Modelling of a Road Tunnel Ventilation System Under Fire Conditions

This paper deals with the modelling of a longitudinal ventilation system of a road tunnel and the simulation of different fire scenarios. Initially, the analysis of the current traffic and environmental conditions is carried out, in order to model the tunnel ventilation system. Afterwards, different fire simulations scenarios are performed using the Camatt 2.2 (1D) software. The models are developed for different scenarios in terms of the heat release rate and the location of the fire and focus on monitoring the required time for the reduction of backlayering length in combination with the critical velocity and the tunnel’s environmental conditions at the time of the fire. Through these models, the evaluation of the environmental quality and flow characteristics in case of fire event can be drawn, allowing engineers and project safety managers in general to further optimize the ventilation system and to create a healthy and risk-free environment during the operation of the road tunnel.