Applications of dust explosion hazard and disaster prevention technology

Powdered materials are widely used in industrial processes, chemical processing, and nanoscience. Because most flammable powders and chemicals are not pure substances, their flammability and self-heating characteristics cannot be accurately identified using safety data sheets. Therefore, site staff can easily underestimate the risks they pose. Flammable dust accidents are frequent and force industrial process managers to pay attention to the characteristics of flammable powders and create inherently safer designs.This study verified that although the flammable powders used by petrochemical plants have been tested, some powders have different minimum ignition energies (MIEs) before and after drying, whereas some of the powders are released of flammable gases. These hazard characteristics are usually neglected, leading to the neglect of preventive parameters for fires and explosions, such as dust particle size specified by NFPA-654, MIE, the minimum ignition temperature of the dust cloud, the minimum ignition temperature of the dust layer, and limiting oxygen concentration. Unless these parameters are fully integrated into process hazard analysis and process safety management, the risks cannot be fully identified, and the reliability of process hazard analysis cannot be improved to facilitate the development of appropriate countermeasures. Preventing the underestimation of process risk severity due to the fire and explosion parameters of unknown flammable dusts and overestimation of existing safety measures is crucial for effective accident prevention.     

不同埋管形式能量桩换热性能与承载性能的对比研究

目前对能量桩热-力学特性的研究大多数针对U形埋管桩基,对螺旋形埋管能量桩的研究多集中在换热性能方面。为探究不同埋管形式导致的能量桩热-力学效应的差异,首先建立了并联双螺旋形、双螺旋形及W形埋管能量桩的三维数值仿真模型,以数值仿真软件COMSOL Multiphysics对现场试验的仿真复现验证了模型的可靠性。之后,对3种埋管形式能量桩吸放热过程中的热、力学行为进行了模拟,分析了其换热性能(出口水温、单位管长换热量)、桩心温度变化及附加温度荷载、轴力及桩身位移等。结果表明:双螺旋形埋管换热效果较好,有利于提高热泵系统性能;W形埋管能量桩桩体温度、附加温度荷载较其他两种大。     

人工湿地型微生物燃料电池研究进展述评

湿地型微生物燃料电池(Constructed Wetland-Microbial Fuel Cell,CW-MFC)由人工湿地和微生物燃料电池耦合而成,因其具有丰富的微生物种群和较强的电极催化活性,在水质净化和生物产电领域有着良好的应用前景。从CWMFC反应器结构、电极材料及电极布置、填充材料、湿地植物、微生物和运行参数等几个方面对其研究和应用现状进行述评。总体上,大多数CW-MFC系统的产电效果并不理想,普遍净能量回收率小于0.050(kW·h)/kg COD,但在污染物处理去除方面效果显著,COD去除率基本可以达到80%以上。目前,上流式的垂直流运行模式是最合理且常用的运行模式,颗粒状的石墨或者活性炭与金属集电器的组合则是理想的电极材料,较小电极间距、多电极和扩大阴极的电极布置可有效提高系统产电性能,脱水明矾污泥是最具有研究价值的填料。此外,湿地植物会明显提高CW-MFC产电性能,其影响因素包括根际微生物活性、根际分泌物、根际沉积物、径向泌氧、光合作用;湿地植物和电系统还会促进微生物种群增长从而提高系统性能。CW-MFC中的污染物负荷、HRT(大多为3 d)、运行温度(20~40℃)和pH值(7~9)也是提高系统性能的关键因素。总结了未来CW-MFC所面临的挑战及研究方向,包括如何提高产电效率补充能源消耗、新兴污染物的降解及降解机理的研究,以及与其他工艺的联合应用。     

滨海新区能源消费驱动因素完全分解研究

运用完全分解模型详细研究了2000-2007年间滨海新区能源消费总量变化的过程。结果表明,2000-2007年期间,经济规模扩张因素所产生的增长效应对滨海新区能源消费总量的持续增长起主导作用。与此同时,产业结构的变动对能源消费的减量作用为负面的,技术进步因素产生的能源强度效应则是推动滨海新区能源消费减量的主要因素。笔者认为,推动产业结构的跨越式演进以及在未来城市规划中增加能源消费总量约束性的发展指标是滨海新区实现能源消费总量降低的重要途径和手段。     

Predicting national sustainability: The convergence of energetic,economic and environmental realities

The “constraint space” dictated by energetic, economic and environmental realities on scenarios for future organization of humanity and nature is explored from the perspective of the energy and resources driving economies. Net energy of energy sources is presented as an index (Emergy Yield Ratio; EYR) that must be evaluated for energy sources to better understand their potential contributions to society, but more important, as an indicator of the changes needed in the future if lower net yielding sources are to be relied upon. An aggregate EYR was calculated for the USA economy and shown to have decreased by 38% since 1950, from 11/1 to 6.8/1. Several measures of efficiency at the scale of national economies are explored and the data suggest that the most efficient economies are also the most energetically intense (as measured by empower intensity). An index of environmental loading is suggested as a measure to evaluate environmental efficacy. An obvious outcome is that the smallest most energetically intense countries have the highest environmental loads, and those with large land area and/or continental shelves have the lowest ratios. An Emergy Sustainability Index (EmSI) is defined, computed for countries, and proposed as a multi-dimensional measure of long-term sustainability. The most sustainable economies are those with the highest EYR and lowest environmental loads.     

