Unignited High-Pressure Methane Jet Impinging a Pipe Rack: Practical Tools for Risk Assessment

Although the diffusion of its storage and transport under liquefied conditions, nowadays it is common to have methane in gaseous form in several industrial applications. This leads to safety implications to be considered: hazards are linked to both the high-pressure at which the gas is kept and to its flammability. Scenarios where flammable jets impact an obstacle are of paramount importance because of their possible occurrence. Following a numerical approach, literature shows up that their assessment can be reliably performed by means of only Computational Fluid Dynamics tools. However, despite the improvements of computing power, Computational Fluid Dynamics costs still limit its use in daily risk analysts’ activities. Therefore, considering an accidental jet-obstacle scenario of industrial interest, the present work investigates how a pipe rack can influence the development of a high-pressure methane jet. Based on a Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis, main achievements of this work are a simple criterion able to identify the situations where the pipe rack does not influence the high-pressure methane jet behavior, therefore allowing to identify the scenarios where simpler models can be used (i.e., analytical correlations known for the free jet situation), and, if present, a simple analytical relationship that roughly predicts the influence of the pipe rack without the need of performing complex Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations.     

地热资源特性论述与可持续开发利用模式解析

在我国经济发展中,地热资源为我国社会经济的发展起到了重要支持作用,地热资源来自于地球内部,其在工业、农业领域中已经成为一种重要的生态型能源。对地热能源的特性及其可持续开发利用模式进行全面的认识,是推动我国经济快速发展与保护自然生态环境的热门课题。鉴于此,本文对地热资源的概念及分类进行探讨,并论述了其主要特性,在此基础上深入解析了地热资源的可持续开发利用模式。     

Study on leak-acoustics generation mechanism for natural gas pipelines

In order to figure out the principles of acoustic leak detection for natural gas pipelines, a study on the leak-acoustics generation mechanism is carried out. The aero-acoustics generation mechanism is analyzed and when leakage occurs the wave equations of sonic sources are developed. The leak-acoustics generated by the quadrupole and dipole sonic sources are then simulated to obtain the laws of the acoustic characteristics. The simulation data are compared with the experimental data to verify the simulation accuracy under variable operating conditions. The results show that the quadrupoles and the dipoles generated by turbulent fluctuations cause leak-acoustics; the main component of pressure perturbations acquired by the dynamic pressure sensor is acoustic perturbations; both the simulation method and the experimental method can be applied to study the leak-acoustics generation mechanism of natural gas pipelines.     

Qualitative risk assessment of a Dual Fuel (LNG-Diesel) system for heavy-duty trucks

A Dual Fuel (LNG-Diesel) system can be applied to heavy-duty diesel trucks for achieving environmental benefits in comparison to existing diesel vehicles. Because of lack of reports about risk assessment of this technology, we performed a qualitative assessment based on a framework of some literature techniques for risk identification, analysis and evaluation. After constructing a Reliability Block Diagram (RBD) to establish the context, we conducted bow-tie analysis, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), likelihood and consequence analysis, and used a risk matrix. We applied these methods and techniques qualitatively to identify causes (e.g. collisions), critical events (e.g. releases of natural gas), related consequences (e.g. fires and explosions), and different possible pathways from a specific cause to its consequence, and to assess some negative accident scenarios related to use and parking of the vehicle. The bow-tie analysis also allowed to make explicit barriers and controls that prevent critical events and/or mitigate consequences. Therefore, we identified a set of safety measures, including design, technical, management, and emergency actions, which shall be implemented in each step of the system's life cycle.Our risk assessment showed that the risk level of the Dual Fuel (LNG-Diesel) system is similar to the risk level of a traditional diesel system. Future research will overcome current lack of data and, therefore, permit a quantitative rating of the risk of the Dual Fuel (LNG-Diesel) system.     

Spatio-temporal ranging behaviour and its relevance to foraging strategies in wide-ranging wolverines

Conservation of carnivores in an increasingly changing environment is greatly helped by understanding the decision-making processes underlying habitat patch choice. Foraging theory may give us insight into spatio-temporal search patterns and consequent foraging decisions that carnivores make in heterogeneous and fluctuating environments. Constraints placed on central-place foragers in particular are likely to influence both foraging decisions and related spatio-temporal movement patterns. We used discrete choice models to investigate the spatio-temporal ranging behaviour of GPS collared female wolverines (Gulo gulo) with dependent cubs in south-central Norway. Activity patterns, home range use and selection for elevation were analyzed in relation to spatial and temporal covariates (daily and seasonal) and related to different foraging behaviours. In spring, wolverines showed restricted movement patterns around rendezvous sites at high elevations by day, whereas during the night animals were active at lower elevations. Over the summer, this daily pattern in intensity of use diminished and their overall selectiveness for elevation decreased as cubs grow more mobile and independent. At the onset of autumn, wolverines showed intensive use of the profitable forest-alpine tundra ecotone. We argue that reproducing wolverines deployed a foraging strategy attuned to altering their movement patterns throughout the summer to address a continuous, but diminishing, trade-off between providing both food and shelter for their offspring. Incorporating spatially and temporally explicit activity patterns and home range use in discrete choice resource selection models thus enhances the understanding of the motives behind wolverine resource utilization in space and time. Such knowledge may provide guidance to managers designing regional-scale zoning, in order to facilitate carnivore recovery and to minimize conflicts with human activities.     

