Field and laboratory experimental studies on hard-rock tunnel excavation based on disc cutter coupled with high-pressure waterjet
He FEI1,2, Yiqiang LU2,3(), Jinliang ZHANG4, Xingchen LUO1, Yimin XIA1
1. College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China 2. China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450016, China 3. College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China 4. Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd., Zhengzhou 450003, China
The tunnel boring machine (TBM) is typically used in hard-rock tunnel excavation. Owing to the unsatisfactory adaptability of TBM to the surrounding rock, when crossing high-strength and high-wear strata, the TBM can easily cause defects, such as abnormal wear on cutters and overload damage to bearings, thus affecting the construction efficiency and cost. Therefore, high-pressure waterjet technology should be applied to assist in rock breaking for efficient TBM tunneling. In this study, the effects of water pressure, nozzle diameter, and nozzle speed on cutting are investigated via laboratory experiments of cutting hard rock using high-pressure waterjets. The penetration performance of the TBM under different water pressures is investigated via a field industrial penetration test. The results show that high-pressure waterjets are highly efficient for rock breaking and are suitable for industrial applications, as they can accommodate the advancing speed of the TBM and achieve high-efficiency rock breaking. However, during the operation of high-pressure waterjets, the ambient temperature and waterjet temperature in the tunnel increase significantly, which weakens the cooling effect of the cutterhead and decreases the construction efficiency of the TBM. Therefore, temperature control and cooling measures for high-pressure waterjets during their long-term operation must be identified. This study provides a useful reference for the design and construction of high-pressure water-jet-assisted cutterheads for breaking road headers.
. [J]. Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering, 2023, 17(9): 1370-1386.
He FEI, Yiqiang LU, Jinliang ZHANG, Xingchen LUO, Yimin XIA. Field and laboratory experimental studies on hard-rock tunnel excavation based on disc cutter coupled with high-pressure waterjet. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2023, 17(9): 1370-1386.
rock chip temperature at the interface of #1 and #2 belt conveyors (°C)
high-pressure water temperature at nozzle (°C)
interface of #1 and #2 belt conveyors
high-pressure pump unit area
0
28.6
32
42.5
45
150
31.6
38
44.6
69
200
32.5
40
46.1
79
240
33.1
41
50.4
85
280
33.3
46
57.3
90
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