Layout design for disc cutters based on analysis of TBM cutter-head structure

Studies to date have failed to consider gage disc cutters’variable cutting depth and the constraints of cutter-head welds,and have ignored the coupling mechanism between the profile of the full-face rock tunnel-boring machine(TBM)cutter-head and the assembled radius layout of the disc cutters.To solve these problems,an adaptive design method for studying cutter layout was proposed.Taking the bearing stress of the outermost gage disc cutter as an index,the profile of the cutter-head was determined.Using a genetic algorithm and based on the principles of equal life and equal wear,the assembled radii of the cutters were optimally designed.Boundary conditions of non-interference between the cutters,manholes,muck buckets and welding lines were given when a star layout pattern was used on cutters.The cutter-head comprehensive evaluation model was established by adopting relative optimization improvement degree of evaluation indices to achieve dimensional consistency.Exemplifying the MB264-311-8030 mm tape TBM cutter-head,the calculations show that compared with the original layout scheme,among the 51 disc cutters,the largest gap of the cutters’assembled radiuses is only 25.8 mm,which is 0.64%of the cutter-head’s radius and is negligible.The cutter-head’s unbalanced radial force decreases by 62.41%,the overturning moment decreases by 33.22%,and the cutter group’s centroid shift increases by only 18.48%.Each index is better than or approximately equal to the original cutter-head layout scheme,and the equivalent stress and deformation are both smaller;these results fully verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the method.

Wear Analysis of Disc Cutters of Full Face Rock Tunnel Boring Machine

Wear is a major factor of disc cutters’ failure. No current theory offers a standard for the prediction of disc cutter wear yet. In the field the wear prediction method commonly used is based on the excavation length of tunnel boring machine（TBM） to predict the disc cutter wear and its wear law, considering the location number of each disc cutter on the cutterhead（radius for installation）; in theory, there is a prediction method of using arc wear coefficient. However, the preceding two methods have their own errors, with their accuracy being 40% or so and largely relying on the technicians’ experience. Therefore, radial wear coefficient, axial wear coefficient and trajectory wear coefficient are defined on the basis of the operating characteristics of TBM. With reference to the installation and characteristics of disc cutters, those coefficients are modified according to penetration, which gives rise to the presentation of comprehensive axial wear coefficient, comprehensive radial wear coefficient and comprehensive trajectory wear coefficient. Calculation and determination of wear coefficients are made with consideration of data from a segment of TBM project（excavation length 173 m）. The resulting wear coefficient values, after modification, are adopted to predict the disc cutter wear in the follow-up segment of the TBM project（excavation length of 5621 m）. The prediction results show that the disc cutter wear predicted with comprehensive radial wear coefficient and comprehensive trajectory wear coefficient are not only accurate（accuracy 16.12%） but also highly congruous, whereas there is a larger deviation in the prediction with comprehensive axial wear coefficient（accuracy 41%, which is in agreement with the prediction of disc cutters’ life in the field）. This paper puts forth a new method concerning prediction of life span and wear of TBM disc cutters as well as timing for replacing disc cutters.

Fragmentation Energy-Saving Theory of Full Face Rock Tunnel Boring Machine Disc Cutters

Attempts to minimize energy consumption of a tunnel boring machine disc cutter during the process of fragmentation have largely focused on optimizing disc- cutter spacing, as determined by the minimum specific energy required for fragmentation; however, indentation tests showed that rock deforms plastically beneath the cutters. Equations for thrust were developed for both the traditional, popularly employed disc cutter and anew design based on three-dimensional theory. The respective energy consumption for penetration, rolling, and side-slip fragmentations were obtained. A change in disc-cutter fragmentation angles resulted in a change in the nature of the interaction between the cutter and rock, which lowered the specific energy of fragmentation. During actual field excavations to the same penetration length, the combined energy consumption for fragmentation using the newly designed cutters was 15% lower than that when using the traditional design. This paper presents a theory for energy saving in tunnel boring machines. Investigation results showed that the disc cutters designed using this theory were more durable than traditional designs, and effectively lowered the energy consumption.

