Investigation of a pyrophoric iron fire in a Visbreaker fractionation column provides better cleaning work procedure

An unexpected ignition of pyrophoric iron sulphide deposits took place in the fractionator of a Visbreaker unit. The distillation column had been chemically decontaminated prior to the event. The investigation of the event leads to conclusions concerning chemical decontamination limitations in vessels in coking service. Based on the lessons learned from this case, a prioritization of manual vessel cleaning works in coking service is proposed.     

不同pH值下含铁矿物对硫酸侵蚀混凝土的影响研究

硫酸侵蚀为混凝土耐久性损伤的一个重要方面.在硫酸盐侵蚀过程中,含铁矿物等侵蚀产物不断形成,导致混凝土材料形成不同程度的腐蚀.为研究不同pH值环境下含铁矿物对混凝土结构腐蚀的影响,在实验室配置了pH值为2.0、3.0和4.0的稀硫酸溶液,结合不同洗刷作用方式来模拟酸雨环境,采用室内长期浸泡试验方法对混凝土试件进行不同程度...     

台风下乙烯精馏塔抗风性能及可靠性分析

采用流固耦合方法对台风下乙烯精馏塔的风载荷分布及风振响应进行数值模拟,建立了台风下塔设备流固耦合数值模型,对乙烯精馏塔的抗风能力和可靠性进行了分析。研究发现乙烯精馏塔的迎风面为风压力,背风面和迎风子午线两侧为风吸力,风压力和风吸力沿着塔高不断增大。在风载荷作用下,乙烯精馏塔的最大应力出现在迎风向塔体与裙座的连接处,最大变形出现在塔顶。随着风速增大,最大应力和变形呈三次多项式的变化关系,但频率基本保持不变,呈现一阶频率振动。通过强度、挠度和疲劳分析,可对不同台风强度下的乙烯精馏塔可靠性进行校核。     

RBI技术在我国企业的应用研究与改进思考

基于风险的检测技术(RBI)是目前化工行业逐渐采用并得到认可的一种新的设备检测技术。在对RBI体系研究的基础上,阐述了RBI的系统思想、实施步骤与应用价值;在工艺危害性分析的基础上,采用挪威船级社的ORBIT Onshore软件对常减压装置进行了定量RBI分析,识别出装置设备和管道的主要腐蚀损伤模式,确定设备和管道的风险大小分布以及风险检测策略;并根据RBI在化工等行业企业的应用实践对RBI技术在我国应用过程中存在的不足提出了相关改进建议。     

Revised emergency vacuum relief device sizing for atmospheric distillation systems

Conventional vacuum relief methodologies are usually protective responses; that is, they accomplish their purpose by substitution of an inert gas (usually nitrogen) for the process gases removed by an external vacuum source, or for condensable vapour collapsed by an internal process mechanism (e.g. condensation). While this approach is theoretically possible for all potential vacuum scenarios, it becomes practically impossible to implement for installations where a rapid phase change can impart near-instantaneous system pressure reductions. The procedure outlined in this paper takes a preventive approach: eliminate the source of vacuum generation before the safe lower system pressure limit is reached. For distillation and other refluxing systems, this vacuum source is usually the main overhead condenser, which is designed to collapse large volumes of condensable vapour. To eliminate the vacuum source requires elimination of the system's ability to rapidly condense vapour. This goal is accomplished by introduction of inert gas directly into the condensing system to ‘blanket’ the heat transfer surface and stop condensation. The procedure determines the rate, amount and location for introduction of inert gas. The required design data include: (i) system starting pressure, (ii) maximum allowable system vacuum, (iii) volume of the condensing system, and (iv) normal system condensing rate. By determining the rate at which the condenser removes vapour volume from the system, and designing an inert gas delivery system to meet or exceed this rate, the vacuum generation potential of the system is effectively eliminated using a much smaller quantity of inert gas than with the more traditional volume substitution methods.     

