Effectiveness of positive pressure ventilation system for road tunnel

H. S. Chung Hanyang Univ. Y. J. Lee Hanyang Univ G. P. Lee Hanyang Univ & Korea Institute of Construction Technology P. O. Kim Hanyang Univ./Master

ABSTRACT : C.F.D.(Computational Fluid Dynamics) Model is used for the numerical analysis in order to evaluate the ventilation effect of P.P.V .(Positive Pressure Ventilation), that has been recently developed for fast and effective dispersion of hazardous gas, dust etc. and to allow fast and easy access to save lives and fire fighting in case of disasters. To analysis ventilation effects, numerical analysis was carried out to longitudinal ventilation system using jet fan and positive pressure ventilation system in same condition. 30MW magnitude fire and smoke were modeled in tunnel center area(total length : 1.45km) to evaluate the ventilation effect of P.P.V in case of fire . disaster inside the tunnel. PIARC criterion was applied to tunnel ventilation and fire scenario was based on EUREKA project' conclusion. From the numerical analysis we were able to see that the ventilation effect of P.P.V .(Positive Pressure Ventilation) is more effective compared to longitudinal ventilation system using jet fans. Also P.P.V was . shown to be the more effective ventilation system in case of fire disasters inside the tunnel. 1. INTRODUCTION Currently, road tunnels for common use and under construction are 616 sites and total length is up to 423,000m in South Korea. Concern for environment is increased in recently, but the tunnel ventilation system does not effectively disperse the smoke or the hazardous gases from cars, and most of these gases stay inside the tunnel. Also the large size accidents occurred inside the tunnel in Mont Blanc tunnel of Italy and Tauern tunnel of Austria have caused human life casualties and huge economical damage bringing more attention to the design concept of tunnel ventilation system in ordinary condition and in disasters. Tunnel ventilations system is classified to natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation system, and typical ventilation system is longitudinal ventilation system in mechanical ventilation system. P.P.V.(Positive Pressure Ventilation) that has been recently developed in the U.S.A. for fast and effective dispersion of hazardous gases, dust etc. and allow fast and easy access to save lives and fire fighting in case of disasters, is adopted around the World. In this respect, to evaluate the ventilation effect of P.P.V., C.F.D.(Computational Fluid Dynamics) model is used for the numerical analysis for both P.P.V. and longitudinal ventilation system using jet fans, comparing and analyzing both numerical analysis conclusions. And P.P.V.'s ventilation effect is analyzed at long tunnel(above length 1km) using numerical analysis. 2. SUMMARY OF C.F.D. MODEL AND P.P.V. 2.1 Summary of C.F.D. model Prediction methods of thermal transmission and fluid flow are classified to experimental method and numerical analysis method, and merits and demerits of both methods are explained in table 1. Numerical analysis method will be more useful in analysis of time and cost by development of computer system. Demerits of numerical analysis that is governing equation's accuracy etc. will be solved by many researchers study for turbulen ce governing equation.

Prediction methods of thermal transmission and fluid flow using numerical analysis by computer is called C.F.D. model and in this study, numerical analysis is performed for ventilations and disaster prevention using C.F.D. Model. 2.2 Summary of P.P.V. Longitudinal ventilation system among the ventilations systems eliminates contaminated air from inside tunnel to outside using jet fans. In order

3. NUMERICAL ANALYSIS USING C.F.D. MODEL Among the harmful materials which should be considered when planning ventilation facilities, there are particle type materials such as exhaust gas which decrease safety and pleasantness by effecting to visibility range, and gas type materials such as CO, NOx, HC, SOx and etc which causes physiological effect to drivers. Table 2 shows dilution rate to maintain below the permitted quantity of harmful

Table 1. Merit and Demerit of Experiment Method and Numerical Analysis Method Numerical Analysis Method -Time and cost are economical -It is possible for physical situation to -Realizing boundary condition is easy predict with real scale test -It is possible to model ideal condition and critical condition - Require relatively much cost and time - Setting of test condition which to exist low -Accuracy of numerical analysis of similitude is difficult ingredients from exhausted gas. Experimental Method

