Automatic control system and method for muddy water conveying system of shield tunneling machine

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of shield tunneling machine automatic control, in particular to an automatic control system and method for a shield tunneling machine muddy water conveying system, and the method comprises the following steps: when a shield tunneling machine starts tunneling or stops tunneling, executing a bypass mode, and transiting from the bypass mode to a tunneling mode or transiting from the bypass mode to a stop mode. According to the automatic control system and method, the tunneling mode, the stop mode and the bypass mode are set, the muddy water conveying system is automatically controlled to enter the bypass mode according to whether the shield tunneling machine conducts tunneling or not, then the muddy water conveying system enters the tunneling mode or the stop mode from the bypass mode, and through transition of the bypass mode, the muddy water conveying system is automatically controlled to enter the tunneling mode or the stop mode. And the stability of muddy water circulation and pressure adjustment can be ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of automatic control of tunnel boring machines, and specifically to an automatic control system and method for a slurry conveying system of a tunnel boring machine. Background Technology

[0002] The slurry conveying system of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) is a critical subsystem responsible for excavated soil removal. Currently, this system suffers from two main drawbacks: sluggish control and parameter imbalance. Operators rely on multiple independent interfaces to monitor parameters such as slurry pressure, flow rate, and face earth pressure, manually adjusting pumping and slurry removal equipment based on experience. This not only results in slow response and low control precision but also easily leads to pressure fluctuations in the slurry chamber or poor slurry removal under complex geological conditions, causing ground subsidence or equipment overload. The entire control process is highly dependent on the operator's real-time experience, lacking system-level collaborative control and dynamic optimization. Therefore, it is necessary to propose a new solution. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an automatic control system and method for a tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system, which solves the problem that the existing slurry conveying system relies heavily on the operator's real-time experience and lacks system-level collaborative control and dynamic optimization due to manual operation based on human experience.

[0004] The technical solution to achieve the above objectives is: This invention provides an automatic control method for a tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system, comprising the following steps: When the tunnel boring machine starts or stops tunneling, a bypass mode is executed, transitioning from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode or from the bypass mode to the stop mode; When executing the bypass mode, the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline between the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump is opened, allowing the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump to be directly connected through the connecting pipeline to form a return loop. Then, the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump are controlled to run at the set initial speed, allowing the mud delivery pump to maintain a constant flow output according to the set mud inlet flow rate. The speed of the mud discharge pump is adaptively adjusted according to the target value of the working chamber pressure to adjust the main pipeline pressure. When transitioning from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode, the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline is closed, and the ball valves on the mud inlet pipeline connecting the mud pump to the working chamber and the mud discharge pipeline connecting the mud discharge pump to the working chamber are opened, so that the mud is sent into the working chamber through the mud inlet pipeline and then discharged through the mud discharge pipeline and the mud discharge pump, forming a mud-water cycle. When transitioning from the bypass mode to the stop mode, the rotation speed of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump is gradually reduced until it reaches zero. When the flow rate of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump is close to zero, the sludge pump, the sludge discharge pump, and the first ball valve are shut off.

[0005] A further improvement of the automatic control method for the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system of the present invention is that, when transitioning from the bypass mode to the stop mode, when the flow rates of the slurry pump and the slurry discharge pump are close to zero, the ball valves on the slurry inlet pipe and the slurry discharge pipe are gradually closed.

[0006] A further improvement of the automatic control method for the slurry conveying system of the tunnel boring machine of the present invention lies in the following steps: adaptively adjusting the rotational speed of the slurry pump according to the target value set by the working chamber pressure. When the pressure in the main pipeline is greater than the target value of the working chamber pressure, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually increased until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target value of the working chamber pressure. When the pressure in the main pipeline is less than the target value of the working chamber pressure, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually reduced until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target value of the working chamber pressure.

[0007] A further improvement of the automatic control method for the slurry conveying system of the tunnel boring machine of the present invention is that it further includes: displaying the layout diagram of the slurry pump, the slurry pump, the connecting pipeline, the first ball valve, the slurry inlet pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon, and the slurry outlet pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon. The status of the first ball valve, each ball valve on the sludge inlet pipe, and each ball valve on the sludge outlet pipe is acquired in real time, and the acquired status is displayed in real time on the displayed circuit layout diagram.

