A closer look at BLEVE overpressure

The overpressure produced by the boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) is still not well understood. Various methods have been published on the overpressure modeling in the far field. They mostly differ by the modeling of the expansion energy, used to scale the distance to the source where the overpressure needs to be calculated. But these methods usually include a experimentally fitted reduction factor, and are mostly overestimating the overpressures. Today there is a growing interest in modeling the BLEVE overpressure in the near field, for studying the blast effect on critical infrastructure such as bridges and buildings. This requires a much better understanding of the BLEVE blast. This paper goes deeper in the understanding of the physical phenomenon leading to the BLEVE blast wave generation and propagation. First, mid-scale BLEVE experiments in addition to new experimental data for near field blast from a small scale supercritical BLEVE are analyzed. And second, an analysis method of the shocks observed in the experiments is presented based on fundamental gas dynamics, and allows the elaboration of a new modeling approach for BLEVE overpressure, based on the calculation of the initial overpressure and radius of the blast.     

A new leak location method based on leakage acoustic waves for oil and gas pipelines

In order to study a new leak detection and location method for oil and natural gas pipelines based on acoustic waves, the propagation model is established and modified. Firstly, the propagation law in theory is obtained by analyzing the damping impact factors which cause the attenuation. Then, the dominant-energy frequency bands of leakage acoustic waves are obtained through experiments by wavelet transform analysis. Thirdly, the actual propagation model is modified by the correction factor based on the dominant-energy frequency bands. Then a new leak detection and location method is proposed based on the propagation law which is validated by the experiments for oil pipelines. Finally, the conclusions and the method are applied to the gas pipelines in experiments. The results indicate: the modified propagation model can be established by the experimental method; the new leak location method is effective and can be applied to both oil and gas pipelines and it has advantages over the traditional location method based on the velocity and the time difference. Conclusions can be drawn that the new leak detection and location method can effectively and accurately detect and locate the leakages in oil and natural gas pipelines.     

Safety-related conclusions for the application of ultrasound in explosive atmospheres

International safety regulations such as EN 1127-1 consider ultrasound to be an ignition source. Currently, applications of ultrasound in explosive atmospheres have to comply with a threshold value of 1 mW/mm². However, it is unclear as to how this intensity has to be measured and, therefore, this threshold value is poorly defined. Moreover, it is based on theoretical estimations in analogy to other ignition sources and there are no publications or significant records on these estimations. Within a research project at PTB, it has now been investigated experimentally in relation to worst-case considerations including airborne ultrasound, focused MHz ultrasound in liquids and acoustic cavitation. On the basis of the results of the research it is now possible to revise the current regulations and to specify measures for safe operation of ultrasonic applications in explosive atmospheres. In this context, for ultrasound coupled directly to gaseous atmospheres a new threshold value of 170 dB (re. 20 μPa) can be suggested, and for ultrasonic applications in liquids, an augmentation can be made to the threshold to 400 mW/mm².     

Climate hazards: Lessons from recent events in the United States

Three recent cases of climate extremes are studied to identify human impacts and response strategies and to identify common characteristics that may help illuminate the nature of climate hazards. The 1980 heat wave in the central United States, 1981 cold wave in Boston, Massachusetts, and recent flooding and lake level rise in northern Utah, illustrate several important aspects of climate hazards that separate them from the more traditional set of catastrophic events (e.g. tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes) usually dealt with by hazards research and management. Among those characteristics are an emphasis on health impacts rather than physical damage, accumulative effects rather than short shocks, a tendency for impacts to accrue to certain socio-economic classes, and relatively slow onset. The management and research implications of these hazard characteristics are explored.     

两类常用森林火灾蔓延模型的比较

简要介绍了两类常用的森林火灾蔓延模型--邻接单元模型和波动传播模型的原理和实现方法.对作为离散模型的邻接单元模型和作为连续模型的波动传播模型的优、缺点作了系统的总结,并分析了它们对系统精度、实时性、复杂性、全局适应性、计算可靠性和整个模拟系统结构性能的影响.通过对比发现,两类模型在性能上的优势和局限有很强的互补性.因此,为了提高蔓延模型的性能,并使其不受火行为和地理要素复杂性的限制,有必要取长补短,通过现有的计算机技术将两者结合起来.     

