Abstract: The paper proposed a research model based on the CSM model， which was deduced by Colorado School of Mines， to minimize the unbalanced radial force and overturning moment. The model followed the principle of cutterhead minimum specific energy and utilized the normal genetic algorithm to optimize the spacing of the center cutters， the normal cutters and the gage cutters， and in turn， to improve the polar angle of the normal cutters and the gage cutters. Taking the TB880E cutterhead as an object， the research revealed that when the cutter spacing of center cutters and the normal cutters have been improved， the specific energy can be reduced by about 1.53%. Similarly， when the tilt angles of the gage cutters have been optimized， the specific energy can be reduced by about 1.10%. When the polar angles of the normal cutters and the gage cutters have been improved， the unbalanced radial force can be reduced to 0.1265N， and the overturning moment can be reduced to 0.7591N/m， which may decrease the deformation of the cutterhead. The present research can be applied in the optimization design of the locations of the disc cutters on the cutterhead and in the prediction of the energy consumption of rock fragmentation process， which can reduce the energy of the rock fragmentation and improve the boring efficiency.

Key words: TBM, rock-breaking specific energy, disc cutter ;cutterhead layout, the genetic algorithm