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.     

A new leak location method based on leakage acoustic waves for oil and gas pipelines

In order to study a new leak detection and location method for oil and natural gas pipelines based on acoustic waves, the propagation model is established and modified. Firstly, the propagation law in theory is obtained by analyzing the damping impact factors which cause the attenuation. Then, the dominant-energy frequency bands of leakage acoustic waves are obtained through experiments by wavelet transform analysis. Thirdly, the actual propagation model is modified by the correction factor based on the dominant-energy frequency bands. Then a new leak detection and location method is proposed based on the propagation law which is validated by the experiments for oil pipelines. Finally, the conclusions and the method are applied to the gas pipelines in experiments. The results indicate: the modified propagation model can be established by the experimental method; the new leak location method is effective and can be applied to both oil and gas pipelines and it has advantages over the traditional location method based on the velocity and the time difference. Conclusions can be drawn that the new leak detection and location method can effectively and accurately detect and locate the leakages in oil and natural gas pipelines.     

Safety-related conclusions for the application of ultrasound in explosive atmospheres

International safety regulations such as EN 1127-1 consider ultrasound to be an ignition source. Currently, applications of ultrasound in explosive atmospheres have to comply with a threshold value of 1 mW/mm². However, it is unclear as to how this intensity has to be measured and, therefore, this threshold value is poorly defined. Moreover, it is based on theoretical estimations in analogy to other ignition sources and there are no publications or significant records on these estimations. Within a research project at PTB, it has now been investigated experimentally in relation to worst-case considerations including airborne ultrasound, focused MHz ultrasound in liquids and acoustic cavitation. On the basis of the results of the research it is now possible to revise the current regulations and to specify measures for safe operation of ultrasonic applications in explosive atmospheres. In this context, for ultrasound coupled directly to gaseous atmospheres a new threshold value of 170 dB (re. 20 μPa) can be suggested, and for ultrasonic applications in liquids, an augmentation can be made to the threshold to 400 mW/mm².     

Climate hazards: Lessons from recent events in the United States

Three recent cases of climate extremes are studied to identify human impacts and response strategies and to identify common characteristics that may help illuminate the nature of climate hazards. The 1980 heat wave in the central United States, 1981 cold wave in Boston, Massachusetts, and recent flooding and lake level rise in northern Utah, illustrate several important aspects of climate hazards that separate them from the more traditional set of catastrophic events (e.g. tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes) usually dealt with by hazards research and management. Among those characteristics are an emphasis on health impacts rather than physical damage, accumulative effects rather than short shocks, a tendency for impacts to accrue to certain socio-economic classes, and relatively slow onset. The management and research implications of these hazard characteristics are explored.     

水深变化对波高与周期联合概率密度分布影响的分析

本文研究了水深的变化以波高与周期联合概率密度分布造成影响。本文将２３６组实测数据按水深因子Ｈ的大小进行了分组，分别对其进行了谱分析和统计分析，得到了各组数据的联合分布图。利用数值模拟的方法扩大水深因子的变化幅度，得到了模拟联合分布图。研究发现，水深因子的改变不会对联合分布构成大的影响，因此得现一般水的波高与周期联合概率密度分布模式适用于浅海的结论。     

两类常用森林火灾蔓延模型的比较

简要介绍了两类常用的森林火灾蔓延模型--邻接单元模型和波动传播模型的原理和实现方法.对作为离散模型的邻接单元模型和作为连续模型的波动传播模型的优、缺点作了系统的总结,并分析了它们对系统精度、实时性、复杂性、全局适应性、计算可靠性和整个模拟系统结构性能的影响.通过对比发现,两类模型在性能上的优势和局限有很强的互补性.因此,为了提高蔓延模型的性能,并使其不受火行为和地理要素复杂性的限制,有必要取长补短,通过现有的计算机技术将两者结合起来.     

