Vision-based tunnel boring machine steel arch installation system and method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a tunnel boring machine steel arch installation system and method based on vision, comprising: an upper computer, a steel arch installation device, a steel arch positioning device, a vision module and a laser range finder; the vision module and the laser range finder are installed on the support of the steel arch positioning device, and the installation base of the steel arch positioning device is installed on the steel structure of the vertical center line of the steel arch installation device; the laser range finder emits ranging laser to the previous ring steel arch or the tunnel wall; the upper computer controls the walking speed of the steel arch installation device according to the difference between the second distance and the third distance; in the walking process, the vision module collects the line laser irradiated on the previous ring steel arch and the position image of the previous ring steel arch; the position image is identified to determine the coincidence degree of the line laser and the edge of the previous ring steel arch; if the coincidence degree reaches the preset coincidence degree, the walking is stopped and the steel arch is installed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of tunnel steel arch frame installation technology, and in particular to a vision-based tunnel boring machine steel arch frame installation system and method. Background Technology

[0002] TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) is a tunnel construction machine that integrates tunnel excavation, muck removal, support, and ventilation functions, enabling one-time tunnel excavation. In open-face TBM construction, after the excavation of the final ring, steel arch frames are installed to support the tunnel and improve its stability and safety. Therefore, improving the rationality of steel arch frame installation can, to a certain extent, enhance the stability and safety of the tunnel.

[0003] In related technologies, the distance between two steel arch frames during installation is often determined manually. However, manual positioning is prone to errors. Errors in the distance between the two steel arch frames not only directly affect the quality of the support but also the tightness of the subsequent TBM support shoes. This is because the TBM support shoes need to be supported on the tunnel wall after excavation, and the support shoes have pre-drilled slots for the steel arch frames. If the installation and positioning of the steel arch frames are inaccurate, it will affect the tightness of the subsequent support shoes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the technical problem of inaccurate installation positioning of steel arch frames during the installation process of tunnel boring machines in related technologies, this disclosure provides a vision-based installation system and method for steel arch frames of tunnel boring machines.

[0005] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a vision-based tunnel boring machine steel arch frame installation system is provided. The system includes: a host computer, a steel arch frame installer communicatively connected to the host computer, a steel arch frame positioning device communicatively connected to the host computer, a vision module communicatively connected to the host computer, and a laser rangefinder communicatively connected to the host computer.

[0006] The vision module and the laser rangefinder are both mounted on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device. The mounting base of the steel arch frame positioning device is mounted on the steel structure of the vertical center line of the steel arch frame installer. The first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

[0007] The laser rangefinder is used to emit a ranging laser towards the steel arch frame or tunnel wall that has been installed.

[0008] The host computer is used for:

[0009] The traveling speed of the steel arch frame installer is controlled based on the difference between the second distance and the third distance; the second distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the previous ring of steel arch frame, and the third distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the tunnel wall.

[0010] During the movement of the steel arch frame installer, the vision module is controlled to acquire images of the position of the line laser illuminating the preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame.

[0011] The position image is identified to determine the degree of overlap between the line laser and the edge of the preceding steel arch frame;

[0012] When the overlap reaches the preset overlap, the steel arch frame installer is controlled to stop moving and the steel arch frame carried on the steel arch frame installer is installed.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the vision module includes: a line laser emitter and an image acquisition device;

[0014] The line laser emitter is used to emit a line laser towards the installed preceding steel arch frame;

[0015] The image acquisition device is used to acquire position images of the line laser and the preceding steel arch frame.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the ranging laser emitted by the laser rangefinder is parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located, and the center of the line laser emitted by the line laser emitter and the shooting angle of the image acquisition device are both parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the host computer is further used for:

[0018] According to the preset steel arch frame spacing, adjust the relative position of the bolt holes on the base where the vision module and laser rangefinder are installed and the sliding groove on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device so that the first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

[0019] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a vision-based method for installing steel arch frames of tunnel boring machines is provided, applied to a host computer in the vision-based steel arch frame installation system for tunnel boring machines according to any one of the first aspects, the method comprising:

[0020] The laser rangefinder is controlled to emit a ranging laser towards the installed preceding steel arch or tunnel wall, and the traveling speed of the steel arch installer is controlled according to the difference between the second distance and the third distance; the second distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the preceding steel arch, and the third distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the tunnel wall.

