Front_Box2 – Transportation Technology for the Future

Traffic Management

Have you ever wondered why you keep standing at red lights at intersections for so long and no one comes from the other side?
The answer is very simple: these intersections are controlled by simple timers that have no idea whether a vehicle is there or not.
And our solution to this problem is even simpler.
Rely on our traffic management server.

Example image of the server with example cam images

If you think that sounds complicated and expensive, you’re wrong.
Where the relays and timers are now mounted, we simply replaced the old control components with a single control unit that processes and switches everything. To detect wheter a car or bicycle stands in front of the intersection we use cameras and detect the objects. Of course separeted by the different lanes. Depending on the local weather or environmental influences, we supplement the cameras with radar or lidar detection devices.

Control unit with digital outputs and image processing integrated

In addition to the advantage that no one has to wait unnecessarily in front of an intersection, our solution also offers many other advantages free of charge:

Cam images can be used also for law enforcement
Recording of the images
Cascading of following intersection is possible – Green light section over multiple controllers
Interface to other devices or control systems is available (e.g. BacNet, TCP, etc.)
Multiple fallback levels are integrated (in the event of failure of individual or all sensors)

NAT Conference 2022

Inframatic is proud to have attended this year’s NAT conference. Our colleague Stefan Haydn presented the topic of flow control in tunnels as a co-speaker.

For more informations please visit NAT conference 2022

SFMTA Examination of safety regulations, tunnel ventilation

What is a tunnel with a safety ventilation without a serious test of the same? Nothing to be exact.
Inframatic changes that by testing the safety-relevant aggregates.
Fire ventilation, using ultrasonic measuring devices in a cross arrangement, to test whether the air speed achieves sufficient performance even in the event of an incident. At the same time, we tested airflow visually, using smoke grenades.
These show “mercilessly” where any defects are.
In the case of the extension of the San Francisco Metro from Union Square to China Town, no doubt about it. The following tests were carried out:

San Francisco metro station “Union square”

Ultrasonic cross-measurements of the airspeed across the whole tunnel section, 4 pcs. at the same time
Smoke grenade test to make visible where the airflow goes
Door force measurements to comply with regulations
Noise measurements
Anemometer measurements

Smoke grenade test, with a metro in the tunnel

Control technology / Supervising

Local and higher-level control systems are required so that all systems can be operated and observed or monitored. Thanks to these systems, it is possible to display the complexity clearly and make it usable for a person. Thanks to data recording, it is then also possible to improve the systems in operation where necessary. Another very important point is the alerting in the event of pending malfunctions of individual parts of the system.

The biggest highlight of our systems is – in addition to the intelligent control functions – the openly programmed visualization. Instead of relying on commercial products, we develop the control systems completely ourselves. This has several advantages. First, we save license fees from the commercial provider. For you as the end customer, this means that the system becomes cheaper. Second, we never come across any limiting requirements. This means that you get exactly the system you want. The expression “doesn’t work, doesn’t exist” hits the bull’s eye with us. The visualization is completely developed in HTML5. For you this means that you can open the system pictures with any browser. Plugins are not needed anywhere. We also do not have limited access, as is common with commercial control systems. It does not matter whether a single user or a hundred open the browser window and access the system. And best of all, all of this is included in the scope of delivery. Thanks to the open programming in HTML5, adjustments are made in no time at all. With the appropriate specialist knowledge, such adjustments could also be carried out directly by the end customer himself. We call this visualization «Infraview». But if you prefer commercial products, that’s no problem either. Our employees are familiar with many commercial products. WinCC o.a., Cimplicity, Wonderware, Simatic WinCC. We could expand this list at will.

Network

A network is required so that all systems can communicate with each other and thus transmit reflexes, and also send data to a control system. These networks are naturally very large and extend over great distances.

Networks are the arteries of modern infrastructure systems. Measured values and states must be transferred between the controls and the control system and also between them. Due to the large distances involved, these networks are usually formed with glass fibers. We plan and lay out the networks, from the lowest to the highest level (OSI layer 1 – 7). If necessary, we also develop our own network protocols.

Signaling systems

The signaling systems dynamically indicate the applicable speed limit according to the volume of traffic. In addition, they are also used for dynamic traffic control and display in the event of a traffic jam, accident or other impairment of one or more lanes.

Video surveillance systems

Video surveillance in motorway tunnels is also becoming increasingly important. In the past, this was simply used for visual monitoring of the traffic inside the tubes. Thanks to increasing digitization, there are many more possibilities today. Above all the so-called automatic event detection. Based on the video images from the cameras, this recognizes whether there is any danger inside or outside the tunnel. The event detection detects whether a traffic jam is or will arise, whether an accident has occurred or whether a fire has broken out. Objects on the road are also detected so that road users can be warned at an early stage. As a result, video surveillance is also used more and more frequently for fire detection.

Lighting systems

The lighting systems ensure that lighting is as balanced as possible in normal operation and should be similar to the outside brightness. That is why the lighting is also subdivided. On the one hand in entrance lighting and on the other hand in drive-through lighting. The entrance lighting helps the eyes to get used to the darker surroundings when entering the tunnel. This lighting is therefore regulated based on the currently prevailing brightness at the tunnel entrance and continuously decreases in the tunnel. At night it switches off completely.
The drive-through lighting, on the other hand, tends to be geared towards the volume of traffic rather than the external brightness. Because in the tunnel itself, you can’t see the outside world. But you can see – or rather – you have to see how many vehicles are in front of and next to you.
Like all other systems, the lighting must also react to special situations such as fire and accidents and ensure sufficient brightness at the scene of the accident
Furthermore, the optical guidance devices on the tunnel floor are used more and more. The function of this type of lighting is to help the fleeing person to find the correct escape direction in the event of a fire, if there is heavy smoke in the tunnel.

Tunnel ventilation systems

Tunnel ventilation systems are among the most important systems in a tunnel. On the one hand, it ensures fresh air in the tunnel and, in the event of a fire, is also the system that can save human lives. In the first case, it checks and regulates the air in such a way that exhaust gas values in the tunnel tube remain at a level that is harmless to humans. It is not only the classic toxins such as CO2 or NOX values that count, but also the clouding of vision (which is caused by rain, for example), which are decisive for a safe journey.
In the event of a fire, seconds make the difference between life and death. If a vehicle should catch fire inside the tunnel, the tunnel ventilation system ensures that, on the one hand, the toxic smoke is extracted on the spot, and on the other hand, enough oxygen can reach the people through the controllable air flow. This enables those who have been involved in an accident to escape with as few obstacles as possible.