[0008] A further improvement of the automatic control method for the slurry conveying system of the tunnel boring machine of the present invention is that it further includes real-time acquisition of the rotational speed and flow rate of the slurry pump and the slurry discharge pump, and displaying the acquired rotational speed and flow rate of the slurry pump and the slurry discharge pump in a list on the displayed circuit layout diagram at the positions close to the corresponding slurry pump and slurry discharge pump.

[0009] The present invention also provides an automatic control system for a tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system, comprising: The acquisition unit, connected to the controller of the tunnel boring machine, is used to acquire the tunnel boring machine's start-up or stop-deployment command. The processing unit connected to the acquisition unit is used to execute the bypass mode after the acquisition unit acquires the corresponding instruction, and then execute the transition from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode according to the start tunneling instruction, or execute the transition from the bypass mode to the stop mode according to the stop tunneling instruction. When the processing unit executes the bypass mode, it is used to control the opening of the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline between the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump, so that the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump are directly connected through the connecting pipeline to form a return loop. It is also used to control the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump to run at a set initial speed, so that the mud delivery pump maintains a constant flow output according to the set mud inlet flow rate. It is also used to adaptively adjust the speed of the mud discharge pump according to the target value set by the working chamber pressure to adjust the main pipeline pressure. When the processing unit transitions from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode, it controls the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline to close, and also controls the ball valve on the mud inlet pipeline connecting the mud pump to the working chamber to open, and controls the ball valve on the mud discharge pipeline connecting the mud discharge pump to the working chamber to open, so that the mud is sent into the working chamber through the mud inlet pipeline, and then discharged through the mud discharge pipeline and the mud discharge pump to form a mud-water cycle; When the processing unit transitions from the bypass mode to the stop mode, it controls the rotation speed of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump to gradually decrease until it reaches zero. When the flow rates of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump are close to zero, it controls the sludge pump, the sludge discharge pump, and the first ball valve to close.

[0010] A further improvement of the automatic control system of the shield tunneling machine slurry conveying system of the present invention is that it also includes a data acquisition unit connected to the processing unit, the data acquisition unit being used to acquire the flow rates of the slurry pump and the slurry discharge pump; The processing unit is used to gradually close the ball valves on the mud inlet pipeline and the mud outlet pipeline when the flow rates of the mud inlet pump and the mud outlet pump are close to zero.

[0011] A further improvement of the automatic control system of the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system of the present invention lies in that, when the processing unit adaptively adjusts the speed of the slurry pump according to the target value of the working chamber pressure, it determines the magnitude of the main pipeline pressure and the target value of the working chamber pressure: If the pressure in the main pipeline is greater than the target value for the working chamber pressure, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually increased until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target value for the working chamber pressure. If the pressure in the main pipeline is less than the target pressure value set for the working chamber, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually reduced until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target pressure value set for the working chamber.

[0012] A further improvement of the automatic control system of the shield tunneling machine slurry conveying system of the present invention is that it also includes a display unit for displaying the layout diagram of the slurry pump, the slurry discharge pump, the connecting pipeline, the first ball valve, the slurry inlet pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon, and the slurry discharge pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon. The display unit is connected to a data acquisition unit, which is used to acquire the status of the first ball valve, each ball valve on the mud inlet pipe, and each ball valve on the mud outlet pipe in real time. The display unit is used to display the status acquired by the acquisition unit on the displayed circuit layout diagram in real time.

[0013] A further improvement of the automatic control system of the shield machine slurry conveying system of the present invention is that the acquisition unit is also used to acquire the rotational speed and flow rate of the slurry pump and the slurry discharge pump in real time. The display unit is also used to display the rotational speed and flow rate of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump acquired by the acquisition unit in a list on the displayed circuit layout diagram at a position close to the corresponding mud pump and mud discharge pump.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the automatic control system and method for the slurry conveying system of the tunnel boring machine of the present invention are as follows: The automatic control system and method of this invention, by setting three modes—tunneling mode, stop mode, and bypass mode—automatically controls the slurry conveying system to enter bypass mode based on whether the tunnel boring machine is tunneling, and then transitions from bypass mode back to tunneling mode or stop mode. This transition through bypass mode ensures the smoothness of slurry flow and pressure adjustment. Furthermore, in bypass mode, the slurry pump can be adaptively adjusted according to the target pressure setting in the working chamber, ensuring that the main pipeline pressure approaches or equals the target working chamber pressure, thus avoiding large pressure fluctuations.

