A TBM main drive and a TBM

Abstract

This invention belongs to the technical field of tunnel boring machine (TBM) equipment, specifically providing a TBM main drive and a TBM. The TBM main drive includes a main bearing, which comprises a fixed part and a rotating part. The TBM main drive also includes a shield connecting flange and a spacer ring. The spacer ring has a screw conveyor mounting hole at its center for mounting a central muck discharge screw conveyor. The shield connecting flange and the spacer ring have through holes running from front to back, located between the screw conveyor mounting hole and the main bearing. A closed personnel passage connects the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring, with both ends of the personnel passage communicating with the through holes on the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring, respectively. The personnel passage is equipped with an openable / closable passage door. This TBM includes the aforementioned TBM main drive. In this invention, the personnel passage extends through the drive box of the main drive, making better use of the space within the inner ring of the main bearing. This allows for the installation of a larger diameter main bearing to meet the needs of long-distance tunneling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of tunnel boring equipment, and in particular relates to a TBM main drive and TBM. Background Technology

[0002] TBMs (hard rock tunnel boring machines) are specialized equipment used for propulsive excavation to achieve full-face tunnel forming. They mainly include a shield, cutterhead, main drive, support system, and muck removal system. Among them, the shield-type TBM has a protective shield and a segment assembly machine for assembling tunnel segments, offering better safety and is now widely used in tunnel projects for highways, railways, and hydropower.

[0003] Traditional shield-type TBMs utilize a conveyor belt for muck removal, achieving high muck removal efficiency when tunneling in stable surrounding rock formations. However, when facing localized weak or water-rich geological conditions, they are prone to tunnel disasters such as mudslides and water inrushes, leading to problems like the conveyor belt being crushed and mud and water flowing into the machine, severely restricting construction safety and progress.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies have begun to include TBMs utilizing screw conveyors for muck removal, and the applicant has conducted in-depth research in this field for many years. The applicant's Chinese invention patent application, publication number CN109403999A, discloses a dual-mode TBM employing screw conveyor muck removal. The shield's front shield partition has a central first muck outlet and a lower second muck outlet. The screw conveyor can selectively connect to either the first or second muck outlet to switch between TBM mode and earth pressure mode, enabling stable tunneling in mudslide and water inrush formations. The applicant's Chinese invention patent application, publication number CN113107519A, discloses an open-type TBM employing a central screw conveyor for muck removal, which can also adapt to localized mudslide and water inrush formations.

[0005] However, for dual-mode TBMs, the radial space reserved for installing the main drive is limited due to the location of the two slag outlets, making it difficult to install a large-diameter main bearing. Furthermore, to allow workers to enter the soil chamber for cutterhead replacement or maintenance, a passageway must be provided for workers, and this passageway is typically located between the main drive and the shield, further compressing the installation space for the main bearing.

[0006] Because it's difficult to install large main bearings on the aforementioned TBMs, the strength and lifespan of the TBM main drive are relatively poor. For long-distance tunnel projects, such as tunnels around 10km long, the lifespan of small-sized main bearings is insufficient. If the main bearing fails before the tunnel is completed, the TBM must be shut down and lifted out of the tunnel for replacement, which will severely impact construction efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a TBM main drive system to solve the technical problem in the prior art where pedestrian walkways occupy space in the main drive system, making it difficult to install large-diameter main bearings. Another purpose of this invention is to provide a TBM that solves the same technical problem.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution for the TBM main drive provided by this invention is as follows:

[0009] A TBM main drive includes a main bearing, which comprises a fixed part and a rotating part. The TBM main drive also includes a shield connecting flange for connecting the fixed part and the TBM shield. The shield connecting flange is connected to a spacer ring for sealing with the cutterhead flange of the TBM. The spacer ring has a screw extrusion mounting hole at its center for installing a central slag discharge screw extruder. The shield connecting flange and the spacer ring have through holes that extend from front to back, which are located between the screw extrusion mounting hole and the main bearing. A closed personnel passage is connected between the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring. The two ends of the personnel passage communicate with the through holes on the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring, respectively. The personnel passage is equipped with an openable passage door.

