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Numerical study of the semi-ellipsoidal TBM cutterhead on ground behavior and effects of the new design
Shetty, Abhishek
Shetty, Abhishek
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2024
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In this thesis, the effect of semi-ellipsoidal cutterhead design on tunnel boring machines (TBM) performance is evaluated by comparing the conventional cutterhead design through numerical modelling in FLAC3D. The study mainly focuses on key operational parameters such as ground displacement, stress distribution, thrust, torque and advance rate on both models i.e., semi-ellipsoidal cutterhead and conventional cutterhead in Earth Pressure Balance and Slurry TBMs. Results indicate that the semi-ellipsoidal design provides a more uniform distribution of stresses and displacements, reducing the risk of face collapse, ground failure and stability of the ground in softer grounds. However, this design requires significantly higher thrust and torque due to its larger surface area, leading to require better drive systems and more powerful thrust cylinders to excavate the same ground when compared to the conventional cutterhead, but these can be compensated with faster advance rate and saving costs and time of the project. In contrast, the conventional cutterhead achieves a higher advance rate with lower energy demands in harder soils/rocks. Stability of conventional cutterhead is lower when compared with ellipsoidal cutterhead in less competent soils. The findings underscore the need to carefully select TBM designs tailored to specific ground conditions, balancing operational efficiency with safety and stability requirements. This research contributes to the advancement of TBM technologies and gives insights into the idea of developing a new cutterhead design for TBM tunneling.
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