Tunnel boring machine

Abstract

By effectively utilizing the surplus power from the hydraulic power of the multiple hydraulic units installed in the tunnel boring machine, the overall power consumption of the tunnel boring machine is reduced. [Solution] The tunnel boring machine 1 comprises a boring machine body 10, a plurality of hydraulic actuators (e.g., shield jacks 19) provided on the boring machine body 10, a plurality of hydraulic units 50 that supply hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuators, a power generation device 70 capable of generating electricity using the hydraulic pressure supplied from the hydraulic units 50, and a control device 110 that controls the operation of the hydraulic actuators, hydraulic units 50 and power generation device 70. The control device 110 controls the standby hydraulic units 50 and power generation device 70 so that the standby hydraulic units 50 that are not supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuators supply hydraulic pressure to the power generation device 70 to generate electricity.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a tunnel boring machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Tunneling machines, such as shield machines, excavate tunnels by rotating a cutter head, with multiple cutter bits mounted on the front of the cutter head excavating the ground ahead and forming a tunnel face. Tunneling machines are equipped with various electric motors, including multiple cutter motors (cutter motors) to generate rotational power for the cutter head, and multiple hydraulic unit motors (hydraulic motors) to generate thrust for the shield jacks. In recent years, from an energy conservation perspective, there has been a demand to reduce the overall power consumption of tunneling machines, including the power consumption of these electric motors.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses adjusting the power consumed by a shield machine by adjusting the excavation speed of the shield machine according to the predicted power consumption, in order to prevent the power consumed by the shield machine from exceeding the contracted power. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-34297 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Incidentally, the prior art described in Patent Document 1 above does not directly control the power consumption of multiple electric motors by controlling their operation / non-operation, but rather secondarily controls the power consumption of the entire shield machine by controlling the excavation speed of the shield machine. Therefore, it is presumed that during tunnel excavation, the power consumption of the entire shield machine is controlled by adjusting the excavation speed according to the excavation load while basically operating all of the multiple electric motors mounted on the shield machine.

[0006] However, when excavating in relatively soft or shallow ground, where excavation resistance is low, operating all the cutter motors and hydraulic motors installed on the tunnel boring machine, as in the conventional technology described above, leads to a problem where the load factor per operating motor (the output efficiency of each motor relative to the supplied power) decreases.

[0007] For example, consider a case where the excavation route extends from near the surface to great depths, and a tunnel boring machine is equipped with numerous cutter motors, hydraulic motors, and other equipment to handle the deep excavation (high excavation load). In this case, when using the tunnel boring machine to excavate near the surface (low excavation load), the excavation load is extremely low compared to deep excavation, resulting in a strong sense of surplus (over-specification) of equipment. If all the motors are operated in this situation to excavate shallow, low-load ground, each motor will continue to operate at a considerably low output efficiency relative to its rated output (e.g., less than 30%), and the output efficiency of each operating motor will deteriorate. As a result, the overall power consumption of the motors cannot be sufficiently suppressed, leading to a problem of reduced energy efficiency.

[0008] Furthermore, when excavation resistance is low, it is not necessary to operate all shield jacks; sometimes the thrust required for excavation can be obtained by operating only some of the shield jacks. In this case, by stopping the operation of the remaining shield jacks and also stopping the supply of hydraulic fluid from some of the hydraulic units that supply hydraulic fluid to those shield jacks, the power consumption of those hydraulic units can be reduced. On the other hand, when a hydraulic unit is put into standby mode, it continues to operate even though it is unloaded, resulting in energy loss, i.e., excess power, as the hydraulic fluid discharged from the standby hydraulic unit returns to the hydraulic unit's tank without doing any work, and this excess power is not being effectively utilized.

[0009] Furthermore, in the excavation process, when the excavation speed is low, the flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to the shield jack is reduced, which reduces the number of hydraulic units that supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jack, resulting in some hydraulic units being idle. Similarly, in the segment assembly process, the operation of the shield jack becomes intermittent during segment assembly, resulting in some hydraulic units being idle. In these cases as well, these idle hydraulic units continue to operate even though they are unloaded, resulting in energy loss, or surplus power, as the hydraulic fluid discharged from these idle hydraulic units returns to the hydraulic unit's tank without doing any work. This surplus power is not being effectively utilized.

[0010] Furthermore, tunnel boring machines are equipped not only with hydraulic units for the shield jacks mentioned above, but also with hydraulic units for various other equipment such as erector systems. Not all of this equipment operates continuously; it is operated and stopped as needed in accordance with the excavation and segment assembly processes. For this reason, the hydraulic units for these other pieces of equipment also typically temporarily stop supplying hydraulic fluid and enter a standby state when the other pieces of equipment are stopped. In this case, similar to the hydraulic unit for the shield jacks, the standby hydraulic unit continues to operate even though it is unloaded, resulting in energy loss, i.e., excess power, as the hydraulic fluid discharged from the standby hydraulic unit returns to the hydraulic unit's tank without doing any work, and this excess power is not being effectively utilized.

[0011] Therefore, there has been a need for technology that can reduce the overall power consumption of tunnel boring machines and achieve energy-saving construction by effectively utilizing the surplus power of hydraulic units in standby mode.

[0012] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to reduce the overall power consumption of a tunnel boring machine by effectively utilizing the surplus power from the hydraulic power of multiple hydraulic units installed in the tunnel boring machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, The excavator body and Multiple hydraulic actuators are provided on the excavator body, Multiple hydraulic units that supply hydraulic pressure to the aforementioned hydraulic actuator, A power generation device capable of generating electricity using hydraulic pressure supplied from the aforementioned hydraulic unit, A control device that controls the operation of the hydraulic actuator, the hydraulic unit, and the power generation device, Equipped with, The control device is A tunnel boring machine is provided that controls the standby hydraulic units and the power generation device among the plurality of hydraulic units so as to supply hydraulic pressure from the standby hydraulic units that are not supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator to the power generation device to generate power.

[0014] The plurality of hydraulic actuators include a plurality of shield jacks. The plurality of hydraulic units can supply hydraulic pressure to the plurality of shield jacks. The control device controls the number of operating shield jacks among the plurality of shield jacks and the number of operating hydraulic units that are operated to supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks among the plurality of hydraulic units according to the excavation load when excavating the ground with a cutter head. Hydraulic pressure may be supplied from the standby hydraulic units among the plurality of hydraulic units that do not supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks to the power generation device to generate power.

[0015] The control device may control the number of operating hydraulic units and the number of standby hydraulic units in the standby state based on the excavation speed when excavating the ground.

[0016] The plurality of hydraulic actuators include a plurality of shield jacks. The plurality of hydraulic units can supply hydraulic pressure to the plurality of shield jacks. The control device During the operation of the shield jack, hydraulic pressure is supplied from the plurality of hydraulic units to the shield jack. During the stop of the shield jack, at least a part of the plurality of hydraulic units may be put into the standby state, and hydraulic pressure may be supplied from the standby hydraulic units to the power generation device to generate power.

[0017] The aforementioned plurality of hydraulic actuators include one or more hydraulic actuators selected from among a hydraulic actuator for a copy cutter, a hydraulic actuator for the folding mechanism of the excavator body, a hydraulic actuator for the soil removal device, a hydraulic actuator for the erector device, and a hydraulic actuator for the shape-holding device of the excavator body. The plurality of hydraulic units may include hydraulic units for one or more types of hydraulic actuators.

[0018] The control device is While the one or more hydraulic actuators are in operation, hydraulic pressure is supplied from the hydraulic unit for the one or more hydraulic actuators to the one or more hydraulic actuators. While one or more of the aforementioned hydraulic actuators are stopped, the hydraulic units for the one or more of the aforementioned hydraulic actuators may be placed in a standby state, and hydraulic pressure may be supplied from the standby hydraulic units to the power generator to generate electricity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the surplus power from the hydraulic power of multiple hydraulic units installed in the tunnel boring machine can be effectively utilized to reduce the overall power consumption of the tunnel boring machine. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a tunnel boring machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the electric motor equipped in the tunnel boring machine according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing a control panel provided in a tunnel boring machine according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing the correlation between the excavation load and the number of operating hydraulic units according to the same embodiment. [Figure 5]This is a schematic diagram showing the circuit configuration (during excavation) of the hydraulic control system for the tunnel boring machine according to the same embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the circuit configuration (standby) of the hydraulic control system for the tunnel boring machine according to the same embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the detailed circuit configuration (during excavation) of the hydraulic control system for the tunnel boring machine according to the same embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the detailed circuit configuration (standby) of the hydraulic control system for the tunnel boring machine according to the same embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram showing the timing of power generation operation using surplus power from a hydraulic unit for a shield jack according to the same embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram showing the detailed circuit configuration (during high-load operation) of the hydraulic control system for a tunnel boring machine according to a modified example of the same embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram showing the detailed circuit configuration (during low-load operation) of the hydraulic control system for a tunnel boring machine according to a modified example of the same embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a schematic diagram showing various hydraulic actuators and hydraulic control systems according to the same embodiment. [Figure 13] This is an explanatory diagram showing the conditions for generating electricity using surplus power during the excavation process of a tunnel boring machine according to the same embodiment. [Figure 14] This is an explanatory diagram showing the conditions for generating electricity using surplus power in the segment assembly process of a tunnel boring machine according to the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustrations.

[0022] [1. Overall configuration of a tunnel boring machine] First, with reference to Figure 1, the schematic configuration of a tunnel boring machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment.

[0023] In the following explanation, the direction of travel of the tunnel boring machine 1 (the direction of tunnel extension toward the tunnel face) may be referred to as the front or front side, and the opposite direction of travel (the direction of tunnel extension toward the tunnel entrance) may be referred to as the rear or back side. Also, the axial, radial, and circumferential directions of the cylindrical tunnel boring machine 1 may simply be referred to as the axial, radial, and circumferential directions, respectively. The axial direction of the tunnel boring machine 1 corresponds to the front-to-back direction of the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0024] The tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment is, for example, an earth pressure type (including a mud pressure type) shield boring machine (shield machine) capable of excavating ground containing soil layers. As shown in Figure 1, the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment comprises a cylindrical boring machine body 10, a disc-shaped cutter head 11, a partition wall 12 positioned behind the cutter head 11, and a cutter rotation shaft 13.

[0025] The cutter head 11 is a roughly disc-shaped rotating body provided at the front end of the excavator body 10. The front end of the cutter rotation shaft 13 is fitted into the center of the cutter head 11, and the cutter head 11 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable around the cutter rotation shaft 13. The cutter rotation shaft 13 extends parallel to the axial direction (front-to-back direction) of the excavator body 10.

[0026] The cutter head 11 includes an outer ring 31, an inner ring 32, a cutter spoke 33, a center cutter 34, and a cutter bit 35.

[0027] Of these, the outer ring 31 forms the outer circumference of the cutter head 11, and the inner ring 32 is positioned inward from the outer ring 31 in the diameter direction of the cutter. In addition, multiple cutter spokes 33 are arranged radially on the front surface of the cutter head 11, centered on the cutter rotation axis 13. A center cutter 34 is mounted in the center of the front surface of the cutter head 11. Furthermore, numerous cutter bits 35 are mounted on the front surface of the cutter spokes 33.

