Device and method for continuously driving a tunnel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11566522-B2
Application number	US-201916964743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 2, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

In a device and a method for continuously driving a tunnel along a desired setpoint trajectory there is provision to influence pressing forces which are applied to installed tubbing segments by compactors using a control circuit, wherein, during the driving and during the installation of tubbing rings, an actual trajectory of the device remains in a region which is permissible for maintaining the desired set point trajectory.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tunnel boring device for continuously driving and lining a tunnel along a predefined setpoint trajectory, comprising:
a cutting wheel for working a tunnel face;
a plurality of compactors coupled with a compactor bearing, the compactor bearing supporting the cutting wheel in an axial direction, wherein the compactors are disposed on a side of the compactor bearing facing away from the cutting wheel and are operable to press against tubbing segments lined adjacent one another about a circumferential direction when forming a ring of tubbing segments;
one or more converter modules coupled to at least some of the plurality of compactors, at least one of the one or more converter modules measuring pressure values associated with pressing forces exerted on the tubbing segments by the compactors; and
a central unit comprising a central module, a navigation measuring module, a navigation prediction module, and a pressing force correction module, wherein:
the central module is in communication with each of the one or more converter modules and receives the pressure values from the one or more converter modules,
the navigation measuring module determines any one of an actual position of the tunnel boring device, an actual trajectory of the tunnel boring device, and a setpoint trajectory for the tunnel boring device,
the pressing force correction module determines an actual force focal point based upon at least one distribution of the pressing forces exerted by the compactors during an installation of the tubbing segments,
the navigation prediction module determines an initial trajectory prediction for a future trajectory of a continuous driving and lining operation, the determination based upon a calculated deviation of the actual force focal point from a setpoint force focal point, and
in the event that either the future trajectory or the actual trajectory of the continuous driving and lining operation deviates from the setpoint trajectory, the pressing forces exerted by the plurality of compactors are adjusted by the pressing force correction module to new pressing forces, the new pressing forces reducing the deviation between a calculated new trajectory prediction and the setpoint trajectory as compared to the initial trajectory prediction, the new pressing forces calculated in a time period prior to beginning the installation of a next circumferentially adjacent tubbing segment such that the actual trajectory of the driving and lining operation is stabilized during the installation of the next tubbing segment,

the tunnel boring device operable to perform:
a pressing force modifying step, wherein:
the pressing force correction module calculates new pressing forces for one or more of the plurality of compactors, the one or more compactors of the plurality continuously pressing on one or more tubbing segments during the driving and lining operation,
the calculation based upon a comparison of i) the deviation between the future trajectory of the initial trajectory prediction and the setpoint trajectory, and ii) the deviation between a calculated new future trajectory based upon a determined new trajectory prediction and the setpoint trajectory, and
wherein the deviation of the new future trajectory and the setpoint trajectory is reduced as compared with the deviation between the future trajectory and the setpoint trajectory; and

a tubbing segment placement step, wherein:
each compactor of the plurality pressed on a previously installed tubbing segment is retracted from the installed tubbing segment to free an installation space adjacent the previously installed tubbing segment,
a new tubbing segment is installed in the installation space adjacent the previously installed tubbing segment, and
the retracted compactors are pressed against the new tubbing segment based upon the calculated new pressing forces, the new pressing forces reducing the deviation between the actual trajectory of the tunnel boring device and the setpoint trajectory.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more converter modules are attached to the central control module via a pressure processing module, the converter modules processing pressure values and path values of the compactors.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the compactors are held in the compactor bearing disposed proximate a center shield.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the compactors are uniformly spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the compactors are grouped in compactor pairs.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the new pressing forces exerted by the compactors control the location of the actual force focal point of the pressing forces,
the calculation of the new pressing forces is based upon the comparison of the actual force focal point to the setpoint force focal point, and
the calculation of the new pressing forces occurs continuously throughout the driving and lining operation.

Assignees

• Herrenknecht Ag

Inventors

• Burger Werner
• Edelmann Thomas Joseph

Classifications

• E21D9/0607

  the shield being provided with devices for lining the tunnel, e.g. shuttering (E21D9/0873, E21D9/0879 take precedence; tail sealing means used as end shuttering E21D9/0635) · CPC title

• E21D9/0873 Primary

  the shield being provided with devices for lining the tunnel, e.g. shuttering · CPC title

• E21D9/0621

  Shield advancing devices · CPC title

• E21D11/403

  combined with the head machine · CPC title

• E21D9/11

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