EP0727561B1 - Method for controlling a tunnel boring machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The head control involves a bore (10) which is excavated by a head (12) in advance of a working tube (14) in which an inertial sensor (16) measures angles of pitch, roll and yaw w.r.t. a fixed coordinate system. Tunnel lining sections (24,26,28) follow in succession from a starting pit and are pressed together by hydraulic rams as the head advances. The direction of the longitudinal axis of one (28) of the following sections is checked by another inertial unit (38) therein on attainment of the position in which the first measurement was made.

Description

The invention relates to a method for controlling the Head of a tunnel boring machine at one Tunneling process, in which in the Tunneling machine produced tunnel pipe sections in accordance with the advance from a tunnel start pressed in and the drilling head of the tunnel boring machine be pushed.

In the tunneling method used here, from a starting point, e.g. a starting pit, from through a tunnel boring machine with a boring head Tunnel drilled. The head can be drill-like the rock over the entire cross section of the tunnel mill away. The head can also be one Milling cutter included, which sits on a movable arm and is moved across the tunnel cross-section. The Tunneling machine continues to contain funds for Remove the broken material. In the so generated Tunnel drilling is done by hydraulic cylinder pipe sections one after the other according to the progress of the advance pressed in so that the tunnel bore with one of continuous tube formed in these tube sections is lined. The head is controllable so that by hand or automatically along a given path can be performed.

The tunnel being driven should start from one Starting point as precisely as possible of a given line, e.g. follow a straight line with a given direction. To this Deviations in the path of the tunnel boring machine must be the purpose covered by this predetermined line and the Tunnel driving machine can be controlled so that such Deviations can be reduced to zero.

It is known that the tunneling method Measurement and control of the jacking head by means of a Laser beam as a guide beam. The laser beam meets one with a photodiode matrix Target plate attached to the jacking head. If the drive head deviates from the laser beam, delivers the Photodiode matrix a deviation signal. Of the Head can then be controlled so that this Deviation disappears. The direction of the laser beam is once determined and measured. The laser beam then leads the jack head over quite large if necessary Distances. (D. Stein, K. Möllers and R. Bielecki: "Pipeline tunnel construction", Ernst and Son, publishing house for architecture and Technical Sciences, Berlin 1988, pages 195 to 204; DE-U1-G 93 07 372.0). The problem arises that uneven heating of the air in the tunnel tube can lead to layers of air through which the laser beam is broken. This leads to arcuate deviations from the line defined by the laser beam. Air turbulence the laser beam can go as far as in the tunnel tube deform that control becomes impossible at all. A curved path of the head can be on this Way not be controlled at all.

DE-A-41 31 673 is a control device for Tunneling machines known, in which on the Head a sensor unit with a dynamic matched gyroscope and two accelerometers are attached. The sensor unit speaks on azimuth, Rolling and pitching movements of the head. From the respective orientation of the head and the Tunneling can be done using the dead reckoning method the position of the jacking head can be determined. Out of it can deviations of the driving head from the determined line and corresponding Control signals are generated. DE-A-41 31 673 the sensor unit is in a housing that is in a running tube is reproducibly guided. In your The working position is the sensor unit with the jacking head the tunnel boring machine can be detached in a defined manner relative location connected. The housing is made using a unwindable from a drum and onto the drum windable cable in the running tube in a Reference position can be moved. In the precisely measured Reference position takes place at certain times of the Tunneling, e.g. while inserting a new one Pipe section, a readjustment of the sensor unit. The Output signals from the sensor unit and one Position measuring device on the drum are in a Control unit according to the procedure of dead reckoning Determination of the position of the jacking head evaluated.

This "dead reckoning" of the jacking head by means of a inertial sensor responsive to changes in direction assumes that the head is always in the direction its longitudinal axis moves. It has been shown that this In practice, this is not always a requirement. It If the propulsion head also moves transversely to it Longitudinal axis. This movement can be done by just that Weight of the driving head, which is a "drift" downward in the direction of gravity. It can but also a drift e.g. due to different hardness of the Rock in the tunnel cross section. The Path of the head and thus the generated Form the tunnel cross section with the measured longitudinal axis of the Head a drift angle. Such a drift will by the on the direction of the longitudinal axis of the Not responsive inertial sensor unit detects and leads to position errors.

