An Improved Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for Chemical Plant Layout Optimization with Novel Non-overlapping and Toxic Gas Dispersion Constraints

New approaches for facility distribution in chemical plants are proposed including an improved non-overlapping constraint based on projection relationships of facilities and a novel toxic gas dispersion constraint. In consideration of the large number of variables in the plant layout model, our new method can significantly reduce the number of variables with their own projection relationships. Also, as toxic gas dispersion is a usual incident in a chemical plant, a simple approach to describe the gas leakage is proposed, which can clearly represent the constraints of potential emission source and sitting facilities. For solving the plant layout model, an improved genetic algorithm (GA) based on infeasible solution fix technique is proposed, which improves the globe search ability of GA. The case study and experiment show that a better layout plan can be obtained with our method, and the safety factors such as gas dispersion and minimum distances can be well handled in the solution.

Hydrodynamics and Lateral Gas Dispersion in a High-Density Circulating Fluidized Bed Reactor with Bluff Internals

Effect of bluff internals on the hydrodynamics and lateral gas mixing was studied in a 0.186m ID high-density riser. With the bluff internals, the extremely non-uniform radial profiles of solid fraction and particle velocity become flat and the dense downflow layer near the wall disappears, indicating the significant enhancement of solid turbulence introduced by the internals. The fluctuation velocity and solid fraction transient signal analysis indicates a significant increase in fluctuation intensity near the wall region. The length influenced by the internals on the flow structure is about 1 meter. The lateral gas dispersion coefficient increases significantly as the bluff internals exist in the riser.

Horizontal gas mixing in rectangular fluidized bed:A novel method for gas dispersion coefficients in various conditions and distributor designs

In a rectangular fluidized bed combustor, the tracer gas is injected continuously into the bed from a point source at the center of the distributor plate. In this study, a general governing equation is formulated for tracer gas dispersion in the bed. An analytical solution is derived to estimate the dispersion coefficients, Dxand Dy, in a horizontal plane. The concentration profiles at different sampling heights with various gas velocities are plotted.Subsequently, to estimate the dispersion coefficients, surface fitting of the obtained analytical solution to the experimental data is performed. The dispersion coefficients obtained from this model are compared with those of a conventional model. Additionally, the effect of walls, bed height and gas injection rate on the dispersion coefficients in a horizontal plane is investigated, and the effect of distributor design on the dispersion coefficients in a horizontal plane is investigated with different tracer positions. It is found that Dxand Dyare nearly equivalent at a lower tracer gas ratio of the injected gas to the total gas flow rate. It is also demonstrated that the effect of bed height on Dxis minor. This model is also able to estimate the dispersion coefficients in the case of a multihorizontal nozzle distributor.

Experiences in using gas dispersion measurements to evaluate metallurgical performance of scavenger cleaner and recleaner circuit at Vale's Thompson Mill

The performance of a flotation circuit is largely the result of the operator's response to visual clues. This includes manipulation of the gas input and how it is distributed to cells in a bank. A new gas dispersion technology was presented which was conducted to perform characterization tests in Outokumpu 30 m3 and 50 m3 flotation cells installed at Thompson Vale's concentrator, and subsequent data analysis. The experimental program was designed to establish "as-found" baseline conditions for each cell of the two-parallel banks in the scavenger-cleaner and recleaner circuit, to select and characterize one typical cell in the two banks with either different frother concentrations or different air flow rates, and establish what variables can be manipulated in future characterization work. A three-parameter model was developed in order to link the bubble size and frother concentration. This relationship can be used to correlate gas dispersion change to improved metallurgical performance.

Computational fluid dynamics simulation of gas dispersion in complex facilities using Kit Fox field experiments:Validation and statistical evaluation

Gas release and its dispersion is a major concern in chemical industries.In order to manage and mitigate the risk of gas dispersion and its consequences,it is necessary to predict gas dispersion behavior and its concentration at various locations upon emission.Therefore,models and commercial packages such as Phast and ALOHA have been developed.Computational fluid dynamics(CFD)can be a useful tool to simulate gas dispersion in complex areas and conditions.The validation of the models requires the employment of the experimental data from filed and wind tunnel experiments.It appears that the use of the experimental data to validate the CFD method that only includes certain monitor points and not the entire domain can lead to unreliable results for the intended areas of concern.In this work,some of the trials of the Kit Fox field experiment,which provided a wide-range database for gas dispersion,were simulated by CFD.Various scenarios were considered with different mesh sizes,physical conditions,and types of release.The results of the simulations were surveyed in the whole domain.The data matching each scenario was varied by the influence of the dominant displacement force(wind or diffusivity).Furthermore,the statistical parameters suggested for the heavy gas dispersion showed a dependency on the lower band of gas concentration.Therefore,they should be used with precaution.Finally,the results and computation cost of the simulation could be affected by the chosen scenario,the location of the intended points,and the release type.

