火灾下圆钢管约束钢筋混凝土短柱轴压性能分析

利用ABAQUS软件建立了火灾下圆钢管约束钢筋混凝土轴压短柱非线性有限元模型,在确定混凝土和钢材的本构基础上,对其火灾下轴压性能进行了数值计算,并与已有相关试验数据进行了对比验证。分析了环境温度、混凝土强度、钢管屈服强度、截面尺寸、含钢率等参数对火灾下轴压性能的影响规律。结果表明:火灾下各试件核心混凝土纵向应力发展规律较为相似,且应力分布趋向均匀;环境温度对试件轴压刚度的影响大于极限承载力,材料强度对极限承载力的影响较大,增大钢管含钢率可一定程度提高试件轴压刚度;提出了火灾下此类试件极限承载力和轴压刚度的简化计算公式,可为工程实际应用提供参考。     

Evaluation of CFD simulations of transient pool fire burning rates

Fire is the most commonly occurring major accident hazard in the chemical and process industries, with industry accident statistics highlighting the liquid pool fire as the most frequent fire event. Modelling of such phenomena feeds heavily into industry risk assessment and consequence analyses. Traditional simple empirical equations cannot account for the full range of factors influencing pool fire behaviour or increasingly complex plant design. The use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling enables a greater understanding of pool fire behaviour to be gained numerically and provides the capability to deal with complex scenarios.This paper presents an evaluation of the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) for predictive modelling of liquid pool fire burning rates. Specifically, the work examines the ability of the model to predict temporal variations in the burning rate of open atmosphere pool fires. Fires ranging from 0.4 to 4 m in diameter, involving ethanol and a range of liquid hydrocarbons as fuels, are considered and comparisons of predicted fuel mass loss rates are compared to experimental measurements.The results show that the liquid pyrolysis sub-model in FDS gives consistent model performance for fully predictive modelling of liquid pool fire burning rates, particularly during quasi-steady burning. However, the model falls short of predicting the subtleties associated with each phase of the transient burning process, failing to reliably predict fuel mass loss rates during fire growth and extinction. The results suggest a range of model modifications which could lead to improved prediction of the transient fire growth and extinction phases of burning for liquid pool fires, specifically, investigation of: ignition modelling techniques for high boiling temperature liquid fuels; a combustion regime combining both infinite and finite-rate chemistry; a solution method which accounts for two- or three-dimensional heat conduction effects in the liquid-phase; alternative surrogate fuel compositions for multi-component hydrocarbon fuels; and modification of the solution procedure used at the liquid-gas interface during fire extinction.     

The effects of phosphorus-free inhibitors on the ignition of lycopodium dust

The minimum ignition temperature of dust suspension (MIT) and the hot surface ignition temperature of the dust layer (LIT) are essential safety parameters for the process industry. However, the knowledge of the ignition behavior when solid mixtures of flammable fuels and phosphorous-free inhibitors are considered is still scarce and further experimental and theoretical analyses are requested. In this work, the ignition temperature of phosphorous-free inhibitors (coal fly ash and calcium carbonate) mixed with lycopodium dust have been studied in terms of LIT analysis (hot plate thickness: 5 mm, 12.5 mm and 15 mm), and by the Godbert-Greenwald test for the MIT. Both coal fly ash and calcium carbonate have been tested at different concentrations and particle sizes.Results show that the effects of the inhibitor can be counter-productive when layer ignition temperature is considered even if the minimum ignition temperature of the dust suspension shows a positive effect from the safety point of view. This behavior has been analyzed in the terms of thermal conductivity and diffusivity of the mixture, by using Maxwell's equation for two-phase solid mixtures. Standard empirical correlations for the ignition temperature of solid mixtures have been also tested, showing their weakness in reproducing mixture behavior.     

Small-scale fire performance assessment of intumescent coatings on metal tubes containing ammonium nitrate. A stepping-stone towards their application as a fire safety measure on road transportation tanks?

Ammonium nitrate is used in vast amounts globally, first and foremost as a component of fertilizers and explosive formulations. This usage necessitates its transportation which, as for most hazardous materials, involves certain risks. For oxidizing materials such as ammonium nitrate, the ultimate consequence of road transportation incidents is usually considered to be fire followed by explosion. Even though the probability in general is low, substantial reduction in its risk is a great gain for public safety. Thus, identifying novel and improving current safety measures for risk reduction, is an important aspect in the field of hazardous materials. Herein, a series of experiments are reported, which demonstrate the fire protection performance of two state-of-the-art intumescent passive fire protection materials on small-scale metal test tubes containing ammonium nitrate. Albeit being initial experiments on laboratory-scale, these results provide a promising starting point for further investigations on the potential of these materials for the fire protection of ammonium nitrate when carried in metal tanks. At its best, a prominent protection of ammonium nitrate from heat exposure was observed, as the temperature was kept well below its boiling point for more than 2.5 h. Successively, it resulted in a complete recovery of the sample material. This was in large contrast to the observed results for the unprotected test tubes, which led to complete decomposition of the sample after 11 min.     

