Systems thinking in a gas explosion accident – lessons learned from Taiwan

On July 31, 2014, at around 23:57, several huge explosions occurred that lasted for 2 h in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. As a result of a gas leak from a ruptured underground pipeline, the catastrophic incident destroyed more than 6 km of roads, killed 32 people, injured 321 people, and damaged 3259 buildings. Pipeline explosions have been reported as a repeatedly occurring problem, indicating that (1) complex systems are difficult to manage and control, and (2) humans are unable to effectively learn from experiences of accidents. Initial analyses results reveal that root causes of this incident were a combination of a series of complex chain reactions, which eventually led to propylene leakage and explosion. This is a systematic problem, which can hardly be investigated or analyzed by traditional research approaches. Based on the investigation reports and “systems thinking” method, this study develops causal loop diagrams for the Kaohsiung gas explosion to explore the root causes of the disaster. The research results indicate that (1) this pipeline explosion incident was the result of the chain reactions and was the output of a complex system; (2) the mental model of “production first” and “experience gap” were the root causes of the disaster; and (3) to achieve a higher safety standard, continuous education to improve the mental model of “safety first and safety over production” are essential. The findings of this study may contribute toward the improvement of the standard operating procedure for disaster management and preventing similar incidents in the future.     

Effects of particle thermal characteristics on flame microstructures during dust explosions of three long-chain monobasic alcohols in a half-closed chamber

To reveal clearly the effects of particle thermal characteristics on flame microstructures during organic dust explosions, three long-chain monobasic alcohols, solid at room temperature and similar in physical-chemical properties, were chosen to conduct experiments in a half-closed chamber. In the experiments, the dust materials were dispersed into the chamber by air to form dust clouds and the hybrids were ignited by an electrical spark. A high-speed optical schlieren system was used to record the flame propagation behaviors. A fine thermocouple and an ion current probe were respectively used to measure the flame temperature profile and the reaction behaviors of the combustion zone. Based on the experimental results, combustion behaviors and flame microstructures in dust clouds with different thermal characteristics were analyzed in detail. As a result, it was found that the dust flame surfaces were completely covered by cellular structures that significantly increased the flame frontal areas. Flame propagated more quickly and the number of the cellular cells increased as increasing the volatility of the particles. On the contrary, maximum temperature and the thickness of the preheated zone decreased as increasing the volatility of the particles. According to the ion current profile, the particles in the preheat zone were pyrolyzed to intermediate radicals and the radicals' fraction in the higher volatile dust flame was higher than that in the lower volatile dust flame.     

A product analysis-based study on the mechanism of inflammable gas explosion suppression

To study the mechanism of the suppressing effect of Expanded Aluminium (EA) on the premixed gas explosion, premixed methane-air and propane-air gases were undergone explosion reaction in the presence of EA in a self-designed closed pipeline with the overpressures and the compositions, rates and sensitivities of products analyzed. The results showed that the 9.5% methane-air and 5% propane-air explosions produced peak pressures decreased by 79.3% and 65.6%, and residual methane and propane contents increased by 270% and 560% respectively than without EA. In addition, the results revealed that the explosions of propane in the presence of EA produced less methane and carbon oxides contents, but more ethylene and propylene contents. The simulation showed that H, O, and OH are the key factors affecting the rate of products. The product compositions, together with other parameters, suggested that EA decreased temperature, inhibited chain initiation and propagation reaction, but facilitated chain termination reaction by advancing and accelerating the gas phase and wall destruction reaction of radicals, especially collisions and concentration of key free radicals. This new research method based on the analysis of explosion products can be used for in-depth research into gas explosion features and shed light on the suppressing mechanism of EA in flammable gas explosion.     