Effect of Temperature on Gas Hold-up in Aerated Stirred Tanks

Gas holdups in ambient gassed and hot sparged systems with multiple modern impellers and the effect of temperature on gas holdup are reported. The operating temperature has a great impact on gas holdup though the gas dispersion regime in the hot sparged system is similar to the ambient gassed condition. The gas holdup under the elevated temperature and the ambient gassed operation is successfully correlated. With the same total gas flow rate and power input, the gas holdup in the hot sparged system (say near the boiling point) is only about half of that in the ambient system. The results imply that almost all existing hot sparged reactors have been designed on the basis of incorrect estimates of the gas holdup during operation.

A Review of Leakage and Dispersion of LNG on the Ground

Based on the analysis of the whole process of LNG spill on land,the research methods of LNG pool expansion and heavy gas diffusion are summarized and analyzed.This paper reviews the experimental and analytical work performed to data on spill of LNG.Specifically,experiments on the spill of LNG onshore,as well as experiments and numerical study on heavy gas dispersion.Pool boiling and turbulence model are described and discussed,as well as models used to predict dispersion.Although there have been significant progress in understanding the behavior of LNG spills,technical knowledge gaps to improve hazard prediction are still identified.Some of the gaps can be addressed with current modeling and testing capabilities.Finally,a discussion of the state of knowledge,and recommendations to further improvement the understanding of the behavior of LNG spills onshore.

Genetic Relationship between Natural Gas Dispersal Zone and Uranium Accumulation in the Northern Ordos Basin, China

The Ordos Basin is well-known for the coexistence of oil, natural gas, coal and uranium. However, there has been little research to discuss the genetic relationship between them. In this paper, a case study of the Zaohuohao area in Dongsheng, Inner Mongolia, China, is conducted to investigate the genetic relationship between the natural gas and the uranium accumulation. Fluid inclusion data from the uranium-bearing sandstone samples indicate that the fluid inclusions formed in a gas-water transition zone. Using the homogeneous temperatures of aqueous inclusions coeval with hydrocarbon-bearing inclusions, combined with the buried history and paleo-temperature data, the gas-water transition zone reached the area at about 110 Ma. On the basis of this, the contents of Uranium （U） and Total Organic Carbon （TOC） of the samples were analyzed, and there was no obvious relation between them. With regard to the available data from both publications and this study, it is found that the U mineralization has a spatiotemporal accordance with the gas-water dispersal zone. Thus, it is believed that the natural gas in the gas-water zone is an effective reducer to the U-bearing ground water abundant in oxygen, which is the main factor to U accumulation. This result can be used as the reference to the U mines predicting and prospecting.

Void Fraction Distributions in Cold-gassed and Hot-sparged Three Phase Stirred Tanks with Multi-impeller

Vertical distributions of void fraction in gas-liquid and gas-liquid-solid stirred tanks have been measured in a fully baffled dished base vessel of 0.48 m diameter, using a conductivity probe. The impeller configuration （a hollow half elliptical blade dispersing turbine below two up-pumping wide blade hydrofoils, identified as HEDT＋2WHu） recommended in previous work has been used in this work. The operating temperatures were 24℃ and 81℃, identified as cold and hot respectively. The effects of superficial gas velocity, agitator speed and the corresponding power input on the local void fraction in two-phase systems are .investigated and discussed. Results show thatth-e increasing of agitator speed or gas flow rate leads to an increase in local-void fraction at the majority of measurement points in both cold and hot systems. However, the unifo,rmity of gas dispersion does not always in crease as the raising of agitator speed and power input. In either cold or hot sparged conditions, the two- and three-phase systems.have similar vertical profiles for void fraction, with maxima in similar locations; however, the void fractions are significantly lower in hot sparging than with cold. In cold operation the presence of particles leads to a lower void fraction at most points, although the local void fractions increase a little with the addition of solid particles at high temperature, in good agreement with the global gas holdup results, and the possible reasons are discussed in this paper. This work can give a better understanding of the differences between cold-gassed and hot-sparged three phase＇stirred tanks.

CFD Based Simulation of LNG Release during Bunkering and Cargo Loading/Unloading Simultaneous Operations of a Containership

In order to reduce waiting time in port for large LNG （liquefied natural gas） fueled ships, it is suggested that LNG STS （ship to ship） bunkering and cargo loading/unloading should be carried out simultaneously. This study investigated the safety zone of an LNG bunkering vessel with 10,000 cubic meters capacity transferring LNG fuel to an LNG fueled 18,000 TEU containership. Four LNG leakage scenarios were identified based on failure frequencies analysis of piping systems and severity of consequence, three-dimension CFD software FLACS was adopted to calculate flammable cloud dispersion after LNG leakage. As a result, we obtained a rectangle dangerous zone （41.3 m ~ 126 m）, outside of this dangerous zone can be def＇med as safety zone. It is concluded that safety zone of LNG STS bunkering and cargo loading/unloading SIMOPS （simultaneous operations） cannot keep the same, there are different results for different designs and operation locations. Due to high frequencies and severe consequences, two typical scenarios, the leakage of LNG hose and the natural gas releases from bunkering tank＇s safety relief valve during bunkering, cannot be ignored in similar study.

