Techno Press
You logged in as. Techno Press

Geomechanics and Engineering
  Volume 34, Number 1, July10 2023 , pages 103-113
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/gae.2023.34.1.103
 


TBM disc cutter ring type adaptability and rock-breaking efficiency: Numerical modeling and case study
Xiaokang Shao, Yusheng Jiang, Zongyuan Zhu, Zhiyong Yang, Zhenyong Wang, Jinguo Cheng and Quanwei Liu

 
Abstract
    This study focused on understanding the relationship between the design of a tunnel boring machine disc cutter ring and its rock-breaking efficiency, as well as the applicable conditions of different cutter ring types. The discrete element method was used to establish a numerical model of the rock-breaking process using disc cutters with different ring types to reveal the development of rock damage cracks and variation in cutter penetration load. The calculation results indicate that a sharp-edged (V-shaped) disc cutter penetrates a rock mass to a given depth with the lowest load, resulting in more intermediate cracks and few lateral cracks, which leads to difficulty in crack combination. Furthermore, the poor wear resistance of a conventional V-shaped cutter can lead to an exponential increase in the penetration load after cutter ring wear. In contrast, constant-cross-section (CCS) disc cutters have the highest quantity of crack extensions after penetrating rock, but also require the highest penetration loads. An arch-edged (U-shaped) disc cutter is more moderate than the aforementioned types with sufficient intermediate and lateral crack propagation after cutting into rock under a suitable penetration load. Additionally, we found that the cutter ring wedge angle and edge width heavily influence cutter rock-breaking efficiency and that a disc cutter with a 16 to 22 mm edge width and 20 to 30 wedge angle exhibits high performance. Compared to V-shaped and U-shaped cutters, the CCS cutter is more suitable for soft or medium-strength rocks, where the penetration load is relatively small. Additionally, two typical case studies were selected to verify that replacing a CCS cutter with a U-shaped or optimized V-shaped disc cutter can increase cutting efficiency when encountering hard rocks.
 
Key Words
    blade width; cutter ring type; damage crack; discrete element method; rock breaking; TBM construction; wedge angle
 
Address
Xiaokang Shao, Yusheng Jiang, Zongyuan Zhu, Zhiyong Yang, Zhenyong Wang and Jinguo Cheng: School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Ding, No. 11 Xueyuan Road,
Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
Quanwei Liu: Qingdao Metro Line 6 Co Ltd, No.177 Binhai Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao 266000, P.R. China
 

Techno-Press: Publishers of international journals and conference proceedings.       Copyright © 2025 Techno Press
P.O. Box 33, Yuseong, Daejeon 305-600 Korea, Tel: +82-42-828-7996, Fax : +82-42-828-7997, Email: admin@techno-press.com