[0028] Furthermore, the cutter head 11 has multiple soil passage sections formed between multiple components, including the outer ring 31, inner ring 32, multiple cutter spokes 33, and multiple auxiliary cutter spokes. The soil passage sections are gaps (openings) formed between multiple components, including multiple cutter spokes 33, which are arranged radially with spacing in the circumferential direction. These soil passage sections function as soil intake ports for taking in excavated soil generated when the cutter head 11 excavates the ground at the face into the excavator body 10 (into the chamber 17, which will be described later).

[0029] A partition wall 12 is positioned behind the cutter head 11 in the excavator body 10. The partition wall 12 is a disc-shaped wall positioned perpendicular to the tunnel extension direction, and its outer edge is attached to the inner surface 10a of the excavator body 10. The cutter head 11 and the partition wall 12 are positioned at a predetermined distance in the tunnel extension direction (the axial direction of the excavator body 10). Various equipment of the tunnel excavator 1 is positioned behind the partition wall 12, and the partition wall 12 isolates this equipment from the excavated soil generated at the tunnel face. An outlet 12a, which is an opening for discharging excavated soil, is formed at the bottom of the partition wall 12.

[0030] A cutter rotation shaft 13 is rotatably supported in the center of the bulkhead 12. Furthermore, a ring-shaped rotating ring 14 is rotatably supported on the bulkhead 12 around the cutter rotation shaft 13. Multiple connecting beams 15 are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction at the front of the rotating ring 14. The multiple connecting beams 15 connect the cutter head 11 and the rotating ring 14. The front ends of the connecting beams 15 are connected to the connection between the inner circumferential ring 32 and the cutter spokes 33 of the cutter head 11. On the other hand, an external-toothed ring gear 14a is provided at the rear of the rotating ring 14. The rotating ring 14 and the connecting beams 15 constitute a power transmission mechanism 16. The power transmission mechanism 16 connects the cutter head 11 and the cutter motor 40 and is a mechanism for transmitting the rotational power generated by the cutter motor 40 to the cutter head 11.

[0031] A cutter motor 40 is provided behind the bulkhead 12. The cutter motor 40 is an example of an electric motor that generates rotational power to rotate the cutter head 11. The drive gear 40a at the tip of the cutter motor 40 meshes with the ring gear 14a of the rotating ring 14. Although only one cutter motor 40 is shown in Figure 1 for the sake of explanation, multiple cutter motors 40 are installed. The multiple cutter motors 40 are arranged in parallel along the circumferential direction of the excavator body 10, with gaps between them.

[0032] By supplying power to the cutter motor 40 and driving it, the cutter motor 40 generates power (rotational force) to rotate the cutter head 11. The rotational force generated by the cutter motor 40 is transmitted from the drive gear 40a to the connecting beam 15 via the ring gear 14a and the rotating ring 14. This allows the cutter head 11 to rotate around the cutter rotation axis 13. As a result, the front surface of the rotating cutter head 11 can be pressed against the ground at the face of the tunnel, and the ground can be excavated. Excavation using the cutter head 11 forms a tunnel face excavation surface 2 at the face of the tunnel.

[0033] A chamber 17 is defined between the cutter head 11 and the partition wall 12. The chamber 17 is a roughly cylindrical space partitioned by the back of the cutter head 11, the front of the partition wall 12, and the inner circumferential surface 10a of the excavator body 10. Excavated soil generated during ground excavation by the cutter head 11 is taken into the chamber 17 through a soil passage (excavated soil intake port) formed in the cutter head 11. The chamber 17 functions as a space (chamber) for temporarily storing the excavated soil. The excavated soil taken into the chamber 17 is discharged from the chamber 17 into the screw conveyor 20, which will be described later, through an outlet 12a located at the bottom of the partition wall 12.

[0034] Furthermore, a beam 18 is provided on the rear side of the excavator body 10 beyond the bulkhead 12. Both ends of the beam 18 are attached to the inner circumferential surface 10a of the excavator body 10. An erector device (not shown in Figure 1; see erector device 95 in Figure 12) is provided on the back of the beam 18. The erector device is provided so as to be movable in the axial (front-rear direction), radial direction and circumferential direction of the excavator body 10. Such an erector device is capable of gripping the lining members, namely the segments S, and assembling the gripped segments S along the inner wall surface (tunnel wall) of the tunnel T.

[0035] Segment S is a ring-shaped piece with a curved shape that conforms to the inner wall surface of the excavated tunnel T. By driving the erector device, multiple segments S can be assembled into a ring shape along the circumferential direction of the tunnel. As a result, the inner wall surface of the tunnel T is lined with multiple segments S, preventing the collapse of the inner wall surface.

[0036] Furthermore, multiple shield jacks 19 are installed inside the excavator body 10, extending along the inner circumferential surface 10a of the excavator body 10 in the tunnel extension direction (front-to-back direction). The multiple shield jacks 19 are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the inner circumferential surface 10a. Each shield jack 19 has a drive rod 19a that can extend and retract in the front-to-back direction. The tip of this drive rod 19a faces the front end surface of the existing segment S. When the drive rod 19a is extended, the tip of the drive rod 19a comes into contact with the front end surface of the existing segment S.

[0037] The shield jack 19 is an example of a hydraulic actuator that generates a propulsive reaction force to move the excavator body 10 forward. Each shield jack 19 is connected to a hydraulic unit 50 (see Figures 5 to 8, etc.). The hydraulic unit 50 is a device that supplies hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19, which is a hydraulic actuator. By supplying hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19 by the hydraulic unit 50, the shield jack 19 extends in the front-rear direction (axial direction).

[0038] By extending the drive rod 19a of the shield jack 19 toward the rear and pressing against the segment S, a propulsive reaction force can be applied to the excavator body 10. In other words, the propulsive reaction force generated when the shield jack 19 presses against the segment S allows the excavator body 10 to be propelled forward.

[0039] The tunnel boring machine 1 shown in Figure 1 is a type of tunnel boring machine in which thrust is transmitted from the front end of the shield jack 19 to the boring machine body 10, but the tunnel boring machine according to the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the tunnel boring machine according to the present invention may be a type of tunnel boring machine in which thrust is transmitted from the rear part of the shield jack 19 to the boring machine body 10. Furthermore, the tunnel boring machine according to the present invention may be a type of tunnel boring machine that has a folding function and is propelled by pushing the front body, or a type of tunnel boring machine that has a folding function and is propelled by pushing the rear body. Furthermore, the tunnel boring machine according to the present invention may be a tunnel boring machine in which the drive method of the cutter head 11 is a method other than the intermediate support method shown in Figure 1 (for example, a center shaft method, a central axis support method, or an outer circumference support method).

[0040] Furthermore, a screw conveyor 20 is provided on the rear side of the partition wall 12 inside the excavator body 10. The screw conveyor 20 comprises a screw blade 21, a cylindrical body 22, a soil discharge port 23, and a drive unit 25. The cylindrical body 22 of the screw conveyor 20 is inclined and positioned so as it moves upward towards the rear inside the excavator body 10. The opening at the front end of the cylindrical body 22 of the screw conveyor 20 is connected to the discharge port 12a of the partition wall 12. As a result, the internal space of the cylindrical body 22 of the screw conveyor 20 communicates with the chamber 17 through the discharge port 12a of the partition wall 12. The screw blade 21 is rotatably mounted inside the cylindrical body 22. The soil discharge port 23 is provided on the lower side of the rear circumferential surface of the cylindrical body 22. The soil discharge port 23 is an opening through which excavated soil transported to the rear side of the cylindrical body 22 by the screw blades 21 is discharged to the outside of the cylindrical body 22. A drive unit 25 for rotating the screw blades 21 is installed at the rear end of the cylindrical body 22. By rotating the screw blades 21 with the drive unit 25, the excavated soil stored in the chamber 17 can be taken into the screw conveyor 20, transported toward the rear of the excavator body 10, and discharged from the soil discharge port 23.

[0041] [2. Control System] Next, with reference to Figures 2 to 8, a control system for controlling various devices such as electric motors, hydraulic actuators, hydraulic units, and power generators mounted on the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0042] [2.1. Motor to be controlled] First, with reference to Figures 2 to 8, the types of electric motors controlled by the control system according to this embodiment will be explained. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the various types of electric motors provided in the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the electric motors provided in the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment include a cutter motor and a hydraulic motor. The cutter motor and the hydraulic motor are each connected to a power supply 60 for the tunnel boring machine 1 and are driven by the power supplied from the power supply 60.

[0044] The cutter motor is an electric motor that generates rotational power to rotate the cutter head 11. The cutter motor includes multiple cutter motors 40-1, 40-2, ... 40-N (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "cutter motors 40"). Here, "N" represents the total number of cutter motors 40 installed in the tunnel boring machine 1. "N" is an integer of 2 or more. As described above, the N cutter motors 40 are installed inside the boring machine body 10 at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the boring machine body 10.

[0045] "M" represents the number of cutter motors 40 in operation. The number of cutter motors 40 in operation M is the number of cutter motors 40 that are operating (i.e., driven) by receiving power from the power supply 60 out of the N (total number) cutter motors 40 installed in the tunnel boring machine 1. "M" is an integer between 0 and N. Operation means that the cutter motors 40 are in an operating state in which they receive power and are driven, generating rotational power for the cutter head 11.

[0046] In this embodiment, the tunnel boring machine 1 is configured to rotate the cutter head 11 by operating all N cutter motors 40 during ground excavation. Furthermore, the tunnel boring machine 1 is also configured to rotate the cutter head 11 by operating only some (M) of the cutter motors 40 during ground excavation, depending on the excavation load, while keeping the remaining (NM) of the cutter motors 40 inactive.

[0047] Furthermore, the hydraulic motor is an electric motor provided in the hydraulic unit 50 (see Figures 5 to 8) that supplies hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic actuators are hydraulic actuators of various equipment installed on the tunnel boring machine 1 (for example, the shield jack 19, the actuator of the erector device, etc.). The hydraulic unit 50 is a device for supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator. As shown in Figures 7 to 8, this hydraulic unit 50 includes a hydraulic pump 54 that delivers oil to the hydraulic actuator and a hydraulic motor 52 that generates a driving force to drive the hydraulic pump 54.

[0048] For example, if the hydraulic actuator is the shield jack 19 (see Figure 1), a hydraulic unit 50 is provided to supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19, as shown in Figures 5 to 8. The tunnel boring machine 1 is equipped with multiple (n) shield jacks 19-1, 19-2, ... 19-n (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "shield jacks 19"), and multiple (t) hydraulic units 50-1, 50-2, ... 50-t (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "hydraulic units 50") are provided to supply hydraulic pressure to these multiple (n) shield jacks 19.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, each hydraulic unit 50-1, 50-2, ... 50-t is equipped with a hydraulic motor 52-1, 52-2, ... 52-t (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "hydraulic motor 52") and a hydraulic pump 54-1, 54-2, ... 54-t (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "hydraulic pump 54"). The output shaft of the hydraulic motor 52 is connected to the hydraulic pump 54. Each hydraulic pump 54 is an electrically operated hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump 54 operates using the driving force generated by the hydraulic motor 52 and supplies oil to hydraulic actuators such as shield jacks 19.

