Coupling effect of cross-section and contact status on load and vibration characteristics of TBM cutters

•Loading and vibration characteristic of cutters with different cross-section profile are studied.•Cutting forces, cutter acceleration, cutter-rock contact characteristics are analyzed.•Under the same load condition, the vibration intensity of flat-top cutter is the lowest.•The above phenomenon is caused by the difference of energy dissipation caused by cutter profile.•This work provides theoretical support for future design of vibration-reducing cutter structures. The intense vibration of the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) cutter is an important factor leading to the failure of parts. Understanding the mechanism of vibration of the cutter has been a research hotspot in the field of TBM equipment. Clarifying the characteristics and the interaction mechanism of vibration of the cutter under the combined effect of various factors is a key entry point to solving this problem. In this study, experiments on rock breaking were carried out in the laboratory, and the cutting forces and acceleration of vibration of the cutters under different working conditions were measured, practical factors such as the thrust and the rotational speed of the cutterhead, and the cross-section of the cutter were considered. The experimental data showed that both feed parameters and cutter profiles influence cutter vibration. For a certain cutter profile, the vibration is fundamentally dependent on the volume of rock broken per unit of time, and the more the rock is broken, the more intensely elastic strain energy is stored and released. The cutterhead thrust can affect the depth of the cutter penetration into the rock, thus affecting the rock breaking volume, while the rotational speed of the cutterhead independently affects the rock breaking volume by changing the distance advanced per unit time. The simulation data showed that the shape of the outer profile affects the contact area between the cutter and the rock. varying with different cutter profiles, and the vibration intensity of different cutter profiles varies under the same operating conditions due to the frictional contact between the cutter and the rock chips after the rock breaking, resulting in the dissipation of energy and the reduction of the vibration intensity of the cutter. The elucidation of this mechanism will help provide scientific guidance for rapid estimation of the severity of cutter vibration in engineering applications and to explore new methods of reducing cutter vibration.