Dynamic numerical simulation of tunneling by the TBM cutter head

A cutter head is the critical component of a tunnel boring machine (TBM). It's very difficult to understand the interaction between the cutter head and rocks only by means of experiments or the on-site data in the tunneling. In this paper, a three-dimensional computational model for the excavation process of TBM cutter head was established using the ABAQUS/Explicit module. The extended Drucker-Prager elastoplastic model was used as the constitutive model to describe the material nonlinearity of the rock. The progressive damage and failure rules involving element deleting function were used to simulate the formation and separation of cutting scraps. The direct numerical simulation of TBM cutter head tunneling was realized using the explicit integration algorithm to obtain the dynamic excavating loads and the damage state on the tunneling face during the whole physical process. Results show that for the selected rock mechanical parameters, damage occurs on the whole working face and the cutter head comes into the stable excavating stage when the thrust distance reaches 8.5 mm. The loadings on the cutter head fluctuate sharply during the tunneling process, and their first-order frequency is twice the one of rotation. The study indicates that the numerical method may be an effective tool to simulate the excavation process under TBM working conditions. ©, 2015, Editorial Office of Journal of Harbin Engineering University. All right reserved.