Experimental design to study corrosion under insulation in harsh marine environments

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a serious issue in harsh marine environments. Corrosion damage can have catastrophic effects on health and safety, asset integrity, the environment, and productivity if it is not detected and managed early. Limited information is available for CUI in marine environments. To overcome this issue, three types of corrosion tests are proposed: Determination of the effect of environmental factors on CUI using laboratory simulation, field testing, and accelerated marine atmosphere testing for CUI. This paper describes the methodology for developing statistically significant data to evaluate CUI in harsh marine field conditions, develop an accelerated laboratory test procedure to simulate CUI, develop a model of CUI rate, and develop risk-based remaining life assessment model for assets under CUI attack.     

RCNet: An optimisation software for the synthesis of resource conservation networks

RCNet is a spreadsheet-based software for the synthesis of resource conversation networks (RCNs) for planning the efficient use of material resources (e.g., water, utility gases, solvents) in industrial plants. The software is developed based on the well-established process integration tools, namely pinch analysis and mathematical programming techniques. In the first stage, pinch analysis is used to determine maximum resource conservation targets prior to detailed RCN design. In the second stage, mathematical optimisation is then used to determine the optimal flowrate allocation between process sources and sinks of the RCN, to achieve the performance targets. RCNet is applicable for various industrial applications. To date, no generic software has been developed to handle water minimisation, hydrogen recovery and property integration, which is the main subject of this work. In the developed software, same interface and platform can be used to solve abovementioned problems independently. For illustration, three literature examples on water minimisation, hydrogen recovery and property integration, as well as an industrial case study are solved using RCNet.     

Infill McMansions: Style and the psychophysics of size

The number and size of infill oversized houses, or McMansions, has increased in the U.S. and the world. To maintain desirable neighborhood appearances, communities should know what constitutes “too big.” This paper reports six studies that used color simulations of blocks of houses to examine compatibility and visual appeal in relation to attributes of the infill house and its context. Following psychophysical findings, the relative size of the infill house should have larger effects on response than its actual size. The studies confirmed that the infill ratio had more weight than size for perceived compatibility. Compatibility did not always translate into visual appeal. For visual appeal, infill style had larger effects than did size or size ratio, height had larger effects than width, and, for larger sizes and ratios, infill ratio had larger effects than actual size. To maintain visual quality in relation to infill houses, communities should first seek an architecturally compatible style, and then try to control its relative size (the infill façade area). Tests of responses to real infill houses can show how well these findings generalize.     

冷挤压双层组合凹模的最佳设计

此文应用厚壁圆筒弹性解,推导了冷挤压双层组合凹模,具有最大弹性极限时所能承受的最大挤压应力的计算公式,以及满足上述条件时双层组合凹模分界面半径和分界面过盈量的计算公式.利用上述各式,可使组合凹模获得最佳设计.     

Predicting flooding probability for beach/dune systems

The determination of the risk from flooding that shorefront communities face is an important component of coastal management that has not been resolved successfully. Wave runup offers one way of quantifying the risk of coastal flooding that results from overtopping by storm waves. The calculation of runup probabilities uses wave frequency analysis and an average beach/dune profile for a given shoreline segment. The amount of risk is determined by using a runup probability curve for specific shoreline locations within the segment. The procedure is demonstrated using the New Jersey shoreline as an example, and results indicate a higher degree of risk in the southern part of the state. Although the procedure is attractive, there is a need for additional field research to test: (1) the accuracy of the calculation procedure; (2) the applicability of a design profile for a shoreline segment; and (3) whether a non-storm beach/dune profile may be used in the calculation. In terms of the broader subject of coastal hazards, these runup calculations need to be integrated with research on beach erosion to provide a comprehensive assessment of the risk at specific locations.     

Safety lessons and reflections following incinerator vent commissioning in a chemical plant; a case study of a complex socio-technical system

In a bulk chemical plant producing resins, a flashback from an incinerator through the vent system into the reactor hall occurred during commissioning of a newly installed vent header system. The original design of the vent header system was seriously flawed not being in line with current practice. Subsequently the vent header was re-designed into a rich/lean vent header system. This paper explores the reasons behind a number of incidents and near misses that occurred during both the commissioning of a vent header system and its recommissioning following system re-design. Furthermore, it reflects on some broader implications for approaches to safety around what can be recognised as complex socio-technical systems.     

