PCRELAP5 - Programa de cálculo para os dados de entrada do código RELAP5

Dissertação (Mestrado em Tecnologia Nuclear)

Accidents at work by excessive efforts / inappropriate movements in nurses

Nurses continuously develop various activities that expose them to excessive force and inappropriate movements. Characterize the accidents reported by overexertion and inappropriate movements in Portuguese nurses during 2009 and 2010. Retrospective cross-sectional study, covering the period from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010. Were defined as inclusion criteria, be nurse and having notified by excessive straining and improper motion accident. The information was obtained by reference to the computer record of accidents at work General Administration of Health Services, relating to 672 nurses. There were 672 notifications of accidents by overexertion/ inappropriate moves in Portuguese nurses. The higher prevalence of these accidents was in nurses with over 10 years of service 277 (41.2%), 565 were female (42.6%) in the age group 25-29 (29.9%) and practice time for 555 shifts (82.6%). At admission there were 387 (57.3%) within 3 hours of work 330 (49.1%) and the third day after weekly rest 216 (32.1%). The Mobilization of patients was the most frequent cause of this accident 430 (64.0%). The main effects were the sprains and strains 321 (47.8%), mainly the trunk reached 367 (54.7%) and absenteeism caused 373 (55.5%). On average 17.7 days missed a total of 12.054 days. There was a high prevalence of accidents during the mobilization of prayer on patients so importante to invest in the implementation of mechanical equipment for the mobilization and transport of patients.

Caracterización de bacterias filamentosas en el funcionamiento de un reactor aerobio de la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales de origen cervecero

La actividad industrial y el desarrollo material y económico, han traído como consecuencia la contaminación del aire, agua y el suelo; lo que ocasiona modificaciones físicas químicas y biológicas que han producido un deterioro en la calidad del agua, dando como resultado problemas de contaminación que afectan tanto la productividad de los sistemas como la salud humana. A las aguas de composición variada provenientes de uso municipal, industrial, comercial, agrícola, pecuario, o de cualquier otra índole, ya sea privada o pública que han sufrido una degradación o alteración en su calidad original se le conoce como agua residual. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo “Caracterizar las bacterias filamentosas en el funcionamiento de un reactor aerobio de la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales de origen cervecero” para ello se estudió durante varios meses los parámetros físico-químicos y biológicos para poder así controlar de las bacterias filamentosas y así evitar en un futuro problemas de operación o poder controlar su crecimiento y por ende, ecológicos dentro del sistema de lodos activados. La identificación se realizó tomando muestras en el reactor aerobio y realizándole la tinción de Gram para posteriormente ser vistos en un microscopio de una resolución de 100x; luego se caracterizaron las bacterias juntas con los parámetros de operación del tanque de lodos por muestra y los resultados encontrados fueron la presencia de filamentos Microtrix Parvicella, Tipo 021N, y Sp1 (llamada así por no ser identificada, ni encontrada en la literatura), esta es una nueva especie encontrada, ya que es propia de este reactor aerobio y crecen principalmente en aguas cerveceras y por deficiencia de nutrientes en el sistema. Este trabajo nos permitió conocer la dinámica que existe entre los parámetros fisicoquímicos y los microorganismos que se encuentran en un biorreactor Aerobio. Esto nos llevó a comprender mejor el funcionamiento de estos sistemas dentro de plantas de aguas residuales de tipo industrial. ABSTRACT Industrial activity and the physical and economic development have resulted in contamination of air, water and soil, causing physical chemical and biological changes that have produced deterioration in water quality, resulting in pollution problems affects the productivity of the systems and human health. A varied composition waters from municipal, industrial, commercial, agricultural, livestock, or any other use, whether private or public who have suffered a degradation or alteration in their original quality is known as residual water. This work aims to "characterize filamentous bacteria in the operation of an aerobic reactor plant wastewater treatment brewer origin" for this physicochemical and biological parameters were studied for several months to thereby control bacteria stringy and avoid future problems in operation or to control their growth and thus ecological This work aims to "characterize filamentous bacteria in the operation of an aerobic reactor plant wastewater treatment brewer origin" for this physicochemical and biological parameters were studied for several months to thereby control bacteria stringy and avoid future problems in operation or to control their growth and thus ecological within the activated sludge system. This work allowed us to understand the dynamics between physicochemical parameters and microorganisms found in an aerobic bioreactor. This led us to better understand the operation of these systems within plants industrial wastewater.

