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At least 415 records · Page 23

Environmental, Health and Safety Assessment Application of a Heat Integrated, Post-combustion CO2 Capture System Using Monoethanolamine and Hitachi H3-1 Solvent at the E.W. Brown Coal-fired Power Plant

An Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Assessment was completed for operation of a pilot scale carbon dioxide (CO2) capture system (CCS) at the Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU) Energy, LLC (LG&E-KU) E. W. Brown Generating Station in Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky. The pilot system was evaluated using two CO2 capture solvents, monoethanolamine (MEA) and Hitachi’s H3-1 solvent. The purpose of the EH&S Assessment was to determine if there were any unacceptable environmental, health or safety concerns that may prevent operation or environmental permitting of a larger scale pilot scale plant. The assessment included review of process flow diagrams, input and output flow rates for primary materials, literature describing similar processes and chemicals used or created during the process, actual air emission and wastewater test data and air emission calculations. The evaluation included identification of risks related to hazardous chemicals, air emissions, wastewater discharges, solid wastes generated and employee hazards. Most potential EH&S issues that were identified are commonly found and successfully managed at large industrial facilities. No risks were identified that could not be successfully managed or would likely prevent implementation or environmental permitting of the pilot or larger scale plant. Potential exposures and resulting health risks from exposure to low concentrations of nitrosamines generated from degradation of the Hitachi H3-1 and possibly MEA solvents may be a health concern for site workers, but additional investigation is needed to accurately assess this risk. Applying the information gained from operating the pilot plant, performing air emission testing and used solvent testing to a large-scale facility at a commercial coal-fired electric generating plant suggests additional air emission control measures may be necessary to reduce potential site worker health risks and possibly community risks. Depending upon the location and regional air quality, considerable effort may be required to obtain the necessary air permit for construction and operation of a similarly configured large-scale PCCCS facility.

gas separation↗

Micromechanical simulation of damage progression in carbon phenolic composites

Carbon/phenolic composites are used extensively as ablative insulating materials in the nozzle region of solid rocket motors. The current solid rocket motor (RSRM) on the space shuttle is fabricated from woven rayon cloth which is carbonized and then impregnated with the phenolic resin. These plies are layed up in the desired configuration and cured to form the finished part. During firing, the surface of the carbon/phenolic insulation is exposed to 5000 F gases from the rocket exhaust. The resin pyrolizes and the material chars to a depth which progresses with time. The rate of charring and erosion are generally predictable, and the insulation depth is designed to allow adequate safety margins over the firing time of the motor. However, anomalies in the properties and response of the carbon/phenolic materials can lead to severe material damage which may decrease safety margins to unacceptable levels. Three macro damage modes which were observed in fired nozzles are: ply lift, 'wedge out', and pocketing erosion. Ply lift occurs in materials with plies oriented nearly parallel to the surface. The damage occurs in a region below the charred material where material temperatures are relatively low - about 500 F. Wedge out occurs at the intersection of nozzle components whose plies are oriented at about 45 deg. The corner of the block of material breaks off along a ply interface. Pocketing erosion occurs in material with plies oriented normal to the surface. Thermal expansion is restrained in two directions resulting in large tensile strains and material failure normal to the surface. When a large section of material is removed as a result of damage, the insulation thickness is reduced which may lead to failure of the nozzle due to excessive heating of critical components. If these damage events cannot be prevented with certainty, the designer must increase the thickness of the insulator thus adding to both weight and cost. One of the difficulties in developing a full understanding of these macro damage mechanisms is that the loading environment and the material response to that environment are extremely complex. These types of damage are usually only observed in actual motor firings. Therefore, it is difficult and expensive to evaluate the reliability of new materials. Standard material tests which measure mechanical and thermal properties of test specimens can only provide a partial picture of how the material will respond in the service environment. The development of the ANALOG test procedure which can combine high heating rates and mechanical loads on a specimen will improve the understanding of the interactive effects of the various loads on the system. But a mechanistic model of material response which can account for the heterogeneity of the material, the progression of various micromechanical damage mechanisms, and the interaction of mechanical and thermal stresses on the material is required to accurately correlate material tests with response to service environments. A model based on fundamental damage mechanisms which is calibrated and verified under a variety of loading conditions will provide a general tool for predicting the response of rocket nozzles. The development of a micromechanical simulation technique was initiated and demonstrated to be effective for studying across-ply tensile failure of carbon/phenolic composites.