Theoretical and numerical studies of rock breaking mechanism by double disc cutters

A plane mechanical model of rock breaking process by double disc cutter at the center of the cutterhead is established based on contact mechanics to analyze the stress evolution in the rock broken by cutters with different spacings. A continuous-discontinuous coupling numerical method based on zero-thickness cohesive elements is developed to simulate rock breaking using double cutters. The process, mechanism,and characteristics of rock breaking are comprehensively analyzed from five aspects: peak force, breaking form, breaking efficiency, crack mode, and breaking degree. The results show that under the penetrating action of cutters, dense cores are formed due to shear failure under respective cutters. The tensile cracks propagate in the rock, and then rock chips form with increasing penetration depth. When the cutter spacing is increased from 10 to 80 mm, the peak force gradually increases, the rock breaking range increases first and then decreases, the specific energy decreases first and then rises, and the breaking coefficient of intermediate rock decreases from 0.955 to 0.788. The area of rock breaking is positively correlated with the length of the tensile crack. Furthermore, the length of the tensile crack accounts for 14.4%–33.6% of the total crack length.

Simulation of crack coalescence mechanism underneath single and double disc cutters by higher order displacement discontinuity method

The present research is focused on the numerical crack coalescence analysis of the micro-cracks and cracks produced during the cutting action of TBM disc cutters. The linear elastic fracture mechanics(LEFM) concepts and the maximum tangential stress criterion are used to investigate the micro crack propagation and its direction underneath the excavating discs. A higher order displacement discontinuity method with quadratic displacement discontinuity elements is used to estimate the stress intensity factors near the crack tips. Rock cutting mechanisms under single and double type discs are simulated by the proposed numerical method.The main purposes of the present modeling are to simulate the chip formation process of indented rocks by single and double discs.The effects of specific disc parameters(except speed) on the thrust force Ft, the rolling force Fr, and the specific energy ES are investigated. It has been shown that the specific energy(energy required to cut through a unit volume of rock) of the double disc is less than that of the single disc. Crack propagation in rocks under disc cutters is numerically modeled and the optimum ratio of disc spacing S to penetration depth Pd(i.e. S/Pd ratio) of about 10 is obtained, which is in good agreement with the theoretical and experimental results cited in the literature.

Enhanced wear prediction of tunnel boring machine disc cutters for accurate remaining useful life estimation using a hybrid model

In tunnel construction with tunnel boring machines(TBMs),accurate prediction of the remaining useful life(RUL)of disc cutters is critical for timely maintenance and replacement to avoid delays and cost overruns.This paper introduces a novel hybrid model,integrating fundamental and data-driven approaches,to enhance wear prediction of TBM disc cutters and enable accurate RUL estimation.The fundamental model is improved by incorporating composite wear mechanisms and load estimation techniques,showcasing superior prediction accuracy compared to single-mechanism models.Additionally,the hybrid model innovatively incorporates a data-driven supplementary residual term into the improved fundamental model,leading to a high-performance wear prediction model.Using actual field data from a highway tunnel project in Shenzhen,the performance of the hybrid model is rigorously tested and compared with pure fundamental and data-driven models.The hybrid model outperforms the other models,achieving the highest accuracy in predicting TBM disc cutter wear(mean absolute error(MAE)=0.53,root mean square error(RMSE)=0.64).Furthermore,this study thoroughly analyzes the hybrid model’s generalization capability,revealing significant impacts of geological conditions on prediction accuracy.The model’s generalization capability is also improved by expanding and updating the data sets.The RUL estimation results provided by the hybrid model are straightforward and effective,making it a valuable tool by which construction staff can monitor TBM disc cutters.

