Abstract

Understanding the airflow characteristics within the canopy structure installed between closely adjacent tunnels either for light adaptation or for protection from snow hazards is required for the normal ventilation as well as safety system design. Grade, horizontal alignment, cross-sectional area and shape are known to substantially influence the fire smoke behavior and their influences raise great concern for the safety design. This paper aims at studying the effects of tunnel geometrical characteristics and canopy installation on the ventilation and fire propagation through CFD analysis. In the case of 145m long canopy, 50% opening ratio is preferred with respect to the airflow pattern and ventilation efficiency. When a 20MW fire occurs in a 1.8km-long tunnel and four 1250mm reversible jet fans are instantly turned on, smoke concentration at 40m downstream of the fire decrease 13% for the upgrade tunnel with 2% gradient and increases 20% for -2% gradient, compared to the standard horizontal tunnel. Backlayering is observed within 45m-long segment toward the entrance in 2% down-graded tunnel. In a rectangular tunnel, there is no significant difference of smoke concentration as well as velocity profile from the standard crown tunnel. Three-laned tunnel shows lower level of both profiles and backlayering is detected up to 50m upstream of the fire, while the risky situation rapidly disappears thereafter.