Influence of Ventilation Duct Parameter Optimization on Pollutant Diffusion in Spiral Tunnels

The spiral tunnel could flexibly design the curvature and slope of the tunnel according to the geological structure, avoiding the adverse effect of complex terrain and topography, and had a strong advantage in engineering applications. Different from ordinary straight linear tunnels, spiral tunnels have a circular trend with obvious curvature and slope, which ensures certain differences between construction ventilation of the two types of tunnels, especially in terms of ventilation air flow field and pollutant diffusion. Relying on the actual spiral tunnel project, this paper studies the diffusion mechanism of ventilation pollutants in spiral tunnel construction. Optimization of the layout of the air duct based on numerical simulation and proposed pulsating ventilation method was performed to improve the ventilation and drainage effect of the tunnel. The time to reach the carbon monoxide concentration after blasting, and the dust concentration during the spraying process, were determined as indicators to measure the ventilation effect during the construction period. The hanging position of the air duct, the distance from the air duct outlet to the palm face, and the air speed were determined as the main factors affecting the ventilation effect. The main factors, the degree of influence and sensitivity of each influencing factor on the index, are studied, and the optimal air duct layout scheme suitable for the site is determined. The scheme can improve the ventilation effect and ventilation quality and provide effective reference for ventilation problems during the construction of other spiral tunnels. Meanwhile, more factors need to be examined to study the impact of pollutants in spiral tunnel construction, and physical models are needed to study the diffusion mechanism of pollutants in a spiral tunnel.