A tunnel boring machine including a propulsion system, an enclosure carried by the propulsion system, and a torch support structure carried by the enclosure. The torch support structure can include a primary disc mounted on a rotatable shaft carried by the enclosure, a first plurality of plasma torches mounted to the primary disc, and a power supply cable coupled to the enclosure and adapted to supply power to the boring machine from one or more power sources.

Systems for forming or extending a tunnel or shaft within geologic material may include a ram accelerator assembly for accelerating one or more projectiles into geologic material to weaken a region of the geologic material. The projectile(s) pre-condition the geologic material, such as by forming one or more holes in a central region of the material or to define a perimeter of the region to be displaced. A cutting tool or subsequent projectile impacts may then be used to remove the weakened material. The voids formed by the first projectile(s) cause compressive forces from subsequent impacts or cutting operations to be converted to tension forces that more efficiently break geologic material, which may fall into the voids created by the first projectile(s). The voids created by the projectile impacts may also control the material that is removed and the shape of a resulting section of the tunnel or shaft.

An apparatus includes a current excitation source, a roadheader telescopic protection cylinder, an electric rotating apparatus, auxiliary cutting teeth, a cutting head entity, a transmission shaft, an optical fiber ring protective housing, an optical fiber ring, an optical fiber current sensor control unit and a recovery electrode. The apparatus transmits an auxiliary current I.sub.e and a monitoring current I.sub.d to a coal seam. The auxiliary current I.sub.e and the monitoring current I.sub.d are homologous currents that are incompatible, and the auxiliary current I.sub.e squeezes the monitoring current I.sub.d, so the monitoring current I.sub.d monitors the environment of the coal seam. The monitoring current I.sub.d flows to the coal seam as, and a return current I.sub.f flows through the transmission shaft and a roadheader expansion part. The optical fiber ring measures the return current I.sub.f, when the roadheader is heading forward and encounters abnormal geological bodies.

An automatic coal mining machine and a fluidized coal mining method are provided. A first excavation cabin is configured to cut coal seam to obtain raw coal and to be transported to a first coal preparation cabin for separating coal blocks from gangue. Then, the obtained coal blocks are transported to a first fluidized conversion reaction cabin. The first fluidized conversion reaction cabin converts the energy form of the coal block into liquid, gas or electric energy, which is transported to a first energy storage cabin for storing. Coal mining and conversion are carried out in underground coal mines, so it is not necessary to raise coal blocks to the ground for washing and conversion, thereby reducing the transportation cost of coal, improving the utilization degree of coal, and avoiding the pollution of the ground environment caused by waste in the mining and conversion process.

A tunnel boring machine including a propulsion system, an enclosure carried by the propulsion system, and a torch support structure carried by the enclosure. The torch support structure can include a primary disc mounted on a rotatable shaft carried by the enclosure, a first plurality of plasma torches mounted to the primary disc, and a power supply cable coupled to the enclosure and adapted to supply power to the boring machine from one or more power sources.

The invention relates to a method (S10) for optimizing the characteristics of a tunnel boring machine, particularly a tunnel boring machine of the slurry pressure or VD type, said method comprising the following steps: S0: determining a ground/machine interaction model, S11: instantaneous measurement of the set of specific boring parameters of the tunnel boring machine, S13: determining the group of individuals corresponding to the boring parameters measured in step S11 by means of the ground/machine interaction model, S14: optimizing the characteristics of the tunnel boring machine as a function of the group of individuals thus determined.

An automatic coal mining machine and a fluidized coal mining method are provided. A first excavation cabin is configured to cut coal seam to obtain raw coal and to be transported to a first coal preparation cabin for separating coal blocks from gangue. Then, the obtained coal blocks are transported to a first fluidized conversion reaction cabin. The first fluidized conversion reaction cabin converts the energy form of the coal block into liquid, gas or electric energy, which is transported to a first energy storage cabin for storing. Coal mining and conversion are carried out in underground coal mines, so it is not necessary to raise coal blocks to the ground for washing and conversion, thereby reducing the transportation cost of coal, improving the utilization degree of coal, and avoiding the pollution of the ground environment caused by waste in the mining and conversion process.

Systems to bore or tunnel through various geologies in an autonomous or substantially autonomous manner can include one or more non-contact boring elements that direct energy at the bore face to remove material from the bore face through fracture, spallation, and removal of the material. The systems can automatically execute methods to control a set of boring parameters that affect the flux of energy directed at the bore face. Systems can further automatically execute the methods to trigger an optical sensor to capture images at the bore face, generate temperature profiles, identify spall fragments and hot zones and/or adjust a set of boring controls. For example, the system can execute methods to adjust a standoff distance between the system and the bore face, and adjust power and/or gas supply to the non-contact boring element.

The present application describes a rapid burrowing robot (RBR) that can dig tunnels using ultra high temperature rotating plasma torches.

A tunnel boring robot includes a tunnel boring machine, a sensing unit, an intelligent decision unit, and a controller unit. The sensing unit, the intelligent decision unit and the controller unit are disposed at the tunnel boring machine. The sensing unit is configured to sense, in real time, boring operation data of a current cycle during which the tunnel boring machine is working according to set boring parameter information. The intelligent decision unit is configured to receive the boring operation data sent by the sensing unit, and generate the set boring parameter information for a next cycle according to a preset prediction algorithm, the boring operation data and a desired boring effect. The controller unit is configured to receive the set boring parameter information, and control the tunnel boring machine to perform a boring operation for the next cycle according to the set boring parameter information.