[0010] As a further improvement, the personnel passage is located above the screw conveyor mounting hole.

[0011] As a further improvement, the bottom surface of the personnel passageway is set horizontally.

[0012] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention belongs to an improved invention. The main drive achieves basic connection with the shield body through the shield body connecting flange, and achieves sealing through the spacer ring and cutterhead flange, thereby realizing basic connection and sealing. In use, the central slag discharge screw conveyor can also be installed in the center position through the screw conveyor mounting hole, thus having better adaptability in mudslide and water inrush formations. When it is necessary to inspect or replace the cutterhead, the access door can be opened, and workers can enter the excavation chamber through the personnel passage to meet the needs of maintenance. Compared with the prior art, the personnel passage in this invention, that is, the passage for workers to pass through, is set between the screw conveyor mounting hole and the main bearing. That is to say, the personnel passage passes through the drive box of the main drive, making better use of the space within the inner ring of the main bearing. At this time, a larger diameter main bearing can be installed to meet the needs of long-distance tunneling.

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution for TBM provided by this invention is as follows:

[0014] A TBM includes a shield, a cutterhead, and a main drive. The cutterhead is connected to the main drive via a cutterhead flange. The main drive includes a main bearing, which comprises a fixed part and a rotating part. A shield connecting flange connects the fixed part and the shield. A spacer ring is connected to the shield connecting flange and seals with the cutterhead flange. A central slag discharge screw conveyor is installed at the center of the spacer ring. The shield connecting flange and the spacer ring have through holes that extend from front to back. The through holes are located between the screw conveyor mounting hole and the main bearing. A closed personnel passage connects between the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring. The two ends of the personnel passage communicate with the through holes on the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring, respectively. The personnel passage is equipped with an openable passage door.

[0015] As a further improvement, the personnel passage is located above the screw conveyor mounting hole.

[0016] As a further improvement, the bottom surface of the personnel passageway is set horizontally.

[0017] As a further improvement, the back of the cutterhead is provided with several radially extending slag chute plates of a certain thickness, and the slag chute plates are connected to the cutterhead flange.

[0018] As a further improvement, the slag chute is equipped with a maintenance passage for workers to pass through, and the maintenance passage is equipped with a movable maintenance cover.

[0019] As a further improvement, the central slag discharge screw press includes a screw shaft and a screw press drive device, which is directly connected to the screw shaft to drive the screw shaft to rotate.

[0020] As a further improvement, the shield body is a hinged shield body, which includes a nested front hinge ring and a rear hinge ring, with a hinge seal between the front hinge ring and the rear hinge ring.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention is an improved invention. The main drive achieves basic connection with the shield body through the shield body connecting flange, and achieves sealing through the spacer ring and the cutterhead connecting flange, thus realizing basic connection and sealing. During tunneling, since the central muck-discharging screw conveyor is installed in the center position through the screw conveyor mounting hole, it has good adaptability in mudslide and water inrush formations. When it is necessary to inspect or replace the cutterhead, the access door can be opened, and workers can enter the excavation chamber through the personnel passage to meet the needs of maintenance. Compared with the prior art, the personnel passage in this invention, that is, the passage for workers to pass through, is set between the screw conveyor mounting hole and the main bearing. That is to say, the personnel passage passes through the drive box of the main drive, making better use of the space within the inner ring of the main bearing. At this time, a larger diameter main bearing can be installed to meet the needs of long-distance tunneling. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the TBM embodiment in this invention;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the main drive position;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the hinged sealing section of the central shield body;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the sealing structure of the mid-tail shield section;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the screw conveyor gate;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the back of the cutter head.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 1. Cutterhead; 2. Slag chute; 3. Cover plate; 4. Front hinge ring; 5. Main bearing; 6. Shield body connecting flange; 7. Personnel passage; 8. Rear hinge ring; 9. Propulsion cylinder; 10. Slag improvement pipe; 11. Tail shield; 12. Cutterhead flange; 13. Baffle ring; 14. Hinged cylinder; 15. Central slag discharge screw conveyor; 16. Screw conveyor gate; 17. Belt conveyor; 18. Segment assembly machine; 19. Screw conveyor mounting hole; 20. Hinged seal; 21. Shield tail seal; 22. Slag chute; 1601. Gate seal; 1602. Gate plate; 1603. Gate frame. Detailed Implementation