张北地震序列的尾波Qc值研究

采用尾波单次散射模型,选取张北地震序列70条波形记录,计算了张北地区t=58.88s时的尾波QC值:QC(f)=132.6±20f0.96±0.14。研究中发现,随流逝时间的增加QC逐渐增大,当流逝时间>120s时,出现逆转,QC迅速减小。文中采用频率域方法计算QC值,尾波功率谱计算自t>2ts开始,选用垂直向波形记录,取时间窗长为5.12s,步长2.56s向前滑动,每个时间窗两端5%的数据与余弦函数相乘,然后做FFT变换,分别计算9个中心频点各时间窗的能量密度谱,尾波流逝时间取各时间窗的中心点。当信号的能量密度<4倍的背景噪声能量密度时,尾波能量密度取值结束。求得能量密度谱后,线性拟合可求得不同流逝时间各频点的QC值。     

某海域极端环境下15万吨级FPSO波浪荷载数值研究

目的 评估在役15万吨级FPSO在某海域百年一遇极端波浪作用下典型横剖面的水动力特性,进而得到FPSO的极值荷载,作为FPSO返坞改造的关键控制参数。方法 基于国产自主三维频域线性势流软件COMPASS-WALCS,建立15万吨级FPSO湿表面网格模型,根据三维绕射-辐射理论,计算湿表面上的水动力荷载,将每个绕射单元上的水动压力直接映射到结构模型上进行计算。采用谱分析方法对百年一遇海况进行分析,得到短期运动极值响应。对响应幅值算子(RAO)和波能谱密度进行谱分析,得到极端波浪下的响应谱,进而得到浮体运动和波浪荷载短期预报各种统计值,利用统计方法求得短期响应的最大值。结果 计算了船中部Fr143横剖面的载荷极值,即垂向弯矩、垂向剪力、剖面型心加速度等,发现船舶迎浪时弯矩值最大,随着浪向角增大,弯矩值逐渐减小,剖面垂向剪力则随着浪向角增大逐渐增大。结论 FPSO在极端波浪作用下,其大迎浪角条件下荷载更加危险,需要给予格外关注。     

舰船环境适应性设计方法探索与实践

探索舰船环境适应性的设计方法,以提高舰船在各种复杂环境下的适应能力。分析了舰船环境适应性设计中面临的若干问题和改进提高方向,参考借鉴国内外航空航天、电子等行业成功经验,提出了指导舰船环境适应性设计的主要设计原则和工作内容。围绕改善环境条件、加强耐环境能力设计这2个方面,提出了3种环境适应性设计方法,包括基于规范的设计方法、基于环境仿真的设计方法、基于预使用验证的设计方法。根据舰船风浪环境适应性设计的特点和要求,选择采用环境仿真和模型试验技术开展了应用研究。基于分析结果,提出了增加水线面系数、调整浮心、优化线型等多项改进措施建议。采用环境仿真和模型试验相结合的方式,可有效支撑舰船风浪环境适应性设计和评估,这一方法具有较高的工程推广应用价值。另外,未来应加大环境仿真技术的研究和应用力度,尝试开展多因素综合环境仿真,以进一步提高舰船的环境适应性。     

超声处理对剩余污泥的粒径和溶出物的影响

为了有效地发挥微型动物摄食对剩余污泥的减量作用,研究了超声声能密度和超声时间对剩余污泥的粒径和溶出物(蛋白质、多糖、DNA、COD及BOD)溶出的影响.在脉冲比2:1和超声时间10min的条件下,声能密度为0.2W·mL-1时出现一个污泥粒径变化的转折点,当小于转折点时污泥粒径随声能密度增加明显下降,而当大于转折点时污泥粒径几乎不受声能密度影响.在脉冲比2:1和声能密度0.8W·mL-1的条件下,超声时间5min是个转折点.上清液中溶出物的浓度随超声波声能密度或超声时间的增加而增加,各溶出物指标之间存在显著的相关关系.溶出物指标中蛋白质指标可以较好地反映出污泥破解状态.为了得到既能使污泥粒径变小到微型动物可摄食的程度又能使污泥中溶出物的溶出量最少的效果,建议声能密度或超声时间取上述转折点为限值.个数平均粒径(Dn)和重量平均粒径(Dw)分别反映了污泥的几何粒径变化和溶出物的溶出状况,因此,在超声破解污泥-微型动物摄食污泥的污泥减量工艺中可通过Dn和Dw的并用来决定剩余污泥超声处理的工艺参数.