Slattery, Kerry T.↗

Environmental, Health and Safety Assessment Application of a Heat Integrated, Post-combustion CO 2 Capture System Using Monoethanolamine and Hitachi H3-1 Solvent at the E.W. Brown Coal-Fired Power Plant

An Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Assessment was completed for operation of a pilot scale carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture system (CCS) at the Louisville Gas & Electric (LG&E) and Kentucky Utilities (KU) Energy, LLC (LG&E-KU) E. W. Brown Generating Station in Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky. The pilot system was evaluated using two CO 2 capture solvents, monoethanolamine (MEA) and Hitachi’s H3-1 solvent. The purpose of the EH&S Assessment was to determine if there were any unacceptable environmental, health or safety concerns that may prevent operation or environmental permitting of a larger scale pilot scale plant. The assessment included review of process flow diagrams, input and output flow rates for primary materials, literature describing similar processes and chemicals used or created during the process, actual air emission and wastewater test data and air emission calculations. The evaluation included identification of risks related to hazardous chemicals, air emissions, wastewater discharges, solid wastes generated and employee hazards. Most potential EH&S issues that were identified are commonly found and successfully managed at large industrial facilities. No risks were identified that could not be successfully managed or would likely prevent implementation or environmental permitting of the pilot or larger scale plant. Potential exposures and resulting health risks from exposure to low concentrations of nitrosamines generated from degradation of the Hitachi H3-1 and possibly MEA solvents may be a health concern for site workers, but additional investigation is needed to accurately assess this risk. Applying the information gained from operating the pilot plant, performing air emission testing and used solvent testing to a large-scale facility at a commercial coal-fired electric generating plant suggests additional air emission control measures may be necessary to reduce potential site worker health risks and possibly community risks. Depending upon the location and regional air quality, considerable effort may be required to obtain the necessary air permit for construction and operation of a similarly configured large-scale PCCCS facility.

gas separation↗

NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects, analyzes, and distributes de-identified safety information provided through confidentially submitted reports from frontline aviation personnel. Since its inception in 1976, the ASRS has collected over 900,000 reports and has never breached the identity of the people sharing their information about events or safety issues. From this volume of data, the ASRS has released over 5,500 aviation safety alerts concerning potential hazards and safety concerns. The ASRS processes these reports, evaluates the information, and provides de-identified report information through the online ASRS Database at http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov. The NASA ASRS is also a founding member of the International Confidential Aviation Safety Systems (ICASS) group which is a collection of other national aviation reporting systems throughout the world. The ASRS model has also been replicated for application to improving safety in railroad, medical, fire fighting, and other domains. This presentation \vill discuss confidential, voluntary, and non-punitive reporting systems and their advantages in providing information for safety improvements.

Connell, Linda↗

NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects, analyzes, and distributes de-identified safety information provided through confidentially submitted reports from frontline aviation personnel. Since its inception in 1976, the ASRS has collected over 1.4 million reports and has never breached the identity of the people sharing their information about events or safety issues. From this volume of data, the ASRS has released over 6,000 aviation safety alerts concerning potential hazards and safety concerns. The ASRS processes these reports, evaluates the information, and provides selected de-identified report information through the online ASRS Database at http:asrs.arc.nasa.gov. The NASA ASRS is also a founding member of the International Confidential Aviation Safety Systems (ICASS) group which is a collection of other national aviation reporting systems throughout the world. The ASRS model has also been replicated for application to improving safety in railroad, medical, fire fighting, and other domains. This presentation will discuss confidential, voluntary, and non-punitive reporting systems and their advantages in providing information for safety improvements.

Connell, Linda J.↗

NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects, analyzes, and distributes de-identified safety information provided through confidentially submitted reports from frontline aviation personnel. Since its inception in 1976, the ASRS has collected over 1.4 M reports and has never breached the identity of the people sharing their information about events or safety issues. From this volume of data, the ASRS has released over 6,000 aviation safety alerts concerning potential hazards and safety concerns. The ASRS processes these reports, evaluates the information, and provides selected de-identified report information through the online ASRS Database at http:asrs.arc.nasa.gov. The NASA ASRS is also a founding member of the International Confidential Aviation Safety Systems (ICASS) group which is a collection of other national aviation reporting systems throughout the world. The ASRS model has also been replicated for application to improving safety in railroad, medical, fire fighting, and other domains. This presentation will discuss confidential, voluntary, and non-punitive reporting systems and their advantages in providing information for safety improvements.