[0050] Thus, the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with multiple (t) hydraulic units 50 for multiple (n) shield jacks 19, and each hydraulic unit 50 has a hydraulic motor 52 and a hydraulic pump 54. Therefore, the tunnel boring machine 1 is equipped with multiple (t) hydraulic motors 52 as hydraulic motors for the shield jacks 19.

[0051] Here, "n" represents the total number of shield jacks 19 installed in the tunnel boring machine 1. "t" represents the total number of hydraulic units 50 for the shield jacks 19 installed in the tunnel boring machine 1. "n" is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and "t" is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The n shield jacks 19 are installed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the boring machine body 10 inside the boring machine body 10, as shown in Figure 1. The t hydraulic units 50 are configured to supply hydraulic pressure to the n shield jacks 19. In this embodiment, for example, the total number of shield jacks 19 n is different from the total number of hydraulic units 50 t (n≠t), but the embodiment is not limited to this example, and n and t may be the same number (n=t).

[0052] "m" represents the number of operational shield jacks 19. The number of operational shield jacks 19, m, is the number of operational (i.e., driven) shield jacks 19 out of the n (total number) shield jacks 19 installed on the tunnel boring machine 1. "m" is an integer between 0 and n, inclusive. Operation of a shield jack 19 means that power from the power supply 60 is supplied to the hydraulic unit 50, and the shield jack 19 is driven by the hydraulic supply from the hydraulic unit 50, causing the drive rod 19a to extend and retract. On the other hand, "u" represents the number of operational hydraulic units 50 for the shield jacks 19. The number of operational hydraulic units 50, u, is the number of hydraulic units 50 that are operational to supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19 out of the t (total number) hydraulic units 50 for the shield jacks 19. "u" is an integer between 0 and t, inclusive.

[0053] In this embodiment, the tunnel boring machine 1 is configured to operate all n shield jacks 19 during ground excavation to advance the boring machine body 10. Furthermore, the tunnel boring machine 1 is also configured to operate only some (m units) of the shield jacks 19 during ground excavation, depending on the excavation load, while keeping the remaining (nm units) of shield jacks 19 in a standby state, thereby advancing the boring machine body 10. Details of controlling the number of operating shield jacks 19 (m) according to the excavation load will be described later.

[0054] [2.2. Control System Configuration] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the control panel 100 and control device 110 provided in the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the control panel 100 provided in the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, the control panel 100 is a device for controlling the tunnel boring machine 1. The control panel 100 includes a display unit 102, an operating unit 104, and a control device 110.

[0056] The display unit 102 is a display device that displays various information necessary for the operation of the tunnel boring machine 1. The display unit 102 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device, a touch panel type liquid crystal display device, etc. The operation unit 104 is a device for workers to operate the tunnel boring machine 1 and input various information necessary for said operation (construction conditions, excavation conditions, etc.). Various input devices such as switches, levers, and touch panels can be used in this operation unit 104. If the display unit 102 is a touch panel type liquid crystal display device, the display unit 102 can also be used as the operation unit 104.

[0057] The control device 110 is a device for controlling various devices mounted on the tunnel boring machine 1. The control device 110 may control each part of the tunnel boring machine 1 based on operating instructions input by an operator to the operation unit 104, or it may automatically control each part of the tunnel boring machine 1 based on conditions set in advance by a program or the like.

[0058] The control device 110 can be configured as, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller). The control device 110 includes, for example, a processor, memory, an input interface, an output interface, a communication device, etc. (none of which are shown). The processor is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or other microprocessor. The processor executes a program stored in memory or other storage medium. This allows the control device 110 to perform various processes and realize various functions defined by the program.

[0059] Memory is a storage medium that stores programs and various other types of data. Examples of memory include RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). ROM is non-volatile memory that stores programs used by the processor and data necessary to run those programs. RAM is volatile memory that temporarily stores data such as variables, arithmetic parameters, and calculation results used in processes executed by the processor. Programs stored in ROM are read into RAM and executed by the processor, such as the CPU.

[0060] The control device 110 with the above configuration controls various devices such as electric motors mounted on the tunnel boring machine 1 according to a preset procedure. For example, the control device 110 controls the number of operating cutter motors 40 M according to the excavation load acting on the cutter head 11 while the tunnel boring machine 1 is excavating the ground. The control device 110 also controls the number of operating shield jacks 19 m and the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u according to the excavation load acting on the cutter head 11. Furthermore, the control device 110 controls the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u and their operation / standby / off status according to the operation / stopped status of the shield jacks 19. Details of this control of the number of operating units m and u will be described later. In addition, the control device 110 controls the operation / standby / off status of hydraulic units 50 for other hydraulic actuators other than the shield jacks 19 according to the operation / stopped status of those other hydraulic actuators.

[0061] [2.3. Relationship between drilling load and power consumption] Here, with reference to Figure 4, the relationship between the excavation load of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment and the power consumption (required power) of the hydraulic unit 50 for the shield jack 19 will be explained in detail. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the correlation between the excavation load and the number of operating hydraulic units u for the shield jack 19.

[0062] Excavation load is the load required to excavate the ground by the tunnel boring machine 1 (for example, the amount of mechanical or electrical energy consumed for excavation). Excavation load is a general term for the excavation resistance that fluctuates depending on various construction conditions and excavation conditions when the tunnel boring machine 1 excavates the ground.

[0063] As shown in Figure 4(a), the construction conditions during ground excavation by the tunnel boring machine 1 include, for example, the characteristics of the ground to be excavated (soil hardness, viscosity, overburden, groundwater level, etc.) and the degree of curvature of the excavation route. Specifically, the harder the soil, the greater the excavation load. Also, the higher the viscosity of the ground, the greater the excavation load. Also, the higher the overburden or groundwater level, the greater the excavation load. Also, the sharper the curve of the excavation route (the greater the curvature of the curve), the greater the excavation load.

[0064] Excavation conditions include, for example, the excavation speed (excavation rate V) when excavating the ground with the tunnel boring machine 1, and the degree of soil removal (soil intake). Specifically, the faster the excavation speed, the greater the excavation load. Also, the less soil removed (soil intake), the greater the excavation load.

[0065] As described above, the excavation load increases or decreases depending on the construction conditions and excavation conditions (see Figure 4(a)). The operating conditions of the shield jacks 19 that propel the excavator body 10 change in accordance with this increase or decrease in excavation load. The control device 110 controls and monitors the operating conditions of the shield jacks 19 in accordance with the excavation load when the tunnel boring machine 1 is excavating the ground. The operating conditions of the shield jacks 19 include, for example, the number of operating shield jacks 19 m, the thrust F generated by the shield jacks 19, and the excavation speed V. n: Total number of Shield Jack 19 units (n≧2) m: Number of Shield Jack 19 units in operation (0 ≤ m ≤ n)

[0066] Furthermore, the operating conditions of the hydraulic unit 50 that supplies hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19 also change according to the operating conditions of the shield jack 19. The control device 110 controls and monitors the operating conditions of the hydraulic unit 50 for the shield jack 19 according to the excavation load and the operating conditions of the shield jack 19 when the tunnel boring machine 1 is excavating the ground.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4(b), the operating conditions of the hydraulic unit 50 for the shield jacks 19 include, for example, the number of shield jacks 19 in operation m, and the hydraulic power L required to operate the shield jacks 19. The hydraulic power L [kW] is determined, for example, by the pressure P (hydraulic pressure P) [MPa] of the hydraulic fluid supplied by the entire group of hydraulic units 50 and the flow rate Q (discharge flow rate Q) [? / min] of the hydraulic fluid (L = P × Q / 60).

[0068] Then, as shown in Figure 4(c), the number of operating hydraulic units 50 that supply hydraulic pressure for the operation of the shield jacks 19, u, and the number of standby hydraulic units w that do not supply hydraulic pressure for the operation of the shield jacks 19 are determined by the operating conditions of the hydraulic units 50 (number of standby units w = total number t - number of operating units u - number of off units v). Then, the surplus hydraulic power of the w number of standby hydraulic units 50 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "standby units") is used to perform the power generation operation described later.

[0069] t: Total number of hydraulic units 50 for shield jack 19 (t≧2) u: Number of operating hydraulic units 50 for shield jack 19 (number of units operating to supply hydraulic pressure to shield jack 19) (0 ≤ u ≤ t) v: Number of hydraulic units 50 for shield jack 19 that are off (number of units that are completely stopped due to power supply being turned off) (0 ≤ v ≤ t) w: Number of standby hydraulic units 50 for shield jack 19 (number of units in standby state without supplying hydraulic pressure to shield jack 19) (0 ≤ w ≤ t)

[0070] In this way, the number of operating hydraulic units 50 that operate to supply hydraulic pressure to the m operating shield jacks 19 is determined by the operating conditions of the shield jacks 19 (for example, the number of operating shield jacks 19 m, the thrust F, the excavation speed V, etc.). The total power consumption of the u hydraulic units 50 (i.e., the total power consumption of the u hydraulic motors 52) corresponds to the power consumption required to propel the excavator body 10 (hydraulic power L1 for propulsion). On the other hand, the w hydraulic units 50 in standby mode (standby units) that do not supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19 operate to supply hydraulic pressure to the power generation device 70 (see Figures 5 to 8, etc.), which will be described later. Thus, the total power consumption of the w hydraulic units 50 in standby mode (i.e., the total power consumption of the w hydraulic motors 52) corresponds to the power consumption required to perform the power generation operation by the power generation device 70 (hydraulic power L2 for power generation).

[0071] As described above, the excavation load increases or decreases depending on the various construction and excavation conditions of the tunnel boring machine 1. Furthermore, the various operating conditions of the shield jack 19 and hydraulic unit 50 fluctuate depending on the excavation load. As a result, depending on these operating conditions, the hydraulic power L of the multiple (t units) hydraulic units 50 for the shield jack 19 is distributed between hydraulic power L1 for propulsion used to operate the shield jack 19 and hydraulic power L2 for power generation used to operate the power generation device 70 (L = L1 + L2).

[0072] [2.4. Hydraulic Unit Status] Next, we will explain the state of the hydraulic unit 50 in more detail. The hydraulic unit 50 has three states: "operating state," "standby state," and "off state."

[0073] "Operating state" refers to the state in which the hydraulic unit 50 is operating in order to operate the hydraulic actuator (for example, a shield jack 19) to which it is supplied with hydraulic power. In the operating state, the hydraulic unit 50 supplies hydraulic power (hydraulic power L1) to the hydraulic actuator to which it is supplied.

[0074] The "standby state" is a state in which the hydraulic unit 50 is not operating to operate the hydraulic actuator (e.g., shield jack 19) to which it is supplied with hydraulic pressure, and is operating under no load. For example, the hydraulic actuator (e.g., shield jack 19) to which it is supplied with hydraulic pressure does not need to be operated at that moment, but it is conceivable that there may be situations in which it is required to operate the hydraulic actuator. To deal with this case, the hydraulic unit 50 enters a standby state and operates under no load. Even though it is operating under no load, hydraulic fluid is discharged from the hydraulic unit 50 (hydraulic pump), and this hydraulic fluid does no work (i.e., does not contribute to the operation of the hydraulic actuator) and is returned to the tank of the hydraulic unit 50. This circulation of hydraulic fluid by the hydraulic unit 50 in the standby state (non-use of surplus hydraulic power) results in energy loss. In this embodiment, the surplus hydraulic power L2 of the hydraulic unit 50 in the standby state is effectively utilized for power generation by the power generation device 70, but the details will be described later.

