Addressing the challenges of implementing safety instrumented systems in multi-product batch processes

Adapting the requirements of IEC 61511 to a batch system can be frustrating, particularly for multi-product units. While a Safety Instrumented System (SIS) for continuous operation is often a straightforward detect-decide-act loop, implementing a SIS for a batch system may involve multiple safety functions, time- or state-dependence, intricate calculations, or complex installations. Relationships between the SIS elements and the basic process control system (BPCS) must be tightly managed, providing both for the safety of the unit and its ability to operate without spurious trips or other hindrances. These issues are further complicated when multiple products requiring different functions or setpoints are produced in the same SIS-protected batch unit.This paper will discuss the challenges particular to the design, operation, and maintenance of a SIS in multi-product batch operations and present practical options for successfully resolving the concerns. A key insight into successful adaptation is treating the batch SIS as a “permission” system for the BPCS to operate. Although many items can be addressed through clever engineering practices, sustainable success relies on proactive, robust management of the safety lifecycle.     

地铁火灾防排烟设计探讨

介绍了防排烟系统设计在地铁火灾中的重要性,以及目前国内地铁车站在防排烟设计中有关排烟量的计算,区间隧道的排烟方式,排烟风亭与出入口之间的位置设计等方面所存在的一些问题及相关的解决方案。结合所引用的相关试验研究及其结论,经过对上述相关问题的分析和总结,针对地铁车站公共区和区间隧道的排烟方式和排烟装置,文章提出了适于国内地铁消防防排烟建设的措施,最后根据所引用的试验,对所提出的措施作出了分析,以得出结论。     

不同植物的表面流人工湿地系统对污染物的去除效果

通过对4种不同植物的表面流人工湿地系统处理新沂河河水的中试研究表明,在CODMn和NH 4-N进水浓度相同条件下,香蒲湿地系统出水CODMn平均浓度最低,仅为13.44 mg/L;美人蕉湿地系统出水NH 4-N平均浓度最低,仅为1.75 mg/L;香蒲和美人蕉湿地系统对CODMn的平均去除率都达到40%以上,而千屈菜和水葱湿地系统都低于30%;美人蕉、香蒲和千屈菜湿地系统对NH 4-N的平均去除率都达到65%以上,而水葱系统则低于60%.综合比较,香蒲和美人蕉湿地系统的净化能力较强.4种植物中水葱耐淹能力最强,完全淹水22 d以上依然生长良好;千屈菜耐淹能力最弱,完全淹水7 d后就开始枯萎,17 d后地上、地下部分全部死亡.     

Influence of farm resource endowment on possibilities for sustainable development: a case study for vegetable farms in South Uruguay

In different parts of the world, there is an urgent need for redesigning and innovating farming systems. Such a process may be supported by model-based explorations that enable ex-ante evaluation of a broad range of alternatives. Since a variety of viable patterns of farm development exists related to farm resource endowment and farmer's strategy, model-based explorations should be able to capture the existing variation in resource endowment and strategies in order to have impact on strategic farm management. In this paper, we present an overview of the model-based explorative method based on the MILP model Farm Images, applied to explore options for sustainable development of vegetable farms in Canelón Grande, Uruguay. The method is used to gain insight into the impact of current farm resource endowment on the possibilities for sustainable development and on the resource use efficiency at farm scale. We maximized farm income for 128 different farm types in an environment-oriented scenario and in an income-oriented scenario. Farm types were defined by combining 4 farm sizes, 2 labor endowments, 4 irrigation endowments, 2 soil quality combinations and 2 mechanization levels. The results demonstrate a strong impact of farm resource endowment on possibilities for sustainable development, as well as synergy between labor, land and irrigated area on resource-use efficiency at farm scale. Farms with 10ha of land or less, representing 47% of the farms in the Canelón Grande region, could only achieve a family income higher than the average income of Uruguayan families when the irrigated area was ca. 40% of the farm area. The achievement of environmental targets was less costly in terms of income on farms with a low rather than high labor availability per unit area and on farms with irrigation facilities.     

Development of a Bird Integrity Index: Measuring Avian Response to Disturbance in the Blue Mountains of Oregon, USA