Connell, Linda↗

NASA Hydrogen Peroxide Propellant Hazards Technical Manual

The Fire, Explosion, Compatibility and Safety Hazards of Hydrogen Peroxide NASA technical manual was developed at the NASA Johnson Space Center White Sands Test Facility. NASA Technical Memorandum TM-2004-213151 covers topics concerning high concentration hydrogen peroxide including fire and explosion hazards, material and fluid reactivity, materials selection information, personnel and environmental hazards, physical and chemical properties, analytical spectroscopy, specifications, analytical methods, and material compatibility data. A summary of hydrogen peroxide-related accidents, incidents, dose calls, mishaps and lessons learned is included. The manual draws from art extensive literature base and includes recent applicable regulatory compliance documentation. The manual may be obtained by United States government agencies from NASA Johnson Space Center and used as a reference source for hazards and safe handling of hydrogen peroxide.

Baker, David L.↗

Incorporating UAS Traffic Management into Wildland Firefighting Operations: Initial Findings of Subject Matter Expert Interviews

Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UASs) are being utilized throughout the disaster and emergency response domain, including in wildland firefighting operations. While UASs can offer safety benefits in comparison to crewed aircraft, such as removing the human pilot from the vehicle so that they are not exposed to the same risks and the ability to operate in low-visibility conditions, they are not without tradeoffs. For example, it can be challenging for UAS pilots (UASPs) to build situation awareness of the airspace in which their UAS is operating. In order to address some of the challenges associated with using UASs and provide greater assistance to the firefighters and incident personnel in the wildland firefighting environment, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project. Building on previous NASA research, ACERO will explore the implementation of a traffic management system in the wildland fire environment to enhance safety and support situation awareness. ACERO draws on the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system previously demonstrated in an urban environment. However, a traffic management system implemented in the wildland fire environment is expected to look and function much differently in order to meet the unique needs of this domain. At the outset of the ACERO project, interviews were conducted with five UASPs who operate UASs at wildland fire incidents. The interviews focused on exploring UASPs’ initial insights about the application of a traffic management system in wildland firefighting and understanding the unique needs of this environment. The UASPs discussed a range of topics including, the shape, size, and organization of UAS operations in the wildland fire environment, information needs for a user interface, such as traffic and map information, an alerting function when other traffic nears their operation area, and the importance of conformance monitoring. The UASPs also discussed their willingness to share operational information to support safety. In this paper, we describe the foundational work upon which ACERO will build and summarize the information and insights gathered during the UASP interviews, some of which have already informed the development of the ACERO work.

Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS)↗

Incorporating UAS Traffic Management into Wildland Firefighting Operations: Initial Findings of Subject Matter Expert Interviews

Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UASs) are being utilized throughout the disaster and emergency response domain, including in wildland firefighting operations. While UASs can offer safety benefits in comparison to crewed aircraft, such as removing the human pilot from the vehicle so that they are not exposed to the same risks and the ability to operate in low-visibility conditions, they are not without tradeoffs. For example, it can be challenging for UAS pilots (UASPs) to build situation awareness of the airspace in which their UAS is operating. In order to address some of the challenges associated with using UASs and provide greater assistance to the firefighters and incident personnel in the wildland firefighting environment, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project. Building on previous NASA research, ACERO will explore the implementation of a traffic management system in the wildland fire environment to enhance safety and support situation awareness. ACERO draws on the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system previously demonstrated in an urban environment. However, a traffic management system implemented in the wildland fire environment is expected to look and function much differently in order to meet the unique needs of this domain. At the outset of the ACERO project, interviews were conducted with five UASPs who operate UASs at wildland fire incidents. The interviews focused on exploring UASPs’ initial insights about the application of a traffic management system in wildland firefighting and understanding the unique needs of this environment. The UASPs discussed a range of topics including, the shape, size, and organization of UAS operations in the wildland fire environment, information needs for a user interface, such as traffic and map information, an alerting function when other traffic nears their operation area, and the importance of conformance monitoring. The UASPs also discussed their willingness to share operational information to support safety. In this presentation, we describe the foundational work upon which ACERO will build and summarize the information and insights gathered during the UASP interviews, some of which have already informed the development of the ACERO work.

Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS)↗

Safety in airplane flight

This report presents methods to reduce the incidence of aviation accidents. Some of the methods discussed include enlistment and training of aviators, improvement of controls and control surfaces, and upgrading of power plants.

