The invention relates to a cutting wheel of a tunnel boring machine comprising at least one material discharge opening (5), said discharge opening (5) being delimited by a circumferential wall (10), the cutting wheel (3) being characterized in that it further comprises at least one ultrasonic emitter (6) configured to generate a mechanical vibratory motion in a range of ultrasonic frequencies, said emitter (6) being fixed against the circumferential wall (10) so as to transmit the mechanical vibratory motion to the vibrating circumferential wall (10) and to reduce its coefficient of friction.

A mobile tunnel boring unit is disclosed, comprising a support body driven by first drive means, the first drive means including a pair of spaced apart crawler tracks in contact with the tunnel floor and related track driving means to move the tracks. A cutter head drive means is located at an operatively front end of the boring unit, to which a rotatable cutter head can be fitted and rotatingly driven, in use, the cutter head comprising a full face cutter head fitted with cutters to bore a tunnel face. The cutter head is arranged to allow cuttings to pass through the cutter head for discharge into a muck hopper and onto a first conveyor arrangement, the cutter head drive means and a rear portion of the cutter head defining aligned central apertures to accommodate the muck hopper and a front part of the first conveyor arrangement. A telescopic shield arrangement is provided to shield the boring unit.

Provided is a tunnel boring machine that can detect a wear condition of a disc cutter with a highly reliable configuration. The tunnel boring machine includes a measurement device. The measurement device is disposed behind the disc cutter mounted on a cutter head. The measurement device has a function as an acquisition unit that acquires cutting edge position data indicating a position of a cutting edge part of a cutter ring in the disc cutter. The tunnel boring machine further includes a DC discrimination unit that discriminates which one of a plurality of disc cutters is the disc cutter the cutting edge position data of which is acquired by the measurement device and a wear amount calculator that calculates a wear amount of the cutting edge part of the discriminated disc cutter.

The invention relates to a cutting wheel of a tunnel boring machine comprising at least one material discharge opening (5), said discharge opening (5) being delimited by a circumferential wall (10), the cutting wheel (3) being characterized in that it further comprises at least one ultrasonic emitter (6) configured to generate a mechanical vibratory motion in a range of ultrasonic frequencies, said emitter (6) being fixed against the circumferential wall (10) so as to transmit the mechanical vibratory motion to the vibrating circumferential wall (10) and to reduce its coefficient of friction.

A device for advancing a cavity in underground mining, including a rotary drive, an axial shaft that is rotatable together with the rotary drive about a longitudinal axis, exactly one extraction drum that is rotatable about an drum rotational axis, and a connecting arrangement which is connected to the axial shaft and which supports the extraction drum, the connecting arrangement being configured in such a way that the drum rotational axis and the longitudinal axis lie in a plane, and are oriented at an acute angle with respect to one another in the advancing direction, in all operating positions during the advancement, characterized in that the extraction drum extends over at least an effective radius of the device in the radial direction of the device during advancement of the cavity.

A propulsion control device of a 3D printing-based tunnel boring machine, includes two propulsion control modules, and each of which includes tunnel support assemblies, a propulsion control assembly and a barrel body, where a propulsion sliding sleeve is arranged on an outer surface, and several tunnel support assemblies are arranged on an outer side of each propulsion sliding sleeve. Support plates on the two propulsion control modules alternately rise to support a 3D printed tunnel pipe. In the propulsion control module with the support plates in a closed state, a propulsion hydraulic cylinder controls a propulsion hydraulic cylinder extending end to contract, so as to pull the propulsion sliding sleeve to a front section of the barrel body; and in the propulsion control module with the support plates in a support state, the barrel body continuously advances relative to the propulsion sliding sleeve.

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.

A rock breaking seismic source and active source three-dimensional seismic combined detection system uses a tunnel boring machine for three-dimensional seismic combined detection by active seismic source and rock breaking seismic source methods. Long-distance advanced prediction and position recognition of a geological anomalous body are realized using the active source seismic method. Machine construction is adjusted and optimized according to the detection result; real-time short-distance accurate prediction of the body is realized using the cutter head rock breaking vibration having weak energy but containing a high proportion of transverse wave components as seismic sources and adopting an unconventional rock breaking seismic source seism recording and handling method. An area surrounding rock quality to be excavated is represented and assessed. A comprehensive judgment is made to the geological condition in front of the working face with the results of active source and rock breaking seismic source three-dimensional seismic advanced detection.

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to tunnel boring machine cutter assemblies, such as ripping and scraping cutter or tool assemblies, (collectively cutter assemblies), and related methods of use and manufacturing. The various embodiments of the cutter assemblies described herein may be used in tunnel boring machines (TBMs), earth pressure balance machines (EPBs), raise drilling systems, large diameter blind drilling systems, and other types of mechanical drilling and excavation systems.

A tunnel excavation device includes a front body portion configured to support a cutter head and a rear body portion. The rear body portion includes a gripper carrier and a gripper portion. The gripper carrier is disposed in a rear of the front body portion. The gripper portion is provided on the gripper carrier. The gripper portion includes a groove portion and a wheel portion. The groove portion is formed in a recess shape toward the rear main body. The wheel portion is disposed in the groove portion.