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.     

用好氧-厌氧反复耦合固定床生物反应器处理肌苷生产废水

利用由多孔微生物载体构建的好氧-厌氧反复耦合固定床生物反应器进行了高浓度肌苷生产废水处理中试研究。连续84d的运行结果表明，当进水COD为1500-2700mg／L、水力停留时间为22．1h时，出水COD可维持在150mg／L左右，COD去除率达90％～95％。装置运行稳定后，未经沉淀的出水中的固体悬浮物质量浓度小于50mg／L，表明该反应器可避免剩余污泥的产生。中试结果验证了该反应器处理高浓度肌苷废水的可行性和优势，同时为装置放大提供了理论依据。     

废电视机显像管的再生利用

综述了显像管的结构、材料组成、再生利用途径以及为再利用而开发的各种废显像管的分离技术,重点介绍了采用金属丝(带)加热冷却切割分离废显像管屏锥玻璃的工艺及试制的废显像管切割机.     

生命价值的实证研究

笔者所研究的生命特指人的生命 ,所讨论的价值 ,是经济学意义上的价值。论文首先从理论与实践两个角度提出了测定生命价值的必要性 ,在深入探讨与本论文相关的人、生命、价值等概念后 ,对生命价值概念分 3个层次进行了界定。通过对价值理论的比较 ,选择马克思的劳动价值论及其最新研究成果与现代人力资本理论作为立论的基础 ,重点探讨了生命价值的决定理论 ,包括生命价值形成过程、人力资源和人力资本与生命价值的关系、生命价值的变化规律等。在借鉴国内外计算方法的基础上 ,分别就青少年、成年人、老年人设计了生命价值计算模型 ,并重点对成年人生命价值计算模型进行了检验与应用 ,对具有代表性的成年体力劳动者的生命价值进行了测算 ,结果比较合理 ,且与世界银行的估计值接近。论文在宏观方面为完善社会主义市场经济体制 ,充分发挥市场在资源配置中的基础性作用 ,实现人的全面发展将起到积极作用 ,并为国家制定安全、环保、社保政策提供了科学依据 ;在微观方面为个人在各种事故中的赔偿和涉及人身的各种民事诉讼提供仲裁或判决依据。     

我国物流产业基本经济活动空间格局分析

基于经济基础理论,对1991～2001年间我国各省区物流产业基本经济活动部分进行了实证分析,从省际差异、东中西部差异两个方面分析了我国区域物流产业基本经济活动的省区差异:在时间维度上区域差异呈逐步扩大趋势,在空间结构上表现出较明显的沿海指向性和交通指向性,并以此分析归纳出我国物流产业基本活动的"四区(物流集聚区)一带(物流集聚带)"空间格局特征,进而得出其基本经济活动强度与区域经济发展水平、物流需求程度、科技水平、区位条件、交通等基础设施、政策及历史发展作用紧密相关的结论.     

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.     

Modelling nitrogen fluxes at the landscape scale

The distribution and impacts of different nitrogen pollutants are inextricably linked. To understand the problem fully, the interactions between the different pollutants need to be taken into account. This is particularly important when it comes to abatement techniques, since measures to reduce emissions of one nitrogen pollutant can often lead to an increase in another. This project represents a step towards greater understanding of these issues by linking together new and existing nitrogen flux models into a larger framework. The modelling framework has been constructed and some of the nitrogen flows between fields, farms and the atmosphere have been modelled for a UK study area for typical farm management scenarios.     

Applying metabolic fingerprinting to ecology: The use of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy for the rapid screening of plant responses to N deposition

The potential for metabolic fingerprinting via Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to provide a novel approach for the detection of plant biochemical responses to N deposition is examined. An example of spectral analysis using shoot samples taken from an open top chamber (OTC) experiment simulating wet ammonium deposition is given. Sample preparation involved oven drying and homogenisation via mill grinding. Slurries of a consistent dilution were then prepared prior to FT-IR analysis. Spectra from control, 8 and 16 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1 treatments were then subjected to cross-validated discriminant function analysis. Ordination diagrams showed clear separation between the three N treatments examined. The potential for using Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull as a bioindicator of N deposition is further evident from these results. The results also clearly demonstrate the power of FT-IR in discriminating between subtle phenotypic alterations in overall plant biochemistry as affected by ammonium pollution.     

Assessing the Performance Level of a Water System

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution: Focus - What should System Managers prefer? Systems that never fail or systems that remain safe during a failure? The present paper tries to give an answer to this...