Experimental and theoretical research on the inhibition performance of ethanol gasoline/air explosion by C6F12O

The safety issue of ethanol gasoline and the methods to control or weaken its explosion have attracted attention. To clarify the effect of C₆F₁₂O (perfluoro(2-methyl-3-pentanone)) on the explosion of ethanol gasoline-air mixtures and intrinsic mechanism, the explosion overpressure and flame propagation behavior under different equivalence ratios (φ = 0.6–0.8) and C₆F₁₂O concentrations (χ_inh = 0–4.0%) were experimentally obtained. The detailed inhibitor reaction process was also obtained by CHEMKIN based on a new assembly kinetic mechanism. The results show that the effects of C₆F₁₂O on the explosion characteristics of ethanol gasoline varied with χ_inh and φ. For rich flames, C₆F₁₂O is more effective than and heptafluoropropane (C₃HF₇) and nitrogen (N₂) in suppressing explosions; for lean and equivalence ratio flames, the addition of C₆F₁₂O may result in more severe explosions. The decrease in chemical reactivity is mainly because the mole fractions of OH and H radicals and the proportion of paths H radicals involved decrease after adding C₆F₁₂O, and R1500: CF₃COF + H = CF₃CO + HF, R965: CF₂:O + H = CF:O + HF, R863: CF₃ + H = CF₂ + HF are main suppressing reactions.     

Experimental investigation of the performance of modified expanded graphite powder doped with zinc borate in extinguishing sodium fires

Sodium is the main cooling medium in the circuit of fourth-generation nuclear reactors, and its leakage constitutes a severe fire hazard because of its high chemical activity. In this study, expandable graphite (EG), which is a traditional sodium fire-extinguishing agent, was modified with zinc borate (ZB) as an intercalator, and the modified EG_ZB was characterized. Moreover, the effectiveness of the modified EG_ZB in extinguishing sodium fires was tested using a self-developed fire-extinguishing experimental device. This study's results indicated that EG, EG_ZB had a smaller particle size, higher thermal stability, higher fire-extinguishing speed, and lower powder mass consumption than EG. During the fire-extinguishing process, ZnO decomposed by ZB captured free radicals and inhibited the combustion reaction. Furthermore, B₂O₃ was adsorbed on the surface of the EG layer, which strengthened covering and asphyxiation. The findings of this study provide crucial information for effectively controlling fires caused by active metals and metallo-organic compounds.     

Holocene fire history from the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, New South Wales, Australia: the climate, humans and fire nexus

This study presents a reconstruction of the fire activity of the last ~14,200 cal. years BP (before AD 1950) from Gooches Crater Right, located on the Newnes Plateau, approximately 150 km to the west of Sydney (~33°27′S, 150°16′E) within the Blue Mountains National Park. Charcoal analysis and palynology were undertaken with the aim of untangling any inter-relationship between climate, humans and fire. A chronology of the site was provided by radiocarbon dating. The dominant control on fire in this environment during the Holocene appears to be climate. Periods of climate change, identified in previous studies, are associated with higher levels of fire activity. Fire was less ubiquitous between ~9,000 and 6,000 years BP, a period normally described as having a higher effective moisture in south-eastern Australia. The mid-Holocene fluctuations in charcoal may reflect anthropogenic fire, climate forcing or alternatively human responses to any climate change. Coeval changes in palaeoclimatic sequences elsewhere and palynology at the site support a climatic explanation or that Aboriginal people used fire within a climatic framework.     

Demographic Consequences of Terrestrial Habitat Loss for Pool‐Breeding Amphibians: Predicting Extinction Risks Associated with Inadequate Size of Buffer Zones

Abstract: Much of the biodiversity associated with isolated wetlands requires aquatic and terrestrial habitat to maintain viable populations. Current federal wetland regulations in the United States do not protect isolated wetlands or extend protection to surrounding terrestrial habitat. Consequently, some land managers, city planners, and policy makers at the state and local levels are making an effort to protect these wetland and neighboring upland habitats. Balancing human land‐use and habitat conservation is challenging, and well‐informed land‐use policy is hindered by a lack of knowledge of the specific risks of varying amounts of habitat loss. Using projections of wood frog (Rana sylvatica) and spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) populations, we related the amount of high‐quality terrestrial habitat surrounding isolated wetlands to the decline and risk of extinction of local amphibian populations. These simulations showed that current state‐level wetland regulations protecting 30 m or less of surrounding terrestrial habitat are inadequate to support viable populations of pool‐breeding amphibians. We also found that species with different life‐history strategies responded differently to the loss and degradation of terrestrial habitat. The wood frog, with a short life span and high fecundity, was most sensitive to habitat loss and isolation, whereas the longer‐lived spotted salamander with lower fecundity was most sensitive to habitat degradation that lowered adult survival rates. Our model results demonstrate that a high probability of local amphibian population persistence requires sufficient terrestrial habitat, the maintenance of habitat quality, and connectivity among local populations. Our results emphasize the essential role of adequate terrestrial habitat to the maintenance of wetland biodiversity and ecosystem function and offer a means of quantifying the risks associated with terrestrial habitat loss and degradation.     