[0021] During the movement of the steel arch frame installer, the control vision module acquires the position image of the line laser illuminating the installed preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame. The vision module and the laser rangefinder are both mounted on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device. The mounting base of the steel arch frame positioning device is mounted on the steel structure of the vertical center line of the steel arch frame installer. The first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

[0022] The position image is identified to determine the degree of overlap between the line laser and the edge of the preceding steel arch frame;

[0023] When the overlap reaches the preset overlap, the steel arch frame installer is controlled to stop moving and the steel arch frame carried on the steel arch frame installer is installed.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the vision module includes: a line laser emitter and an image acquisition device;

[0025] During the movement of the steel arch frame installer, the control vision module acquires images of the position of the line laser illuminating the installed preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame, including:

[0026] Control the line laser emitter to emit a line laser towards the installed front ring steel arch frame;

[0027] While controlling the line laser emitter to emit a line laser, the image acquisition device is controlled to acquire position images of the line laser and the preceding steel arch frame.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the ranging laser emitted by the laser rangefinder is parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located, and the center of the line laser emitted by the line laser emitter and the shooting angle of the image acquisition device are both parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes:

[0030] According to the preset steel arch frame spacing, adjust the relative position of the bolt holes on the base where the vision module and laser rangefinder are installed and the sliding groove on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device so that the first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

[0031] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following beneficial effects:

[0032] The traveling speed of the steel arch installer is controlled based on the difference between the second distance between the laser rangefinder and the preceding steel arch frame, and the third distance between the laser rangefinder and the tunnel wall. During the installation, the vision module acquires images of the position of the line laser illuminating the preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame itself. The position images are then analyzed to determine the overlap between the line laser and the edge of the preceding steel arch frame. Once the overlap reaches a preset value, the steel arch installer stops and the steel arch frame carried on it is installed. This improves the accuracy of steel arch frame installation on the tunnel boring machine, thereby enhancing the accuracy, reliability, and safety of tunnel construction.

[0033] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 1 This is an installation schematic diagram of a vision-based steel arch frame installation system for a tunnel boring machine, according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0036] Figure 2 This is an exemplary embodiment illustrating the installation of a vision module and a laser rangefinder.

[0037] Figure 3 This is an exemplary embodiment illustrating the installation of a vision module and a laser rangefinder.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for installing a steel arch frame based on a tunnel boring machine, according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0040] Figure 1 This is an installation schematic diagram illustrating a vision-based steel arch frame installation system for a tunnel boring machine, according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the vision-based tunnel boring machine steel arch frame installation system includes: a host computer, a steel arch frame installer 101 that is communicatively connected to the host computer, a steel arch frame positioning device 102 that is communicatively connected to the host computer, a vision module 103 that is communicatively connected to the host computer, and a laser rangefinder 104 that is communicatively connected to the host computer.

[0041] The vision module 103 and the laser rangefinder 104 are both mounted on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device 102. The mounting base of the steel arch frame positioning device 102 is mounted on the steel structure of the vertical center line of the steel arch frame installer 101. The first distance between the vision module 103 and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer 101 is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

[0042] See Figure 2 As shown, both the vision module 103 and the laser rangefinder 104 are mounted on a mounting plate, which can be movably connected to the support of the steel arch positioning device 102 via bolts. The mounting position of the vision module 103 is relatively far from the mounting base of the steel arch positioning device 102 relative to the mounting position of the laser rangefinder 104.