Dehydration of ethanol with different salts in a packed distillation column

This work aimed the evaluation of a saline extractive distillation for the ethanol production. A thermodynamic model was used to predict the influence of the salts in the liquid–vapor equilibrium of the system water–ethanol and inside the packed column. The experiments were done in a distillation unit, with an internal diameter of 5.9 cm and a packing section with 37 cm of height, packed with raschig rings with 0.73 cm of characteristic inner made of glass. All the bottom and top samples were analyzed by refractive index. Two synthetic charges with the same composition of ethanol that are produced in the refinery (0.02 and 0.25 mol.L^-1) were distilled under atmospheric pressure. Sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium acetate, calcium nitrate and a mixture of sodium and potassium acetates were added to the synthetic charges and the results were compared to the experiments already done without the presence of the salts, revealing the ethanol enrichment in the top product of the distillation unit, for all the systems analyzed. Another charge from the refinery, known as load of wine without yeast, was evaluated and the results indicated the same behavior, enriching the ethanol with the application of the saline extractive distillation.     

Effects of perceived power of supervisor on subordinate stress and motivation: the moderating role of subordinate characteristics

This study examined the moderating effects of subordinate individual differences, specially self‐esteem and locus of control, on the relationships between perceived supervisor power and subordinate motivation and stress. Results showed that perceived supervisor power was more strongly related to increased motivation and decreased stress for subordinates with low self‐esteem than for those with high self‐esteem. For locus of control, perceived reward, coercive and referent power were more positively related to motivation, and legitimate, expert and referent power were more negatively related to stress for externals than for internals. On the other hand, supervisor expert power and legitimate power were positively associated with increased motivation for internals, but not for externals. Implications for future research and practising managers are discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Model selection and fault detection approach based on Bayes decision theory: Application to changes detection problem in a distillation column

The fault detection of industrial processes is very important for increasing the safety, reliability and availability of the different components involved in the production scheme. In this paper, a fault detection (FD) method is developed for nonlinear systems. The main contribution consists in the design of this FD scheme through a combination of the Bayes theorem and a neural adaptive black-box identification for such systems. The performance of the proposed fault detection system has been tested on a real plant as a distillation column. The simplicity of the developed neural model of normal condition operation, under all regimes (i.e. steady-state and unsteady state), used in this case is realised by means of a NARX (Nonlinear Auto-Regressive with eXogenous input) model and by an experimental design. To show the effectiveness of proposed fault detection method, it was tested on a realistic fault of a distillation plant of laboratory scale.     

Liquefaction of sawdust in hot compressed ethanol for the production of bio-oils

Direct liquefaction of lignocellulosic waste (sawdust) has been conducted in hot-compressed ethanol at temperatures from 150 to 250 °C. It was found that polyols such as glycerol, glycol and polyethylene glycol (PEG) promoted liquefaction process assisted with hot ethanol treatments seemed promising for production of bio-oils from lignocellulosic materials. Effects of different solvents and catalysts on liquefaction of sawdust were investigated. The results showed that the optimum operating condition for catalytic liquefaction is at 250 °C, 1 h of reaction time using glycerol and ethanol as solvent where operating at this condition realized the highest conversion of sawdust which is 97.8%. After reaction, the liquified product was separated by vacuum distillation. Two fractions were obtained, namely light oil and heavy oil. The properties and compositions of these two fractions were characterized in terms of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).     

