Application of fuzzy logic to explosion risk assessment

Safety and health of workers potentially being at risk from explosive atmospheres are regulated by separate regulations (ANSI/AIHA in USA and ATEX in the European Union). The ANSI/AIHA does not require risk assessment whereas it is compulsory for ATEX. There is no standard method to do that assessment. For that purpose we have applied the explosion Layer of Protection Analysis (ExLOPA), which enables semi-quantitative risk assessment for process plants where explosive atmospheres occur. The ExLOPA is based on the original work of CCPS for LOPA taking into account an explosion accident scenario at workplace. That includes typical variables appropriate for workplace explosion like occurrence of the explosive atmosphere, the presence of effective ignition sources, activity of the explosion prevention and mitigation independent protection layers as well as the severity of consequences. All those variables are expressed in the form of qualitative linguistic categories and relations between them are presented using expert based engineering knowledge, expressed in the form of appropriate set of rules. In this way the category of explosion risk may be estimated by the semi-quantitative analysis. However, this simplified method is connected with essential uncertainties providing over or under estimation of the explosion risk and may not provide real output data.In order to overcome this problem and receive more detailed quantitative results, the fuzzy logic system was applied. In the first stage called fuzzification, all linguistic categories of the variables are mapped by fuzzy sets. In the second stage, the number of relation between all variables of analysis are determined by the enumerative combinatorics and the set of the 810 fuzzy rules “IF-THEN” is received. Each rule enables determination of the fuzzy risk level for a particular accident scenario. In the last stage, called defuzzification, the crisp value of final risk is obtained using a centroid method. The final result of the risk presents a contribution of each risk category represented by the fuzzy sets (A, TA, TNA and NA) and is therefore more precise and readable than the traditional approach producing one category of risk only. Fuzzy logic gives a possibility of better insights into hazards and safety phenomena for each explosion risk scenario. It is not possible to receive such conclusions from the traditional ExLOPA calculation results. However it requires the application of computer-aided analyses which may be partially in conflict with a simplicity of ExLOPA.The practical example provides a comparison between the traditional results obtained by ExLOPA and by fuzzy ExLOPA methods.     

基于pH调控的城市污泥厌氧发酵产酸小试研究

本研究设计了热碱预处理-半连续流厌氧发酵污泥处理工艺,探究了p H对热碱预处理污泥产酸性能的影响,同时对发酵液作为碳源回用于污水厂强化脱氮除磷进行了质量衡算.在30 L厌氧发酵罐中考察了偏中性(p H=6.5)和碱性(p H=10.0)条件下热碱预处理污泥发酵的挥发性脂肪酸(VFA)产生及分布、蛋白质及碳水化合物的消耗和氮磷释放情况.结果表明,污泥热碱预处理-半连续流厌氧发酵工艺的VFA产量稳定,在p H为6.5和10.0的条件下,发酵罐中平均VFA产率分别为333.29 mg·g-1(以每g VS产生的COD(mg)计,下同)和250.64 mg·g-1,p H为6.5时产酸更稳定,且产量较高,但碱性条件更适合产乙酸.两种p H条件下的SCOD、溶解性蛋白质、溶解性多糖、氮和磷的释放都无较大差异.质量衡算结果表明,以处理量为50000 m3·d-1的城市污水处理厂为例,其产生的污泥经过热碱预处理-半连续流厌氧发酵产酸工艺,产生的VFA能够满足该污水处理厂脱氮除磷提标改造的碳源需求.     

北京市2018年春季一次沙尘回流过程的污染特征

通过监测数据分析,结合轨迹模拟和特征雷达图的分析结果,对2018年4月14~19日北京出现的一次沙尘天气过程进行分析.结果显示：依据ρ（PM_2.5）和ρ（PM₁₀）及其比值PM_2.5/PM₁₀[ρ（PM_2.5）/ρ（PM₁₀）,下同]的变化情况,此次沙尘过程可分为沙尘期、中间期、回流期和回流后期4个典型时期.沙尘期ρ（PM₁₀）平均值达到（278.5±83.7）μg/m³,明显高于回流期和回流后期,回流后期ρ（PM_2.5）平均值达到（135.5±16.9）μg/m³,明显高于回流期和沙尘期.沙尘期逐小时PM_2.5/PM₁₀<0.2,回流期和回流后期PM_2.5/PM₁₀比值分别介于0.3~0.6和0.5~0.8范围内.SO₄^2-、NO₃^-和NH₄⁺等（SNA）水溶性离子沙尘期浓度占比仅为7.3%±2.5%,沙尘回流期和回流后期SNA占比分别增长至47.0%±6.3%和51.3%±5.7%.研究表明,受天气系统影响,回流沙尘可裹挟南部的细颗粒和气态污染物输送到北京后发生累积和二次转化,从而推高PM_2.5浓度,因此发生沙尘回流时,区域内应加强一次污染物排放的管控力度,同时北京市需进一步加强机动车氮氧化物的排放监管.     

