Description
When designing tunnel ventilation system at the airports consideration shall be given to evaluation of smoke dispersion from road tunnels underneath airport airfields. Tunnel ventilation design scheme may impact safety of airport operation.
This paper presents considerations in the design of a ventilation system replacement for a road tunnel underneath an airport runway and taxiway. Specific attention is given to design considerations when evaluating the impact of a chosen ventilation scheme on airport operation and safety. During an emergency fire event within the tunnel, smoke may adversely impact airport operation and safety by obscuring the airfield and visibility at the runway and taxiway. The existing inoperable ventilation system followed a semi-transverse exhaust ventilation scheme, wherein air is exhausted through tunnel vents along the length of the roadway and discharged through airside vents in the airport runway, taxiway, and grass infield surrounding the runway and taxiway. Retrofit of the ventilation system considers the original design and other design alternatives, including installation of jet fans to provide longitudinal ventilation in the tunnel with smoke dispersion at tunnel portals. This paper presents computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of ventilation schemes for the tunnel and compares the impact on airfield operations from smoke dispersion during an emergency fire event within the tunnel. Results are used to support design of a new ventilation system within the tunnel with reduced impact on airport operations.