[0043] The laser rangefinder 104 is used to emit a rangefinder laser toward the steel arch frame or tunnel wall that has been installed.

[0044] The host computer is used for:

[0045] The traveling speed of the steel arch frame installer 101 is controlled based on the difference between the second distance and the third distance; the second distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder 104 and the previous ring of steel arch frame, and the third distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder 104 and the tunnel wall.

[0046] During the movement of the steel arch frame installer 101, the vision module 103 is controlled to acquire images of the position of the line laser illuminating the preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame.

[0047] Understandably, during the movement, the vision module can simultaneously acquire images of the line laser illuminating the tunnel wall or the installed steel arch frame. As the steel arch frame installer 101 moves, it can eventually acquire images of the line laser illuminating the edge of the preceding steel arch frame. Here, the edge of the preceding steel arch frame refers to the edge of the side that has been excavated and installed in the tunnel excavation direction, not the edge near the side that has not been excavated.

[0048] The position image is identified to determine the degree of overlap between the line laser and the edge of the preceding steel arch frame;

[0049] Understandably, this overlap ratio is used to control the installation error between steel arch frames. The higher the overlap ratio, the smaller the installation error, and the lower the overlap ratio, the larger the installation error.

[0050] When the overlap reaches the preset overlap, the steel arch frame installer 101 is controlled to stop moving and the steel arch frame carried on the steel arch frame installer is installed.

[0051] The above technical solution controls the traveling speed of the steel arch installer based on the difference between the second distance between the laser rangefinder and the preceding steel arch frame, and the third distance between the laser rangefinder and the tunnel wall. During the travel of the steel arch installer, the vision module acquires images of the position of the line laser illuminating the preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame itself. The position images are then analyzed to determine the overlap between the line laser and the edge of the preceding steel arch frame. When the overlap reaches a preset overlap, the steel arch installer stops traveling and the steel arch frame carried on it is installed. This improves the accuracy of steel arch frame installation on the tunnel boring machine, thereby enhancing the accuracy, reliability, and safety of tunnel construction.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, the vision module 103 includes: a line laser emitter 1031 and an image acquisition device 1032;

[0053] The line laser emitter 1031 is used to emit a line laser to the installed front ring steel arch frame;

[0054] The image acquisition device 1032 is used to acquire position images of the line laser and the preceding steel arch frame.

[0055] See Figure 3As shown, the line laser emitter 1031 and the image acquisition device 1032 are installed side by side. Therefore, the distances from the line laser emitter 1031 and the image acquisition device 1032 to the steel arch frame to be installed are the same. The first distance between the vision module 103 and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer 101 is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing. Therefore, when the position image shows that the line laser has irradiated the edge of the previous ring of steel arch frames, it indicates that the steel arch frame to be installed has moved to the required installation position.

[0056] In a preferred embodiment, the ranging laser emitted by the laser rangefinder 104 is parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch frame is located, and the center of the line laser emitted by the line laser emitter 1031 and the shooting angle of the image acquisition device 1032 are both parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch frame is located.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, the host computer is further used for:

[0058] According to the preset steel arch frame spacing, adjust the relative position of the bolt holes on the base where the vision module and laser rangefinder are installed and the sliding groove on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device 102 so that the first distance between the vision module 103 and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer 101 is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

[0059] See Figure 3 As shown, a sliding groove can be provided on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device 102. The base for installing the vision module and the laser rangefinder can be slidably installed relative to the sliding groove. By adjusting the position of the base on the sliding groove, the first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer can be adjusted.

[0060] This disclosure also provides a method for installing a steel arch frame of a tunnel boring machine, applied to the host computer in any of the vision-based steel arch frame installation systems for tunnel boring machines described in the foregoing embodiments. (See also...) Figure 4 As shown, the method includes:

[0061] S41. Control the laser rangefinder to emit a ranging laser towards the installed preceding steel arch or tunnel wall, and control the walking speed of the steel arch installer according to the difference between the second distance and the third distance; the second distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the preceding steel arch, and the third distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the tunnel wall.

