A CFD based explosion risk analysis methodology using time varying release rates in dispersion simulations

A full probabilistic Explosion Risk Analysis (ERA) is commonly used to establish overpressure exceedance curves for offshore facilities. This involves modelling a large number of gas dispersion and explosion scenarios. Capturing the time dependant build up and decay of a flammable gas cloud size along with its shape and location are important parameters that can govern the results of an ERA. Dispersion simulations using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are generally carried out in detailed ERA studies to obtain these pieces of information. However, these dispersion simulations are typically modelled with constant release rates leading to steady state results. The basic assumption used here is that the flammable gas cloud build up rate from these constant release rate dispersion simulations would mimic the actual transient cloud build up rate from a time varying release rate. This assumption does not correctly capture the physical phenomena of transient gas releases and their subsequent dispersion and may lead to very conservative results. This in turn results in potential over design of facilities with implications on time, materials and cost of a project.In the current work, an ERA methodology is proposed that uses time varying release rates as an input in the CFD dispersion simulations to obtain the fully transient flammable gas cloud build-up and decay, while ensuring the total time required to perform the ERA study is also reduced. It was found that the proposed ERA methodology leads to improved accuracy in dispersion results, steeper overpressure exceedance curves and a significant reduction in the Design Accidental Load (DAL) values whilst still maintaining some conservatism and also reducing the total time required to perform an ERA study.     

Application of Bayesian Regularization Artificial Neural Network in explosion risk analysis of fixed offshore platform

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is routinely used in Explosion Risk Analysis (ERA), as CFD-based ERA offers a good understanding of underlying physics accidental loads. Generally, simplifications were incorporated into CFD-based ERA to limit the number of simulations. Frozen Cloud Approach (FCA) is a frequently used simplification in the dispersion part of the CFD-based ERA procedure. However, its accuracy is questionable in the complex and congested environment such as offshore facility. Furthermore, in explosion part, some specific techniques, e.g. linear/double bin-interpolated techniques have been proposed while the corresponding accuracy is still unknown since the developers did not yet check their accuracy by considering the explosion computational data as the benchmark.This study presents a more accurate algorithm, namely Bayesian Regularization Artificial Neural Network (BRANN) and accordingly proposes the frameworks regarding BRANN-based models for the CFD-based ERA procedure. Firstly, the framework is proposed to develop the Transient-BRANN (TBRANN) model for transient dispersion study. In addition, the framework to determine the BRANN model for explosion study is developed. The proposed frameworks are explained by a case study of the fixed offshore platform. Consequently, this study confirms the more accuracy of the TBRANN model over FCA and the accuracy of BRANN model for CFD-based ERA.     

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study of heat radiation from large liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pool fires

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is flammable and has risks of pool fires during its transportation, storage, and applications. The heat radiation by LPG pool fires poses hazards to individuals nearby and can lead to potential failures of ambient facilities. Due to the high costs and invasive nature of experiments for investigating large-scale pool fires, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed in this study as the cost-effective and noninvasive method to simulate the process and analyze the characteristics of large hydrocarbon pool fires. Specifically, an experimentally validated 3-D CFD model has been built to simulate surface emissive power (SEP) and incident radiation of large-scale LPG pool fires with three different diameters and wind speeds. Steady-state simulations with P1 radiation and probability density function (PDF) combustion models were employed to obtain reliable data after the optimizations based on the comparisons with experimental data and empirical models. The comparison with benchmark experimental data demonstrates that the CFD model employed in this study can accurately predict the incident radiation of large LPG pool fires. A new SEP correlation is also proposed, which is specifically for LPG pool fires with a diameter between 10 m and 20 m. Additionally, the safe separation distances between LPG facilities and surrounded objects have been estimated based on the CFD simulation results. The high-resolution CFD model for large LPG pool fires in this work provides noninvasive and direct quantitative evidence to enhance the fundamental understanding on the safety of large LPG pool fires and can assist regulatory agencies in refining the safety limits in the cost-effective and time-saving manners.     