[0030] A TBM typically consists of a main unit and supporting components. The main unit includes the cutterhead, shield, main drive, and muck removal system. The main drive, which rotates the cutterhead, includes the main bearing and the power source (drive motor or hydraulic motor). The main bearing can be considered the heart of the TBM, as it is subjected to significant thrust and overturning moments from the tunnel face during tunneling. The lifespan and reliability of the main bearing directly affect tunneling efficiency.

[0031] Traditional TBMs are mainly used in geological conditions with relatively stable surrounding rock, and their main unit uses a conveyor belt for muck removal. However, for long-distance tunnels, there may be mudslides or water inrushes in some areas of the tunneling path, in which case the traditional conveyor belt method for muck removal is no longer suitable.

[0032] For tunnels prone to mudslides and water inrushes, existing technologies include dual-mode TBMs based on earth pressure shield tunneling machines. The overall structure remains that of an earth pressure shield tunneling machine, but the screw conveyor switches between bottom earth pressure mode and center TBM mode, enabling it to be used for tunneling in mudslide and water inrush formations. However, setting up two muck outlets undoubtedly occupies radial space for the main drive, making it difficult to install large-diameter main bearings and thus unreliable for long-distance tunneling. Furthermore, even if the screw conveyor is placed in the center, a passageway needs to be built in the shield body's partition for workers to enter the excavation chamber for cutterhead replacement or maintenance, which also occupies space for the main bearing installation.

[0033] To solve the above problems, the basic technical concept of this invention is to change the location of the passageway that workers pass through, and set the passageway to directly pass through the drive box of the main drive, so as to avoid the pedestrian passageway occupying the installation space of the main bearing, thereby allowing for the installation of a larger main bearing to meet the needs of long-distance tunnel construction.

[0034] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0035] Specific embodiments of the TBM provided by this invention:

[0036] The TBM host unit provided in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a cutterhead 1, a shield body, a main drive, and a central slag discharge screw conveyor 15. The main drive primarily comprises a main bearing 5, a shield body connecting flange 6, and a spacer ring 13. The main bearing 5 can be one of the existing three-row cylindrical roller bearings. It is easy to understand that it should include an inner ring, an outer ring, and a rolling element cage. One of the inner and outer rings is a fixed part, and the other is a rotating part. The fixed part is fixedly connected to the shield body via the shield body connecting flange 6, and the rotating part is connected to the cutterhead flange 12 of the TBM, transmitting the rotational torque to the cutterhead 1 through the cutterhead flange 12. To ensure the sealing of the main bearing 5, a sealing element is used between the spacer ring 13 and the cutterhead flange 12. The specific sealing structure is existing technology and will not be described here.

[0037] To accommodate tunneling in mudslide and water inrush formations, in this embodiment, a central muck-discharging screw conveyor 15 is positioned at the center. Correspondingly, a screw conveyor mounting hole 19 for installing the central muck-discharging screw conveyor 15 is provided at the center of the baffle ring 13. Under normal geological conditions, the muck discharge process of the central muck-discharging screw conveyor 15 is consistent with that of a conventional TBM, i.e., the cutterhead 1 scoops up the muck from the bottom through the chute 2 and sends it to the central muck-discharging screw conveyor 15 through the chute 22. In mudslide and water inrush formations, the central muck-discharging screw conveyor 15 can also play a good role in maintaining pressure during tunneling.