Merit

Demerit

to eliminate contaminated air inside tunnel in transverse ventilation system, inject outside air of tunnel into the inside through ventilation duct and eliminate contaminated air inside tunnel through vent duct. Between prescribed ventilation systems, longitudinal ventilation system using jet fans is generally adopted in South Korea and there is demerit which occur turbulence flow reduced ventilation efficiency in the system. To improve the demerit, P.P.V. which is recently developed in the U.S.A. is ventilations system for fast and effective dispersion of hazardous gas, dusts etc. and allow fast and easy access to save lives and fire fighting in case of disasters. The unique difference between P.P.V. and other ventilation system is installation of M.V.U.(Mobile Ventilation Unit) at entrance about 10 20meters ahead and to removing hazardous gas, dust etc. pouring outside air of tunnel into the inside using M.V.U.. P.P.V. is indicated that easy to secure visibility range at fire breaks out in tunnel and effective for circumstantial judgment at fire breaks out zone and for saving lives through field tests(See fig 1 2).

Fig 1. Summary of P.P.V.

Fig 2. A general view of field test and M.V.U. From these materials, the order of harmfulness to physiological effect to human is CO, Pb, NO2, SO2, CO2 and HCHO, and therefore CO is firstly treated as a gas to be ventilated for environmental sanitary. Dilution rate 100~1,000 2~20 2~200 0.4~10 100

Table 2. Dilution rate of each exhaust gases Hazardous Gas Content in exhaust gas The maximum permissible limit Japan : 100 ppm CO 1~10% PIARC:100~200 ppm CO2 1~10% 5,000 ppm NO2 10~10,000 ppm 5 ppm HCHO 2~50 ppm 5 ppm Pb 2 /liter 0.2 mg/m3

The toxicity of exhausted gases which are composed of various gases is not simply the compounds of each, but is thought to yield out the toxicity with rising effect, and if we maintain the quantity of CO, which's dilution rate is highest of others, below the permitted level, other harmful gases are assumed to be ventilated well by being diluted sufficiently, and since the past construction of Holland tunnel, controlling CO have been treated as the basis of ventilation. As so, in this research CO was selected as the gas to be ventilated in tunnel and applied PIARC standard to it. And also, in the event of fire, fans for prevention of disaster are required so as to reduce casualties rather from back layering of smoke than from the heat of fire, and in this research numerical analysis i s performed on the effect of disaster prevention through the method of positive pressure ventilation at tunnel having 1.45km length. 3.1 Numerical analysis conditions 3.1.1 Numerical analysis conditions to compare P.P.V. with longitudinal ventilation system In order to examine the effect of ventilation on road tunnel, numeric analysis was executed on the C.F.D.(Computational Fluid Dynamics) model for two conditions which are longitudinal ventilation system using jet fan and method of positive pressure ventilation, and which are generally adapted ventilation method for road tunnel. In order to do numeric analysis, we made a modeling as if CO gas having 200ppm of its density is distributed along the interior of tunnel which is 500m long and 2way lane road tunnel. The arranged condition of numeric analysis is seen in table 3 and fig 3~4, and model of jet fan operates, as you can see in fig 5, with outer cover and fan located on the center of it. Table 3. Condition of numerical analysis Ventilation Ventilation unit System Longitudinal Jet fan : 1.2m ventilation Wind velocity : 30m/sec M.V.U. : 1.2m P.P.V. Wind velocity : 30m/sec

(a) Mesh

(b) Cross section and longitudinal section Fig 3. Modeling of numerical analysis for longitudinal ventilation

(a) Mesh

(b) Cross section and longitudinal section Fig 4. Modeling of numerical analysis for P.P.V.

Fig 5. Modeling of jet fan and jet fan cover 3.1.2 Numerical analysis condition to investigate that P.P.V. apply to long tunnel at fire occurred In order to examine the prevention effect of disasters through P.P.V. when fire break out in the road tunnel, I modeled for the 2way road tunnel(its length is 1,450m) in the center of which fire occurred and it caused heat and smoke. And for numeric analysis, Density of CO gas in tunnel 200 ppm 200 ppm

Tunnel length(m) 500 500

we made a standard on the basis that the fire scale is 30MW(quantity of heat) which is produced when a bus is totally destroyed by fire(see table 4). The scenario of fire progress as time passes appear

Smoke(%)

generally in a manner that heat from fire rapidly rises up in beginning progress stage, maintains shortly the state of emitting maximum value and cools slowly, and in this report we referred from the scenario of fire in a bus of URECA project(see fig 6~7). As to the scenario about smoke in fire, assumed that it is same as fire scenario because no special scenario about smoke is found as diffusion of smoke is irregular(see fig 8).