基于“潜力—支持力—恢复力”框架的村镇可持续发展能力及其类型甄别

科学判断村镇可持续发展能力,精准定位村镇发展类型,对于实现乡村振兴多元目标具有重要价值。以重庆市江津区为研究区,2017年为研究时点,从潜力、支持力与恢复力三个维度解析村镇可持续发展能力,从而构建评价指标体系与评价模型,分析村镇可持续发展能力空间分异特征及其类型。研究表明：（1）村镇可持续发展能力的强弱是潜力、支持力与恢复力三者共同作用的结果。（2）江津区村镇潜力呈现“北高南低”;支持力呈现“北高南低”;恢复力呈现“南高北低”;可持续发展能力呈现“西南高东北低,组团状分布”。（3）江津区村镇可划分为发展潜力挖潜型、城乡融合促进型、安全质量提升型与能力全面发展型四种可持续发展类型,进而提出差异化调控策略,以引导村镇可持续发展、增强县域综合实力。     

政府规制视角下我国环境信访成因解析

我国的环境规制在规制背景上先天不足,在规制手段上后天失调,在规制结构上倾斜失衡,在规制目标上好高骛远,以致在效果上低效、失效与无效,造成了环境信访问题的困局。针对当下环境信访的现状和问题,运用政府规制理论这个强有力的解释框架和分析工具探讨其成因较有说服力,也更令人信服。     

Dealing with uncertainty: a case study of controlling insect populations in natural ecosystems

This paper analyses the political process for handling an outbreak of an insect causing human allergic reactions. In the southern part of the Swedish island Gotland in the Baltic Sea, an outbreak of the northern pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pinivora, has occurred. With regard to the human nuisance and long-term effects on the tourist industry, demands have been raised for intervention to reduce and control the insect population. At the same time, there have been warnings against treating the insect population because there are knowledge gaps concerning the wider ecological consequences, including effects on biodiversity. This paper analyses the political process and its problem-solving efforts. Of particular interest is how it dealt with the issue of uncertainty. It was found that the uncertainty associated with the issue hindered the development of a shared understanding of the problem and a possible solution. There seems to be a growing need in society to develop the institutional capacity to handle complex issues that cross different sectors, regulatory frameworks and policy targets.     

Performance Evaluation of Land Use Regulation

Abstract

This article makes a quantitative study on economic performance of arable land protection and land use regulation with dummy variable model. It is shown that land use regulation is favorable for economic growth and protection of arable land and that there are still some problems in the implementation of land use regulation. Thus, it puts forward corresponding suggestion.     

陕北黄土高原生态环境治理的有效性: 产权残缺理论的分析视角

借助于现代产权经济学派的产权残缺理论。揭示陕北黄土高原生态环境治理困境的产权残缺及其根源。进而从产权配置的有效性视角，指出理顺国有公共资源产权配置的责权利关系与效率以及对此公共产权资源增值的分享，对于促进该地区生态治理的深入进行与改善是非常必要的。文章还针对该地区生态环境治理中的产权残缺及其低效性进行深刻剖析，并在此基础上提出了该地区生态环境综合治理的政策建议与措施：要明晰陕北黄土高原生态环境治理中的资源产权，建立资源产权明晰的产权有效保护规则，并以水权为例简要分析了其治理效果。     

A note on permits, standards, and technological innovation

Montero (J. Environ. Econom. Manage. 44 (2002) 23) contrasts the incentives to invest in new abatement technologies under different regulatory instruments and argues that one needs to consider the induced output effects that derive from lower abatement costs. Montero shows that, once one takes into account these effects on output, command-and-control instruments can generate stronger incentives to innovate than market-based instruments. This result rests on strategic output effects under command-and-control. However, he maintains that, under perfectly competitive conditions, market-based instruments will continue to weakly dominate command-and-control regulation. This note clarifies two issues raised by Montero. First, I use Montero's approach to show that in fact performance (concentration) standards will generate greater incentives to innovate than market-based instruments in perfectly competitive markets. One does not require strategic effects to get this result. Second, Montero abstracts from production costs and concentrates solely on abatement costs. He implicitly assumes that marginal production costs are constant. I show that some of Montero's results change once increasing marginal production costs are considered. When marginal costs are increasing, the benefit of additional output is tempered and market-based instruments again look more favorable.     

METHODOLOGY OF DELINEATING WELLHEAD PROTECTION ZONES IN CRYSTALLINE BEDROCK IN MAINE1

ABSTRACT: Delineation of contributing areas for wellhead protection around supply wells drilled into bedrock in Maine, USA, is currently achieved by assigning a fixed radius circle around the well. This project develops a methodology that incorporates hydrogeologic processes and ground water modeling (MODFLOW) and accounts for variable data availability to estimate the areas that contribute water to 26 bedrock supply wells. Outcrop fracture mapping and lineament analysis are used to characterize the fracture system. Multiple simulations are constructed of each site using ranges of values for recharge, hydraulic conductivity, and anisotropy. Uncertainty in the delineation process is accounted for by portraying the delineated areas as confidence zones that are constructed by overlapping the capture zones from the multiple simulations. The results are variable and depend on the ability to characterize a site in a way that can be easily modeled. Sites with complex hydrogeology tend to have larger contributing areas that reflect the greater uncertainty in the parameters. The majority of the sites, however, produce reasonable results that provide a much more accurate depiction of the area likely to contribute to a bedrock well than the fixed radius circle.