Simulation of Processes at the Cutting Wheel and in the Excavation Chamber (C04)

• Subject Area: Applied Mechanics, Statics and Dynamics
• Term: from 2010 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 77309832

Subproject C4 develops simulation models for the numerical analysis of the excavation of the ground and the transport of the excavated material in Earth Pressure Balance shield machines driving through strongly variable ground conditions. The models provide an in-depth understanding of the fracture and fragmentation processes in the ground, the loadings acting on the excavation tools, and the transport and mixture processes and the pressure distribution in the excavation chamber. The dependencies on the geological conditions, the machine design and the soil conditioning are explored to identify potentials for improvements of the cutting wheel design and the machine technology.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 837: Interaction Modelling in Mechanised Tunnelling
• Applicant Institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Günther Meschke; Professor Dr. Andreas Vogel