[0015] The automatic control system and method of this invention achieve a leapfrog improvement in efficiency compared to traditional methods that rely on human experience. It transforms traditional passive and lagging manual control into proactive and precise closed-loop control, eliminating delays and biases in human judgment, ensuring continuous and stable pressure in the working chamber (i.e., the slurry chamber), effectively curbing surface subsidence. Through system-level collaborative optimization, it significantly improves slag removal efficiency and energy utilization, while significantly reducing the labor intensity of operators and excessive reliance on individual experience. Ultimately, this system achieves comprehensive advancements in safety, efficiency, and economy, providing a solid guarantee for the efficient and stable tunneling of shield tunnels in complex geological formations. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a system diagram of the automatic control system for the slurry conveying system of the tunnel boring machine of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a display interface diagram of the automatic control system and method for the slurry conveying system of the tunnel boring machine of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3This is a parameter design and mode selection interface diagram for the automatic control system and method of the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0020] See Figure 1 This invention provides an automatic control system and method for a tunnel boring machine (TBM) slurry conveying system. This system aims to achieve automated slurry conveying, precisely maintaining slurry balance, autonomously optimizing conveying efficiency, and proactively preventing operational risks, thereby comprehensively improving system stability, response speed, and intelligence. The automatic control system and method for the TBM slurry conveying system of this invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0022] See Figure 1 This diagram shows the system diagram of the automatic control system for the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system of the present invention. The following is in conjunction with... Figure 1 The automatic control system of the shield machine slurry conveying system of the present invention will be described.

[0023] like Figure 1As shown, the automatic control system of the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system of the present invention includes an acquisition unit 31 and a processing unit 32 connected to the acquisition unit 31. The acquisition unit 31 is connected to the controller of the tunnel boring machine (i.e., the tunnel boring machine PLC). The acquisition unit 31 is used to acquire the start tunneling command or stop tunneling command of the tunnel boring machine. The processing unit 32 is used to execute the bypass mode after the acquisition unit 31 acquires the corresponding command, and then execute the transition from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode according to the start tunneling command, or execute the transition from the bypass mode to the stop mode according to the stop tunneling command. Specifically, when executing the bypass mode, the processing unit 31 is used to control the opening of the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline between the slurry pump and the slurry pump, so that the slurry pump and the slurry pump are directly connected through the connecting pipeline to form a return loop. It is also used to control the slurry pump and the slurry pump to operate at a set initial speed. The processing unit 31 allows the mud pump to maintain a constant flow output based on the set mud inlet flow rate. It also adaptively adjusts the speed of the discharge pump according to the pressure difference between the working chamber and the main pipeline to maintain the balance between the working chamber and the main pipeline pressure. When transitioning from bypass mode to tunneling mode, the processing unit 31 controls the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline to close, and controls the ball valve on the mud inlet pipeline connecting the mud pump to the working chamber to open, and controls the ball valve on the discharge pipeline connecting the discharge pump to the working chamber to open, allowing mud to be sent into the working chamber through the mud inlet pipeline and then discharged through the discharge pipeline and the discharge pump, forming a mud-water cycle. When transitioning from bypass mode to stop mode, the processing unit 31 controls the speed of the mud pump and the discharge pump to gradually decrease until it is reduced to zero. When the flow rates of the mud pump and the discharge pump are close to zero, the processing unit controls the mud pump, the discharge pump and the first ball valve to close.

[0024] The automatic control system of this invention has three modes: bypass mode, tunneling mode, and stop mode. Upon receiving corresponding instructions from the tunnel boring machine (TBM), such as a start or stop tunneling command, the automatic control system automatically enters bypass mode. Using bypass mode as a transition, it then enters the corresponding tunneling or stop mode depending on whether the TBM needs to continue tunneling or stop. The processing unit of the automatic control system does not directly switch from stop mode to tunneling mode, nor from tunneling mode to stop mode; instead, it uses bypass mode as a transition to ensure the smoothness of slurry flow and pressure adjustment.

