Addendum 3 Transit Corridor Safeguarding

Concept Design of Tunnel Ventilation System

Report No. 243011/F3/C3/012
Revision A
November 2008

Department of Transport
PO Box 20
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

Surface Transport
Master Plan
Addendum 3 - Transit
Corridor Safeguarding
Concept Design of
Tunnel Ventilation
System
November 2008

Mott MacDonald
PO Box 47094
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Tel: 971 2 6262 966
Fax: 971 2 6269 192

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Executive Summary
This document provides a preliminary assessment of the space requirements for the tunnel ventilation
system at the underground stations of the proposed Abu Dhabi Underground Transportation System
(UTS).
The proposed control air temperatures at concourse and platform levels of the stations are 30C and
28C. The proposed control air temperature in the platform trackway and the running tunnels is 35C.
The required cooling load at a typical Metro station is estimated to be 6.0 MW, based upon
preliminary estimates of heat loads for the afternoon peak operations on the design summer day.
The proposed ventilation system for Abu Dhabi UTS includes two modes of operations; open-loop and
the closed-loop ventilation. Open-loop ventilation is the single-pass use of outside air for the
ventilation of the stations and running tunnels. In the closed-loop cycle most of the air is returned from
the ventilated spaces to the air-handling units to be re-cooled. This mode applies during hot day
operations when the closed-loop cycle reduces the total cooling load.
The required cooling and ventilation of the public areas of the stations is provided by dedicated airhandling units through supply and return distribution systems. Separate air-handling units ventilate
and cool the trackways. Cooled air is supplied to the trackway through under platform supply ducts
and extracted through over-track extract ducts. The running tunnels are cooled either by chilled water
pipes or by fan coil units; to be decided at a later design stage.
It is further proposed that the tunnel ventilation system for the control and capture of smoke in a tunnel
incident is based upon Saccardo nozzles, in which fans discharge air at relatively high velocity into the
incident tunnel by way of the nozzles. The fan installations at the downstream side of the incident is
configured to capture the smoke from the trackway and to discharge it to atmosphere by way of a
shaft.
The same tunnel ventilation fans are the principal means of capturing and discharging the smoke from
a train fire at an underground station.

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List of Contents

Page

Introduction

Functional Requirements

2.1

General

2.2

Metro

2.3

Regional Rail

Ventilation and Cooling Strategy

3.1

Ventilation and Cooling of Public Areas of the Stations

3.2

Ventilation and Cooling of Platform Trackway and Running Tunnels

3.3

Modes of Operation

Smoke Control Strategy

4.1

Design Data

4.2

Metro

4.3

Regional Rail

4.4

Tunnel Ventilation System

Tunnel Ventilation Equipment

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5.1

Ventilation and Cooling of Public Areas of the Stations

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5.2

Ventilation and Cooling of Platform Trackway and Running Tunnels

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Additional Comments

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Figures
Figure 3.1: Open Loop Ventilation Cool Day
Figure 3.2: Closed Loop Ventilation Hot Day

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Introduction

The tunnel ventilation systems in the underground sections of the Abu Dhabi Metro and the Regional
Rail services, hereafter referred to collectively as the Underground Transportation System (UTS), are
required to provide:
a) Conditions in the public areas of the underground stations and in the running tunnels that support
the comfort of the passengers and personnel during normal operations.
b) Conditions in a congested running tunnel that support the comfort of the passengers and personnel
on the stalled train.
c) The control and capture of smoke, in the event of an incident in either a running tunnel or at an
underground station, and the provision of tenable conditions for the evacuation of passengers and
personnel.
The purpose of this report is to provide a preliminary assessment of the space requirements for the
tunnel ventilation system at the underground stations of the proposed Abu Dhabi UTS. This report
includes:

A description of the functional requirements of the tunnel ventilation systems;

Ventilation and cooling strategy;

Smoke control strategy;

Indicative selection of equipment.

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Functional Requirements

The following design parameters provide the basis of design in the preliminary assessment of the
cooling requirements at the underground stations.
2.1

General

The design summer day conditions for Abu Dhabi are taken from the ASHRAE Fundamentals
Handbook (2005) as 42.5C db and 23% relative humidity.

The suggested temperature criteria for the public areas at the stations and for the running
tunnels are as follows:
-

Concourse: 30C db

Platform: 28C db

The dry-bulb temperatures at the concourse and platform levels are set by short-term comfort
levels. There should be a temperature gradient from the service entrances to the platform to
provide a gradual introduction to the lower temperatures and to avoid thermal shock.
The control air temperature in the platform trackway and the running tunnels is set to 35C to
support the normal operation of the onboard equipment, principally the air-conditioning units.

Full height Platform Screen Doors (PSDs) are installed at every station. The PSDs provide a
partial aerodynamic and thermodynamic separation of the public areas from the running
tunnels.

