维更加柔软,多层级手性结构使丝束能够承受大的拉伸变形.此工作不仅加深了对生物丝束结构-性能关系的理解,还有助于人造肌肉和柔性致动器、传感器等的设计.