Improved, safer and
more energy-efficient
LED technology in the
Joanet Tunnel

At the beginning of 2018, CEDINSA, within its Energy Optimization and Safety Improvement Plan of the facilities that it has under concession by the Generalitat de Catalunya, proposed the use of LED technology for lighting in the existing tunnels to along the C-16, C-25 and C-17 motorways. A first action was to study the lighting in one of the tunnels to verify that both the technology and the energy savings obtained of this action were ready to justify the investment.

In the middle of 2019, a through an exhaustive study was performed, it concluded that using the LED technology to illuminate a tunnel during day and night, and considering the operating hours, installed power and regulation possibilities offered by LED technology, provides energy savings that causes the investment to be repaid in a reasonable period of time.

This project presented the opportunity to improve the lighting quality changing from HID technology. Given the dimensions and geometry, using LED technology in the fixtures the light distribution could be significantly improved.

The tunnel chosen was the Joanet Tunnel located on the C-25 highway. It is a one-way tunnel in the direction of a town call Vic. The tunnel is 1,394 m long and has 3 lanes of circulation with a total width of 10.8 m, with hard shoulders of 0.5 m, and pavements of 1 m on both sides. In addition, the tunnel fixtures are located on a single side (fast lane), mounted on a cable tray in unilateral distribution, located within the track at 1.4 m from the start, and at 5.65 m in height. At the light level, the challenge in this tunnel was to improve the lighting conditions of the slow lane (the one furthest from the installation point of the fixtures), especially considering that the slow lane supports the vast majority of the traffic of heavy and large tonnage vehicles.

There were two stages: the first part of the installation was carried out with the ABV luminaire from GE, noted for its three main advantages: an excellent LPW ratio up to 130 lm/W, its 77,000 hours L85 long life and its flexibility to adjust the opening angle to suit the needs of each site.

The ABV1 was then replaced by Tungsram HighBay luminaire, a new range dedicated to industrial sites such as warehouses, factories, storage areas, among others. The HighBay IP20 is an LED luminaire designed and developed for high bays (warehouse, factory, gymnasium, etc.). It is designed and manufactured in Hungary in one of our main Tungsram factories. The range offers high lumen packages between 10,000 and 60,000 lumens. In Framatome case, only 141W enough with Tungsram HighBay for 20 000 lumens, ensuring a 175 lm/W lighting efficiency.

The luminaire optical part is protected against dust (IP50), while the entire luminaire is protected against shocks with an IK08, even IK10 to better fit most challenging conditions such in sport halls. The color temperature chosen in this precise case is 4,000 Kelvin, CRI80 with a clear optic diffuser. With this range, it is also possible to associate another control mode, with DALI option or with motion and light detector or even with Nedap Luxon IoT Node solution. Different choices of powers and optics are also available (see technical sheet or contact us). From now on, on Framatome site, the rolling zone is equipped with ABV1, the thermal zone is equipped with ABVG2, and finally the finishing control zone is equipped with HighBay IP20.

We decided to opt to develop the solution that concentrated on four main points: optimization of total installed power, improvement of the uniformity of conditions – especially in the slow lane- , minimizing possible glare, and installing reliable, long-lasting LED technology with the ability to get integrated into the management and regulation system that the tunnel already had at that moment.

Tungsram, with its fixtures of the TLBT and TMBT range, not only offered the most optimized solution but also managed to provide excellent lighting conditions for the slow lane, regarding uniformity and the illumination of not only the horizontal plane but also of the vertical plane that defines the vehicle as it passes through the lane. The reflective-type technology used by these fixtures in their optical system is minimizing the impact of possible glare. The desired photometry was obtained utilizing a set-back (hidden) light source (LEDs) with respect to the plane that defines the glass that protects the fixture, and a polished and anodized aluminium reflector that inhibits direct vision and offers a wide range of LED viewing angles.

The solution that made possible to provide the tunnel with day and night lighting, according to current regulations, with 95 cd / m² in the access zone and with 2.55 cd / m² inside, was designed based on the installation of:

12 units TMBT / 3 / F / AC / 302w / 40 / AMP / SP / C1 / N / B, double bracket
74 pcs TMBT / 3 / F / AC / 260w / 40 / AMP / SP / C1 / N / B, double bracket
28 pcs TMBT / 3 / F / AC / 130w / 40 / AMP / SP / C1 / N / B2
18 pcs TLBT / 3 / F / C / 89 / 40w / AMP / SP / C1 / N / B2
107 pcs TLBT / 3 / F / C / 65 / 40w / AMP / SP / C1 / N / B2 for interior lighting

The energy consumption of the newly executed solution is 35.7kw. It optimizes the power consumption by an approximate 38%. Furthermore, the used devices are equipped with drivers with the ability to interpret a regulation order through a variation in the supply voltage, a DALI signal, so the new installation did not only offer the ability to be integrated to the existing headend regulators system, but also the ability to work under a system that works with DALI.

The solution implemented not only meets the initial objectives set by the property, but the technology provides minimal glare and high visual comfort by the optical system these projector models use.