A novel approach to the transient ventilation of road tunnels

We propose in this paper a novel approach to predict the transient behavior of the ventilation of road tunnel based on the traffic data measured at th e outlet portal of tunnel. The approach starts with a so-called traffic gro up-partition dilemma, which essentially partitions the traffic flow into va rious groups so that the transient behavior of the induced wind speed can b e accurately predicted. As a result, one may employ the present approach to predict the ventilation situation along a road tunnel, which can be a long tunnel in motorway, and needs only to measure the traffic data at one loca tion in or near the tunnel, for example, the outlet portal. Accordingly, th e present approach shall become a rather economic and efficient scheme to b e considered to monitor the ventilation situation in road tunnels as the ap proach is converted into a computer program, which can be used in the real- time Ventilation control of the tunnel (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.