Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

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Applied Ocean Research

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/apor

Analytical design of an underwater construction robot on the slope with an T

up-cutting mode operation of a cutter bar
Mai The Vua, Hyeung-Sik Choib, , Ngoc Duc Nguyenb, Seo-Kang Kimb
⁎

a
Department of Convergence Study on the Ocean Science and Technology, School of Ocean Science and Technology, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro,
Yeongdo-gu, Busan, 49112, South Korea
b
Division of Mechanical and Energy Systems Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan, 49112, South Korea

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Keywords: In this paper, the movements of the analytical models of complete underwater tracked vehicle (UTV) and cutter
Cutting mode bar (CB) tool systems on a surface as well as their movements up and down a slope in the up-cutting mode
Performance index operation are fully studied and analyzed. First, the mathematical expression of the mechanics, for which the
Cutter bar (CB) forces, moments, and energy from the CB to the UTV are analyzed, is related. Next, analyses on the systemic
Underwater tracked vehicle (UTV)
parameters and their sensitivity are conducted to observe the variations of the operational and geometric
Tractive thrust
Normal reaction
parameters, as well as the cutter-tool and material-condition effects on the force, moment, and power compo-
nents. Also, a design process composed of seven typical steps is proposed as the reference of a trencher-machine
design. The important design parameters of the trenching machine such as the length of the CB, the nose radius
of the CB, and the height of the pivot point are designed according to the proposed design process; furthermore,
these parameters are used for the estimation of the slope-angle range when the trencher system is working on the
slope. To demonstrate the application of derived equations to practical problems of the machine design, a
number of numerical simulations are performed. Through the numerical simulations, the important parameters
of the system such as the tangential force, Ft, the tractive thrust, H, the normal reaction, V, the cutting moment,
Mc, the maximum carrier weight, W, and the available power are analyzed. From these, as a reference data for
the designing of a trencher machine, the previous design of the system can be improved.

1. Introduction the seabed using a combination of high-flow, low-pressure, and low-

The application of excavation machines for the soil excavation in
both the civil- and mining-engineering fields has increased significantly
in recent years. In particular, with the recent development of versatile
machines that are capable of effectively coping with different ground
conditions, the mechanical-excavation industry is destined to play a
much bigger role in future construction projects. Seafloor-tracked
trenchers equipped with jetting or cutting systems are used to bury
submarine pipelines or cables. A diverse range of cable-burial machines
that are capable of burying and protecting offshore cables is available
on the worldwide market. These types of vehicles are generally divided
into the following two sub-groups: tracked vehicles for shallow-water
use and tracked vehicles for deep-water use. Table 1 provides a listing
of a number of the tracked cable-burial vehicles that are currently
available on the market.
The jetting system is the earliest technology that was used for the
formation of submarine trenches. A jetting system works by fluidizing
flow high-pressure water jets to cut into sands, gravels, and low-to-
medium strength clays. When the mechanical rock wheel cutters are
fitted onto the tracked cable-burial vehicles, they are used to cut narrow
trenches into hard or rocky seabeds. The rock wheel cutter consists of a
rotating wheel disc and is fitted with a number of replaceable rock
cutting teeth. Mechanical chain excavators are typically used in cir-
cumstances where the seabed material is beyond the capability of a
jetting system, or where a deeper burial is required. The mechanical
chain excavator usually consists of a number of cutting teeth that are
similar to those that are used on the mechanical rock wheel cutter and a
further number of mechanical scoops that are used to transport the cut
material away from the trench. The trencher system is designed to meet
the needs of the underwater power and telecommunication industries,
whereby reliable solutions are provided in trenching operations, espe-
cially those that are shallow and near to the shore.
The contact area of the UTV mechanism with the ground is larger
than that of the wheeled running gear, so it can provide a more-

⁎
Corresponding author at: Room 415, Building A1, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan, 49112, South Korea.
E-mail addresses: maithevu90@gmail.com (M.T. Vu), hchoi@kmou.ac.kr (H.-S. Choi), ducnn1908@gmail.com (N.D. Nguyen), rlatj6337@kmou.ac.kr (S.-K. Kim).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2019.02.019
Received 17 July 2018; Received in revised form 17 January 2019; Accepted 26 February 2019
Available online 14 March 2019
0141-1187/ © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

Table 1
Overview of Tracked Cable Burial Machines.
Type Burial Systems Available Maximum Burial Capability Maximum depth of Operation Operator

Bantam Jetting system 2.2m 2000 m Global Marine Systems Ltd

CT2 Jet trenching system Up to 2.0 m in sands and low to medium strength 3000 m CTC Marine Projects Ltd
clays
Excalibur Jetting System Up to 3.0 m in sands and low to medium strength 2000 m Global Marine
clays
MED 2 Mechanical wheel cutter 1.5m 500 m Travocean
Nereus IV Two separate burial tools available 1.0 m 2500 m Tyco Submarine Systems Ltd
Scarab IV Jetting System Up to 1.0 m in sands and clays 1000 m – burial2000 m – inspection ACMA Group
Spencer Chain excavator for shallow water 1.5m Within diver operations Global Marine
working
TM 03 Jetting system 1.0 m Within diver operations Travocean
Mechanical wheel cutter 1.3m
Mechanical chain excavator 2.3m
Trencher T2 Jetting system 1.6m Up to 1000 m CTC Marine Projects Ltd
Mechanical chain excavator 1.6m
Scarab IV Jetting System Up to 1.0 m in sands and clays 1000 m – burial 2000 m – inspection ACMA Group

Tracked cable burial vehicles are usually operated and controlled from a host vessel such as a Dive Support Vessel or a barge. They are equipped with either jetting
tools or mechanical cutter tools depending on the seabed conditions. According to Table 1, the following three types of burial tools, which are commonly fitted to the
tracked cable-burial vehicles, exist: jetting system, mechanical rock wheel cutter, and mechanical chain excavator.

effective flotation and larger traction forces. A number of studies have
been carried out to investigate the performances of the tracked vehicles
on the seafloor. Dai et al. [1] developed a new fast dynamic simulation
model of the seafloor pilot miner based on a single-body vehicle model
and discretized track-terrain interaction model. Choi et al. [2] con-
ducted a series of experiments and showed the design directions for a
tracked vehicle on cohesive soft soil to achieve a smaller slip. Kim et al.
[3] modified the dynamic-analysis model of a rigid-body tracked ve-
hicle using four Euler parameters instead of Euler angles and involved
the hydrodynamic vehicle-dynamic effects; here, numerical simulations
were performed to investigate the hydrodynamic effects on the vehicle
performance. Grebe and Schulte [4] performed a method for the de-
duction of the soil mechanical parameters from the actual vehicular
operation data, and a brief introduction of the calculation of the ve-
hicle’s traction force and driving resistances was given; furthermore, an
overview of the vehicle-parameter measurements for the derivation of
the soil parameters was presented. Schulte et al. [5] proposed an em-
pirical function to convert the measured shear stress of bentonite-water
mixture to the traction force of track segment.
The CB machines are capable of performing vertical and horizontal
cuts for the quarrying natural stone mines. In order to be able to un-
derstand various aspects of the CB machines, many studies have been
conducted and reported in the published literature. Sariisik and Sariisik
[6] examined the block production and cutting performance of a new,
domestically produced arm-type quarry chain saw. The operational
conditions of chain-saw machines were studied by Primavori [7]. A
report covering the mechanics of various terrestrial cutting and boring
machines that work on land was first studied by Mellor [8]. As recent
works, the physical analyses on the design and mechanics of a UTV on
the ground surface with an up-cutting CB operation for cutting under-
water soils were conducted by Vu et al. [9]. Besides, Vu et al. [10]
analyzed the parameters that affect the performance of UTV with a
rotating RC tool in rock excavation for designing. Especially, Vu et al.
[11] performed the basic physics required to predict the performance of
a down-cutting operation of a complete mechanical system including
UTV and ladder trencher in a seabed application.
Numerous researchers have studied the mechanical interaction be-
tween the trencher system and soil material over a substantial time
period. Most of the proposed solutions are mainly for the terrestrial
field, and it is unknown whether these models can be used to directly
evaluate the performances of UTV with CB. Furthermore, a complex
problem that concerns the implementation of a dynamic analysis of the
total deep-ocean mining system persists regarding the previous studies,
since the successful implementation of soil-property-based excavation-
performance modeling is a difficult task. The dynamic interaction be-
tween the cutter tools and the soil material is uncertain, complex, and
difficult to describe. Therefore, the focus of this paper is the con-
sideration and development of new efficient and reliable modeling
methods for the CB tool, as well as for the total system. Vu et al. [9]’s
analytical ladder trencher model is adopted in this paper for the design
of a CB machine. Based on this research work, the analytical model is
expanded and intensively studied in this paper; moreover, an analytical
model for up-cutting CB operation is derived and used to analyze the
complete trenching machine operation on the surface as well as its
climbing on a slope. The analysis results are implemented in the ma-
chine design such as the geometry of the CB (the CB length, L, the nose
radius of CB, R, and height of the pivot point above the work surface,
h), power, and angular speed of sprocket. Moreover, through the nor-
malized parameter studies, motion of the trencher machine was ana-
lyzed. Besides, steps of the design process of the combined UTV system
with CB tool are presented in the paper. The steps of the design process
are useful for trencher machine engineers to understand some basic soil
mechanics related with interaction between the soil and the CB. In
addition to this, analyses on parameter and sensitivity are conducted to
show how the variations of the operational and geometric parameters,
as well as the cutter tools and the material condition, affect the force,
moment, weight, and power components. Design optimization using the
information drawn from sensitivity analysis studies can be preceded by
focusing on the selection of traverse speed, uniaxial compressive
strength, trench width, carrier weight, nose radius, bar length, and
pivot point location. Finally, application of various equations to prac-
tical problems regarding the machine-design process of the proposed
design is demonstrated via a number simulation results.
2. The characteristics of the underwater trencher system
2.1. The cutting- and boring-machines characteristics
A multitude of tasks that involve the cutting or excavation of natural
ground materials and massive structural materials exist. The mechanics
of the cutting and boring machines are classified as transverse rotation,
axial rotation, or continuous belt, while the actions of the cutter tools are
divided into parallel motion and normal indentation, as shown in Fig. 1.
• Transverse-rotation devices like circular saws turn about an axis that
is perpendicular to the advance direction.
• Axial-rotation devices like drills turn about an axis that is parallel to
the advance direction.

