Tunnel drilling machine

Abstract

A tunnel drilling machine and a method for drilling an epitrochoidal tunnel is disclosed. The tunnel drilling machine includes a tunneling machine body, a fixed gear operatively coupled to a frontal end of the tunneling machine body along a central axis of the tunneling machine body, and a drill head having a substantially triangular periphery. The drill head includes an internal gear ring, the internal gear ring being mounted on the fixed gear, wherein the fixed gear drives the internal gear ring around the fixed gear with a gear ratio of 3:1 to form an epitrochoidal tunnel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tunnel drilling machine for drilling an epitrochoidal tunnel, the tunnel drilling machine comprising:
 a tunneling machine body;   a fixed gear operatively coupled to a frontal end of the tunneling machine body along a central axis of the tunneling machine body; and   a drill head having a substantially triangular periphery, wherein the drill head comprises an internal gear ring, the internal gear ring being mounted on the fixed gear, wherein the fixed gear drives the internal gear ring around the fixed gear with a gear ratio of 3:1;   
       whereby driving the drill head with a gear ratio of 3:1 allows the tunnel drilling machine to drill an epitrochoidal tunnel through rocks and soil. 
     
     
         2 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 1 , wherein the tunneling machine body comprises a plurality of wheels to allow the tunnel drilling machine to move through a plurality of degrees of freedom. 
     
     
         3 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 1 , wherein the frontal end of the tunneling machine body comprises at least one of a plurality of heating torches and a plurality of nozzles. 
     
     
         4 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 3 , wherein the drill head further comprises at least one vibration sensor, wherein the vibration sensor determines hardness of the rocks and soil. 
     
     
         5 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of heating torches are selectively activated based on at least one of the rotation of the drill head around the fixed gear and the hardness of the rocks and soil. 
     
     
         6 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of nozzles are configured to spray a fluid at high pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of nozzles are selectively activated based on the rotation of the drill head around the fixed gear. 
     
     
         8 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 6 , wherein the fluid at high pressure is used to quench rocks. 
     
     
         9 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 1 , wherein the drill head having the substantially triangular periphery is one of a substantially pyramidal shape and a substantially conical shape. 
     
     
         10 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 1 , wherein the drill head comprises a plurality of helically arranged cutting tools. 
     
     
         11 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the drill head, the plurality of heating torches, and the plurality of nozzles are operatively coupled for drilling through the rocks and soil. 
     
     
         12 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 11 , wherein the drill head comprises a plurality of relief cuts along each side of the drill head having the substantially triangular periphery, wherein the plurality of relief cuts are used to move drill remains away from the drill head. 
     
     
         13 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 11 , wherein a fluid at high pressure is used to remove drill remains. 
     
     
         14 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 11 , wherein the tunneling machine body comprises at least one suction hole on the frontal end to draw drill remains into the tunneling machine body. 
     
     
         15 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 14 , wherein the tunneling machine body further comprises an outlet at a distal end of the tunneling machine body for ejecting the drill remains from the tunneling machine body. 
     
     
         16 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 10 , wherein the drill head further comprises at least one opening to allow cooling of the cutting tools. 
     
     
         17 . The tunnel drilling machine of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of cutting tools are cooled through the at least one opening by selectively activating a plurality of cooling nozzles. 
     
     
         18 . A method for drilling an epitrochoidal tunnel through rocks and soil using a tunnel drilling machine, the tunnel drilling machine comprising:
 a tunneling machine body, wherein the tunneling machine body comprises a plurality of wheels to allow the tunnel drilling machine to move through a plurality of degrees of freedom, wherein a frontal end of the tunneling body comprises at least one of a plurality of heating torches, a plurality of nozzles, and at least one suction hole;   a fixed gear operatively coupled to the frontal end of the tunneling machine body along a central axis of the tunneling machine body; and   a drill head having a substantially triangular periphery comprising a plurality of helically arranged cutting tools, wherein the drill head comprises an internal gear ring, the internal gear ring being mounted on the fixed gear, wherein the fixed gear drives the internal gear ring around the fixed gear with a gear ratio of 3:1 to form an epitrochoidal shape;   
       the method comprising:
 heating the rocks using at least one heating torch of the plurality of heating torches; 
 quenching the rocks by spraying a fluid using at least one nozzle of the plurality of nozzles; and 
 drilling the rocks using the drill head in response to heating and quenching the rocks. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising removing drill remains using at least one of the plurality of nozzles and the at least one suction hole.