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.     

Current status and research on E-waste issues in Asia

Rapid economic growth in Asia and the increasing transboundary movement of secondary resources will increasingly require both 3R endeavors (reduce, reuse, recycle) in each country and appropriate control of international material cycles. Recently, managing electrical and electronic waste (E-waste) has become an important target for domestic and international material cycles from the viewpoints of environmental preservation and resource utilization efficiency. To understand the current status of E-waste issues in the context of international material cycles and to discuss the future tasks related to achieving 3R in the region, we organized the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) E-waste Workshop in December 2004. This article reviews past studies on E-waste and briefly describes the topics presented and discussions held at the workshop. The topics at the workshop included E-waste generation, recycling systems, international trade, and environmental impacts. In addition, we discussed various issues such as terminology, current environmental concerns, and possible solutions. Transboundary shipments of E-waste should be conducted taking into consideration the concept of sustainable development. The direction of future research and possible collaborations are also discussed.     

Considerations for Manufacturing Bio-Based Plastic Products

One engine that drives the United States’ economic growth is an ever-increasing demand for manufactured products, both at home and abroad. This increase has created a major concern for the environment in terms of disposing used goods and ensuring that these products are safe. As environmental concerns grow, however, renewable resources are gaining increasing attention, especially as industrial ecology and product biodegradability gain importance. Added to this, biological materials are increasingly being utilized to replace traditional materials in manufacturing. To aid both educators as well as researchers, this paper examines several considerations that are essential for manufacturing plastic products that contain biomaterials. These include the selection of materials, the selection of manufacturing processes, manufacturing costs, and the quality of final products. Additionally, several standard methods that are commonly used for the determination of mechanical and physical properties are compiled; thus this paper should be a useful resource for both educators and researchers. The trends discussed here and their implications are critical for those involved in manufacturing, because contrary to conventional wisdom, simultaneously meeting the material production needs of our society, as well as that of the environment are not mutually-exclusive.     

The New Jersey Toxics Reduction Workplan for Ny-Nj Harbor: Distribution of Pcdd/Fs in Ambient Waters

As part of the NJ Toxics Reduction Workplan for NY-NJ Harbor, ambient water samples were collected at fifteen locations along the tidal portions of the Hackensack, Passaic, Raritan, Rahway and Elizabeth Rivers, and in Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, and Kill van Kull. A Trace Organics Platform Sampler was used to collect a total of 75 suspended sediment phase samples between June 2000 and May 2002. These samples were analyzed for spatial and wet vs. dry weather trends in the 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs; modified USEPA Method 1613b). Mean total PCDD/F (tPCDD/F) concentrations at the sampling locations ranged between 3.8 and 41.5 ng/g. On average, OCDD accounted for almost 80% of the tPCDD/F concentrations; mean total [PCDD/F – OCDD] concentrations ranged between 0.84 and 5.20 ng/g at the sampling locations. Mean 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentrations ranged between 0.003 and 0.28 ng/g, with the highest concentrations (> 0.10 ng/g) along the tidal Passaic and lower Hackensack Rivers, and in upper Newark Bay. Mean tPCDD/F Toxic Equivalency Quotients (TEQ) ranged between 45 and 344 TEQ pg/g, with the highest levels found in the lower Passaic River. Toxicity was primarily driven by 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentrations in the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers, and in Newark Bay. Examples of congener distribution patterns at some of the sampling locations are also presented.     

Remediation of acid mine drainage leachate by a physicochemical and biological treatment‐train approach

Biological and physicochemical approaches were utilized in a treatment train for acid mine dis charge (AMD) waters. Anaerobic bioreactors, chemical precipitation reactors, and biopolymer chelation reactors, operated in static, semicontinuous, and continuous flow modes, removed significant quantities of metals and sulfates associated with AMD water. Static tests indicated accept able copper removal via precipitation by generation of hydrogen sulfide in anaerobic reactors. However, low pH affected the biopolymer coating in the chelation reactor, resulting in loss of bed surface. Corrections of AMD to pH > 7 resulted in some metal precipitationprior to biopolymer treatment. A series of static semicontinuous tests at pH 5.0 provided improved metal and sulfate removal. Copper (Cu⁺) was reduced to trace concentrations, while manganese (Mn⁺), although reduced, proved to be the most recalcitrant of the metals. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

臭氧-生物活性炭深度处理黄浦江水源水中试研究

以黄浦江水源水厂的滤后水为试验对象，进行饮用水O3-BAC深度处理工艺影响因素的中试研完。针对进水水质的试验结果表明，最优臭氧投加量为3mg／L左右，空床停留时间为15min左右。试验结果可为工程设计提供有益的参考。     

安徽省土地资源人口承载力的动态研究

基于《安徽省统计年鉴》，对全省近10年的土地资源、粮食生产及人口增长状况进行了分析。在此基础上，运用相关数学模型对2005-2020年全省人口数量、耕地面积和粮食单产分别进行了预测。为了提高预测精确度，取各种预测方法的平均值。根据安徽省情将其划分为温饱型、小康型和富裕型三档生活标准，分别探讨了预测期内安徽省土地承载力状况，提出了相应的发展对策和建议，为全省发展粮食生产提供科学依据。     

溜砂坡的成灾机理与防治对策

溜砂坡足我国西部山区公路的主要地质灾害之一。由于对溜砂坡的形成发展机理认识不足，目前采用的治理措施不能很好地解决溜砂灾害，有些工程措施反而会加大灾害程度。通过对川藏公路沿线溜砂坡的调查研究，阐述了溜砂坡的最基本特性是其生长性，分析了溜砂坡的成灾机理和危害性特点，有针对性地提出了符合西部地区经济条件的溜砂坡防治措施。     

城郊旅游的潜在市场特征及产品开发--以合肥市为例

城市郊区已成为旅游的热点区域,合肥市对行政区域进行划分后,正着手大力开发城郊旅游.为了使合肥城郊旅游业的发展更具科学性,在实地调查基础上,分析了合肥城郊旅游潜在的市场特征,得出其城郊旅游开发市场潜力巨大;在分析外来旅游者及市民的城郊旅游意向基础上探讨了合肥城郊旅游产品开发,认为新城郊区旅游功能可定位为水上休闲度假娱乐中心和生态农业观光园区;最后提出合肥城郊旅游科学开发的几点建议.