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.
SUN Hong-yanGUO WeiLIU Jian-qinSONG Li-weiLIU Xiao-qing
Full face rock tunnel boring machine（TBM） has been widely used in hard rock tunnels, however, there are few published theory about cutter-head design, and the design criteria of cutter-head under complex geological is not clear yet. To deal with the complex relationship among geological parameters, cutter parameters, and operating parameters during tunneling processes, a cutter-head load model is established by using CSM（Colorado school of mines） prediction model. Force distribution on cutter-head under a certain geology is calculated with the new established load model, and result shows that inner cutters bear more force than outer cutters, combining with disc cutters abrasion; a general principle of disc cutters＇ layout design is proposed. Within the model, the relationship among rock uniaxial compressive strength（UCS）, penetration and thrust on cutter-head are analyzed, and the results shows that with increasing penetration, cutter thrust increases, but the growth rate slows and higher penetration makes lower special energy（SE）. Finally, a fitting mathematical model of ZT（ratio of cutter-head torque and thrust） and penetration is established, and verified by TB880 E, which can be used to direct how to set thrust and torque on cutter-head. When penetration is small, the cutter-head thrust is the main limiting factor in tunneling; when the penetration is large, cutter-head torque is the major limiting factor in tunneling. Based on the new cutter-head load model, thrust and torque characteristics of TBM further are researched and a new way for cutter-head layout design and TBM tunneling operations is proposed.
The earth pressure balance(EPB) shield cutterhead structure, which features an opening ratio and opening distribution as a core, seriously affects tunneling stability and tunneling efficiency. This paper presents a new model for the soil using visco-plastic fluid theory, and then introduces the model into the computational-fluiddynamics model to comprehensively analyze the cutterhead structure, which consists of the soil, the cutterhead,the working chamber, and the screw conveyor. Based on this model, the stability situation and tunneling performance of multiple schemes of the cutting head structure are analyzed by changing the opening ratio and the opening distribution on the cutterhead. In this study, a new method for design and analysis of the EPB-shield cutterhead structure is proposed that fits changes in geologic conditions. The results will be helpful for engineers and manufacturers of more efficient machines and for carrying out tunneling projects with more stable EPB-shield cutterheads, and it will reduce the influences of changing geologic conditions during all stages of tunnel construction.
