Ageing management and monitoring of critical equipment at Seveso sites: An ontological approach

A safe “ageing” of Seveso establishments is a challenge for both operators and regulators. To this scope, Seveso III Directive required to integrate the equipment integrity issue into the safety management system for the major accident prevention; at the same time, the Italian Authority adopted a short-cut method for a quick ageing evaluation, which awards the application of the best techniques to control integrity and prevent deterioration-related failures. In this paper, the use of the ontology has been proposed to support decision-making about the implementation of technical solutions to control equipment ageing and comply the requirements of the Seveso legislation. To contrast deterioration mechanisms, the rapid development of data intensive smart sensors should be exploited and, in this frame, the automated on-line direct monitoring of equipment conditions, based on innovative low-cost sensors, is a novelty and promising solution. The developed ontology-based system points towards the adoption, when possible, of on-line monitoring. This solution provides much more data than traditional measurements and it is essential for the operators to understand how to merge concurrent information and data and to adequately control equipment deterioration. The ontology-based approach appears a viable solution even for this purpose. To demonstrate its potentiality, a real use-case has been used, where the model has been tested in finding the best technical solutions to improve the ageing management of an atmospheric distillation unit of a refinery in order to comply with safety requirements. A further use-case is given to show how the model can be used to react, after real-time damage signals, to restore safety conditions by means of an adequate decision-making.     

Detonation transition criteria from the interaction of supersonic shock-flame complexes with different shaped obstacles

The present study is an experimental investigation of the last stages of the deflagration-to-detonation transition. A fast flame following a lead shock was generated by passing a detonation wave through a perforated plate. The shock flame complex then interacts with an obstacle of different shape. We study the influence of the obstacle shape on the transition mechanism to a detonation. The obstacles studied are a single round or square obstacle, a flat plate, a C-shaped and an H-shaped obstacle. The experiments were performed in a thin transparent channel permitting high speed schlieren visualization. Stoichiometric propane-oxygen was investigated at sub-atmospheric conditions. For each obstacle configuration, the initial pressure was changed to modify the flame burning velocity and the Mach number of the leading shock. The burning velocity prior to the interaction was measured experimentally from the displacement velocity of the flame in the videos. This required estimating the speed of the gas ahead of the flame. A linear correction to the speed immediately behind the lead shock was applied using the shock change equations and the measured pressure gradient behind the lead shock in order to account for the non-steadiness of the lead shock and viscous losses to the walls. Three main findings were that the obstacle shape had a minimal influence on the critical flame strength required for transition, although obstacles with a forward facing cavity were able to suppress the transition by isolating the re-initiation event inside the cavity. The main transition mechanism for all geometries was the enhancement of the flame burning velocity through the flame interaction with the shock reflected on the obstacle leading to Richtmyer-Meshkov instability. Finally, it was found that the flame burning velocity of the initial flame required for transition was closely approximated by the Chapman-Jouguet burning velocity. Consistent with the visual observations, this supports the view that transition is favored when the flame is in phase with the acoustic waves, and strong internal pressure waves can be amplified.     

能源流视角下村落尺度能源消费结构比较及环境效应研究：基于河南省邑西里村、杨家村及山东省东桥头村的调查分析

加强村落尺度能源消费活动及其环境效应研究是实现农村能源可持续转型及绿色发展精细化治理的前提。但目前该领域存在明显知识空白，其原因在于缺乏基础数据和系统化数据采集体系及集成分析方法。基于对河南省邑西里村、杨家村以及山东省东桥头村的实地调研和半结构式访谈，采用定性和定量结合的方法开展能源消费活动及环境效应比较研究。结果表明：（1）村落尺度能源消费具有显著空间分异特征。邑西里村、杨家村和东桥头村人均能源消费量分别为505 kgce、889 kgce和1139 kgce；由能源消费产生的温室气体与污染物的种类分别为CO₂、CH₄、SO₂、N₂O、NO_x和TSP，单个家庭CO₂的产生量在2000—4000 kg；CH₄、SO₂、TSP和NO_x的排放量基本在1—5 kg；N₂O的排放量均在100 g以下。（2）居民生活环境和炊事供暖是影响村域能源消费的主要因素。其在邑西里村、杨家村和东桥头村的总用能占比分别为50.10%、79.08%和77.61%。（3）能源来源及消费结构具有明显的区位属性特征。杨家村距离市区较近，天然气成为当地居民的主要来源；邑西里村和东桥头村离市区较远，则以电力和煤炭为主。未来乡村地区的发展应该与当地的地域特征相结合，构建具有地方化特征的发展策略，实现农村能源的低碳健康发展。     

The Yellow River in transition

Like many parts of the world, the Yellow River basin has problems associated with water scarcity, pollution, and flood risk. Analyses that focus only on the physical characteristics of these problems miss some of their most important social drivers. In this paper we identify some interlocking changes that have occurred as a consequence of economic reforms begun in China in 1978, and the implications of these changes for the Yellow River. The reforms have caused changes in the organisation of household production, increasing urbanisation and urban affluence, rapid industrialisation, and large scale spatial shifts in agricultural production. Rather than specific decisions it is these gradual changes that have affected the current status of the Yellow River and its basin. Our analysis suggests that at least some solutions to water problems in the Yellow River lie outside the basin, and beyond the realm of science or technology.     