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Fig. 1. Classification of the carrier machines and cutter tools for the analysis [8].

• Continuous-belt machines such as a chain saw represent a special Table 2

form of transverse-rotation device for which the rotor has been Target specifications of the UTV with the CB tool.
changed to a linear element. Specifications Value

Regarding the tool action, parallel motion denotes an active stroke Dimensions of the carrier vehicle 5.8*3.49*2.29 m
that is approximately parallel to the surface that is being advanced by Track width of the carrier vehicle 0.9 m
Contact length of track 5m
the tool, i.e., a planning action. On the other hand, normal indentation Air weight of the carrier vehicle 30 ton
denotes an active stroke that is approximately normal to the surface Underwater weight of the carrier vehicle > 14 ton
that is being advanced, i.e., one that gives a pitting or cratering effect Adjustment range of contact pressure (in water) 10-30 kPa
such as that which might be produced by a stone chisel that is driven Working water depth 500 m
Maximum cutting depth 2m
perpendicular to the surface.
UTV speed 300 m/h
The tracked cable-burial vehicles are typically used on shorter Maximum belt speed 3 m/s
durations of cable-burial work. They are equipped with either jetting Working seabed condition
tools or mechanical cutter tools depending on the seabed conditions Uniaxial compressive strength (max.) 20 kPa
that are anticipated. Tracked cable-burial vehicles are launched from Climbing angle on slope (unloaded) 30 deg.

the host vessel and then the subsea cable system is located for its
eventual burial. The tracked cable-burial machines can be operated in
shallow waters and in maximal water depths of 2000 m. In this paper,
the proposed trencher machine is similar to the one named “TM 03”
that is listed in Table 1. The proposed trencher machine is compact,
versatile, and the machine has the flexibility to become a rock crusher
tool if required. Different tooling options that enable the burial under
increased burial-depth requirements are a new feature of this vehicle.
The weight of the developed underwater trencher is about 30 ton,
which is lighter than most commercial trenchers. The target specifica-
tions of the complete UTV system with the CB tool are listed in Table 2.
2.2. Types of cutter tools
Parallel-motion tools are used in a wide variety of cutting and
boring devices, from hand tools to giant machines. Simple examples
include knives, chisels, planes, and hand saws. On a larger scale, par-
allel-motion tools are fitted to construction machines and agricultural
machines that work in soils. However, in this study the main concern is
the tools that are used for cutting and boring in ground, concrete,
mineral deposits, frozen ground, and ice. The types of machines that
carry these tools include mining machines and tunnel borers, rock
wheel cutters and CB, chain saws and disc saws, milling and planning
drums, tractor rippers, dredges, and excavator buckets. Cutter tools
transmit the machine energy to the soil material so that it can be
fragmented; therefore, the geometry, wear characteristics, and energy-
transfer mechanisms of the cutter tools exert a significant effect on the
efficiency of the cutting process. Two types of drag cutters are mainly
used for the trencher machines, namely conical cutters and radial cutters
as shown in Fig. 2.
Radial cutters are limited to the excavation of the softest and least-
abrasive materials. They are generally more efficient than the conical
cutters, since their edges tend to be sharper and they produce lower
cutter forces. Radial cutters are very prone to dulling due to their very
sharp tips, and after a marginal amount of wear has taken place, the
associated cutting forces increase dramatically. While conical bits are
used for the second type of drag cutter, the bits are typically used in
continuous miners and long-wall shearers to cut the harder soil, and

291
M.T. Vu, et al.
Fig. 2. Examples of parallel-motion tools for cutting machines.
they are also used in roadheaders. The shape of the conical cutters al-
lows the shape of their wearing to be relatively even, resulting in a
longer tool life compared with the radial bits.
2.3. Cutting geometry
The geometry and wear characteristics of the cutter tool sig-
nificantly affect the energy that is transferred to the soil and the at-
tainable penetration rate. Fig. 3(a) shows the cutting action and the
related radial-bit nomenclature. The tip of the tool is generally flat with
relief angles on the side, and this is to minimize the friction and re-
sistance to the tool throughout the material being cut. The rake angle
describes the angle between the front of the tip and the shank. The
clearance angle is the angle between the front of the tip and the edge of
the tip. In addition to the angles, the dimensions and the shape of the
carbide are important factors to consider. The front face of the radial bit
is normally a chevron (V shape) and has two either flat or curved
surfaces. The shanks of the conical cutter tools that are shown in
Fig. 3(b) are circular, and they are mounted in a circular holder to allow
for the requisite rotation; therefore, during their use, they even theo-
retically experience wear. The conical carbide tip penetrates the ma-
terial that is being cut during a linear or a rotational motion.
The efficiency and the cutting forces on these bits depend on the
Fig. 3. Force vectors for the cutter tool.
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Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309
shape of the carbide tip. The geometric parameters of the tip, which are
the diameter of the insert or the cap, the cone angle, and the shape of
the body, include the size of the carbide. The impact of the carbide tip
angle on the cutting ability and efficiency is major. Smaller carbides
with sharp tips are used in soft rock applications while larger tip angles
should be used for harder rock conditions. The attack angle ( ) of the
conical bits plays a major role in the cutting efficiency and the tool life.
In softer soils, the penetration depth is typically higher, and therefore,
the resultant normal and cutting/drag forces are lower than those that
are experienced in harder soil; this means that the attack angle should
be reduced in softer soil.
• The rake angle of the tooth or the bit 1 is the angle between the
front of the tip and the shank that is measured in a diametral plane
as shown in Fig. 3.
• The relief angle (or clearance angle) of the bit 2 is the angle be-
tween the shoulder of the bit and the tangent through the cutting tip
that is measured in a diametral plane. On a straight section of belt,
the relief angle and clearance angle are identical; complications
attributable to belt curvature at the nose are covered elsewhere [8].
• The included angle of the bit 3 is the angle between the face and the
shoulder that is measured in the diametral plane, i.e.
0
3 = 90 ( 1 + 2).
M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

Fig. 4. Cutting modes for the CB.

2.4. Cutting mode

Fig. 4 illustrates the three main cutting modes. In any trenching, the
machine is normally operated in the up-cutting mode (Fig. 4(a)) with
the drive sprocket clear of the work, and its axis of rotation is parallel to
the free surface. The drive sprocket rotates to pull the active side of the
CB tool toward itself with tension, and the cutter tools move upward on
the leading side of the CB tool. The CB tool tends to convey cuttings to
the free surface and to pull the CB tool into the soil material. The bar
angle can vary, but it is commonly less than 90°. In the down-cutting
mode (Fig. 4(b)), the drive sprocket is clear of the work, its axis of
rotation is parallel to the free surface, and it is pulling on the inactive
side of the chain (tending to throw slack into the active side where it
enters the work). The cuttings arc is conveyed down to the bottom of
the slot, and the CB assembly tries to ride up out of the work. Cross-
cutting (Fig. 4(c)) denotes a situation in which the machine is slicing
completely through a layer rather than slotting in a semi-infinite
medium. The characteristics of up-cutting and down-cutting apply to Fig. 5. Geometry and force-vector configurations for the CB-tool analysis.
cross-cutting, but in cross-cutting it is easy to vary the bar angle cy-
clically to change the bearing area and the thrust force. In any cutting
the following assumptions were firstly made to derive the mathematical
mode, the plane of the CB can be at any angle in relation to the plane of
model:
the free surface, i.e., the slot is not necessarily perpendicular to the
surface.
- For the working material, we assume that soil condition is soft clay
In this study, an analytical of the trenching machines that can ap-
with a low-bearing coefficient (from 3 kPa to 10 kPa). Also, soil
propriately operate under a certain performance requirement is per-
strength variation along the depth is uniform.
formed in the up-cutting mode only.
- The assumed ratio of the tool-force components K is invariant with
the chipping depth of the cutter tool and the tool forces are directly
2.5. Basic assumptions proportional to the chipping depth.
- It can be assumed that the resultant cutting force F can act at the
A general diagram of the geometry and forces of a continuous chain- center of the working face at a depth of d/2.
trenching machine in up-cutting mode operation is shown in Fig. 5. The - The CB tool geometry is simple, and when the treatment is for a long
CB carried by the UTV that is moving at the speed of U is mounted at CB tool, the effects of the nose curvature are not considered in this
the pivot point located at the height of h from the ground surface. The study.
cutter tools on the flat plate that is welded to the chains move at the - On the straight section of the CB, all tool forces do not vary with the
speed of ut around the CB that is tilted at a certain bar angle to cut a cutter tool position systematically in a homogeneous material.
cutting depth d. To simplify the challenge of modelling the CB system,