[0075] The "off state" is a state in which the power supply to the hydraulic unit 50 is stopped and the hydraulic unit 50 is completely inoperable. For example, if it is determined that the hydraulic actuator to which the hydraulic power is supplied (e.g., a shield jack 19) will not be operating for a certain period of time or longer, and there is no problem in completely stopping the hydraulic unit 50, the power supply (switch) to the hydraulic unit 50 is cut off to completely stop the operation of the hydraulic unit 50. As a result, no power is consumed by the hydraulic unit 50 in the off state, and therefore no energy loss is eliminated.

[0076] [2.5. Relationship between shield jacks and hydraulic units] Next, we will explain the relationship between multiple (n) shield jacks 19 and multiple (t) hydraulic units 50 that supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19.

[0077] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with multiple hydraulic units 50-1, 50-2, ..., 50-t in order to operate multiple shield jacks 19. The hydraulic power generated by the t hydraulic units 50-1, 50-2, ..., 50-t (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "hydraulic unit 50") is combined into a single hydraulic flow path 80, and then branched into multiple branch flow paths 81 leading to each shield jack 19, and supplied to each shield jack 19.

[0078] Here, regarding the rated output of the hydraulic pump 54 of the hydraulic unit 50, the capacity of the hydraulic motor 52 of the hydraulic unit 50 is determined by the product (Q0 × P0) of the rated flow rate Q0 [? / min] and rated pressure P0 [Mpa] of the hydraulic pump 54.

[0079] Furthermore, the relationship between the excavation resistance F (total thrust of the m-unit shield jacks 19) in the direction of travel (axial direction of the tunnel boring machine 1) during excavation by the tunnel boring machine 1, the excavation speed V, and the above-mentioned parameters (number of operating shield jacks 19 in m, etc.) is given by the following equations (1) and (2).

[0080] F = m × S0 × P ... (1) V = Q / (m × S0) ... (2) F: Excavation resistance F[N] in the direction of excavation. m: Number of Shield Jack 19 units in operation [units] S0: Pressing area per unit of Shield Jack 19 [m²] 2 ] P: The hydraulic pressure [Pa] supplied from the operational u-unit hydraulic unit 50 to the operational m-unit shield jack 19. Q: What is the flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied from the operational u-unit hydraulic unit 50 to the operational m-unit shield jack 19? [? / min]

[0081] [2.6. Control of the number of operating units u and standby units w of hydraulic units] Next, based on the relationship between the shield jacks 19 and the hydraulic unit 50 described above, the following specific examples 1 to 3 can be considered as excavation situations by the tunnel boring machine 1. In each of the specific examples 1 to 3, the control device 110 of the tunnel boring machine 1 controls the number of operating shield jacks 19 m and the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u and standby units w based on the current excavation load (for example, excavation resistance F in the direction of travel) and the excavation speed V.

[0082] (1) Specific example 1: A case where a high drilling speed V cannot be obtained due to high drilling resistance F. As shown in equations (3) and (4) below, even if the number of operating shield jacks 19 m is set to the total number of units (n units) (m=n), and the hydraulic pressure P output by the hydraulic unit 50 is set to close to the rated pressure P0 (P≒P0), and thrust is applied by n shield jacks 19, the excavation resistance F is large at F1, so the excavation speed V becomes an excavation speed V1 that is less than half of the excavation speed V0 that can be achieved at the rated flow rate Q0 (V1≦V0 / 2), and a high excavation speed V may not be obtainable. F1=m×S0×P≒n×S0×P0...(3) V1=Q / (m×S0)≦(1 / 2)×Q0 / (n×S0) ···(4)

[0083] In such a case, even if the number of operational hydraulic units 50 u is set to about half of the total number t (u ≈ t / 2), and hydraulic pressure is supplied from these u operational hydraulic units 50 to n shield jacks 19 to obtain thrust, while the remaining half, w units (w ≈ t / 2), of hydraulic units 50 are kept in standby mode, the excavation speed V will not change to about V1. Therefore, the surplus hydraulic power L2 from these w units of hydraulic units 50 in standby mode can be supplied to the power generation device 70 and effectively utilized for power generation.

[0084] Thus, in Specific Example 1, during excavation, the control device 110 activates, for example, about half of the t-sized hydraulic units 50 for the shield jack 19 (u-sized units), and puts the remaining half (w-sized units) (w-sized units) (w-sized units) into standby mode. The control device 110 then supplies hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19 from the u-sized units (operating) while supplying surplus hydraulic pressure to the power generator 70 from the remaining half (w-sized units) (standby) (w-sized units) (standby) to generate electricity. This allows the surplus hydraulic power L2 from the standby w-sized units 50 to be effectively used for power generation, thereby reducing the power consumption of the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0085] Subsequently, if the excavation resistance F decreases to F2, which is lower than F1, the control device 110 switches the w number of standby hydraulic units 50 to the operational state (w=0) in order to increase the excavation speed V, sets the number of operational hydraulic units 50 u to the total number of units t (u=t), and supplies hydraulic pressure from all t hydraulic units 50 to the n number of shield jacks 19. This makes it possible to obtain an excavation speed V2 that is higher than V1.

[0086] (2) Specific example 2: When changes in excavation behavior are likely to occur For example, in situations where changes in drilling behavior are likely to occur, such as at geological transitions, even if the drilling resistance F is not high, the drilling speed V may be reduced to suppress the occurrence or degree of changes in drilling behavior. In this case as well, for the same reasons as in Specific Example 1 above, the control device 110 operates some of the u-type hydraulic units 50 of the t-type hydraulic units 50 for the shield jack 19, and puts the remaining w-type hydraulic units 50 into standby mode to perform the drilling operation. This allows the surplus hydraulic power L2 from the standby w-type hydraulic units 50 to be supplied to the power generation device 70 and effectively utilized for power generation.

[0087] (3) Specific example 3: When equipped with equipment for deep-sea operations For example, when using a tunnel boring machine 1 equipped with high-spec equipment (e.g., multiple high-output shield jacks 19, multiple high-output hydraulic units 50, etc.) capable of excavating ground with high excavation resistance F (e.g., deep ground or hard ground), to excavate ground with low excavation resistance F (e.g., shallow ground or soft ground), the high-spec equipment becomes over-specced, and energy inefficiency is likely to be wasted in the excavation operation of the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0088] For example, as can be seen from equations (1) and (2) above, when excavating ground with low excavation resistance F, if the number of operating shield jacks 19 m is large, it is necessary to lower the pressure P of the hydraulic unit 50 and increase the flow rate Q. However, in this case, in order to supply a large flow rate Q, it is necessary to operate with a large number of operating hydraulic units 50 u, but because the pressure P is low, the power value expressed as P × Q / 60 will be low, resulting in poor energy efficiency for the many operating hydraulic units 50. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u by reducing the number of operating shield jacks 19 m, increasing the pressure P of the hydraulic unit 50, and decreasing the flow rate Q. Accordingly, in this case as well, the control device 110 puts some of the t units of hydraulic units 50 for the shield jacks 19, namely u units of hydraulic units 50, into an operating state, and puts the remaining w units of hydraulic units 50 into a standby state, and performs the excavation operation.

[0089] (4) Summary As shown in the specific examples 1 to 3 above, the control device 110 of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment controls the number of operating shield jacks 19 m, the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u and the number of standby units w, based on the excavation load (for example, excavation resistance F in the direction of travel) and the excavation speed V when the cutter head 11 excavates the ground.

[0090] For example, the control device 110 controls the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u and the number of standby units w based on the ratio K (K[%]=V / V0×100) of the actual excavation speed V to the rated excavation speed V0. Here, the rated excavation speed V0 is the theoretical value of the excavation speed V that can be achieved with the rated flow rate Q0 of t hydraulic units 50, given that the excavation resistance F of the ground to be excavated is a predetermined excavation resistance F0.

[0091] Specifically, the control device 110 may calculate the ratio K of V to V0 during excavation, and determine the number of operational hydraulic units 50 u based on the value of the total number of hydraulic units 50 t × K, as shown in the following equations (10) and (11), and determine the number of standby hydraulic units 50 w based on the value of the total number of hydraulic units 50 t × (100 - K). u ≈ t × K [%] ···(10) w ≈ t × (100 - K) [%] ... (11)

[0092] For example, if K = 50%, the control device 110 may set the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u to approximately 50% of the total number t, and the number of standby hydraulic units 50 w to approximately 50% (=100%-50%) of the total number t. Alternatively, if K = 30%, the control device 110 may set the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u to approximately 30% of t, and the number of standby hydraulic units 50 w to approximately 70% (=100%-30%) of t.

[0093] In this way, the control device 110 determines the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u and the number of standby units w based on the ratio K[%] of the actual excavation speed V to the rated excavation speed V0. This allows the control device 110 to control the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u and the number of standby units w to an appropriate number in accordance with the excavation conditions, such as the excavation resistance F of the ground and the excavation speed V of the tunnel boring machine 1. Therefore, hydraulic power L1 is supplied to the shield jack 19 from the appropriate number of operating hydraulic units 50 (operating state) to obtain the thrust force necessary for excavation, while surplus hydraulic power L2 is supplied to the power generation device 70 from the appropriate number of standby units w (standby state), thereby making the most effective use of the surplus hydraulic power L2 and increasing the power generation efficiency.

[0094] As described above, the control device 110 of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment suitably controls the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u and the number of standby units w based on the boring speed V which fluctuates depending on the actual boring resistance F during boring. The control device 110 then supplies hydraulic pressure to the power generation device 70 from w of the multiple (t) hydraulic units 50 for the shield jacks 19 that are in standby mode and not supplying hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19, thereby generating electricity.

[0095] This allows the surplus hydraulic power L2 from the standby hydraulic units 50 to be supplied to the power generation device 70 and effectively utilized for power generation. Therefore, it becomes possible to increase the overall energy efficiency of the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0096] Furthermore, to handle ground with high excavation resistance F, all of the numerous (n) shield jacks 19 and all of the numerous (t) hydraulic units 50 mounted on the tunnel boring machine 1 can be operated at all times, thereby suppressing the waste of energy efficiency that occurs when excavating ground with low excavation resistance F using over-spec equipment. Also, when the excavation route extends from near the surface to great depths, all of the numerous (n) high-spec shield jacks 19 and numerous (t) hydraulic units 50 mounted to match the deep excavation (ground with high excavation resistance F) can be operated at all times, thereby suppressing the decrease in energy efficiency that occurs when excavating ground near the surface (ground with low excavation resistance F) using over-spec equipment. This also makes it possible to increase the overall energy efficiency of the tunnel boring machine 1. Regarding the w units of hydraulic units 50 in standby mode, some (v units) of the hydraulic units 50 may be turned off depending on the situation, such as when a long-term switch to operation is not expected.