The principal heat gains in the platform trackway and the running tunnels are:

The heat rejected by the traction and braking equipment of the trains,

The heat rejected by the air-conditioning units of the trains,

The generation of heat due to aerodynamic resistance of the trains, and

The heat imported to the underground section of the railway in the raised temperature of
the train structures following a hot soak at grade.

The heat gains in the public areas of the stations are nominally:
-

Physiological, 160 W/person,

Lighting and signage, 15 W/m2,

Escalators, 12 kW/escalator,

Ticket machines, 10 kW, and

Solar gains through glazed areas.

The typical distance between two adjacent stations or ventilation shafts, i.e. the length of the
ventilation section, is taken to be 2.0 km.

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2.2

Metro

A design headway of 120 seconds, and a dwell time of 30 seconds are assumed.

The nominal acceleration and deceleration rates are 1.1m/s2.

2.3

Regional Rail

A design headway of 600 seconds is assumed.

The nominal acceleration rate is 0.8m/s2 and the deceleration rate is 0.9m/s2.

Based on the design parameters identified above, the following heat loads are estimated for the
platform trackway and the running tunnels:

1400 kW/train from the traction, braking and aerodynamic resistance, and

100 kW/car from the air-conditioning units, or 800 kW/train for an 8-car train.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the heat rejected into the running tunnels and the platform tunnels
at the stations is about 6.0 MW during the afternoon peak operations on the design summer day.

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Ventilation and Cooling Strategy

The proposed ventilation system for the Abu Dhabi UTS facilitates two modes of operations; openloop and closed-loop ventilation. Open-loop ventilation is the single-pass use of outside air for the
ventilation of the stations and running tunnels. It is the more economical mode of operation when the
outside air temperatures are relatively low. In closed loop ventilation, most of the warm air extracted
from the public areas of the stations and at the platform tunnels is returned to the air-handling units to
be cooled and delivered back to the platform and concourse. Closed-loop ventilation is preferred
when the outside air temperature and humidity are high, since it is a more economical means of
achieving the required control conditions in those circumstances.
3.1

Ventilation and Cooling of Public Areas of the Stations

Ventilating air is delivered to the air-handling units (AHUs) where it passes through filters and cooling
coils before being delivered to the concourse and platforms. The combined ventilation rate is
estimated to be 50m3/s, but could be affected by the architecture of the station; glazed areas to admit
natural light being a significant source of solar gain, and the need for additional cooling.
Most of the air that is delivered to the public areas returns to the air-handling plant room. About
10m3/s of the airflow is allowed to go to atmosphere through the service entrances in order to prevent
warm and unfiltered air from entering the concourse. The controlled loss of air to atmosphere allows
for the infiltration of outside air to the AHUs, and for an acceptable level of fresh air in the ventilation
cycle for physiological purposes.
Depending upon the ventilation cycle open or closed loop the return air is either discharged to
atmosphere by way of a shaft, or directed to the AHUs to be re-cooled.
This arrangement assumes that the concourse is sub-surface and dedicated to the station. Features
such as passenger connections to retail developments, the introduction of natural light through glazed
area, and the like, can change the cycles significantly.
3.2

Ventilation and Cooling of Platform Trackway and Running Tunnels

A separate set of air-handling units is used to ventilate and cool the trackway and the running tunnels.
The cooled air is delivered to the trackway through Under Platform Supply (UPS) ducts. The warm
air is extracted through the Over-Track Extract (OTE) ducts and is returned to the AHUs for recooling. This is the preferred ventilation mode since warm air rises with buoyancy, resulting in better
capture efficiencies at the OTE. The required airflow rate through the UPS/OTE ducts is estimated to
be about 60m3/s for each trackway.
Additional cooling is required to achieve the remaining fraction of the estimated cooling load. The
cooling is provided either by Fan Coil Units (FCUs) installed at the stations and at the ventilation and
cooling plants at intermediate locations along the running tunnels, or by chilled water pipes installed
along the running tunnels. The preferred cooling method will be decided at a later design stage.

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3.3

Modes of Operation

The proposed open-loop and closed-loop ventilation and cooling cycles are shown in Figures 3.1 and
3.2. In the figures, a representative number of air-handling units and return air fans are shown. The
size and number of units is subject to analysis and design.
The ventilation cycle of the trackway is separate from the ventilation of the public areas. The single
line schematics show only the principles involved.

