Tunnel boring machine and tunnelling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021180452-A1
Application number	US-201917052556-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2019
Priority date	Jun 8, 2018
Publication date	Jun 17, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tunnel boring machine having a cutting wheel equipped with a number of excavation tools provided with sensor units and, in a corresponding tunnelling method, only substantially fully worn excavation tools are able to be replaced using a data processing device designed with an advancement planning unit by detecting the current state of the excavation tools and predicting the state of the excavation tools on tool replacement predication planes lying in the advancing direction.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A tunnel boring machine, comprising:
a rotatable cutting wheel including a plurality of excavation tools mounted at respective excavation tool positions on the cutting wheel; a plurality of sensor units assigned to respective excavation tools and operable to detect the status of the excavation tools in the form of associated excavation tool data; and a data processing device connected to the sensor units, wherein: for every sensor unit, an excavation tool data storage area is provided, in which excavation tool data associated with an excavation tool can be stored from the sensor unit assigned to the relevant excavation tool; the data processing device further comprising a geospatial data storage in which geospatial data characteristic for a geology to be tunnelled through can be stored for a tunnelling route to be cut through in an advancing direction; and the data processing device further comprising an advancement planning unit which, based on the geospatial data, the excavation tool data advancement parameters, and excavation tool positions of excavation tools, makes a determination between tool replacement predication planes located in the advancing direction wherein the tool replacement predication planes for excavation tools that reach a next tool replacement predication plane in a functional state only at a different excavation tool position, a position change takes place at the or a different excavation tool position, and for excavation tools that reach the next tool replacement predication plane in a functional state no longer at an excavation tool position, a replacement of the excavation tool may take place.

17 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein excavation tools to be replaced at a tool replacement predication plane are fully worn.

18 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein the at least one sensor unit further comprises a wear status detection module operable to detect a wear status of an excavation tool assigned to the sensor unit.

19 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein at least one sensor unit further comprises a temperature detection module operable to detect a temperature of an excavation tool assigned to the sensor unit.

20 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein at least one sensor unit further comprises a load detection module operable to detect a mechanical load exerted on an excavation tool assigned to the sensor unit.

21 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein a plurality of the excavation tools include rotatable cutting rollers.

22 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 21 , wherein at least one sensor unit further comprises a rotational state detection module operable to detect a rotational state of a cutting roller assigned to the sensor unit.

23 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , further comprising a rotational speed transmitter operable to detect a rotational speed of the cutting wheel, the rotational speed transmitter connected to the data processing device and supplying a detected rotational speed of the cutting wheel to the advancement planning unit, the advancement planning unit including the rotational speed of the cutting wheel for predetermining at least one of a position change and a replacement of excavation tools.

24 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , further comprising a torque transmitter operable to detect a torque applied to the cutting wheel, the torque transmitter connected to the data processing device and supplying a detected torque to the advancement planning unit, the advancement planning unit including the rotational speed of the cutting wheel for predetermining at least one of a position change and a replacement of excavation tools.

25 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein the advancement planning unit further comprises an empirical value storage in which empirical values for the wear of excavation tools when cutting through a tunnelling route in the geology are stored, and the advancement planning unit includes the empirical values for predetermining at least one of a position change and a replacement of excavation tools.

26 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein the advancement planning unit further comprises a comparison module with which a quasi actual status in accordance with a close-to-reality predetermination of the wear of excavation tools can be compared to the target status in accordance with the interpolation prediction between the tool replacement predication planes, and the advancement planning unit further comprises a correction parameter storage in which correction parameters derived from the comparison of the quasi actual status with the target status can be stored, which parameters the advancement planning unit includes for predetermining at least one of a position change and a replacement of excavation tools.

27 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein the data processing device further comprises a generator connected to the advancement planning unit with which at least one of warning messages and alarm messages about at least one of critical and intolerable operating statuses and wear statuses of excavation tools between tool replacement predication planes can be output when reaching a tool replacement predication plane in accordance with the interpolation prediction.

28 . The tunnel boring machine of claim 16 , wherein the data processing device further comprises a need adjustment module operable to determine a need for new excavation tools for replacement when reaching at least the next tool replacement predication plane.

29 . A method for tunneling, comprising:
providing the tunnel boring machine of claim 1 ; storing, in the geospatial data storage, geospatial data characteristic for the geology to be broken through for the tunnelling route to be cut through in an advancing direction; based on the geospatial data and on excavation tool data, determining advancement parameters and excavation tool positions of excavation tools between tool replacement predication planes located in the advancing direction with the advancement planning unit wherein, at the tool replacement predication planes for excavation tools that reach the next tool replacement predication plane in a functional state only at a different excavation tool position, a position change takes place at the or a different excavation tool position, and for excavation tools that reach the next tool replacement predication plane in a functional state no longer at an excavation tool position, a replacement with a new to-be-installed excavation tool takes place.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the advancement parameters and the tool replacement predication planes are selected such that excavation tools to be replaced at a tool replacement predication plane are fully worn.

Assignees

• Herrenknecht Ag

Inventors

• Weiser Torsten

Classifications

• E21C39/00

  Devices for testing in situ the hardness or other properties of minerals, e.g. for giving information as to the selection of suitable mining tools · CPC title

• E21D9/003 Primary

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

• E21D9/112 Primary

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

• E21D9/108

  Remote control specially adapted for machines for driving tunnels or galleries (for machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral E21C35/24) · CPC title