Seminar 54 - Ventilation Equipment and Systems for Underground Railway Facilities PDF

Track: Systems and Equipment
Sponsor: 5.9 Enclosed Vehicular Facilities, 5.1 Fans, 5.6 Control of Fire and Smoke
Chair: Igor Maevski, Ph.D., P.E., Member, Jacobs Engineering, New York, NY
Chicago is the main transportation hub which houses lots of underground transportation systems, including subways, road tunnels, railway tunnels. Chicago Union station is one of the busiest stations in the country. Its ventilation, especially in the platform and track areas, poses lots of challenges for mechanical designers. Those challenges include both system design and equipment selection. This session demonstrates some system engineering solutions for Chicago Union Station and discusses ventilation fans and dampers equipment selection, testing, commissioning and design for underground railway and transit facilities.

1. Chicago Union Station: Ventilation System Design Innovations
Jonathan Ko, P.E., Member, Jacobs Engineering, New York, NY
A new ventilation system for Chicago Union Station and the connecting tunnel complex has been proposed to ventilate smoke during a fire emergency and ventilate noxious gases during normal operation in compliance with ASHRAE Handbook, NFPA 130 and Amtrak standard. The proposed ventilation system utilizes the hybrid longitudinal and semi-transverse ventilation scheme, due to limited ventilation access to the street level. The effectiveness of the system was validated in CFD analysis of airflow and sound level analysis within the station. It can significantly improve air quality at the platforms during normal operation and control smoke under fire emergency conditions.

2. Emergency Tunnel Ventilation Fans: A Guide to Selections and the Ramifications of the Choices
Michael Feuser, Member, Twin City Clarage, Inc., Pulaski, TN
How do engineers choose which ventilation fans to specify for underground railway facilities and why? Many factors must be considered when specifying equipment, and many of the questions are fundamental. This presentation discusses 1. Volume and Pressure: efficiency, stall region and sound concerns 2. Space limitations and reversal requirements, overall size envelopes for fan room and 3. Additional requirements imposed by standards and the customer.

3. Tunnel Ventilation Dampers: A Guide to Selections for Underground Passenger Rail Facilities
Bill Lampkin, Member, Greenheck, Schofield, WI
Dampers are the key devices in ventilation systems for underground passenger rail facilities. Damper selection, design and construction vary among the underground facilities. Reliability, longevity and maintainability are the key factors that drive the damper selection and damper design. Special attention shall be given to the underground environment where the dampers will operate. It is typically heavily corrosive. Pressure pulses from the trains pose specific requirements to the blades selection and torque for the actuators. Special considerations shall be given to testing dampers in compliance with ASHRAE, AMCA and UL testing requirements.

4. Subway Fires
Yoon Ko, Ph.D., Member, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
A subway fire could be started from garbage on the track or friction caused by mechanical faults fueled by track lubricants or wood ties. The consequences of the fire or smoke could be dangerous and fatal. This presentation discusses the risks of subway facility fires, previous subway fire accidents and methods to protect the facility and people.

Presented: Wedsday, January 24, 2018, 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Run Time: 90 min.

This is a zip file that consists of PowerPoint slides synchronized with the audio-recording of the speaker (recorded presentation), PDF files of the slides, and audio only (mp3) for each presentation.