Optimizing the design of storage facilities through the application of ISD and QRA

Four strategies can be used to achieve safety in chemical processes: inherent, passive, active and procedural. However, the strategy that offers the best results is the inherent safety approach, especially if it is applied during the initial stages of a project. Inherently Safer Design (ISD) permanently eliminates or reduces hazards, and thus avoids or diminishes the consequences of incidents. ISD can be applied using four strategies: substitution, minimization, moderation and simplification. In this paper, we propose a methodology that combines ISD strategies with Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) to optimize the design of storage installations. As 17% of major accidents in the chemical industry occur during the storage process and cause significant losses, it is essential to improve safety in such installations. The proposed method applies QRA to estimate the risk associated with a specific design. The design can then be compared to others to determine which is inherently safer. The risk analysis may incorporate complex phenomena such as the domino effect and possible impacts on vulnerable material and human elements. The methodology was applied to the San Juanico tragedy that occurred in Mexico in 1984.     

长江中下游洪水灾害成因及洪水特征模拟分析

长江中下游地区洪水灾害的发生是自然地理条件及人类活动共同作用的结果。流域水系构造和地理特征决定了其洪水多发性,气候变化和土地利用/地表覆盖变化导致该地区水循环过程发生较大改变,而大量水库、堤防的建设以及城市化的发展使得洪水过程发生显著变化,因此在各种因素的综合作用下,长江中下游地区近年来洪水灾害频繁发生。综述了气候变化对长江中下游降水的影响,探讨了长江中下游水系特征与洪水灾害的关系,分析了人类活动对洪水灾害的影响规律,在此基础上,开展了气候和下垫面特征变化条件下的暴雨洪水模拟研究,以长江下游太湖东苕溪流域的南苕溪为研究区,进行了流域降雨径流过程的动态模拟验证和特征分析,并取得了较满意的成果,从而为长江中下游地区防洪减灾研究打下了基础。     

热闷钢渣用单轨移动罩车的设计

根据钢渣热闷工艺要求进行单轨移动罩车的结构设计与行走装置的设计,通过三维建模软件及理论力学分析计算此罩车的配重及质心,使罩车与导向装置接触处的压力最小,且罩车施加给低地轨的横向静摩擦力最小。通过此方法设计的单轨移动罩车能大大改善钢渣热闷厂房的工作环境,减少厂房的腐蚀,提高厂房屋顶的寿命周期。     

森林植被对积雪分配及其消融影响研究综述

积雪和融雪作为对北方流域水文与生态具有贡献意义的两个地表过程,与森林植被有着十分紧密的联系。森林植被通过地表遮荫、林冠截留、改变风场格局等方式来改变林区地表积雪分配格局,同时可通过改变林区太阳辐射收支平衡、地表粗糙程度等影响地表融雪速率及其时空分异。在分析积、融雪变量与森林植被相互关系以及总结国内外研究现状的基础上,从林冠几何、林木空间分布、植被类型、森林经营活动等方面归纳了影响积雪分配及其消融速率的主要因素,概括了当前研究面临的主要问题,并提出未来研究的方向和重点。以期为今后林雪关系、雪水文过程研究提供有力参考。     

Exploring long-term land cover changes in an urban region of southern Europe

This paper addresses two important issues for large Mediterranean city regions: the differential impact of compact urban ‘growth’ and low-density ‘sprawl’ on land cover changes (LCCs), and their final effect on changing land cover relationships (LCRs). The urban expansion of Rome (Italy) during the last 50 years and the related LCCs were investigated as a paradigmatic example of compact versus dispersed urban development. LCCs were assessed over 5 years (1960, 1974, 1990, 2000, 2006) by analysing diachronically the distribution of 12 land cover categories derived from digital land cover maps covering the entire Nuts-3 prefecture of Rome (5353 km²). LCRs were studied using multi-way data analysis. LCCs were found to have relative differences during ‘growth’ (1960–1990) and ‘sprawl’ (1990–2006) phases. Conversion to urban land uses concentrated in the 1960s and 1970s at the urban fringe, while expanding progressively far from the city in the 1990s and 2000s. During the ‘growth’ phase, the land cover classes with the highest probability of being converted to urban uses were arable lands, annual crops, vineyards and pastures. During the ‘sprawl’ phase, olive groves, orchards and forest surfaces also decreased due to the development of low-density built-up areas and infrastructure. Planning suggestions aimed at mitigating the alteration of the rural landscape through sprawl conditions are discussed.     

坡度和植被盖度对河岸坡面侵蚀产沙特征的影响

坡度和植被盖度是影响坡面土壤侵蚀的重要因子,探讨坡面土壤侵蚀产沙对坡度和植被盖度的响应,对坡面土壤侵蚀产沙的预测和调控具有重要意义。研究基于野外模拟径流冲刷试验,分析了不同坡度（5°、10°、15°、20°）和植被盖度（0、15%、30%）条件下坡面径流系数、泥沙量、时段径流含沙量和侵蚀泥沙粒径组成的变化过程,并运用双因素方差分析和相对贡献指数阐明黄河下游河岸坡面侵蚀产沙特征对坡度和植被盖度交互作用的响应。结果表明：不同植被盖度下坡面径流系数随冲刷历时增加而增加,在冲刷历时前5 min增幅较快,之后增幅变慢并趋于平缓;坡面径流含沙量随冲刷历时呈逐渐下降趋势,随后趋于平缓。坡度小于15°时,不同植被盖度之间的径流系数和时段径流含沙量差异较为明显,坡度大于15°后差异减小。侵蚀产生的泥沙量随冲刷历时和坡度的增加而增加;在同一坡度上,植被覆盖越低,侵蚀产生泥沙量越大。侵蚀泥沙的主要富集粒级中,Dx(10)以粉粒为主,Dx(50)以粗粉粒和极细砂粒为主,Dx(90)以极细砂粒和细砂粒为主。双因素方差分析表明,坡度对河岸坡面侵蚀产生的径流系数、产沙量和径流含沙量均有极显著影响（P<0.001）,植被盖度对产沙量和径流系数有极显著影响（P<0.001）,而坡度和植被盖度的交互作用仅对径流系数有显著影响（P<0.01）,同时相对贡献指数表明,在坡度和植被盖度对坡面侵蚀产沙的交互作用中,植被盖度的作用随坡度的增加逐渐减弱,而坡度的作用逐渐增强,并成为影响坡面水土流失的主导因素。     