[0097] [2.7. Control of the number of shield jacks 19 in operation according to the excavation load] Next, the operation control of the shield jack 19 by the control device 110 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0098] As described above, the control device 110 controls the number of operating shield jacks 19 m according to the excavation load while the tunnel boring machine 1 is excavating the ground. Specifically, the control device 110 automatically calculates the optimal number of operating shield jacks m according to the excavation load, operates only the optimal number of operating shield jacks m, and stops the operation of the other shield jacks 19. In this case, the control device 110 may reduce the number of operating shield jacks m as the excavation load (for example, the excavation resistance F in the direction of travel) decreases. This allows only a portion (m units) of the multiple (n units) shield jacks 19 to be operated, and the load for propelling the tunnel boring machine body 10 to be concentrated on that portion (m units) of shield jacks 19.

[0099] [2.8. Hydraulic load ratio R AllControl of the number of operating shield jacks 19 according to the situation Next, a method for the control device 110 according to the present embodiment to control the number of operating shield jacks 19 using the hydraulic load rate R of the shield jack 19 as the above-mentioned excavation load will be described. All will be described.

[0100] As an index representing the above-mentioned excavation load, for example, the hydraulic load rate R of all (m units) of the shield jacks 19 during operation All can be used. The hydraulic load rate R of one shield jack 19 during operation is represented by the following formula (1), and the hydraulic load rate R of all (m units) of the shield jacks 19 during operation All is considered when it is represented by the following formula (2).

[0101] R = (P / Pk) × 100 ···(1) R All = {(P × m) / (Pk × n)} × 100 ···(2) R: Hydraulic load rate of one shield jack 19 [%] R All : Hydraulic load rate of all (m units) of the shield jacks 19 during operation [%] P: Thrust load per one shield jack 19 during operation [N] Pk: Rated thrust of one shield jack 19 [N] m: Number of operating shield jacks 19 n: Total number of shield jacks 19

[0102] In this case, during the excavation of the ground by the tunnel boring machine 1, the control device 110 controls the number of operating shield jacks 19 according to the hydraulic load rate R as the above-mentioned excavation load. For example, the higher the hydraulic load rate R representing the excavation load, the larger the number of operating units m, and the lower the hydraulic load rate R All is, the smaller the number of operating units m. In this way, the hydraulic load rate R All the lower it is, the fewer the number of operating units m. In this way, the hydraulic load rate R All the lower it is, the fewer the number of operating units m. In this way, the hydraulic load rate R AllThe lower the value, the more preferable it is to reduce the number of operating units m, thereby operating some (m units) of the n shield jacks 19 and stopping the operation of the remaining some (nm units) of shield jacks 19, thereby concentrating the load of the propulsion reaction force for advancing the excavator body 10 on those some (m units) of shield jacks 19.

[0103] This results in the overall hydraulic load ratio R of the shield jack 19 when excavating the ground. All Accordingly, the number of operating shield jacks 19 can be optimized, and the load can be concentrated on m units of shield jacks 19. The hydraulic load ratio R of the entire operating shield jack 19 is used as an indicator of the excavation load. All By using this method, an index equivalent to the excavation load can be easily and appropriately detected and calculated.

[0104] The enlarged view in Figure 3 shows the excavation resistance (i.e., the total hydraulic load ratio R of the shield jack 19) during ground excavation by the tunnel boring machine 1. All This shows an example of displaying image 106, which represents the fluctuation of ), on the display unit 102 of the control panel 100. If the excavation load fluctuates due to the various fluctuation factors mentioned above during excavation, the hydraulic load ratio R of the entire shield jack 19 will change accordingly. All However, it also fluctuates as shown in Figure 3. The control device 110 detects the thrust of each shield jack 19 and, in real time during excavation, the hydraulic load ratio R All Calculate the hydraulic load ratio R All The number of operating shield jacks 19 (m) is automatically increased or decreased in response to fluctuations in the temperature.

[0105] In this case, the control device 110 controls the hydraulic load rate R which fluctuates over time. All The moving average value is calculated, and the hydraulic load ratio R All The number of operating shield jacks 19 m may be increased or decreased based on the comparison result between the moving average value and a preset reference value. For example, the hydraulic load ratio R All A first reference value (e.g., 40%) and a second reference value (e.g., 50%) may be set as reference values. The control device 110 then calculates the hydraulic load ratio R during excavation.All When the moving average of falls below the second reference value (e.g., 50%), the number of operating units m is reduced to a predetermined second reference number m2 (e.g., if n=40 units, m2=32 units), and further, the hydraulic load rate R All If the moving average of falls below the first reference value (e.g., 40%), the number of operating units m may be reduced to a predetermined first reference number m1 (e.g., if n=40 units, m1=20 units).

[0106] In this way, the control device 110 controls the hydraulic load ratio R All By automatically controlling the number of operating shield jacks 19 based on this, the number of operating shield jacks 19 can be automatically optimized according to the excavation load, without the need for workers to manually control the number of operating shield jacks 19 during excavation.

[0107] Furthermore, the worker can check the image 106 on the display unit 102 of the control panel 100 to determine the hydraulic load ratio R. All The fluctuations in the excavation resistance can be understood. Therefore, the worker can operate the control panel 100 to manually control the operation of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to the observed fluctuations in excavation resistance, and can also manually adjust the number of operating shield jacks 19 m, the thrust, and the excavation speed V by the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0108] [2.9. Effective use of surplus power from the hydraulic power of the hydraulic unit 50] Next, with reference to Figures 5 to 9, a method will be described for effectively utilizing the surplus power generated by the hydraulic unit 50 in the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment, by using the surplus power to generate electricity and use it as a power source for other equipment.

[0109] As described above, the control device 110 optimizes the number of operating shield jacks 19 (m) according to the excavation load during excavation. When the excavation load is low, it operates some (m units) of the shield jacks 19 and stops operating other (nm units). In this case, of the t units of hydraulic units 50 for the shield jacks 19, u units of hydraulic units 50 become operational and operate to supply hydraulic pressure to the m units of shield jacks 19 that are in operation. Meanwhile, the remaining w units of hydraulic units 50 remain in a standby state, not supplying hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19, and continue to operate under no load. The existence of these standby hydraulic units 50 makes it possible to quickly supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19 from the standby hydraulic units 50 if it becomes necessary to suddenly increase the number of operating shield jacks 19 (m). Regarding the w units of hydraulic units 50 in standby state, some (v units) of the hydraulic units 50 may be turned off depending on the situation, such as when it is not expected that they will be switched to operation in the long term.

[0110] However, if the hydraulic unit 50 is left in standby mode, it will continue to operate even without a load. As a result, the hydraulic fluid discharged from the standby hydraulic unit will return to the hydraulic unit's tank without doing any work, resulting in energy loss, i.e., surplus power that is wasted. Therefore, it is preferable to use the surplus power of the standby hydraulic unit 50 to generate electricity and effectively utilize it as a power source for other equipment in the tunnel boring machine 1. This will reduce the overall power consumption of the tunnel boring machine 1 and enable energy-saving construction. Accordingly, the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a hydraulic control system described below in order to effectively utilize the surplus power of the standby hydraulic unit 50.

[0111] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the circuit configuration of the hydraulic control system of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment (during excavation). Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the circuit configuration of the hydraulic control system of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment (standby). Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed circuit configuration of the hydraulic control system of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment (during excavation). Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed circuit configuration of the hydraulic control system of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment (standby).

[0112] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the hydraulic control system of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment comprises a plurality (n units) of shield jacks 19 (hydraulic actuators), a plurality (t units) of hydraulic units 50 that supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19, a power generator 70, a hydraulic flow path 80, hydraulic valves 82 and 84, a pressure sensor 86, and a control device 110.

[0113] The power generation device 70 is a device capable of generating electricity using hydraulic pressure supplied from one of the multiple (t) hydraulic units 50, specifically from a hydraulic unit 50 in standby mode. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the power generation device 70 comprises a hydraulic pump 72, a generator 74, and a converter 76. The output shaft of the hydraulic pump 72 is connected to the generator 74. The hydraulic pump 72 rotates using the surplus hydraulic power supplied from the hydraulic unit 50, thereby rotating the generator 74. The generator 74 generates electricity using the rotational power of the hydraulic pump 72. The AC power generated by the generator 74 is converted to DC power by the converter 76, and then further converted to AC power at the frequency of the power supply 60, before being returned to the power supply 60. The power returned to the power supply 60 is used as the primary power source for various other equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0114] The hydraulic passage 80 is a passage (hydraulic circuit) through which hydraulic fluid flows. The hydraulic passage 80 interconnects the shield jack 19 (hydraulic actuator), the hydraulic unit 50, and the power generator 70. The hydraulic power from multiple (t) hydraulic units 50 is combined into one hydraulic passage 80 and then supplied to multiple (n) shield jacks 19 via multiple branch passages 81 (see Figures 5 and 6) that branch off from the hydraulic passage 80. The hydraulic passage 80 is equipped with hydraulic valves 82 and 84 and a pressure sensor 86. The hydraulic valve 82 controls the flow rate Q of the hydraulic fluid flowing through the hydraulic passage 80 between the shield jack 19 and the hydraulic unit 50. The hydraulic valve 84 controls the flow rate Q' of the hydraulic fluid flowing through the hydraulic passage 80 between the hydraulic unit 50 and the power generator 70. The pressure sensor 86 detects the pressure P of the hydraulic fluid flowing through the hydraulic passage 80 between the shield jack 19 and the hydraulic unit 50. By detecting the pressure P using the pressure sensor 86, the magnitude of the hydraulic pressure (pressure P) supplied to the shield jack 19 can be measured, and the control device 110 determines the excavation load (for example, the hydraulic load ratio R) during excavation by the tunnel boring machine 1 based on this magnitude of hydraulic pressure. All ) can be calculated.

[0115] The control device 110 controls the operation of each part of the hydraulic control system (for example, hydraulic actuators such as shield jacks 19, hydraulic unit 50, power generator 70, hydraulic valves 82, 84, pressure sensor 86, etc.).

[0116] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, during tunnel boring, at least some of the shield jacks 19 are operational, and therefore the hydraulic unit 50 is also operational. In this case, the control device 110 opens the hydraulic valve 82 and closes the hydraulic valve 84, thereby supplying hydraulic pressure from the operational hydraulic unit 50 to the shield jacks 19. This hydraulic pressure causes the shield jacks 19 to operate and extend the drive rod 19a, thereby obtaining a reaction force from the existing segments S and propelling the boring machine body 10.

[0117] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, when the tunnel boring machine 1 is in standby mode (when the boring operation is stopped), the shield jack 19 is also in standby mode, and therefore the hydraulic unit 50 is also in standby mode. In this case, the control device 110 opens the hydraulic valve 84 and closes the hydraulic valve 82, thereby supplying hydraulic pressure (surplus hydraulic power) from the standby hydraulic unit 50 to the power generation device 70. This hydraulic pressure operates the hydraulic pump 72 and generator 74 of the power generation device 70 to generate electricity. As a result, electricity can be generated by the generator 74 using the surplus power from the standby hydraulic unit 50, and the generated electricity can be supplied to the power supply 60.

[0118] Here, with reference to Figure 9, the tunnel boring operation of the tunnel boring machine 1 and the power generation operation using surplus power during the waiting period for the tunnel boring operation will be explained in more detail. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the timing of the power generation operation using surplus power of the hydraulic unit 50 for the shield jack 19 according to this embodiment.