High efficiency of the NH4H2PO4/Mg(OH)2 composite for guaranteeing safety of wood production

Currently, China's timber industry is in high demand with the development of real estate. However, there is a certain fire hazard in the production process of wood manufacturing. Once a fire occurs, the fire is violent and the spread is rapid. Therefore, to improve the safety of its production process, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate and magnesium hydroxide were selected to prepare a new composite superfine dry powder, which was denoted as the NH₄H₂PO₄/Mg(OH)₂ composite. Furthermore, to figure out dry powders' extinction effect on Class A fire, the wood-crib fire suppression effect of the NH₄H₂PO₄/Mg(OH)₂ composite was test, and then compared with that of ultrafine dry powder (UDP) and commercial ABC dry powder (C-ABC) in a 1 m³ chamber. Three parameters of the fire extinguishing process, namely flame extinction time, powder consumption and temperature drop were adopted to measure the fire suppression performance. The results demonstrated that UDP and C-ABC both had a larger flame extinction time and powder consumption than the NH₄H₂PO₄/Mg(OH)₂ composite. Besides, a fire (wood cribs) can be extinguished by the NH₄H₂PO₄/Mg(OH)₂ composite with the fastest temperature drop and a much-improved toxic gas suppression ability. In short, the NH₄H₂PO₄/Mg(OH)₂ composite can better guarantee the safety of the wood processing production process. Moreover, the reasons for performance advantages of the NH₄H₂PO₄/Mg(OH)₂ composite were discussed.     

Assessing desertification risk using system stability condition analysis

This paper describes a procedure for evaluating the desertification risk in threatened areas. The procedure is based on an eight-equation dynamic model of a generic human–resource system that can be applied to different desertification syndromes. For each application, interest focuses on finding all the possible long-term final states of the system and on defining the conditions that mark out sustainability and long-term desertification by means of unambiguous specific parameter relations. The procedure is applied to three typified cases in Spain: (A) rainfed crops in areas with high soil erosion risk; (B) irrigated intensive agricultural systems; and (C) commercial rangelands. Results show that, in case A, high profit scenarios are responsible for the final extension of desertification but do not determine the specific threshold between sustainability and desertification. They do, however, in cases B and C.     

Posttreatment Tree Mortality After Forest Ecological Restoration,Arizona, United States

Pine–oak forests are of high ecological importance worldwide, but many are threatened by uncharacteristically severe wildfire. Forest restoration treatments, including the reintroduction of a surface fire regime, are intended to decrease fire hazard and emulate historic ecosystem structure and function. Restoration has recently received much management attention and short-term study, but little is known about longer-term ecosystem responses. We remeasured a replicated experimental restoration site in the southwestern United States 5 years after treatments. Basal area, tree density, and canopy cover decreased in the treated units at a faster rate than in controls. Delayed mortality, not evident right after treatment, decreased density modestly (13% in treated units and 10% in controls) but disproportionately affected large trees (“large” ponderosa pines were those with diameter at breast height [dbh] ≥37.5 cm; other species dbh ≥20 cm). In treated units, 10.9 large trees ha^–1 died, whereas 6.2 trees ha^–1 died in control units. Compared with reference conditions, the experimental blocks remained higher in pine density and, in three of the four blocks, in basal area. Pine trees grew significantly faster in treated units than in controls, enough to reach the reference level of basal area in 6 years. Although mortality of large trees is a concern, the treated units have vigorous growth and low density, indicating that they will be relatively resistant to future drought and fire events. Similar treatments may be beneficial in many areas of the United States and in related pine-oak ecosystems elsewhere.     

Some basic principles of grassland fire management

Fire management of grasslands is best executed based on an understanding of the fundamental properties of grassland components, structures, and environments, and the nature of fire behavior in grassland fuels. The art of controlled burning combines experience, practicality, empirical knowledge, and sensitivity, with the effects of fire, the role of fire (particularly under natural conditions), inherent climatic conditions, and sound ecological management objectives. Some of the properties, effects, roles, conditions, experiences, and objectives of grassland burning are presented.     

The dissolution of cooperative groups: mechanisms of queen mortality in incipient fire ant colonies

In several species of ants, queens often form temporary cooperative associations during colony foundation. These associations end soon after the eclosion of the first workers with the death or expulsion of all but one of the queens. This study examined competition between foundress queens of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. Although attacks by the workers contributed to queen mortality, queens gained no advantage by producing more workers than their co-foundresses. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of mitochondrial DNA showed that the queen producing more workers during colony founding was no more likely to survive than the less productive queen. In experimentally manipulated colonies in which all the workers were daughters of only one of the queens, the mother of the workers was no more likely to survive than the unrelated queen. Queens producing diploid males reared fewer offspring but were as likely to survive as queens producing only workers. These results suggest that workers do not discriminate between related and unrelated queens within colonies. Aggressive encounters between queens were common. Queens were more likely to die or be expelled if paired with heavier queens or if they lost more weight than their co-foundress during the claustral period. Finally, when queens were separated by screens through which workers could pass, the workers usually attacked and killed the queen farther from the brood. These results suggest that queen survival is promoted by a high fighting ability relative to co-foundresses, rather than by increased worker production, and that workers respond to queen differences that are independent of kinship. Received: 8 September 1995/Accepted after revision: 5 March 1996     

火灾时人员安全疏散可靠性评估

本文给出了一个计算人员安全疏散概率的算法，用以评价火灾时室内人员的危险程度。算法假定影响安全疏散的变量为随机变量，以逃生概率做为疏散评价指标，文中附有算例。