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OPEN-LOOP VENTILATION
COOL DAY

SUPPLY AHUS

ENTRANCES

CONCOURSE

PLATFORM

PLATFORM TRACKWAY
SUPPLY AHUS

RETURN AIR FANS

Figure 3.1: Open Loop Ventilation Cool Day

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CLOSED-LOOP VENTILATION
HOT DAY

SUPPLY AHUS

ENTRANCES

CONCOURSE

PLATFORM

PLATFORM TRACKWAY
SUPPLY AHUS

RETURN AIR FANS

Figure 3.2: Closed Loop Ventilation Hot Day

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Smoke Control Strategy

4.1

Design Data

The following design parameters are assumed in the preliminary assessment of the smoke ventilation
requirements.
4.2

Metro

The cross-sectional area of the rolling stock: 12.0m2

The cross-sectional area of the running tunnel: 24.1m2

Maximum tunnel gradient: 4%

Design fire size: 10 MW

4.3

4.4

Regional Rail

The cross-sectional area of the rolling stock: 12.0m2

The cross-sectional area of the running tunnel: 38.3m2

Maximum tunnel gradient: 2.5%

Design fire size: 30 MW

Tunnel Ventilation System

The ventilation system should be capable of providing a smoke-free evacuation route for the
passengers and for the intervention of the emergency crews in the event of fire in a running tunnel.
Generally, the only practicable way to provide such conditions is to ventilate the incident tunnel
longitudinally such that smoke moves only downstream of the fire. The strategy ensures that smokefree conditions are maintained upstream of the fire both for the passengers and for the emergency
crews.
The metro and regional rail systems have combined stations along their route at Central Business
District, and in Capital District and Airport regions. We propose to use a common tunnel ventilation
system for both metro and regional rail services at the interchange stations. This arrangement
incorporates shared fans where the ventilating airflow is directed to the incident running tunnel by
means of the selective operation of control dampers.
The ventilating air is delivered to the incident tunnel through a Saccardo nozzle to control the
movement of smoke within the tunnel. Similar plant at the downstream end of the tunnel is designed
to capture the smoke and discharge it directly to atmosphere.

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The tunnel ventilation system is reversible and is able to ventilate an incident running tunnel in either
direction. The selected direction of ventilation is determined by the location of the fire along the
length of the incident train; to provide smoke-free conditions over the longer length of the train.

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Tunnel Ventilation Equipment

The required air-handling capacities at the stations are estimated through preliminary simulations to be
about 80m3/s at the metro stations, and 120m3/s at the regional rail stations.

We propose two fans, one duty and one standby fan, having an air-handling capacity of about
80m3/s at each end of the metro stations.

We propose a three fan arrangement, two duty and one standby, in the regional rail stations.
The air-handling capacity of each fan is estimated to be 60m3/s in this arrangement.

The proposed common ventilation system for combined stations is acceptable due to the very low
probability of simultaneous incidents in both the metro and regional rail services. Shared equipment
represents reduced capital costs, both in the equipment and its supporting power supplies, and in the
accommodating civil works.
5.1

Ventilation and Cooling of Public Areas of the Stations

The AHUs that provide ventilation and cooling to the public areas of the concourse and platform are
installed symmetrically in plant areas at each end of the station box.
Each AHU incorporates a cooling coil, air filter, dampers and a centrifugal fan.
The air is returned by fire rated axial fans.
5.2

Ventilation and Cooling of Platform Trackway and Running Tunnels

A number of AHUs is required at each end of each station for ventilation and cooling of the platform
trackway and running tunnels.
Each AHU incorporates a cooling coil, air filter, dampers and a centrifugal fan.
The air is returned by fire rated axial fans.

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Additional Comments

The proposed ventilation system for Abu Dhabi metro and regional rail services are based on the
design data given in Section 2. The following items should also be noted in the space proving studies.

The design and sizing of the tunnel ventilation system of an underground railway is defined
principally by the:
a) Design of the rolling stock, including the design fire size
b) Operating procedures, including the frequency and speed of the trains, and the procedures
for the response to an incident
c) Required maintenance practices
d) Architecture of the stations
e) Diameter and alignment of the running tunnels
f) Accurate description of the climatic conditions, including the probability and extent of
airborne sand and dust
g) Target ridership and the corresponding levels of comfort
It is necessary to have a reasonably well established description of these interfaces so that the
normal and incident operations of the railway can be simulated, with an acceptable level of
confidence, to provide a reliable basis for design. The parameters that are suggested in the text
are very preliminary and do not provide an acceptable basis for design.
It follows that the interfaces must be identified and quantified if a comfortable and safe
transport system, that satisfies the needs of both the operator and of the passengers, is to be
developed.

The cooling load estimation is based on a running tunnel length of 2.0 km. If a section of
running tunnel between two adjacent stations is longer than the assumed value, then an
additional plant might be required to control temperatures in the running tunnels. For a tunnel
length of about 4.0 km between two adjacent stations, we recommend two intermediate
ventilation and cooling plants.

The draught relief shafts are closed during normal operations in summer in Abu Dhabi UTS,
since the outside air temperature is high. This assists in keeping the cooled air within the
system by limiting the exchange with outside warm air. We propose the use of ventilation
adits connecting the two running tunnels at the station headwalls for Abu Dhabi metro and
regional rail services. This reduces the peak airflow velocities in the trackways when the
draught relief shafts are closed. The practicability of draught relief shafts, given the climatic
conditions of Abu Dhabi, will be assessed in the following design stages.

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