Quiet nights in the park instead of noise, dust and exhaust fumes: the Schwamendingen motorway tunnel connects both parts of Zurich’s District 12 and adds value for the entire neighbourhood. Siemens is helping to ensure that the ventilation system in the tunnel is ready for anything that may happen.
Noise, exhaust fumes and an almost insurmountable separation through their neighbourhood: all this is now history. The noise barrier improves the connection between the two parts of Schwamendingen and protects the residents from noise and air pollution. In addition, a large park on the cover will serve as a recreation area in the middle of the urban area.
For the complex control tasks, the project managers rely on Siemens. A higher-level Simatic S7-1500 controller and ten local controllers ensure optimal operation of the tunnel ventilation. 52 ET200SP decentralised peripherals are used to monitor and record the current status in the tunnel with sensors and to control the motors and jet fans, which are equipped with Sinamics G120X frequency converters.
The engineering and programming is being taken care of easily in the TIA Portal, and the web-based WinCC Unified View of Things allows for simple local visualisations directly on the S7-1500 controller.
How can we ensure that the ventilation is working properly in the event of an emergency? For this purpose, HBI has developed a tunnel ventilation simulator, which was successfully used as a proof of concept in the collaboration with Siemens on the Roveredo bypass project. Thanks to its innovative modelling system, the HBI simulator allows for interaction with the controller and the real-time visualisation of the results. Bachmann also recognises the advantages of using the digital twin for automation. This is because it is not just the ventilation components that are being simulated – the controllers can also be mapped using the virtual PLCSIM Advanced controller in the TIA Portal. Various scenarios can thus be simulated and tested before the devices are installed on site. Last but not least, Frey is also thinking of the Schwamendingen residents, who have been campaigning to reduce noise levels: “The virtual environment also helps us to not inconvenience the residents any further. Were we to carry out real tests, which would have to be done at night for logistical reasons, our work with the fans would keep the residents awake, because the fans are as loud as a jet plane when they are operated at full capacity.”
Thanks to the virtual commissioning, the Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) does not have to close this busy motorway section at all. Markus Eisenlohr, a specialist in operating and security equipment at the FEDRO, emphasised how important this is, as any closure would have immediate far-reaching effects on all of the traffic in the North Zurich area. He can imagine that similar simulation will also be used in future projects. Last but not least, virtual planning and commissioning is an excellent supplement to the planning of a project using Building Information Modelling (BIM), something which is becoming increasingly common in complex building projects.
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