A closer look at BLEVE overpressure

The overpressure produced by the boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) is still not well understood. Various methods have been published on the overpressure modeling in the far field. They mostly differ by the modeling of the expansion energy, used to scale the distance to the source where the overpressure needs to be calculated. But these methods usually include a experimentally fitted reduction factor, and are mostly overestimating the overpressures. Today there is a growing interest in modeling the BLEVE overpressure in the near field, for studying the blast effect on critical infrastructure such as bridges and buildings. This requires a much better understanding of the BLEVE blast. This paper goes deeper in the understanding of the physical phenomenon leading to the BLEVE blast wave generation and propagation. First, mid-scale BLEVE experiments in addition to new experimental data for near field blast from a small scale supercritical BLEVE are analyzed. And second, an analysis method of the shocks observed in the experiments is presented based on fundamental gas dynamics, and allows the elaboration of a new modeling approach for BLEVE overpressure, based on the calculation of the initial overpressure and radius of the blast.     

Calculating overpressure from BLEVE explosions

Although a certain number of authors have analyzed the prediction of boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (BLEVE) and fireball effects, only very few of them have proposed methodologies for predicting the overpressure from such explosions. In this paper, the methods previously published are discussed and shown to introduce a significant overestimation due to the erroneous thermodynamic assumptions—ideal gas behaviour and isentropic vapour expansion—on which they are based (in fact, they give the maximum value of overpressure which can be caused by a BLEVE). A new approach is proposed, based on the—more realistic—assumption of an adiabatic and irreversible expansion process; the real properties of the substance involved in the explosion are used. The two methods are compared through the application to a given case.     

Cumulative silvicultural impacts on watersheds: A hydrologic and regulatory dilemma

Because of the nature of watersheds, the hydrologic and erosional impacts of logging and related road-building activities may move offsite, affecting areas downslope and downstream from the operation. The degree to which this occurs depends on the interaction of many variables, including soils, bedrock geology, vegetation, the timing and size of storm events, logging technology, and operator performance. In parts of northwestern California, these variables combine to produce significant water quality degradation, with resulting damage to anadromous fish habitat.Examination of recent aerial photographs, combined with a review of public records, shows that many timber harvest operations were concentrated in a single 83 km² watershed in the lower Klamath River Basin within the past decade. The resulting soil disturbance in this case seems likely to result in cumulative off-site water quality degradation in the lower portion of the Basin.In California, both state and federal laws require consideration of possible cumulative effects of multiple timber harvest operations. In spite of recent reforms that have given the state a larger role in regulating forest practices on private land, each timber harvest plan is still evaluated in isolation from other plans in the same watershed. A process of collaborative state-private watershed planning with increased input of geologic information offers the best long-term approach to the problem of assessing cumulative effects of multiple timber harvest operations. Such a reform could ultimately emerge from the ongoing water quality planning process under Section 208 of the amended Federal Water Pollution Control Act.     

Fitting a Gamma Distribution Over a Synthetic Unit Hydrograph1

ABSTRACT: Several methods for synthetic unit hydrographs are available in the literature. Most of these methods involve the hand fitting of a curve over a set of a few hydrograph points, which can sometimes be a subjective task. Besides, the user often finds it difficult or simply neglects to adjust the generated unit graph to a runoff volume of one unit (inch, cm, or mm). It is the purpose of this paper to present to the design hydrologist a simple method to fit a smooth gamma distribution over a single point specified by the unit hydrograph peak and the time to peak with a guaranteed unit depth of runoff.     

污泥基生物炭结构的共焦显微拉曼技术应用

采用共焦显微拉曼光谱仪探索不同热解温度(500~900)℃条件下所制备的污泥基生物炭结构变化的表征方法.结果表明,拉曼信号的荧光干扰与生物炭的理化特性有较强的相关性.随着热解温度升高,拉曼漂移系数减小,这与污泥基生物炭挥发分含量、H/C和O/C比变化趋势一致.其中,漂移系数与挥发分含量和H/C的相关性指数分别是0.97和0.94,其变化规律可用来准确评估生物炭挥发分含量和H/C的变化.同时,生物炭在拉曼光谱中的特征峰强度比D/G随着热解温度升高而增强,代表了污泥基生物炭无序化程度增加的过程.谷区域(V)与D峰强度比IV/ID随热解温度升高而减小,表明具有缺陷的稠合芳环结构的比例增加;另外,经分峰拟合后得到的ID1/IG1变化较小,而ID2/IG2呈增加趋势,证实了小分子侧链基团断裂形成的化合物部分沉积在炭表面,形成缺陷和非晶结构;IG1/IG2随着热解温度升高而减小,表明了炭基材料键角有序与无序比随着热解温度的升高而降低.因此,拉曼光谱可用于表征污泥基生物炭的微观结构变化,反映其结构演变规律.     