The Bird Integrity Index (BII) presented here uses bird assemblage information to assess human impacts to 28 stream reaches in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. Eighty-one candidate metrics were extracted from bird survey data for testing. The metrics represented aspects of bird taxonomic richness, tolerance or intolerance to human disturbance, dietary preferences, foraging techniques, and nesting strategies that were expected to be positively or negatively affected by human activities in the region. To evaluate the responsiveness of each metric, it was plotted against an index of reach and watershed disturbance that included attributes of land use/land cover, road density, riparian cover, mining impacts, and percent area in clearcut and partial-cut logging. Nine of the 81 candidate bird metrics remained after eliminating unresponsive and highly correlated metrics. Individual metric scores ranged from 0 to 10, and BII scores varied between 0 and 100. BII scores varied from 78.6 for a minimally disturbed, reference stream reach to 30.4 for the most highly disturbed stream reach. The BII responded clearly to varying riparian conditions and to the cumulative effects of disturbances, such as logging, grazing, and mining, which are common in the mountains of eastern Oregon. This BII for eastern Oregon was compared to an earlier BII developed for the agricultural and urban disturbance regime of the Willamette Valley in western Oregon. The BII presented here was sensitive enough to distinguish differences in condition among stream riparian zones with disturbances that were not as obvious or irreversible as those in the agricultural/urban conditions of western Oregon.     

Application of Eichhornia crassipes and Pistia stratiotes for treatment of urban sewage in Israel

The effectiveness of sewage purification by aquatic plants, such as water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), was tested on laboratory and pilot scales. Cascade and semi-continuous pilot experiments verified that the plants are capable of decreasing all tested indicators of water quality to levels that permit the use of the purified water for irrigation of tree crops. This applies to biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity. The laboratory-scale tests confirm the capacity of the plants to reach and hold reasonably low levels of BOD (5-7 mg L(-1)) and COD (40-50 mg L(-1)) and very low levels of TSS (3-5 mg L(-1)) and turbidity (1-2 NTU). In the experimental pilot setup, with circulation, COD decreased from 460 to 100 mg L(-1) after 2.5-4 days of treatment, while 6-7 days were required to this end without circulation. This doubled the active pond area and provided a two-level hydraulic loading (8 and 12 L min(-1)) with circulation that proved to be effective during the summer as well as the winter season. The outflow concentrations were 50-85 mg L(-1) of COD and 4-6 mg L(-1) of BOD. The results show that the use of this free water surface flow system (FWS) and its low maintenance system for treatment of urban and agricultural sewage is a viable option.     

湖南典型农田土壤有机碳含量及其演变趋势

以湖南省沅江市(28°42′～29°11′N、112°16′～112°56′E)为代表,通过典型样区密集取样分析和同一区域的历史资料比较,研究了洞庭湖区农业用地土壤有机碳的演变趋势,发现稻田土壤有机碳在最近25a中稳步增加,而改为旱地的土壤有机碳含量减少.2004年典型样区土壤有机碳均值为(26.66±4.93)g·kg^-1,主要分布区间为20～35g·kg^-1,比1979提高22.64%;其中耕作制度为双季稻的土壤有机碳含量,由1979年的20.29g·kg^-1提高到了2004年的28.12g·kg^-1,年均增加量约313.5mg·kg^-1(年递增率为1.15%);耕作制度为一季稻的土壤有机碳含量,由1979年的20.29g·kg^-1提高到了2004年的27.25g·kg^-1,年均增加量约278.3mg·kg^-1(年递增率为1.16%),耕作制度为水旱轮作的土壤有机碳含量,由1979年的20.29g·kg^-1提高到了2004年的23.90g·kg^-1,年均增加量约144.5mg·kg^-1(年递增率为0.78%),而改为旱地的土壤有机碳含量,由1979年的20.29 g·kg^-1降低到了2004年的18.40g·kg^-1,年均减少量约75.48mg·kg^-1(年递减率为0.37%).方差分析表明,稻田土壤有机碳的增加达到了极显著水平,改为旱地的土壤有机碳含量的减少未达到了显著水平.表明洞庭湖区不同利用类型的土地均是重要的固碳场所,农业用地的土壤有机碳库是大气CO₂循环的“汇”,而不是“源”.     

紫外氯胺组合消毒供水系统中病毒微生物的分布特征

为研究紫外氯胺组合消毒对供水系统中病毒微生物的影响特性,以生产规模紫外氯胺组合消毒供水系统为研究对象,应用宏基因组技术对供水系统中病毒微生物的迁移变化、群落结构和病毒宿主进行了分析.结果表明,紫外氯胺组合消毒工艺能降低病毒物种数(6.13％)和基因丰度(51.97％),但不能完全去除水中病毒微生物.对比美国环保署(US...     

蚁群算法在生命线网络系统抗震拓扑优化中的应用

近年来,遗传算法和模拟退火算法已经应用于网络系统的抗震拓扑优化,蚁群算法也已经成功应用到多个组合优化问题中。首先论述了生命线网络系统抗震拓扑优化模型,然后介绍了网络抗震可靠度分析的最小路递推分解算法。通过对优化问题解形式的分析,采用二进制编码的蚁群算法对优化模型进行了求解。最后,结合实例分析,并与遗传算法和模拟退火算法的计算结果进行了对比。结果表明,蚁群算法可以作为一种新的工具进行网络系统的优化设计。