Study on the distribution and variation of temperature field in the rock breaking process of TBM disc cutter

Abstract

When the disc cutter crushes the rock, it will generate a large amount of cutting heat, which will increase the temperature of the cutter ring, accelerate the failure, and seriously affect the service life. In order to study the temperature effect in the rock breaking process of the disc cutter, a heat source model and a finite element model in the rock breaking process were established to determine the temperature field of the disc cutter in a single cutting and the temperature of the disc cutter for a long time was predicted. Finally, temperature evolution was verified by a multifunctional cutter performance experimental system and infrared thermal imaging technology. The results show that the heat flux and the temperature of the disc cutter rise with the increase of penetration, cutting speed, and rock compressive strength. The highest temperature occurs at θ/φ (The ratio of included angle from any point on the contact surface to the deepest point of rock breaking and contact angle) = 0.64–0.73. When the disc cutter cuts the rock in a short time, the temperature rises rapidly and then begins to decline and approach the ambient temperature. The temperature of the disc cutter for a long time presents a rapid rise and steady rise state. When cutting granite, the maximum temperature can reach 492.5 °C, and the maximum heat flux can reach 3570 kW/m2. The overall average error of the highest temperature of the disc cutter obtained by simulation and experiment is less than 20%, which proved the correctness of the heat source model and the numerical simulation model.