[0025] Combination Figure 2As shown, the automatic control system of the present invention is a slurry conveying system for controlling a tunnel boring machine. The slurry conveying system includes a slurry pump P1.1, a slurry discharge pump P2.1, a slurry inlet pipe 21 connected to the slurry pump P1.1, a slurry discharge pipe 22 connected to the slurry discharge pump P2.1, and a connecting pipe 23 connecting the slurry inlet pipe 21 and the slurry discharge pipe 22. The other end of the slurry inlet pipe 21 is connected to the working chamber (i.e., the space between the back of the cutterhead and the front partition) through multiple branches. The other end of the slurry discharge pipe 22 is connected to the bottom of the working chamber. Multiple ball valves, including ball valves V1, V2, V7, V8, V9, V10, V11, V12, and V20, are installed on the slurry inlet pipe 21 and the branches connected to it. Multiple ball valves, including ball valve V17, are also installed on the slurry discharge pipe 22. A first ball valve V21 is installed on the connecting pipe 23. The processing unit of the present invention is connected to ball valves V1, V2, V7, V8, V9, V10, V11, V12, V20, V17 and the first ball valve V21, and is able to control the opening and closing of each ball valve.

[0026] In bypass mode, the processing unit 32 controls the opening of the first ball valve V21, connecting the sludge pump P1.1 and the sludge discharge pump P2.1 via the connecting pipe 23. This allows the sludge entering from the sludge pump P1.1 to be directly sent to the sludge discharge pump P2.1 through the connecting pipe 23, forming a return loop. The processing unit 32 is also connected to the control system of the sludge pumps P1.1 and P2.1, enabling it to control their start / stop and speed. After ball valve V21, processing unit 32 controls mud pump P1.1 and mud discharge pump P2.1 to run at a set initial speed. If mud pump P1.1 and mud discharge pump P2.1 are currently stopped, they are started at the set initial speed. If mud pump P1.1 and mud discharge pump P2.1 are currently running, they are adjusted to run at the initial speed. The processing unit 32 then monitors the sludge inlet flow rate of the sludge pump P1.1. The sludge pump P1.1 operates at a set initial speed, and its actual sludge inlet flow rate should match the set flow rate. The processing unit 32 detects the real-time flow rate through a flow sensor located at the outlet of the sludge pump P1.1, maintaining the actual sludge inlet flow rate of the sludge pump P1.1 at the set flow rate and controlling the difference between the actual and set flow rates within a set range. While maintaining the sludge inlet flow rate, the processing unit 32 can achieve this by adjusting the speed of the sludge pump P1.1 in real time, allowing the sludge pump P1.1 to be gradually adjusted within a certain range above and below the set initial speed. The processing unit 32 also monitors the working chamber pressure and the main pipeline pressure. The working chamber pressure is detected by a pressure sensor located in the working chamber, and the main pipeline pressure is detected by a pressure sensor located on the sludge inlet pipeline 22. This pressure sensor is preferably located before or after the ball valve V27, or near the sludge pump P1.1. The processing unit 32 adaptively adjusts the speed of the sludge pump P2.1 according to the target value of the working chamber pressure setting, so that the main pipeline pressure approaches or equals the target value of the working chamber pressure setting, thereby maintaining the pressure balance of the system.

[0027] In bypass mode, processing unit 32 controls the mud pump P1.1 and mud discharge pump P2.1 to operate in a stable state, and then can switch to tunneling mode or stop mode. In tunneling mode, processing unit 32 controls the first ball valve V21 to close and the ball valves V1, V2, V7, V8, V9, V10, V11, V12, V20, and V17 to open, opening the mud inlet pipe 21 and the mud discharge pipe 22, allowing mud and water to enter the working chamber, and also allowing the excavated soil in the working chamber to be discharged through the mud discharge pipe 22, ensuring that mud and water form a stable circulation through the mud inlet pipe 21 and the mud discharge pipe 22. In stop mode, the processing unit 32 monitors the flow rate changes of the sludge pump P1.1 and the sludge discharge pump P2.1, and gradually reduces the speed of the sludge pump P1.1 and the sludge discharge pump P2.1 until the speed is reduced to zero. When the speed is zero, the flow rate may not immediately become zero, so the processing unit 32 continues to monitor the flow rate changes until the flow rate becomes zero, and then shuts off the sludge pump P1.1, the sludge discharge pump P2.1 and the first ball valve V21.