Reliability analysis of TBM disc cutters under different conditions

The reliability of disc cutters has a significant influence on the safety and working efficiency of tunnel boring machines(TBMs).To investigate the reliability of disc cutters under different geological and operational conditions,we conducted a series of novel rolling cutting tests on intact and jointed sandstone blocks using different dip angles and interlayers.Different normal forces and rotational speeds of the cutterhead were also applied during the experiment.A novel reliability estimation method,based on a logistic regression model,was then proposed,and the influence of dip angle,strata,normal force,and rotational speed on the reliability of the disc cutter were analyzed.The reliability estimation method consisted of data acquisition regarding the normal force and cutter wear,feature extraction using wavelet packet transform and correlation analysis,and the estimation of the logistic regression model.To obtain the spectrum and normalized wavelet energy for each frequency band,we decomposed the time domain of the normal force by the wavelet packet transform.A correlation analysis was employed to determine the feature frequency bands that were sensitive to wear loss.On the basis of salient feature parameters and wear loss,the logistic regression model was established to evaluate the reliability of disc cutters.The analytical results indicated that the optimal dip angle for rock cutting was 30°.In the presence of mixed-face and single ground,the reliability of disc cutters was primarily affected by the difficulty of TBM excavation and wear loss,respectively.An increase in normal force and rotational speed aggravated wear on the cutter,thus reducing reliability.Furthermore,compared with Rabinowicz’s formula,the proposed method considers various geological and operational conditions,making the proposed method more applicable to estimate the reliability of disc cutters.

Analysis of load and adaptability of disc cutters during shield tunneling in soft-hard varied strata

The disc cutters of shield machines exhibit unsatisfactory adaptability and performance during the soft–hard varied strata tunneling process.To analyze the rotation state,cutting performance,and adaptability of disc cutters during shield tunneling in soft–hard varied strata,the Holmquist Johnson Cook and Federal Highway Administration constitutive models are introduced to numerically simulate the failure process of materials on the excavation face and to calculate the load of disc cutters.Additionally,the parameters of the models are modified based on laboratory disc cutter excavation test results.The results of numerical calculation can reflect the load level and the behavior of the disc cutters during operation.The tangential loads of the disc cutters during the cutting of four typical soft-strata excavation face models are numerically calculated,thus providing reference values for the starting torque of the disc cutters.A greater penetration is suggested for soft-strata tunneling to allow the disc cutters to rotate smoothly and continuously as well as to guarantee a better cutting effect.The disc cutters in the center of the cutterhead should be specified with a lower starting torque to prevent uneven wear,rotation stagnation,cutterhead clogging,and other adverse phenomena.

Mechanical model of breaking rock and force characteristic of disc cutter

According to the cutting characteristics of progressive spiral movement by rotary cutting of the disc cutter, using the broken theory of interaction of compression and shearing, the three-axis force rotary cutting mechanical model of disc cutter was established and the influence of installation radius, the phase difference and the cutter space on the mechanics of disc cutter were analyzed. The results show that on the same radial line of tunneling interface, the boring distance of cutting tools installed on a different radius is not equal. The cutting radial line of tunneling interface is a polyline and its height is determined by phase angle and penetration of cutting tools. Both phase difference and the installation radius between adjacent disc cutters have little effect on the vertical force and rolling force, but increase with the increase in cutter spacing. In addition, when increasing phase difference and cutter space bilaterally, and reducing installation radius simultaneously, the lateral force would be improved. Related results have been verified onl O0 t rotary tool cutting test platform.

Rock deformation equations and application to the study on slantingly installed disc cutter

At present the mechanical model of the interac- tion between a disc cutter and rock mainly concerns indentation experiment, linear cutting experiment and tunnel boring machine （TBM） on-site data. This is not in line with the actual rock-breaking movement of the disc cutter and impedes to some extent the research on the rock-breaking mechanism, wear mechanism and design theory. Therefore, our study focuses on the interaction between the slantingly installed disc cutter and rock, developing a model in accordance with the actual rock-breaking movement. Displacement equations are established through an analysis of the velocity vector at the rock-breaking point of the disc cutter blade; the func- tional relationship between the displacement parameters at the rock-breaking point and its rectangular coordinates is established through an analysis of micro-displacement vectors at the rock-breaking point, thus leading to the geometric equations of rock deformation caused by the slantingly installed disc cutter. Considering the basically linear relationship between the cutting force of disc cutters and the rock deformation before and after the leap break of rock, we express the constitutive relations of rock deformation as generalized Hooke＇s law and analyze the effect of the slanting installa- tion angle of disc cutters on the rock-breaking force. This will, as we hope, make groundbreaking contributions to the development of the design theory and installation practice of TBM.

