Numerical investigation of heat-insulating layers in a cold region tunnel, taking into account airflow and heat transfer

Abstract

In cold regions, heat-insulating layers play a crucial role in frost prevention in tunnels. This paper presents a numerical study on the anti-freezing behavior of a cold region tunnel (the Dege tunnel) with heat-insulating layers. A numerical model based on the temperature field coupling theory is firstly proposed and validated using field test data of the Dege tunnel. Subsequently, a comprehensive parametric study is carried out to investigate the influences of heat-insulating layers on the temperature characteristics of airflows inside the tunnel, the surrounding rock, and the tunnel lining. Furthermore, a numerical investigation based on the proposed numerical model is carried out to propose reasonable design parameters of heat-insulating layers for different velocities of mechanical ventilation, and different heat-insulating materials for cold region tunnels. The numerical results show that using the heat-insulating layer can effectively reduce the heat transfer between the surrounding rock and the airflow inside the tunnel. It is also found that the design parameters for the heat-insulating layer are greatly affected by the tunnel ventilation conditions and heat-insulating materials.