Safety-related conclusions for the application of ultrasound in explosive atmospheres

International safety regulations such as EN 1127-1 consider ultrasound to be an ignition source. Currently, applications of ultrasound in explosive atmospheres have to comply with a threshold value of 1 mW/mm². However, it is unclear as to how this intensity has to be measured and, therefore, this threshold value is poorly defined. Moreover, it is based on theoretical estimations in analogy to other ignition sources and there are no publications or significant records on these estimations. Within a research project at PTB, it has now been investigated experimentally in relation to worst-case considerations including airborne ultrasound, focused MHz ultrasound in liquids and acoustic cavitation. On the basis of the results of the research it is now possible to revise the current regulations and to specify measures for safe operation of ultrasonic applications in explosive atmospheres. In this context, for ultrasound coupled directly to gaseous atmospheres a new threshold value of 170 dB (re. 20 μPa) can be suggested, and for ultrasonic applications in liquids, an augmentation can be made to the threshold to 400 mW/mm².     

Effects of urban greenspace configuration and native vegetation on bee and wasp reproduction

Pollinator welfare is a recognized research and policy target, and urban greenspaces have been identified as important habitats. Yet, landscape-scale habitat fragmentation and greenspace management practices may limit a city's conservation potential. We examined how landscape configuration, composition, and local patch quality influenced insect nesting success across inner-city Cleveland, Ohio (U.S.A.), a postindustrial legacy city containing a high abundance of vacant land (over 1600 ha). Here, 40 vacant lots were assigned 1 of 5 habitat treatments (T1, vacant lot; T2, grass lawn; T3, flowering lawn; T4, grass prairie; and T5, flowering prairie), and we evaluated how seeded vegetation, greenspace size, and landscape connectivity influenced cavity-nesting bee and wasp reproduction. Native bee and wasp larvae were more abundant in landscapes that contained a large patch (i.e., >6 ha) of contiguous greenspace, in habitats with low plant biomass, and in vacant lots seeded with a native wildflower seed mix or with fine-fescue grass, suggesting that fitness was influenced by urban landscape features and habitat management. Our results can guide urban planning by demonstrating that actions that maintain large contiguous greenspace in the landscape and establish native plants would support the conservation of bees and wasps. Moreover, our study highlights that the world's estimated 350 legacy cities are promising urban conservation targets due to their high abundance of vacant greenspace that could accommodate taxa's habitat needs in urban areas.     

分离岛式地铁站可用安全疏散时间计算与比较分析*

为研究大客流地铁车站风险因素，提出车站疏散能力分析的基本要素，结合某分离岛式地下车站，采用规范计算及精细网格模型对可用安全疏散时间进行计算与比较分析。结果表明:楼扶梯的通过效率、车站结构形式、疏散人员的数量及分布情况等因素对仿真模拟的结果产生影响；《地铁安全疏散规范》（GB/T 33668—2017）综合考虑了疏散至楼扶梯入口时间、楼扶梯上平均滞留时间及通道非均匀性偏差时间等，与仿真模拟结果的吻合度较高。研究结果可为国内类似车站的安全疏散设计及运营疏散组织提供参考。     

大型碳化硅生产园区面源源强及减排指标核算

以某年产25万吨大型碳化硅园区无组织排放面源为例,提出基于多个地面站气象数据的CALPUFF模型地面浓度反推方法,优化流场模拟,使得无组织面源源强核算结果更加准确,并以环境保护目标空气质量达标为原则,核算其大气污染物减排指标,得出具体结论:园区大气污染物SO2、NOX、CO、PM10年排放量分别为449.06t、86.98t、5158.58t、115.06t;无组织排放SO2、CO及PM10的减排比例分别为63.5%、19.2%、42.44%,对应减排量分别为285.16 t/a、990.45 t/a、48.83 t/a。     

Explosion suppression of porous materials in a pipe-connected spherical vessel

To study the suppression of different porous materials on the explosion of combustible gas, some experiments were implemented. The porous materials were categorized into three kinds, including six subcategories, and the explosion suppression characteristics of the thin iron hoop, one-layer porous materials, two-layer composite porous materials, and three-layer composite porous materials were studied and analyzed. The results show that a rarefaction wave appears in the spherical vessel during the rapid development stage of combustion explosion. Further, the thin iron hoop could enhance the gas explosion intensity. And the explosion intensity suppression effect of the porous materials is obvious, the best effects of one-layer, two-layer and three-layer porous materials are from Fe–Ni 10 mm/40 PPI, Fe–Ni 10 mm/90 PPI + Al₂O₃ 10 mm/30 PPI, and Al₂O₃ 10 mm/50 PPI + Fe–Ni 10 mm/40 PPI + SiC 20 mm/20 PPI, respectively. According to the surface morphology of the porous materials, the anti-sintering ability of the three categories of porous materials follows the order of Al₂O₃ > SiC > Fe–Ni. Besides, the thickness and pore size of the combined porous material was changed, which has a great influence on the explosion pressure and the explosion intensity.     