Distribution of contact loads in crushed zone between tunnel boring machine disc cutter and rock

The construction efficiency and quality of tunnel boring machines(TBMs)is largely determined by the service life of cutting tools,which is the result of contact loads in the crushed zone between cutter ring and rock.In this paper,a series of rock breaking tests were conducted with a 216 mm diameter disc cutter and concrete samples.Based on the superposition principle,the distribution of contact loads between disc cutter and rock were obtained by using the truncated singular value decomposition(TSVD).The results show that both the peak value and the whole numerical distribution of the radial strains on the cutter ring increase with the increase of the penetration.The distribution curves of the contact loads show an approximate parabola going downwards,which indicates contact loads are more concentrated.The front non-loading area with a ratio from 1.8%to 5.4%shows an increasing trend with the increase of penetration.However,the change of rear non-loading area is not obvious.It is believed that the conclusions have guidance for the study of rock breaking mechanism and manufacturing process of the disc cutter.

Prediction of Disc Cutter Life During Shield Tunneling with AI via the Incorporation of a Genetic Algorithm into a GMDH-Type Neural Network

Disc cutter consumption is a critical problem that influences work performance during shield tunneling processes and directly affects the cutter change decision.This study proposes a new model to estimate the disc cutter life(Hf)by integrating a group method of data handling(GMDH)-type neural network(NN)with a genetic algorithm(GA).The efficiency and effectiveness of the GMDH network structure are optimized by the GA,which enables each neuron to search for its optimum connections set from the previous layer.With the proposed model,monitoring data including the shield performance database,disc cutter consumption,geological conditions,and operational parameters can be analyzed.To verify the performance of the proposed model,a case study in China is presented and a database is adopted to illustrate the excellence of the hybrid model.The results indicate that the hybrid model predicts disc cutter life with high accuracy.The sensitivity analysis reveals that the penetration rate(PR)has a significant influence on disc cutter life.The results of this study can be beneficial in both the planning and construction stages of shield tunneling.

Numerical and experimental investigation of rock breaking method under free surface by TBM disc cutter

To study the rock breaking method under the free surface induced by disc cutter,the rock breaking simulations were first conducted based on the discrete element method,and the dynamic process of rock breaking under the free surface was studied including stressed zone,crush zone,crack initiation and propagation.Then the crack propagation conditions,specific energy,etc.under different free surface distance(S)were also investigated combined with linear cutting experiments.The results show that the rock breaking process under the free surface induced by disc cutter is dominated by tension failure mode.There exists a critical S to promote crack propagation to free surface effectively.And this rock breaking method can improve the rock breaking force and breaking efficiency significantly when proper.

Multi-degree-of-freedom coupling dynamic characteristic of TBM disc cutter under shock excitation

When the tunneling boring machine(TBM) cutterhead tunnels, the excessive vibration and damage are a severe engineering problem, thereby the anti-vibration design is a key technology in the disc cutter system. The structure of disc cutter contains many joint interfaces among cutter ring, cutter body, bearings and cutter shaft. On account of the coupling for dynamic contact and the transfer path among joint interface, mechanical behavior of disc cutter becomes extremely complex under the impact of heavy-duty, which puts forward higher requirements for disc cutter design. A multi-degree-of-freedom coupling dynamic model, which contains a cutter ring, a cutter body, two bearings and cutter shaft, is established, considering the external stochastic excitations, bearing nonlinear contact force, multidirectional mutual coupling vibration, etc. Based on the parameters of an actual project and the strong impact external excitations, the modal properties and dynamic responses are analyzed, as well as the cutter shaft and bearings' loads and load transmission law are obtained. Numerical results indicate the maximum radial and axial cutter ring amplitudes of dynamic responses are 0.568 mm and 0.112 mm; the maximum radial and axial vibration velocities are 41.1 mm/s and 38.9 mm/s; the maximum radial and axial vibration accelerations are 94.7 m/s2 and 58.6 m/s2; the maximum swing angle and angular velocity of cutter ring are 0.007° and 0.0074 rad/s, respectively. Finally, the maximum load of bearing roller is 40.3 k N. The proposed research lays a foundation for structure optimization design of disc cutter and cutter base, as well as model selection, modification and fatigue life of the cutter bearing.