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M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

- The moments will be taken about the center of the drive sprocket at 3.1.2. The resultant bar force
the supported end of the CB tool under the assumption that this is The resultant bar force is the resultant force F that can be resolved
the pivot axis for the bar-angle changes. into the two orthogonal components Ft and Fn that are parallel and
- The traverse velocity U is small when it is compared with the belt normal to the working face of the CB, respectively (Fig. 5). If the nose
speed ut. radius R is small compared with the inter-tracking-cutter spacing S or
the cutting depth d, an approximate average number of the teeth that
are engaged in the work is given as follows:
3. Analytical model on the CB force and moment
md
Na .
The cutting process is highly nonlinear and complex, especially in S sin (6)
marine environment. Because the system includes the hydrodynamic
calculation and the shapes of typical rock materials are very irregular, The sum of the tangential components of the tool forces provides the
the corresponding computation is quite complicated. In this reason, it is tangential force, Ft, and the sum of the normal components of the tool
necessary to consider the main influencing factors for simplification of forces produces the normal force, Fn, that must be provided by the chain
the system. The equations used in this section are only approximate tension and can be expressed as follows:
empirical relations, and in many cases the experimental data from md dU
Ft = ft = Na ft = kt = mkt ,
cutting tests can be represented adequately by linear relations of the S sin r r ut (7)
forms as shown in Mellor [8]. Vu et al.’s analytical CB model was
adopted for this section to estimate and analyze the forces and the And;
moments that are exerted on the trencher tool. md dU
Fn = fn = Na fn = kn = mkn
S sin r r ut (8)
3.1. Analysis on the cutter forces fn
By using Eq. (37) (see Section 4.1), and assuming that = K,
Fn
Ft
= ft
the sum of the tangential components of the tool forces and the sum of
Based on Fig. 5, the analytical model that has been developed and
the normal components of the tool forces in terms of the chain power
explained by Vu et al. [9] is summarized in the following sections.
can be determined as follows:
PB
3.1.1. Individual cutter force Ft = ,
Each cutter tool on the CB tool develops a cutting force that is de-
(µK + 1) ut (9)
termined mainly by the cutter tool geometry, rock properties, operating And;
conditions, and in particular, the chipping depth. Fig. 5 shows that the
KPB
cutting force can be resolved into tangential and normal components ft Fn = .
and fn. A simple approximation would make fn or ft proportional to the
(µK + 1) ut (10)
chipping depth ; as the following:
3.1.3. Chain force
fn = kn , The chain force Fc occurs due to cutting and the internal friction,
r (1)
and it is assumed that initial tension is very tight. The maximum Fc
value is caused up of the tangential cutting force, Ft, plus the internal
ft = kt ,
r (2) frictional drag. The total force in the chain Fc is a maximum at the
tension side of the drive sprocket as:
The chipping depth is derived as follows:
Fc = µFn + Ft , (11)
U
= S sin , where, μFn is the additional frictional drag that is induced by the
ut (3)
normal cutting force, and the tangential cutting force Fn, Ft, respec-
where kn and kt are proportionality constants with force dimensions, r is tively. By assuming that K = Fn/Ft, Eq. (11) can be re-written as follows:
the tip radius of the tool, U is the traverse speed, ut is the belt speed, S is
Fc = (µK + 1) Ft , (12)
the inter-tracking-cutter spacing, and is the bar angle.
Alternatively, the time-averaged tool-force component ft can be
expressed in terms of the net chain power PB. Using the approximate 3.1.4. Tractive thrust and normal reaction forces of the CB tool
relation for the number of active teeth Na, and assuming that Fn/Ft is The bar force can also be resolved conveniently into components
constant, the following equation is given: that are parallel and normal to the H and V travel directions, respec-
Ft PB S sin tively (Fig. 5). H is positive in the direction of travel, and V is positive in
ft = = . vertically downward into the working material. The tractive thrust, H,
Na (µK + 1) ut md (4)
is the requisite force for the propulsion of the CB tool in the traverse
And, the normal tool-force component is as follows: direction against the cutting resistance, while the normal reaction of the
CB tool, V, is the force that acts normal to the traverse direction. In
Fn KFt PB S sin
fn = = = , terms of the normal and tangential components of the cutting force, the
Na Na (µ + 1/ K ) ut md (5) tractive thrust, H, and the normal reaction, V, can be obtained. For the
where Ft and Fn are the sum of the tangential components of the tool up-cutting CB, the H and V components are as follows:
forces and the sum of the normal components of the tool forces, re- H = Fn sin + Ft cos , (13)
spectively, as described in the next section, Na is the average number of
teeth that is engaged in the work that is expressed by Eq. (6), d is the V = Fn cos Ft sin . (14)
cutting depth, and m is the number of cutting track. These relations are By assuming that K = Fn/Ft, Eqs. (13) and (14) can now be re-written as
convenient for making a quick assessment of the tool forces, illustrating follows:
that the tool forces are directly proportional to the belt speed, and they
are inversely proportional to the number of work-engaged teeth. H = Ft (K sin + cos ), (15)

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Fig. 6. Non-dimensional bar-force components, H and V, as functions of the bar angle, , at two K values in the up-cutting mode of the CB tool.

V = Ft (K cos sin ). (16) under the assumption that K = 1 (sharp cutter tool).
For the up-cutting CB operation mode, it starts in Position A ( = 0°
Alternatively, by using Eq. (37) and assuming that Fn = KFt, the
and d = da = 0 m), where the initial cut for which only the tip of the CB
tractive thrust, H, and the normal reaction, V, in terms of the chain
tool is made is used. The direction of ut is clockwise. The drive sprocket
power, PB, in the up-cutting mode operation can be determined as
rotates to pull the active side of the CB tool toward itself under tension,
follows:
and the cutter tools move upward on the leading side of the CB tool.
PB (K sin + cos ) The CB tool tends to convey cuttings to the free surface, and its pulls the
H= ,
(µK + 1) ut (17) CB assembly into the work from Position B ( = 25° and d = db > da) to
Position K ( = 180° and d = dk < di). The requisite propulsive thrust,
PB (K cos sin ) H/Ft, was increased when the bar angle was initially increased, and the
V= .
(µK + 1) ut (18) maximum was reached at Position C ( = 47° and d = dc > db)
(Table 3). As the bar angle steepened from Position D ( = 65° and d =
Herein, H and V are will be discussed in dimensionless term as H/Ft and
dd > dc) to Position K, the requisite propulsive thrust, H/Ft, was de-
V/Ft, and a clearer corresponding meaning is described by the as-
creased at Position D, and it continued to decrease as the CB swung
sumption that Ft is the maximum value that can be developed when the
forward through the vertical position at Position E ( = 90° and d =
rotor is putting out maximum torque or is developing its maximum
de > dd). The CB then became self-propelling at Position G ( =132°
power. The results of Eqs. (13)–(16) are shown in Fig. 6, wherein the
and d = dg < df). The requisite down thrust, V/Ft, was initially de-
variations of the normalized horizontal thrust force, H/Ft, and the
creased as the bar angle was increased from Position A to Position K,
normal force components, V/Ft, are plotted against the bar angle for
and it eventually became negative at Position D so that the CB tried to
two different K values in the operational up-cutting mode. In this paper,
pull itself down into the work; this thrust reversal occurred at Position
the graphs on the right side of Fig. 6 are presented for the design
C. The down-pull reached the maximum at Position G. In the arrange-
purposes of in-practice structural reasons.
ment, the chain with the cutter-tool inserts cuts the soil piece along the
In general, the exerted normalized traction force with sharp tools
entirety of the width, i.e., from 15° to 60°, thereby generating the
(K = 1) is always less than that with worn tools (K = 2), thereby in-
highest forces that are exerted on the cutter tool and the cutting chain.
dicating that the cutter-tool condition significantly affects the cutting
force, horizontal force, and operating-bar angle. From Fig. 6, the re-
3.2. Analytical model on the traction of the UTV
quisite propulsive thrust was increased when the bar angle was initially
increased prior to its reaching of the maximum (with K = 1 the max-
For a pre-described vehicle running on a pre-described ground
imum occurs between the 40° and 50° bar angles, and with K = 2, the
surface, the forward tractive thrust is expressed by the net traction of
maximum occurs at 62° to 65°). As the bar angle steepened, the re-
the crawler tracks, Dp, that gives a measure of the vehicle's reserve
quisite propulsive thrust was decreased (with K = 1, it occurs after a
capacity to pull, push, or climb slopes. A dimensionless “drawbar
bar angle of 50°, and with K = 2, it occurs after a bar angle of 65°), and
coefficient” Cd is defined as the drawbar pull divided by the vehicle
it continued to decrease as the CB swung forward through the vertical
weight in water. For an UTV that carries a CB, the normal force between
position. With K = 1, the CB became self-propelling at an angle of =
the running gear and the ground depends on the vehicle weight W, the
132°, and with K = 2, this self-propulsion occurred at an angle of =
normal force V, and the buoyancy force B. This section considers the
153°. The requisite down thrust was initially decreased as the bar angle
following three types of requisite working condition: the system works
was increased, and it eventually became negative so that the CB tries to
on the ground surface, and the climbing up and down on the slope with
pull itself down into the work. This thrust reversal occurred at = 45°
the slope angle . For this study, the Cd for the ground-surface trencher
and = 63° for K = 1 and K = 2, respectively. The down-pull reached
works and in the case of the system climbing up or down on the slope
a maximum at the bar angles from 129° to 141° for K = 1, and for
surface are determined as follows:
K = 2, at the bar angles from 152° to 155°.
Compared with the down-cutting CB system in Vu al et. (2018), if DP
Cd = ,
the same machine that is operated for the utilization of the full power W B V (19)
changes from the down-cutting mode to the up-cutting mode, then the
DP
chain speed ut direction as well as the forces vector become very dif- Cd = .
(W B ) cos V (20)
ferent. In this case, the clockwise rotation of the chain speed ut is op-
erated. For the operation of the chain-saw cutting machine, the fol- As discussed earlier, the normal reaction V is positive when the
lowing stepwise procedure is used to cut the underwater soil in the up- machine thrusts downward into the work. Therefore, the drawbar pulls
cutting mode, as shown in Fig. 7. Table 3 shows the attitude and the Dp is limited by the tractive efficiency of the running gear Cd; further-
direction of the force vectors, H/Ft and V/Ft in the up-cutting mode more; in order to traverse a CB tool, the drawbar pull Dp must be equal