[0038] Considering that workers need to enter the excavation chamber for maintenance and cutterhead replacement, the personnel passage for workers is located in the main drive area in this embodiment. Specifically, the shield connecting flange 6 and the baffle ring 13 are provided with through holes running from front to back, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, personnel passage 7 is a closed passage located between the shield connecting flange 6 and the spacer ring 13. Both ends of the personnel passage are connected to the shield connecting flange 6 and the spacer ring 13, respectively. Furthermore, personnel passage 7 is equipped with an operable door, which can be a sliding door, a hinged door, or a bolted detachable door. Under normal circumstances, the door is closed to ensure sealing. When maintenance is required, the door is opened, allowing workers to pass through and enter the excavation chamber for maintenance work.

[0039] Compared with existing technologies, the personnel passage 7 runs through the drive box of the main drive and utilizes the space within the inner ring of the main bearing 5. This allows for the configuration of a larger main bearing 5 with the same shield diameter to meet the needs of long-distance tunneling.

[0040] Furthermore, the personnel passage 7 is located above the central slag discharge screw conveyor 15. Compared to placing the personnel passage 7 at the bottom, this utilizes the more open space at the top, preventing accidental falling of slag and providing better safety.

[0041] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, the bottom of personnel passage 7 is a horizontally positioned flat plate. Compared to a cylindrical design, this provides a more stable platform for workers to walk on and also facilitates the transfer of materials.

[0042] like Figure 6 As shown, the back of the cutterhead 1 is provided with several radially extending chute plates 2 of a certain thickness, and the chute plates 2 are connected to the cutterhead flange 12. Compared with the solution of setting a chute bucket, the chute plates 2 have higher strength and can act as reinforcing ribs, thereby further improving the strength of the cutterhead and improving its reliability.

[0043] Furthermore, to facilitate worker movement within the excavation chamber, a maintenance passage is provided on the chute 2. Normally, this passage is closed, and a movable cover 3 is installed at the entrance. The cover 3 can be a sliding, hinged, or bolted detachable cover. During maintenance, workers pass through the personnel passage 7, open the cover 3, and can directly move through the chute 2 to different locations within the excavation chamber. In other embodiments, if the maintenance passage is not provided on the chute 2, during maintenance, the cutterhead 1 needs to be rotated to change the correspondence between different positions of the cutterhead and the personnel passage 7.

[0044] In this embodiment, the shield is a hinged shield, with an overall structure of a single-shield TBM, including a front hinge ring 4 and a rear hinge ring 8. Part of the rear hinge ring 8 is nested within the front hinge ring 4, and a hinge cylinder 14 connects the front hinge ring 4 and the rear hinge ring 8. The TBM main unit is also equipped with a segment assembly machine 18, which can grab and assemble segments. The rear hinge ring 8 is equipped with a propulsion cylinder 9, which pushes the segments to provide reaction force for the main unit to advance forward.

[0045] To ensure sufficient pressure within the excavation chamber during mudslides and water inrushes, such as... Figure 3 As shown, a hinge seal 20 is also provided between the front hinge ring 4 and the rear hinge ring 8. The specific form of the hinge seal 20 is not specifically limited; it can be a lip seal ring or a sealing airbag, as is available in the prior art. In addition, the shield body also includes a tail shield 11, which is also equipped with a tail seal 21, such as... Figure 4 The structure and function of the tail seal 21 are consistent with those of the tail seal 21 in a single-shield TBM in the prior art. Of course, in other embodiments, the shield body can also be a shield body of a dual-shield main unit, i.e., a shield body including a supporting shield. In this case, the main drive used can also achieve the installation of the large-diameter main bearing 5.

