Tunnel boring machine

• US 10,641,093 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Underground Infrastructure Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Zosen Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Toshiyuki, Iwamuro, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kreck, Janine M
• Application Number:
  US15/542,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20180258765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/0879 the shield being provided with devices for lining the tunnel, e.g. shuttering
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/093 Control of the driving shield , e.g. of the hydraulic advancing cylinders arrangement of measuring or indicating devices for use during driving of tunnels E21D9/003
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/1093 Devices for supporting, advancing or orientating the machine or the tool-carrier measuring devices for guiding machines E21D9/003; anchoring in the borehole E21B4/18
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/11 with a rotary drilling-head cutting simultaneously the whole cross-section, i.e. full-face machines
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/112 by means of one single rotary head or of concentric rotary heads E21D9/111 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/22 using resistance strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/12 for measuring axial thrust in a rotary shaft, e.g. of propulsion plants

Abstract

A tunnel boring machine includes: a cutter head; a cutter support; a cutter driving unit; a rotational position sensing unit; a strain sensor; and a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit.

Claims

1. A tunnel boring machine having an intermediate support structure, comprising:

a chamber;

a cutter head;

a cutter column, which is a cutter support supporting the cutter head and configured to rotate with the cutter head;

a cutter driving unit configured to rotationally drive the cutter head and the cutter support;

a rotational position sensing unit configured to sense a position of the cutter head in a rotational direction;

at least one strain sensor provided in the cutter column; and

a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit,

wherein the cutter column is configured to move in a circumferential direction in the chamber, the cutter column has a rectangular tube shape and includes a pair of side surfaces facing the circumferential direction, and

the at least one strain sensor is mounted to each of a pair of installation surfaces, using inner surfaces of the pair of side surfaces facing the circumferential direction as the pair of installation surfaces.

2. The tunnel boring machine of claim 1, wherein the data processing unit is configured to calculate rotational direction distribution of forces acting on the cutter head in a direction of a rotation axis, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit.

3. The tunnel boring machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one strain sensor comprises three or more strain sensors arranged at regular angular intervals.

4. The tunnel boring machine of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor provided near the at least one strain sensor,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to perform temperature compensation on the sensing results of the at least one strain sensor, based on a temperatures near the at least one strain sensor sensed by the temperature sensor.

5. A tunnel boring machine having an intermediate support structure, comprising:

a chamber;

a cutter head;

a cutter column, which is a cutter support supporting the cutter head and configured to rotate with the cutter head;

a cutter driving unit configured to rotationally drive the cutter head and the cutter support;

a rotational position sensing unit configured to sense a position of the cutter head in a rotational direction;

at least one strain sensor provided in the cutter column; and

a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit,

wherein the cutter column configured to move in a circumferential direction in the chamber has a hollow tubular shape, the cutter column having a pair of side surfaces facing the circumferential direction; and

wherein the at least one strain sensor is mounted to each of inner surfaces of the pair of side surfaces.

6. The tunnel boring machine of claim 5, wherein the data processing unit is configured to calculate rotational direction distribution of forces acting on the cutter head in a direction of a rotation axis, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit.

7. The tunnel boring machine of claim 5, wherein the at least one strain sensor comprises three or more strain sensors arranged at regular angular intervals.

8. The tunnel boring machine of claim 5, further comprising a temperature sensor provided near the at least one strain sensor,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to perform temperature compensation on the sensing results of the at least one strain sensor, based on a temperatures near the at least one strain sensor sensed by the temperature sensor.

9. A tunnel boring machine having an intermediate support structure, comprising:

a cutter head;

a cutter column, which is a cutter support supporting the cutter head and configured to rotate with the cutter head;

a cutter driving unit configured to rotationally drive the cutter head and the cutter support;

a rotational position sensing unit configured to sense a position of the cutter head in a rotational direction;

at least one strain sensor provided in the cutter column;

a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit; and

a plurality of cutter columns arranged at a distance in radial directions from a rotation axis at regular angular intervals.

10. The tunnel boring machine of claim 9, wherein the data processing unit is configured to calculate rotational direction distribution of forces acting on the cutter head in a direction of a rotation axis, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit.

11. The tunnel boring machine of claim 9, wherein the at least one strain sensor comprises three or more strain sensors arranged at regular angular intervals.

12. The tunnel boring machine of claim 9, further comprising a temperature sensor provided near the at least one strain sensor,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to perform temperature compensation on the sensing results of the at least one strain sensor, based on a temperatures near the at least one strain sensor sensed by the temperature sensor.

13. A tunnel boring machine comprising:

a cutter head;

a cutter support supporting the cutter head and configured to rotate with the cutter head;

a cutter driving unit configured to rotationally drive the cutter head and the cutter support;

a rotational position sensing unit configured to sense a position of the cutter head in a rotational direction;

at least one strain sensor provided in a cutter spoke itself of the cutter head; and

a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit,

wherein the cutter head has the cutter spoke and a plurality of cutter bits, and

wherein the at least one strain sensor is provided in the cutter spoke at a position apart from the plurality of cutter bits in a direction of a rotation axis of the cutter head.

14. The tunnel boring machine of claim 13, wherein the data processing unit is configured to calculate rotational direction distribution of forces acting on the cutter head in a direction of a rotation axis, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit.

15. The tunnel boring machine of claim 13, wherein the at least one strain sensor comprises three or more strain sensors arranged at regular angular intervals.

16. The tunnel boring machine of claim 13, further comprising a temperature sensor provided near the at least one strain sensor,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to perform temperature compensation on the sensing results of the at least one strain sensor, based on a temperatures near the at least one strain sensor sensed by the temperature sensor.