Comparative Analysis of High-Pressure Sodium Vapor Luminaires with LED Luminaires in Tunnel Illumination

Nowadays, some roads pass through underground tunnels due to technical inadequacy and high economic costs in constructing highways, railways, and pedestrians. Tunnels are opened to pass through obstacles on the route (mountain, hill, etc.) to force the driver, disturb him, reduce the ramps that could endanger safety depending on nature’s state, and shorten travel distances. In this way, number of tunnels along with the road increases, and illuminating these tunnels with different characteristics varies day and night. Tunnel illumination calculations and applications are essential as good tunnel illumination ensures the same flow of comfort, speed, and safety as on the approaching road. Moreover, with the advancement of tunnel technology, many types of equipment are used inside and outside the tunnel, and electricity needs vary according to these types of equipment. In this research, the importance of tunnel illumination was discussed and comparative illumination analysis in 8 August tunnel in Bitlis was conducted. Illumination for the Bitlis 8 August tunnel was done using luminaires with high-pressure sodium vapor lamps, and the grid was used to generate all the energy required. In this study, the energy used by the Bitlis 8 August tunnel for illumination was obtained from the accurate data and the results were compared with the initial situation when the same system was installed using light emitting diode (LED) illumination technology.