Investigation of the Fushun ASU explosion in 1997

On the 16 May 1997 an explosion occurred at the Fushun Ethylene Complex, in Fushun, Liaoning province, China. The explosion source was located in the distillation column of the air separation nunit of the complex. The explosion was extremely severe causing the death of four people, injuring four severely and 27 slightly, and causing extensive material damage.A number of possible pollution sources was investigated. The remains of the low pressure column and of the main vaporiser were reassembled. A model was developed to understand ignition of aluminium when polluted by combustible material in liquid oxygen. Laboratory tests were made on ignition of polluted aluminium in LOX. Ethylene dispersion in the atmosphere was also modelled.It can be concluded that the accident resulted from an exceptional pollution peak due to venting of ethylene during a shut down of the ethylene oxide plant, together with a temporarily low liquid level in the main vaporiser of the air separation unit at reduced load.The hydrocarbon pollutant acted as an igniter, the actual fuel was aluminium. Calculations show that a few hundreds grams of ethylene were able to ignite more than 1000 kg of aluminium in liquid oxygnen, multiplying the explosion energy by more than 1000.     

基于Bayesian网络的常减压装置设备故障概率分析

为分析影响常减压蒸馏装置平稳运行的设备失效模式及故障部件,基于1 151条设备故障数据,采用Bayesian网络分析方法,分别对离心泵、压缩机、电动机构建基于Bayesian网络的设备故障概率分析模型,分析故障部件、失效模式、故障后果之间的定量概率关系。研究结果表明:离心泵、压缩机、电动机停运的关键致因部件分别为轴承箱密封故障、活塞环故障、轴承故障,同时得到导致设备停运的故障部件敏感度排序。研究结果有助于提高设备故障风险防范及检维修工作效率,同时可为备件优化方案提供思路。     

Study of dry ice formation during blowdown of CO₂-CH₄ from cryogenic distillation column

Cryogenic distillation columns are generally subjected to high-pressure loadings during the natural gas purification process. The high-pressure conditions inside the column cause safety risk e.g. rupture. When an emergency arises, blowdown is a typical way of minimizing the failure hazard. However, blowdown at the cryogenic conditions involves dry ice formation due to the rapid decrease in temperature driven by the Joule-Thomson effect. The dry ice formation intensifies the failure hazard due to the orifice blockage. Therefore, optimization of blowdown parameters is necessary to avoid the dry ice formation. So far, very limited studies are available in the literature for the blowdown of CO₂-CH₄ mixture, especially at the cryogenic conditions. In this study, a computational investigation followed by the experimental validation is accomplished to analyze the dry ice formation during blowdown of CO₂-CH₄ binary mixture from the cryogenic distillation column. The composition of mixture, orifice size, and initial conditions inside vessel have a high impact on blowdown path. A 3.00 mm orifice is the most suitable size for the blowdown at cryogenic conditions as it doesn't promote solidification and discharges the inventory quickly. Based on the experimental observation, an empirical correlation is also developed to instantly find out the optimum blowdown parameters.     

过渡流下三列圆柱传热特性的数值模拟

为了研究过渡流状态下管外流体流动与传热特性的影响因素,利用基于复合网格系统的计算方法,对不同横向间距比与纵向间距比下的三列交叉圆柱列进行数值研究。研究结果表明,纵向间距一定时,横向间距对旋涡的位置及强弱有显著影响,且因上游圆柱不稳定性尾流对下游圆柱的洗刷作用使圆柱列存在一个最佳横向间距使换热效果最佳;横向间距一定时,三列交叉圆柱列的换热效果均随纵向间距的增大而递减。     

Steady-state analyses for reactive distillation control: An MTBE case study

An approach, based purely on steady-state analyses, for synthesizing effective control structures for reactive distillation (RD) columns is presented. The main idea is to analyze the steady-state relationships between the manipulated (input) variables and the potential controlled (output) variables to identify input–output (IO) pairings that are sensitive and avoid steady-state multiplicities providing a large range of nearly linear operating region around the base case design. Traditional SISO control loops are then implemented using these IO pairings to obtain control structures that maintain the column near the design product purity and conversion for the anticipated primary disturbances. The Niederlinski Index is used to eliminate dynamically unstable pairings in control structures with multiple loops. The approach is demonstrated on an example MTBE RD column. The impact of steady-state multiplicities on control structure design is highlighted.     