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M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

Fig. 7. Geometry-stage process (Position A to Position

K, or the bar angle varies from 0° to 180°), and the
force-vector configuration of the CB tool in the up-
cutting mode of the operation assuming that K = 1.

Table 3 UTV is increased during the operation at steeper bar angles, and it is
Stage of process of CB tool in up-cutting mode. significantly increased during softer-ground operations (lower drawbar
Point Up-cutting mode
coefficient). When the tool is worn out, the minimum-weight require-
ment for UTV was increased, resulting in the decrease of the traction of
Tractive thrust H Down thrust V the vehicle. To prevent the worsening of the traction, a cutting of the
trench at a low bar angle and the maintenance of the sharpness of the
A ( = 00 ) H = Ft V = Ft
cutter tool are recommended.
B ( = 250 ) H = 1.3Ft V = 0.5Ft
These figures also show that the firmness of the soil condition,
C ( = 47 0 ) H = 1.4Ft V=0
which is indicated by the high drawbar coefficient (Cd = 0.6), de-
D ( = 650 ) H = 1.3Ft V= 0.5Ft
termines the requisite weight, and when the former is firmer, a lesser
E ( = 900 ) H = Ft V= Ft
requisite weight is needed. Working under the soft-soil condition
F ( = 1120 ) H = 0.5Ft V= 1.3Ft
(Cd = 0.3) requires a heavier carriage vehicle for the achievement of a
G ( = 1320 ) H=0 V= 1.4Ft
higher track-gripping performance. In the case of the worn tools are
I ( = 1550 ) H= 0.5Ft V= 1.3Ft
used, much heavier carriage vehicle is required, especially when the up-
K ( = 1800 ) H= Ft V= Ft
cutting trencher operates at a bar angle from 45° to 65°; then, the
weight of the carriage vehicle is reduced when the trencher is deeper in
to, or greater than, the tractive thrust H. From Eqs. (19) and (20), the the work.
conditions can be defined respectively, as follows, as a result: As can be seen in the results, the operation at the steeper bar angle is
advantageous because of the small additional normal force that can
H Cd (W (V + B )), (21)
increase the drawbar pull of the UTV. For a constant UTV weight, a low-
H Cd ((W B ) cos V ). (22) bar-angle operation is preferable. Furthermore, a comparison of the
results of the three CB-case working conditions revealed a number of
By substituting Eqs. (15) and (16) into Eqs. (21) and (22), the minimum findings, as follows: The CB moves on the ground surface, it climbs up
weight of the carriage vehicle that is normalized by the cutter-tool force and down on the slope surface with a slope angle of = 200 , a much
can be determined in three cases of the requisite working condition, as heavier carriage vehicle is required in the case of the CB climbing up
shown below. the slope, and the UTV weight is lightest when it is climbing down the
When the system is working on the ground surface, for an up-cutting slope.
CB, this leads to the following condition:
W B K 1 3.3. Cutting moment and balance of complete system
( 1)sin +( + K )cos .
Ft Cd Cd (23)
Besides, in the case of the complete UTV system where the CB is 3.3.1. Cutting moment
climbing up or down the slopes, the conditions for the up-cutting CB The CB of a continuous-belt machine is attached at a certain pivot
can be respectively expressed as follows: point on the supporting structure in the UTV and is often mounted in
such a way that its CB forces provide beneficial moments for the points
W B (K Cd)sin + (1 + KCd)cos on the supporting system. Both the CB deadweight and the cutting force
,
Ft Cd cos sin (24) F create moments at the attaching point, and which need to be con-
sidered in the design of the carriage system and the manipulating me-
W B (K Cd)sin + (1 + KCd)cos
, chanism.
Ft Cd cos + sin (25)
For the illustrative purpose, the moments will be taken about the
From the expressions, the required weight of a UTV can be esti- center of the drive sprocket at the supported end of the CB under the
mated at each operating-bar angle under the soil condition (the assumption that this is the pivot axis in the changes of the bar angle.
drawbar coefficient Cd) and type of cutter tool (the force coefficient K), The effect of the cutting bar angle on the normalized cutting moment
as shown in Fig. 8. In the case of the firmer soil condition and frictional for certain design parameters is depicted. The cutting moment Mc for
terrain, the traction of the UTV was improved with a heavier carrier the up-cutting CB mode as function of the height of the pivot point
weight. The results show that the minimum-weight requirement for above the work surface, h, and the effective half-width of the CB, R, is

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M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

Fig. 8. Non-dimensional minimum-weight requirements for a complete UTV system with an up-cutting mode CB tool as a function of the bar angle.

expressed as: increment of cutting depth d decreases the moment. At the steep CB
settings (> 50), the cutting moment is not very sensitive to the bar
d V d
Mc = H h + h+ cos R angle, but the high moment at the low bar angle should be considered
2 sin 2 since it might affect the balance of the complete system.
Fn d
= h+ R cos + Ft R,
sin 2 (26)
3.3.2. Analysis the moment of the complete system
From the foregoing equations, it is not immediately obvious that the In the discussion of this paper, the result of the added masses that
cutting moment was increased as the cutting depth, d, was decreased are normally considered for the acceleration of submerged bodies is a
when the CB length L0 was fixed and the machine was operated to draw neglect regarding the additional hydrodynamic inertia forces, and the
the full power. The effect is easier to see with the use of the long-CB effect of the underwater cable is also not taken into account in this
approximation, with L0 (h + d )/sin and Eq. (26) that can be ex- paper. Below, Fig. 10 shows the main external forces that act on the CB
pressed respectively as follows: tool and the moment arms, where H, V, Br, Wr, Bv, Wv, and Dp are the
tractive thrust, down thrust, CB-tool buoyancy force, CB-tool weight,
d V d UTV buoyancy force, UTV weight, and drawbar pull, respectively.
Mc H L 0 sin L0 sin cos R
2 sin 2 With a CB on an UTV, it is important that the CB tool is mounted in
Fn d a way provided that the pitching moment that is developed by all forces
L0 sin R cos + Ft R,
sin 2 (27) stays within acceptable limits. The CB is often mounted in the way such
that appreciable moments are present about the points on the sup-
Assuming that Fn/Ft = K, the cutting-moment expressions in Eq. porting device of the bar forces. The deadweight of both the CB and the
(27) can be reduced as follows: cutting force F shares moments that need to be accounted in the design
Kd of the UTV system and the manipulating mechanism. This process is
Mc Ft KL 0 KR cot +R , important for a UTV machine that operates on soft surfaces, since the
2 sin (28)
balance and the pressure distribution of the UTV are both affected.
Lastly, the non-dimensional expressions of the total pivot moments For the purpose of illustration, moments about the center of the UTV
in the up-cutting CB mode are now expressed as follows: area will be considered here. Fig. 10 shows a simple diagram of the
Mc KL 0 Kd forces and the moments in the three cases of the requisite working
K cot + 1, condition. It can be assumed that the resultant cutting force, F, acts at
Ft R R 2R sin (29)
the center of the working face at a depth of d/2. The weight WT of an
Fig. 9 shows the normalized cutting moments with the bar angle for ordinary tractor is likely to be distributed over the running gear such
two d/R values and two K values, where L/R = 10 and L/R = 20, re- that the center of gravity is near directly on the center of the UTV-
spectively, for both cases. From these figures, it can be seen that both system area. The static balance needs to be designed for the production
parameters L and K increase the moment significantly, whereas the of a slightly nose-heavy machine to compensate for the small moment