[0119] As shown in Figure 9, the tunnel boring machine 1 alternately repeats the process of excavating and waiting for excavation. During excavation, the cutter head 11 rotates while the excavator body 10 is propelled by the shield jacks 19 to excavate the ground. During this excavation, the hydraulic unit 50 for the shield jacks 19 is in operation, supplying hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19. As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the hydraulic unit 50 supplies hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19, and the shield jacks 19 are operated by the hydraulic power of the hydraulic unit 50. On the other hand, during the waiting period for excavation, for example, assembly work of the segments S by the erector device is performed, and the excavator body 10 does not move forward. Therefore, the hydraulic unit 50 for the shield jacks 19 does not need to supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19 other than some of the shield jacks 19 used for the assembly work of the segments S, and is in a waiting state. In addition, some of the shield jacks 19 used for the assembly work also enter a waiting state, such as when the erector device is being operated. Therefore, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, the surplus hydraulic power from the standby hydraulic unit 50 is supplied to the power generation device 70 to generate electricity, and this electricity is effectively utilized as a power source for other equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0120] As shown in the example of operation in Figure 9, the control device 110 supplies hydraulic pressure from multiple hydraulic units 50 for the shield jack 19 to the shield jack 19 while the shield jack 19 is in operation (during excavation or during segment S assembly). On the other hand, when the shield jack 19 is stopped (while waiting for excavation and not being used for segment S assembly), the control device 110 supplies hydraulic pressure from multiple hydraulic units 50 for the standby shield jack 19 to the power generator 70. In this way, while the tunnel boring machine 1 alternates between excavation and standby, the hydraulic units 50 are kept running at all times, and the hydraulic power of the hydraulic units 50 is continuously used to operate the shield jack 19 or to generate electricity for the power generator 70. This ensures that the hydraulic power of the hydraulic units 50 is always effectively utilized, improving energy efficiency.

[0121] As described above, the control device 110 controls the standby hydraulic units 50, hydraulic valves 82 and 84, and the power generator 70 to supply hydraulic power to the power generator 70 from the standby hydraulic units 50 that are not supplying hydraulic power to the shield jacks 19, thereby generating electricity. As a result, when the hydraulic units 50 are in a standby state and not supplying hydraulic power to the shield jacks 19 (hydraulic actuators), the surplus hydraulic power of the standby hydraulic units 50 can be used to drive the power generator 70 and generate electricity. Therefore, the electricity generated by the power generator 70 can be effectively used as a power source for other equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1. Thus, the power consumption of the entire tunnel boring machine 1 can be suppressed, and energy-saving construction can be achieved.

[0122] [2.10. Circuit Configuration and Operation of Hydraulic Control System] Next, with reference to Figures 7 and 8, the circuit configuration and control operation of the hydraulic control system of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0123] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the t-sized hydraulic units 50-1, 50-2, 50-3, ... 50-t mounted on the tunnel boring machine body 10 of the tunnel boring machine 1 are electrically connected to a power supply 60 for the tunnel boring machine 1. The power supply 60 is an AC power supply and is supplied to the power supply 60 from an external power supply facility (not shown) of the tunnel boring machine 1. Each hydraulic unit 50 is driven by the AC power supplied from the power supply 60.

[0124] The power supply circuit 61 connecting each hydraulic unit 50 to the power supply 60 is provided with switches 56-1, 56-2, 56-3, ... 56-t (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "switch 56") and power meters 58-1, 58-2, 58-3, ... 58-t (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "power meters 58").

[0125] Switch 56 connects / disconnects the circuit between the hydraulic motor 52 of each hydraulic unit 50 and the power supply 60, thereby supplying / stopping AC power to each hydraulic motor 52. When each switch 56 is turned on and AC power is supplied to each hydraulic motor 52, the hydraulic motor 52 is driven, and the hydraulic pump 54 operates due to the driving force of the hydraulic motor 52. When each switch 56 is turned off and the power supply to each hydraulic unit 50 is cut off, the driving of the hydraulic motor 52 of each hydraulic unit 50 is also stopped.

[0126] The power meter 58 measures the amount of power supplied from the power supply 60 to each hydraulic unit 50. The power values ​​measured by the power meter 58 are input to the control device 110 as load data representing the hydraulic load acting on each hydraulic unit 50.

[0127] The control device 110 is connected to each power meter 58 via control line 112. The control device 110 is also connected to the converter 76 and hydraulic valve 84 of the power generator 70 via control line 114. The control device 110 obtains the power values ​​from each power meter 58 via control line 112. The control device 110 also transmits a power generation command to the power generator 70 and the hydraulic valve 84 via control line 114. As a result, the hydraulic valve 84 opens, hydraulic pressure is supplied to the power generator 70, and the power generation operation of the power generator 70 is performed. The control device 110 is also connected to each switch 56 via control lines (not shown). The control device 110 transmits on / off commands to each switch 56 via these control lines and controls the on / off state of each switch 56.

[0128] When the excavation load is relatively large and the tunnel boring machine 1 is operating under high load conditions, for example, all of the hydraulic motors 52 of the t-unit hydraulic units 50 are in operation, and the number of operating units u = t. In this case, because the excavation load is large, the control device 110 turns on all of the t switches 56 and drives all of the t-unit hydraulic units 50 mounted on the tunnel boring machine 1. As a result, all of the hydraulic motors 52 of the t-unit hydraulic units 50 are in operation, and the hydraulic power required to operate the n-unit shield jacks 19 is shared among the t-unit hydraulic motors 52. In this case, since each hydraulic motor 52 is operating under high load conditions, the output efficiency of the rotational power from each hydraulic motor 52 is high. Therefore, the hydraulic motors 52 can be operated in a state of high energy efficiency relative to the supplied power.

[0129] In contrast, as shown in Figure 7, when the excavation load is relatively small and the tunnel boring machine 1 is operating under low load conditions, the control device 110 turns on only some of the switches 56-1, 56-2, ..., 56-t, and operates only some of the hydraulic units 50-1, 50-2, ..., 50-t of the t-unit hydraulic units 50 (u units). Furthermore, the control device 110 may turn off the switches 56-3, ... of the remaining some (v units), stopping the operation of the remaining some (v units) hydraulic units 50-3, ... and putting them in an off state.

[0130] As a result, the load is concentrated only on the hydraulic motors 52-1, 52-2, ..., 52-t of the operating u-unit hydraulic unit 50. Therefore, the hydraulic motors 52-1, 52-2, ..., 52-t of the u-unit operate in a high-load state (high-efficiency state) with high output efficiency relative to the supplied power, and the load ratio of the hydraulic motors 52-1, 52-2, ..., 52-t of the u-unit falls within the high-load region (high-efficiency region) of, for example, 50% or more. Thus, only the hydraulic motors 52 of the u-unit can be operated in a state of high energy efficiency relative to the supplied power. On the other hand, the hydraulic motors 52-3, ... of the v-unit, which are not in operation (off state), do not consume power. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, by operating only the u-unit hydraulic motor 52 when the excavation load is low, the total power consumption of the operating hydraulic motors 52 can be reduced compared to the case where all t-unit hydraulic motors 52 are operated in a low-load state (for example, a load factor of 30% or less) when the excavation load is low, thereby achieving energy-saving construction.

[0131] Then, when the tunnel boring machine 1 enters standby mode, as shown in Figure 8, the hydraulic units 50-1, 50-2, ..., 50-t of unit u enter standby mode. These units then take over from the standby hydraulic units 50-1, 50-2, ..., 50-t of unit w, and the surplus power is supplied from these standby units 50-1, 50-2, ..., 50-t of unit w to the power generator 70, causing the power generator 70 to generate electricity. As a result, the power generated from the surplus power is returned from the power generator 70 to the power supply 60.

[0132] [2.11. Examples of changes to the circuit configuration and operation of the hydraulic control system] Next, with reference to Figures 10 and 11, the circuit configuration and control operation of the hydraulic control system of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to a modified example of this embodiment will be described.

[0133] The circuit configuration of the hydraulic control system according to the modified example shown in Figures 10 and 11 differs from the circuit configuration of the hydraulic control system shown in Figures 7 and 8 above in that it includes a hydraulic passage 80 (first hydraulic passage) and a hydraulic passage 83 (second hydraulic passage), and each hydraulic unit 50 is provided with a switching valve 55-1, 55-2, ..., 55-t (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "switching valve 55").

[0134] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, in the modified example of the hydraulic control system circuit configuration, the hydraulic fluid discharge port of each hydraulic unit 50 is connected to a switching valve 55. Each switching valve 55 is connected to a hydraulic flow path 80 and a hydraulic flow path 83, and has the function of switching the destination of the hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic unit 50 to either the hydraulic flow path 80 or the hydraulic flow path 83. This allows each switching valve 55 to individually switch whether the hydraulic pressure output from each hydraulic unit 50 is supplied to the shield jack 19 through the hydraulic flow path 80 (first hydraulic flow path) or to the power generator 70 through the hydraulic flow path 83 (second hydraulic flow path). With this circuit configuration, the destination of the hydraulic pressure can be individually switched for each hydraulic unit 50 to either the shield jack 19 or the power generator 70.

[0135] As shown in Figure 10, when the excavation load is relatively large and the tunnel boring machine 1 is operating under high load conditions, the control device 110 controls each switching valve 55 so that, for example, all t units of hydraulic units 50 are operational (number of operational units u=t) and all of the t units of hydraulic units 50 are connected to the hydraulic flow path 80. As a result, all the hydraulic pressure from the t units of hydraulic units 50 is supplied to the shield jack 19 through the hydraulic flow path 80, providing high thrust for high-load excavation.

[0136] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 11, when the excavation load is relatively small and the tunnel boring machine 1 is operating under low load conditions, the control device 110, for example, based on the excavation load such as the excavation resistance F and the excavation speed V, activates some of the t-unit hydraulic units 50, specifically the u-unit hydraulic units 50-1 and 50-2, and puts the remaining w-unit hydraulic units 50-3, ..., 50-t into standby mode. The control device 110 then controls each switching valve 55 so that the u-unit hydraulic units 50-1 and 50-2 in operation are connected to the hydraulic flow path 80, and the w-unit hydraulic units 50-3, ..., 50-t in standby mode are connected to the hydraulic flow path 83. As a result, the hydraulic pressure from the operational u-type hydraulic units 50-1 and 50-2 is supplied to the shield jack 19 through the hydraulic passage 80, providing the necessary thrust for low-load excavation, while the hydraulic pressure from the standby w-type hydraulic units 50-3, ..., 50-t is supplied to the power generator 70 through the hydraulic passage 83, and is effectively utilized for power generation.

[0137] As described above, in the circuit configuration of the hydraulic control system according to the modified example of this embodiment, the control device 110, during the tunnel boring operation of the tunnel boring machine 1, operates some (u units) of the hydraulic units 50 to supply hydraulic pressure to the operating shield jack 19, as shown in Figure 11, while the remaining (w units) of the hydraulic units 50 are put into a standby state that does not supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19. The control device 110 then supplies hydraulic pressure to the power generator 70 from the (w units) of the hydraulic units 50 that are in a standby state and not supplying hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19, thereby generating electricity. Note that, depending on the situation, some (v units) of the hydraulic units 50 in the standby state may be turned off, such as when it is not expected that they will be switched to operation in the long term.

