COUPLING MODELS OF ROAD TUNNEL TRAFFIC, VENTILATION AND EVACUATION

As road tunnel accidents can result in numerous fatalities and injuries, attention must be paid to accident prevention and management. To address this issue, use of integrated tunnel model for system evaluation and training of road tunnel operators on computer simulator is presented. A unified tunnel model, including traffic, meteorological conditions, ventilation and evacuation that is presented. An overview of simulation models, simulator architecture and challenges during the development are discussed. The integrated tunnel model is used as a core of a simulation system that is capable of reproducing tunnel accidents in real time and it interfaces with Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) interfaces used in real tunnel control centres. It enables operators to acquire experience they could otherwise get only during major accidents or costly exercises. It also provides the possibility for evaluation of tunnel control algorithms and Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) for efficient operation of all safety systems during upgrades and maintenance. Finally, application of the model for accident analysis and optimization of emergency ventilation control is presented where it was used to identify cause of emergency ventilation malfunction and design fault.