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M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

Fig. 9. Dimensionless cutting moments about the pivot point as a function of the bar angle, , for the up-cutting mode, in both cases L/R = 10 and L/R = 20.

developed from either pulling or pushing. An attached CB on the front can be expressed as follows:
or the rear of the tractor disturbs the static balance, and unbalance
arises when the CB tool begins to operate. To obtain a zero-value net- (B v Wv ) X cos + (B v Wv ) h sin + (Bt
L
Wt )cos ( 20 cos + X)
pitching moment, the conditions when the system works on the ground L d d R
+ (Wt Bt )sin ( 20 sin h) + H2 + V ((h + )cot + X ) = 0,
surface in the up-cutting mode are as follows: 2 sin

(31)
L0 d d
(B v Wv ) X + (Bt Wt )( cos + X) + H + V ((h + )cot
2 2 2 Alternatively, the system is climbing down the slope surface, so the
R conditions in Eq. (31) now becomes as follows:
+ X ) = 0,
sin (30)

Furthermore, in the case where the system is climbing up the slope

surface with the slope angle, , the conditions of the up-cutting mode

Fig. 10. Moments affecting the balance of the complete UTV system with the CB tool: (a) the system moving on the surface; (b) the system moving up the slope; and
(c) the system moving down the slope.

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M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

(B v Wv ) X cos + (Wv B v) h sin + (Bt Wt )cos (

L0
cos + X) relative to its dimensions. It is handy for the comparison of different
2
L d d R machines, and for the gauging of their probable capabilities regarding
+ (Bt Wt )sin ( 20 sin h) + H2 + V ((h + 2
)cot sin
+ X ) = 0, various kinds of materials.
(32)
4.3. Specific energy
The moment represented in Eqs. (30)–(32) is small if X is small, and
it is not likely that the H-created moment will cause much difficulty
The specific energy of a cutting machine is defined here as the en-
since the tractors are designed to accommodate such a moment. Ob-
ergy required to cut a unit volume of the material. The overall specific
viously, the moment-arm X should be kept as short as possible, if only
energy of complete machine can be calculated from division of the total
for structural reasons. From these equations, the optimal positions that
power by the volumetric-excavation rate in terms of measurable entities
are located between the UTV and a CB tool are described below.
i.e. total chain power PB plus the thrust power PH, and the power loss
For the on-surface moving system, the optimal points in the up-
PL. The overall specific energy for a complete machine EsT is the func-
cutting mode are as follows:
tion of the total power output of the machine PT, and the volumetric
R d d L0 rate of the cutting v :
X= V V (h + )cot H (Bt Wt )( cos )
sin 2 2 2 PT
EsT = ,
/(B W + V ), (33) v (39)

Similarly, by considering the system climbing up or down the slope where, v is the volumetric rate of the cutting or the excavating, as
surface, the optimal points can now be defined for the up-cutting CB follows:
mode, respectively, as follows: v = UBd. (40)

X = (B v Wv ) h sin + (Bt Wt )cos

L0
cos + (Wt Bt )sin
L
( 20 sin h) In the absence of the PL, the process specific energy Es is based on
2
d d R
the actual power that is used for cutting, as follows:
+ H2 + V ((h + 2
)cot sin
) /[(W B )cos V ],
PB + PH F u + UH
Es = = c t .
(34) v UBd (41)

X = (Bt Wt ) h sin (Wv B v ) h sin (Bt Wt )cos

L0
cos (Bt Wt )sin
L0
sin In general, PH can be neglected; thus, the specific energy can be
2 2
d d R expressed as:
H V ((h + )cot ) /[(B W )cos + V ],
2 2 sin
PB Fu
(35) Es = c t.
v UBd (42)

4. Analytical model on the CB energy and power and the systemic- 4.4. Performance index
performance index
It has already been explained that the specific energy Es for a single
This section deals with the specific energy relationships that are cutter tool can be normalized with respect to the strength of the work
determined from power considerations that involve the forces and ve- material c to obtain a dimensionless index that characterizes the effi-
locities in the various systemic parts, while the properties of the ma- ciency values of the tool and the cutting mode. Thus, the performance
terial that is being cut are also considered, regarding the performance index is defined as follows:
index of the system.
Es
= ,
4.1. Chain power c (43)
where, gives a measure of the efficiency of the cutting process and the
The energy considerations for cutting machines can be discussed intention is that it characterizes the performance of the machine.
conveniently in terms of the power consumed in the various parts of the In Fig. 11, the specific energy, Es, has been plotted against the
system. The chain power PB is supplied to the chain at the drive uniaxial compressive strength c for a variety of the CB machines that
sprocket to overcome the internal frictional resistance, and to cut and to work in various materials. The lines that are drawn on the graph re-
transport the work material against the external resistance. The chain present the fixed values of Es/ c . It should be understood that is not a
power is equal to the multiplication of the chain force by the chain highly precise number that can be used for close critical comparisons of
speed, as follows: machines and processes. Low values indicate the high efficiency of a
PB = (µFn + Ft ) ut , (36) machine or a cutting process. In soil and laboratory soil-cutting tests,
fn
It was assumed that = K , whereby the requiting of Eq. (36)
Fn
Ft
= ft
is enabled, as follows:
PB = (µK + 1) Ft ut . (37)

4.2. Power density

The term power density is used here to denote the CB-tool power per
unit area of the cutting surface. If the width of the CB is B, the cutting
depth is d, the bar angle is , and the chain power is PB, then the power
density Q is calculated as follows:
PB sin
Q= .
Bd (38) Fig. 11. The performance index of various types of machines as a function of
Power density is a useful measure of a machine’s power level the specific energy, Es, and the uniaxial compressive strength c [8].

299
M.T. Vu, et al.
values of the order of 0.3 are regarded as very good; sometimes, modern
tunnel-boring machines achieve slightly better values that approach
0.1. Fig. 11 indicates that a realistic design goal is one in which the aim
is Es/ c 0.1, it can also be seen that the values of Es/ c between 0.1 and
1.0 are readily attainable. The plotted values show that Es/ c value that
is less than 0.1 are likely to have been obtained under very favorable
circumstances for example, in the cutting of friable coal, well-fractured
soil, or thermally strained ice. The dimensionless performance index is
useful in the preliminary design for the estimation of the power or the
performance. From the known or measured c value, the Es can then be
derived.
5. The summary of design process for the mechanical trencher
systems
General steps of calculation for the design process of down-cutting
CB operation working on the ground surface is summarized in Vu et al.
[11]. In this paper, through the consideration of the same machine, the
design process a UTV moving on the certain slope with a CB in an up-
cutting mode operation is proposed. From the design process, three
important design parameters of the CB namely the length of the CB tool,
L, the nose radius of the CB tool, R, and the height of the pivot point
above the work surface, h are respectively defined. By using these
parameters, the slope-angle range can be estimated when the trencher
system is working up or down on the slope.
Fig. 12 shows the work space of the CB tool with respect to the
various bar angles in the region from 15° to 60°. When the CB tool only
slightly touches the workspace, i.e., with the d close to zero, the re-
quired tractive thrust, H/Ft, and the required down thrust, V/Ft, would
be zero because of the cutter depth (d = 0 m) at this bar angle. The
setting of the CB deeper into the work would produce an increase of the
H/Ft and a decrease of the V/Ft, thereby increasing the cutter depth as
well.
Fig. 12. Working space of the CB tool.
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Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309
It was observed that the relationship of the CB tool length to the
pivot-point height above the work surface can be established with re-
spect to the bar angle and the cutting depth, as shown by Eqs. (44) and
(45), which are below. The following of these equations allows for the
attainment of the optimal L0, R, and h values.
Fig. 13 illustrates the flow chart in the modeling and analysis of
mechanical trencher systems. The design process can be summarized in
the following steps:
Step 1: The first step always involves determining the soil char-
acterization and the geologic conditions according to the previously
mentioned intact soil and soil-mass properties. A given set of perfor-
mance requirements should be the starting point, as follows: trench size
(width of the CB tool), soil strength, and volumetric-production rate.
Step 2: This step involves the selection of the proper cutter tool and
cutting geometry, and the necessary trench dimensions along with the
ability to cut the given soil strength are provided. After selecting the
cutter type, the cutting geometry, and the determination of the in-
dividual cutting forces, the CB tool design and the head cutter lacing
need to be considered. Among the parameters that influence the per-
formance of a mechanical trencher machine, the easiest parameter to
control is the CB tool design. The input data for a CB tool design and
simulation are obtained from the previous step, including the cutter
type, cutting geometry, and cutting forces at certain cutting geometries
that are for the achievement of the desired rate of penetration and the
minimum specific energy.
• Determine the three main lengths of the CB tool and the height of
the pivot point above the work surface h, as follows:
(L 0 + R sin max ) sin max h = d max
(L 0 + R sin
,
min ) sin =h (44)
min
M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