Assessing impact of intermittent window opening strategies on pathogen-laden droplet dispersion in a coach bus

Opening windows in coach buses is a practical approach to improving natural ventilation and mitigating infection risk(IR).Due to human behavior and weather conditions,the intermittent window opening strategy(IWOS)is a more common practice than keeping windows constantly open.Despite its prevalence,there are no studies exploring IWOS specifically in vehicles.We employed indoor-outdoor coupled CFD simulations to assess the effects of various IWOS on pathogen-laden droplet(PLD)dispersion and IR in a coach bus that occurred a COVID-19 outbreak in Hunan,China.Results reveal that after ventilating through two skylights for 600–1800 s,opening front and rear windows(FW+RW)or FW with a wind catcher(FW+WCH)for just 40 s can reduce PLD concentration(Cave)to 5%of its initial level and the intake fraction of the infector’s neighbor(IFn)drops by 95%.Upon closing FW+RW or FW+WCH,Cave and IFn take over 580 s to return to the pre-opening level.Moreover,intermittent FW opening halves Cave and IFn within 7 min,but leads to rapid increases upon window closure.Therefore,opening FW+RW and FW+WCH intermittently have pronounced impacts on indoor PLD concentration and are applicable approaches to control respiratory disease transmission in vehicles.According to the inhaled viral dose,it is recommended to open windows when driving time is over 12 minutes to reduce infection risk.In scenarios like epidemiological surveys and risk assessments,where assessing passenger infection risk is vital,some behaviors of opening windows cannot be overlooked and necessitate extra attention.

Experimental and numerical investigation of gas diffusion under an urban underground construction

Rapid increase of urban underground constructions has a great consideration of underground environment safety and how to expel toxic gasses out of tunnels effectively.The utility tunnel is a typical urban tunnel construction with multiple underground pipelines including gas pipelines,and it is necessary to investigate characteristic of gas diffusion and monitor gas leakage to ensure tunnel safety.In this study,the experimental measurements of airflow and gas distributions were conducted in a 10 m full-scaled utility tunnel mockup,and gas diffusion characteristic was also investigated.Numerical simulation of utility tunnel leakage was also conducted by computational fluid dynamics(CFD).Different turbulence models and different air supply diffuser models were compared via the experimental results based on visualization and the relative root-mean-square error(RRMSE)index,which quan-titated the difference between the numerical and experimental results.The results showed that the standard k−εturbulence model and random air opening model could provide better results than other models.According to the experimental data analysis,it was necessary to consider the optimization of monitoring detector arrangements in actual utility tunnels.This study provided basic experimental data and the validated numerical model for the leakage source identification and underground tunnels simulation research.

Exhaust process of cryogenic nitrogen gas from a cryogenic wind tunnel with an inclined exit

A new structural design for the vent stack with an inclined exit was proposed to reduce the settlement hazard of the cryogenic plume from a cryogenic wind tunnel;it extends the plume trajectory to increase the effective contact space and time for mixing between the plume gas and atmospheric air before the plume settles to the ground,contributing to more efficient energy consumption for heating.Reduced-scale experiments and numerical simulations of plume dispersion based on vertical and 30°-and 45°-inclined exits were conducted to study harm reduction and energy-saving potential.Analyses of the minimum temperature and minimum oxygen concentration of the plume near the ground indicate that the new exhaust design with an inclined exit clearly reduces the settlement hazard.Under windless conditions and without using a fan-ejector system,up to 15.9%of the heating energy used by the burner can be saved by adopting the new design.

Axial gas mixing in conical spouted beds with high density particles

Conical spouted beds operating with high-density particles(ρp>2500 kg/m^(3))have recently gained attention because of their potential use as nuclear fuel coaters for next-generation nuclear reactors.In the literature,the number of axial gas mixing studies in conical and conical-cylindrical spouted beds is very limited and all axial mixing studies were carried out with relatively light particles(ρp≤2500 kg/m^(3)).Therefore,the objective of this study was to generate experimental data that can be used to explain the gas axial mixing behavior in conical spouted beds operating with both low-and high-density particles.Experiments were conducted in two(γ=30°,60°)conical spouted beds with three different types of particles:zirconia(ρp=6050 kg/m^(3)),zirconia toughened alumina(ρp=3700 kg/m^(3))and glass beads(ρp=2460 kg/m^(3)).In order to be able to compare experimental data obtained at different conditions,a 1-D convection-diffusion gas mixing model originally developed by San Joséet al.(1995)was implemented to determine the axial dispersion coefficients.The results show that the axial dispersion coefficients range between m^(2)/s and m^(2)/s,increase with superficial gas velocity and are higher than the corresponding dispersion coefficients of fixed beds,lower than the dispersion coefficients of fluidized beds and in the same range with the cylindrical spouted beds reported in the literature.The corresponding Peclet numbers were in the range of 0.6–7.8 for all operating conditions and slightly higher Peclet numbers were obtained with glass beads indicating the relative importance of gas convective transport over gas dispersion for light particles compared to heavy particles.