Consequence modeling of explosion at Azad-Shahr CNG refueling station

Safety of people has been the most important concern since the onset of commercial use of Compressed Natural Gas¹ as a novel type of vehicle fuel. Provided a car vessel bursts, irreversible consequences will surface. The most important hazard threatening people and their properties in CNG distribution stations is pressurized natural gas in station storage vessels and car vessels. Storage vessels are far from people; however, they may damage other properties such as pipes, valves, electrical equipment, and etc. Owing to the distance between storage vessels and the hive, the risk is not considered a big concern; on the contrary, car storage vessel is very close to the passengers sitting in the car and those standing around the car. The proximity heightens the risk as the consequences caused by vessel burst can be more catastrophic than the former condition. Taken together, the car CNG vessel burst may be regarded as the most hazardous event at CNG distribution centers. It is believed that modeling the mentioned events can illustrate risky conditions. The present study was formulated in order to model one of such accidents occurring in Azad-Shahr in the winter 2010. The obtained results provided useful points and recommendations like the minimum safe distance from rupture center depending on such outcomes as overpressure, types of fire, or toxic release. The recommendations provided by the present study can prevent people from calamitous events and they can be adopted so as to reduce severity of possible events.     

空气中爆炸对巷道稳定性影响模拟研究

以西北某铀矿矿床某巷道为依托,针对巷道稳定性及巷道内爆炸问题,运用ANSYS软件对自重应力场下的巷道衬砌及围岩进行静力分析,得出巷道围岩有效应力分布情况及巷道断面上几个典型位置的位移量和等效应力值。在此基础上,再利用LS-DYNA显式分析功能模拟自重应力场下爆炸对计算,获得衬砌结构最大主应力和加速度时程曲线,分析爆炸波在巷道中传播规律,为巷道抗爆性设计提供参考。结果表明,巷道中的爆炸波会产生强烈的多次反射现象,并且在自重应力场下,直墙拐角处往往最先出现破坏。     

基于激波管的油气爆炸实验和数据分析

通过对封闭激波管的油气爆炸实验,发现了爆炸时存在"呼吸"现象和震荡现象。通过对爆炸时的压力时间序列分析,除了得到了不同位置压力数量变化特征外,还得到了"呼吸"现象与油气的CH浓度和生成的二氧化碳浓度有关;在不同的CH浓度下,存在三种典型的压力变化曲线;震荡现象与CH浓度有关,没有固定的震荡周期,而且在不同压力变化阶段存在不同的震荡情况等结论。     

煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故特征与耦合规律研究

分析瓦斯爆炸事故的瓦斯积聚原因、引爆火源和引爆地点等事故特征及其分类,统计并分析1988—2008年发生的563次瓦斯爆炸事故的基本特征和耦合规律,结果表明:通风混乱等通风系统问题导致瓦斯缓慢积聚的瓦斯爆炸事故占90.6%;电火花和放炮火焰引爆瓦斯占事故的78.6%;发生在采掘工作面的瓦斯爆炸事故占69.4%;通风系统问题导致瓦斯积聚的瓦斯爆炸事故主要发生在采掘工作面和巷道,占81.3%;通风系统问题导致瓦斯积聚的事故其引爆火源主要是电火花,占72.8%;电火花和放炮火焰引爆瓦斯主要发生在采掘工作面和巷道,占73.2%。有效预防和控制煤矿瓦斯爆炸事故需切实加强通风管理、电气管理和严格放炮操作与程序。     

数值分析方法在一起高危工艺分析中的应用

以二级放热反应为研究对象,在反应体系温度、浓度均匀分布的假设基础上,根据反应速率方程和热平衡方程,建立高危工艺反应的温度和转化率随时间变化的数学模型。采用数值计算技术,以一阶差分代替微分,并结合工艺中的恒温过程、绝热过程和飞温过程,编写计算程序求得其转化率、温度在不同时间点的数值解,揭示爆炸事故的发展过程,定量分析操作参数的影响和转化率、温度随时间分布的规律。同时通过对绝热反应时间、冷凝器的冷却能力的分析,结合冷凝器的移热能力和反应放热对反应体系热积累的影响,讨论防止反应失控发生的可能性。最后探讨冷凝器热负荷余量、反应物投料浓度比等因素对控制反应失控的影响。     

点火延迟时间对甘薯粉尘爆炸的影响研究

为了预防甘薯粉尘爆炸事故的发生,本文研究点火延迟时间对甘薯粉尘爆炸的影响规律,利用20 L球形爆炸仪研究甘薯粉尘的爆炸特性及其在200 g/m3,500 g/m3和800 g/m3质量浓度下通过改变点火延迟时间的爆炸规律。结果表明:粉尘的最佳点火延迟时间与浓度有关,在该点火时间下所测得的最大爆炸压力均高于在固定点火延迟时间下的测量值,60 ms的固定点火延迟时间不适用于甘薯粉尘爆炸测试。     

Screening the emission sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in China by multi-effects evaluation