[0062] S42. During the movement of the steel arch frame installer, the control vision module acquires the position image of the line laser illuminating the installed previous ring of steel arch frame and the previous ring of steel arch frame.

[0063] The vision module and the laser rangefinder are both mounted on the mounting base of the steel arch positioning device. The mounting base of the steel arch positioning device is mounted on the steel structure of the vertical center line of the steel arch installer. The first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch installer is equal to the preset steel arch spacing.

[0064] S43. Identify the position image to determine the degree of overlap between the line laser and the edge of the previous ring steel arch.

[0065] S44. When the overlap reaches the preset overlap, control the steel arch frame installer to stop moving and install the steel arch frame carried on the steel arch frame installer.

[0066] In a preferred embodiment, the vision module includes: a line laser emitter and an image acquisition device;

[0067] During the movement of the steel arch frame installer, the control vision module acquires images of the position of the line laser illuminating the installed preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame, including:

[0068] Control the line laser emitter to emit a line laser towards the installed front ring steel arch frame;

[0069] While controlling the line laser emitter to emit a line laser, the image acquisition device is controlled to acquire position images of the line laser and the preceding steel arch frame.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment, the ranging laser emitted by the laser rangefinder is parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located, and the center of the line laser emitted by the line laser emitter and the shooting angle of the image acquisition device are both parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located.

[0071] In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes:

[0072] According to the preset steel arch frame spacing, adjust the relative position of the bolt holes on the base where the vision module and laser rangefinder are installed and the sliding groove on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device so that the first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

[0073] In this embodiment, before the tunnel boring machine's steel arch frame installation system is used for the first time, i.e., after the guide rollers of the steel arch frame installer clamp the steel arch frame to be assembled for the first time, the position of the steel arch frame to be assembled relative to the center of the guide rollers remains unchanged. Based on the preset steel arch frame spacing, the distance between the center of the line laser emitter in the vision module and the center of the guide rollers of the steel arch frame installer is adjusted by adjusting the position of the bolt holes on the mounting base and the sliding grooves of the mounting base of the steel arch frame positioning device. This distance is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing between the previous ring of steel arch frames and the steel arch frame to be assembled. This ensures that the distance between the line laser emitted by the line laser emitter and the center of the guide rollers of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing. It is understood that if the preset steel arch frame spacing is changed, the steps in the aforementioned embodiment are repeated.

[0074] Furthermore, there is a certain distance difference between the inner wall of the previous ring of steel arches and the excavated tunnel wall. The steel arch installer may not be in the assembly area. Therefore, during the steel arch assembly process, it is necessary to determine whether the current steel arch installer is in the assembly area of ​​the steel arch to be assembled based on the distance difference. If it is in the assembly process, the laser rangefinder is controlled to emit a ranging laser to measure the distance to the tunnel wall or the side of the installed steel arch facing the tunnel center. Then, based on the second distance between the laser rangefinder and the previous ring of steel arches, and the second distance between the laser rangefinder and the tunnel wall... The difference between the three distances limits the walking speed of the steel arch frame installer carrying the steel arch frame to be assembled. During the walking process, the vision module is used for positioning. When the steel arch frame installer is near the assembly area of ​​the steel arch frame to be assembled, the vision module takes a picture, and the host computer performs image processing to determine the positional relationship between the line laser and the steel arch frame. The installation continues until the end face of the previous ring of steel arch frame between the line laser and the ranging laser coincides. At this point, the steel arch frame installer stops walking and expands the steel arch frame to be assembled to a fully extended state, completing the subsequent assembly.

[0075] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the following claims.