Geological adaptability matching design of disc cutter using multicriteria decision making approaches

Geological adaptability matching design of a disc cutter is the prerequisite of cutter head design for tunnel boring machines(TBMs)and plays an important role in improving the tunneling efficiency of TBMs.The main purpose of the cutter matching design is to evaluate the cutter performance and select the appropriate cutter size.In this paper,a novel evaluation method based on multicriteria decision making(MCDM)techniques was developed to help TBM designers in the process of determining the cutter size.The analytic hierarchy process(AHP)and matter element analysis were applied to obtaining the weights of the cutter evaluation criteria,and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS)approaches were employed to determine the ranking of the cutters.A case application was offered to illustrate and validate the proposed method.The results of the project case demonstrate that this method is reasonable and feasible for disc cutter size selection in cutter head design.

Differentiation and analysis on rock breaking characteristics of TBM disc cutter at different rock temperatures

In order to study rock breaking characteristics of tunnel boring machine(TBM) disc cutter at different rock temperatures,thermodynamic rock breaking mathematical model of TBM disc cutter was established on the basis of rock temperature change by using particle flow code theory and the influence law of interaction mechanism between disc cutter and rock was also numerically simulated.Furthermore,by using the linear cutting experiment platform,rock breaking process of TBM disc cutter at different rock temperatures was well verified by the experiments.Finally,rock breaking characteristics of TBM disc cutter were differentiated and analyzed from microscale perspective.The results indicate the follows.1) When rock temperature increases,the mechanical properties of rock such as hardness,and strength,were greatly reduced,simultaneously the microcracks rapidly grow with the cracks number increasing,which leads to rock breaking load decreasing and improves rock breaking efficiency for TBM disc cutter.2) The higher the rock temperature,the lower the rock internal stress.The stress distribution rules coincide with the Buzin Neske stress circle rules: the maximum stress value is below the cutting edge region and then gradually decreases radiant around; stress distribution is symmetrical and the total stress of rock becomes smaller.3) The higher the rock temperature is,the more the numbers of micro,tensile and shear cracks produced are by rock as well as the easier the rock intrusion,along with shear failure mode mainly showing.4) With rock temperature increasing,the resistance intrusive coefficients of rock and intrusion power decrease obviously,so the specific energy consumption that TBM disc cutter achieves leaping broken also decreases subsequently.5) The acoustic emission frequency remarkably increases along with the temperature increasing,which improves the rock breaking efficiency.

Development of high-power microwave mechanical integrated continuous mining device

This article introduces a high-power microwave mechanical integrated continuous mining device,which can achieve synchronous cutting of hard rocks by microwave and machinery.The device includes a cutting system,a rotary translation system,a loading system,a high-power microwave system,and a control and monitoring system.The technology of“master-slave follow-up”disc cutter alternating side cutting of rock was proposed,which could improve the effectiveness of rock breaking.The integrated structure of a microwave-cut system was then proposed,and synchronous motion of the microwave-cut system and adjustment of the loading system could be realized.The automatic adjustment technology of the microwave working distance was developed to dynamically control the optimal microwave working distance.The basic functions of the equipment were verified by tests.By comparing the two types of disk cutters,it is found that the master-slave follow-up disk cutter can improve significantly the dust removal effect and rock breaking efficiency in rock breaking process versus the conventional large disc cutter.Cutting tests of slate with or without microwave were conducted using a master-slave follow-up disk cutter.The results show that the cutting patterns of slates change from intermittent chunks(without microwave irradiation)to persistent debris(with microwave irradiation),and the cutting speed is significantly improved(170%).The development of the device provides a scientific basis for changing the conventional mining technology of metal mines and realizing the mechanical continuous mining in hard metal mines.