The invention has for its object the propulsion head with a tunnel boring machine while avoiding the described sources of error of the prior art exactly to follow a given line.

In particular, the invention is based on the object using an inertial sensor unit using the method of Dead reckoning certain position of the jacking head regarding a drift of the head correct.

According to the invention this object is achieved in that a Drift-independent position of the jacking head from the relative position of the jacking head to a Jack head trailing pipe section is determined.

As a reference, the propulsion head is thus one or few pipe sections lagging pipe section used. The pipe section is based on the tunnel bore. Its longitudinal axis lies in the direction of the tunnel bore. It it is assumed that this is due to the invention Control is essentially on the predetermined line and thus the trailing pipe section along this line is aligned. If that's the case, then it can Position of the head in relation to this reference be determined. This can be done in different ways.

Fig.1

veranschaulicht schematisch eine erste Ausführung des Verfahrens zur Steuerung des Vortriebskopfes einer Tunnelvortriebs-Maschine.

Fig.2

veranschaulicht die "Drift" des Vortriebskopfes.

Fig.3

ist eine mehr konstruktive Darstellung der bei dem Verfahren angewandten Mittel.

Fig.4

ist eine schematisch-perspektivische Darstellung der inertialen Sensoreinheit.

Fig.5

ist eine Darstellung ähnlich Fig.1 und veranschaulicht eine zweite Ausführung des Verfahrens zur Steuerung des Vortriebskopfes einer Tunnelvortriebs-Maschine.

Fig.6

ist eine mehr konstruktive Darstellung der bei dem Verfahren angewandten Mittel.

Two embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1

schematically illustrates a first embodiment of the method for controlling the head of a tunnel boring machine.

Fig. 2

illustrates the "drift" of the head.

Fig. 3

is a more constructive representation of the means used in the process.

Fig. 4

is a schematic perspective view of the inertial sensor unit.

Fig. 5

is a representation similar to Figure 1 and illustrates a second embodiment of the method for controlling the head of a tunnel boring machine.

Fig. 6

is a more constructive representation of the means used in the process.

In Figure 1, 10 is a tunnel bore. The Tunnel bore 10 is produced by a head 12. The driving head 12 is followed by a working tube 14 Working tube 14 sits an inertial sensor unit 16. Die inertial sensor unit 16 provides the position angle of the Head, namely pitch, roll and yaw angles based on an earth-fixed coordinate system. The inertial Sensor unit 16 is closer below with reference to Figure 4 described. The work tube 14 is followed by Pipe sections lowered into a launch pit 18 and by hydraulic cylinders 20 and 22 one after the other into the Tunnel bore 10 are pressed in to the extent that the head is advancing (Fig. 3). Follow in Fig.1 on the head 12 and the working tube 14 more Pipe sections 24, 26, 28 etc.

A control station 30 is also located in the working tube 14 housed. The control station 30 contains control elements in Form of control levers 32 for controlling the tunnel boring machine. Through these control elements can roll and Pitch of the jacking head and the "course", i.e. of the Azimuth angle can be changed to length the propeller head 12 to follow a given line. The control takes place here manually by an operator, the corresponding Control signals displayed. The control takes place using the dead reckoning method. Out Direction of movement and distance traveled results in respective position of the head 12. The Path increments can be covered by one of the Starting pit 18 led to the head 12, on a Roll of coiled cable can be measured, e.g. in the DE-A-41 31 673 is described. With this dead reckoning it is assumed that the head is in Moved in the direction of its longitudinal axis. It has been shown that this requirement is often not met. There is one "Drift" on.

This is explained with reference to Fig.2.

A movement without drift is shown on the left in FIG. The head 12 is schematically shown as a rectangle shown. The arrow 34 represents the direction of movement. In the illustration on the left in FIG Direction of movement with the longitudinal axis 36 of the jacking head 12 together. In the right part of Fig.2 forms the Direction of movement 34 of the head 12 with the Longitudinal axis 36 of the head 12 an angle, the "Drift angle" δ. The propulsion head then does not move in the direction of the longitudinal axis 36 that of the inertial Sensor unit 16 is measured. The dead reckoning leads then to a position error.