[0076] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vision-based steel arch frame installation system for tunnel boring machines, characterized in that, The system includes: A host computer, a steel arch frame installer that communicates with the host computer, a steel arch frame positioning device that communicates with the host computer, a vision module that communicates with the host computer, and a laser rangefinder that communicates with the host computer. The vision module and the laser rangefinder are both mounted on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device. The mounting base of the steel arch frame positioning device is mounted on the steel structure of the vertical center line of the steel arch frame installer. The first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing. The laser rangefinder is used to emit a ranging laser towards the steel arch frame or tunnel wall that has been installed. The host computer is used for: The traveling speed of the steel arch frame installer is controlled based on the difference between the second distance and the third distance; the second distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the previous ring of steel arch frame, and the third distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the tunnel wall. During the movement of the steel arch frame installer, the vision module is controlled to acquire images of the position of the line laser illuminating the preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame. The position image is identified to determine the degree of overlap between the line laser and the edge of the preceding steel arch frame; When the overlap reaches the preset overlap, the steel arch frame installer is controlled to stop moving and the steel arch frame carried on the steel arch frame installer is installed.

2. The vision-based steel arch frame installation system for tunnel boring machines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vision module includes: a line laser emitter and an image acquisition device; The line laser emitter is used to emit a line laser towards the installed preceding steel arch frame; The image acquisition device is used to acquire position images of the line laser and the preceding steel arch frame.

3. The vision-based steel arch frame installation system for tunnel boring machines according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ranging laser emitted by the laser rangefinder is parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located. The center of the line laser emitted by the line laser emitter and the shooting angle of the image acquisition device are both parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located.

4. The vision-based steel arch frame installation system for tunnel boring machines according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The host computer is also used for: According to the preset steel arch frame spacing, adjust the relative position of the bolt holes on the base where the vision module and laser rangefinder are installed and the sliding groove on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device so that the first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

5. A vision-based method for installing steel arch frames in tunnel boring machines, characterized in that, The host computer applied to the vision-based tunnel boring machine steel arch frame installation system according to any one of claims 1-4, the method comprising: The laser rangefinder is controlled to emit a ranging laser towards the installed preceding steel arch or tunnel wall, and the traveling speed of the steel arch installer is controlled according to the difference between the second distance and the third distance; the second distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the preceding steel arch, and the third distance is the distance between the laser rangefinder and the tunnel wall. During the movement of the steel arch frame installer, the control vision module acquires the position image of the line laser illuminating the installed preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame. The vision module and the laser rangefinder are both mounted on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device. The mounting base of the steel arch frame positioning device is mounted on the steel structure of the vertical center line of the steel arch frame installer. The first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing. The position image is identified to determine the degree of overlap between the line laser and the edge of the preceding steel arch frame; When the overlap reaches the preset overlap, the steel arch frame installer is controlled to stop moving and the steel arch frame carried on the steel arch frame installer is installed.

6. The vision-based steel arch frame installation method for tunnel boring machines according to claim 5, characterized in that, The vision module includes: a line laser emitter and an image acquisition device; During the movement of the steel arch frame installer, the control vision module acquires images of the position of the line laser illuminating the installed preceding steel arch frame and the preceding steel arch frame, including: Control the line laser emitter to emit a line laser towards the installed front ring steel arch frame; While controlling the line laser emitter to emit a line laser, the image acquisition device is controlled to acquire position images of the line laser and the preceding steel arch frame.

7. The vision-based steel arch frame installation method for tunnel boring machines according to claim 6, characterized in that, The ranging laser emitted by the laser rangefinder is parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located. The center of the line laser emitted by the line laser emitter and the shooting angle of the image acquisition device are both parallel to the vertical plane where the preceding steel arch is located.

8. The vision-based steel arch frame installation method for tunnel boring machines according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: According to the preset steel arch frame spacing, adjust the relative position of the bolt holes on the base where the vision module and laser rangefinder are installed and the sliding groove on the support of the steel arch frame positioning device so that the first distance between the vision module and the center of the guide roller of the steel arch frame installer is equal to the preset steel arch frame spacing.

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