Development of fire risk visualization tool based on heat map

At present, relatively few tools are able to visualize regional fire risks both dynamically and efficiently. As a general method of density clustering and visualization, heat maps can be used to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of fire risks. In this study, based on combining a transformed sigmoid function with a heat map method, a transformed sigmoid risk model (TSRM) was proposed. A numerical mapping method between fire risk values and colors was established based on an RGB color model. By using HTML 5 and JavaScript, a fire risk visualization tool (FRVT) was developed based on the TSRM. Baidu Map was used as the geographic information system engine for the FRVT by calling its JavaScript application program interface. To validate the TSRM and FRVT with case studies, 16,448 historical fires from 2013 to 2017 in Changsha, China, were gathered and visualized. The visualization results indicated that the high-risk areas were mainly distributed in urban areas, and that the medium-risk and low-risk areas were primarily distributed in rural areas. The FRVT can also be applied to visualize and analyze process-related fire risks from a regional perspective. In further research, it will be important to update the FRVT, e.g., to visualize the fire risks posed by the transportation of hazardous materials.     

Floating roof storage tank boilover

Storage tanks are important facilities for the major hazard installations (MHIs) to store large quantity of crude oil. There is several fire types can occur with large diameter open top floating roof storage tanks. Boilover is considered one of the most dangerous fires in large-scale oil tank. The world has witnessed many incidents due to boilover in floating roof storage tank. Boilover problem has been studied in experiments and by models to understand how to control the boilover phenomena. An experimental study has been carried out in Jebel Dhanna (JD) terminal area by Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) with support of Resource Protection International (RPI) consultant. 2.4 m diameter and 4.5 m diameters pans have been used to study the characteristics of the large oil-tank fires (i) to gain more knowledge of the boilover phenomenon of crude oil (ii) verify if the crude oil stored by ADCO would boilover (ii) estimation of rate of hot-zone growth and the period needed from ignition to boilover (iii) estimation of radiant heat and consequences of boilover. This paper presents an overview on the floating roof storage tank boilover. The paper also presents briefly boilover experimental research study carried out by ADCO.     

A review of hazards associated with primary lithium and lithium-ion batteries

Primary lithium batteries contain hazardous materials such as lithium metal and flammable solvents, which can lead to exothermic activity and runaway reactions above a defined temperature. Lithium-ion batteries operating outside the safe envelope can also lead to formation of lithium metal and thermal runaway. Despite protection by battery safety mechanisms, fires originating from primary lithium and lithium-ion batteries are a relatively frequent occurrence.This paper reviews the hazards associated with primary lithium and lithium-ion cells, with an emphasis on the role played by chemistry at individual cell level. Safety mechanisms to prevent the occurrence and limit the consequences of incidents are reviewed, together with safety tests to monitor compliance with battery safety regulations and standards. Incident information from news accounts and open literature sources are reviewed to extract causal information.It is concluded that the potential severity of incidents during storage, transport and recycling of waste batteries can be significantly higher than in end-use applications. Safe storage, packaging and labelling practices, as well as communication among the parties involved, are essential to ensure safety across the battery lifecycle. It is recommended that a database of lithium battery incidents would be valuable to improve the evidence base for informing accident prevention measures.     

某宾馆火灾烟气扩散及疏散模拟研究

利用计算机模拟技术,对宾馆火灾烟气扩散和人员疏散过程进行了计算模拟.首先基于客房的火灾可燃物分析,设定了火灾增长功率曲线.利用大涡火灾模型,计算了火灾发生后,起火房间、疏散通道及疏散出口内的影响人员疏散的温度、有毒气体浓度以及能见度发展趋势,给出火灾条件下可用安全疏散时间.通过精细网格人员疏散模拟,分析了人员所需安全疏散时间及安全疏散行为方式,研究表明人员可以安全疏散.该方法可作为宾馆火灾安全分析参考.     

