METHODOLOGY FOR INVESTIGATIONS ON THE TUNNEL CLIMATE IN LONG RAILWAY TUNNELS - OPTIMIZATION OF THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR CROSS-PASSAGE COOLING SYSTEMS

The operation of long railway tunnels requires numerous technical installations. Parts of these installations react sensitively on thermal loads and dust loads and require protection from the tunnel atmosphere. In the case of modern twin-tube single track tunnels such components are often placed in utility rooms which are situated in cross-passages. In order to meet the temperature requirements of the utility rooms, cross-passage cooling systems have to be installed. Designing these cooling systems requires extensive investigations on the tunnel climate. This represents a big challenge, as information about the tunnel climate in long railway tunnels is rare. For this reason, a method to support the design process of cross-passage cooling systems had to be developed. The application of this method on a certain tunnel provided the required information for a data based system design of the cooling systems in the Koralmtunnel (AT). This includes both, details about the technical feasibility of ventilation and air conditioning systems as well as economic considerations.