Climate engineering and human rights

ABSTRACT

In this Forum, three scholars discuss how climate engineering will pose novel human rights challenges, and may well force reconsideration of how human rights are applied as a guide to action. Following a short introduction, the first section introduces three competing approaches to human rights, arguing views which emphasize fairness or attempt to maximize satisfaction are more promising than one viewing human rights as inviolable ‘side-constraints’. The second section draws lessons from climate migration that are relevant for climate engineering in terms of incorporating a human rights approach to duties, rights, and participation. The final section compares the ‘needs-based’ and ‘rights-based’ approaches to humanitarian work in the face of climate change and climate engineering, raising concerns for duty-bearers and right-holders. The Forum’s conclusion draws together points of overlap and suggests a path forward for policy and research on this topic.     

煤与瓦斯共采在错层位巷道布置中的机理研究及应用构想

为了完善现有煤与瓦斯共采技术，创新煤与瓦斯共采方法，对错层位巷道布置下的煤与瓦斯共采系统展开研究，利用相似模拟试验，分析错层位巷道布置覆岩运动情况，预测其开采围岩裂隙发育和瓦斯运移形式，提出了创新煤与瓦斯共采技术构想。研究结果表明:采空区覆岩三带高度随接续工作面的增加而增大，相邻采空区垮落矸石压实区呈现“O-L-O”形变化，多个相邻采空区覆岩出现大“O”形圈裂隙带；相邻采空区内瓦斯可实现相互运移，大“O”形圈裂隙带内赋存大量瓦斯气体；研究提出了地面钻井抽采瓦斯、走向高位瓦斯抽采巷和外错尾巷穿层钻孔3种煤与瓦斯共采技术，比传统巷道布置情况下的煤与瓦斯共采技术在安全、经济等方面更具优势。     

近距煤层无煤柱协调开采布局研究与应用*

为了解决老母矿近距煤层的开采难题,通过理论分析并利用FLAC 3D数值模拟软件进行模拟,分析出煤层前后推进150 m是最合理的步距，侧向采动支撑压力在15~50 m内存在影响。基于这些理论数据，确定回采巷道的合理位置,进而确定以内错距离范围为30~60 m的内错式布置方式布置巷道和无煤柱协调开采布局，并进行井下工程应用。最后把无煤柱协调开采布局与双巷掘进开采布局对比，得出无煤柱协调开采布局的先进性和优势，研究结果可为同类条件下的工程应用提供借鉴。     

Numerical simulation of small-scale pool fires of LNG

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been largely indicated as a promising alternative solution for the transportation and storage of natural gas. In the case of accidental release on the ground, a pool fire scenario may occur. Despite the relevance of this accident, due to its likelihood and potential to trigger domino effects, accurate analyses addressing the characterization of pool fires of LNG are still missing.In this work, the fire dynamic simulator (FDS) has been adopted for the evaluation of the effects of the released amount of fuel and its composition (methane, ethane, and propane), on the thermal and chemical properties of small-scale LNG pool fire. More specifically, the heat release rate, the burning rate, the flame height, and thermal radiation, at different initial conditions, have been evaluated for pool having diameter smaller than 10 m. Safety distances have been calculated for all the investigated conditions, as well.Results have also been compared with data and correlations retrieved from the current literature. The equation of Thomas seems to work properly for the definition of the height over diameter ratio of the LNG pool fire for all the mixture and the investigated diameters.The addition of ethane and propane significantly affects the obtained results, especially in terms of radiative thermal radiation peaks, thus indicating the inadequacy of the commonly adopted assumption of pure methane as single, surrogate species for the LNG mixture.     

One-step estimation method and nomogram to predict safety distances of pressurized gas pipelines from blast sources

Pressurized gas pipelines may be endangered by accidental or intentional activities causing excess ground vibrations leading to failure. Thus, many papers have been published on this issue, yet most of these efforts suffer from complexity and inability to ascertain that all engaged factors are taken into account. These factors are attributed, namely, to explosion source, explosion-ground interaction, energy transfer through the ground, ground-pipeline interaction, and response of the pipeline. The deterministic method developed previously by the author has derived useful prediction mathematical formulas that can be used to calculate, either the stand-off distance of purposefully used explosives, or the maximum quantity of explosives to be used at a given distance, or the equivalent stress of a pipeline induced by an explosive charge at a given standoff distance. The method can also be applied to accidental blast events in factories or other activities. Yet, the complex formulas developed are hard to be used in the field and a simpler approach is needed to facilitate and accelerate in-field estimations. Thus, a nomogram was prepared to make the safety estimations easy and fast and taking into account all engaged critical factors starting from the explosion source through the integrity of the structure.     

