Cool running for the tube for big sports event | Underground operators needed to increase capacity on one of the busiest lines to meet expected demand during one of the biggest sports events in the world. To achieve this the tunnels needed to be kept cool and in gold medal-winning style, the Kelvion team in Fareham developed a bespoke solution.
The challenge With millions of people from around the world expected to attend, the challenge was transporting the spectators to the various events. For the underground operators, the answer was to run more trains. But this would raise the temperature in the tunnels, particularly at the busiest stations with the potential for the braking systems – and passengers – to overheat. Kelvion has a long-standing relationship with this customer and our experts in Fareham were quick out of the starting blocks with a solution. The R&D and Design teams created a bespoke platform air handling unit (PAHU). It involved testing several versions at our Baierbrunn test facility in Germany and developing small prototypes to test the fin profiles and cleaning process. Crucially, the PAHU had to be serviced in situ, so it was equipped with hinged fans and sensors for detecting blocked filters and drains.
Heavy lifting The customer ordered 22 PAHUs for two stations. Each unit is seven meters long and weighs three tons and had to be installed using pulleys and chains. The whole line was closed to enable the first six units to be placed. Sixteen more were installed at different stations.The result All PAHUs were operational in time for the sports event, enabling the underground system to provide extra trains. The customer was satisfied with the result and has since ordered different versions for other stations as well as control and signal room cooling systems.
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