Solution

Atekon Technology Co., Ltd.

Integrated Utility Tunnel Automation Control System Solution

Release date:

2025-08-22

System Overview

Urban underground pipelines refer to systems—including water supply, drainage, gas, heating, electricity, communications, radio and television, industrial networks, and their associated facilities—that form a critical infrastructure and "lifeline" ensuring the smooth operation of cities. In recent years, with rapid urban development, issues such as insufficient pipeline construction scale and inadequate management have become increasingly prominent. As a result, several cities have experienced severe incidents like heavy rain-induced flooding, pipeline leaks and explosions, and even road collapses—events that have seriously jeopardized public safety, property, and the orderly functioning of urban life. Nationally, media reports alone indicate an average of 5.6 underground pipeline accidents occurring daily, while the direct economic losses caused annually by road excavations have soared to as high as 200 billion yuan.

Traditionally, urban underground utility pipelines have been laid independently in the shallow spaces beneath roads. This fragmented approach not only leads to the "zipper roads" phenomenon—where sections of road are repeatedly dug up and repaired—but also results in frequent pipeline accidents, severely compromising the safe operation of cities. Currently, China’s urbanization process is advancing at a rapid pace. To elevate the standards of pipeline construction and ensure the secure operation of municipal utilities, it is essential to adopt a new pipeline-laying method: integrated utility tunnels. Integrated utility tunnel projects involve building a shared municipal tunnel beneath city roads, consolidating various types of municipal pipelines—such as electricity, communications, water supply, and gas—into a single system. This approach enables "unified planning, unified construction, and unified management," thereby maximizing the efficient use of underground space and fostering resource-sharing among different utilities.

The integrated utility tunnel automation control system represents a new direction in urban infrastructure development and is one of the key approaches to harnessing urban underground space. As an intensive and sustainable method for laying out utility lines, it optimally utilizes urban land by systematically determining the spatial arrangement of city engineering pipelines—both aboveground and underground—thereby preventing interference among pipelines themselves as well as with surrounding structures. This system also provides a solid foundation for the planning and management of individual pipeline projects. By consolidating urban infrastructure controls into a single, unified platform, it enables centralized, real-time monitoring, efficient management, streamlined maintenance, and routine upkeep. Ultimately, this enhances urban governance efficiency, significantly reduces unnecessary waste of manpower, financial resources, and materials, and propels cities steadily toward modernization and intelligent development.

System Components

The system primarily consists of an electrical system, a ventilation system, a drainage system, and a low-voltage system. The electrical system includes power distribution systems, lighting systems, and more, providing stable and reliable power supply for various equipment within the tunnel corridor. The ventilation system ensures proper air circulation inside the corridor, maintaining optimal environmental conditions. The drainage system is designed to remove accumulated water from the corridor, keeping the interior dry and ensuring the safe operation of equipment. Meanwhile, the low-voltage system encompasses equipment monitoring systems, fire alarm systems, security systems, telephone systems, and other components, enabling comprehensive sensing of the corridor environment and equipment, as well as intelligent control over them.

Automatic Control System 　

The automated control system aims to achieve unattended operation at the field level, employing a hierarchical, distributed architecture that comprises a centralized control center for monitoring and management, as well as on-site control stations. The primary equipment in the control center includes the central monitoring server, the central operator station, the database server, and DLP-based combined rear-projection displays—these components are responsible for aggregating, analyzing, storing, and visually presenting data from the entire system, while also providing decision-support tools for dispatching operations. Meanwhile, the on-site control stations handle real-time collection of environmental parameters and equipment statuses, executing control commands to ensure the efficient, stable, and fully automated operation of the tunnel infrastructure system.

On-site Control Station:

The on-site control station is implemented using ATO Technology’s NA400 series PLC, which supports multiple redundancy solutions, including power redundancy, CPU redundancy, and network redundancy. Key equipment includes the CPU module, power module, DI, DO, AI, and AO modules, as well as network communication adapters. Additionally, the system features a single on-site display touchscreen, along with various isolators and a UPS power supply.

Main functions implemented by the control station:

Monitor the operational status of equipment such as water pumps and fans, as well as the overall condition of the devices. Based on real-time detection values of oxygen, temperature, and humidity within each fire zone, automatically control individual fans while continuously checking their operating status. Additionally, manage water pump operations according to the liquid level in the sump pit. Real-time monitoring is conducted for critical parameters in each fire compartment, including oxygen levels, temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide concentration, and liquid levels. On-site controllable equipment can be operated either manually by personnel via local control boxes or handed over to the PLC for automated control. The operator terminal serves as the on-site human-machine interface, enabling staff to control relevant equipment through button operations on the control panel—actions that are then executed by the PLC. Furthermore, operators can adjust specific parameter settings directly from the control panel as needed.

Keywords:

The previous one

None

Comprehensive Solution for Environmental and Equipment Monitoring Systems in Underground Utility Tunnels

The next one

Previous:

None

Next:

Comprehensive Solution for Environmental and Equipment Monitoring Systems in Underground Utility Tunnels

Related Products

Share to

Return to list