Transient temperature field model for a cutterhead during slurry shield tunneling

摘要

Due to the friction between the cutterhead and the soil, the temperature will rise continuously during shield tunneling, which expedites thermal damage and wear of the cutterhead. In this study, a transient model for predicting the cutterhead temperature is proposed. Both the driving parameters and geological factors are considered in this model. The shield driving parameters include the cutterhead rotation speed and penetration depth, while the geological factors consist of the friction coefficient, elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, coefficient of static earth pressure, and the unit weight of soil. A comparison is made between the proposed model and field tests, indicating the validity of the model. A parametric study is conducted and the results indicate that the temperature of the cutterhead presents cyclic heating-cooling during shield tunneling. Reducing the rotation speed is a more effective option for temperature control if necessary. Comparatively, the cutterhead heats up faster in sandy soils than in clayey soils.