典型危险废物的工程力学特性

掌握填埋废物的工程力学特性是确保危险废物填埋堆体稳定性的重要前提条件,因此,针对6种典型危险废物的工程力学特性开展了调查研究.研究结果表明,污泥类危险废物的含水率和有机质含量远高于非污泥类危险废物,而前者的比重则显著低于后者.污泥类危险废物的渗透系数相对较小,比污染土壤和飞灰炉渣混合物的渗透系数小1个数量级,比滤池填料的渗透系数小2个数量级.不同危险废物的无侧限抗压强度排序为:飞灰炉渣混合物(314.3 kPa)和滤池填料(278.9 kPa)＞污染土壤(124.9 kPa)＞杭州氧气厂污泥(68.6 kPa)、锌铬污泥(71.4 kPa)、油泥(58.4 kPa).不同危险废物的粘聚力排序为:飞灰炉渣混合物(40.8 kPa)、滤池填料(31.1 kPa)＞污染土壤(20.9 kPa)＞杭州氧气厂污泥(1.94kPa)、锌铬污泥(3.10 kPa)、油泥(1.81 kPa).此外,不同危险废物的内摩擦角差异相对较小,其变化范围在18.8°～35.0°之间.综合分析可知,飞灰炉渣混合物和滤池填料的工程力学特性较好,而污泥类危险废物的工程力学特性则较差.     

云南省能源消耗与经济增长关系的实证研究

根据云南省36年主要年份能源消耗的统计数据以及相应年份人均GDP统计数据,对单位GDP能源消耗与人均GDP之间的相关关系进行了分析,选取相关能耗指标(煤炭消耗量、石油消耗量、天然气消耗量、电力消耗量),建立两者之间的计量模型,并在此基础上分析单位GDP能源消耗与人均GDP增长的关系。经研究发现,云南省单位GDP能源消耗与人均GDP增长呈类似于EKC的倒U型曲线,且当今曲线已过转折点,单位GDP能源消耗随人均GDP增长将持续下降。因此,有必要采取有力措施进一步降低单位GDP能源消耗,倡导"循环经济"、"绿色GDP"等,使曲线走势向更加良好、完善的方向演变。     

PREDICTION OF STREAM TEMPERATURE IN FORESTED WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: Removal of streamside vegetation changes the energy balance of a stream, and hence its temperature. A common approach to mitigating the effects of logging on stream temperature is to require establishment of buffer zones along stream corridors. A simple energy balance model is described for prediction of stream temperature in forested headwater watersheds that allows evaluation of the performance of such measures. The model is designed for application to “worst case” or maximum annual stream temperature, under low flow conditions with maximum annual solar radiation and air temperature. Low flows are estimated via a regional regression equation with independent variables readily accessible from GIS databases. Testing of the energy balance model was performed using field data for mostly forested basins on both the west and east slopes of the Cascade Mountains, and was then evaluated using the regional equations for low flow and observed maximum reach temperatures in three different east slope Cascades catchments. A series of sensitivity analyses showed that increasing the buffer width beyond 30 meters did not significantly decrease stream temperatures, and that other vegetation parameters such as leaf area index, average tree height, and to a lesser extent streamside vegetation buffer width, more strongly affected maximum stream temperatures.     

Effects of Storage Time on Properties of Soybean Protein-Based Plastics

Soybean protein has been considered as a potential biodegradable polymer in the manufacture of plastics. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the effect of storage time on thermal and mechanical properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI) plastics. SPI was separated from defatted soy flour, modified with 1M or 2M urea, or plasticized with glycerol, and compression molded into plastics. Plastic made from SPI alone was used as a control. For all SPI plastics, glass transition temperatures and dynamic storage modulus increased and loss tangent decreased during storage. Excess enthalpy of relaxation of all SPI plastics had an exponential relationship with storage time, indicating a fast aging rate at the beginning of storage. All SPI plastics tended to be stiff and brittle during storage. The plastics with glycerol had the slowest aging rate and were fairly stable after 60 days, with about 8.8 MPa tensile strength and 168% strain at break. Plastics with the 2M urea-modification SPI also had a slow aging rate and became relative stable after 60 days, with about 10 MPa tensile strength and 72% elongation.     

Indicators for sustainable energy development: Brazil's case study

This article summarizes the results of the project on indicators for sustainable energy development (ISED) in Brazil. The project's aim was to present energy related economic, social and environmental data to policy makers in a coherent and consistent form, showing interlinkages, time‐series and cross‐sectoral analyses and assess energy policy. Two priority areas assessed by these indicators, regarding the country's energy supply and demand, helped in the identification of a number of energy policy options that focused on specific aspects of the country's energy sector. On the supply side, these options include the development and stimulation of renewable energy, such as small‐scale hydroelectric, wind, solar photovoltaic power and bagasse cogeneration; stimulation of programmes for ethanol use as automotive fuel and sugarcane bagasse cogeneration; and implementation of natural gas‐fired, combined heat and power (CHP) plants. On the demand side, policy options include: the full implementation of the law on efficiency standards for appliances; expansion of utility investment in end‐use energy efficiency; adoption of targets and protocols to reduce energy intensity in the industrial sector; improvement of passenger transport efficiency; and the creation of a fund to improve energy affordability for the poor.