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[Display omitted] Particulate matter (PM) is an important air pollutant in subway systems. Exposure to high PM concentrations poses a threat to human health and raises concerns. Piston effect can provide the outdoor fresh air to subway stations through station exits, but it also brings PM from tunnels to platforms when the train enters the station. In this paper, a transient numerical model is developed according to an actual subway station and validated by field tests. The model is used to investigate PM 10 concentration at platform induced by train movement. The cumulative PM 10 concentration at platform in one day is calculated according to the train schedule. Platform screen door (PSD) with adjustable vents is studied to control the PM 10 level at platform and energy saving in 27 cities of five climatic zones in China are discussed. The results show that adjustable vent height should be less than 0.70 m to ensure that PM 10 concentrations at platform can be maintained at an acceptable level and the requirement of fresh air can be met. Moreover, energy consumption can be reduced by more than 70 % in different cities compared with the conventional mechanical ventilation system. The optimized adjustable vent can provide an important reference for improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and saving energy consumption of ventilation systems in underground facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An unsteady CFD numerical model is validated by the experimental data. • The optimal opening scheme of adjustable vents is determined by the simulations. • The ventilation effect of IPD is compared between one train and two trains. • The ventilation effect of IPD is compared between island and side platforms. • The energy saving rates of IPD are 19.31–57.25% in five climatic regions. Environmental control system (ECS) accounts for approximately one third of the whole energy consumption of rail transit in the northern regions of China. Particularly, the ventilation system, which provides fresh air through the air shaft and exhausts the excess heat from the station, occupies the largest proportion of the energy consumption. For the aim of reducing ventilation energy consumption by utilizing piston wind adequately, the application of innovative platform doors (IPD) with adjustable vents is investigated at side platforms in this study. Full-scale numerical model is developed based on an actual subway station and the simulation results are validated by the test data. The influence of three key factors (location, size and opening angle of the adjustable vents) on fresh air volume and thermal environment on platform are studied. The fresh air volume and temperature of the platform were compared between one train and two-train conditions in side platforms with IPD. For different platform forms, comparison on fresh air volume and thermal environment is conducted between side and island platforms with IPD, and the results indicate that piston wind provide more fresh air and improve the thermal environment more significantly at side platform. Finally, energy conservation potential of the IPD is studied at side platforms in different climatic regions. The results reveal that the ventilation energy consumption is reduced by 19.31%-57.25% in different climatic regions by effective utilization of the piston wind in the whole year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]