We develop a multi-effect evaluation method to assess integrated impact of VOCs. Enable policy-makers to identify important emission sources, regions, and key species. Solvent usage and industrial process are the most important anthropogenic sources. Styrene, toluene, ethylene, benzene, and m/p-xylene are key species to be cut. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play important roles in the atmosphere via three main pathways: photochemical ozone formation, secondary organic aerosol production, and direct toxicity to humans. Few studies have integrated these effects to prioritize control measures for VOCs sources. In this study, we developed a multi-effects evaluation methodology based on updated emission inventories and source profiles, by combining the ozone formation potential (OFP), secondary organic aerosol potential (SOAP), and VOC toxicity data. We derived species-specific emission inventories for 152 sources. The OFPs, SOAPs, and toxicity of each source were estimated, the contribution and sharing of source to each of these adverse effects were calculated. Weightings were given to the three adverse effects by expert scoring, and then the integrated effect was determined. Taking 2012 as the base year, solvent use and industrial process were found to be the most important anthropogenic sources, accounting for 24.2% and 23.1% of the integrated effect, respectively, followed by biomass burning, transportation, and fossil fuel combustion, each had a similar contribution ranging from 16.7% to 18.6%. The top five industrial sources, including plastic products, rubber products, chemical fiber products, the chemical industry, and oil refining, accounted for nearly 70.0% of industrial emissions. Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong were the five provinces contributing the largest integrated effects. For the VOC species from emissions showed the largest contributions were styrene, toluene, ethylene, benzene, and m/p-xylene.     

A method for quantifying bias in modeled concentrations and source impacts for secondary particulate matter

A method for quantifying source impacts for secondary PM_2.5 species is derived. The method provides estimates of bias in modeled concentrations. Adjusted concentrations match corresponding observations at monitored locations. Sources impacts on secondary species are estimated over the US for 20 sources. Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) estimates of sulfates, nitrates, ammonium, and organic carbon are highly influenced by uncertainties in modeled secondary formation processes, such as chemical mechanisms, volatilization, and condensation rates. These compounds constitute the majority of PM_2.5 mass, and reducing bias in estimated concentrations has benefits for policy measures and epidemiological studies. In this work, a method for adjusting source impacts on secondary species is developed that provides estimates of source contributions and reduces bias in modeled concentrations compared to observations. The bias correction adjusts concentrations and source impacts based on the difference between modeled concentrations and observations while taking into account uncertainties at the location of interest; and it is applied both spatially and temporally. We apply the method over the US for 2006. The mean bias for initial CMAQ concentrations compared to observations is −0.28 (OC), 0.11 (NO₃), 0.05 (NH₄), and −0.08 (SO₄). The normalized mean bias in modeled concentrations compared to observations was effectively zero for OC, NO₃, NH₄, and SO₄ after applying the secondary bias correction. 10-fold cross-validation was conducted to determine the performance of the spatial application of the bias correction. Cross-validation performance was favorable; correlation coefficients were greater than 0.69 for all species when comparing observations and concentrations based on kriged correction factors. The methods presented here address model uncertainties by improving simulated concentrations and source impacts of secondary particulate matter through data assimilation. Secondary-adjusted concentrations and source impacts from 20 emissions sources are generated for 2006 over continental US.     

Rn concentration in public secondary schools in Galicia (Spain)

In the framework of a ²²²Rn screening campaign that was carried out in 58 public secondary schools in Galicia (NW Spain), the largest radon-prone area in the Iberian Peninsula, a positive correlation between indoor ²²²Rn concentration and outdoor gamma exposure rate was obtained. A new approach to the data acquisition in screening surveys was tested, improving the performances of this type of study and gathering useful data for future remedial actions. Using short-period detectors (charcoal canisters) firstly, in order to detect places showing ²²²Rn concentrations over 400 Bq m⁻³, the number of locations to be measured with long-period detectors (etched track detectors) is reduced. In this screening campaign, 34% of the schools surveyed presented at least one site exceeding the 400 Bq m⁻³ recommended action level established by the EU, and 15% had at least one site with ²²²Rn values over 800 Bq m⁻³. The maximum value recorded was 2084 ± 63 Bq m⁻³. These results are discussed and compared with data obtained in schools of several countries with similar geology. Seven schools were also studied for seasonal variations of ²²²Rn activity concentration. The results were not conclusive, and no significant correlation between season and ²²²Rn concentration was established. Finally, a continuous ²²²Rn concentration monitor was placed in the secondary school exhibiting a mean value of the ²²²Rn concentration very close to 400 Bq m⁻³. Maximum ²²²Rn concentration values were found to occur at times when the school was unoccupied.     

Cost-based fire risk assessment in natural gas industry by means of fuzzy FTA and ETA

Fire is the most prevalent accident in natural gas facilities. In order to assess the risk of fire in a gas processing plant, a fault tree analysis (FTA) and event tree analysis (ETA) has been developed in this paper. By utilizing FTA and ETA, the paths leading to an outcome event would be visually demonstrated. The framework was applied to a case study of processing plant in South Pars gas complex. All major underlying causes of fire accident in a gas processing facility determined through a process hazard analysis (PHA). Fuzzy logic has been employed to derive likelihood of basic events in FTA from uncertain opinion of experts. The outcome events in event tree has been simulated by computer model to evaluate their severity. In the proposed methodology the calculated risk has the unit of cost per year which allows the decision makers to discern the benefit of their investment in safety measures and risk mitigation.