Electromechanical coupling dynamics of TBM main drive system

Tunnel boring machine (TBM) is seriously damaged due to excessive vibration, and its anti-vibration design is the key of the drive system design. At present, the coupling model between the gear load imbalance and the electronic control strategy is difficult to be established. The actual cutterhead vibration and the motor output torque law are unknown, which make the TBM system dynamical model different from the actual situation. The calculation accuracy is difficult to estimate. In this paper, the electromechanical coupling model of TBM’s main drive system is established. The real-time dynamic load of each pinion is taken as the input disturbance of the electrical system, and the real-time output torque of each motor calculated by electrical system is inputted as the dynamic model load. Compared with the measured data, the error of the maximum amplitude of the radial acceleration is less than 20% and the dynamic torque amplitude is 9.55%. At the same time, the results show that with the rotation of the cutterhead, the loads between the motors, the output torque, and the gear radial vibration are periodically changed. When the motor load difference is maximum, the motor output torque difference is 49% of the average output torque, and the maximum amplitude of large ring gear and pinion radial vibration amplitude is 1.5–2 times the average.