中国超大城市碳排放达峰的影响因素及组合情景预测——基于门限-STIRPAT模型的研究

城市是中国碳排放的重要来源,而超大城市的碳达峰研究对国内其他城市和全国能否实现碳达峰目标具有重要的现实意义.以北京、上海、广州、深圳、天津和重庆等6个超大城市为研究对象,能源强度为门限变量,建立门限-STIRPAT模型,首先确定6个超大城市碳排放的驱动因素,然后对27种情景下的各城市碳排放达峰进行预测.研究结果表明:①人口、人均GDP和能源强度对各城市碳排放起到正向促进效应,人口的影响效应最大,其次是能源强度,人均GDP对碳排放的影响最小.②能源强度对二氧化碳排放的影响呈阶段性变化特征.③北京、上海和重庆在高能源强度下降率的情景下,已经达峰;天津、除最宽松的高-高-高情景外的广州和深圳会在2030年前实现达峰.如果能源强度以中速率下降,6个城市碳排放不能保证一定能在2030年前达峰.如果能源强度以低速率下降,6个城市均不能在2030年前达峰.本研究有利于明确超大城市碳排放的影响因素,对其他城市尽快实现碳排放达峰具有借鉴意义,为全国实现碳达峰目标提供可行的研究思路.     

BLEVE: The case of water and a historical survey

After a short update of the current more accepted definition of BLEVE, the special features of water BLEVEs are analyzed. The stronger overpressure wave generated in the case of water as compared to that of other substances is justified in terms of volume change. Through a comparison with liquefied pressurized propane, three possibilities are analyzed: the simultaneous contribution of both the liquid and the preexisting vapor, the contribution of the liquid flash vaporization, and the contribution of the pre-existing vapor. Also a historical survey on a set of 202 BLEVE accidents –the largest sample of BLEVE accidents surveyed until now– is presented. LPG was the most common substances in this set of accidents. However, water and LNG (11% of water and 4% of LNG in the studied cases) have also been involved. Impact failure (44.8%) and human factor (30.3%) were the most common causes of BLEVEs. Transport, storage, process plants, and transfer were the activities in which more accidents occurred.     

Quantitative assessment in safety reports of the consequences from the detonation of solid explosives

Safety reports are mandatory documents in member states of European Union whenever any threshold limits of amounts of either stored or processed hazardous substances are exceeded. After a short introduction to EU Seveso Directives on major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances and to the transposition and implementation by member states, with a brief comment on last 2012/18/EU Directive (also known as Seveso III directive), the paper focuses on drafting of safety reports for industrial activities involving solid explosives. Specifically, the quantitative assessment of consequences from detonation is tackled respect to the side-on overpressure and the debris production. Both direct and inverse problems are illustrated to determine respectively the overpressure value at a given distance, and the explosive amount that allows respecting the regulations. Their solution is based on either analytic or numerical techniques and being based on recent scientific publications on the matter either evaluates or zeroes nonlinear algebraic equations. The availability of these equations avoids grounding the consequences assessment on diagrams and nomograms that otherwise would lead to interpretation and usage errors besides avoiding the automatic solution of the inverse problem. The paper focuses also on details such as embankment, crater, munitions, rocket propellant, building structure, and wall material that, at different levels, play a role in the assessment of detonation consequences. A discussion on debris formation, the available literature, and the evaluation of the impact probability of fragments on both fixed and moving targets closes the paper.     

Characteristic overpressure–impulse–distance curves for the detonation of explosives, pyrotechnics or unstable substances

A number of models have been proposed to calculate overpressure and impulse from accidental industrial explosions. When the blast is produced by explosives, pyrotechnics or unstable substances, the TNT equivalent model is widely used. From the curves given by this model, data are fitted to obtain equations showing the relationship between overpressure, impulse and distance. These equations, referred to here as characteristic curves, can be fitted by means of power equations, which depend on the TNT equivalent mass. Characteristic curves allow determination of overpressure and impulse at each distance.     

Compression system check-valve failure hazards

Processes that utilize multistage compression systems (olefins plant compression systems, gas processing, integrated refrigeration systems, etc.) have the potential for overpressure due to single or multiple check-valve failure. Catastrophic equipment failure resulting from overpressure can potentially occur due to compression system discharge, interstage, and/or suction check-valve failure, coincident with compressor shutdown. Depending on system design and application, overpressure values approaching or exceeding 300% of equipment design are possible, while for some equipment, even limited overpressure can result in catastrophic vessel failure due to brittle fracture. Additional hazards associated with compression system fail-to-check scenarios include risks associated with excessive flare loading and compressor rotor reverse rotation. In the case of an ethylene refrigeration compressor at a typical ethylene plant, rotor reverse rotation can potentially exceed overspeed limits.This paper provides risk assessment results based on analyses performed on the three primary compression systems in six ethylene plants. The methodologies used for risk identification screening, detailed risk assessment and evaluation of system dynamics are all presented. Alternative methods for mitigating risks are also discussed, along with check-valve reliability data. An overview of applicable overpressure protection requirements defined in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is provided. This paper will be of interest to anyone who designs or operates multistage compression systems in the chemical, petrochemical or refining industries.