Insight into the safety distance of ground and underground installations in typical petrochemical plants

Petrochemical plants are continuously turning into large-size corporations, the installations of facilities show a developing trend from ground to underground because of the difference in land using rate. In this regard, the safety distance of petrochemical equipment buried in both ground and underground cases were investigated based on risk assessment. As a case study, gasoline tank and LPG tank set on the ground and underground are singled out to compare the risks involved. The research showed that the setting case of installation had a great influence on safety distance. Two cases have 80% reduction of equivalent safety distance compared with the rest of the cases. It was found that when the gasoline storage tank was placed underground alone, the PLL value decreased by 36.7%. Only LPG tank was placed underground, and the PLL decreased by 6.33%, and the gasoline and LPG storage tanks were placed underground simultaneously, the PLL value declined by 42.3%. Thus, the layout of plants could be further optimized, which can greatly improve the performances of land use efficiency and safety. In addition, this paper, the selection of embedding methods and the sensitivity of underground case to overpressure was resumed from two aspects: soil properties and burial depth. For the soil properties, it was found that the water saturated sandy soil with high air content and the low density unsaturated sandy soil had better effects on weakening overpressure. Such properties are particularly beneficial to reducing the occurrence rate of accidents. In terms of burial depth, it can be observed that as the burial depth was changed from 0.5m to 1.1m, the value of overpressure has dropped dramatically. When the burial depth was 2m, the damage to personnel and buildings has been greatly reduced beyond 2m from the explosion center.     

高速公路汽车追尾预警系统的开发研究

对高速公路汽车追尾预警系统进行了总体设计,把系统划分为主控单元、雷达测距单元、信息采集单元、显示-声光报警单元4个子系统。在分析汽车动力学基础上,提出了系统安全距离模型,并对各子系统进行了软、硬件设计。通过模拟试验和实际装车实验,验证了系统所要求的各种性能,雷达测距准确,系统报警及时有效.     

高压储氢系统泄漏爆炸事故的动力学演化*

为研究燃料氢气泄漏、爆炸的特性和规律,预防高压储氢系统中氢气泄漏爆炸事故发生,以加氢站为背景,数值仿真45 MPa高压储罐氢气泄漏并引发爆炸事故,分析泄漏爆炸动力学性质以及爆炸波在非均匀氢气浓度中的传播机制。同时,基于泄漏爆炸事故演化的力学机理,开展氢气泄漏爆炸动态风险分析,针对氢气不同泄漏量,建立泄漏扩散形成的气云体积、气云爆炸产生的冲击波与空间x,z方向上危害距离之间关系。研究结果表明:氢气泄漏过程中,气云氢气浓度变化与流场雷诺数具有较好一致性;氢气扩散受到高压储氢罐周围装置影响,流场中氢气浓度分布不均匀;当发生燃烧爆炸事故时,冲击波参数和湍动能变化梯度大;得到复杂布局区域冲击波超压峰值与比例距离之间关系式,其相比于理论方法更精细、计算结果更准确。研究结果可为降低高压储氢系统泄漏爆炸事故后果、采取有效防护措施提供一定依据。     

重金属污染物在土壤中迁移规律及修复技术研究

世界各国都认识到重金属污染的严重性.多数国家开展了污染场地的修复工作,研究和开发出多种土壤重金属污染修复技术,重金属污染土壤修复技术有物理化学修复技术、植物修复、微生物修复技术和电动修复技术.但这些土壤修复技术的成本高,只重视土壤修复,土壤修复技术更重要的部分是地下水系统的修复,不能忽视地下水系统与土壤修复的完整性,否则会造成二次环境污染.本文在分析土壤中重金属污染物迁移规律的同时提出完整的土壤修复新技术CH-PRB工艺.     

中国省际碳排放效率的空间计量

本文基于至强有效前沿的最小距离法测算了我国1998-2011年的省际CO2排放效率,这种方法的优点是效率达到生产前沿后在投入或产出方面所做出的改动最小。然后在此基础上分析了我国省际碳排放效率的区域差异性以及空间相关性,最后运用1998-2011年我国30个省份的面板数据,建立空间面板数据模型,对我国碳排放效率的影响因素进行了实证研究。研究结果表明:样本期内,我国省际碳排放效率表现出较大的省际差异性,东部沿海省份的平均碳排放效率显著高于内陆省份。分地区看,东部地区的碳排放效率走势相对平稳,全国及中西部地区的碳排放效率则呈现出"U"型曲线的走势,并且东部地区的碳排放效率明显要高于中西部地区;空间自相关Moran’s I检验显示,省际碳排放效率在空间上存在着显著的空间自相关性,具有明显的集群趋势,而空间LISA图则表明省际碳排放效率不仅具有空间依赖性的特征,同时也有空间异质性的表现;经济规模、工业结构和能源消费结构对碳排放效率造成了较大的负面影响,对外开放、企业所有制结构以及政府干预对碳排放效率有正向影响,而产业结构对碳排放效率的影响则不显著。因此,对于将来中国提高碳排放效率工作的重点应该是实现经济增长模式由粗放型向集约型的转变,着重调整工业结构和能源消费结构,同时进一步提升对外开放的质量,加强政府的碳减排工作力度。