Catastrophic Reproductive Failure, Terrestrial Survival, and Persistence of the Marbled Salamander

Abstract:  Wide variation in reproductive success is common among amphibians that breed in seasonal ponds, but persistence of adults can buffer against these fluctuations, particularly for long-lived species. We hypothesized that the frequent episodes of catastrophic failure of the marbled salamander ( Ambystoma opacum ) enhance the importance of high terrestrial survival. At Rainbow Bay in South Carolina reproductive success was poor (<1 metamorph/breeding female) in nearly half of the 22 years that the species bred. Complete failure occurred in 6 of 22 years. To study catastrophic failure, we adapted an age-structured, individual-based model with density-dependent growth and survival of larvae. The model was based on extensive data from local field studies and experiments. With consistently good survival in the pond stages, the simulated population required survival probabilities in the upland stages (juveniles and adults) near 0.5/year to persist and near 0.8/year to achieve the increases observed. Catastrophic failure, occurring randomly with probability 0.5/year, created additional fluctuations in the population, raised the thresholds of survival required for persistence, and caused extinction under conditions that were otherwise favorable. The marbled salamander at Rainbow Bay is not at great risk of extinction because of catastrophic failure, but the risk increases dramatically if life span is decreased or frequency of failure is increased. Any reduction in terrestrial survival will have deleterious consequences by reducing the breeding populations at equilibrium, even if it does not jeopardize persistence. Our model provides assessments of risk that can be applied to poorly studied species with similar life histories, such as the endangered flatwoods salamander ( A. cingulatum ).     

磷酸铵盐亚纳米粉体灭火性能实验研究

使用溶剂-非溶剂法制备了粒径达到亚纳米量级（300nm-500mm）的磷酸铵盐灭火剂,建立了1．2m×1．2m×1．2m的小尺度灭火实验平台,开展了灭油池火和木垛火的全淹没灭火实验,对磷酸铵盐亚纳米粉体的灭火性能进行了研究,并与普通磷酸铵盐粉体的灭火性能进行了比较。实验结果显示磷酸铵盐亚纳米粉体的灭火性能要明显高于普通粉体,并且在低压下就可以获得很好的灭火果。工作压力的增加会缩短粉体的灭火时间,但是对于磷酸铵盐亚纳米粉体灭木垛火的情况,由于灭火时间相差示大,反而会导致灭火剂用量增加。     

火灾下匀质防火保护钢构件温度计算(Ⅰ):理论与公式

介绍了火灾下有匀质防火层保护的钢构件温度计算的一维传热模型。给出了求解该模型的相关边界条件和假定,并给出求解该一维传热模型在不同边界条件下的解。通过分析三种典型防火材料保护下、截面系数不同的三种截面的升温,比较了由我国规范CECS200、欧洲规范、欧钢协标准、美国规范及其他学者推荐的方法得到的结果,并对照有限元结果,考察了不同计算方法的有效性。结果表明,CECS200与国外规范给出的结果符合良好且略微偏高。通过计算典型截面在不同耐火极限要求下的最小保护层厚度,比较了各国规范的设计结果。结果显示,由不同规范推荐的公式计算得到的最小保护层厚度相差不大。CECS200计算的最小保护层厚度与国外规范一致,与欧洲规范得到的结果基本相同。研究表明,在标准火灾环境中我国规范给出的方法合理有效且形式简单便于工程运用。     

Numerical simulation of small-scale pool fires of LNG

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been largely indicated as a promising alternative solution for the transportation and storage of natural gas. In the case of accidental release on the ground, a pool fire scenario may occur. Despite the relevance of this accident, due to its likelihood and potential to trigger domino effects, accurate analyses addressing the characterization of pool fires of LNG are still missing.In this work, the fire dynamic simulator (FDS) has been adopted for the evaluation of the effects of the released amount of fuel and its composition (methane, ethane, and propane), on the thermal and chemical properties of small-scale LNG pool fire. More specifically, the heat release rate, the burning rate, the flame height, and thermal radiation, at different initial conditions, have been evaluated for pool having diameter smaller than 10 m. Safety distances have been calculated for all the investigated conditions, as well.Results have also been compared with data and correlations retrieved from the current literature. The equation of Thomas seems to work properly for the definition of the height over diameter ratio of the LNG pool fire for all the mixture and the investigated diameters.The addition of ethane and propane significantly affects the obtained results, especially in terms of radiative thermal radiation peaks, thus indicating the inadequacy of the commonly adopted assumption of pure methane as single, surrogate species for the LNG mixture.     

Effect of admixture of solid inertant on fire hazard of dust layers oriented at varying degrees of inclination

Unlike metallic dust layers, the layer flammability levels (LFL) of non-metallic dust layers exhibit a wide range from Class 1 (No self-sustained combustion) to Class 6 (explosive combustion). However, determinations of layer flammability have not considered the effect of inclination angle, thereby potentially underestimating fire hazard of combustible dust layers in many industrial situations. In this research, inclined dust layers showed greater fire hazard than did horizontally oriented dust layers. For example, LFL of wood dust jumped from class 3 to class 5 when layers were positioned with an incline. Flame spread rate of PMMA dust layers increased from 1.8 to 3.6 mm/s when the angle of inclination increased from 0 to 40°. Even small amounts of solid inertant significantly decreased surface layer fires. The required amount of inertant to completely inert layer fires was far less than that for smoldering layer fires or dust explosions.     

氯化钠/纳米疏水二氧化硅超细干粉制备及灭火性能研究

选用氯化钠为基体制备金属火灾超细干粉灭火剂。应用反溶剂法对其改性,使纳米疏水二氧化硅吸附在氯化钠晶体表面,其中分散剂为PEG-1000。结果表明,纳米疏水二氧化硅的添加有利于细化氯化钠颗粒,但过量的添加会起反作用,最佳用量为3 wt%左右,平均粒径为2.18μm。镁片灭火实验证明超细复合干粉的灭火性能明显好于传统氯化钠灭火剂(商用D类灭火剂),纳米疏水二氧化硅最佳添加量为3 wt%,此时灭火时间仅需传统灭火剂的一半。最后利用FDS5.0模拟干粉颗粒与燃烧火焰作用过程,模拟结果表明干粉覆盖对火焰具有一定的抑制效果,并分析了复合干粉灭火机理。