In a jacking head around a few pipe sections trailing pipe section, here the pipe section 28 there is another inertial sensor unit 38. This Sensor unit 38 also delivers position angles, this time for the pipe section 28, which follows the course of the Aligns tunnel bore 10.

In the state shown in FIG first measurement of the orientation of the longitudinal axis 36 of the Working tube and the jacking head by means of the Working tube provided inertial sensor unit 16. The Position angles of the longitudinal axis 36 are stored.

As tunneling progresses, if more Pipe sections 40 are pushed, the Pipe section 28 with the inertial sensor unit 38 to the Place where previously, at the described first measurement, the working tube 14 with the jacking head 12 and had found the inertial sensor unit 16. Means of the sensor unit 38 seated on the pipe section 28 now in a second measurement the orientation of the Longitudinal axis of the pipe section 28 measured. Of the Pipe section 28 depends on the wall of the Propulsion head 12 generated tunnel bore. This Tunnel bore runs in the direction of movement 34 of the Propulsion head 12. Along this direction of movement 34 yes the rock is milled off by the head 12, too if the head 12 shows a drift, ie not moved in the direction of its longitudinal axis. As long as longitudinal axis 36 and direction of movement 38 of the propulsion head coincide, as shown in the left part of Fig. 2, the orientations of the longitudinal axis 36 of the Head 12 and the pipe section 28 at the first or second measurement together. The differences of Position angles are zero. But if the head 12 on the If the measuring point was subjected to a drift, then the Orientation of the longitudinal axis of the head 12 on the Measuring point at the first measurement and the orientation of the Pipe section 28, also at the same measuring point, no longer together during the second measurement. There is one Difference at least one of the attitude angles. This The difference corresponds to the drift angle δ at the measuring point. From this drift angle can be caused by the Position errors can be closed. The control signals are corrected accordingly to the trajectory of the Keep the head on the specified line.

This procedure also works if the given one Line is curved.

Figure 3 shows the arrangement in a more constructive manner.

The propulsion head 12 contains a milling head 42, which a movable arm 44 is seated. The arm 44 guides the Milling head 42 over the tunnel cross section. The milled off Material falls onto a scraper conveyor 44 and is fed into one Broker 48 promoted. From the crusher 48 broken rock caused by a flow of liquid over a Line 50 conveyed. The liquid flow is from generated by a pump 52 driven by a motor 54 becomes. The inertial sensor unit 38 is in the Pipe section 28 arranged approximately at point 56.

The inertial sensor unit 38 is a schematic perspective view in FIG shown. The inertial sensor unit 16 is carried out in the same way.

The inertial sensor unit 38 contains a hanged one Gyroscope in a housing 58. On such suspended gyroscope acts due to the earth's rotation Torque (gyro directional torque), which is the horizontal Aligns the swirl axis of the gyro to the north. The Deflection of the gyro from a reference position is indicated by tapped a tap. The tap signal is via a Amplifier network connected to a torque generator, the around a vertical axis on the housing of the gyroscope works. The torque generator exerts a torque which counteracts the gyro directional torque and this compensated. The gyro is thus electrically connected to the Tied up reference position. The one on the Torque generator applied current provides a measure of the gyro directional torque and thus for the deviation of the Referral situation from north. Such a bound, suspended gyro is e.g. in US-A-37 50 300 described.

Housing 58 is in an inner gimbal 60 arranged. The inner gimbal 60 is around a in Fig.4 axis 62 in from left front to right rear an outer gimbal 64 pivotally mounted. Of the outer gimbal 64 is about one to axis 62 vertical, in Fig. 4 from the right front to the left rear extending axis 66 pivotable in a device housing 68 stored. The inner gimbal 64 carries Accelerometers 70 and 72 with perpendicular to each other Input axes. The input axis of the Accelerometer 70 is parallel to axis 62 The input axis of the accelerometer 72 is parallel to axis 66. Accelerometers 70 and 72 serve as an inclinometer. The accelerometer signals act on a servomotor via a controller, of which only the servomotor 74 is visible in FIG a twist via a gear or a belt drive the outer gimbal about the axis 66 or the inner Gimbal around axis 64 causes. This will make the inner gimbal 64 always horizontal, the housing 58 always kept vertical. The gimbal and the from the The gyro directional moment is determined by certain azimuth angles Position angle of the device housing 68 and thus a part which the device housing is attached to. That is the case the inertial sensor unit 38, the pipe section 28 and in In the case of the inertial sensor unit 16, the propulsion head 12.

