Tunneling Machine Buffer Tank for Continuous Excavation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tunneling machines must frequently stop operations when the soil transporter is away from the loading position, leading to increased downtime as the length of the tunnel pipe segment increases, due to limitations in the amount of particulate material that can be removed during transport.
Innovation Solution
A tunneling machine design featuring a buffer tank with a sloping bottom and dual conveyors, where the first conveyor transports material to the buffer tank and the second conveyor, operating only when the soil transporter is present, efficiently moves material from the buffer tank to the transporter, allowing continuous operation by accumulating and offloading material during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the soil transporter is used to transport particulate material away from the excavating mechanism, then the tunneling machine can clear the tunnel pipe segment, but the tunneling machine must be stopped when the soil transporter is away from the loading position, increasing downtime
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer tank is introduced as an intermediary storage device between the excavating mechanism and the soil transporter. The buffer tank receives particulate material from the excavating mechanism and stores it, allowing the soil transporter to operate independently without requiring the tunneling machine to stop. This mediator enables continuous excavation operations while the soil transporter moves material to the rear end of the frame and outside the tunnel pipe segment.
2Length of moving object
If the length of the tunnel pipe segment increases, then more material can be transported, but the time needed for transporting the soil transporter between loading and unloading stations becomes significant
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer tank serves as a temporary storage intermediary that decouples the excavation process from the material transport process. Particulate material is accumulated in the buffer tank at the front end of the frame while the soil transporter is away, allowing the tunneling machine to maintain continuous operation. The sloping bottom of the buffer tank facilitates efficient material discharge to the soil transporter when it returns.
3Device complexity
If the amount of particulate material removed from the tunnel wall is limited by the size of the conveyor, then the conveyor can be compact, but the tunneling machine cannot operate continuously in longer tunnel segments
Solution Approach 1:
The material transport system is segmented into distinct functional components: a first conveyor that transports material from the excavating mechanism to the buffer tank, a buffer tank for storage, and a second conveyor that transfers material from the buffer tank to the soil transporter. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the first conveyor can be compact since it only needs to handle material locally, while the buffer tank provides the necessary storage capacity to enable continuous operation over longer distances.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous tunneling operations by accumulating and efficiently offloading particulate material, reducing downtime and increasing productivity in longer tunnel segments without the need for frequent soil transporter movement.
Implementation Method 1
the buffer tank comprises a sloping bottom
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3B
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a tunneling machine comprising an elongated frame for being inserted into a tunnel pipe segment. The frame defines a front end and a rear end. The tunnelling machine further comprises an actuator for moving the frame within the tunnel pipe segment, an excavating mechanism located at the front end of the frame for excavating particulate material from the tunnel pipe segment, and a buffer tank located between the front end and the rear end of the frame. A first conveyor receives the particulate material from the excavating mechanism at the front end of the frame and transports the particulate material to the buffer tank. A soil transporter receives the particulate material from the buffer tank at the rear end of the frame and transports the particulate material from the rear end of the frame to the outside of the tunnel pipe segment.