Seismic response mitigation of chemical plant components by passive control techniques

This paper deals with the applicability of seismic passive control in major-hazard chemical installations. The objective is to show numerically and experimentally the applicability of Passive Control Techniques (PCT) in industrial plants. Consequently, the main components of a process plant are classified and collected into a limited number of classes; for each class, the main damages caused by past earthquakes are described and the most vulnerable components are identified. A synthesis of the effects of earthquakes on the different typologies of process components is also presented and the most suitable innovative seismic protection systems, in particular passive control techniques (PCT), are acknowledged. Finally, the effectiveness of PCT in reducing the seismic response of process plant components is proved by three representative case studies: a base isolated above-ground storage tank, a distillation column connected by elastoplastic dampers to the adjacent service frame and an application of non-conventional Tuned Mass Dampers to a support frame.     

计算机技术在建筑火灾安全上的综合应用

为通过计算机技术低成本的、高效的、准确的解决建筑火灾安全问题,对计算机技术在建筑结构火灾安全上的综合应用进行研究,并以某一小学教学楼为例将应用成果进行展示。首先,通过FDS软件对该建筑某火灾场景进行了火场数值模拟。基于FDS的数据,利用RCFire程序进行了结构构件内部温度计算和结构火灾反应计算。最后,在Vega的虚拟现实平台上将构件内部温度和结构火灾反应的结果进行了动态图形展示,并实现了结构火灾反应的同步漫游。本文将建筑火场模拟技术、结构火灾反应计算技术和场景表现技术上综合应用到同一建筑上,形成了一个更为准确的结构火灾反应模拟系统,同时也为进一步的建筑火灾场景仿真奠定了基础。     

The effect of improved nowcasting of precipitation on air quality modeling

The predictive potential of air quality models and thus their value in emergency management and public health support are critically dependent on the quality of their meteorological inputs. The atmospheric flow is the primary cause of the dispersion of airborne substances. The scavenging of pollutants by cloud particles and precipitation is an important sink of atmospheric pollution and subsequently determines the spatial distribution of the deposition of pollutants. The long-standing problem of the spin-up of clouds and precipitation in numerical weather prediction models limits the accuracy of the prediction of short-range dispersion and deposition from local sources. The resulting errors in the atmospheric concentration of pollutants also affect the initial conditions for the calculation of the long-range transport of these pollutants. Customary the spin-up problem is avoided by only using NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction) forecasts with a lead time greater than the spin-up time of the model. Due to the increase of uncertainty with forecast range this reduces the quality of the associated forecasts of the atmospheric flow.In this article recent improvements through diabatic initialization in the spin-up of large-scale precipitation in the Hirlam NWP model are discussed. In a synthetic example using a puff dispersion model the effect is demonstrated of these improvements on the deposition and dispersion of pollutants with a high scavenging coefficient, such as sulphur, and a low scavenging coefficient, such as cesium-137. The analysis presented in this article leads to the conclusion that, at least for situations where large-scale precipitation dominates, the improved model has a limited spin-up so that its full forecast range can be used. The implication for dispersion modeling is that the improved model is particularly useful for short-range forecasts and the calculation of local deposition. The sensitivity of the hydrological processes to proper initialization implies that the spin-up problem may reoccur with changes in the model and increased model resolution. Spin-up should be an ongoing concern for atmospheric modelers.     

我国自然灾害类应急预案评价方法研究(Ⅱ):责任矩阵评价

在突发事件应急过程中,由于分工不明、责任不清导致的部门间或者责任人之间的推诿扯皮等现象影响应急行动的高效有序开展,甚至会导致应急行动失败。因此,在应急预案中各应急部门(人员)责任分配是否适当是应急能否成功的关键。为解决该问题,笔者引入项目管理中的责任矩阵方法(Responsibility Matrix)。首先,根据应急的特点,定义直接责任(R)、支持(S)、建议(A)、约束(P)4种责任类型,确定了责任划分的原则;然后,总结出我国自然灾害类应急预案主要包含41种角色类型,并在该基础上建立了应急程序和应急人员间的责任矩阵及评价准则;进而采用上述方法分析一个实际的地震应急预案,对该应急预案的责任矩阵进行评价,最终确定其需要加强和完善的方面,为制定或修订应急预案提供参考。     

Application of Index Procedures to Flood Frequency Analysis in Turkey1

Abstract: This study investigates the regional analysis of annual maximum flood series of 48 stream gauging stations in the basins of the West Mediterranean Region in Turkey. The region is divided into three homogeneous subregions according to both Student‐t test and Dalrymple homogeneity test. The regional relationships of mean annual flood per unit area‐drainage area and coefficient of skew‐coefficient of variation are obtained. Two statistically meaningful relationships of the mean flood per unit area‐drainage area and a unique relationship between skewness and variation coefficients exist. Results show that the index‐flood method may be applicable to each homogenous subregion to estimate flood quantiles in the study area.     

