Mainstreaming risk reduction in urban planning and housing: a challenge for international aid organisations

The effects of 'natural' disasters in cities can be worse than in other environments, with poor and marginalised urban communities in the developing world being most at risk. To avoid post-disaster destruction and the forced eviction of these communities, proactive and preventive urban planning, including housing, is required. This paper examines current perceptions and practices within international aid organisations regarding the existing and potential roles of urban planning as a tool for reducing disaster risk. It reveals that urban planning confronts many of the generic challenges to mainstreaming risk reduction in development planning. However, it faces additional barriers. The main reasons for the identified lack of integration of urban planning and risk reduction are, first, the marginal position of both fields within international aid organisations, and second, an incompatibility between the respective professional disciplines. To achieve better integration, a conceptual shift from conventional to non-traditional urban planning is proposed. This paper suggests related operative measures and initiatives to achieve this change.     

Study of the influence of melamine polyphosphate and aluminum hydroxide on the flame propagation and explosion overpressure of aluminum magnesium alloy dust

When aluminum magnesium alloy dust floats in the air, a certain ignition energy can easily cause an accidental explosion. To prevent and control the occurrence of accidental explosions and reduce the severity of accidents, it is necessary to carry out research on the explosion suppression of aluminum magnesium alloy dust. This paper uses a vertical glass tube experimental device and a 20 L spherical explosive experimental device to carry out experimental studies on the suppression of the flame propagation and explosion overpressure of aluminum magnesium alloy dust with melamine polyphosphate (MPP) and Al(OH)₃. With increasing MPP and Al(OH)₃ concentrations, the flame brightness darkened, the flame velocity and propagation distance gradually decreased, and P_max and (dp/dt)_max decreased significantly. When the amount of MPP added reached 60%, the flame propagation distance decreased to 188 mm, which is a decrease of 68%, and the explosion overpressure decreased to 0.014 MPa, effectively suppressing the explosion of aluminum magnesium alloy dust. The experimental results showed that MPP was more effective than Al(OH)₃ in inhibiting the flame propagation and explosion overpressure of the aluminum magnesium alloy dust. Finally, the inhibitory mechanisms of the MPP and Al(OH)₃ were further investigated. The MPP and Al(OH)₃ endothermic decomposition produced an inert gas, diluted the oxygen concentration and trapped active radicals to terminate the combustion chain reaction.     

Numerical study on premixing characteristics and explosion process of starch in a vertical pipe under turbulent flow

Fire and explosion accidents are frequently caused by combustible dust, which has led to increased interest in this area of research. Although scholars have performed some research in this field, they often ignored interesting phenomena in their experiments. In this paper, we established a 2D numerical method to thoroughly investigate the particle motion and distribution before ignition. The optimal time for the corn starch dust cloud to ignite was determined in a semi-closed tube, and the characteristics of the flame propagation and temperature field were investigated after ignition inside and outside the tube. From the simulation, certain unexpected phenomena that occurred in the experiment were explained, and some suggestions were proposed for future experiments. The results from the simulation showed that 60–70 ms was the best time for the dust cloud to ignite. The local high-temperature flame clusters were caused by the agglomeration of high-temperature particles, and there were no flames near the wall of the tube due to particles gathering and attaching to the wall. Vortices formed around the nozzle, where the particle concentration was low and the flame spread slowly. During the explosion venting, particles flew out of the tube before the flame. The venting flame exhibited a “mushroom cloud” shape due to interactions with the vortex, and the flame maintained this shape as it was driven upward by the vortex.     

化肥厂爆炸事故的不安全动作分析

为了分析化肥厂爆炸事故背后的不安全动作。本文选取了2009-2018年间国内外发生的52起典型化肥厂爆炸事故。从发生时间的角度分析事故特性,发现白昼期间的事故发生概率相对较高。同时文章分析了运输卸料、车间操作、特种作业和管理人员4种作业类型的不安全动作,从发生频率和风险等级两个方面评估了不安全动作的综合危险度。结果表明13项不安全动作的综合危险度较高,需要重点预控。     

社会资本对山区居民山洪灾害应急避险能力的影响研究*

为研究社会资本对山区居民应急避险能力的影响,在广泛调研的基础上采用结构方程模型分析社会资本与山区居民应急避险能力各要素之间的作用关系。结果表明:个人网络对避险知识和避险意识有显著的正向影响,对避险行为影响不显著;信任与避险知识和避险意识呈显著的正向影响,而与避险行为呈反向影响,但信任可以通过避险知识和避险意识间接正向影响避险行为;互惠对避险知识影响不显著,但互惠与避险意识和避险行为存在显著的正向关系;避险知识和避险意识对避险行为呈显著正向影响,其中避险意识对避险行为影响更为显著。因此可以通过增加山区居民社会资本的方式提高山区居民山洪灾害应急避险能力。     

抛光铝粉爆炸及ABC粉体抑爆特性的实验研究

为研究抛光铝粉的爆炸危险和ABC粉体的抑爆特性,在对实验粉体粒径分布进行分析的基础上,采用20 L粉尘爆炸特性实验装置,分别对不同铝粉尘浓度、不同抑爆剂浓度条件下的爆炸特性参数进行测试。研究结果表明:在实验条件下,铝粉的爆炸下限为45 g/m3＜C＜60 g/m3;随铝粉浓度增加,爆炸烈度呈现出先增强后减弱的变化趋势,在浓度为400 g/m3时爆炸烈度最大。ABC抑爆剂能够有效抑制铝粉爆炸超压和爆炸反应进程,随着惰性粉体浓度的增加,抑制效果愈加明显,爆炸逐渐减弱。当ABC惰性粉体的质量占比增加到50%时,相较单一铝粉爆炸,反应过程时间由72 ms增加至785 ms,爆炸最大压力、最大压力上升速率分别下降了61.7%,89.5%;当ABC粉体质量占比为53%时,铝粉被完全惰化,未发生爆炸。     

