Study on Smoke Propagation Characteristics for a Train Carriage Fire in a Subway Tunnel

The most serious fire scene in a subway system is that a train catching on fire has to stop in the tunnel. The objective of this paper is to discuss safety evacuation of this scenario. A subway tunnel in Beijing was selecting as research object, and adopting numerical simulation methods to analyze smoke propagation in the tunnel and train carriage. In addition, the influence of train carriage door opening on the smoke spread was studied in the double narrow space formed by the carriage and tunnel. Results show that the opening method of door would affect the smoke spreading path, and the range of high temperature area. For a fire occurred in train carriage, opening of the end door of train can effectively enhance diffusion of smoke into the tunnel. This research is not only helpful to guide the cabin crew to evacuate efficiently and orderly, but also provide guidance for the planning of subway tunnels.