Design Theory of Full Face Rock Tunnel Boring Machine Transition Cutter Edge Angle and Its Application

At present, the inner cutters of a full face rock tunnel boring machine (TBM) and transition cutter edge angles are designed on the basis of indentation test or linear grooving test. The inner and outer edge angles of disc cutters are characterized as symmetric to each other with respect to the cutter edge plane. This design has some practical defects, such as severe eccentric wear and tipping, etc. In this paper, the current design theory of disc cutter edge angle is analyzed, and the characteristics of the rock-breaking movement of disc cutters are studied. The researching results show that the rotational motion of disc cutters with the cutterhead gives rise to the difference between the interactions of inner rock and outer rock with the contact area of disc cutters, with shearing and extrusion on the inner rock and attrition on the outer rock. The wear of disc cutters at the contact area is unbalanced, among which the wear in the largest normal stress area is most apparent. Therefore, a three-dimensional model theory of rock breaking and an edge angle design theory of transition disc cutter are proposed to overcome the flaws of the currently used TBM cutter heads, such as short life span, camber wearing, tipping. And a corresponding equation is established. With reference to a specific construction case, the edge angle of the transition disc cutter has been designed based on the theory. The application of TBM in some practical project proves that the theory has obvious advantages in enhancing disc cutter life, decreasing replacement frequency, and making economic benefits. The proposed research provides a theoretical basis for the design of TBM three-dimensional disc cutters whose rock-breaking operation time can be effectively increased.

Efflcient machining of a complex blisk channel using a disc cutter

For rough machining of a complex narrow cavity,e.g.,a complex blisk channel on an aero-engine,the typically used cutting tools are the slender cylindrical cutter and conical cutter.Nevertheless,as neither of the two is particularly suited for rough machining,wherein the main purpose is to remove a large volume as quickly as possible,the machining efficiency is low,especially when the part materials are of hard-to-cut types(e.g.,Titanium-alloy)for which it often takes days to rough machine a blisk.Fortunately,disc machining provides a new and efficient roughing solution,since a disc cutter with a large radius enables a much larger cutting speed and thus a larger material removal rate.However,due to the large radius of the disc cutter,its potential collision with narrow and twisted channels becomes a serious concern.In this paper,we propose a novel twophase approach for efficiently machining a complex narrow cavity workpiece using a disc-shaped cutter,i.e.,3+2-axis disc-slotting of the channel by multiple layers(rough machining)+five-axis disc-milling of the freeform channel side surfaces(semi-finish machining).Both simulation and physical cutting experiments are conducted to assess the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method.The experimental results show that,with respect to a same cusp-height threshold on the channel side surfaces,the total machining time of the tested part by the proposed method is about only 36%of that by the conventional approach of plunging-milling(for roughing)plus milling by a slender cylindrical cutter(for semi-finishing).

Disc-cutter induced rock breakage mechanism for TBM excavation in rock masses with different joint shear strengths

When tunnel boring machines(TBMs)excavate through jointed rock masses,the cutting efficiency is strongly affected by the shear strength of joints,the mechanism of which,however,remains poorly understood.In this study,a series of disc-cutter indentation tests were conducted on granite rock mass specimens with different joint shear strengths.During the indentation,the cracking process was recorded by a digital image correlation(DIC)system.The deformation and strength of specimens,cracking behavior,rock breakage mode and cutting efficiency were quantitatively investigated.In addition,to investigate the combined effects of joint shear strength,orientation and spacing on the rock breakage mechanism,numerical rock mass models were established based on a particle flow code PFC2D.Experimental results reveal that the cracking of primary and secondary cracks changes from the mixed shear-tensile to tensile mode in the initial stage,while the joint shear strength does not affect the cracking mode in the subsequent propagation process.The rock breakage mode is classified to an internal block breakage mode,a cross-joint breakage mode and a cutters-dependent breakage mode.The cross-joint breakage mode is optimal for improving the cutting efficiency.Numerical simulation results reveal that the increase in the joint shear strength changes the internal block breakage mode to cross-joint breakage mode for rock masses of particular ranges of joint orientation and spacing.These findings provide basis for improving the TBM cutting efficiency through jointed rock masses.