Anti Abrasive Additives for Hard Rock TBM Tunnelling

Abstract

This master?s thesis is written in cooperation with NTNU, Robbins and BASF, with the aim to document the machine performance and production, when using the anti-abrasion agent ABR5 versus water. In a traditional hard rock TBM water is sprayed on the cutters to cool them and suppress dust. Earlier studies indicate that the use of foam can reduce cutter wear, temperature, dust production and lead to cleaner cutter tools. The work on the thesis is mainly based on 8 weeks of field studies on a 10mdiameter TBM at the AMR water irrigation project in India. To document the effects of using foam versus water the main scopes are to record and examine cutter wear and life, measure dust and log temperature of the cutters as well as general TBM performance. All this is seen in relation to the geology. This thesis suggests that foam has benefits in hard rock TBM tunnelling compared to water, but more research must be conducted with longer, and more consistent test periods. After boring 188 metres with foam, split into two intervals, the amount of blocked cutters has decreased with 47.8 percent. When comparing the foam boring in the period between March 1. and May 12. a reduction in cutter wear of 12.7 percent was achieved. In the same period cutter life increased with 18.2 percent cubic metres per cutter and 713 meters longer rolling distance. The amount of time spent on cutter changes is 34.2 percent less with foam. Temperature and dust measurements show slightly favourable values when boring with foam, but the data for these are too narrow to draw any conclusion.