Toward better understanding vacuum ultraviolet–iodide induced photolysis via hydrogen peroxide formation,iodine species change,and difluoroacetic acid degradation

• UV/VUV/I^– induces substantial H₂O₂ and IO₃^– formation, but UV/I^– does not. • Increasing DO level in water enhances H₂O₂ and iodate productions. • Increasing pH decreases H₂O₂ and iodate formation and also photo-oxidation. • The redox potentials of UV/VUV/I^– and UV/VUV changes with pH changes. • The treatability of the UV/VUV/I^– process was stronger than UV/VUV at pH 11.0. Recently, a photochemical process induced by ultraviolet (UV), vacuum UV (VUV), and iodide (I^–) has gained attention for its robust potential for contaminant degradation. However, the mechanisms behind this process remain unclear because both oxidizing and reducing reactants are likely generated. To better understand this process, this study examined the evolutions of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and iodine species (i.e., iodide, iodate, and triiodide) during the UV/VUV/I^– process under varying pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions. Results show that increasing DO in water enhanced H₂O₂ and iodate production, suggesting that high DO favors the formation of oxidizing species. In contrast, increasing pH (from 6.0 to 11.0) resulted in lower H₂O₂ and iodate formation, indicating that there was a decrease of oxidative capacity for the UV/VUV/I^– process. In addition, difluoroacetic acid (DFAA) was used as an exemplar contaminant to verify above observations. Although its degradation kinetics did not follow a constant trend as pH increases, the relative importance of mineralization appeared declining, suggesting that there was a redox transition from an oxidizing environment to a reducing environment as pH rises. The treatability of the UV/VUV/I^– process was stronger than UV/VUV under pH of 11.0, while UV/VUV process presented a better performance at pH lower than 11.0.     

神经毒剂沙林的破坏机理研究

采用VAMP和密度泛函程序DMol3计算了沙林的生成热,并用VAMP-PM3/UHF半经验方法对沙林裂解的过渡态进行了优化计算,共发现9种过渡态,据此判断化学键断裂的难易顺序为P=O＞P-F＞P-O＞C-O＞P-C＞C-C＞C-H; C-H键断裂的活化能最小,可能与氢原子迁移到氧原子上有关.活化能小于相应的键解离能,计算结果能解释沙林的质谱数据.计算结果对使用低当量小型核武器破坏沙林等生化武器(核除剂)的可行性提供了能量上的参考,即试图通过计算得出有效的原位破坏沙林等生化战剂所需的最低能量,进而研究使用低当量小型核武器破坏沙林等生化武器的可行性.     

中国农民问题与可持续发展

作为中国现代化特有的一个基本属性,中国农民问题根本不是也不可能是“被解决”的。而只能在中国特色的现代化模式创制中“失去意义”。正是这种创制．使得中国农民问题的变化和转型有机会成为可持续发展是否可能的典型实验。其基本含义和特点,在于如何建设和维护人和地球共同构成的这个自组织系统运行的涵养机制,以及如何把握适度发展的分寸。     

What makes institutional crafting successful? Applying the SES to case studies from India and the greater Mekong Region

Using two very different empirical settings, this paper emphasizes the required conditions for the successful crafting of sustainable institutions. In the first setting, different farmer groups in Cambodia and Vietnam try to establish a collective approach for small-scale community-based aquaculture and fail. In the second setting, the collective initiatives of urban women in India are analysed. The Indian women succeed in their objective of a fuel transition from firewood to gas cookers using a cooperative approach. Ostrom's variables identified in the “Multitier Framework for Analyzing Social–Ecological Systems (SES)” (Ostrom, 2007) are applied to local collective action initiatives in both settings to understand which factors make some of the groups succeed in their objectives and others fail. This research highlights the complexity as well as the uniqueness of different SESs. At the same time, the paper contributes to demonstrating the usability of the SES and certain variables to estimate the likelihood of success of self-organisation and crafting of rules. It highlights the relevance of certain conceptual variables for sustainable or unsustainable outcomes for different cases.     

The formation of dithionate during the iron(III)-catalysed autoxidation of sulfur(IV)-oxides

The iron(III)-catalyzed autoxidation of sulfur(IV)-oxides results in the formation of two different oxidation products of sulfur(IV): dithionate, S₂O₆²⁻, and sulfate, SO₄²⁻. The yield of these reaction products depends on the experimental conditions. Under the studied conditions ([Fe(III)] : [SIV)] = 1:10, pH = 2–4) dithionate is the minor reaction product. The formation of dithionate is influenced by the initial pH but not by the initial O₂ concentration. The presence of CO²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Ni²⁺ have no influence on the yield of dithionate, whereas in the presence of Cr³⁺ less and, in the presence of Cu²⁺, no dithionate is formed.