[0028] Furthermore, if the acquisition unit receives a stop tunneling command from the tunnel boring machine, it indicates that the tunnel boring machine is transitioning from normal tunneling to a stopped state. Before the processing unit enters the bypass mode, it was in tunneling mode. At this time, after the processing unit opens the first ball valve, it should gradually close the ball valves V1, V2, V7, V8, V9, V10, V11, V12, V20, and V17. During the process of closing the above ball valves, the processing unit checks the pump speed, pressure, and valve position to avoid pressure fluctuations or pipeline impacts caused by sudden changes.

[0029] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the automatic control system of the present invention further includes a data acquisition unit connected to the processing unit 32, the data acquisition unit being used to acquire the flow rates of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump. The processing unit 32 is used to gradually close the ball valves on the sludge inlet pipe 21 and the sludge outlet pipe 22 when the flow rates of the sludge delivery pump and the sludge discharge pump are close to zero. That is, the ball valves V1, V2, V7, V8, V9, V10, V11, V12, V20, and V17 are closed gradually. During the process of closing the above ball valves, the processing unit 32 checks the pump speed, pressure, and valve position to avoid pressure fluctuations or pipeline shocks caused by sudden changes.

[0030] Specifically, flow sensors are installed at the mud outlet of mud pump P1.1 and the mud inlet of mud discharge pump P2.1 to detect the flow rate of mud pump P1.1 and mud discharge pump P2.1 in real time. The acquisition unit of the present invention is connected to the flow sensor to receive the flow data or signal detected in real time.

[0031] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, when the processing unit 32 adaptively adjusts the speed of the sludge pump according to the target value of the working chamber pressure, it determines the magnitude of the main pipeline pressure and the target value of the working chamber pressure: If the pressure in the main pipeline is greater than the target value for the working chamber pressure, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually increased until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target value for the working chamber pressure. If the pressure in the main pipeline is less than the target pressure value set for the working chamber, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually reduced until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target pressure value set for the working chamber.

[0032] Specifically, increasing the speed of the sludge pump increases the flow rate at the pump, thereby reducing the pressure in the main pipeline. Similarly, decreasing the speed of the sludge pump decreases the flow rate at the pump, thereby increasing the pressure in the main pipeline.

[0033] Pressure sensors are installed at the top, middle and bottom of the working chamber. The pressure data at the corresponding position of the working chamber is detected by the pressure sensors. When monitoring the pressure of the working chamber, the average value of all pressure sensors can be used as the pressure of the working chamber, or the pressure data of any one pressure sensor can be selected as the pressure of the working chamber.

[0034] Furthermore, before the control system is put into operation, a working chamber pressure target and a pressure compensation target are set. The sum of the working chamber pressure target and the pressure compensation target is used as the working chamber pressure target value. The working chamber pressure target can be determined based on construction experience, and the pressure compensation target can be determined based on the relative height difference between the sensor measuring the main pipeline pressure and the sensor measuring the working chamber pressure. For example, based on construction experience, the working chamber pressure target can be set to 1.8 bar, and the pressure compensation target can be set to 0.9 bar. Thus, the working chamber pressure target value = 1.8 + 0.9 = 2.7 bar.

[0035] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the automatic control system of the present invention further includes a display unit for displaying a circuit diagram of the mud pump, the mud discharge pump, the connecting pipeline, the first ball valve, the mud inlet pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon, and the mud discharge pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon. The display unit is connected to a data acquisition unit, which is used to acquire the status of the first ball valve, each ball valve on the mud inlet pipe, and each ball valve on the mud outlet pipe in real time. The display unit is used to display the status acquired by the acquisition unit on the displayed circuit layout diagram in real time.

[0036] Specifically, the displayed circuit layout diagram is as follows: Figure 2As shown, the positional relationships between the mud pump, mud discharge pump, connecting pipeline, first ball valve, mud inlet pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon, and mud discharge pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon are displayed. The position of each ball valve can be indicated by color, for example, red indicates closed and green indicates open.