[0138] As described above, according to this modified embodiment, during the tunnel boring machine 1's excavation operation, the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u and the number of standby units w are optimized according to the excavation load and excavation speed V, and the surplus hydraulic power from the w units of hydraulic units 50 in standby mode is supplied to the power generation device 70 to generate electricity. As a result, even during the tunnel boring machine 1's excavation operation, the surplus power from some (w units) of the standby hydraulic units 50 can be used to generate electricity, which can be effectively utilized as a power source for other equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0139] [3. Hydraulic control of various hydraulic actuators] [3.1. Specific Examples of Various Hydraulic Actuators] Next, with reference to Figure 12, specific examples of various hydraulic actuators provided in the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing various hydraulic actuators and a hydraulic control system according to this embodiment.

[0140] In the explanation above, the hydraulic actuator has mainly been described as an example where the shield jack 19 is the hydraulic actuator. However, the hydraulic actuator of the present invention is not limited to the example of the shield jack 19, but may be a hydraulic actuator (hydraulic jack, hydraulic motor, etc.) provided in various equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1.

[0141] As shown in Figure 12, the hydraulic actuators provided on the tunnel boring machine 1 may include, in addition to the shield jack 19, one or more hydraulic actuators selected from, for example, a hydraulic actuator for the copy cutter 35a, a hydraulic actuator for the articulation mechanism of the boring machine body 10, a hydraulic actuator for the soil removal device (e.g., screw conveyor 20), a hydraulic actuator for the erector device 95, and a hydraulic actuator for the shape-holding device 96 of the boring machine body 10. These various hydraulic actuators and the hydraulic units that supply hydraulic pressure to these hydraulic actuators will be described below.

[0142] (A) Copy cutter 35a The copy cutter 35a is a cutter bit used when the tunnel boring machine 1 is performing curve construction or correcting meandering, and is provided on the outer circumference of the cutter head 11. Normally, the copy cutter 35a is housed inside the outer surface of the cutter head 11 during construction, but in curved sections where overcutting (excess excavation) is required to be greater than in straight sections, or when correcting meandering, it protrudes outward from the outer surface of the cutter head 11, cutting the ground around the outer circumference of the cutter head 11 and assisting the excavation of the boring machine body 10. A hydraulic actuator (not shown) for the copy cutter 35a is provided on the cutter head 11 to extend and retract the copy cutter 35a from the outer surface of the cutter head 11. Furthermore, one or more hydraulic units 150 are provided to supply hydraulic pressure to this hydraulic actuator for the copy cutter 35a. The hydraulic unit 150 is equipped with a hydraulic motor 152 and a hydraulic pump 154. The hydraulic pump 154 ​​is driven by the hydraulic motor 152, thereby supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator for the copy cutter 35a.

[0143] (B) Propulsion system (shield jack 19) As described above, the configuration of the shield jack 19 is as described above, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. Multiple hydraulic units 50 are provided to supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19 in order to operate the shield jack 19 and obtain thrust for the excavator body 10. Each hydraulic unit 50 is equipped with a hydraulic motor 52 and a hydraulic pump 54, and hydraulic pressure is supplied to each shield jack 19 by operating the hydraulic pump 54 with the driving force of the hydraulic motor 52.

[0144] (C) Folding type (Folding jack 92) There is a type of tunnel boring machine 1 that has a special folding mechanism, with the boring machine body 10 divided into a front and a rear section. In this type of tunnel boring machine 1, a folding jack 92 is provided at the folding section of the boring machine body 10 in order to fold the front and rear sections. The folding jack 92 is a hydraulic actuator for the folding mechanism of the boring machine body 10. A hydraulic unit 250 is provided to supply hydraulic pressure to the folding jack 92 in order to fold the boring machine body 10 using the folding jack 92. The hydraulic unit 250 is equipped with a hydraulic electric motor 252 and a hydraulic pump 254, and the hydraulic pump 254 is operated by the driving force of the hydraulic electric motor 252, thereby supplying hydraulic pressure to the folding jack 92.

[0145] (D) Screw rotation system (screw conveyor 20) A screw conveyor 20 (see Figure 1), an example of a soil removal device, rotates a screw blade 21 using a drive unit 25 to draw excavated soil stored in the chamber 17 into the cylindrical body 22 of the screw conveyor 20, transport it toward the rear of the excavator body 10, and discharge it from the soil discharge port 23. The drive unit 25 that rotates the screw blade 21 is composed of, for example, a hydraulic motor. This drive unit 25 corresponds to a hydraulic actuator for the screw conveyor 20. One or more hydraulic units 350 are provided to supply hydraulic pressure to the drive unit 25 (hydraulic actuator) of the screw conveyor 20. Each hydraulic unit 350 is equipped with a hydraulic electric motor 352 and a hydraulic pump 354, and the hydraulic pump 354 is operated by the driving force of the hydraulic electric motor 352, thereby supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator (drive unit 25) for the screw conveyor 20.

[0146] (E) Screw gate (screw conveyor 20) A hydraulic actuator for the screw gate is provided to drive a gate device (screw gate) that opens and closes the soil discharge port 23 of the screw conveyor 20. One or more hydraulic units 450 are provided to supply hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator for the screw gate. Each hydraulic unit 450 is equipped with a hydraulic motor 452 and a hydraulic pump 454, and the hydraulic pump 454 is operated by the driving force of the hydraulic motor 452, thereby supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator for the screw gate.

[0147] (F) Erector device 95 The erector device 95 is a device for assembling segments S inside the excavator body 10, and is equipped with one or more hydraulic actuators (not shown) to perform this assembly operation. One or more hydraulic units 550 are provided to supply hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuators for the erector device 95. Each hydraulic unit 550 is equipped with a hydraulic motor 552 and a hydraulic pump 554, and the hydraulic pump 554 is operated by the driving force of the hydraulic motor 552, thereby supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuators for the erector device 95.

[0148] (G) Shape retention device 96 The shape-holding device 96 is located at the rear of the excavator body 10 and is a device for maintaining the cylindrical shape of the tunnel T constructed from segments S. For example, the shape-holding device 96 maintains the cylindrical shape of the tunnel T by holding the load applied vertically from the ground to the tunnel T by pressing a pair of upper and lower arms vertically against the inner circumferential surface of the tunnel T. The shape-holding device 96 is equipped with one or more hydraulic actuators (not shown) to perform this shape-holding operation. One or more hydraulic units 650 are provided to supply hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuators for the shape-holding device 96. The hydraulic units 650 are equipped with a hydraulic motor 652 and a hydraulic pump 654, and the hydraulic pump 654 is operated by the driving force of the hydraulic motor 652, thereby supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuators for the shape-holding device 96.

[0149] As shown in Figure 12, the circuits (hydraulic flow paths) that supply hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic units 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, and 650 for the various types of equipment to the hydraulic actuators of the said equipment are also connected to the power generation device 70 described above. The power generation device 70 is equipped with a hydraulic pump 72 and a generator 74 as described above, and can generate electricity by using hydraulic pressure supplied from an external source to rotate the hydraulic pump 72, and by using the rotational power of the hydraulic pump 72 to rotate the generator 74.

[0150] [3.2. Specific Examples of Hydraulic Control of Various Hydraulic Actuators] While the hydraulic actuators of the various equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1 are in operation, the control device 110 supplies the hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic units 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, and 650 for the hydraulic actuators of the various equipment to the hydraulic actuators of the various equipment. On the other hand, when the hydraulic actuators of the various equipment are stopped, the control device 110 supplies at least a portion of the hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic units 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, and 650 for the hydraulic actuators of the various equipment to the power generator 70 as surplus hydraulic power.

[0151] As a result, when at least one of the hydraulic units 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, or 650 corresponding to the hydraulic actuators of the various equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1 enters a standby state, the surplus hydraulic power of the standby hydraulic unit can be used to generate electricity in the power generation device 70. Therefore, the electricity generated can be effectively used as a power source for other equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1, enabling energy-saving construction.

[0152] Here, referring to Figures 13 and 14, the conditions and timing for generating electricity using the surplus hydraulic power (surplus power) of the hydraulic units 50 of the above-mentioned equipment during the excavation process and segment assembly process of the tunnel boring machine 1 will be explained.

[0153] (1) Excavation process First, we will explain the hydraulic control in the excavation process with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the conditions for generating electricity using surplus power in the excavation process of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment.

[0154] As shown in Figure 13, during the excavation process, hydraulic units 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, and 650 related to (A) the copy cutter 35a, (B) the propulsion system (shield jack 19), (C) the articulated system (articulated jack 92), (D) the screw rotation system (screw conveyor 20), (E) the screw gate (screw conveyor 20), and (G) the shape holding device 96 may be in a standby state. In this case, the surplus power from these standby hydraulic units 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, and 650 can be supplied to the power generation device 70 to generate electricity. The conditions for the standby state of the various equipment shown in Figure 13 will be explained in detail below.

[0155] (A) The copy cutter 35a and (C) the folding jack 92 have hydraulic actuators that operate during curved construction but not during straight construction. Therefore, during straight construction in the excavation process, the hydraulic unit 150 for the hydraulic actuator of the copy cutter 35a and the hydraulic unit 250 for the hydraulic actuator of the folding jack 92 are in standby mode. Thus, the surplus power from the hydraulic unit 150 in standby mode can be supplied to the power generator 70.

[0156] (B) Regarding the propulsion system (shield jacks 19), as mentioned earlier, when the drilling speed V in the drilling process is low, the flow rate Q of the hydraulic fluid supplied to the shield jacks 19 is reduced, so the number of operating hydraulic units u that supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks 19 can be reduced, and a standby hydraulic unit 50 is created. Also, in the drilling process, when the drilling load is low, the number of operating shield jacks 19 m can be reduced. In this case, some of the hydraulic units 50 corresponding to the shut-down shield jacks 19 out of the multiple (n) shield jacks 19 will be in a standby state. Therefore, the surplus power of these standby hydraulic units 50 can be supplied to the power generation device 70.

[0157] (D) In ​​the case of the screw rotation system (screw conveyor 20), when the excavation speed in the excavation process is low, the amount of excavated soil is reduced, and consequently the rotation speed of the screw blades 21 is reduced, which may reduce the flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to the hydraulic motor of the drive unit 25 of the screw conveyor 20. In this case, the hydraulic unit 350 corresponding to the reduction in the supply flow rate of hydraulic fluid is put into standby mode. Therefore, the surplus power of the hydraulic unit 350 in standby mode can be supplied to the power generation device 70.

[0158] (E) With respect to the screw gate (screw conveyor 20), when the opening of the screw gate is adjusted during the excavation process, the hydraulic actuator for the screw gate is operated. However, when the opening is not being adjusted, the hydraulic actuator for the screw gate and the hydraulic unit 450 are in standby mode. In this standby state, the surplus power of the hydraulic unit 450 can be supplied to the power generation device 70.