A model for wildfire prevention planning in game resources

The high incidence of hunting activity and forest fires in different ecosystems (particularly in Mediterranean ecosystems) requires a model, which allows for the comprehensive management of hunting resources and estimating the potential damage caused by this type of disturbance. This paper proposes a model for evaluating the socio-economic effects of forest fires on hunting. Its cornerstone lies in evaluating hunting resource availability for each ecosystem within its territorial mosaic. Each game management unit (GMU) is identified by vegetation structure and habitat type. It presents a novel approach in which the economic value of each game management unit is linked to potential forest fire damages. The effect a forest fire has on an entire ecosystem depends on the intensity of its flames. A sample study was undertaken in the province of Huelva in Andalusia (southern Spain). The socio-economic hunting vulnerability of the province of Huelva was 45,188,000€. The results obtained confirmed the need for an economic appraisal of non-forest products in the forest and other woodland areas. Geographic Information System increases the flexibility and simplicity of our methodology which permits immediate extrapolation to other agroforestry territories.     

马鬃岭自然保护区土壤碳蓄积的研究

以金寨马鬃岭自然保护区为研究对象,布置56个采样点,分析该区森林土壤有机碳质量分数时空分布特征和碳储量。结果表明：研究区有机碳含量丰富,随着土壤深度、植被类型、海拔高度的变化而变化。0~20cm土层有机碳质量分数最高为90.88 g·kg-1,平均为32.47 g·kg-1,土壤有机碳质量分数随着深度的增加而递减,表层有机碳变化幅度高于深层土壤,不同测点递减的程度不同;有机碳质量分数随海拔高度的增加呈递增趋势;土壤有机碳质量分数存在明显的季节变化,表层土壤秋季有机碳质量分数最高,冬春季次之,夏季最低,越往表层季节变化越明显。0~20 cm土层有机碳密度平均为6.52 kg.m-2,0~100 cm土层有机碳平均密度为23.26 kg.m-2,有机碳密度分布与有机碳质量分数分布基本一致。0~20 cm土层土壤碳储量为2.258×105~2.265×105 t,0~100 cm土层土壤碳储量为6.91×105~8.76×105 t,碳储量丰富。最后提出该自然保护区封山育林,对温室气体减排意义重大。     

三十年来中国自然资源学会的发展与展望

中国自然资源学会迎来了30周年的大喜日子。论文系统地回顾了30 a来学会的发展历程,分析了存在的主要问题,对未来发展前景进行了展望。30 a来,学会经历了开创、发展和壮大的不同阶段,在为国家经济社会发展提供重要的资源科技支撑的同时,不断丰富资源科学研究的实践经验,并初步建立了中国特色的资源科学理论和方法体系框架。目前,学会已经拥有5 000多名会员、16个专业委员会、3个工作委员会、6个省级学会,成为中国科协下属的全国201个科技社团中的优秀学会之一。通过了国家民政部组织的中国社会组织评估并获得全国社会组织4A 级等级证书;获得了中国科协组织评审的优秀科技社团三等奖。但是,一些根本性问题仍然存在,包括:基本确立了资源科学但尚不牢靠;强调资源综合研究但分支学科分散;国内学术交流活跃但国际交流薄弱。未来学会将继续完善现有的理论方法体系,开拓资源学科研究的新领域;加强世界资源研究和国际合作交流;围绕国民经济应用性强的重大资源科学问题开展决策咨询;狠抓学科建设和资源科技人才培养;搭建"自然资源态势分析与学科发展信息平台"。     

中国土地资源研究与学术交流新进展

中国自然资源学会土地资源研究专业委员会成立于1986年6月,石玉林院士担任土地资源研究专业委员会首届主任,肖笃宁研究员担任第二届主任,倪绍祥教授担任第三届主任,刘彦随研究员担任第四届主任至今。在创始人石玉林院士的带领和指导下,在各届专业委员会的精诚团结与共同努力下,中国土地资源研究及其学术交流活动卓有成效,对推进我国土地资源科学研究、学科发展、规划管理和决策实践,发挥了重要的作用。正值中国自然资源学会30周年庆典之际,论文侧重梳理近10多年来,在土地资源研究专业委员会的组织与协调下,中国土地资源研究的主要特点及组织开展学术交流的进展情况,浅谈推进土地资源研究与学术交流的认识和主要体会,简要分析土地资源学科发展前景和亟需深入研究的前沿领域。     

Complementarity,impatience, and the resilience of natural-resource-dependent economies

We study how society's preferences affect the resilience of economies that depend on more than one type of natural resource. In particular, we analyze whether the degree of complementarity of natural resources in consumer preferences may give rise to multiple steady states and path dependence even when resources are managed optimally. We find that, for a given social discount rate, society tends to be less willing to buffer exogenous shocks if resource good are complements in consumption than if they are substitutes. The stronger the complementarity between the various types of natural resources, the less resilient the economy is, and even more so the higher is the social discount rate.