[0037] Furthermore, the acquisition unit is also used to acquire the rotational speed and flow rate of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump in real time; The display unit is also used to display the speed and flow rate of the mud pump and mud discharge pump acquired by the acquisition unit in a list on the displayed circuit layout diagram at the positions close to the corresponding mud pump and mud discharge pump.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, the display interface includes a first display area 241 located below the mud pump P1.1. This first display area 241 displays the parameters of the mud pump P1.1, including inlet pressure, outlet pressure, motor speed, motor current, mud density, and mud flow rate. These parameters are updated in real-time to allow operators to intuitively understand the pump's operating status. A second display area 242 located above the mud discharge pump P2.1 displays the parameters of the mud discharge pump P2.1, including inlet pressure, outlet pressure, motor speed, motor current, mud density, and mud flow rate. Similarly, these parameters are updated in real-time to allow operators to intuitively understand the mud discharge pump's operating status. A third display area 243 is provided on the display interface, located between the first display area 241 and the second display area 242. This third display area 243 is used to display the tunnel boring machine's (TBM) advance speed, thrust, and cutterhead torque, allowing operators to understand the TBM's working status through the interface. A fourth display area 244 is provided on the display interface, located in the lower left corner of the interface. It displays data such as main pipeline pressure, working chamber top pressure (including left and right sides), working chamber middle pressure (including left and right sides), working chamber bottom pressure, air cushion chamber pressure, and air cushion chamber liquid level (including left and right sides).

[0039] This display unit is used to display the opening status of all ball valves and pump speed in real time through the interface, and operators can perform manual control based on the display interface.

[0040] Furthermore, in Figure 2 The right side of the display interface also features function buttons. Touching the corresponding function button will trigger the corresponding function. For example, touching the settings function will bring up a pop-up window. Figure 3The interface shown, in the mud and water mode selection area 245, allows you to select the corresponding tunneling mode, bypass mode, and stop mode. You can also choose between automatic and manual mode switching. For the mud pump P1.1 and mud discharge pump P2.1, you can also choose between automatic and manual control. For the automatic mud and water tunneling ball valve, you can choose between level control mode and pressure control mode. In the automatic mud and water parameter setting area 246, you can set the following parameters: P1.1 initial percentage setting, P2.1 initial percentage setting, mud delivery flow target value setting, air cushion chamber level target value setting, air cushion chamber level lower limit setting, air cushion chamber level upper limit setting, level over-limit return bypass time, mud and water chamber pressure target value setting, mud and water chamber pressure upper limit setting, mud and water chamber pressure lower limit setting, pressure over-limit return bypass time, P1.1 proportional constant, P1.1 integral constant, P1.1 derivative constant, P2.1 proportional constant, P2.1 integral constant, P2.1 derivative constant, and working chamber pressure selection.

[0041] Before switching to any mode, the processing unit of this invention detects the pump speed, valve position, and pressure status to avoid pressure fluctuations or pipeline shocks caused by sudden changes.

[0042] In tunneling mode, the processing unit monitors the pressure changes in the working chamber in real time, compares the pressure difference between the working chamber and the main pipeline, and controls the balance between the working chamber pressure and the main pipeline pressure by adjusting the flow rate of the mud pump and the flow rate of the mud discharge pump, so that the mud and water form a stable circulation.

[0043] After switching to tunneling mode, the automatic control system of this invention generates a command feedback to the tunnel boring machine (TBM). The TBM's controller then controls the TBM to start tunneling. Once the TBM has tunneled forward one ring, a stop tunneling command is generated, and the processing unit enters bypass mode. Then, it monitors whether the stones in the rotating screen of the sludge discharge system have been cleared. After completion, it enters stop mode and uniformly reduces the rotation speed of the sludge pump P1.1 and the sludge discharge pump P2.1 to 0 within 30 seconds. When the flow rate drops to 0, the sludge pump P1.1 and the sludge discharge pump P2.1 are shut down.

[0044] The automatic control system of this invention realizes the automatic switching of working states such as tunneling mode, stop mode and bypass mode, which significantly reduces human operation error and response delay, and provides a stable operating basis for pressure balance of the working chamber and liquid level regulation of the air cushion chamber.

[0045] The present invention also provides an automatic control method for a slurry conveying system of a tunnel boring machine, which will be described below.

