Evaluating Stress Impact on Roller Bearing Within Disc Cutters of Tunnel Boring Machines

The disc cutter is a vital component of tunnel boring machines (TBM) used for rock excavation, with the cutter bearing being the most critical part of the disc cutter. The cutter’s performance directly impacts the service life of the TBM and significantly influences the efficiency of engineering progress. Therefore, practical applications place very high demands on disc cutters. In-depth research into cutter bearings’ contact stress and load distribution is essential to enhance their performance. Disc cutter bearings typically employ double-row tapered roller bearings, an angular contact radial roller bearing primarily designed to support radial and axial combined loads. These bearings are recognized for their high load-bearing capacity and rotational accuracy, making them widely used in the machinery industry. This study investigates the cutter bearing of a TBM using LS-DYNA software, which is based on the finite element method. The analysis reveals that the highest stress occurs at the roller, with the outer raceway bearing the most load and being susceptible to damage. Significant vibrations are noted at the ends of the roller.