受限空间内惰性气体对CH4爆炸抑制特性研究

N2和CO2是常用的惰性抑爆气体,为研究两种气体的抑爆特性,采用20L球形爆炸试验装置,分析了不同浓度配比条件下N2/CH4/空气以及CO2/CH4/空气混合气体的爆炸压力,同时采集爆炸后的气体样品,对比分析爆炸后残留气体的主要成分。结果显示:随CH4浓度从5%增加至12.5%时,完全抑制CH4爆炸需要的惰性气体最小量先增大后降低,CH4浓度在6.5%~7.5%之间时,抑爆需要的惰性气体的量最大;在同一CH4浓度条件下,抑爆需要N2的量大于CO2,并且CH4浓度在5%~6.5%时,抑爆需要两种惰性气体的量值差别最大;当CH4浓度一定时,随着加入惰性气体量的增大,爆炸最大超压逐渐降低,惰性气体浓度和爆炸超压之间基本呈线性关系;在同样条件下,相对于N2,CO2为抑爆气体时,爆炸后腔体内残留的CH4浓度较高。研究成果为惰性气体抑爆技术提供技术支撑,同时为揭示惰性气体抑爆机理有一定作用。     

氢安全研究现状及面临的挑战

氢能具有储运便捷、来源多样、洁净环保等突出优点,许多国家把发展氢能作为重要的能源战略。氢安全是氢能大规模商业化应用的重要保障。在分析国内外氢安全领域近年来最新研究进展的基础上,依次从氢泄漏与扩散、氢燃烧与爆炸、氢与金属材料相容性及氢风险评价等方面,系统总结了国内外氢安全研究面临的挑战,并对我国氢安全的发展提出了建议。     

Investigation of multiple domino scenarios caused by fragments

A model of multiple domino scenarios and the risk of the domino effect, which is a sequential chain escalating from the primary unit to the last unit, is presented in this paper. The trajectories of fragments from all units, the ground distribution of projectiles, and the risk of the sequential chain of the domino effect were calculated using Monte Carlo simulations. The results showed that the range affected by the fragments from each tank included the other tanks, meaning that fragments from one tank could hit the other tanks and cause multiple accidents, and that the sequential chain of the domino effect could indeed happen. The distributions of ground impacts showed that tank fragments were projected over long distances, up to 1200 m from the source. The spatial distribution of the kinetic energy at ground impact for tank fragments was also obtained. Moreover, the magnitudes of the probabilities of the primary, secondary, third, and fourth accidents in the domino chain were respectively about 10⁻⁷, 10⁻¹¹, 10⁻¹⁵, and 10⁻¹⁹. These results showed that for neighboring domino effect units in the same accident chain, the risk of the most recent domino effect was 10⁴ times that of the following domino effect.     

福建省重点城市路面尘负荷及化学组成研究

采集并分析了福建省重点城市厦门、漳州、泉州和莆田城区具有代表性的57个地面扬尘和16个土壤样品的26种无机元素、8种水溶性离子和碳成分等组成.不同城市粒径≤100μm的路面尘负荷平均值在6.99 g.m-2与10.11 g.m-2之间,而粒径≤2.5μm的路面尘(PM2.5)负荷平均值在4.0 mg.m-2和12.5 mg.m-2之间.不同城市土壤尘和路面尘PM2.5中浓度最高的元素都是Si、Ca、Al、Fe和K,路面尘中Ca元素明显富集,而主要人为来源的重金属元素如Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr在路面尘PM2.5中的浓度显著高于土壤尘.漳州城区路面尘PM2.5中二次离子NH4+、NO3-和SO24-的含量明显高于其它地区,厦门、漳州和泉州城区路面尘PM2.5中Mg2+和Ca2+之间都存在显著的正相关关系.四城市路面尘中有机碳(OC)的含量均高于济南、石家庄以及北京地面扬尘OC的含量,元素碳(EC)的含量均低于北京地区路面扬尘EC的含量.泉州和莆田两地OC和EC的相关性较好,说明路面尘中OC和EC有相同或相似的来源.质量平衡结果显示泉州和莆田路面尘PM2.5中含量最高的是土壤尘,其次为有机物.按化学组成特征对路面尘PM2.5进行聚类解析,得到受大气沉降影响、受土壤尘影响、受大气沉降和土壤尘共同作用以及受土壤尘和建筑尘共同作用4类样品.     