120.0

Max:100%
100.0 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 0.0 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00

time (min)

Table 4. Heat release rate of each vehicle at PIARC 99 Vehicle category 1 passenger car 2~3 passenger cars or 1 passenger van 1 van(small lorry) 1 bus or 1 lorry without dangerous goods 1 heavy goods vehicle(worst case) 1 petrol tanker(worst sace) Heat release rate (MW) 5 8~15 15~20 20~30 100 200~300

Fig 8. Scenario of smoke progress as time pass

3.1.3 The rest numerical analysis conditions In order to analysis ventilation effectiveness, B.F.C.(Body Fitted Coordinate) and full scale model were adopted. Boundary conditions and functions used in numerical analysis are seen in table 5. 3.2 Analysis numerical analysis result Fig 6. Scenario of each vehicle at URECA project
35.0

3.2.1 Analysis ventilation effectiveness between P.P.V. and longitudinal ventilation In order to analyze the ventilation effect of P.P.V., numeric analysis was performed for each case of longitudinal ventilation and P.P.V. on the condition when CO(its density is 200ppm) is fulfilled in a tunnel(its length is 500m), and identical diameter and wind velocity are used to compare the ventilation effect. The result of ventilation distribution of CO for each ventilation method as time passes appears as below. From the view of ventilation effect for each time, if M.V.U. is used, compared to the method of jet fan, you can know that outer air is flowed into tunnel more effectively, length of 50m is already ventilated after a minute and much difference is found as to ventilation effect after 5 minutes. It seems to happen because of small inflow of outer air by jet fan and whirlpool beneath the jet fan.

Max:30MW
30.0 25.0

Tem(MW)

20.0 15.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00

time(min)

Fig 7. Scenario of fire progress as time pass

And, while M.V.U. have fully ventilated out CO after 10 minute, but in case of jet fan, it is appears that CO still remains in the exit part of tunnel after 30 minutes(see fig 9).
After 1 minute

tunnel which is required for ventilation is insufficient in contrast to the method of P.P.V., and as you can see from fig 11, because whirlpool phenomenon occurs beneath the jet fan the efficiency of ventilation fall down greatly. While, in case of P.P.V.
After 1 minute

After 5 minute

After 5 minute

After 10 minute

After 10 minute

After 15 minute Ventilation was completed after 10 minute CO gas(Density : 200 ppm) Tunnel outside air (CO gas Density : 0 ppm)

(a) Longitudinal ventilation (b) P.P.V. Fig 9. Ventilation effectiveness as time passes 3.2.2 Density of co inside tunnel after 5minutes starting of ventilation each ventilations system As we examine the density of CO after 5 minutes with running jet fan and M.V.U., in case of jet fan ventilation method, the density of CO among 50m section from the tunnel entrance is below 100ppm which is generally permitted value, and in case of P.P.V., density of CO among 350m section from the tunnel entrance is below 100ppm(See fig 10).
250

as whirlpool phenomenon which turbulence flow does not occur and it efficiently make influx of air into tunnel from outer, the ventilation effect is estimated to increase much against the longitudinal ventilation using jet fan. When we see the estimated value of speed change between the center and exit part of tunnel along with the time for each ventilation method, it shows much difference w i t h t h e m e t h o d of P.P.V. against longitudinal ventilation system(See fig 12)
The center part of tunnel

200

3.5
CO gas density(ppm)
150

2.871m/s

100

velocity(m/s)

2.5 2 1 0.4521m/s 0 0 500 1000 time(sec) 1500 2000 1.5 0.5 M.V.U. Jet fan

5 0

Jet fan M.V.U.

