Evaluation of limits for effective flame acceleration in hydrogen mixtures

Results of experiments and data analysis on turbulent flame propagation in obstructed channels are presented. The data cover a wide range of mixtures: H₂/air, H₂/air/steam (from lean to rich) at normal and elevated initial temperatures (from 298 to 650 K) and pressures (from 1 to 3 bar); and stoichiometric H₂/O₂ mixtures diluted with N₂, Ar, He and CO₂ at normal initial conditions. The dataset chosen also covers a wide range of scales exceeding two orders of magnitude. It is shown that basic flame parameters, such as mixture expansion ratio σ, Zeldovich number β and Lewis number Le, can be used to estimate a priori a potential for effective flame acceleration for a given mixture. Critical conditions for effective flame acceleration are suggested in the form of correlations of critical expansion ratio σ^* versus dimensionless effective activation energy. On this basis, limits for effective flame acceleration for hydrogen combustibles can be estimated. Uncertainties in determination of critical σ^* values are discussed.     

我国的劳动安全监察制度与压力容器事故预防

分析了压力容器事故的主要原因 ,介绍了劳动安全监察制度 ,研究了该制度对减少压力容器事故所起的作用 ,为预防压力容器事故 ,对劳动安全监察制度的发展 ,提出了自己的见解与看法。     

一起立式锅炉爆炸事故原因分析及隐患排查

采用现场勘察、光谱分析和金相检验等方法对一起立式锅炉爆炸事故进行原因分析,发现该锅炉制造时存在严重未焊透的设备缺陷和其他使用管理方面的问题。为此制定了超声波检测工艺,对本地区同一制造厂生产的在用锅炉进行隐患排查。对排查发现存在严重制造缺陷的锅炉进行现场维修或召回,对排查发现的使用管理方面的问题也一并跟踪整改。     

文丘里洗涤过滤型FCVS性能评价述评及建议

通过调研对国内外文丘里洗涤过滤型FCVS性能评价进展进行了阐述与比较,指出国内开展文丘里洗涤过滤型FCVS出厂性能评价不全面,需进一步开展相关性能评价技术研究;FCVS在现场的安装质量如何,随着时间的推移性能变化如何,并未开展试验验证,结合法规要求等,建议开展FCVS现场试验评价技术的研究.     

Inherently safer design in offshore oil and gas projects

Like all hazardous installations, inherently safer design (ISD) is one of the key tools in offshore oil and gas projects to minimize risks in offshore facilities. As the life cycle of offshore facilities is relatively short compared with onshore counterparts and there are many projects running every year, the potential is high for raising inherent safety standards and lowering safety risks throughout the offshore industry as old facilities are phased out. This paper gives an overview of offshore facilities and examples of implementation of ISD. Good examples of ISD are numerous. Industry guidance on ISD implementation abound. Yet, the systematic implementation of it in the industry is patchy. There are many reasons for factors which impede the effective, efficient and consistent implementation of ISD in projects. This paper describes some of them and proposes solution to address them. They include (a) the effective integration of ISD into hazard management systems with appropriate language to engage all disciplines in projects, (b) the phasing of resources to enable the project to capture ISD measures which are only available during early phases, (c) application of appropriate ISD goals and ISD performance metrics at various stages and (d) the appropriate use of quantified risk assessment to support ISD.     

爆炸灾害的预防和控制乃当务之急

我国爆炸事故近年来屡屡发生，灾害严重，损失巨大。爆炸灾害的预防与控制己是当务之急。当前的主要研究内容，有各种工业粉尘爆炸、气液贮罐爆炸、工业生产中的静电灾害、各种爆炸灾害的实验观测和监控技术、防护与控制技术、模拟与仿真技术、易燃易爆物的危险性评估和系统安全性分析、燃烧转爆炸机理和热爆炸（热自燃）机理等方面。简略介绍了爆炸灾害预防、控制国家重点实验室的筹建工作，希望得到同行专家的指导和帮助，并开展合作研究。     

