Ventilation and Smoke

Extract Systems
(Multileaf Dampers)
for Underground
Transport Systems

The art of handling air

 Metro tunnel
Copenhagen

Powered extract
air multileaf damper

Introduction
When planning and constructing underground transport
systems, e.g. road tunnels and underground railway
stations, a large number of very different parameters
have to be considered. There are hardly any standardized
system solutions. This is also largely true for multileaf
dampers, which are needed for ventilation and smoke
extract control in these projects.

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 Multileaf damper assembly
made up of individual modules
installed in a ventilation plant room

How They Work

There are parallel and opposed blade dampers. Parallel –
Use in a the blades rotate in parallel – this configuration is
Road Tunnel employed for static balancing of flow rates.
In comparison opposed blade versions, adjacent blades
Multileaf dampers are used in a road tunnel as part of rotate in opposite directions. These have better control
the ventilation and smoke extraction systems. They are characteristics and can also satisfy critical leakage
installed in the builders work above the carriageway or requirements due to their mode of operation.
in the ventilation plant rooms. In normal operation, the
dampers are used to control the volumetric air flow rate
extracted from the tunnel. In the event of a fire, three
to four dampers near the seat of the fire are fully
opened automatically immediately after detection of
the fire, the remaining ones are usually closed. At the
same time, the extract fans are run up to maximum
speed. This ensures efficient smoke extract and, thus,
aids escape from the danger zone, and fire-fighting is
made easier for the fire brigade.

Conditions of Use
The environmental operating conditions for multileaf
dampers in underground transport systems are extreme.
As well as the seasonal temperature fluctuations, the
vibrations due to the pressure waves caused by the
passing vehicles, there are high levels of contamination
from dust and dirt, etc. in every day conditions. In the
event of a fire the dampers are exposed to very high
temperatures, products of combustion and smoke.
Factory function test
When the fire is being extinguished there can be high of a unit comprising
pressure jets of water and resulting steam. several dampers

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 View of centre mullion
and side seal

Opposed multileaf damper

with centre mullion

Demonstration of
4 how the elastic seals work
 Electric actuator
with heat-insulating
protective cladding

Construction Materials
Depending on the installation requirements the damper The casing and blades are made from galvanised sheet
casing can be a U channel or angle frame. steel. The bearings used are either special materials or
The blades are connected with external linkage to stainless steel.
provide either parallel or opposed blade action.
Depending on the pressure loads and size, the damper
can be split on width with a centre mullion. Side seals Maintenance
are used to seal the blade ends to the casing and
Multileaf dampers for underground transport systems
elastic blade tip seals ensure that compliance with
must perform reliably when needed even after being in
stringent leakage requirements can be achieved.
stand-by mode for a long time. In spite of a strong
If required a number of basic modules can be used to
construction and the use of highly corrosion-resistant
form a multiple damper assembly.
materials, inspections must be conducted at regular
intervals to ensure that the dampers operate effectively.

Actuation If necessary, maintenance work may need to be

conducted during these inspections, e.g. removing
Mechanical, pneumatic or electric actuators can be used debris an accumulations of anything that can cause
to operate the damper. These can be located directly on faults or corrosion and lubricate all moving parts and
the dampers or any location adjacent to the damper. bearings.
To protect the actuators against the effect of very high
temperatures that can occur in the event of a fire, if
necessary the actuators are enclosed in a heat-insulating
protective cladding.

Multileaf
damper open

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Heat-insulating protective cladding Multileaf damper closed
Quality Assurance
The companies in the Trox Group implement quality
management systems that meet the requirements of
DIN EN ISO 9001. QA personnel constantly monitor and
document adherence to project-specific requirements
during production.

Portfolio of Services
• Advice in compiling the tender documents

• Design and construction, also for

substructures and support structures

• Proof load calculation (Finite element analysis)

for combinations of pressure, temperature
and vibration loads

• Planning, coordination and implementation

of assembly work

• Support in commissioning

• Creating documentation

Fire experiment in a road tunnel

to check the effectiveness of the
smoke extraction system
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 © Foto SBB

Reference Projects
For Road Tunnels

Eastern Harbour Road Crossing 64 damper units with Metro Vienna 44 damper units with
Hong Kong pneumatic actuators Vienna, Austria electric actuators

Tates Caim Road Tunnel 100 damper units with Metro Copenhagen 48 damper units with
Hong Kong electric actuators Copenhagen, Denmark pneumatic actuators

Lion Rock Road Tunnel 60 damper units with KCRC SI-1200 West Rail 136 damper units with
Hong Kong pneumatic actuators Hong Kong pneumatic actuators
(at order processing stage)
Melbourne City Links 141 damper units with
Melbourne, Australia electric actuators

Chongqing Road Tunnel 4 damper units For Other Projects

Chongqing, People's Republic with electric actuators
of China Strategic Stores - 870 damper units with
Underground Storage Facility, pneumatic and electric
M5 Road Tunnel 22 damper units with Saudi Arabia actuators
Sydney, Australia pneumatic actuators
AWE Aldermaston 980 damper units with
Tunnel du Fréjus 4 damper units with Aldermaston, UK pneumatic actuators
France electric actuators
Porton Down Containment Facility 180 damper units with
Rhine Motorway A14 - 115 damper units with Porton Down, UK pneumatic actuators
Pfänder Tunnel electric actuators
Bregenz, Austria BNFL Sellafield Dry Pack 107 damper units with
Sellafield, UK pneumatic and electric
Mrazovka Tunnel 109 damper units with actuators
Prague, Czech Republic electric actuators
(at order processing stage) Claymore Platform 57 damper units with
North Sea, UK pneumatic actuators

For Railway Tunnels BNFL Devonport 120 damper units with

Devonport, UK electric actuators
MTRC Airport Express Line 262 damper units
Kowloon Station, Hong Kong pneumatic actuators BNFL BTC 200 damper units with
Sellafield, UK pneumatic and electric
MTRC Airport Express Line 35 damper units with actuators
Lai King Station, Hong Kong pneumatic actuators

Chek Lap Kok Int. Airport Express 40 damper units with

Ground Transp. Centre, pneumatic actuators
Hong Kong
29 damper units with
electric actuators

Taipeh Metro MRT 308 1230 damper units with

Phase 1 & 2, Taipeh, Taiwan pneumatic actuators

Milan Metro, Phase 2 40 damper units with

Milan, Italy electric actuators
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Group Head Office Germany
Gebrüder Trox GmbH Telephone +49 / 28 45 / 2 02-0
Heinrich-Trox-Platz Telefax +49 / 28 45 / 2 02-2 65
www.troxtechnik.com
47504 Neukirchen-Vluyn e-mail trox@trox.de

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