Cybersecurity and dynamic operation in practice: Equipment impacts and safety guarantees

Though dynamic operation of chemical processes has been extensively explored theoretically in contexts such as economic model predictive control or even considering the potential for cyberattacks on control systems creating non-standard operating policies, important practical questions remain regarding dynamic operation. In this work, we look at two of these with particular relevance to process safety: (1) evaluating dynamic operating policies with respect to process equipment fidelity and (2) evaluating procedures for determining the parameters of an advanced control law that can promote both dynamic operation as well as safety if appropriately designed. Regarding the first topic, we utilize computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis simulations to analyze how cyberattacks on control systems could impact a metric for stress in equipment (maximum Von Mises stress) over time. Subsequently, we develop reduced-order models showing how both a process variable and maximum Von Mises stress vary over time in response to temperature variations at the boundary of the equipment, to use in evaluating how advanced control frameworks might impact and consider the stress. We close by investigating options for obtaining parameters of an economic model predictive control design that would need to meet a variety of theoretical requirements for safety guarantees to hold. This provides insights on practical safety aspects of control theory, and also indicates relationships between control and design from a safety perspective that highlight further relationships between design and control under dynamic operation to deepen perspectives from the computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis discussions.     

A thermal hazard risk evaluation of emulsion polymerisation and vinyl acetate monomers in the latex manufacturing process

Latex is extensively used in industrial products. However, completing some processes at scale leads to unacceptable levels of risk that need to be quantified and mitigated. Systemic risks must be eliminated wherever possible, and safety takes priority over efficiency and quality. To assess the process risks accurately, four raw materials were examined in this study: polyvinyl acetate (PVA), latex process-initiator-ammonium persulfate (APS) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and vinyl acetate monomer (VAM). The physicochemical composition of the PVA latex process was determined via calorimeters, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vent sizing package 2 (VSP2). The calorimetry results showed that the protective colloid was a critical component in the polymerisation reaction. In addition, when adding initiators to the system, it is vital to observe the normal ratio of materials and keep the stirring system operating. The scenario system also simulated the effects of shutting down various inhibitory programs, including the build-up of free radicals that could result in a runaway reaction when the initiator was added in excess. On the other hand, the result of the risk matrix displayed as a medium level, indicating that although the probability of an accident is low, the resulting severity is at disaster level. As a result, this study provides process safety engineers with a reliable frame of reference for assessing the potential dangers in the PVA latex manufacturing process.     

ISO 14 001 at the farm level: analysis of five methods for evaluating the environmental impact of agricultural practices

Faced with society's increasing expectations, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) review considers environmental management to be an ever more critical criterion in the allocation of farm subsidies. With the goal of evaluating the environmental friendliness of farm practices, France's agricultural research and extension services have built a range of agricultural/environmental diagnostic tools over recent years. The objective of the present paper is to compare the five tools most frequently used in France: IDEA, DIAGE, DIALECTE, DIALOGUE and INDIGO. All the tools have the same purpose: evaluation of the impact of farm practices on the environment via indicators and monitoring of farm management practices. When tested on a sample of large-scale farms in Picardie, the five tools sometimes produced completely different results: for a given farm, the most supposedly significant environmental impacts depend on the tool used. These results lead to differing environmental management plans and raise the question of the methods' pertinence. An analysis grid of diagnostic tools aimed at specifying their field of validity, limits and relevance was drawn up. The resulting comparative analysis enables to define each tool's domain of validity and allows to suggest lines of thought for developing more relevant tools for (i) evaluating a farm's environmental performance and (ii) helping farmers to develop a plan for improving practices within the framework of an environmental management system.     

基于结构方程的旅游环境承载系统耦合关联与作用机理

构建旅游环境承载力评价体系,运用耦合度指数和结构方程模型揭示山东半岛蓝色经济区旅游环境承载系统的耦合演化规律和动态关联特征.研究表明,半岛蓝色经济区7市各子系统的承载指数均呈增长态势,各承载子系统之间存在耦合作用,协调发展水平均稳步上升,生态承载子系统对经济承载子系统产生正影响,社会承载子系统可通过生态承载子系统对经济承载子系统产生正向影响力.     