北京市铺装道路降尘污染特征及来源

为研究北京市道路降尘在不同季节的污染特征及来源,选取北京市4条典型道路得到64个采样点的道路尘样品,采集的道路尘样品经过预处理得到75 μm以下的颗粒物,经过再悬浮及实验室分析得到PM_2.5的粒径分布和化学成分谱.结果表明:不同采样高度及不同道路类型的颗粒物粒径大体分布规律一致,颗粒物质量频率存在三个峰值,分别为0.75 μm（微粒径）、2.50 μm（小粒径）、4.50 μm（大粒径）;各季节的降尘颗粒物的化学组分中质量分数最大的是元素,主要元素（含量>1%）季节变化为冬季>春季>秋季>夏季,元素富集因子法得到污染元素为Cr、Cd、Sn、Cu、Zn、Pb、As,双重元素为Bi、Ti、Ni、W、Mg、Ca、TI、Mo、V、Fe、Zr、Ba,其余16种为非富集元素;颗粒物中离子质量分数在夏季最大为9.31%,春季、秋季、冬季的离子质量分数相差不大,其中Ca2+、NO₃-、Cl-、SO₄2-占总离子质量的80%左右;碳素中w（OC）和w（EC）的季节变化均为夏季>秋季>春季>冬季,OC/EC[w（OC）/w（EC）]的季节变化规律为冬季>春季>秋季>夏季.不同季节w（OC）和w（EC）的相关性大小为夏季>秋季>春季>冬季.对PM_2.5中化学组分来源分析表明,污染元素受机动车和建筑尘影响较大,与机动车尾气相比,机动车磨损造成的污染也不容小视;燃煤影响一直存在,但供暖期污染有所改善.机动车尾气、建筑尘及土壤尘对离子均有贡献,在夏季土壤尘、建筑尘、二次反应的综合影响较大,春季土壤尘影响更为突出.碳在夏秋季节受汽车尾气和建筑尘的影响较大,夏季二次反应影响不大;冬季除气象因素外,燃煤和生物质燃烧也不可忽视;春季土壤尘影响较为突出.      

道路灰尘中有机磷阻燃剂污染特征及人体暴露

利用气质联用仪(GC-MS)定量分析了苏州市25个道路灰尘样品中4种有机磷阻燃剂(organophosphate flame retardants,OPFRs)的含量水平和分布特征,并估算了成人、儿童和环卫工人灰尘摄入和呼吸暴露两种不同途径的日暴露量.结果表明,在灰尘样品中4种OPFRs均有不同程度检出,总OPFRs的含量范围为ND~8 901.66 ng·g~(-1),中位值为1 039.21 ng·g~(-1).三(1-氯-2-丙基)磷酸酯[Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate,TCPP]、磷酸三(丁氧基乙基)酯[Tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate,TBEP]、磷酸三(1,3-二氯-2-丙基)酯[Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate,TDCPP]和磷酸三(2-氯乙基)酯[Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate,TCEP]含量范围分别为0~6 931.46、0~2 021.15、0~788.44和0~62.16 ng·g~(-1).在高暴露情景下,成人、儿童和环卫工人通过摄入灰尘暴露ΣOPFRs的日均暴露量分别是125.68、915.78和6 314.16 pg·kg~(-1),儿童的暴露量比普通成人高6倍;而成人、儿童和环卫工人通过呼吸途径暴露ΣOPFRs的日均暴露量分别为3.07E-02、1.89E-02和1.54E-01 pg·kg~(-1).因此灰尘中OPFRs对于儿童和环卫工人的潜在危害更大.     

原子吸收火焰法次灵敏线测定污水和电镀污泥中高含量的锌

对采用原子吸收火焰法次灵敏线测定污水和电镀污泥中高含量的锌进行了研究。试验结果表明：在锌浓度50．0～600．0mg/L之间,溶液锌含量与吸光度呈线性关系。线性回归方程为y＝0．000661x-0．0007,相关系数γ＝0．9998。方法检出限为25．0mg/L,相对标准误差（RSD）＜2．96％,加标回收率为92．5％～105％,与标准法的相对误差＜2．76％。