It’s not getting hot in here: SOE IPlantE hosts London’s Cooling the Tube 2007

The London Underground (LU) is the oldest metro system in the world. Its basic tunnel infrastructure has changed little since it was constructed over 140 years ago. Transport for London (TfL) is working closely with the engineering sector to find solutions designed to keep passengers cool on their daily commute. The SOE IPlantE, a membership organisation for professional plant engineers, is hosting a free evening’s lecture in central London to look at the issues.

The Cooling the Tube 2007 lecture will showcase the cooling ideas so that engineers, architects and London residents can gain an understanding of what is being done to make the Underground experience as comfortable as possible.

Every year, LU provides hot weather advice to passengers. Carry a bottle of water with you, do not board trains if you feel unwell and, if you are feeling unwell, contact a member of station staff who will be able to help. Water will be available to passengers if it is needed.

The vast majority of the Tube network was built long before air-conditioning was invented and consequently no provision was made for its installation. The tunnels were designed and built with only enough room for trains. This means, on the deep-level Tubes, there is very little space for air-conditioning on the trains. Conventional air conditioning solutions would release heat into the tunnels making the overall problem worse.

A dedicated project team at London Underground was established to identify and implement engineering solutions that will help to cool the Tube. Research has been undertaken to look at passenger comfort levels, understand the physiological effects of heat and predict future temperature increases.

Kevin Payne, LU Programme Director, Cool the Tube team said: “The Cooling the Tube lecture is a great opportunity to discuss the complexities surrounding this heat on the Tube. Prior to Transport for London (TfL) taking control of the Tube, attempts to try and cool the Tube were haphazard. We have now started a co-ordinated programme to understand the problem and to tackle heat on the Underground. It is a programme that will take years, not months, to deliver results.

Professor Amritpal Hungin, the dean of medicine at Durham University commented: “the onus for keeping cool is on those who control the environment, i.e. TfL.” This is why Transport for London feel this is the right time to talk about the work they are doing at the Cooling the Tube lecture.

Professor Bill Keatinge, emeritus professor at Queen Mary, University of London and research professor at UCL, is in agreement. He believes that communication is vital, both now and in real world situations, for example, in the event of a breakdown. He said: “My recommendations are for the operators. Getting stuck in the heat can be difficult for all passengers. Drivers should ensure reliable and rapid communications between themselves and passengers.” London Underground drivers are instructed to make announcements should a train break down, but this event will offer a valuable insight into work, short term and long term, that TfL is doing to cool the tube and make passengers’ overall experience more comfortable.

Some of the solutions which LU are working on include:

1. Optimising train operations. By introducing regenerative braking and the like, this system will reduce the amount of energy used by the trains and thus the amount of heat created.
2. Air-cooling will be put on the sub-surface lines (Circle, District, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan) by 2010
3. Borehole cooling: Borehole cooling technology is considered a low energy intensive, and an environmentally friendly, solution. Cool water is extracted from the deep level aquifer and passed through a heat exchange system before being put back into the aquifer far from any stations.
4. Groundwater cooling at Victoria: The groundwater trial provides an environmentally friendly cooling solution for the Victoria line platforms at Victoria station and uses groundwater which is already pumped out of the station. Across the Tube network, LU pumps out 30 million litres of water each day.
5. Adiabatic cooling. Air passes though a giant wet pad or mist of cool air, with the resulting evaporation creating a cooler breeze. Trials are planned for this, and similar alternatives, in the near future.

This free event is open to everyone and we’d love to see you there. Contact Mel Powell (events@soe.org.uk or call 020 7630 1111) to confirm your place.

Email: david.jones@soe.org.uk