Another version of the method for controlling the Head of a tunnel boring machine in the Tunneling method of the present type is over Fig. 5 can be seen. The structure is similar to that in Fig.1, and corresponding parts bear the same in both figures Reference numerals.

5 and 6 is in the trailing Pipe section 28 in addition to the inertial sensor unit 38 a laser 76 is arranged. The laser beam 78 of the laser 76 hits a target plate 80. The target plate 80 is on the working tube 14 and the propulsion head 12 attached. The Target plate 80 has a matrix of in a known manner Photodiodes on. From the place of impact of the Laser beam 78 on this target plate 80, the location of the Working tube 14 and jacking head relative to that Pipe section 28 can be determined. Here is the position the pipe section 28 out of the way and the orientation of the Pipe section 28, again according to the method of Dead reckoning, determined. The position of the Working tube 14 and the head 12 is not through Drift affected because the trailing pipe section 28th not transverse to its longitudinal direction but only in the direction the tunnel bore 10 moves. The pipe section 28 shows no drift. The dead reckoning of pipe section 28 therefore provides a drift-free position. On this like this certain position is now determined by means of laser and target plate again regardless of a drift of the propulsion head 12 determines the position of the head.

Instead of a laser and an "active" target plate with The method can also be carried out by photodiodes that the position of the trailing pipe section by means of the inertial sensor unit and the path of this Pipe section according to the methods of dead reckoning is determined and the position of the jacking head of the Tunneling machine relative to the trailing one Pipe section by means of one in the trailing Pipe section arranged image sensor, e.g. one Video camera and one of the "passive" target plate observed with the image sensor becomes.

Determining the relative position between aligned laser or image sensor and the propulsion head with the active or passive target plate is known per se and therefore not described in detail here. In contrast to the known methods in which the laser or Image sensor is permanently installed and the laser beam or the imaging beam path goes a long way on which optical interference can occur in the case of the processes described last, the laser or Image sensor pretty close behind the head arranged. Your position and orientation results in anytime from the dead reckoning and the signals of the inertial sensor unit. The actual position of the Jacking head can with a target position on a curved Path to be compared. It is therefore - in contrast to Procedures in which the head is driven by a laser beam is also guided along, the propulsion head along to guide given curved paths.

Claims (5)

1. Method of steering the advance working head of a tunnel boring machine in a tunnel boring method, in which tube sections (24,26,28) are pressed, in accordance with the advance, from a tunel entrance into a tunnel generated by the tunnel boring machine and are displaced to follow the advance working head of the tunnel boring machine,
   characterized in that
   a drift-independent position of the advance working head is derived from the relative position of the advance working head (12) with respect to a tube section (28) trailing the advance working head.
2. Method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the orientation of the trailing tube section is determined by means of an inertial sensor.
3. Method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that

   (a) the orientation of the trailing tube section is measured by means of the inertial sensor at the moment in which the advance working head of the tunnel boring machine assumes a certain position and is compared with the orientation of the trailing tube section measured in the same way at a later moment in which the trailing tube section has the same position as the advance working head of the tunnel boring machine at the moment of the first measurement, and

   (b) deriving a corrction value for the position of the advance working head from the deviations of these orientations.
4. Method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that

   (a) the position of the trailing tube section is determined by means of the inertial sensor unit and the distance covered by this tube section in accordance with the methods of dead reckoning navigation,

   (b) the position of the advance working head of the tunnel boring machine relative to the trailing tube section is determined by means of a laser arranged in the trailing tube section and a target plate attached to the advance working head and exposed to the laser beam.
5. Method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that

   (a) the position of the trailing tube section is determined by means of the inertial sensor unit and the distance covered by this tube section in accordance with the methods of dead reckoning navigation, and

   (b) the position of the advance working head of the tunnel boring machine relative to the trailing tube section is determined by means of an image sensor arranged in the trailing tube section and a target plate attached to the advance working head and observed by the image sensor.

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