淹没条件对连续射流破碎含瓦斯煤效率影响研究

为研究淹没条件对射流破煤效率的削弱程度,基于ALE算法,借助Ansys/Ls dyna模拟软件,建立围压状态下非淹没及淹没射流破碎含瓦斯煤体流固耦合模型,通过动态追踪破碎坑体单元失效演化过程及内部应力分布等瞬时信息,探讨2种射流状态下破煤成坑过程及破煤效率的差异。研究结果表明:淹没射流与非淹没射流两者破煤坑体形态差异显著,非淹没射流条件下射流破煤坑体断面较窄,深度较深,破煤效率前后阶段差别不大;淹没射流条件下射流破煤坑体断面较宽,深度较浅,在初始阶段形成漏斗状的破碎坑体,而后逐渐向下延伸,在0～100 μs内破煤效率最高;相同工况、同一时间内,淹没射流平均破煤深度是非淹没射流平均破煤深度的41.46%。研究结果可为水射流技术的现场应用提供参考依据。     

石化行业控制室承爆风险评估方法研究

针对传统的气体爆炸风险评估方法的不足之处,提出采用一种基于CFD技术的气体爆炸风险评估方法,对某煤气化厂区氢气爆炸对控制室造成的风险进行模拟计算与预测分析。并把研究结果与传统的TNT当量法、Multi-Energy方法预测结果进行比较。结果表明,该方法能考虑到密集管道与复杂装置布局、气云大小等因素对爆炸超压的影响,且能用于超压波的近场预测,以及确定空间不同位置处的爆炸超压,更适用于石化行业控制室的承爆风险评估。     

Assessing supercritical fluid extraction for the analysis of fipronil,kresoxim-methyl,acrinathrin, and pyridaben residues in melon

An analytical method, using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), was assessed for residue analysis of the insecticides fipronil, acrinathrin and pyridaben and the fungicide kresoxim-methyl in melons. Extraction conditions were optimized on glass beads, as inert material, evaluating different pressures, temperatures, and CO₂ volumes. Also, the extractability of pesticides from hydromatrix and anhydrous magnesium sulfate was evaluated. Both adsorbents were evaluated for the preparation of SFE-spiked melon samples. Extractions of fortified samples were done using 20 mL of CO₂, 300 atm, and 50°C. Different extraction conditions, including the addition of water and methanol as a static modifier, were used to assess the extractability of these pesticides, and the addition of methanol was demonstrated to improve the extraction of all the studied pesticides.     

基于流场特性数值模拟的袋式除尘器关键结构设计研究综述

流场特性是影响袋式除尘器净化效果、除尘效率和使用寿命的关键因素,是优化或评价设备设计合理性的依据.本文在袋式除尘器工作原理分析基础上,明确了目前袋式除尘器研发中需要解决的关键问题,阐述了袋式除尘器内部流场数值模拟方法、流场特征评价指标、以及流场分布的关键影响因素,并重点归纳总结了常见结构设计因素对袋式除尘器流场特性的基本影响规律.以期通过该综述,可以为改善袋式除尘器内部流场性能的用户提供可以参考的结构设计方法.     

A study of chromosomal aberrations in amniotic fluid cell cultures

This paper represents the analysis of 1916 routine amniotic fluid specimens harvested by an in situ fixation technique in a prospective study with regard to cultural chromosome anomalies. Excluding constitutional abnormalities, 2·9 per cent of 19432 cells analysed showed some form of chromosome anomaly, terminal deletions (57 percent) and chromatid/chromosome breaks and gaps (18 per cent) being the most frequent, followed by interchange aberrations (13 per cent) and trisomy (5 per cent). No case was found of more than one colony from the same culture showing the same anomaly without it being present in other cultures from the same fluid. The wholly abnormal colonies had a surplus of trisomies and from the mathematical considerations presented one may infer that these are likely to reflect the presence of abnormal cells in the amniotic fluid. Partly abnormal colonies appeared at a frequency that would correspond to virtual absence of selection against chromosomally abnormal cells when cultured in vitro. The aberrations found were similar to those seen as single cell anomalies, except for chromatid breaks and exchanges. The data suggest a basic preferential induction of trisomy for chromosomes 2,18,21, and the Y-chromosome. Structural aberrations showed a marked clustering of breakpoints around the centromeres. The frequency of mutant cells was low (1·4 × 10⁻³) before culture was initiated. At harvest, the frequency of abnormal cells was much higher (3 × 10⁻²) corresponding to 3 × 10⁻³ mutations per cell per generation accumulating over approximately ten generations in vitro.     

大庆油田废钻井液对农作物的影响

为了阐明废钻井液对农作物的生物效应，以大庆油田典型的水基废钻井坡进行了玉米、大豆种子发芽率试验及大豆盆栽试验。试验结果表明：各浓度组玉米、大豆种子发芽率均在93％以上，废钻井液未对种子幼芽产生毒害作用；对盆栽大豆籽实中金属及有机污染指标未造成影响；对大豆中营养指标─—蛋白质含量有增加的趋势，其淀粉含量有显著增加效应，脂肪含量无影响；对大豆株高增效明显，相对平均增高21．03％，各浓度组千粒重无明显区别。