[0046] The automatic control method of the present invention includes the following steps: When the tunnel boring machine starts or stops tunneling, it executes the bypass mode, transitioning from bypass mode to tunneling mode or from bypass mode to stop mode. When executing the bypass mode, open the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline between the mud pump and the mud discharge pump, so that the mud pump and the mud discharge pump are directly connected through the connecting pipeline to form a return loop. Then control the mud pump and the mud discharge pump to run at the set initial speed, so that the mud pump maintains a constant flow output according to the set mud inflow rate, and the speed of the mud discharge pump is adaptively adjusted according to the target value of the working chamber pressure to adjust the main pipeline pressure. When transitioning from bypass mode to tunneling mode, close the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline, open the ball valve on the mud inlet pipeline connecting the mud pump to the working chamber and the ball valve on the mud discharge pipeline connecting the mud discharge pump to the working chamber, so that the mud is sent into the working chamber through the mud inlet pipeline and then discharged through the mud discharge pipeline and the mud discharge pump, forming a mud-water cycle. When transitioning from bypass mode to stop mode, gradually reduce the speed of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump until they are reduced to zero. When the flow rates of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump are close to zero, shut off the mud pump, the mud discharge pump, and the first ball valve.

[0047] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, when transitioning from bypass mode to stop mode, when the flow rates of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump are close to zero, the ball valves on the mud inlet pipe and the mud discharge pipe are gradually closed.

[0048] A further improvement of the automatic control method for the slurry conveying system of the tunnel boring machine of the present invention lies in the adaptive adjustment of the speed of the slurry pump according to the target value set based on the working chamber pressure, including the following steps: When the pressure in the main pipeline is greater than the target value of the working chamber pressure, gradually increase the speed of the sludge pump until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target value of the working chamber pressure. When the pressure in the main pipeline is lower than the target pressure setting value in the working chamber, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually reduced until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target pressure setting value in the working chamber.

[0049] Furthermore, before the control system operates, a working chamber pressure target and a pressure compensation target are set. The sum of the working chamber pressure target and the pressure compensation target is used as the working chamber pressure target value. The working chamber pressure target can be determined based on construction experience, and the pressure compensation target can be determined based on the relative height difference between the sensor measuring the main pipeline pressure and the sensor measuring the working chamber pressure. For example, based on construction experience, the working chamber pressure target can be set to 1.8 bar, and the pressure compensation target can be set to 0.9 bar. Thus, the working chamber pressure target value = 1.8 + 0.9 = 2.7 bar. In a specific embodiment of the present invention, it also includes: displaying a wiring diagram of the mud pump, mud discharge pump, connecting pipeline, first ball valve, mud inlet pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon, and mud discharge pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon. The status of the first ball valve, each ball valve on the mud inlet pipe, and each ball valve on the mud outlet pipe are acquired in real time, and the acquired status is displayed on the circuit layout diagram in real time.

[0050] In one specific embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes real-time acquisition of the rotational speed and flow rate of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump, and displaying the acquired rotational speed and flow rate of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump in a list on the displayed circuit layout diagram at a location close to the corresponding mud pump and mud discharge pump.

[0051] The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the present invention based on the above description. Therefore, certain details in the embodiments should not be construed as limiting the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention shall be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automatic control method for a slurry conveying system of a tunnel boring machine, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: When the tunnel boring machine starts or stops tunneling, a bypass mode is executed, transitioning from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode or from the bypass mode to the stop mode; When executing the bypass mode, the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline between the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump is opened, allowing the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump to be directly connected through the connecting pipeline to form a return loop. Then, the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump are controlled to run at the set initial speed, allowing the mud delivery pump to maintain a constant flow output according to the set mud inlet flow rate. The speed of the mud discharge pump is adaptively adjusted according to the target value of the working chamber pressure to adjust the main pipeline pressure. When transitioning from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode, the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline is closed, and the ball valves on the mud inlet pipeline connecting the mud pump to the working chamber and the mud discharge pipeline connecting the mud discharge pump to the working chamber are opened, so that the mud is sent into the working chamber through the mud inlet pipeline and then discharged through the mud discharge pipeline and the mud discharge pump, forming a mud-water cycle. When transitioning from the bypass mode to the stop mode, the rotation speed of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump is gradually reduced until it reaches zero. When the flow rate of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump is close to zero, the sludge pump, the sludge discharge pump, and the first ball valve are shut off.

2. The automatic control method for the slurry conveying system of a tunnel boring machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When transitioning from the bypass mode to the stop mode, when the flow rates of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump are close to zero, the ball valves on the sludge inlet pipeline and the sludge discharge pipeline are gradually closed.

3. The automatic control method for the slurry conveying system of a tunnel boring machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The adaptive adjustment of the sludge pump speed based on the target value set according to the working chamber pressure includes the following steps: When the pressure in the main pipeline is greater than the target value of the working chamber pressure, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually increased until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target value of the working chamber pressure. When the pressure in the main pipeline is less than the target value of the working chamber pressure, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually reduced until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target value of the working chamber pressure.

