ROAD TUNNELS – LINEAR HEAT DETECTION USING FIBER OPTIC SENSING TECHNOLOGY Bandweaver’s FireLaser distributed temperature sensing (DTS) technology has a successful track record in applications within road tunnel infrastructure. This environment has very specific demands of any solution, such as low maintenance, low cost of ownership, high reliability, and effective fire detection. FireLaser DTS technology is very well suited to road tunnel type settings.
INTRODUCTION FireLaser DTS has distinct advantages over alternative technologies, specifically in tunnel monitoring and ventilation control. It is fundamentally important that underground links have a high degree of reliability where the main risks are: • • • •
Safety of tunnel users and owners To ensure continual availability of the tunnel To ensure trouble free operation To minimise maintenance work
Fires and field tests have shown that the temperature of burning vehicles in tunnels rises much more quickly than can be expected in a normal fire. How quickly and in which direction smoke and gases move depends on various factors, such as: • • • • •
the extent of the fire (fire load, intensity) the ventilation system natural air currents the smoke venting system the profile and pitch of the tunnel