On the response of 500 gal propane tanks to a 25% engulfing fire

This paper presents detailed data on the thermal response of two 500 gal ASME code propane tanks that were 25% engulfed in a hydrocarbon fire. These tests were done as part of an overall test programme to study thermal protection systems for propane-filled railway tank-cars.

The fire was generated using an array of 25 liquid propane-fuelled burners. This provided a luminous fire that engulfed 25% of the tank surface on one side. The intent of these tests was to model a severe partially engulfing fire situation.

The paper presents data on the tank wall and lading temperatures and tank internal pressure. In the first test the wind reduced the fire heating and resulted in a late failure of the tank at 46 min. This tank failed catastrophically with a powerful boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (BLEVE). In the other test, the fire heating was very severe and steady and this tank failed very quickly in 8 min as a finite rupture with massive two-phase jet release. The reasons for these different outcomes are discussed. The different failures provide a range of realistic outcomes for the subject tank and fire condition.     

On the thermal rupture of 1.9 m propane pressure vessels with defects in their thermal protection system

This paper describes the results from a series of fire tests that were carried out to measure the effect of defects in thermal protection systems on fire engulfed propane pressure vessels.

In North America thermal protection is used to protect dangerous goods rail tank-cars from accidental fire impingement. They are designed so that a tank-car will not rupture for 100 min in a defined engulfing fire, or 30 min in a defined torching fire. One common system includes a 13 mm blanket of high-temperature ceramic fibre thermal insulation covered with a 3 mm steel jacket. Recent inspections have shown that some tanks have significant defects in these thermal protection systems. This work was done to establish what levels of defect are acceptable from a safety standpoint.

The tests were conducted using 1890 l (500 US gallon) ASME code propane pressure vessels (commonly called tanks in the propane industry). The defects tested covered 8% and 15% of the tank surface. The tanks were 25% engulfed in a fire that simulated a hydrocarbon pool fire with an effective blackbody temperature of 870 °C.

The fire testing showed that even relatively small defects can result in tank rupture if the defect area is engulfed in a severe fire, and the defect area is not wetted by liquid from the inside. A wall failure prediction technique based on uniaxial high-temperature stress rupture test data has been developed and agrees well with the observed failure times.     

枣庄市二氧化硫污染现状及对策

枣庄市一次能源消费以煤为主，空气污染为煤烟型污染。因而，必需采取调整产业结构，发展集中供热和联片采暖，开展清洁能源替代等综合措施控制二氧化硫污染。     

西江年最高水位的神经网络预报模型

对西江洪水发生的特征进行分析表明，洪水发生频率高，具有明显阶段性特征，并与流域面雨量密切相关。利用前期环流场、海表温度（SST）场及环流特征量资料选择初选预报因子，然后对初选预报因子作EOF分解构造综合预报因子，结合人工神经网络方法建立了西江年最高水位预报模型，并对预报模型进行独立样本试验。结果表明，该预报模型对历史样本拟合精度高，试报效果明显好于传统的逐步回归模型，可在汛期预测业务中应用。     

区域风险评价方法研究

基于定量风险评价的基本原理,提出一种区域风险评价方法。主要针对有多个重大危险源存在的区域,在对单个危险源进行风险评价的基础上,应用叠加原理得到描述该区域整体风险状况的定量评价结果。同时考虑了消防部门和医疗机构在事故应急救援中的积极作用,并将其量化为区域风险的补偿系数。通过实例验证了该方法的可行性,展示了该方法的应用效果。区域风险评价方法不仅能够反映区域风险的分布状况,而且对区域重大危险源的规划和布局具有较好的决策支持作用。     

地铁运营系统安全综合评价指标体系研究

分析地铁运营系统的特点、运营模式、系统故障模式,并运用系统工程的理论原则,从系统外部因素、系统指挥因素、设备设施因素、运营管理因素4个方面,确立地铁运营系统安全综合评价指标体系,利用模糊数学综合评价法,建立了地铁运营系统安全综合评价模型,并通过典型实例进行综合分析评价,进而证明将模糊数学理论应用于地铁安全综合评价的可行性。通过地铁运营系统安全指标体系和评价方法的研究和探索,对正确评价地铁系统运营安全现状,修正偏差,提高地铁系统安全总体水平具有十分重要的意义。     

地震条件下尾矿坝稳定性分析

坝体稳定性不足引起的溃坝事件是尾矿库常见的一种病患。本文以某尾矿库为工程背景，运用拟静力法分析了尾矿坝在地震条件下的稳定性，运用理正岩土软件对其结果进行必要的校核，得出影响运用该方法计算尾矿坝地震稳定性精确性的重要因素——超空隙水压力变化值，该变化值主要由坝体材料渗透性决定，在此基础上提出了相应的安全对策。     

推广工伤保险对我国生产事故统计的影响

我国安全生产统计工作所依托的行政手段还不能完全适应变化中的市场经济环境 ,政府安全生产管理不到位 ,监管不严 ,各类事故的少报、瞒报、不报现象相当普遍 ,极大地影响了伤亡事故统计的准确性。2 0 0 4年我国已实施新的《工伤保险条例》 ,笔者认为 ,会在一个较长的时期内对生产事故统计带来较明显的影响 ,使生产事故造成的伤亡人数统计变得更为全面和科学 ,这种影响必然会对原有统计偏差的修正 ,有利于今后加强和完善对安全生产的宏观决策和管理 ,会从根本上促进安全生产水平的提高。     

Application of tracer ratio and inverse dispersion methods with boat-based plume measurements to estimate ammonia emissions from seabird colonies

Ammonia emissions from two contrasting seabird colonies in Scotland were measured, based on the determination of atmospheric concentrations downwind of the colonies. Atmospheric concentrations of ammonia (NH₃) across the downwind plume were compared with the inverse application of a Gaussian dispersion model (ID) to calculate the modelled NH₃ emission that would generate the measured cross-wind-integrated plume concentration. In parallel, a tracer gas (sulphur hexafluoride, SF₆) was released from the colonies with air samples taken to allow determination of SF₆ concentrations. On the basis of the known emission rate of SF₆, the magnitude of ammonia emissions was estimated by the cross-wind-integrated tracer ratio (TR) of NH₃/SF₆ concentrations. Coupled with data on annual bird attendance, the measurements indicate annual emissions from the Isle of May and the Bass Rock of 18 and 132 tonnes NH₃-N year^–1, respectively. The measured NH₃ emissions were compared with estimates of seabird nitrogen excretion to estimate the proportion of excreted N that is volatilised as NH₃ (F_Nr). The emission estimates of the two methods compared favourably, giving 4 and 6 kg NH₃-N h^–1 (F_Nr = 15%) for the Isle of May for the ID and TR methods, respectively, and 21 and 25 kg NH₃-N h^–1 (F_Nr = 50%) for the Bass Rock for the ID and TR methods, respectively. The results provide the first measurement-based estimates to allow regional up scaling of ammonia emissions from seabirds.