High temperature tests and certification of tunnel fans
One of most important function of a tunnel ventilation system is to create sufficient time for the self-rescue of persons in the tunnel in case of a fire. That is why exhaust fans need to be capable to operate at high temperatures for a certain period. For a safe operation this high temperature capability needs to be verified.
The requirement for most of the European road tunnels is that in case of a fire, the exhaust fans must be able to function at temperatures of 250 ºC of 400 ºC during 90 of 120 minutes.
Increasingly tunnel authorities demand that exhaust fans are certified according to European standard 12101-3. Certification has to be carried out at accredited test institutes.
Zitron Nederland has certified exhaust fans with hydraulic blade adjustment at Material Prüfanstalt (MPA, materials testing institute of Braunschweig University) in Germany and at Tunnel Safety Testing (TST) in Spain:
| Project | ||||
Tunnel Bosruck | Tunnel Bosruck | Tunnel Gernsbach | Meisterntunnel Germany | |
| Test institute | TST | TST | MPA | TST |
| Temperature | 400 °C/135 min. | 250 °C/120 min. | 250 °C/90 min. | 250 °C/90 min. |
| Impeller diameter | 2512 mm | 2512 mm | 1884 mm | 2113 mm |
| Blade adjustment system | Hydraulic | Hydraulic | Hydraulic | Hydraulic |
| Fan arrangement | Horizontal | Horizontal | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Test arrangement | Fan in hot air circuit | Fan in hot air circuit | Fan in furnace | Fan in hot air circuit |
| Installed motor power | 450 kW | 450 kW | 710 kW | 400 kW |
| Motor drive during test | Frequency converter | Frequency converter | Frequency converter | Frequency converter |