Sample Preparation Followed by High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) Analysis for Monitoring Muconic Acid as a Biomarker of Occupational Exposure to Benzene

Factors affecting solid phase extraction (SPE) of trans,trans-muconic acid (ttMA), as a benzene biomarker, including sample pH, sample concentration, sample volume, sample flow rate, washing solvent, elution solvent, and type of sorbent were evaluated. Extracted samples were determined by HPLC-UV(highperformance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet). The analytical column was C18, UV wave length was 259 nm, and the mobile phase was H2O/methanol/acetic acid run at flow rate of 1 ml/min. A strong anion exchange silica cartridge was found successful in simplifying SPE. There was a significant difference between recoveries of ttMA when different factors were used (p < .001). An optimum recovery was obtained when sample pH was adjusted at 7. There was no significant difference when different sample concentrations were used (p > .05). The optimized method was then validated with 3 different pools of samples showing good reproducibility over 6 consecutive days and 6 within-day experiments.     

Sample preparation followed by high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis for monitoring muconic acid as a biomarker of occupational exposure to benzene.

Factors affecting solid phase extraction (SPE) of trans,trans-muconic acid (ttMA), as a benzene biomarker, including sample pH, sample concentration, sample volume, sample flow rate, washing solvent, elution solvent, and type of sorbent were evaluated. Extracted samples were determined by HPLC-UV (high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet). The analytical column was C18, UV wave length was 259 nm, and the mobile phase was H(2)O/methanol/acetic acid run at flow rate of 1 ml/min. A strong anion exchange silica cartridge was found successful in simplifying SPE. There was a significant difference between recoveries of ttMA when different factors were used (p < .001). An optimum recovery was obtained when sample pH was adjusted at 7. There was no significant difference when different sample concentrations were used (p > .05). The optimized method was then validated with 3 different pools of samples showing good reproducibility over 6 consecutive days and 6 within-day experiments.     

医药行业蒸馏系统蒸气云爆炸模型的研究

医药行业对药品生产的纯度控制相当重要,蒸馏操作是医药行业普遍运用的工艺手段之一.但由于蒸馏工序所涉及的物料常伴随具有较强燃爆性的危险化学品,且闪点以上操作加剧了物料的燃爆危险,因此医药行业蒸馏系统便成了事故多发的工艺单元之一.通过对某公司蒸馏系统的危险性分析,找出了蒸馏系统存在燃爆危险的主要因素,再进一步采用蒸汽云爆炸事故模拟评价方法,结合拉乌尔定律和道尔顿分压定律对该公司蒸馏系统进行安全评价,确定蒸馏系统二元混合物蒸气云爆炸冲击波损害半径.     

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.     

高可视性警示服-反光材料安全耐用性测试分析

本文介绍了反光材料的逆反射原理,通过测试揭示了高可视性警示服和反光材料的安全防护作用。同时对3MTM视觉丽 TM反光材料与国内某品牌同类型产品进行初始逆反射系数及反光材料耐洗涤性能进行了对比和分析,结果表明3MTM视觉丽 TM反光材料具有可靠的“可视性”、好的耐用性能。     

煤层底板隐伏陷落柱突水预测及采前注浆加固评价

华北型煤矿开采受底板岩溶强含水层威胁，通过对淮南张集矿1613A工作面底板隐伏岩溶陷落柱突水危险性分析，采用FLAC3D方法模拟采动条件下岩溶陷落柱活化过程。模拟结果显示:陷落柱上方的煤层底板岩体发生塑性变形，导致陷落柱附近岩体失稳，陷落柱筒壁产生局部剪切破坏，剪切破坏位置易导致奥灰强含水层发生陷落柱突水。采前采用注浆方法改造岩溶陷落柱，对改造后的陷落柱进行数值模拟分析，其内部注浆岩体对陷落柱筒壁具有良好的支撑作用，抑制了筒壁位置剪切破坏的发生，使有效隔水层厚度增大，降低了陷落柱突水的危险性。