Automation and Control of DIA Transportation Tunnel Ahmed O. Abdul Salam Roads Lighting and Traffic Signals, Roads Department, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), P. O. Box: 118899, Dubai, UAE. Email: AhmedAbdulsalam@rta.ae, Tel.: 04-2065868, Fax: 04-2065663 Abstract — This paper discusses the full automation and control features of electromechanical systems and ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) in Dubai International Airport (DIA) tunnel. The self-automation and control using SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) technology for data processing enhances the intelligence level of DIA tunnel. The intelligent components in this tunnel designed and constructed in a redundant manner to increase systems reliability and hence the overall safety improved. The sophistication of DIA tunnel and the variety of equipments places this tunnel on top of intelligence and safety levels among few others in the world and surely the first of its kind in the region. I. I NTRODUCTION The intercity DIA tunnel is about 1.5km long and consists of two main tunnel tubes, with four lanes per direction, primarily intended to ease the traffic flow situation between Dubai and Sharjah. This tunnel considered as an essential hub that positively influences the rapidly evolving economy in Dubai and symbolizes a modern traffic concept in the entire region. The complete tunnel facilities installed with fully automated and centralized electromechanical services to monitor and control the systems performance using SCADA technology. The installation of services carried out in accordance with the governing international standards and regulations. Equipments for traffic management were to maintain a continuous flow of traffic information to the operators to help making critical decisions in emergencies like accidents or cars stopping. All these modern applications revolutionized the concept of intelligent tunnels and set forward a shining example for the first time in the region to achieve highest levels of motorists’ safety. The entire tunnel is a one piece of fully automated industrial entity that runs itself by itself. The intervention of the operators is to keep close eyes on screen events and video wall images and to select suitable emergency plans once required. These emergency plans were developed and saved in the system and exhibited on screens when an incident occurred. II. SCADA FOR E LECTROMECHANICAL AND T RAFFIC M ANAGEMENT S YSTEMS SCADA systems are widely used for industrial processes. Among many applications, SCADA found in metro operation, power generation and distribution, chemistry and critical experimental physics like nuclear fusion [1-5]. This wide variety of SCADA applications is substantiated to its rich content of multiple developing tools and functionalities such as communications, interfacing, scalability, redundancy, trending, access control, alarm handling, logging and archiving, report generation, automation and object handling and configuration. The SCADA system of DIA tunnel built with a minimum spare capacity of 20% for hardware and minimum of 50% for software in terms of data points and volume. The system has a modular design and further expansions can be readily realized in future. The DIA tunnel control system has been designed to provide a high level of data and control integration, covering each item of plant equipment and the various specialist tunnel support systems. This integration is also evident with reference to the plant screen layouts and operational methodologies, whilst satisfying the need to keep particular systems’ components only available for authorized and experienced individuals for safety and security purposes. The traffic control center (TCC) equipments room constitutes the following pairs of hot redundant servers, and Fig. 1 depicts the building components of SCADA architecture: • SCADA • Network • AID (Advanced Incident Detection) • Access control • Web applications • VMS and LUS signs The servers’ scheme built up using two redundant high-speed switches and looping worked out using normal networking cables. The industrial Ethernet established using master programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and redundant multimode (MM) fiber optic (FO) cables in a ring network configuration. These PLCs are characterized to have better data handling and performance capacity compared to those in the cabinets of field devices and subsystems. Approximately 16,000 analog and digital data points interrogated and processed by these powerful PLCs. The connectivity between master PLCs and FO cables implemented using redundant optical switch modules (OSM) with protection features. In addition, there are dedicated SCADA operators’ workstations and terminals for variable message signs (VMS) and lane use signs (LUS) and access control applications. Printers connected to the servers’ network for alarms and events printout records and other general purposes. The TCC servers and operators rooms are shown in Fig. 2. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
