Checking out road tunnel atmospheres

A dedicated road tunnel atmosphere monitoring system has been developed by CODEL International. Designated the TunnelMASTER, it comprises a family of monitors designed to provide all the essential measurements necessary to monitor tunnel atmospheres: visibility, carbon monoxide, nitric acid, nitrogen dioxide and air flow and direction.


Being modular, the system enables the user’s precise monitoring requirements

to be met with a number of components, minimum tunnel cabling and minimum installation

costs. Operating costs are also stated to be very low, with sensors designed

to work with high data availability and minimal maintenance.

The multi-channel air quality monitor incorporates both in infrared and visible

light channels to measure visibility, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide. Accuracy

is 1ppm for CO, 2ppm for NO and 0.0002m -1 for visibility. The air

flow monitor uses ultrasonic technology to measure the bi-directional air flow.

Measurement precision is 0.2m/sec.

CODEL states that its Wincom and WinCom Plus operating software is used to

perform commissioning and diagnostic checks simply and quickly. Running under

Windows (95, 98, 2000 and NT) it provides an easy-to-use interface with an SCU.

Setting up the system with WinCom is said to be much easier than using a control

unit with display and keypad. WinCom Plus also manages sensor data and allows

the operator to make informed decisions on the most cost-effective operation

of the tunnel ventilation systems.

In addition to road tunnel atmosphere monitors, CODEL International also designs

and manufactures instrumentation for monitoring atmospheric pollution emissions

and combustion processes, with systems installed worldwide.

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