Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona integrates high-efficiency fans with the Sener Respira system at the Hospital Clínic metro station

Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has started this summer, at the Hospital Clínic metro station on Line 5, a pilot test that consists of the installation of 12 high-efficiency fans (HVLS) (6 per platform). This system aims to improve the thermal comfort conditions of passengers considering environmental and energy efficiency criteria. This type of fan has already been used for some years in work areas such as rolling stock workshops and now the test is starting at the network station that is recording the highest temperatures during the hot months.

The project is linked to the digital energy management platform based on artificial intelligence (AI) Respira®, developed by Sener, already active on all conventional lines of the metro network since 2019 and thanks to which the ambient temperature of the stations has already been lowered by 2 degrees in the last 2 years. Previously, during the pandemic, the system was configured in sanitary mode to maximize air renewal in metro stations.

Respira® is an AI-based platform capable of improving the thermal sensation and environmental quality of metro passengers and workers by defining various criteria and reading variables in real time, such as temperature, humidity, indoor air quality in stations and electricity consumption. With this data, a dynamic algorithm for predicting environmental conditions inside stations based on the weather forecast and the planned service, among others, is responsible for applying an operating mode to each fan with the aim of improving the thermal sensation and at the same time optimizing energy consumption.

With intelligent ventilation control, the maximum intake of fresh air from outside is achieved, thus improving environmental conditions in stations in terms of temperature and humidity. The system also incorporates significant optimization of energy consumption. In the years it has been in operation, energy savings in the ventilation system of around 30% have been achieved across the entire network of conventional lines.