突发事件下安全舆情的传播与演变——以江苏响水天嘉宜化工有限公司“3.21”特别重大爆炸事故为例

为明确突发事件安全舆情传播与演变路径,提高企业防控突发事件安全舆情传播风险能力,降低衍生灾害发生概率,在文献分析及事故致因理论基础上,构建突发事件安全舆情传播与演变过程的系统动力学（SD）模型,并运用Vensim软件对以江苏响水天嘉宜化工有限公司“3.21”特别重大爆炸事故为例进行仿真实验,模拟安全舆情传播与演变动态过程。结果表明:突发事件安全舆情传播与演变主要受事件自身、媒体、相关企业监管层、相关企业执行层4个主体的共同影响,其中事件自身因素起效时间最早,相关企业监管层影响作用最大、维持时间最持久,相关企业执行层影响最直接。     

基于复杂网络的燃气管线破裂灾害链风险分析*

为提高燃气管线突发事件应急处置决策水平和应急响应能力及效率,采用复杂网络理论和灾害链演化机理对燃气管线破裂灾害事件影响进行耦合分析,构建燃气管线破裂灾害链网络和风险评估模型,并计算得出燃气管线破裂灾害链风险度。为更准确地表达无传播路径的灾害事件之间的关系,将灾害网络中所有最短路径长度的最大值作为其最短路径长度,计算表明这种算法更符合灾害传播实际情况。结果表明:通过燃气管线破裂灾害链风险分析,能够为燃气管线灾害风险控制措施和方案制定提供参考,有利于提高燃气管线破裂灾害事件的应急处置能力和决策水平。     

Effect of pyrolysis and oxidation characteristics on lauric acid and stearic acid dust explosion hazards

The effect of pyrolysis and oxidation characteristics on the explosion sensitivity and severity parameters, including the minimum ignition energy MIE, minimum ignition temperature MIT, minimum explosion concentration MEC, maximum explosion pressure P_max, maximum rate of pressure rise (dP/dt)_max and deflagration index K_st, of lauric acid and stearic acid dust clouds was experimentally investigated. A synchronous thermal analyser was used to test the particle thermal characteristics. The functional test apparatuses including the 1.2 L Hartmann-tube apparatus, modified Godbert-Greenwald furnace, and 20 L explosion apparatus were used to test the explosion parameters. The results indicated that the rapid and slow weight loss processes of lauric acid dust followed a one-dimensional diffusion model (D1 model) and a 1.5 order chemical reaction model (F1.5 model), respectively. In addition, the rapid and slow weight loss processes of stearic acid followed a 1.5 order chemical reaction model (F1.5 model) and a three-dimensional diffusion model (D3 model), respectively, and the corresponding average apparent activation energy E and pre-exponential factor A were larger than those of lauric acid. The stearic acid dust explosion had higher values of MIE and MIT, which were mainly dependent on the higher pyrolysis and oxidation temperatures and the larger apparent activation energy E determining the slower rate of chemical bond breakage during pyrolysis and oxidation. In contrast, the lauric acid dust explosion had a higher MEC related to a smaller pre-exponential factor A with a lower amount of released reaction heat and a lower heat release rate during pyrolysis and oxidation. Additionally, due to the competition regime of the higher oxidation reaction heat release and greater consumption of oxygen during explosion, the explosion pressure P_m of the stearic acid dust was larger in low concentration ranges and decayed to an even smaller pressure than with lauric acid when the concentration exceeded 500 g/m³. The rate of explosion pressure rise (dP/dt)_m of the stearic acid dust was always larger in the experimental concentration range. The stearic acid dust explosion possessed a higher P_max, (dP/dt)_max and K_st mainly because of a larger pre-exponential factor A related to more active sites participating in the pyrolysis and oxidation reaction. Consequently, the active chemical reaction occurred more violently, and the temperature and overpressure rose faster, indicating a higher explosion hazard class for stearic acid dust.     

Risk assessment and risk reduction of an acrylonitrile production plant

Reducing accident occurrence in petrochemical plants is crucial, thus appropriately allocating management resources to safety investment is a vital issue for corporate management as international competition intensifies. Understanding the priority of safety investment in a rational way helps achieve this objective.In this study, we targeted an acrylonitrile plant. First, Dow Chemical's Fire and Explosion Index (F&EI) identified the reaction process as having the greatest physical risk. We evaluated the severity of accidents in the reaction process using the Process Safety Metrics advocated by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS); however, this index does not express damages a company actually experience. To solve this problem, we proposed a new metric that adds indirect cost to CCPS metrics. We adopted fault tree analysis (FTA) as a risk assessment method. In identifying top events and basic events, we attempted to improve the completeness of risk identification by considering accidents from the past, actual plant operation and equipment characteristics, natural disasters, and cyber-attacks and terrorist attacks. Consequently, we identified the top events with high priority in handling because of serious accidents as fire/explosion outside the reactor, fire/explosion inside the reactor, and reactor destruction. The new CCPS evaluation index proposed in this study found that fire and explosion outside the reactor has the highest severity. We considered the creation of the fault tree (FT) diagram of the top event, estimating the occurrence probability, and identifying the risk reduction part and capital investment aimed at risk reduction. As an economically feasible selection method for risk reduction investment, using the difference in loss amounts before and after safety investments indicated investment priority.