Emergency shutdown of fluidized bed reaction systems

With several industrial applications of fluidized bed technology recently commercialized worldwide, it becomes essential to develop safe operation methods for fluidized bed reaction systems (FBRSs) to prevent any influence on their process values, which lead to accidents. To preventing any disaster or malfunction in an FBRS, an emergency shutdown system (ESD) is initiated, closing the reaction system in case of any abnormality by effectively isolating the flammable gas. However, an ESD is also prone to the “inactivation problem,” in which in the case of failure it initiates the emergency shutdown, even when the operating conditions of the reaction system are abnormal. It is also vulnerable to a “malfunction problem,” where the emergency shutdown is performed even when the operating conditions of the reaction system are normal. In this study, these problems were solved by investigating a reaction system through the monitoring of appropriate parameters and setting up of trigger levels, which reflect the uniqueness of an FBRS using an ESD. The parameters were identified by analyzing the scenario leading to an accident. The trigger levels were determined as the points at which the loss is smaller in the presence of an ESD, as compared to the value of the loss function in the presence or absence of an ESD. Furthermore, the ESD design model was applied as a case study in the ammoxidation process of propylene. The results showed that an ESD can prevent an approximately 8 billion yen of loss due to accidents in plant operations, against an investment of 200 million yen.     

An LC-MS/MS method for creatine and creatinine analysis in paraquat-intoxicated patients

Abstract

A sudden increase in serum creatinine after paraquat intoxication has been reported in several clinical studies. However, this dramatic change of creatinine may be possibly due to an interconversion of creatine-creatinine in relation to paraquat toxicity. In order to investigate the creatine-creatinine relationship, a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in combination with electrospray ionization was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of creatine and creatinine in the serum. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Gemini® C₆-Phenyl column with a gradient elution consisting of 0.1% formic acid in ultrapure water and methanol as the mobile phase. The method yielded suitable levels of specificity and selectivity, and calibration curves of creatine and creatinine in serum were linear over the concentration range of 0.5–200?µg mL^?1. The limit of quantification of both compounds was 0.5?µg mL^?1, and the method was accurate within the recovery range of 96.23–102.75%, indicating the robustness of the method. The method was successfully applied to toxicological samples from paraquat-intoxicated patients, and the concentrations of creatine and creatinine were quantified. High creatine concentrations in serum samples were observed which may lead to high serum creatinine despite normal kidney function as creatine is converted to creatinine in proportion to its concentration.     

Injury risk functions for frontal oblique collisions

Objective: The objective of this article was the construction of injury risk functions (IRFs) for front row occupants in oblique frontal crashes and a comparison to IRF of nonoblique frontal crashes from the same data set.

Method: Crashes of modern vehicles from GIDAS (German In-Depth Accident Study) were used as the basis for the construction of a logistic injury risk model. Static deformation, measured via displaced voxels on the postcrash vehicles, was used to calculate the energy dissipated in the crash. This measure of accident severity was termed objective equivalent speed (oEES) because it does not depend on the accident reconstruction and thus eliminates reconstruction biases like impact direction and vehicle model year. Imputation from property damage cases was used to describe underrepresented low-severity crashes―a known shortcoming of GIDAS. Binary logistic regression was used to relate the stimuli (oEES) to the binary outcome variable (injured or not injured).

Results: IRFs for the oblique frontal impact and nonoblique frontal impact were computed for the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) 2+ and 3+ levels for adults (18–64 years). For a given stimulus, the probability of injury for a belted driver was higher in oblique crashes than in nonoblique frontal crashes. For the 25% injury risk at MAIS 2+ level, the corresponding stimulus for oblique crashes was 40 km/h but it was 64 km/h for nonoblique frontal crashes.

Conclusions: The risk of obtaining MAIS 2+ injuries is significantly higher in oblique crashes than in nonoblique crashes. In the real world, most MAIS 2+ injuries occur in an oEES range from 30 to 60 km/h.     

基于情感思维的安全管理模式研究

为促进安全管理,提高效率与效果,对基于情感思维的安全管理进行研究,将情感思维融于安全管理,基于情感思维的定义、内涵及功能,具体分析安全管理中情感思维的功能及其功能综合作用,建立安全管理中情感思维功能作用理论模型;根据该理论模型分析情感思维驱动力及强化作用及其对安全目标实现的影响;建立基于情感思维的安全管理设计模式,最后提出优化安全管理的措施与方法,以促进安全管理的实施。研究表明:基于情感思维的安全管理研究,能较好地体现安全管理人本原理,发挥情感的能动作用,将理性融入其中与情感进行平衡,实现安全管理的优化。     

基于ACF-AMDF的气井环空液面回波特征提取方法

为了精确有效地提取声波法检测气井环空液位的回波周期,在分析环空中测试波的传播特征及基音周期检测的基础上,提出1种基于检测信号短时自相关函数(ACF)及平均幅度差函数(AMDF)的液面回波周期提取方法;利用自主搭建的室内模拟实验系统开展了不同初始环空压力下环空液位检测实验;对检测信号进行中心削波处理并计算ACF/AMDF,提取出液面回波周期并与理论计算值对比分析;同时分析了现场环空液位检测信号,提取其回波周期。研究结果表明:提出的新方法能有效地用于提取环空液面回波周期;室内实验中,该方法最大误差绝对值为1.54%;该方法能够有效抑制液面回波信号中的随机噪声及接箍反射波等,处理后的信号曲线在回波周期处峰值更加突出、集中,而在其他位置更加平滑,提高了对液面回波周期特征的辨识能力。     