4. The automatic control method for the slurry conveying system of a tunnel boring machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The circuit layout diagram of the mud pump, the mud discharge pump, the connecting pipeline, the first ball valve, the mud inlet pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon, and the mud discharge pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon is shown. The status of the first ball valve, each ball valve on the sludge inlet pipe, and each ball valve on the sludge outlet pipe is acquired in real time, and the acquired status is displayed in real time on the displayed circuit layout diagram.

5. The automatic control method for the slurry conveying system of a tunnel boring machine as described in claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes real-time acquisition of the rotational speed and flow rate of the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump, and displaying the acquired rotational speed and flow rate of the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump in a list on the displayed circuit layout diagram at the positions close to the corresponding mud delivery pump and mud discharge pump.

6. An automatic control system for a tunnel boring machine's slurry conveying system, characterized in that, include: The acquisition unit, connected to the controller of the tunnel boring machine, is used to acquire the tunnel boring machine's start-up or stop-deployment command. The processing unit connected to the acquisition unit is used to execute the bypass mode after the acquisition unit acquires the corresponding instruction, and then execute the transition from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode according to the start tunneling instruction, or execute the transition from the bypass mode to the stop mode according to the stop tunneling instruction. When the processing unit executes the bypass mode, it is used to control the opening of the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline between the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump, so that the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump are directly connected through the connecting pipeline to form a return loop. It is also used to control the mud delivery pump and the mud discharge pump to run at a set initial speed, so that the mud delivery pump maintains a constant flow output according to the set mud inlet flow rate. It is also used to adaptively adjust the speed of the mud discharge pump according to the target value set by the working chamber pressure to adjust the main pipeline pressure. When the processing unit transitions from the bypass mode to the tunneling mode, it controls the first ball valve on the connecting pipeline to close, and also controls the ball valve on the mud inlet pipeline connecting the mud pump to the working chamber to open, and controls the ball valve on the mud discharge pipeline connecting the mud discharge pump to the working chamber to open, so that the mud is sent into the working chamber through the mud inlet pipeline, and then discharged through the mud discharge pipeline and the mud discharge pump to form a mud-water cycle; When the processing unit transitions from the bypass mode to the stop mode, it controls the rotation speed of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump to gradually decrease until it reaches zero. When the flow rates of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump are close to zero, it controls the sludge pump, the sludge discharge pump, and the first ball valve to close.

7. The automatic control system of the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a data acquisition unit connected to the processing unit, the data acquisition unit being used to acquire the flow rates of the sludge pump and the sludge discharge pump; The processing unit is used to gradually close the ball valves on the mud inlet pipeline and the mud outlet pipeline when the flow rates of the mud inlet pump and the mud outlet pump are close to zero.

8. The automatic control system of the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, When the processing unit adaptively adjusts the speed of the sludge discharge pump according to the target value of the working chamber pressure, it determines the magnitude of the main pipeline pressure and the target value of the working chamber pressure: If the pressure in the main pipeline is greater than the target value for the working chamber pressure, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually increased until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target value for the working chamber pressure. If the pressure in the main pipeline is less than the target pressure value set for the working chamber, the speed of the sludge pump is gradually reduced until the pressure in the main pipeline approaches or equals the target pressure value set for the working chamber.

9. The automatic control system of the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a display unit for displaying the wiring diagram of the mud pump, the mud discharge pump, the connecting pipeline, the first ball valve, the mud inlet pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon, and the mud discharge pipeline and the ball valve installed thereon. The display unit is connected to a data acquisition unit, which is used to acquire the status of the first ball valve, each ball valve on the mud inlet pipe, and each ball valve on the mud outlet pipe in real time. The display unit is used to display the status acquired by the acquisition unit on the displayed circuit layout diagram in real time.

10. The automatic control system of the tunnel boring machine slurry conveying system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The acquisition unit is also used to acquire the rotational speed and flow rate of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump in real time; The display unit is also used to display the rotational speed and flow rate of the mud pump and the mud discharge pump acquired by the acquisition unit in a list on the displayed circuit layout diagram at a position close to the corresponding mud pump and mud discharge pump.

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