[0159] (G) With respect to the shape-holding device 96, when the shape-holding device 96 performs shape-holding operations of the tunnel T during the excavation process (for example, when it moves in the forward and backward direction to follow the excavation, or when it moves in the up and down direction to hold the load), the hydraulic actuator for the shape-holding device 96 is activated. However, when the shape-holding operation is not performed during the excavation process, the hydraulic actuator for the shape-holding device 96 and the hydraulic unit 650 are in standby mode. In this case, the surplus power of the hydraulic unit 650 in standby mode can be supplied to the power generation device 70.

[0160] As described above, even during the excavation process, the hydraulic actuators and hydraulic units of the various equipment mounted on the tunnel boring machine 1 may be in a standby state. Here, the control device 110 can control and understand whether the hydraulic actuators and hydraulic units of the various equipment are in an operational state or a standby state by monitoring the operation input to the tunnel boring machine 1 during the excavation process and the operating status of the tunnel boring machine 1. Generally, the hydraulic control of the various equipment of the tunnel boring machine 1 is performed by the control device 110, so the control device 110 can easily understand whether the equipment is in an operational state or a standby state.

[0161] (2) Segment assembly process Next, with reference to Figure 14, hydraulic control in the segment assembly process will be explained. Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the conditions for generating electricity using surplus power in the segment assembly process of the tunnel boring machine 1 according to this embodiment. In construction using the tunnel boring machine 1, the segment assembly process and the excavation process are performed alternately.

[0162] As shown in Figure 14, during the segment assembly process, hydraulic units 50, 550, and 650 related to (B) the propulsion system (shield jack 19), (F) the erector device 95, and (G) the shape holding device 96 may be in a standby state. In this case, the surplus power from these standby hydraulic units 50, 550, and 650 can be supplied to the power generation device 70 to generate electricity. The conditions for the standby state of the various equipment shown in Figure 14 will be explained in detail below.

[0163] (B) Regarding the propulsion system (shield jacks 19), in the segment assembly process, of the multiple (n) shield jacks 19, the shield jacks 19 positioned at the assembly location of the segment S are operational, while the shield jacks 19 positioned at other locations are in standby mode. At the assembly location of the segment S, the shield jacks 19 are operational when the drive rod 19a of the shield jack 19 is retracted to secure space for the new segment S, or when the drive rod 19a is pressed against the segment S after its assembly. During this operation, the shield jacks 19 positioned at other locations are in standby mode, and therefore the hydraulic units 50 corresponding to these standby shield jacks 19 are also in standby mode. In addition, some of the shield jacks 19 used in the assembly work are also in standby mode, for example, while the erector device 95 is being operated. Therefore, the surplus power of the hydraulic units 50 in standby mode can be supplied to the power generator 70.

[0164] (F) In the segment assembly process, the erector device 95 sequentially assembles multiple segments S along the circumferential direction. At this time, the erector device 95 does not operate continuously, but operates intermittently. In other words, due to the operation of the shield jacks 19 positioned at the assembly locations of each segment S as described above, the erector device 95 is on standby while the shield jacks 19 are operating. Therefore, when the erector device 95 is intermittently in standby mode, the hydraulic unit 550 corresponding to the erector device 95 is also in standby mode. Thus, the surplus power of the hydraulic unit 550 in standby mode can be supplied to the power generator 70.

[0165] (G) With respect to the shape-holding device 96, in the segment assembly process, when the shape-holding device 96 performs a shape-holding operation on the tunnel T (for example, when it moves vertically to hold a load), the hydraulic actuator for the shape-holding device 96 is activated. However, when the shape-holding operation is not performed during the segment assembly process, the hydraulic actuator for the shape-holding device 96 and the hydraulic unit 650 are in standby mode. In this standby state, the surplus power of the hydraulic unit 650 can be supplied to the power generator 70.

[0166] [4. Summary] As explained above, in the excavation process, when the load on the tunnel boring machine 1 is low, the number of operating shield jacks 19 m and the number of operating hydraulic units 50 u can be reduced to carry out the excavation. For example, the number of operating hydraulic units 50 for the shield jacks 19 u can be reduced to half of the total number t to supply hydraulic power to the shield jacks 19, and the surplus hydraulic power from the remaining half w units of hydraulic units 50 that are in standby mode can be supplied to the power generation device 70 to generate electricity.

[0167] Furthermore, in the excavation process, if the excavation speed V cannot be increased even if thrust is applied to the cutter head 11 due to reasons such as hard ground, the flow rate Q of the hydraulic fluid supplied to the shield jack 19 can be reduced. Therefore, the number of operating hydraulic units 50 that supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jack 19 can be reduced, resulting in a standby hydraulic unit 50. Also, when the excavation speed V is low, the amount of soil removed by the screw conveyor 20 is reduced. Therefore, in the above (D) screw rotation system, the rotation speed of the screw blades 21 can be reduced, and the flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied to the hydraulic motor of the drive unit 25 of the screw conveyor 20 can be reduced, resulting in a standby hydraulic unit 350. Thus, the surplus hydraulic power from the standby hydraulic units 50 and 350 can be supplied to the power generation device 70 and effectively utilized for power generation.

[0168] Furthermore, during the excavation process, hydraulic units 150, 250, 450, and 650 for hydraulic actuators of equipment that is not in continuous operation (for example, (A) copy cutter 35a, (C) folding mechanism, (E) screw gate, (G) shape holding device 96, etc.) may also be temporarily in standby mode. Therefore, if these hydraulic units 150, 250, 450, and 650 are in standby mode during excavation, the surplus hydraulic power from these units can be supplied to the power generation device 70 and effectively utilized for power generation.

[0169] Furthermore, in the segment assembly process, when multiple segments S are assembled sequentially, the shield jack 19 and the erector device 95 operate alternately, and each enters a standby state until the other device finishes operating. Therefore, when the shield jack 19 and the erector device 95 alternately enter a standby state, the hydraulic unit 50 for the shield jack 19 and the hydraulic unit 550 for the erector device 95 also alternately enter a standby state. Also, in the shape holding device 96, when the shape holding operation of the tunnel T is not performed during the segment assembly process, the hydraulic actuator and hydraulic unit 650 for the shape holding device 96 enter a standby state. Therefore, the surplus hydraulic power from the hydraulic units 50, 550, and 650 in this standby state can be supplied to the power generation device 70 and effectively utilized for power generation.

[0170] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the hydraulic units 50, 150, 250, 350, 450, 550, and 650 for various devices mounted on the tunnel boring machine 1 are in standby mode, the surplus hydraulic power from these standby hydraulic units can be used to drive the power generation device 70 and generate electricity. Therefore, the electricity generated by the power generation device 70 can be effectively used as a power source for other equipment on the tunnel boring machine 1. Thus, the overall power consumption of the tunnel boring machine 1 can be suppressed, and energy-saving construction can be achieved.

[0171] In particular, since the large-diameter tunnel boring machine 1 is equipped with numerous hydraulic units, it is preferable to generate electricity using the surplus power of some of these hydraulic units when they are in standby mode. This allows for the effective use of a large amount of surplus power to generate a large amount of electricity, which can then be used to power other equipment in the tunnel boring machine 1. As a result, the power consumption of the large-diameter tunnel boring machine 1 can be significantly reduced, enabling more energy-efficient construction.

[0172] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0173] For example, in the above embodiment, an example of a tunnel boring machine 1 of the earth pressure type (including the mud pressure type) was described, but the tunnel boring machine according to the present invention may also be a slurry type tunnel boring machine.

[0174] Furthermore, although the components of the tunnel boring machine 1 have been described in the above embodiment with reference to the drawings, the dimensions and positional relationships of the components in the drawings are merely illustrative, and the dimensions and positional relationships of the components of the tunnel boring machine 1 are not limited to the examples shown in the drawings. In addition, components may be added, deleted, or modified as appropriate for the tunnel boring machine 1 illustrated in the drawings. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0175] 1. Tunnel boring machine 10 Excavator body 11 Cutter head 12 Bulkhead 13 Cutter rotation shaft 17 Chambers 19 Shield Jack 20 Screw conveyors 25 Drive unit 35a Copy Cutter 40 Cutter motor 50 Hydraulic Units 52 Hydraulic electric motor 54 Hydraulic pump 60 power supply 70 Power generation equipment 72. Hydraulic pump (for power generation) 74 Generators 76 Converters 80 Hydraulic passages 82, 84 Hydraulic valves 86 Pressure Sensor 92 Folding Jack 95 Erector System 96 Shape retention device 110 Control device S segment T Tunnel

Claims

1. The excavator body and Multiple hydraulic actuators are provided on the excavator body, Multiple hydraulic units that supply hydraulic pressure to the aforementioned hydraulic actuator, A power generation device capable of generating electricity using hydraulic pressure supplied from the aforementioned hydraulic unit, A control device that controls the operation of the hydraulic actuator, the hydraulic unit, and the power generation device, Equipped with, The control device is A tunnel boring machine that controls the standby hydraulic units and the power generation device so that, among the plurality of hydraulic units, the standby hydraulic units that are not supplying hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuators supply hydraulic pressure to the power generation device to generate electricity.

2. The aforementioned multiple hydraulic actuators include multiple shield jacks, The aforementioned multiple hydraulic units are capable of supplying hydraulic pressure to the aforementioned multiple shield jacks. The control device is In accordance with the excavation load when the cutter head excavates the ground, the system controls the number of shield jacks to be operated from among the multiple shield jacks, and the number of hydraulic units to be operated from among the multiple hydraulic units to supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jacks. The tunnel boring machine according to claim 1, wherein hydraulic pressure is supplied to the power generation device from the hydraulic unit in standby mode among the plurality of hydraulic units that does not supply hydraulic pressure to the shield jack, thereby generating electricity.

3. The control device is The tunnel boring machine according to claim 2, which controls the number of operating hydraulic units and the number of standby hydraulic units based on the excavation speed when excavating the ground.

4. The aforementioned multiple hydraulic actuators include multiple shield jacks, The aforementioned multiple hydraulic units are capable of supplying hydraulic pressure to the aforementioned multiple shield jacks. The control device is While the shield jack is in operation, hydraulic pressure is supplied to the shield jack from the multiple hydraulic units. The tunnel boring machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, while the shield jack is stopped, at least some of the plurality of hydraulic units are put into a standby state, and hydraulic pressure is supplied from the standby hydraulic units to the power generation device to generate electricity.

5. The aforementioned plurality of hydraulic actuators include one or more hydraulic actuators selected from among a hydraulic actuator for a copy cutter, a hydraulic actuator for the folding mechanism of the excavator body, a hydraulic actuator for the soil removal device, a hydraulic actuator for the erector device, and a hydraulic actuator for the shape-holding device of the excavator body. The tunnel boring machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of hydraulic units include hydraulic units for one or more types of hydraulic actuators.

6. The control device is While the one or more hydraulic actuators are in operation, hydraulic pressure is supplied from the hydraulic unit for the one or more hydraulic actuators to the one or more hydraulic actuators. The tunnel boring machine according to claim 5, wherein, while one or more of the aforementioned hydraulic actuators are stopped, the hydraulic unit for the one or more of the aforementioned hydraulic actuators is put into the standby state, and hydraulic pressure is supplied from the hydraulic unit in the standby state to the power generation device to generate electricity.

Images