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US 10,641,093 B2Granted
Tunnel boring machine
AssigneeHitachi Zosen Corporation
InventorsToshiyuki Okada, Takayuki Iwamuro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tunnel boring machine includes: a cutter head; a cutter support; a cutter driving unit; a rotational position sensing unit; a strain sensor; and a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit.
Claims16
A tunnel boring machine having an intermediate support structure, comprising:
- a chamber;
- a cutter head;
- a cutter column, which is a cutter support supporting the cutter head and configured to rotate with the cutter head;
- a cutter driving unit configured to rotationally drive the cutter head and the cutter support;
- a rotational position sensing unit configured to sense a position of the cutter head in a rotational direction;
- at least one strain sensor provided in the cutter column;
- and
- a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit,
- wherein the cutter column is configured to move in a circumferential direction in the chamber, the cutter column has a rectangular tube shape and includes a pair of side surfaces facing the circumferential direction, and
- the at least one strain sensor is mounted to each of a pair of installation surfaces, using inner surfaces of the pair of side surfaces facing the circumferential direction as the pair of installation surfaces.
7 more elements
A tunnel boring machine having an intermediate support structure, comprising:
- a chamber;
- a cutter head;
- a cutter column, which is a cutter support supporting the cutter head and configured to rotate with the cutter head;
- a cutter driving unit configured to rotationally drive the cutter head and the cutter support;
- a rotational position sensing unit configured to sense a position of the cutter head in a rotational direction;
- at least one strain sensor provided in the cutter column;
- and
- a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit,
- wherein the cutter column configured to move in a circumferential direction in the chamber has a hollow tubular shape, the cutter column having a pair of side surfaces facing the circumferential direction;
- and
- wherein the at least one strain sensor is mounted to each of inner surfaces of the pair of side surfaces.
8 more elements
A tunnel boring machine having an intermediate support structure, comprising:
- a cutter head;
- a cutter column, which is a cutter support supporting the cutter head and configured to rotate with the cutter head;
- a cutter driving unit configured to rotationally drive the cutter head and the cutter support;
- a rotational position sensing unit configured to sense a position of the cutter head in a rotational direction;
- at least one strain sensor provided in the cutter column;
- a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit;
- and
- a plurality of cutter columns arranged at a distance in radial directions from a rotation axis at regular angular intervals.
5 more elements
A tunnel boring machine comprising:
- a cutter head;
- a cutter support supporting the cutter head and configured to rotate with the cutter head;
- a cutter driving unit configured to rotationally drive the cutter head and the cutter support;
- a rotational position sensing unit configured to sense a position of the cutter head in a rotational direction;
- at least one strain sensor provided in a cutter spoke itself of the cutter head;
- and
- a data processing unit configured to calculate a force acting on the cutter head in association with the position of the cutter head in the rotational direction, based on sensing results of the at least one strain sensor and the rotational position sensing unit,
- wherein the cutter head has the cutter spoke and a plurality of cutter bits, and
- wherein the at least one strain sensor is provided in the cutter spoke at a position apart from the plurality of cutter bits in a direction of a rotation axis of the cutter head.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.