Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Ventilation
A properly operating artificial air ventilation system was a prerequisite to be
able to carry out the construction work, because there were dozens of people
working in the tunnel and, until the receiving shaft was reached, there
was almost a complete lack of natural ventilation. For this purpose, a fresh
air channel was laid from ground level right through to the backmost plat-
form carriage. The fresh air pipe ended on these carriages in a fan to which
an extendible bellows structure ('Lutenspeicher') was connected which was
able to follow the movement of the TBM over dozens of metres. A fixed
ventilation pipe ran forwards from this place over the trailers to the first
trailer. The air was able to flow out freely from here so that there was an air
current created in the direction of the tunnel entrance. As well as serving as
a supply of respiratory air, the ventilation system also served to discharge
the heat generated by all the technical processes. If this had not occurred,
unacceptably high temperatures in the boring machine and the tunnel
would have been the result.
Fig. 10.11
Tunnel entrance with
fresh air piping
Power supply
All the mechanical processes in theTBM were carried out electro-hydraulically
and/or electro-mechanically; this gave the highest output and caused the least
discomfort for the personnel. Only heat was released as a result of the output.
The power required was supplied by a 10 kV medium-voltage cable through
the tunnel which terminated on a reel on the backmost platform carriage.The
power was transported from here via the transformer station to the main dis-
tribution panels and then to the various junction boxes for the various driving
motors. The only exception was the drive of the tunnel train for the delivery
and removal of materials and the transportation of personnel. A diesel-
electric drive with a special facility for exhaust gases was chosen for this.
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