退耕还林工程对黄土高原土地利用/覆被变化的影响——以陕西省安塞县为例

退耕还林工程(Sloping land conversion program, SLCP)可快速改变土地利用/覆被格局。论文以黄土高原典型沟壑区--陕西省安塞县为例,利用MSS/TM/ETM+卫星遥感影像,获取研究区6个时期土地利用/覆被的时空信息,通过统计模型,定量分析了研究区SLCP对土地利用/覆被格局的影响。草地、耕地及林地为研究区三大主要土地利用/覆被类型,研究区土地利用/覆被变化整体处于不平衡态势;整个研究时段内,耕地先增后减,整体减少38.4%;林地先减后增,整体增加4.36%;灌木林地和草地减少,而未成林造林地快速增加;SLCP显著加强了耕地的递减趋势,并大幅增加了未成林造林地面积,至2010年未成林造林地面积显著大于天然林地的面积。这些变化可能具有降低土壤侵蚀与产流量、改善土壤结构、增加土壤碳吸收等效应;SLCP能提高农民收入,且大部分农民支持SLCP;但其负面效应亦不可忽视。研究将有助于对SLCP效应的全面理解,并可为该区生态恢复工程的规划与决策及生态环境保护提供参考。     

Policy relevance of three integrated assessment tools—A comparison with specific reference to agricultural policies

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a system of market support instruments, direct income transfers, and rural development measures, has been put through an ongoing reform process in recent decades. This paper introduces three policy impact assessment tools (SIAT, SEAMLESS-IF, MEA-Scope tool) and analyses how these tools have responded to a number of challenges for integrated assessment modelling as reported in the international literature. Significant progress has been made with regard to modelling linkages whereas other challenges, particularly those related to issues of scale and uncertainty management, require further efforts. It is also analysed which CAP instruments are represented and what kinds of effects can be analysed at different scales. Market instruments and direct payments are comparatively well represented, while the ability to model rural development measures is mostly beyond the scope of these tools. Because each tool has found a different solution for coping with the common challenges of integrated assessment modelling, the choice of one of the tools for a particular application depends strongly on the policy questions being asked. The SIAT provides the big picture via its ability to represent broad changes in policy instruments with EU-wide cross-sector impacts. The most comprehensive analysis of agricultural policy instruments can be obtained with SEAMLESS-IF. The MEA-Scope tool complements the other two approaches with detailed regional profiles.     

Estimating the influence of overhead transmission power lines and landscape context on the density of little bustard Tetrax tetrax breeding populations

Collision with conductors and earth cables is a known impact generated by transmission power lines, however there is virtually no information on how these infrastructures might affect bird distribution in a landscape context. With this work we specifically hypothesise that transmission power lines may affect the occurrence of a threatened bird, the little bustard (Tetrax tetrax). To test this hypothesis we used a Stochastic Dynamic Methodology (StDM), analysing the effects of power lines in a landscape perspective and simulating population trends as a response to power line installation and habitat changes induced by agricultural shifts in southern Portugal. The data used in the dynamic model construction included relevant gradients of environmental conditions and was sampled during the breeding seasons of 2003-2006. Transmission power lines were significantly avoided by the little bustard and the developed StDM model showed that the distance to these utility structures is the most important factor determining breeding densities in sites with suitable habitat for the species, which possibly leads to displacement of populations and habitat fragmentation. The model simulations also provided the base to analyse the cumulative effects caused by the habitat degradation that can ultimately lead to the extinction of local populations. Within priority conservation sites, the dismantling of existing transmission lines should be considered whenever possible, in order to ensure adequate breeding habitat. The model is considered useful as an auxiliary tool to be used in environmental impact assessments, management and conservation studies.     

基于地理探测器的区域植被覆盖度的定量影响——以京津风沙源区为例

植被覆盖度（FVC）是衡量生态环境优秀的重要指标.本文基于MODIS NDVI数据,运用像元二分法模型,估算了2000~2018年京津风沙源区FVC,分析了其时空变化特征.在此基础上,基于地理探测器模型,定量分析了自然因素和人类活动因素等12个因子对京津风沙源区FVC空间分布的影响.结果表明,近20a来京津风沙源区FVC整体上呈增加趋势,增加率为8.2%.空间上,研究区73.7%的区域FVC在增加,其中显著增加的区域主要集中在晋北山地丘陵亚区、燕山丘陵山地水源保护亚区、大兴安岭南部亚区和科尔沁沙地亚区的南部.2000~2018年,降水是影响京津风沙源区FVC空间分布的主要自然因子,解释力为63.3%;年末大牲畜头数是影响FVC空间分布的主要人为因子,解释力为34.8%.自然因素和人类活动之间的双因子交互作用以双协同作用和非线性协同作用为主,表明相对于单因子,自然因素和人类活动间的交互作用对FVC的解释力更强.其中,降水与其他11个因子的交互作用对研究区FVC起主导作用,解释力超过60%.