Abstract: During the excavation process of tunnel boring machines (TBMs), the manufacturing precision and assembly accuracy of components affect the sealing performance of the main drive lubrication system and the service life of the main bearings. Simulating grease injection and pressure distributions in the lubrication chamber helps improve sealing performance and extend the lifespan of the main drive system. This study integrates volume of fluid multiphase flow simulations and experimental investigations to systematically analyze the effects of different eccentricities, the number of grease injection ports, and the inner wall rotation speed on EP2 grease distribution. When the eccentricity between the inner and outer seal axes is within 0.75 mm, the number of external grease injection ports is increased, and the inner wall rotation speed decreases, the grease is evenly distributed in the flow channels. An injection optimization strategy based on pressure monitoring is proposed. In the design of the main drive sealing structure, controlling the eccentricity below 0.75 mm and arranging 12 injection ports along a single chamber while setting the inner wall rotation speed to 5 r/min can effectively improve the sealing performance of the main drive system.

隧道掘进机主传动密封润滑结构注脂过程的仿真与实验分析

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