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CourseCivil, Rail & Smart Cities Applications open

Course in Ventilation of Urban Tunnels

Online course of 300 hours in ventilation of urban tunnels, structured in 6 modules covering tunnel aerodynamics, ventilation systems, equipment and control, fire ventilation and environmental efficiency, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration300 hours · 3 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute certificate
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Apply the principles of tunnel aerodynamics.

02

Select the appropriate ventilation system.

03

Size fans and control systems.

04

Design smoke control strategies.

05

Assess the environmental impact of ventilation.

06

Improve the energy efficiency of the system.

07

Design the ventilation of an urban tunnel.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Tunnel ventilation engineers.
  • Tunnel equipment and systems specialists.
  • Tunnel operations technicians.
  • Fire safety engineers.
  • CFD modellers.
  • Control centre managers.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter urban road infrastructure.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Real Decreto 635/2006 (Spanish minimum safety requirements for road tunnels)
  • Directive 2004/54/EC (EU minimum safety requirements for tunnels in the trans-European road network)
  • EN 12101-3 (smoke and heat control systems: powered exhaust ventilators)
  • NFPA 502 (standard for road tunnels, bridges and other limited access highways)
  • ISO 13350 (fans: performance testing of jet fans)
  • IDA Tunnel
  • Ansys Fluent
  • FDS
  • Camatt
  • MATLAB
Syllabus

6 modules

  1. 1.1Objectives of ventilation
  2. 1.2Traffic pollutants
  3. 1.3Visibility and opacity
  4. 1.4Air quality in the urban environment
  5. 1.5Pressure losses and friction
  6. 1.6Traffic piston effect
  7. 1.7Stack effect and external wind
  8. 1.8One-dimensional flow equations
  9. 1.9Fresh air demand
  10. 1.10Practical exercise: calculation of fresh air flow rate
  1. 2.1Natural ventilation
  2. 2.2Longitudinal ventilation with jet fans
  3. 2.3Transverse and semi-transverse ventilation
  4. 2.4Ventilation shafts
  5. 2.5Point extraction
  6. 2.6Hybrid systems
  7. 2.7System selection
  8. 2.8Tunnels with bidirectional traffic
  9. 2.9Congested urban tunnels
  10. 2.10Case study: system selection for an urban tunnel
  1. 3.1Jet fans
  2. 3.2High-flow axial fans
  3. 3.3Characteristic curves
  4. 3.4Variable frequency drives
  5. 3.5CO, NO2 and opacity sensors
  6. 3.6Anemometers
  7. 3.7Control algorithms
  8. 3.8Integration with the control centre
  9. 3.9Equipment maintenance
  10. 3.10Lab: curve of an axial fan
  1. 4.1Fire heat release rate curves
  2. 4.2Critical velocity
  3. 4.3Smoke stratification
  4. 4.4Smoke control strategies
  5. 4.5Evacuation scenarios
  6. 4.6Coordination with the fire brigade
  7. 4.7CFD fire simulation
  8. 4.8Hot smoke tests
  9. 4.9Safety requirements
  10. 4.10Practical exercise: calculation of critical velocity
  1. 5.1Dispersion at portals and stacks
  2. 5.2Filtering of particulates and NO2
  3. 5.3Fan noise
  4. 5.4Energy consumption
  5. 5.5Energy recovery
  6. 5.6Electric vehicles and new demands
  7. 5.7Efficient operation
  8. 5.8Life cycle assessment
  9. 5.9Urban tunnel case studies
  10. 5.10Case study: dispersion at the portal of an urban tunnel
  1. 6.1Tunnel and traffic data
  2. 6.2Ventilation demand
  3. 6.3System selection
  4. 6.4Equipment sizing
  5. 6.5Fire strategy
  6. 6.6System simulation
  7. 6.7Control and maintenance plan
  8. 6.8Budget
  9. 6.9Report and presentation
  10. 6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is IDA Tunnel, Ansys Fluent, FDS, Camatt and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Cases are studied on real procedures such as critical velocity calculation, CFD smoke simulation and smoke tests in tunnels. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.

Standards covered: Real Decreto 635/2006, Directive 2004/54/EC, EN 12101-3, NFPA 502, ISO 13350.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of Real Decreto 635/2006, Directive 2004/54/EC and EN 12101-3 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:IDA Tunnel, Ansys Fluent, FDS, Camatt and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:the ventilation design for an urban tunnel, from ventilation demand and equipment sizing to fire strategy and budget, reviewed by your tutor.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Analyse tunnel and traffic data
Gather tunnel geometry and traffic data to establish ventilation demand.
Select the system
Choose the ventilation system suited to the urban tunnel.
Size the equipment
Size jet fans or axial fans and their control system.
Define the fire strategy
Calculate critical velocity and simulate smoke control scenarios.
Final project
A complete urban tunnel ventilation design with control and maintenance plan and budget, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Tunnel ventilation engineerTunnel systems specialistOperations technicianFire safety engineerCFD modellerControl centre manager
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • No prior qualification is required.
  • An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with IDA Tunnel, Ansys Fluent, FDS, Camatt and MATLAB, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

No prior qualification is required; you need a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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