硅烷的危险特性及安全操作

硅烷作为一种提供硅组分的气体源 ,广泛应用于微电子、光电器件以及高纯度多晶硅生产 ,潜在应用前景更为广阔。随着硅烷应用领域的扩大 ,硅烷安全使用和处理已成为首要的问题。通过对硅烷着火的研究和事故分析表明 ,硅烷的危险特性在于它与氧反应的极强活性 :自燃 ,着火下限低 ,燃烧能量大。由于硅烷的自燃特性 ,对它的安全防范 ,与一般的易燃易爆物质相比 ,除一些共同点之外 ,还有显著的不同之处。在操作中必须预防高浓度硅烷与氧接触发生自燃着火。同时还必须防止硅烷泄漏在有限的空间内与氧混合 ,形成不稳定爆炸性气团。笔者综合分析和研讨了硅烷着火和爆炸的最新进展和成果 ,在实践经验和分析典型硅烷事故的基础上 ,提出了处理和使用硅烷的安全操作要点。     

Estimation of probabilities and likely consequences of a chain of accidents (domino effect) in Manali Industrial Complex

Chains of accidents (the domino effect) have been occurring with ever increasing frequency in chemical process industries. This is reflected in several accidents ‘J Loss Prevent Process Ind 12 (1999a) 361’; the world's worst industrial accident of the 1990s — the Vishakhpatnam disaster — also involved the domino effect ‘J Loss Prevent Process Ind 12 (1999a) 361; and Process Safety Prog 18 (1999b) 135’. Such chains of accidents have a greater propensity to cause damage than stand-alone accidents ‘Process Safety Prog 17(2) (1998a) 107; and J Loss Prevent Process Ind 12 (1999a) 361’.In order to assess the likelihood of occurrence of the domino effect and its damage potential, use of deterministic models in conjunction with probabilistic analysis is required. Recently we have proposed a systematic methodology called ‘domino effect analysis’ (DEA). A computer-automated tool, DOMIFFECT, has also been developed by us based on DEA ‘Process Safety Prog 17(2) (1998a) 107; Environment Model Software 13 (1998b) 163; and Risk assessment in chemical process industries: advanced techniques. Discovery Publishing House (1998c)’.This paper illustrates the application of DEA and DOMIFFECT to an industrial complex comprising 16 different industries. Out of 12 credible accident scenarios envisaged in three different industries — namely Madras Refineries Limited (MRL), UB Petrochemicals (UBP) and Indian Organic Chemicals Limited (IOCL), eight scenarios are likely to cause the domino effect. A further detailed analysis reveals that accidents in the storage of liquified petroleum gas and propylene and in the reflux drum units of MRL may cause domino effects. Similarly, propylene storage of UBP and monoethylene glycol storage of IOCL are also likely to cause domino effects. The impact of various chains of accidents has been forecast which reveals that in several cases the accidents may be catastrophic, harming the entire industrial complex of 16 industries. The study leads to the identification of ‘hot spots’ — units that pose the greatest risk — in turn forewarning the industries concerned and enabling them to prioritize and augment accident-prevention steps.     

Landfill gas - a potential environmental hazard

Methane derived from the decomposition of organic material contained within a landfill may escape beyond the site boundary where it can pose an explosion or fire hazard. Methods are described to prevent die occurrence of such lateral gas migration. Problems due to the accumulation of gas in buildings, erected on landfill sites, have occurred and techniques are now available to overcome these at some sites. However, it is recognized that at other sites, redevelopment should not be allowed to take place on die grounds of safety.     

Effect of initial temperature on the explosion pressure of various liquid fuels and their blends

In this work, the effect of initial temperature on the explosion pressure, P_ex, of various liquid fuels (isooctane, toluene and methanol) and their blends (isooctane-toluene and methanol-toluene, with three different fuel-fuel ratios) was investigated by performing experiments in a 20-l sphere at different concentrations of vaporized fuel in air. The initial temperature was varied from 333 K to 413 K.Results show that, as the fuel-air equivalence ratio, Φ, is increased, a transition occurs from a “thermodynamics-driven” explosion regime to a “radiant heat losses-driven” explosion regime. The maximum pressure, P_max, is found in the former regime (Φ < 3), which is characterized by a trend of decreasing P_ex with increasing initial temperature. This trend has been explained by thermodynamics. In the latter regime (Φ > 3), P_ex increases with increasing initial temperature. This trend has been addressed to the decrease in emissivity (and, thus, radiant heat losses) with the increase in temperature.