Tunnel boring machine

• US 9,957,796 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Underground Infrastructure Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Zosen Corporation
• Inventors: Okada, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Sunil
• Application Number:
  US15/560,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20180073362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 299 105, 299 11, 299 12, 299 14, 299 18, 405138
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/003 Arrangement of measuring or indicating devices for use during driving of tunnels, e.g. for guiding machines
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/08 with additional boring or cutting means other than the conventional cutting edge of the shield
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/087 with a rotary drilling-head cutting simultaneously the whole cross-section, i.e. full-face machines
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/10 Making by using boring or cutting machines E21D9/08 takes precedence; mining picks E21C35/18
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/1013 on a tool-carrier supported by a movable boom
• CPC Class Codes: E21D 9/108 Remote control specially adapted for machines for driving tunnels or galleries for machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral E21C35/24
• 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: G01L 5/12 for measuring axial thrust in a rotary shaft, e.g. of propulsion plants

Abstract

The tunnel boring machine includes a data processing unit configured to obtain error data (E_r) based on a current measurement value (Vp) of the strain sensor obtained at a current angle (θ) of the cutter head and a past corresponding measurement value (Vo) obtained at a corresponding angle corresponding to the current angle, to correct the current measurement data using the error data.

Claims

1. 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 for rotationally driving the cutter head and the cutter support;

a rotational angle sensing unit for sensing a rotational angle of the cutter head;

a strain sensor provided in the cutter head or the cutter support; and

a data processing unit for obtaining measurement data (F) of a force acting on the cutter head, based on a measurement result of the strain sensor,

wherein the data processing unit is configured to obtain error data (E_r) based on a current measurement value (Vp) of the strain sensor obtained at a current angle (θ

) of the cutter head and a past corresponding measurement value (Vo) obtained at a rotational angle corresponding to the current angle, to correct the current measurement data using the error data.

2. The tunnel boring machine according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding measurement value is a measurement value of the strain sensor obtained one rotation prior to the current angle.

3. The tunnel boring machine according to claim 1, wherein the data processing unit is configured to calculate the error data using a reference value (AG), the current measurement value and the corresponding measurement value, the reference value being calculated using a plurality of measurement values of the strain sensor over at least one past rotation.

4. The tunnel boring machine according to claim 3, wherein the reference value is an average value of the measurement values of the strain sensor over one past rotation immediately prior to the current angle.

5. The tunnel boring machine according to claim 3, wherein the data processing unit is configured to calculate the error data by subtraction between the reference value and an average value (A_op) of the current measurement value and the corresponding measurement value.

6. The tunnel boring machine according to claim 1, wherein the data processing unit is configured to perform correction of the measurement data using the error data during rotation at least one rotation after the cutter head started rotating, and also configured to stop the correction of the measurement data using the error data when the cutter head has not been rotating for a prescribed amount of time or more.