A SCR Model based on Reactor and Engine Experimental Studies for a Cu-zeolite Catalyst

A NOx reduction efficiency higher than 95% with NH3 slip less than 30 ppm is desirable for heavy-duty diesel (HDD) engines using selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems to meet the US EPA 2010 NOx standard and the 2014-2018 fuel consumption regulation. The SCR performance needs to be improved through experimental and modeling studies. In this research, a high fidelity global kinetic 1-dimensional 2-site SCR model with mass transfer, heat transfer and global reaction mechanisms was developed for a Cu-zeolite catalyst. The model simulates the SCR performance for the engine exhaust conditions with NH3 maldistribution and aging effects, and the details are presented. SCR experimental data were collected for the model development, calibration and validation from a reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and an engine experimental setup at Michigan Technological University (MTU) with a Cummins 2010 ISB engine. The model was calibrated separately to the reactor and engine data. The experimental setup, test procedures including a surrogate HD-FTP cycle developed for transient studies and the model calibration process are described. Differences in the model parameters were determined between the calibrations developed from the reactor and the engine data. It was determined that the SCR inlet NH3 maldistribution is one of the reasons causing the differences. The model calibrated to the engine data served as a basis for developing a reduced order SCR estimator model. The effect of the SCR inlet NO2/NOx ratio on the SCR performance was studied through simulations using the surrogate HD-FTP cycle. The cumulative outlet NOx and the overall NOx conversion efficiency of the cycle are highest with a NO2/NOx ratio of 0.5. The outlet NH3 is lowest for the NO2/NOx ratio greater than 0.6. A combined engine experimental and simulation study was performed to quantify the NH3 maldistribution at the SCR inlet and its effects on the SCR performance and kinetics. The uniformity index (UI) of the SCR inlet NH3 and NH3/NOx ratio (ANR) was determined to be below 0.8 for the production system. The UI was improved to 0.9 after installation of a swirl mixer into the SCR inlet cone. A multi-channel model was developed to simulate the maldistribution effects. The results showed that reducing the UI of the inlet ANR from 1.0 to 0.7 caused a 5-10% decrease in NOx reduction efficiency and 10-20 ppm increase in the NH3 slip. The simulations of the steady-state engine data with the multi-channel model showed that the NH3 maldistribution is a factor causing the differences in the calibrations developed from the engine and the reactor data. The Reactor experiments were performed at ORNL using a Spaci-IR technique to study the thermal aging effects. The test results showed that the thermal aging (at 800°C for 16 hours) caused a 30% reduction in the NH3 stored on the catalyst under NH3 saturation conditions and different axial concentration profiles under SCR reaction conditions. The kinetics analysis showed that the thermal aging caused a reduction in total NH3 storage capacity (94.6 compared to 138 gmol/m3), different NH3 adsorption/desorption properties and a decrease in activation energy and the pre-exponential factor for NH3 oxidation, standard and fast SCR reactions. Both reduction in the storage capability and the change in kinetics of the major reactions contributed to the change in the axial storage and concentration profiles observed from the experiments.

Pyrolysis of rice husk and corn stalk in auger reactor:Part 1. Characterization of char and gas at various temperatures

In this study, rice husk and corn stalk have been pyrolyzed in an auger pyrolysis reactor at pyrolysis temperatures of 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C in order to investigate the effect of the pyrolysis temperature on the pyrolysis performance of the reactor and physicochemical properties of pyrolysis products (this paper focuses on char and gas). The results have shown that the pyrolysis temperature significantly affects the mass yields and properties of the pyrolysis products. The mass yields of pyrolysis liquid and char are comparable to those reported for the same feedstocks processed in fluidized bed reactors. With the increase of the pyrolysis temperature, the pyrolysis liquid yield shows a peak at 500 °C, the char yield decreases, and the gas yield increases for both feedstocks. The higher heating value (HHV) and volatile matter content of char increase as the pyrolysis temperature increases from 350 to 600 °C. The gases obtained from the pyrolysis of rice husk and corn stalk mainly contain CO2, CO, CH4, H2, and other light hydrocarbons; the molar fractions of combustible gases increase and therefore their HHVs subsequently increase with the increase of the pyrolysis temperature.