Fig. 13. Flow chart in the modeling and analysis of the mechanical trencher systems.

dmax R (sin2 max sin2 min ) and is used to calculate the specific energy requirement.
L0 = sin max sin min .
h = (L 0 + R sin min ) sin min (45) • Assume a simplified teeth structure as number of cutter tracks that
are dependent on the spacing between the tracking cutters (see
Furthermore, the bar angle can be expressed as functions of the L, R, d, Section 3).
and h, as follows:
• Determine the tangential force ft and the normal force fn distribution
L+ L2 + 4R (d + h) of the individual cutters that depend on the number of teeth that are
= sin 1 . engaged in the work and the chipping depth (see Section 3.1.1 and
2R (46) Eqs. (4) and (5)), and then determine the tangential and normal
For the existence of a bar angle, the condition of Eq. (46) is re- forces of the entire CB tool (see Section 3.1.1 and Eqs. (7)–(10)).
quired, as follows: • Determine the tractive thrust force, H, the normal force, V, and the
belt force, Fc of the entire CB tool and the tangential force, Ftmax (see
L 4R (d + h) . (47) Section 3).
From the above inequalities, the nose radius of the CB can be de- • Design the Ftmax and the Fnmax at the upper limits of the bar angle,
max , of 60° (see Section 3 and Eqs. (49) to (51) that are below,
fined as follows:
where we set up Cd= 0.43 because the desired transverse velocity is
L2 quite small, i.e., the transverse velocity, U, = 0.083 m/s).
•
R .
4(d + h) (48) For the systemic works on the surface, the Ftmax can be determined
in the up-cutting mode, as follows:
• Acquire technical specifications such as the tooth-pattern layout on Ftmax =
Cd W Cd B
,
the CB tool, the belt speed, and the chipping depth. (K Cd )sin + (1 + KCd )cos (49)
• Estimate of the designed parameters of the CB tool including the m,
kt, and kn (see Section 3.1.2 and Eqs. (7) and (8)). - Similarly, in the case when the system climbs up or down the slope
with the slope angle, , the Ftmax can be rewritten respectively as
Step 3: Calculate the cutting forces. follows:
The forces acting on the cutters can then be estimated or measured.
The soil properties and the cutter geometry are used as the input. The (W B )(Cd cos sin )
Ftmax = .
models will then calculate the penetration per revolution for each cutter sin (K Cd) + cos (1 + Cd K ) (50)
and estimate the requisite cutting forces for the penetration of the soil.
(W B )(Cd cos + sin )
These forces are used in turn to calculate the CB tool thrust, torque, and Ftmax = ,
sin (K Cd) + cos (1 + Cd K ) (51)
power requirements. This concept allows for the modeling of any CB
tool layout, pattern, or configuration for a design or performance
analysis. The normal force requirements are used to calculate the re- • Sum up the horizontal components of the bar force to determine the
quisite effective mass and thrust regarding the machine. The drag force resultant forward thrust force that is required (see Section 3.1.4 and
is directly related to the torque requirement of the trencher machine Eqs. (15) and (17)).

301
M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

• Sum up the vertical components of the bar force to determine the = arcsin
c b
arctan( ).
resultant downward thrust force that is required (see Section 3.1.4 a2 + b2 a (61)
and Eqs. (16) and (18)).
Lastly, the range of the slope angle is given as follows:
Step 4: Determine the balance of the completed system and the CB-
cmin b cmax b
to-UTV structural- and deployment-actuation forces (see Section 3.3). arcsin arctan( ) arcsin arctan( ),
a2 + b2 a a2 + b2 a

• Determine the locational position of the CB or the height of the pivot (62)
point above the work surface h (see Eq. (45)) where the expressions of cmin and cmax are defined as follows:

Step 5: Estimate the slope-angle range for the functionality of the cmin = Hmin + Cd Vmin , (63)
overall system. cmax = Hmax + Cd Vmax . (64)
From Section 3.2, the relationship between the Cd and the slope
angle, , can be obtained, as follows: Step 6: Determine the power and the energy of the overall system.
The specific energy is defined as the amount of requisite energy for
H + (W B ) sin the excavation of a unit volume of soil. Using the specific energy, the
Cd = .
(W B ) cos V (52) achievable production rates are calculated for a machine with the ne-
cessary horsepower for the CB tool.
Also, Eq. (52) can be rewritten as follows:
Cd (W B ) cos (W B ) sin = H + VCd. (53) • Determine the power and energy including the volumetric-produc-
tion rate, chain power, sprocket torque, specific energy, and power
If it is assumed that (W B ) = a , Cd (W B ) = b , and
density (see Section 4 and Eqs. (36) to (43)).
H + Cd V = c , Eq. (53) can be re-written as follows:
a sin + b cos = c, (54) Step 7: Ensure the adequacy of the current selection.
After the input data have been established, the proposed method of
where a, b, c R are the coefficicents and + 0 ; here, is the a2 b2 this paper can be performed to determine whether the newly designed
unknown. CB tool can achieve the desired rate of penetration under the given soil
Generally, to solve trigonometric equations, they must first be conditions and cutting geometry, based on the cutting forces from
transformed into a basic trigonometric equation using the trigonometric theoretical models. In the case of an existing machine, the requisite
identities, as shown in the following steps: machine parameters are first calculated, and it is then determined if the
machine can sustain the estimated or desired penetration rate. If the
• Step a: Check the condition: penetration rate and the machine parameters are known, the back-up
• If a + b < c , a real solution for the equation does not exist.
2 2 2
and mucking systems of the mechanical trencher machine can be de-
• If a + b c , the equation can be solved and Step b is commenced.
2 2 2
signed to match the tunnel advance.
• Step b: Divide both of the sides of this equation by a + b so that 2 2

Eq. (54) is re-written as follows:

• Check the torque and moment requirements of the system.
a b c • Check that the spacing/penetration ratio is reasonable.
a2 + b2
sin +
a2 + b2
cos =
a2 + b2
.
(55) • Ensure that the structure, host vehicle, and actuators can provide
the thrust forces that are needed.
a b
Let A = and B = ; clearly, A2 + B2 = 1, so the unique
a2 + b2 a2 + b2
angle exists, allowing for the existence of cos = A , sin = B , and To summarize, the information that was generated from the pro-
0 < 2 . This expression can be written as the sine of the sum of two posed method in this paper includes individual cutter forces, chipping
angles; that is, an angle exists, whereby the following equations are depth, tractive-thrust and normal forces, torque, power of the CB tool,
derived: CB speed, and lastly, production rate. The cutting forces acting on the
CB tool have been estimated and summed up along with the torque that
b is needed to run the CB tool at a certain speed.
= sin ,
a2 + b2 (56)
6. Application example and discussion
a
= cos .
a2 + b2 (57) For this section, some of the important variables for designing of the
Divide the above equalities to obtain the following formula: trenching machine have been analyzed for targeted design parameters
and working conditions. The basic operational parameter is the bar
b
= tan . angle that determines the cutting depth of the trencher. It is important
a (58) that at least four of the parameters are taken into consideration in the
The location of can be found using the following equations: design of the trenching machine i.e., the tractive thrust force, normal
reaction force, cutting moment, and UTV weight. By looking at the
arctan( a ),
b
if a > 0 variations of the operational bar angle and its effect on those four
= b
. parameters, insights regarding the operation of the trenching machine
+ arctan( a ), if a < 0 (59) within a certain range of conditions could be revealed.

Now, Eq. (55) can be changed to the following equation: 6.1. Underwater trencher system description
b c
sin + arctan( ) = . In recent years, underwater construction robot application has ex-
a a2 + b2 (60)
panded beyond excavation tasks. The proposed trencher machine is
Then, the slope angle from the above equation can be easily defined, designed compact and versatile and other devices can be attached for
as follows: other works such as ladder trenching, rock crushing, or drilling holes as

302
M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

Fig. 14. The proposed system with the combination of a CB tool or RC tool.

shown in Fig. 14.
A method for trenching below the water in an environmentally
sensitive area for placement of electric cables, water pipes, or sewer
lines therein, the method using a trenching machine having a CB with a
digging chain thereon, belt for moving spoil to one side, and UTV to
move the trenching machine. An upstanding CB which is normally
carried in trailing relationship to a UTV is pivotally mounted to UTV as
shown in Fig. 15. The CB tool is pushed into the ground, and when it
rotates for backward motion of the UTV, the cutter tools cut off the soil.
The chain transfers the cut and ripped soil material to the conveyor
belt. Based on the series of reports covering mechanics of various cut-
ting and boring machines in Mellor [8], the ranges of the principal
parameters for designing a CB can be defined in Table 4. For the pro-
posed system, a somewhat heavier UTV with a CB tool that is designed
to cut a trench 0.6 m wide and up to 2 m deep in soft soil has been built.
The uniaxial compressive strength of soil material is 20 kPa. In this
material, it can work up to the maximum UTV speed of 300 m/hr. This
vehicle weighs 30 ton in the air. It is 10 m long and 7 m wide, and its

Fig. 15. Complete UTV system with the CB tool.

