Flow characterization study and fire experiments in a reduced scaled tunnel

2019
Abuaisheh, Majd Basil Abdel Muhsen
This work is an experimental study on the subject of tunnel fires, which is conducted on a ventilated 1/13 scaled tunnel model in the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering of Middle East Technical University. In order to perform the experiments, in the first stage, the tunnel model was completely renovated, and its overall condition was improved to obtain better means of control and accuracy on the experimental measurements. In the second stage of the thesis, a flow characterization study was conducted on the flow inside the tunnel model under fire (hot flow) and cold flow conditions using Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) optical method to identify the ventilation velocity profile, improve its uniformity and understand the mutual effects between fire and the ventilation flow in the upstream of fire. For the hot flow cases, ethanol pools were used as the fire source. The effect of tunnel ventilation velocity on important fire parameters such as flow temperature and heat release rate of fire were investigated. Results showed that the critical ventilation velocity of the tunnel is achieved around 0.85 m/s. The flow inside the model tunnel is highly affected by the fire in the downstream due to buoyancy effect of the smoke that resists the bulk motion of the airflow. It was shown that heat release rate and gas temperature of the tunnel are functions of ventilation velocity as well.

Suggestions

An Experimental study on the pool fire burning characteristics of n-heptane and ethanol in the tunnels
Yamalı, Tevfik Uluç; Yozgatlıgil, Ahmet; Department of Mechanical Engineering (2015)
The road and railway tunnel disasters in recent decades drew the attention of fire safety engineers. The effects of mechanical ventilation, tunnel geometry, physical and chemical properties of fuel on fire characteristics such as heat release rate, smoke temperature distributions along the tunnel and burning rate are experimentally examined on full scaled, large scaled and reduced scaled tunnel models. Although there are many studies on the effects of conventional fuels like gasoline and diesel, the blended...
Verification of empirically determined support systems of the Kılıçlar highway tunnel by numerical modelling
Çelik, Gözde; Topal, Tamer; Department of Geological Engineering (2011)
The aim of this study is to determine the geological and geotechnical characteristics of Kılıçlar Tunnel on Ankara-Kırıkkale Highway, to suggest the appropriate support and excavation systems and verify these suggested support systems via numerical modeling. The length of Kılıçlar Tunnel is 1110 m. The width of tunnel is 16 m, the height is 10 m and the maximum overburden height is 90 m. Since Ankara-Kırıkkale Highway consists of 2x3 lanes, the tunnel is designed as a twin tube tunnel. Kılıçlar Tunnel is pl...
Smart structures and their applications on active vibration control: Studies in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, METU
Şahin, Melin; Yaman, Yavuz; Nalbantoglu, Volkan; Ulker, Fatma Demet; Caliskan, Tarkan (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2008-08-01)
This work presents the theoretical and experimental studies conducted in Aerospace Engineering Department of Middle East Technical University on smart structures with particular attention given to the structural modelling characteristics and active suppression of in-vacuo vibrations. The smart structures considered in these analyses are finite and flat aluminium cantilever beam-like (called as smart beam) and plate-like (called as smart fin) structures with surface bonded lead-zirconate-titanate patches. Fi...
Atmospheric boundary layer simulation in a short wind tunnel
Shojaee, S. M. N.; Uzol, Oğuz; Kurç, Özgür (2014-02-01)
This paper presents the design, computational analysis and experimental study of passive device configurations which utilized in the Ankara Wind Tunnel to simulate the atmospheric boundary layer within the test section. The study here is part of a joint project between the Aerospace and Civil Engineering Departments at Middle East Technical University, which involves testing of high-rise building models in the Ankara Wind Tunnel. The design consists of spires and rows of cubical surface roughness elements a...
Experimental Investigation of the Original Project of Yukari Kalekoy Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant Spillway
Göğüş, Mustafa; Altan Sakarya, Ayşe Burcu; Köken, Mete (Elsevier BV; 2016-06-17)
Hydraulic model tests of the spillway of Yukar Kalekoy Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) were carried out at Hydromechanics Laboratory of Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara. In order to investigate the flow conditions in the approach channel, over the weir structure, around the spillway piers, along the spillway chute channels and after the flip buckets, and also to observe the performance of the aeration devices, a model of 1/70 length scale was constructed. The model area covers an abou...
Citation Formats
M. B. A. M. Abuaisheh, “Flow characterization study and fire experiments in a reduced scaled tunnel,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2019.