Inherent thermal runaway hazard evaluation method of chemical process based on fire and explosion index

Thermal runaway hazard assessment provides the basis for comparing the hazard levels of different chemical processes. To make an overall evaluation, hazard of materials and reactions should be considered. However, most existing methods didn't take the both into account simultaneously, which may lead the assessment to a deviation from the actual hazard. Therefore, an integrated approach called Inherent Thermal-runaway Hazard Index (ITHI) was developed in this paper. Similar to Dow Fire and Explosion Index(F&EI) function, thermal runaway hazard of chemical process in ITHI was the product of material factor (MF) and risk index (RI) of reaction. MF was an indicator of material thermal hazards, which can be determined by initial reaction temperature and maximum power density. RI, which was the product of probability and severity, indicated the risk of thermal runaway during the reaction stage. Time to maximum rate under adiabatic conditions and criticality classes of scenario were used to indicate the runaway probability of the chemical process. Adiabatic temperature rise and heat of the desired reaction and secondary reaction were used to determine the severity of runaway reaction. Finally, predefined hazard classification criteria was used to classify and interpret the results obtained by this method. Moreover, the method was validated by case studies.     

A risk reduction approach for academic research labs: A case study on naphthenic corrosion

Academic research and development (R&D) labs are a significant part of academic life. But there can be physical, environmental, and experiment quality risks associated to this activity. Academic labs can present specific experiments, which have associated risks for researchers. Academic labs are also characterized by a high turnover of students and many of them are not fully aware of the level of physical and environmental risks of their activity. Accidents in academic labs with injuries and loss of life are facts that have to be tackled through risk management approaches. The objective of this paper is to present an integrated management approach, tackling risk management and analysis methods. HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study) and PFMEA (Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) enabled, respectively, the analysis of safety and environmental risks. By quantifying the level of risk according to the type of experiment and the research context, it is possible to provide safety to the system. The resulting Digital Poka-Yoke – a mistake-proofing approach – has brought about the desired quality of results in experiments. The proposed approach was validated through a case study monitoring naphthenic corrosion experiments conducted by the Lab of Surface Electrochemistry and Corrosion (LSEC) at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). As a consequence, this approach is currently in use at this lab.     

Risk assessment of sour gas inter-phase onshore pipeline using ANN and fuzzy inference system – Case study: The south pars gas field

Nowadays, pipelines have been extensively used for transporting oil and gas for long distances. Therefore, their risk assessment could help to identify the associated hazards and take necessary actions to eliminate or reduce the risk. In the present research, an artificial neural network (ANN) and a fuzzy inference system (FIS) were used to prepare a new model for pipeline risk assessment with higher accuracy. To reach this objective, the Muhlbauer method, as a common method for oil and gas pipeline risk assessment, was used for determining important and influential factors in the pipeline performance. Mamdani fuzzy model was developed in Matlab software by considering expert knowledge. The outcomes of this model were used to develop an ANN. To verify the developed model, the inter-phase shore pipe of phase 9–10 refinery in the South Pars Gas field was considered as a case study. The results showed that the proposed model gives a higher level of accuracy, precision, and reliability in terms of pipe risk assessment.     

污染影响型土壤环境影响评价过程中预测和评价方法

随着国民经济的持续发展,建设项目开发过程中可能造成土壤本身或与之相关的环境要素之间在物质、能量转移循环过程中受到不同程度的影响。以《环境影响评价技术导则土壤环境》(HJ 964-2018)为依据,对污染型土壤环境进行环境影响评价,为建设项目土壤环境保护提供科学依据。     

研究冷却塔噪声环境影响评价及污染防治措施

随着我国社会经济的发展速度不断加快,城市化建设层次越来越高,大量中央空调设备的冷却塔噪声影响到了人们的日常生活质量。基于此,本文重点针对冷却塔噪声环境的影响进行了分析和研究,提出了相关的有效防治策略,以此有效提高人们的生活质量和舒适度。     

张家港河凤凰段水质达标整治方案研究

张家港河凤凰段位于张家港市凤凰镇,受上游、支流水质以及区域生活污染源等影响,河道出入境断面水质达标率较低,主要超标因子为氨氮和总磷。本文通过水质现状分析和现场调研,总结了水质难达标的主要原因,提出了针对性较强的水质提升整治方案,对改善张家港河水环境具有非常重要的意义。     

基层环境统计年报中的问题及建议

环境统计工作是环境保护工作中的基础,是各级政府和环境保护行政主管部门制定环境保护政策和计划、加强环境监督管理和污染防治的重要依据。本文结合日常工作经验,就目前基层环境统计工作中存在的问题进行探讨,并提出一些建议。     

含锌废物综合利用项目环境影响评价工程探索

工业生产的废物当中包含多种重金属,例如钢铁厂的粉尘当中就含有锌。含锌粉尘不仅会在高炉内循环和富集,影响高炉的运行,还会造成环境污染。基于此,本文主要分析含锌废物综合利用,对该项目进行环境评价,探讨有效的对策,以提高含锌废物综合利用的科学性,提高环境保护等级。     

畜禽环境中抗生素的去除及其风险评估

抗生素作为饲料添加剂广泛应用于畜禽养殖业,造成养殖环境抗生素大量蓄积,尤其是在畜禽粪便中,长期的积累不仅污染养殖场内土壤环境,残留的抗生素还会随畜禽粪便进入周边水体及农田环境,威胁农作物及人体健康。目前,国内相关研究主要集中在抗生素的降解工艺及降解规律方面,而对其去除效率的影响因素及风险评价研究相对较少。笔者综述了国内外抗生素的降解转化及去除方式等的研究进展,并概述了抗生素在畜禽环境中的生态风险评估的研究现状,为抗生素的高效去除、风险预估及畜禽粪便资源化安全利用提供理论基础和技术支撑。     

Utilization of MSWI fly ash as partial cement or sand substitute with focus on cementing efficiency and health risk assessment

• Washed MSWI fly ash was used as partial cement or sand substitute. • Sand replacing is beneficial for strength, while cement replacement reduces strength. • Cementing efficiency factor and mortar pore structure explain the strength results. • Health risk assessment was conducted for MSWI fly ash blended cement mortar. • CR and HI contributed by different exposures and heavy metals were analyzed. The strength of cement substituted mortar decreases with the increase in fly ash amount, whereas the strength increases when the fly ash is blended as sand substitute. A mortar with highest strength (compressive strength= 30.2 Mpa; flexural strength= 7.0 Mpa) was obtained when the sand replacement ratio was 0.75%. The k value (cementing efficiency) of fly ash varied between 0.36 and 0.15 for the fly ash fraction in binder between 5% and 25%. The k values of fly ash used for sand replacement were all significantly above that used for cement substitution. The macropores assigned to the gaps between particles decreased when the fly ash was used as sand replacement, providing an explanation for the strength enhancement. The waste-extraction procedure (toxicity-sulphuric acid and nitric acid method (HJ/T 299-2007)) was used to evaluate metal leaching, indicating the reuse possibility of fly ash blended mortar. For the mortar with the mass ratio of fly ash to binder of 0.5%, the carcinogenic risks (CR) and non-carcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) in sensitive scenario for blended mortar utilization were 9.66 × 10^-7 and 0.06, respectively; these results were both lower than the threshold values, showing an acceptable health risk. The CR (9.89 × 10^-5) and HQ (3.89) of the non-sensitive scenario for fly ash treatment exceeded the acceptable threshold values, indicating health risks to onsite workers. The main contributor to the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk is Cr and Cd, respectively. The CR and HQ from inhalation was the main route of heavy metal exposure.