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Table 4
Principal parameters for the simulation and results.
Principal parameters for the simulation

Parameters Notation Unit Value Range

Maximum of the cutting depth d m 2 0≤d≤2

Tip radius of the cutter tool r mm 1.2 0.13 ≤ r ≤ 1.5
Maximum of the transverse speed U m/s 0.083 0.00178 ≤ U ≤ 0.331
The maximum speed of the belt ut m/s 6 0 ≤ ut ≤ 6
Weight of the system including UTV and CB tool W kN 294.3 −
The drawbar coefficient Cd − 0.6 0.3 ≤ Cd ≤ 0.6
Minimum bar angle nin degrees 15° 15° ≤ ≤ 60°
Maximum bar angle max 60°
The coefficient of the shape cutter tool (new teeth) K − 1 1≤K≤2
The coefficient of the shape cutter tool (worn teeth) K 2
The coefficient of the friction for sliding or rolling of the belt against the supporting CB tool μ − 0.1 0.05 ≤ μ ≤ 0.25
Uniaxial compressive strength c kPa 20 −
Performance index (good traction) − 0.1 −
Performance index (poor traction) 0.25
Weight of the trencher tool Wt kN 2.943 −
Weight of the track vehicle Wv kN 26.49 −
Width of the trencher tool Rt m 0.5 −
Buoyancy force of the trencher tool Bt kN 7.182 −
Buoyancy force of the track vehicle Bw kN 59.566 −
Seawater density ρ kg/m3 1025 −

Design the geometry for CB tool

Parameters Notation Unit Value

Number of the cutting track m − 5

Length of the CB tool L0 m 3.0126
The height of the pivot point above the work surface h m 0.8
Radius of nose of the CB tool R m 0.25
The volumetric production rate v m3/s 0.083
The slope angle degrees 20°

Results

Variable Notation Unit Maximum Value

Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4

K = 1,Cd = 0.3 K = 1, Cd =0.6 K = 2, Cd = 0.3 = 0.25 K = 2, Cd = 0.6 = 0.1
= 0.25 = 0.1

Proportionality constants with dimensions of the kn − 469.4 1028.8 519.2 1020

force kt − 469.4 1028.8 259.6 510
Tangential force Ft kN 77.3 31.2 70.87 28.1
Chain force or the belt force Fc kN 85.03 34.32 85.04 33.72
Chain power PB kW 505.2 200 505.2 200
Torque of the sprocket T kN.m 23.1 9 22.2 8.2
Power density Q kW/m 437.5 173.2 437.5 173.2
Tractive thrust (up-cutting) H kN 105.7 42.2 159.6 63.2
Normal reaction (up-cutting) V kN −29.4 −11.7 39.7 16.7

height is 5 m. The cutters can trench to a maximum depth of 2 m at

speeds of up to 3 m/s. The maximum operating depth is 500 m.

6.2. Cutting depth

The effective cutting depth of the CB is determined by the angle of

the endless CB relative to the horizontal. The cutting depth is adjusted
by moving the CB up and down relative to the tool bar assembly and by
pivoting the tool bar assembly relative to UTV. The proposed system
has been built to trench the maximum depth of 2 m at an upper bar-
angle limit of = 60°. The cutting depth was simulated for the bar
angles from 15° to 60° as shown in Fig. 16 using Eq. (44) and the
parameters in Table 4. Fig. 16 also shows that the cutting depth in-
creases linearly with increase of the bar angle. And the maximum value
of cutting depth equals 2 m at the upper bar-angle limit of = 60°.

Fig. 16. The cutting depth, d, as a function of the bar angle.

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The final expression of the parameters such as tractive thrust H,

normal reaction force V, and the weight of the carriage vehicle W need
to be derived from the previous equations. From Eqs. (17) and (18), the
transformation of the tractive thrust, H, and the normal reaction force,
V, for the up-cutting mode operation is as follows:
U cB
H= (K sin + cos ) d,
ut (µK + 1) (69)

U cB
V= (K cos sin ) d.
ut (µK + 1) (70)
By substituting Eq. (44) into Eqs. (69) and (70), the following
equations have been derived:
U cB
H= (K sin + cos )[(L + R sin ) sin h],
ut (µK + 1) (71)

U cB
V= (K cos sin )[(L + R sin ) sin h].
ut (µK + 1) (72)
Fig. 17. The tangential force, Ft, as a function of the bar angle.
For the up-cutting CB operation, the weight of the carriage vehicle
can now be expanded by inserting Eq. (68) into Eq. (23), as follows:
6.3. Forces and weight balance
U c Bd K 1
W 1 sin + + K cos .
To reduce the number of unknown variables, it is safe to assume that ut (µK + 1) Cd Cd (73)
the thrust power is very small compared with the total chain power; the
power loss does not contribute directly to the cutting process, which is Eq. (68) or (7) was used in order to determine the tangential-com-
why they are neglected; and the chain power can be expressed using Eq. ponent force, Ft, with the variation of the bar angle. Here, Fig. 17 shows
(39). Furthermore, from Eq. (39), the chain power can now be rear- the behavior of tangential-component force, Ft, varies with operating-
ranged by multiplying the specific energy by the volumetric cutting bar angles. Ft was increased with increment of the bar angle in four
rate, as follows: cases. At the lower limit of the bar angle, = 15°, Ft is always equal to
zero in the four cases. The result shows that the machine with the lower
PB = Es v. (65) performance index and the sharp tools required a smaller cutting force.
Then, by substituting Eqs. (40) and (43) into Eq. (65), the following At the upper limit of the bar angle, = 60°, the tangential component,
yield is obtained: Ft, reaches the maximum values in the four cases where a 2-m-deep
trench was cut are 30 kN, 28 kN, 78 kN, and 70 kN, respectively.
PB c UBd. (66)
Fig. 18 shows the behaviors of the horizontal tractive force, H, and
In the foregoing analysis it is assumed for simplicity that fn and ft are the vertical normal force, V, for the trencher with the performance
directly proportional to the chipping depth, , as a general approx- indexes of 0.1 and 0.25 in the up-cutting mode against the bar angle.
imation, and they can be expressed as Eqs. (1) and (2); however, other The results show that whenever the cutter tool becomes worn out, both
formulations can be used if necessary. By combining Eqs. (37) and (66), component forces are significantly increased compared with case of
the tangential force, Ft, which was previously expressed by Eq. (7), is sharp tool condition. The tractive thrust is the minimum requisite force
now as follows: to pull the CB that is parallel to the traverse direction during the op-
eration. The requisite tractive thrust is smaller whenever sharp tools are
U cB
Ft = d. utilized. Alternatively, other forces are created vertically during the
ut (µK + 1) (67)
operation as a normal reaction force to the cutting of the material.
From Eq. (44), Eq. (67) can be re-arranged as follows: More-efficient (smaller performance index) and sharper tools (smaller
K) require a smaller traction force and create a smaller normal reaction
U cB
Ft = [(L + R sin ) sin h]. force.
ut (µK + 1) (68)
When the CB tool only slightly touched the ground surface, the

Fig. 18. The tractive thrust, H, and the normal reaction, V, against the bar angle in the up-cutting mode.