张北地震序列的尾波Qc值研究

采用尾波单次散射模型,选取张北地震序列70条波形记录,计算了张北地区t=58.88s时的尾波QC值:QC(f)=132.6±20f0.96±0.14。研究中发现,随流逝时间的增加QC逐渐增大,当流逝时间>120s时,出现逆转,QC迅速减小。文中采用频率域方法计算QC值,尾波功率谱计算自t>2ts开始,选用垂直向波形记录,取时间窗长为5.12s,步长2.56s向前滑动,每个时间窗两端5%的数据与余弦函数相乘,然后做FFT变换,分别计算9个中心频点各时间窗的能量密度谱,尾波流逝时间取各时间窗的中心点。当信号的能量密度<4倍的背景噪声能量密度时,尾波能量密度取值结束。求得能量密度谱后,线性拟合可求得不同流逝时间各频点的QC值。     

某海域极端环境下15万吨级FPSO波浪荷载数值研究

目的 评估在役15万吨级FPSO在某海域百年一遇极端波浪作用下典型横剖面的水动力特性,进而得到FPSO的极值荷载,作为FPSO返坞改造的关键控制参数。方法 基于国产自主三维频域线性势流软件COMPASS-WALCS,建立15万吨级FPSO湿表面网格模型,根据三维绕射-辐射理论,计算湿表面上的水动力荷载,将每个绕射单元上的水动压力直接映射到结构模型上进行计算。采用谱分析方法对百年一遇海况进行分析,得到短期运动极值响应。对响应幅值算子(RAO)和波能谱密度进行谱分析,得到极端波浪下的响应谱,进而得到浮体运动和波浪荷载短期预报各种统计值,利用统计方法求得短期响应的最大值。结果 计算了船中部Fr143横剖面的载荷极值,即垂向弯矩、垂向剪力、剖面型心加速度等,发现船舶迎浪时弯矩值最大,随着浪向角增大,弯矩值逐渐减小,剖面垂向剪力则随着浪向角增大逐渐增大。结论 FPSO在极端波浪作用下,其大迎浪角条件下荷载更加危险,需要给予格外关注。     

舰船环境适应性设计方法探索与实践

探索舰船环境适应性的设计方法,以提高舰船在各种复杂环境下的适应能力。分析了舰船环境适应性设计中面临的若干问题和改进提高方向,参考借鉴国内外航空航天、电子等行业成功经验,提出了指导舰船环境适应性设计的主要设计原则和工作内容。围绕改善环境条件、加强耐环境能力设计这2个方面,提出了3种环境适应性设计方法,包括基于规范的设计方法、基于环境仿真的设计方法、基于预使用验证的设计方法。根据舰船风浪环境适应性设计的特点和要求,选择采用环境仿真和模型试验技术开展了应用研究。基于分析结果,提出了增加水线面系数、调整浮心、优化线型等多项改进措施建议。采用环境仿真和模型试验相结合的方式,可有效支撑舰船风浪环境适应性设计和评估,这一方法具有较高的工程推广应用价值。另外,未来应加大环境仿真技术的研究和应用力度,尝试开展多因素综合环境仿真,以进一步提高舰船的环境适应性。     

民机适航噪声横向衰减特性分析及飞行试验研究

目的 进行民机适航噪声横向衰减建模及特性研究。方法 对民机适航噪声横向衰减工程模型进行分析,建立其主要影响因素的计算模型,基于模型设计等效飞行试验方法,以及试验数据设计横向衰减分析流程,通过某型国产民机噪声飞行试验,对横向衰减特性及模型进行分析。结果 民机适航的横向噪声受声传播效应、地面散射效应和动力装置/机体噪声安装效应等影响较大,声传播效应和地面散射效应分别对高频和低频成分具有显著影响,动力装置/机体噪声安装效应导致的噪声指向性差异也是影响横向衰减的主要因素。对于民机适航噪声评价量,横向衰减模型能够得到与飞行试验结果趋势一致的结果,但工程应用中仍需通过飞行试验进行修正。结论 提出的民机适航噪声横向衰减影响因素的量化计算模型以及等效飞行试验方法,可用于国产民机低噪声设计、噪声适航审定和机场周围噪声污染计算,服务于国产民机设计及适航取证。     

移动基站远场区功率密度分布和规划控制距离

为掌握畸变条件下移动通讯基站周围功率密度分布,合理确定其规划控制距离,在杭州市主城区选取具有不同网络类型和载波数的2057个移动基站,实测话务高峰期基站周围射频场功率密度.结果表明,畸变条件下GSM基站远场区功率密度S∝r-1.83 (非畸变条件下S∝r-2),决定系数R2=0.80;距基站天线20m内,约85.91%测点功率密度实测值小于非畸变条件下依据天线标称功率和增益计算的理论值.,频数统计结果表明,距天线1~15m范围内,运营商A所属基站S10值(表示有10%的测点功率密度高于该值)比运营商B高10.00%;距天线1~30m内,双网和三网共站基站S10值分别比单网基站高50.31%和57.10%.移动通讯基站规划控制距离以15m为宜,15m外测点功率密度值超过8μW/cm2的基站只占所测基站的0.11%.