Emergency response plan for boiler explosion with toxic chemical releases at Nan-Kung industrial park in central Taiwan

A large amount of hazardous materials and equipment has been extensively employed to produce useful chemicals for our daily lives, but many serious accidents, such as fires, explosions, toxic releases, and so on, that harm human beings and impact the environment have occurred during preparation, operation, and transportation of these chemicals. On 17 May 2007, a toxic release from a boiler explosion in a chemical firm triggered a large amount of xylene (7 ton), isopropanol (8 ton), phosphorus trichloride (44.7 ton), and dimethyl formamide (DMF) (1.37 ton) to be released to the atmosphere with total damages of 2000 m² level ground. Through concerted efforts from the Yunlin Emergency Response Information Center (YERIC), sponsored by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan and other government sectors, this accident was eventually well controlled after 37 h with 107 people being involved in the rescue action. This study could be applied to lessen the degree of hazard for relevant accidents with an emergency response plan (ERP), and, via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and photo ionization detector (PID) the toxic concentrations of airborne chemicals that occurred in the industrial area could be analyzed.     

Demographic Effects of Harvesting Epiphytic Bromeliads and an Alternative Approach to Collection

Abstract: Hundreds of epiphytic bromeliads species are harvested from the wild for trade and for cultural uses, but little is known about the effects of this harvest. We assessed the potential demographic effects of harvesting from the wild on 2 epiphytic bromeliads: Tillandsia macdougallii, an atmospheric bromeliad (adsorbs water and nutrients directly from the atmosphere), and T. violaceae, a tank bromeliad (accumulates water and organic material between its leaves). We also examined an alternative to harvesting bromeliads from trees—the collection of fallen bromeliads from the forest floor. We censused populations of T. macdougallii each year from 2005 to 2010 and of T. violaceae from 2005 to 2008, in Oaxaca, Mexico. We also measured monthly fall rates of bromeliads over 1 year and monitored the survival of fallen bromeliads on the forest floor. The tank bromeliad had significantly higher rates of survival, reproduction, and stochastic population growth rates (λ_s) than the atmospheric bromeliad, but λ_s for both species were <1, which suggests that the populations will decline even without harvest. Elasticity patterns differed between species, but in both, survival of large individuals had high elasticity values. No fallen bromeliads survived more than 1.5 years on the forest floor and the rate of bromeliad fall was comparable to current harvest rates. Low rates of population growth recorded for the species we studied and other epiphytic bromeliads and high elasticity values for the vital rates that were most affected by harvest suggest that commercial harvesting in the wild of these species is not sustainable. We propose the collection of fallen bromeliads as an ecologically and, potentially, economically viable alternative.     

Analysing workplace violence towards health care staff in public hospitals using alternative ordered response models: the case of north-eastern Turkey

The main objective of this article is to determine key factors that may have a significant effect on the verbal abuse, emotional abuse and physical assault of health care workers in north-eastern Turkey. A self-administered survey was completed by 450 health care workers in three well-established hospitals in Erzurum, Turkey. Because of the discrete and ordered nature of the dependent variable of the survey, the data were analysed using four distinctive ordered response models. Results revealed that several key variables were found to be a significant determinant of workplace violence, such as the type of health institution, occupational position, weekly working hours, weekly shift hours, number of daily patient contacts, age group of the respondents, experience in the health sector, training against workplace violence and current policies of the hospitals and the Turkish Ministry of Health.     

Effects of Gender and Athletic Participation on Driving Capability

This study sought to determine if spatiotemporal skills, represented by success in high level sport, transfer to driving and, if so, whether such transfer is mediated by the gender of the driver. Using an emergency-braking test, we compared the driving ability of male and female athletes and non-athletes and showed that athletes achieved significantly longer and therefore superior durations for time-to-contact. The advantage of athletic participation thus did not appear in movement time but rather in the ability to produce desirable performance in context. We found that males and females did not differ significantly with respect to driving, however, involvement in sport apparently transfers to aspects of driving and so provides benefits beyond the intrinsic reward of the sports activities themselves.     

苏丹1/2/4区紧急撤离带来的境外公共安全管理启示

近些年,境外中资企业员工遭遇武装袭击、绑架劫持事件屡有发生,如何加强境外公共安全管理,有效保障企业员工生命和设备财产安全成为了所有走向海外企业必须面对的一道严峻课题.以2012年3月26日中资公司施工队应对北南苏丹边界1/2/4油区爆发的军事冲突事件为例,详细描述了该中资公司队伍紧急避险和快速撤离的过程,对应急行动成功的经验进行了分析和总结,并进一步提出做好境外公共安全管理工作的重点.案例不但为境外中资企业应对和处置境外公共安全突发事件提供了样板,更为广大境外中资企业强化境外公共安全管理提供了借鉴和参考.