CFD simulation of shortstopping runaway reactions in vessels agitated with impellers and jets

Runaway reactions are continuing to be a problem in the chemical industry. A recent study showed that 26% of our major chemical plant accidents are due to runaways. The consequences of runaway reactions are usually mitigated with (a) reliefs and containment systems or (b) shortstopping (reaction inhibition). This study covers the concept of shortstopping.

One of the major reasons for runaways is power failure. In the advent of a power failure, mixing an inhibiting agent with the reactor contents is challenging. However, jets or impellers driven by a small generator can be used for mixing. This study compares shortstopping results in vessels agitated with jets and impellers using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A commercial CFD code, Fluent is used.

For shortstopping systems relying on jet mixing, angle and diameter of jet nozzle and jet velocity are the key design/operating parameters. For the systems with impellers, type, size and RPM of impeller are the key parameters. In this work, mixing with a jet mixer is first investigated for three nozzle diameters and two angles of injection. The best jet mixer configuration on the basis of mixing time is used for shortstopping studies. The simulated shortstopping results with the jet mixer are then compared with those obtained with impeller (Rushton and pitched blade turbine) stirred vessels. Our results identify the conditions for effective shortstopping; i.e., agitation requirements, locations for adding the inhibitor, and the quantity of inhibitor.

The distribution of excess inhibitor is shown to be an important and essential design criterion for effective shortstopping when using impeller stirred vessels. The comparative study with a single jet shows that jet mixer is ineffective when used for shortstopping. Efforts such as adding excess inhibitor and inhibition with higher reaction rates at the same power, proved to be ineffective when using jet mixer compared to the results with impellers.     

Vegetation and soil recovery in wilderness campsites closed to visitor use

Recreational use of wilderness results in impacts to vegetation and soil in trails and campsites. Traditionally, campsite impact studies have compared campsites receiving various levels of use with unused control areas. Field studies in Sequoia National Park, California, indicate that the degree of impact to vegetation and soils also varies within campsites. The central areas of campsites, where trampling is concentrated, show lower plant species diversity, differences in relative species cover, more highly compacted soils, and lower soil nutrient concentrations than do peripheral, moderately trampled, and untrampled areas within the same campsite. Three years after closure to visitor use, the central areas show less increase in mean foliar plant cover, and soils remain more highly compacted than in previously moderately trampled areas of the same sites. Changes in relative species cover over time are used to assess both resiliency to trampling and species composition recovery within campsites closed to visitor use.     

内河船舶大气污染物排放特征实测研究

为获得内河船舶航行时的大气污染物排放特征,本研究基于船舶尾气测试系统测试了珠三角西江水域内航行的5艘内河船舶,识别了内河船舶气态污染物瞬时排放特征及基于燃油消耗量的排放因子,并探讨了船舶排放的PM_(2.5)化学组分特征及来源.结果表明:船舶在巡航行驶状态下气态污染物的排放浓度变化都较为平稳,货船污染物排放浓度明显高于快艇.CO_2、CO、NO、NO_2、NO_x、SO_2与PM_(2.5)的排放因子范围分别是3135.90～3149.90、3.10～12.03、30.87～41.18、3.90～7.43、36.36～48.61、0.08～5.50、0.32～4.17 g·kg~(-1).内河船舶排放的PM_(2.5)中碳组分、水溶性离子和金属元素的贡献占比分别为43.8%～64.2%、9.7%～39.0%和0.6%～3.4%,其中,有机碳/元素碳(OC/EC)比值范围为0.40～2.69,OC可能受船舶制动影响较大,润滑油损耗是重要来源.