The verticality deviation of trench cutting re-mixing deep-wall (TRD) machines is difficult to accurately evaluate and correct due to heterogeneous geological conditions and unbalanced cutting loads. Conventional inclination monitoring and independent hydraulic cylinder control cannot ensure reliable attitude reconstruction and coordinated actuator correction. This study aims to develop an integrated verticality monitoring and electro-hydraulic control framework for improving attitude evaluation and hydraulic actuator coordination of TRD machines.
A sensing-evaluation-control framework is proposed by integrating distributed attitude measurement, minimum-zone verticality assessment and cross-coupled sliding-mode synchronization control. Multi-node micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) inclination measurements are used to reconstruct the lateral deformation profile of the cutter box. An optimization-based minimum-zone evaluation method is developed to quantify the geometric deviation of the reconstructed profile. Furthermore, a boundary-layer sliding-mode controller with cross-coupled synchronization compensation is designed for dual hydraulic cylinders. Lyapunov analysis demonstrates the boundedness of tracking and synchronization errors under bounded uncertainties and disturbances.
Numerical evaluation of reconstructed cutter-box profiles obtains a minimum-zone envelope width of 6.514 mm, representing the overall geometric deviation range of the reconstructed contour. Experimental results demonstrate improved cylinder tracking performance and reduced synchronization deviation under the proposed control strategy. Dual-cylinder experiments further demonstrate stable coordinated motion under imposed disturbance conditions.
This study develops an integrated framework combining distributed sensing, geometric evaluation and coordinated electro-hydraulic control for TRD trenching equipment. The proposed approach provides a potential solution for improving verticality monitoring and actuator coordination under uncertain underground construction conditions.