0 0 100 200 300 400 500

Distance from tunnel entrance(m)

Fig 10. Distribution of CO gas in tunnel each ventilation after 5 minutes with ventilation

(a) The centre part of tunnel Fig 12. Velocity variation of air flow each ventilation system 3.2.3 Analysing variations of velocity vector each ventilation system When check out velocity vector and Contour near each ventilation fan after 30minute from the starting of ventilation, in case of longitudinal ventilation system using jet fan, quantity of air from outside of

Table 5. The rest numerical analysis condition Ventilation Prevent disaster Condition analysis analys is No. of grid 1212200 1616310 Turbulence Model Convection condition Analysis method of matrix Pressure condition Convergent condition Run time Time interval Time increase rate Iteration step Standard k- model Hybrid scheme CGS family Exit SIMPLET with GCV Variation of solution is less then 0.01% 30 min 50 min 180 200 10 sec 10 s ec 2500 2000 Entrance

Common factors Velocity Temperature Pressure Temperature Velocity factor Temperature 0 m/s 25 0 Pa Outflow boundary condition Wall friction function Transmission and convection boundary condition

Surface of tunnel lining

3.2.4 Consideration of M.V.U. application for natural ventilation system tunnel

3

The exit of tunnel 2.832m/s

In order to investigate the effect of protection against disasters using P.P.V. if fire occur in long tunnel, we d i d n u m e r i c a nalysis considering the heat quantity(30MW) from the destruction of a bus by fire in the center of tunnel which is 1,450m long and occurrence of smoke from the fire(Max. of density is 100%, total duration time of fire is 25 minute), and arranged result during 25 minute after the end of emitting heat and smoke is as below. In the beginning of fire, smoke rises up to the ceiling of tunnel by the heat from fire, and as the quantity of smoke and heat are increase along with time passes, the density of smoke around the vehicle in fire seem to increase, and at the ceiling part of tunnel, whirlpool phenomenon is occurred by the heat from fire and so smoke seem to remain in some area(See fig 13)

2.5

velocity(m/s)

2 1.5 1 0.5 0 0 500 1000 time(sec) 1500

M.V.U. Jet fan

0.3728m/s 2000

(b) The exit of tunnel But through the ventilation effect by the method of P.P.V., Back layering of smoke is sufficiently prevented by a M.V.U., and if we consider that generally 4 jet fans should be installed for the purpose of disaster protection when the length of tunnel is 1.45km, M.V.U. is concluded to be more

(a) After 5 minute (b) After 12 minute (c) After 25 minute (d) After 27 minute (e) After 50 minute Fig 13. Variation of Smoke density as time passes at fire break out in tunnel(by P.P.V.)

economical and effective ventilation method. Therefore the method of P.P.V. is concluded to be adequate as a effective ventilation method in case of emergency rescue like fire occurrence in tunnel. 4. CONCLUSION

of the ventilation and it may complete the conditions makes the big damage. So when the ventilation system inside of tunnel is designed, we may decide to check the above conditions. 5. REFERENCES -

In this research, investigated the present state of road tunnel at home and ventilation method adapted to them, and in order to analyze ventilation effect of the method of P.P.V., compared and studied the ventilation effect of longitudinal ventilation and P.P.V. through numeric analysis using C.F.D. model. And the arranged result of study about the possibility as to the application of P.P.V. so as to get a enough effect of disaster protection against the fire in long tunnel is as below; (1) Currently, road tunnels for common use and under construction are 616 sites and total length is up to 423,000m, if they are classified by ventilation method, in case of the road tunnels whose total length is below 1,000m, natural ventilation method is applied widely and in case of the road tunnels whose total length is over 1,000m, type ventilation method are mostly applied by the research. (2) Through the numeric analysis using CFD model if type ventilation method using the jet fan is applied, the efficiency rate of suction is lower than the P.P.V. and the reason that the jet fan is installed on the ceiling makes the energy loss resulted from the friction between the ceiling of the tunnel and air and caused the decrease of the ventilation efficiency. (3) Through the numeric analysis, in case of the operation of the M.V.U. installed in the tunnel entrance, it does not make the maelstrom phenomenon different to the type ventilation method using the jet fan and efficiently pouring into the outside air of the tunnel into the inside. So, the ventilation effect by the P.P.V. is more efficient than the longitudinal ventilation system using jet fan. (4) If we look at the result of the numeric analysis of the M.V.U.s efficiency in case the fire comes out in the long tunnel, it can stop the reverse spread of the smoke more efficiently than the ventilation method by jet fan. Moreover, it is decided to be very economical ventilation method. So, it can be to suggested as more efficient ventilation method than that by jet fan in case of the fire in long tunnel. (5) If the fire comes out from the lower part of the jet fan, it makes stop the operation of the ventilation systems or the reverse and stationary flow of the smoke caused from the maelstrom decrease the effect

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