High-precision sensors for detecting a mechanical load of a mining tool of a tunnel boring machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151201-B2
Application number	US-201515302043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 8, 2014
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A mining tool for a drill head of a tunnel boring machine for mining in rock includes a roller cutter fastening device. The roller cutter fastening device is mountable on the drill head for accommodating and mounting a rotatable roller cutter. The roller cutter is interchangeably and rotatably received in the roller cutter fastening device. A sensor arrangement for detecting a mechanical load of the roller cutter is formed at least partially in the roller cutter fastening device and includes at least one load-sensitive element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mining tool for use with a drill head of a tunnel boring machine for mining in rock, the mining tool comprising:
a roller cutter fastening device mountable on the drill head;
a roller cutter interchangeably and rotatably mounted in the roller cutter fastening device; and
a sensor arrangement for detecting a mechanical load of the roller cutter, the sensor arrangement formed as a sleeve mounted at least partially in a roller cutter mount of the roller cutter fastening device, the roller cutter mount mounting an axis of the roller cutter, the sensor arrangement including at least one load-sensitive element.

2. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the roller cutter fastening device includes a roller cutter receptacle, and at least one fastening element for fastening the roller cutter to the roller cutter receptacle and the roller cutter receptacle to the drill head, and wherein the at least one load-sensitive element of the sensor arrangement is provided separately from the at least one fastening element.

3. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the sleeve is formed as a hollow circular cylinder.

4. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein multiple load-sensitive elements are mounted separately from one another to an inner surface of a wall of the sleeve.

5. The mining tool of claim 4 , wherein the multiple load-sensitive elements are mounted angularly offset in relation to one another to the inner surface of the sleeve wall.

6. The mining tool of claim 4 , wherein the sleeve wall is elastically deformable to interface with the load-sensitive element under the influence of a mechanical load during a boring operation.

7. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the load-sensitive elements is mounted to a planar plate of the sleeve, the planar plate mounted in a hollow cylindrical section of the sleeve.

8. The mining tool of claim 7 , wherein multiple load-sensitive elements are mounted to the plate angularly offset in relation to one another.

9. The mining tool of claim 7 , wherein the plate is formed as a membrane.

10. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein two load-sensitive elements are mounted to an inner surface of a wall of the sleeve angularly offset in relation to one another and two further load-sensitive elements are provided separately from the inner surface.

11. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein four load-sensitive elements are mounted angularly distributed about a sleeve axis to a planar plate of the sleeve, wherein the plate is mounted to a hollow cylindrical section of the sleeve.

12. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein four load-sensitive elements are mounted to an inner surface of a wall of the sleeve angularly offset in relation to one another.

13. The mining tool of claim 1 , having at least one further sleeve mounted at least partially to one of the roller cutter fastening device and to the roller cutter, the further sleeve having at least one load-sensitive element mounted thereon, and wherein the sleeve and the further sleeve are arranged at an orthogonal angle in relation to one another.

14. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is arranged in a roller cutter mounting block of the roller cutter fastening device.

15. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the roller cutter mount is a C-shaped part.

16. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is aligned with a roller cutter axis.

17. The mining tool of claim 1 , having at least one sensor line for conducting sensor signals, wherein the at least one sensor line originates from the at least one load-sensitive element and extends through a lumen of the sleeve.

18. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the at least one load-sensitive element is formed as a one of a strain gauge and a piezo element, and in a full bridge configuration.

19. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the roller cutter includes an axis, a cutting ring having a circumferential cutting edge, and a bearing.

20. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the roller cutter is formed as one of a disk and a tungsten carbide insert bit.

21. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein an interior cavity is disposed between a wall of the sleeve and the at least one load-sensitive element.

22. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is formed in one piece and from one material, with at least one of the roller cutter fastening device and the roller cutter.

23. The mining tool of claim 1 , wherein the roller cutter mount clamps an axis of the roller cutter.

24. A system for detecting a mechanical load of a roller cutter of a mining tool of a drill head of a tunnel boring machine for mining in rock, the system comprising:
the mining tool of claim 1 ; and
an analysis unit that detects, based on sensor signals of the at least one load-sensitive element, an item of information which is indicative of the mechanical load which acts on the roller cutter of the mining tool.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein
the sensor arrangement includes four load-sensitive elements; and
the analysis unit detects, based on sensor signals of the tour load-sensitive elements, an item of information which is indicative of one or more of a contact pressure force (F N ), a lateral force (F S ), and a rolling force (F R ), acting on the roller cutter.

26. A drill head for use with a tunnel boring machine for mining in rock, the drill head comprising:
a drill body movable in a rotational and translational manner in relation to the rock, the drill body including a plurality of mining tool mounts for mounting mining tools;
a plurality of mining tools of claim 1 , the mounting tools interchangeably mounted in the plurality of mining tool mounts.

27. A tunnel boring machine for mining in rock and including a drill head of claim 26 .

Assignees

• Montanuniv Leoben
• Herrenknecht Ag
• B G Betontechnologie Mat Ag

Inventors

• Barwart Stefan
• Galler Robert

Classifications

• E21D9/104

  Cutting tool fixtures (devices with percussive tools E21D9/106) · CPC title

• E21D9/112

  by means of one single rotary head or of concentric rotary heads (E21D9/111 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21D9/003 Primary

  Arrangement of measuring or indicating devices for use during driving of tunnels, e.g. for guiding machines · CPC title

• E21D9/11

  with a rotary drilling-head cutting simultaneously the whole cross-section, i.e. full-face machines · CPC title