Page:EB1911 - Volume 27.djvu/425

Rh into the chimney from the fan has a line parallel to that of the fanshaft and of the fan-blades, and, as a consequence, .as eazch blade passes this shutter, the stoppage of the discharge- of the air is instantaneous, and the sudden change of the pressure of the air on the face of the blade whilst discharging and the reversal- of the pressure, due to the vacuum inside the fan-casing, cause the vibration hitherto inseparable from this type of ventilator. As an illustration of the eliect of the pulsatory action of the Guibal shutters the following figures may be given: a fan having ten arms and running, say, sixty revolutions per minute, and working twenty-f0ur hours per day, ives (10 X 60 >< 60 X 24 ==) 864,000 blows per day transmitted from the tip of the fan-vanes to the fan-shaft; the shaft is thus in a constant state of tremor, and sooner or later reaches its elastic limit, and the conse uent injury to the general structure of the fan is obvious. This di§ culty is avoided by cutting a /-shaped opening in the shutter, thus gradually decreasing the aperture and allowing the air to pass into the chimney in a continuous stream instead of intermittently. The action of this regulating shutter increases the durability and efficiency of the fans in an important degree. In towns like Liverpool and Birkenhead any pulsatory action would be readily felt by the inhabitants, but with the above, arrangement it is difficult to detect any sound whatever, even when standing close to the buildings containing the fans. The admission of the air on both sides is found in practice to conduce to smooth running and to the reduction of the side-thrust which occurs when the air is admitted on one side only. The fans are five in number: two are 40 ft. in diameter by 12 ft. wide, and two 30 ft. indiameterby 1oft. wide. one of each size being erected at Liverpool and at Birkenhead respectively. In addition, there is a high-speed fan 16 ft. in diameter in Liverpool which throws 300,000 cub. ft. The following table gives the result of the ventilating fans of the Mersey railway experiments made with

liaénilton Street, Y

irkenhead IO II3 1~3o 1895 214,135

Shore Road, -j

pl Birkgnhead. 12 41 2-50 32881 134,685 I ames rrect,

J Livegpool. ., 12 72 2-45 2465 178,880 ames treet,

B lfgivgrpool. 10 60 2-30 2062 123,720 0 . treet,

Liverpool. .  - 300,000



Total 951,420,

s-.. ' ' I

The central point of the Severn tunnel (hg. 15) lies toward the Monmouthshire bank of the river, and ventilation is effected from that point by means of one fan placed on the surface at Sudbrooke, Monmouth, at the top of a shaft which is connected with a horizontal Vent//ating Fan

~ 40112 [get Rive -I

~ —» r Severn — ~—»

M0l1m°l¢h5h1l' C 4 69: The Shoats l Gloucestershire Level

5°—rata/:engfh uf Tunnel 4 miles 624 yurdS~ — sl FIG. 15.-Section of Severn Tunnel (Fox). heading leading to the centre. This fan, which is 40 ft. in diameter by 12 ft. in width, removes from the tunnel some 400,000 cub. ft. per minute, and draws in an equivalent volume of fresh air from the two ends.

About 1896 an excellent system was introduced by Signor Saccardo, the well-known Italian engineer, which to a great extent has minimized the difficulty of ventilating long tunnels under mountain-ranges where shafts are not available. This system, which is not applicable to tunnels in which underground stations exist, is illustrated in fig. 16, which represents its application to the single-line tunnel through the Apennines at Pracchia. This tunnel is one of fiftytwo single-line tunnels, with a gradient of I in 40, on the main line between Florence and Bologna, built by Thomas Brassey. There is a greaft deal of traffic which has to be worked by heavy locomotives. Before the installation of a Ventilating system under any condition of wind the state of this tunnel, about 3000 yds, in length, was bad; I In the case of this circular drift-way a velocity of 4000 ft. per minute was subsequently attained.

2 Quick-running fan.

but when the wind was blowing in at the lower end at the same time that a heavy goods or passenger train was ascending the gradient the condition of affairs became almost insupportable. The engines, working with the regulators full open, often emitted. large quantities of both smoke and steam, which travelled concurrently with the train. The goods trains had two engines, one in front and another at the rear, and when, from the humidity in the tunnel, due to the

(From the Proc. I ml. Civ. Eng.)

FIG. 16.-Diagram illustrating the Saecardo System for Ventilating Tunnels.

steam, the wheels slipped and possibly the train stopped, the state of the air was indescribable. A heavy train with two engines, conveying a royal party and their suite, arrived on one occasion at the upper exit of the tunnel with both engine men and both firemen insensible; and on another occasion, when a heavy passenger train came to a stop in the tunnel, all the occupants were seriously affected.-In

applying the Saccardo system, the" tunnel 'was extended for I5 or 20 ft. by a structure either of timber or brickwork, the inside line of which represented the line of maximum construction, and this was allowed to project for about 3 ft. into the tunnel. The space between this line and the exterior constituted the chamber into which air was blown by means of a fan. Considering the length of tunnel it might at first be thought there would be some tendency for the air to return through the open mouth, but nothing of the kind happened. The whole of the air blown by the fan, 164,000 cub. ft. per minute, was augmented by the induced current yielding 46,000 cub. ft. per minute, making a total of 210,000 cub. ft.; and this volume was blown down the gradient against the ascending train, so as to free the driver and men in charge of the train from the products of combustion at the earliest possible moment. Prior to the installation of this system the drivers and firemen had to be clothed in thick woollen garments, pulled on over their ordinary clothes, and wrapped round and round the neck and over the head; but in spite of all these precautions they sometimes arrived at the upper end of the tunnel in a state of insensibility. The fan, however, immensely improved the condition of the air, which is now pure and fresh. 1

In the case of the St Gotthard tunnel, which is 9% m. in length and 26 ft. wide with a sectional area of 603 s ft., the Saccardo system was installed in 1899 with most benécial results., The railway is double-tracked and worked by steam locomotives, the cars being lighted by gas. The Ventilating plant is situated at Goschenen at the north end of the tunnel and consists of two large fans operated by water power. The quantity of air passed into the narrow mouth of the tunnel is 413,000 cub. ft. per minute at a velocity of 686 ft., this velocity being much reduced as the full A sample of the air taken from

section of the tunnel is reached.

a carriage contained IO'I9 parts of carbonic acid gas per 10,000 volumes.

In the Simplon tunnel, where electricity is the motive power, A steel sliding door is arranged

mechanical ventilation is installed.

at each entrance to be raised and lowered by electric power. After the entrance of a train the door is lowered and fresh air forced into the tunnel at considerable pressure from the same end by fans. The introduction of electric traction has simplified the problem of Ventilating intra-urban railways laid in tunnels at a greater or less distance below the surface, since the absence of smoke and products of combustion from coal and coke renders necessary 0nly such a quantity of air as is required by the passengers and staff. For supplying air to the shallow tunnels which form the underground portions of the Metropolitan and District railways in London, ocen staircases. blow-holes and sections of uncovered track are relied on. When the lines were worked by steam locomotives they afforded notorious examples of bad ventilation, the proportion of