Influence of Seat Foam and Geometrical Properties on BioRID P3 Kinematic Response to Rear Impacts

As the primary interface with the human body during rear impact, the automotive seat holds great promise for mitigation of Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD). Recent research has chronicled the potential influence of both seat geometrical and constitutive properties on occupant dynamics and injury potential. Geometrical elements such as reduced head to head restraint, rearward offset, and increased head restraint height have shown strong correlation with reductions in occupant kinematics. The stiffness and energy absorption of both the seating foam and the seat infrastructure are also influential on occupant motion; however, the trends in injury mitigation are not as clear as for the geometrical properties. It is of interest to determine whether, for a given seat frame and infrastructure, the properties of the seating foam alone can be tailored to mitigate WAD potential. Rear impact testing was conducted using three model year 2000 automotive seats (Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet S-10 pickup, and Pontiac Grand Prix), using the BioRID P3 anthropometric rear impact dummy. Each seat was distinct in construction and geometry. Each seat back was tested with various foams (i.e., standard, viscoelastic, low or high density). Seat geometries and infrastructures were constant so that the influence of the seating foams on occupant dynamics could be isolated. Three tests were conducted on each foam combination for a given seat (total of 102 tests), with a nominal impact severity of Delta V = 11 km/h (nominal duration of 100 msec). The seats were compared across a host of occupant kinematic variables most likely to be associated with WAD causation. No significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between seat back foams for tests within any given seat. However, seat comparisons yielded several significant differences (p < 0.05). The Camaro seat was found to result in several significantly different occupant kinematic variables when compared to the other seats. No significant differences were found between the Grand Prix and S-10 seats. Seat geometrical characteristics obtained from the Head Restraint Measuring Device (HRMD) showed good correlation with several occupant variables. It appears that for these seats and foams the head-to-head restraint horizontal and vertical distances are overwhelmingly more influential on occupant kinematics and WAD potential than the local foam properties within a given seat.     

Simulated Limnological Effects of the Shasta Lake Temperature Control Device

We estimated the effects of a temperature control device (TCD) on a suite of thermodynamic and limnological attributes for a large storage reservoir, Shasta Lake, in northern California. Shasta Dam was constructed in 1945 with a fixed-elevation penstock. The TCD was installed in 1997 to improve downstream temperatures for endangered salmonids by releasing epilimnetic waters in the winter/spring and hypolimnetic waters in the summer/fall. We calibrated a two-dimensional hydrodynamic reservoir water quality model, CE-QUAL-W2, and applied a structured design-of-experiment simulation procedure to predict the principal limnological effects of the TCD under a variety of environmental scenarios. Calibration goodness-of-fit ranged from good to poor depending on the constituent simulated, with an R ² of 0.9 for water temperature but 0.3 for phytoplankton. Although the chemical and thermal characteristics of the discharge changed markedly, the reservoir's characteristics remained relatively unchanged. Simulations showed the TCD causing an earlier onset and shorter duration of summer stratification, but no dramatic affect on Shasta's nutrient composition. Peak in-reservoir phytoplankton production may begin earlier and be stronger in the fall with the TCD, while outfall phytoplankton concentrations may be much greater in the spring. Many model predictions differed from our a priori expectations that had been shaped by an intensive, but limited-duration, data collection effort. Hydrologic and meteorological variables, most notably reservoir carryover storage at the beginning of the calendar year, influenced model predictions much more strongly than the TCD. Model results indicate that greater control over reservoir limnology and release quality may be gained by carefully managing reservoir volume through the year than with the TCD alone. RID=" ID=" Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. e-mail: John_Bartholow&commat;USGS.gov     

锅炉烟气脱硫技术浅谈

随着我国环保力度的加强，烟气脱硫技术越来越引起人们的重视。在众多的脱硫方法中，循环流化床锅炉脱硫是近几年来较为广泛应用的一种技术，它燃料适应性强、负荷调节范围大、燃烧效率和脱硫效率均较高。但也存在易爆管、冷渣器堵塞等问题。在设计中设计人员应充分注意各方面问题。     

专家系统技术在角钢孔型CAD中的应用

此文对专家系统技术应用于角钢孔型设计所涉及的知识表达、知识库建立和角钢AICAD系统的构成及其控制策略、推理机制等问题进行了探讨,并对角钢孔型设计知识作了扼要的分析.