A computational model of hydrogen production by steam reforming of dimethyl ether in a large scale CFB reactor. Part II:parametric analysis

This study presents a computational parametric analysis of DME steam reforming in a large scale Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) reactor. The Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model used, which is based on Eulerian-Eulerian dispersed flow, has been developed and validated in Part I of this study [1]. The effect of the reactor inlet configuration, gas residence time, inlet temperature and steam to DME ratio on the overall reactor performance and products have all been investigated. The results have shown that the use of double sided solid feeding system remarkable improvement in the flow uniformity, but with limited effect on the reactions and products. The temperature has been found to play a dominant role in increasing the DME conversion and the hydrogen yield. According to the parametric analysis, it is recommended to run the CFB reactor at around 300 °C inlet temperature, 5.5 steam to DME molar ratio, 4 s gas residence time and 37,104 ml gcat -1 h-1 space velocity. At these conditions, the DME conversion and hydrogen molar concentration in the product gas were both found to be around 80%.

Electric Vehicle Battery Charger: Wireless Power Transfer System Controlled by Magnetic Core Reactor

This paper presents a control process and frequency adjustment based on the magnetic core reactor for electric vehicle battery charger. Since few decades ago, there have been significant developments in technologies used in wireless power transfer systems, namely in battery charger. In the wireless power transfer systems is essential that the frequency of the primary circuit be equal to the frequency of the secondary circuit so there is the maximum energy transfer. The magnetic core reactor allows controlling the frequencies on both sides of the transmission and reception circuits. Also, the assembly diagrams and test results are presented.

Analysis of technological accidents triggered by natural events (Natech) in the perspective of climate change

The severe accidents deriving from the impact of natural events on industrial installations have become a matter of growing concern in the last decades. In the literature, these events are typically referred to as Natech accidents. Several peculiarities distinguish them from conventional industrial accidents caused by internal factors, such as the possible occurrence of multiple simultaneous failures, and the enhanced probability of cascading events. The research project provides a comprehensive overview of Natech accidents that occurred in the Chemical and Process Industry, allowing for the identification of relevant aspects of Natech events. Quantified event trees and probability of ignition are derived from the collected dataset, providing a step forward in the quantitative risk assessment of Natech accidents. The investigation of past Natech accidents also demonstrated that wildfires may cause technological accidents. Climate change and global warming are promoting the conditions for wildfire development and rapid spread. Hence, ensuring the safety of industrial facilities exposed to wildfires is paramount. This was achieved defining safety distances between wildland vegetation and industrial equipment items. In addition, an innovative methodology for the vulnerability assessment of Natech and Domino scenarios triggered by wildfires was developed. The approach accounted for the dynamic behaviour of wildfire events and related technological scenarios. Besides, the performance of the emergency response and the related intervention time in the case of cascading events caused by natural events were evaluated. Overall, the tools presented in this thesis represent a step forward in the Quantitative Risk Assessment of Natech accidents. The methodologies developed also provide a solid basis for the definition of effective strategies for risk mitigation and reduction. These aspects are crucial to improve the resilience of industrial plants to natural hazards, especially considering the effects that climate change may have on the severity of such events.

