Analysis of the Drive Torque for the Spiral Pipe Section of an Earth Pressure Balanced Shield Tunnel Screw Conveyor

The driving torque of the shield machine is intricately linked to the soil silo muck load and the mechanical properties of both the muck and the spiral structure. Considering the shield screw conveyor’s mechanical structure and operational conditions, based on the momentum moment balance conditions, the separate calculation method was used to derive the spiral driving torque in the helical casing, the friction torque in the bearing and the friction torque of the sealing ring through mechanical analysis, and finally a torque calculation expression for the spiral pipe section was established. The research results provide technical guidance for the design and manufacture of shield screw conveyors and safe tunneling during construction.