江苏省太湖流域水生态健康评估的初步实践及展望

阐述了水生态健康的内涵与意义,从江苏省率先在太湖流域开展水生态环境功能分区管理的顶层设计,构建以水生态健康指标为核心的水生态健康评估技术体系,地方对照水生态环境功能区划的水生态分级管控目标开展的应用与实践结果等3个方面,回顾了江苏省太湖流域水生态健康评估工作的主要进展,提出了完善水生态健康评估技术体系和推进流域水生态健康评估工作的建议。     

Variation in immune function, body condition, and feather corticosterone in nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) on reclaimed wetlands in the Athabasca oil sands, Alberta, Canada

In the Athabasca oil sands region of northern Alberta, mining companies are evaluating reclamation using constructed wetlands for integration of tailings. From May to July 2008, reproductive performance of 40 breeding pairs of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), plus growth and survival of nestlings, was measured on three reclaimed wetlands on two oil sands leases. A subset of nestlings was examined for i) feather corticosterone levels, ii) delayed-type hypersensitivity response, and iii) innate immune function. Nestlings on one of two wetlands created with oil sands process affected material (OSPM) were heavier and had greater wing-lengths, and mounted a stronger delayed-type hypersensitivity response compared those on the reference wetland. Corticosterone was significantly higher in male nestlings on one of two OSPM-containing wetland compared to the reference wetland. Body condition of 12-day-old female nestlings was inversely related to feather corticosterone. Under ideal weather conditions, reclaimed wetlands can support healthy populations of aerially-insectivorous birds.     

Impact of anthropogenic emissions and open biomass burning on regional carbonaceous aerosols in South China

Carbonaceous aerosols were studied at three background sites in south and southwest China. Hok Tsui in Hong Kong had the highest concentrations of carbonaceous aerosols (OC = 8.7 ± 4.5 μg/m³, EC = 2.5 ± 1.9 μg/m³) among the three sites, and Jianfeng Mountains in Hainan Island (OC = 5.8 ± 2.6 μg/m³, EC = 0.8 ± 0.4 μg/m³) and Tengchong mountain over the east edge of the Tibetan Plateau (OC = 4.8 ± 4.0 μg/m³, EC = 0.5 ± 0.4 μg/m³) showed similar concentration levels. Distinct seasonal patterns with higher concentrations during the winter, and lower concentrations during the summertime were observed, which may be caused by the changes of the regional emissions, and monsoon effects. The industrial and vehicular emissions in East, Southeast and South China, and the regional open biomass burning in the Indo-Myanmar region of Asia were probably the two major potential sources for carbonaceous matters in this region.     

基于GIS的景观生态功能指标分析

针对当前我国规划及战略环评指标体系中缺乏直接反映生态功能指标的问题,提出可通过系统研究区域景观生态结构与景观功能变化间的关系,由斑块面积指数计算生物生产力、由景观香农多样性指数和景观香农均匀度指数反映生态质量,以此表征景观生态功能。以地理信息系统（GIS）为平台,提出了利用基于斑块面积而得到的景观要素转移矩阵及基于年鉴统计而得到的景观单位面积生物生产力的转移矩阵来计算生物生产力的方法,并在统计若干研究流域景观格局异质性指数文献的基础上发掘了景观多样性指数、景观均匀度指数与生态质量间的关系。最后,以江苏省沿江地区2000、2004年的数据开展了实例分析,结果表明,提出的生物生产力和生态质量这两个指标确实能反映区域景观功能的变化,在今后的规划和战略环评中具有一定的应用前景.     

Bioanalytical characterisation of multiple endocrine- and dioxin-like activities in sediments from reference and impacted small rivers

A comprehensive evaluation of organic contamination was performed in sediments sampled in two reference and three impacted small streams where endocrine disruptive (ED) effects in fish have been evidenced. The approach combined quantitative chemical analyses of more than 50 ED chemicals (EDCs) and a battery of in vitro bioassays allowing the quantification of receptor-mediated activities, namely estrogen (ER), androgen (AR), dioxin (AhR) and pregnane X (PXR) receptors. At the most impacted sites, chemical analyses showed the presence of natural estrogens, organochlorine pesticides, parabens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (16 PAHs), bisphenol A and alkylphenols, while synthetic steroids, myco-estrogens and phyto-estrogens were not detected. Determination of toxic-equivalent amounts showed that 28-96% of estrogenic activities in bioassays (0.2-6.3 ng/g 17β-estradiol equivalents) were explained by 17β-estradiol and estrone. PAHs were major contributors (20-60%) to the total dioxin-like activities. Interestingly, high PXR and (anti)AR activities were detected; however, the targeted analysed compounds could not explain the measured biological activities. This study highlighted the presence of multiple organic EDCs in French river sediments subjected to mixed diffuse pollution, and argues for the need to further identify AR and PXR active compounds in the aquatic environment.