城市安全生产风险评估调研和信息处理方法研究

为城市安全生产风险评估调研工作的合理有序开展,本文结合实际案例归纳了城市安全生产风险评估调研的目的、范围、内容和流程,具体介绍了走访座谈法、常专结合法、函件调研法等信息采集方法,总结了综合归纳法和逻辑处理法等信息处理方法。结果表明,在调研的不同阶段运用不同的调研方法可有效获取城市安全生产风险源信息及安全生产基本信息,为城市安全生产风险评估工作奠定坚实的信息数据资料支撑。     

The dual discourse of urban resilience: robust city and self-organised neighbourhoods

Resilience has become a dominant disaster governance discourse. It has been criticised for insufficiently addressing systemic vulnerabilities while urging the vulnerable to self-organise. The urban resilience discourse involves a particular disconnect: it evokes ‘robustness’ and unaffectedness at the city scale on the one hand, and self-organisation of disaster-affected people and neighbourhoods on the other. This paper explains and illustrates the dual discourse through a case study on the reconstruction of informal and low-income settlements in the aftermath of the fire in Valparaíso, Chile, in 2014, focusing on the communication contents of two non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These NGOs deployed the discourse differently, yet both called for affected neighbourhoods to build a more robust city through self-organisation, and both suggested their work as the missing link between self-organisation and robustness. A danger in deploying the dual discourse is that it requires people who live in informal and low-income settlements to earn their right to the robust city through ‘better’ self-organisation based on fragmented visions.     

城市燃气事故生命损失风险可接受标准研究

为提高我国城市燃气风险管理水平，帮助风险管理者科学地分配维护资源，探讨提出了我国城市燃气事故生命损失风险可接受标准；采用AIR指标法确定了个人风险可接受标准范围为(2.397 3×10-7,4.794 7×10-7)；运用F-N曲线法结合ALARP原则，确定了社会风险可接受标准，最大可接受风险的截距为4.794 7×10-7，可忽略风险的截距为4.794 7×10-8；利用生活质量指数推导模型，计算了达到城市燃气事故可忽略风险水平的最优安全投入成本；基于风险动态原则，分析提出了风险可接受标准的更新办法。研究结果表明:我国城市燃气行业可接受风险水平低于煤矿、大坝、化工等危险行业的可接受风险水平；虽然我国城市燃气事故死亡率逐年降低，但要达到可忽略的风险水平，每年还需大量安全资金投入。     

Characteristics of stable biodiesel emulsion fuel with the aid of lipophilic surfactant,polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR)

ABSTRACT

Biodiesel emulsion fuel is reported as one of the most feasible options capable of generating lower NOx emission than that from fossil fuels. However, oil and water in the emulsion fuel are easily separated and unstable. The aim of the present study is to consider the production and stability of biodiesel emulsion fuel by using tetraglycerin ester (CR-310), i.e., one of lipophilic surfactant, polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) and biodiesel, i.e., Waste cooking Oil Methyl Ester (WOME) produced based on waste cooking oil. The corresponding heat rate, water content, and viscosity are measured. Emphasis is placed on the effects of water content and surfactant on biodiesel emulsions. It is found that: (i) stable emulsion fuel is obtained by adding at least 2.0% of CR-310 and is maintained over 1 month, (ii) there is no effect of water content on stable emulsion fuel if CR-310 is used over 2.0%, and (iii) the viscosity of emulsion fuels is higher than that of the biodiesel fuel and is gradually increased with an increase in the water content.     

14个有价值的城市安全系统学理论基础问题

安全系统学是安全科学的核心基础理论,很适用于研究城市系统安全问题。本文从认识论和本体论出发阐述系统发生事故的本质原因,归纳了城市安全需要研究全生命周期与全球视野问题、微系统—中系统—宏系统耦合匹配问题、可持续—智慧—公共服务—多系统—生活生产安全—公共安全协同问题、输入与输入平衡关系、应急与涌现关系、信息与安全情报关系、安全管理与自组织关系、复杂城市与复杂科学关系,简述本质安全并非基础设施安全、风险管理需要精准安全、韧性并非物理性问题,认为使命—人—机—物—管—环—信—文的体系,以及工程—教育—管理—文化等对策应赋予新的安全内涵。上述内容是城市系统安全学的重要理论基础问题。