光伏企业低碳发展目标指标和实施路径研究

企业低碳发展是实现低碳经济的重要途径，有助于企业降低生产和运营成本，提升企业竞争力。结合国内外企业低碳发展经验和国内低碳发展政策背景，以光伏企业为案例，通过调查企业碳排放数据，建立企业低碳发展目标和关键目标指标体系，研究了企业低碳发展的实施路径，并提出企业低碳发展的建议和思考。     

Population Trends in Pacific Oceanic Sharks and the Utility of Regulations on Shark Finning

Accurate assessment of shark population status is essential for conservation but is often constrained by limited and unreliable data. To provide a basis for improved management of shark resources, we analyzed a long‐term record of species‐specific catches, sizes, and sexes of sharks collected by onboard observers in the western and central Pacific Ocean from 1995 to 2010. Using generalized linear models, we estimated population‐status indicators on the basis of catch rate and biological indicators of fishing pressure on the basis of median size to identify trends for blue (Prionace glauca), mako (Isurus spp.), oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus), and silky (Carcharhinus falciformis) sharks. Standardized catch rates of longline fleets declined significantly for blue sharks in the North Pacific (by 5% per year [CI 2% to 8%]), for mako sharks in the North Pacific (by 7% per year [CI 3% to 11%]), and for oceanic whitetip sharks in tropical waters (by 17% per year [CI 14% to 20%]). Median lengths of silky and oceanic whitetip sharks decreased significantly in their core habitat, and almost all sampled silky sharks were immature. Our results are consistent with results of analyses of similar data sets. Combined, these results and evidence of targeted fishing for sharks in some regional fisheries heighten concerns for sustainable utilization, particularly for oceanic whitetip and North Pacific blue sharks. Regional regulations that prohibit shark finning (removal of fins and discarding of the carcass) were enacted in 2007 and are in many cases the only form of control on shark catches. However, there is little evidence of a reduction of finning in longline fisheries. In addition, silky and oceanic whitetip sharks are more frequently retained than finned, which suggests that even full implementation of and adherence to a finning prohibition may not substantially reduce mortality rates for these species. We argue that finning prohibitions divert attention from assessing whether catch levels are sustainable and that the need for management of sharks should not be addressed by measures that are simple to implement but complex to enforce and evaluate. Tendencias Poblacionales de Tiburones del Océano Pacífico y la Utilidad de Regulaciones sobre Cercenamiento de Aletas     

A Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (CED), life cycle based,for industrial waste management decision making

Life cycle thinking is a good approach to be used for environmental decision-support, although the complexity of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies sometimes prevents their wide use. The purpose of this paper is to show how LCA methodology can be simplified to be more useful for certain applications.In order to improve waste management in Catalonia (Spain), a Cumulative Energy Demand indicator (LCA-based) has been used to obtain four mathematical models to help the government in the decision of preventing or allowing a specific waste from going out of the borders. The conceptual equations and all the subsequent developments and assumptions made to obtain the simplified models are presented.One of the four models is discussed in detail, presenting the final simplified equation to be subsequently used by the government in decision making.The resulting model has been found to be scientifically robust, simple to implement and, above all, fulfilling its purpose: the limitation of waste transport out of Catalonia unless the waste recovery operations are significantly better and justify this transport.     

沙尘现象与不发育荒漠化生态损失的关系探讨

本文从生态破坏因子沙尘暴，扬沙等负蚀现象入手，根据自然尘的地域来源分布及地理条件，论证了沙尘现象与不发育的荒漠化生态损失的关系，进而对内蒙古中西部生态环境的脆弱性和发展趋势进行分析。     

不同特征污染源中指示性药物和个人护理品识别与筛选

通过分析我国地表水中药物和个人护理品（PPCPs）主要污染源排放特征,识别和筛选出咖啡因、卡马西平和磺胺嘧啶为我国地表水环境中的指示性PPCPs（i-PPCPs）,分别指征城镇生活污水、城镇污水处理厂出水和养殖废水三类特征污染排放源.同时,基于筛选的i-PPCPs开展了初步应用研究,结果表明,生活污水是北运河和黄浦江流域地表水中PPCPs的主要来源.研究结果为构建更综合和有效的PPCPs的溯源体系,识别我国城市地表水环境中PPCPs的主要排放源提供了理论依据.     

天然高寒草地转变为混播人工草地对土壤微生物群落特征的影响

为了研究天然高寒草地转变为混播人工草地对土壤微生物群落的影响,采用高通量测序技术分析了青海省共和县的天然以及由天然转变为混播人工草地样地土壤中的微生物群落.结果表明,天然草地转变为混播人工草地后植被物种多样性和土壤有机质含量显著下降(P<0.05).在两块样地共检测到29个细菌门和11个真菌门的微生物.天然草地转变为人工草地后,土壤细菌的多样性显著升高,细菌的香农指数从9.51增加到9.89;土壤真菌的多样性降低但差异不显著.与天然草地相比,人工草地的土壤细菌与真菌群落结构、组成均发生了明显的变化,细菌群落结构与总有机质的含量、总氮含量和土壤含水量显著相关,真菌群落结构与总有机质含量和土壤含水量显著相关.线性判别分析(LEfSe)结果表明,暗黑菌门细菌(Atribacteria)和子囊菌门真菌(Ascomycota)可作为天然草地的指示微生物类群,出芽菌属细菌(Gemmata)和发菌科真菌(Trichocomaceae)可作为人工草地的指示微生物类群.利用Tax4Fun2对细菌群落功能的预测发现,天然草地向人工草地的转变影响了细菌群落对不同碳源的利用潜力.