Synergies among safety and security in the prevention of major accidents related to dangerous substances

Historical evidence shows that chemical, process, and Oil&Gas facilities where dangerous substances are stored or handled are target of deliberate malicious attacks (security attacks) aiming at interfering with normal operations. Physical attacks and cyber-attacks may generate events with consequences on people, property, and the surrounding environment that are comparable to those of major accidents caused by safety-related causes. The security aspects of these facilities are commonly addressed using Security Vulnerability/Risk Assessment (SVA/SRA) methodologies. Most of these methodologies are semi-quantitative and non-systematic approaches that strongly rely on expert judgment, leading to security assessments that are not reproducible. Moreover, they do not consider the synergies with the safety domain. The present 3-year research is aimed at filling the gap outlined by providing knowledge on security attacks, as well as rigorous and systematic methods supporting existing SVA/SRA studies suitable for the chemical, process, and Oil&Gas industry. The different nature of cyber and physical attacks resulted in the development of different methods for the two domains. The first part of the research was devoted to the development and statistical analysis of security databases that allowed to develop new knowledge and lessons learnt on security threats. Based on the obtained background, a Bow-Tie based procedure and two reverse-HazOp based methodologies were developed as hazard identification approaches for physical and cyber threats respectively. To support the quantitative estimation of the security risk, a quantitative procedure based on the Bayesian Network was developed allowing to calculate the probability of success of physical security attacks. All the developed methods have been applied to case studies addressing chemical, process and Oil&Gas facilities (offshore and onshore) proving the quality of the results that can be achieved in improving site security. Furthermore, the outcomes achieved allow to step forward in developing synergies and promoting integration among safety and security management.

Conceptual design of the integral measurement system of the radiation dose of the fuel elements for the ALFRED reactor.

Conceptual design of the integral measurement system of the radiation dose of the fuel elements for the ALFRED reactor.

Characterization Of Single Use Reactor Used For The Manufacturing Of Formulated Products Within The Pharmaceutical Industry

Mixing is a fundamental unit operation in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure consistent product quality across different batches. It is usually carried out in mechanically stirred tanks, with a large variety of designs according to the process requirements. A key aspect of pharmaceutical manufacturing is the extensive and meticulous cleaning of the vessels between runs to prevent the risk of contamination. Single-use reactors represent an increasing trend in the industry since they do not require cleaning and sterilization, reducing the need for utilities such as steam to sterilize equipment and the time between production batches. In contrast to traditional stainless steel vessels, single-use reactors consist of a plastic bag used as a vessel and disposed of after use. This thesis aims to characterize the fluid dynamics features and the mixing performance of a commercially available single-use reactor. The characterization employs a combination of various experimental techniques. The analysis starts with the visual observation of the liquid behavior inside the vessel, focusing on the vortex shape evolution at different impeller speeds. The power consumption is then measured using a torque meter to quantify the power number. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is employed to investigate local fluid dynamics properties such as mean flow field and mean and rms velocity profiles. The same experimental setup of PIV is exploited for another optical measurement technique, the Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). The PLIF measurements complete the characterization of the reactor with the qualitative visualization of the turbulent flow and the quantitative assessment of the system performance through the mixing time. The results confirm good mixing performances for the single-use reactor over the investigated impeller speeds and reveal that the filling volume plays a significant role in the fluid dynamics of the system.

Verification of rupture disc sizing of Acrylic Reactor

The primary goal of this thesis is to verify the rupture disc sizing of the acrylic reactor. Primarily the test to check the sizing was divided into several stages. It went on to examine ideas to explain the concern and ethical ways, as well as remedies and suggestions to solve the issues and difficulties that were discovered. This thesis will highlight the gathering and arranging of reaction data (recipe composition, enthalpies, reaction temperature, and catalyst feeding times) of the products to be chosen, in accordance with pre-established criteria. To collaborate with the research and development team in the lab to carry out calorimetric testing for the important recipes that have been identified. The verification of the currently installed Rupture Discs in the plant based on the calorimetric test findings is the final stage. This thesis used two separate calorimetry techniques: Phi-TEC II adiabatic calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The target of the experiment is to check and confirm the correct size of the reactor rupture disc. Arkema (Boretto/Coatex) plant (Emilia romagna) provided a recipe and a scenario following multiple meetings and discussions. The purpose of this technical paper is to describe the outcomes of adiabatic calorimetry performed at the lab scale so that the computation of the vents for a particular recipe and scenario can be verified.