In a device and a method for continuously driving a tunnel along a desired setpoint trajectory there is provision to influence pressing forces which are applied to installed tubbing segments by compactors using a control circuit, wherein, during the driving and during the installation of tubbing rings, an actual trajectory of the device remains in a region which is permissible for maintaining the desired set point trajectory.

A tunnel excavation device includes a first body portion and an erector device. The first body portion includes a cutter head and a support portion rotatably supporting the cutter head. The erector device is configured to transport a supporting member toward an excavated wall surface. The erector device is provided on the support portion. The erector device includes a ring portion holding the supporting member, and a posture changing device configured to change an angle formed by a center axis of the ring portion and a rotation axis of the cutter head in a plan view.

Disclosed a combined rock-breaking TBM tunneling method in complex strata for realizing three-way force detection, comprising the steps of preparing a combined mechanical-hydraulic rock-breaking cutter head for TBM construction; starting construction; advancing the combined mechanical-hydraulic rock-breaking cutter head; pushing and pressing against a tunnel face by a mechanical cutter tool; subjecting a three-way force detection cutter to squeezing forces; feeding back three-way force data by a three-way force sensor; processing information by a TBM back-end control processor; obtaining a value of rock-cutter contact angle φ; feeding back parameter information to a TBM cutter head control center by a lithology index center; responding by the TBM cutter head control center, obtaining and adjusting parameters by the mechanical cutter tool equipped with the three-way force sensor; and breaking rock by the combined mechanical-hydraulic rock-breaking cutter head. The method disclosed is energy-saving and efficient, and has high rock-breaking efficiency.

A device for detecting a content of critical gas in a mining chamber of a tunnel boring machine includes a separation module by which a fluid fed in via an extraction line connection is cleaned of solid and liquid components. A gas line arrangement arranged downstream of the separation module in the flow direction of the fluid carries the fluid, including substantially only gaseous components, through a pressure reducer and through a flow control valve of a metering module by which the gas to be analyzed can be delivered in a controlled manner assisted by a double diaphragm pump and a pressure stabilizer to a gas analysis unit even at high pressures in the cavity.

A tunnel excavation device includes a main body a frame and a workbench. The main body includes a front body section and a rear body section. The front body section includes a cutter head provided with a plurality of disk cutters. The rear body section is disposed behind the front body section and includes a gripper section for obtaining a reaction force when excavating. The frame is disposed continuously behind the main body. The workbench is disposed above the frame so as to be rotatable with respect to the frame.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a cutter head arrangement comprising a cutter head portion including a (substantially cylindrical) cutter head side wall to define a chamber (or cavity) surrounded by the cutter head side wall. A substantially circular rim portion extends from (a distal end of) the cutter head side wall, the rim portion defining a working, contact face of the cutter head portion. A recessed wall portion extends away from the rim portion inwardly into the chamber so as to be surrounded by the cutter head side wall, with the rim portion and/or the recessed wall portion being fitted with a plurality of cutter elements, to enable the cutter head portion to blind bore a pilot hole in use. The recessed wall portion that extends away from the rim portion inwardly into the chamber is a substantially conical body so as to define a conical recess (proximate a central region of the cutter head portion, at a distal end of the cutter head portion). The conical body accordingly defines an inwardly extending apex that terminate substantially in line with a central axis of the cutter head portion.

A tunnel boring machine having a cutting wheel equipped with a number of excavation tools provided with sensor units and, in a corresponding tunnelling method, only substantially fully worn excavation tools are able to be replaced using a data processing device designed with an advancement planning unit by detecting the current state of the excavation tools and predicting the state of the excavation tools on tool replacement predication planes lying in the advancing direction.

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.

In a cutting tool (106) for a tunnel boring machine, a tool head (115) equipped with at least one wear sensor (315) is present that is detachably connectable to a tool holder (206, 321). A line arrangement having a wireless, connector-free coupling module (312) between the tool head (115) and the tool holder (206, 321) is provided for connecting the or each wear sensor (315) to an evaluation module (330). In this way, in the event of wear, a tool head (115) to be replaced may very easily be removed from the tool holder (206, 321) and a new tool head (115) may be connected to the tool holder (206, 321) very easily and in an electrically safe manner. A tunnel boring machine equipped with at least one cutting tool (106) of this type is thus operable in a very efficient manner.

An apparatus for excavating a tunnel includes a cutting wheel equipped with measuring modules of sensor means on its cutting wheel face in order to directly sample the consistency of the material present between the cutting wheel face and a tunnel face by recording different types of measured values characteristic of this.