An intelligent system to control the operation of tunnels and subways: Application in Makkah and Madina traffic and pedestrian tunnels

The increasing need for the transport demands in major cities have necessitated the creation of safe traffic-and/or pedestrian-tunnels and subways. An issue of concern is the safety of these tunnels especially during the incidences of fire or suffocation. Such incidences need to be detected and controlled in a timely manner. An intelligent system to control the operation of tunnels and subways is the ideal way for mitigating most tunnels problems such as faster response time in case of fire incidents within the tunnel or controlling the high power consumption for the ventilation fans inside the tunnels. This paper proposes and describes a smart ventilation system to be used in any city in the world that has traffic or pedestrian tunnels. A high concentration of carbon monoxide and high-temperature values causes the control system to initiate a fast sequence of fans' operation, consequently improving the ventilation in the tunnels. Various situations are discussed and the justification of the proposed system is also provided.