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Fig. 19. The relative UTV weight analyses against the bar angle in the up-cutting-mode operation for Cd = 0.6 and Cd = 0.3.
tractive thrust, H, and normal reaction, V, would be zero because of the
cutting depth of d = 0 m at this bar angle of = 15°. In the up-cutting
mode operation, a setting of the CB tool deeper into the soil material
would gradually increase the tractive thrust, H, while the normal re-
action, V, would increase gradually in the bar-angle range from 0° to
37°, followed by its decrease and the reaching of a constant value at the
upper bar-angle limit of = 60°. At the 2 m cutting depth, or when the
bar angle, , = 60°, the trencher in the up-cutting mode with the sharp
tools (K = 1) and the 0.1 performance index required a traction force of
42 kN and a −12 kN normal reaction force was created; meanwhile,
with the worn tools (K = 2) and a 0.25 performance index, the H and V
required a 160 kN traction force and created a 10 kN normal reaction
force.
A prior knowledge of the capacity of the carrier vehicle is important
so that the trenching operation can be executed properly under certain
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Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309
soil conditions. In order to move properly on the quite soft soil with
frictional terrain, the UTV requires heavier weight to improve its track-
gripping performance. Soft soil is indicated by a small drawbar-coeffi-
cient value of . Fig. 19 graphically shows Eq. (73) for two sets of
conditions, as follows: one where the teeth are sharp (K = 1), the
traction is sound (Cd = 0.6), and the performance index is 0.1, and the
other where the teeth are worn (K = 2), the traction is fairly poor
(Cd = 0.3), and the performance index is 0.25. The results provide a
clear indication of the weight penalties that are incurred from the use of
poor cutting teeth and the nature of the working condition (working on
a surface or on a slope surface).
In the up-cutting CB operation mode, during the operation for which
a 2-m-deep trench of material was cut at 300 m/h with a uniaxial
compressive strength of 20 kPa with sharp tools (K = 1) at a perfor-
mance index of 0.1, the minimum UTV weights to work with quite-soft
M.T. Vu, et al.
Fig. 20. The chain power PB and the torque of the sprocket TB against the bar angle.
surface ground (Cd = 0.3) and to climb up and down the slope surface
are approximately 127 ton, 310 ton, and 76 ton, respectively. If the
UTV works on a more-firm ground (Cd = 0.6), the requisite vehicle
weights will only be 60 ton, 80 ton, and 43 ton, respectively. The UTV
target weight for the underwater construction robot that is studied in
this paper is only 35 ton; further design study for which a parameter
study is conducted is required to achieve this target. Numerous para-
meters such as the cutting speed, pivot-point location, and CB dimen-
sion (length and nose radius) can be adjusted for this purpose.
6.4. Power energy and torque of the belts cutter
The chain power can be expressed using Eq. (37) or (66), while the
torque of the belt cutter can be determined as follows:
T = Ft R, (74)
where R is the nose radius of the CB tool.
For the energy of the CB-tool analysis, Fig. 20 shows the behaviors
of the chain power and the sprocket torque against the bar angle, re-
spectively. From Eq. (37) and Fig. 20, the coefficient of the shape cutter
tool, K, does not affect the chain power at all. All of these graphs were
increased with an increasing of the bar angle. It was observed that at
the lower limit of the bar angle, = 15°, both the chain power and the
sprocket torque are always equal to zero in the four cases because Ft is
also equal to zero at this angle. Otherwise, at the upper limit of the bar
angle, = 60°, the maximum values of the torque of the sprocket, TB,
in the four cases for the cutting of the 2-m-deep trench are 9 kN.m,
8 kN.m, 23 kN.m, and 21 kN.m, respectively. Especially, the result also
shows that with the lower performance index the machine required a
smaller chain power.
6.5. Sensitivity analysis on the chain power and the angular speed
The total chain power was obtained using Eq. (66). Because the
power that was allocated to cut the trench is limited based on the
available power source, the present study is focused on an analysis of its
variations according to the effects of the other design parameters. The
angular speed (Ω) of the driving sprocket by means of the cutter tool
speed (ut) is directly proportional to the cutting power, and it therefore
becomes an interest in this study as well. If the carrier weight is con-
stant, the minimum cutter-tool speed can be determined by modifying
Eq. (73) in the up-cutting CB operation mode, as follows:
U c Bd K 1
ut = 1 sin + + K cos , trencher-performance modeling, the factors that affect the cutting
W (µK + 1) Cd Cd (75)
From Eq. (75), the angular speed can also be expressed in the up-
cutting CB mode, as follows:
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Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309
ut 1U c Bd K 1
= = 1 sin + + K cos ,
R R W (µK + 1) Cd Cd (76)
The use of the preliminary design parameters, the transverse speed
of the UTV (U), the cutting depth (d), the weight of the complete system
(W), the nose radius of the CB (R), the CB length (L), the height of the
pivot point above the work surface (h), the drawbar coefficient (Cd), the
coefficient of the shape cutter tool (K), the performance index ( ), the
uniaxial compressive strength of the cutting material ( c ), the CB width
(Rt), the tip radius of the cutter tool (r), the number of the cutting track
(m), the proportionality-constant coefficient with dimensions of the
force (kt), and the sensitivity analysis with the nominal values of the
total chain power and the angular speed were conducted, as shown in
Fig. 21. As can be seen from Fig. 21 and Table 5, the most sensitive
parameters that affect both the chain power (PB) and the angular speed
( ) are the traverse speed of the UTV, the cutting depth, the uniaxial
compressive strength of the cutting material, the performance index,
the tip radius of the cutter tool, the number of the cutting track, the
proportionality-constant coefficient with dimensions of the force, and
the CB width. The weight of the complete system, drawbar coefficient,
coefficient of the shape cutter tool, and nose radius of the CB are also
quite sensitive in the affecting of the angular speed, but they do not
exert effects regarding the total chain power. The CB length and the
height of the pivot point above the work surface do not affect the chain
power, but they are less sensitive to the angular speed.
The results also show that a larger nose radius, a sound UTV trac-
tion, a smaller cutter-tool tip radius, and a heavier carriage vehicle can
reduce the angular speed of the driving sprocket during the operation.
Although it is not significant, a higher of the pivot point above the work
surface and a shorter CB length are preferable for operations with a
lower angular speed. The chain power and the angular speed of the
sprocket are increased whenever the traverse speed, cutting depth,
performance index, cutter-tool tip radius, cutting-track number, pro-
portionality-constant coefficient force, and trench width are increased.
The design optimization of all of the parameters for which the in-
formation that is drawn from Fig. 21 is used can be preceded by a fo-
cused selection of the above-mentioned 14 main parameters.
7. Conclusion
This paper shows the way that an analytical trencher-machine
model is derived and used to design and analyze the trenching-machine
operation in the up-cutting operation mode. To obtain an improved
performance of the UTV with the CB in soft-soil conditions regarding
the cutting-mode operation were analyzed. For this purpose, the
mathematical expression of the mechanics that relate the forces,
M.T. Vu, et al. Applied Ocean Research 86 (2019) 289–309

Fig. 21. Sensitivity analysis of the

chain power, PB, and the sprocket an-
gular speed, , against the 14 design
parameters in up-cutting mode.

moments, and energy from the trencher to the UTV was studied. Also, a system, W. Through the normalized-parameter studies, the behaviors of
number of the equations were derived to obtain the non-dimensional the complete UTV- and CB-tool systems have been analyzed. The
terms for the parameter study such as the tractive thrust, H, the normal equations that have been developed in this paper can be usefully ap-
reaction, V, the cutting moment, Mc, and the weight and balance of the plied to determine the important UTV parameters such as the tangential

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Table 5 (2) The traction of the vehicle is improved with a heavier UTV in case
Sensitivity analysis of the chain power and the sprocket angular speed. of quite soft soil condition and frictional terrain. When the cutter
Parameter Unit Net power PB (hp) Angular speed of sprocket tools are worn, the minimum UTV requirement is increased, and
(RPM) therefore, the traction of the UTV is decreased. To prevent the
traction from worsening, the cutting of the trench at a low bar angle
100 U 300 m/h Much effect (increase) Much effect (increase)
and the ensuring of the sharpness of the cutter tool are re-
0.5 d 3 m Much effect (increase) Much effect (increase)
20 W 50 tons Not effect (constant) Much effect (decrease)
commended.
0.2 R 0.7 m Not effect (constant) Much effect (decrease) (3) The minimum relative weight requirement for UTV is increased
3 L 6 m Not effect (constant) Quite effect (increase) during the operations at steep bar angles, and it is significantly
0.9 h 1.5 m Not effect (constant) Quite effect (decrease) increased during the operations in softer ground.
0.3 Cd 0.6 – Not effect (constant) Much effect (decrease)
(4) The variation of the cutting moment at the pivot point during the
1 K 2 – Not effect (constant) Much effect (increase)
0.1 0.25 – Much effect (increase) Much effect (increase) operation at steep bar angles (> 30°) is minor, while the cutting
10 c 25 MPa Much effect (increase) Much effect (increase) moment is reduced when the cutter tools are worn out. The cutting
0 Rt 1.2 m Much effect (increase) Much effect (increase) moment will increase if the CB is longer, but a deeper cutting depth
0.9 r 2.5 mm Much effect (decrease) Much effect (decrease) d will reduce the cutting moment.
1 m 6 – Much effect (increase) Much effect (increase)
(5) Due to the availability of the preliminary design parameters, a
200 kt 300 – Much effect (increase) Much effect (increase)
sensitivity analysis for which the nominal values of the total chain
power and the angular speed were used has been conducted. The
results show that the traverse speed, cutting depth, uniaxial com-
force, Ft, the tractive thrust, H, the normal reaction, V, the cutting pressive strength, and width of the CB are the most-sensitive in-
moment, Mc, the maximum carrier weight, and the available power. fluential parameters regarding the power and the angular speed.
The estimation results of these parameters would be used as the re- The UTV weight, nose radius of the CB, CB length, and pivot-point
ference data to design a detailed CB tool for which the chain-dynamics location do not affect the power at all.
simulation approach is employed.
Using the information drawn from these parameter studies, the Acknowledgements
previous design can be optimized through a focusing on optimal se-
lections of the traverse speed, uniaxial compressive strength, trench This research is a part of the project National Research Foundation
width, carrier weight, nose radius, CB length, and pivot-point location. of Korea (NRF-2016R1A2B4011875) and a part of project titled “R&D
The objective of the design optimization is the minimization of the total center for underwater construction robotics”, South Korea
cutting power, cutter-tool force, and cutter-tool speed that are related (PJT200539), funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF).
to the traverse speed, uniaxial compressive strength, CB length, and
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