By Gou Wen

Major international sporting events are not only a stage for top athletes from around the world to compete, but also a showcase of cutting-edge technology.

The Hangzhou Bo'ao Tunnel is one of key infrastructure projects in the run-up to the 2022 Asian Games. Its tunnel evacuation and rescue system was independently developed by Ningbo Heliweiye Fire Science and Technology Co., which has successfully acquired several technology patents for their invention.

"Even in the worst case scenarios—external power failure, fire alarm signal failure, internal wire breakage—the system can still be quickly started up manually," said Xie Hong, general manager of Heliweiye. The system can even be started up remotely.

The system has been hailed as a "model tunnel evacuation system" in Hangzhou. In the future, it is expected to be used in new tunnel construction projects in Ningbo, Shantou, and Suzhou.

Innovation is the key to the success of this system. Xie Hong explained that conventional escape portal covers in evacuation tunnels around the world are usually difficult to open manually and have a high failure rate.

But it was this worldwide lack of escape portal cover R&D that motivated Xie Hong and his colleagues to innovate.

Although the R&D team is small, they have excellent engineering skills and a culture that encourages innovation. By cleverly incorporating a window-opening mechanism invented by the company, the team managed to design a new portal cover within three months.

"The force required to open this new cover is 75% less than opening a conventional cover. It is one of the most effective evacuation systems available on the market," said Xie Hong.

Chief Adviser: Zhao Qingchuan

Proofreader: Dong Na