基于家庭集群模式的高层住宅紧急疏散模型优化

为建立适用于我国高层民用住宅特点的紧急疏散模型,为评价高层住宅建筑安全性、指导人员逃生提供科学依据。通过问卷调查和实际观测,分析家庭疏散对象的心理特征,对传统紧急疏散模型进行优化,提出以家庭为单位的集群紧急疏散模型,并进行仿真。仿真模型以社会力模型为基础,通过分析和计算家庭内部成员与外部人员2种不同的"社会心理力",进而体现集群疏散的宏观特征。仿真结果分析了家庭集群疏散与传统紧急疏散,这2种情况下主要交通参数的差别,论证了家庭集群疏散模型的科学性和合理性。     

电熨斗过热故障火灾痕迹特性的研究

通过火灾模拟实验,研究电熨斗发生过热故障后底板的火灾痕迹特性。根据底板的温度分布,应用DTA、TG、SEM、EDS、硬度分析和金相分析等方法,系统分析、归纳、总结电熨斗底板火灾痕迹的材料性能变化规律。研究表明,过热故障电熨斗的火灾痕迹,在宏观形貌、硬度分布和显微组织特征等方面,均显著区别于火烧电熨斗的火灾痕迹。结果为火灾原因调查提供新的技术依据,可应用在火灾现场勘验,物证提取与鉴定工作中。     

考虑导向标志影响的行人疏散模型研究

量化行人对导向标志的认知作用,不仅有助于分析疏散过程中导向标志对行人疏散的影响,也对人员密集场所安全设施的规划建设具有重要意义。在深入分析行人对导向标志认知过程的基础上,确定了行人对导向标志认知过程的影响因素,并将这些因素引入人员密集场所行人疏散过程建模中,利用元胞自动机提出基于导向标志可见域的行人疏散模型。通过Matlab编程对模型进行实现,并以商场超市作为模拟场景算例进行仿真。结果表明:导向标志的设置有助于减少行人总体疏散时间、个体疏散时间和行人平均疏散距离,提升整体疏散性能。导向标志的设置数量和设置位置对于疏散性能具有一定的影响。     

典型娱乐场所火灾期间人员行为分析

建筑火灾的频发,引起人们对火灾过程中人员行为的极大关注。利用视频信息提取典型公共娱乐场所火灾过程中不同人员在火灾迹象觉察和确认时间的差异,又结合FDS模拟得到的火灾温度场变化规律,分析了人员在火灾期间的不同行为表现以及相应的非理性心理状态,指出了相关的主客观原因,有利于加强人们的火灾灾害意识和安全逃生意识;同时文中的相关结论也可以为建筑物消防性能化设计、人员安全疏散提供参考。     

基于回归分析的群集疏散时间模型优化研究

为提高国际上通用的疏散时间模型(简称经验模型)的仿真度,将人员的属性因素(自然属性和社会属性)影响纳入时间模型,采用回归分析方法,以某高校大型大学生艺术中心疏散案例为研究基础,通过调查采样建立185组数据的实测样本。结合影响人员疏散行为和疏散时间相关因素,运用统计软件SPSS17.0对样本进行回归分析,建立疏散时间回归模型。以回归模型为基础,将个体属性综合为群集属性,求取修正系数并对经验模型进行修正、检验。结果表明:利用回归分析和修正系数对疏散时间经验模型进行修正,可有效弥补经验模型缺乏考虑群集属性影响的弱点,提高经验模型的仿真度和应用价值。     

Using a fire propagation model to assess the efficiency of prescribed burning in reducing the fire hazard

We examined how fire hazard was affected by prescribed burning and fuel recovery over the first six years following treatment. Eight common Mediterranean fuel complexes managed by means of prescribed burning in limestone Provence (South-Eastern France) were studied, illustrating forest and woodland, garrigue and grassland situations. The coupled atmosphere-wildfire behaviour model FIRETEC was used to simulate fire behaviour (ROS, intensity) in these complex vegetations. The temporal threshold related to the effectiveness of prescribed burning in reducing the fire hazard was assessed from derivated fuel dynamics after treatment. The study showed that prescribed burning treatment was effective for the first two years in most of the Mediterranean plant communities analysed. Thereafter, all forests and shrublands were highly combustible with a fire line intensity of more than 5000 kW/m except for pine stands with or without oak (medium intensity of 2000 kW m⁻¹ 3 years after treatment). Low fire line intensity (900 kW m⁻¹) was obtained for grassland which was entirely treatment-independent since the resprouter hemicryptophyte, Brachypodium retusum, is highly resilient to fire. Fire behaviour was greatly affected by fuel load accumulation of Quercus ilex in woodland, and by standing necromass of Rosmarinus officinalis in treated garrigue. Pure pine stands with shrub strata similar to garrigue showed a lower fire intensity due to wind speed decrease at ground level under tree canopy, underlining the advantage of maintaining a proportion of canopy cover in strategic fuel-break zones.