[0046] To facilitate the formation of a stable soil plug effect, the TBM in this embodiment is also equipped with a soil conditioning pipe 10, which penetrates the front diaphragm of the shield. During tunneling, soil conditioning agent can be introduced into the excavation chamber (soil chamber) through the soil conditioning pipe 10.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the central slag discharge screw conveyor 15 is relatively short, and its entire length is located inside the shield body. The conveyor belt 17, which connects to the central slag discharge screw conveyor 15, extends into the shield body. Additionally, the screw shaft of the central slag discharge screw conveyor 15 is directly connected to the screw conveyor drive device that drives the screw shaft, thus eliminating the need for a gearbox. This shortens the overall length and weight of the central slag discharge screw conveyor, facilitating its movement and enabling easier maintenance or replacement within the tunnel, thereby improving efficiency. The central slag discharge screw conveyor 15 is equipped with a screw conveyor gate 16. In formations prone to mudslides or water inrushes, the screw conveyor gate 16 can be closed to maintain pressure. Specifically, the screw conveyor gate... Figure 5 As shown, it includes a gate frame 1603, a gate plate 1602, and a gate seal 1601. The gate plate 1602 can move within the gate frame 1603 to realize the opening and closing of the central slag discharge screw conveyor 15.

[0048] Specific embodiments of the TBM master driver in this invention:

[0049] The TBM main drive has the same structure as the main drive in the TBM embodiment described above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0050] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still make modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments without creative effort, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A TBM main drive, comprising a main bearing, the main bearing including a fixed part and a rotating part, the TBM main drive further comprising a shield body connecting flange for connecting the fixed part and the TBM shield body, the shield body connecting flange being connected to a spacer ring for sealingly engaging with the cutterhead flange of the TBM, the spacer ring having a screw conveyor mounting hole at its center for mounting a central slag discharge screw conveyor, characterized in that, The cutterhead is connected to the main drive via a cutterhead flange. The shield connecting flange and the spacer ring have through holes running from front to back. These through holes are located between the screw conveyor mounting hole and the main bearing. A closed personnel passage is connected between the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring. Both ends of the personnel passage are connected to the through holes on the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring, respectively. The personnel passage is equipped with an openable passage door. The back of the cutterhead has several radially extending slag chute plates of a certain thickness, which are connected to the cutterhead flange via the slag chute plates. The slag chute plates have maintenance passages for workers to pass through, and the maintenance passages are equipped with movable and openable maintenance covers.

2. The TBM main drive according to claim 1, characterized in that, The personnel access passage is located above the screw conveyor mounting hole.

3. The TBM main drive according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the personnel passage is set horizontally.

4. A TBM, comprising a shield body, a cutterhead, and a main drive, wherein the cutterhead is connected to the main drive via a cutterhead flange, the main drive includes a main bearing, the main bearing includes a fixed part and a rotating part, a shield body connecting flange is connected between the fixed part and the shield body, a spacer ring is connected to the shield body connecting flange and sealingly cooperates with the cutterhead flange, and a central slag discharge screw conveyor is installed at the center of the spacer ring, characterized in that, The shield connecting flange and the spacer ring are provided with through holes running from front to back. The through holes are located between the screw conveyor mounting hole and the main bearing. A closed personnel passage is connected between the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring. The two ends of the personnel passage are connected to the through holes on the shield connecting flange and the spacer ring, respectively. The personnel passage is equipped with a door that can be opened and closed. The back of the cutterhead is provided with several radially extending slag chute plates with a certain thickness. The slag chute plates are connected to the cutterhead flange. The slag chute plates are provided with maintenance passages for workers to pass through. The maintenance passages are equipped with movable and openable maintenance covers.

5. The TBM according to claim 4, characterized in that, The personnel access passage is located above the screw conveyor mounting hole.

6. The TBM according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the personnel passage is set horizontally.

7. The TBM according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The central slag discharge screw press includes a screw shaft and a screw press drive device. The screw press drive device is directly connected to the screw shaft to drive the screw shaft to rotate.

8. The TBM according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The shield body is a hinged shield body, which includes a nested front hinge ring and a rear hinge ring, and a hinge seal is provided between the front hinge ring and the rear hinge ring.

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