FIRE PREVENTION↗

Study of aircraft crashworthiness for fire protection

Impact-survivable postcrash fire accidents were surveyed. The data base developed includes foreign and domestic accidents involving airlines and jet aircraft. The emphasis was placed on domestic accidents, airlines, and jet aircraft due principally to availability of information. Only transport category aircraft in commercial service designed under FAR Part 25 were considered. A matrix was prepared to show the relationships between the accident characteristics and the fire fatalities. Typical postcrash fire scenaries were identified. Safety concepts were developed for three engineering categories: cabin interiors - cabin subsystems; power plant - engines and fuel systems; and structural mechanics - primary and secondary structures. The parameters identified for concept evaluation are cost, effectiveness, and societal concerns. Three concepts were selected for design definition and cost and effectiveness analysis: improved fire-resistant seat materials; anti-misting kerosene; and additional cabin emergency exits.

Cominsky, A.↗

Smoke Detector

In the photo, Fire Chief Jay Stout of Safety Harbor, Florida, is explaining to young Richard Davis the workings of the Honeywell smoke and fire detector which probably saved Richard's life and that of his teen-age brother. Alerted by the detector's warning, the pair were able to escape their burning home. The detector in the Davis home was one of 1,500 installed in Safety Harbor residences in a cooperative program conducted by the city and Honeywell Inc.

Source record↗

Fire-Induced Pressure Response and Failure Characterization of PCV/SCV/3013 Containers - Phase 3

Several Department of Energy (DOE) facilities have materials stored in robust, welded, stainless - steel containers with presumed fire - induced pressure response behaviors. Lack of test data related to fire exposure requires conservative safety analysis assumptions for container response at these facilities. This conservatism can in turn result in the implementation of challenging operational restrictions with costly nuclear safety controls. To help address this issue for sites that store DOE 3013 stainless - steel containers, a series of ten tests were undertaken at Sandia National Laboratories. The goal of this test series was to obtain the response behavior for various configurations of DOE 3013 containers with various payload compositions when exposed to one of two ASTM fire conditions. Key parameters measured in the test series included identification of failure - specific characteristics such as pressure, temperature, and whether or not a vessel was breached during a test . Numerous failure - specific characteristics were identified from the ten tests. This report describes the implementation and execution of the test series performed to identify these failure - specific characteristics. Discussions on the test configurations, payload compositions, thermal insults, and experimental setups are presented. Test results in terms of pressurization and vessel breach (or no - breach) are presented along with corresponding discussions for each test.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Spreading the Word on Safety

Beginning with the Apollo Program in the early 1960s, the NASA White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) has supported every U.S. human exploration space flight program to date. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, WSTF is part of Johnson Space Center. The facility's primary mission is to provide the expertise and infrastructure to test and evaluate spacecraft materials, components, and rocket propulsion systems to enable the safe human exploration and utilization of space. WSTF stores, tests, and disposes of Space Shuttle and International Space Station propellants. Since aerospace fluids can have harmful reactions with the construction materials of the systems containing them, a major component of WSTF's work is the study of propellants and hazardous materials. WSTF has a wide variety of resources to draw upon in assessing the fire, explosion, compatibility, and safety hazards of these fluids, which include hydrogen, oxygen, hydrazine fuels, and nitrogen tetroxide. In addition to developing new test methods, WSTF has created technical manuals and training courses for the safe use of aerospace fluids.

Source record↗

Engine performance with a hydrogenated safety fuel

This report presents the results of an investigation to determine the engine performance obtained with a hydrogenated safety fuel developed to eliminate fire hazard. The tests were made on a single-cylinder universal test engine at compression ratios of 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0. Most of the tests were made with a fuel-injection system, although one set of runs was made with a carburetor when using gasoline to establish comparative performance. The tests show that the b.m.e.p. obtained with safety fuel when using a fuel-injection system is slightly higher than that obtained with gasoline when using a carburetor, although the fuel consumption with safety fuel is higher. When the fuel-injection system is used with each fuel and with normal engine temperatures the b.m.e.p. with safety fuel is from 2 to 4 percent lower than with gasoline and the fuel consumption about 25 to 30 percent higher. However, a few tests at an engine coolant temperature of 250 F have shown a specific fuel consumption approximating that obtained with gasoline with only a slight reduction in power. The idling of the test engine was satisfactory with the safety fuel. Starting was difficult with a cold engine but could be readily accomplished when the jacket water was hot. It is believed that the use of the safety fuel would practically eliminate crash fires.

Schey, Oscar W↗

Invisible Flame Imaging

Stennis Space Center uses more than one million gallons of liquid hydrogen per month in its rocket testing program. Firefighters responding to a hydrogen fire had to give the area "the broom test" to determine the presence and location of a fire. This technique has significant safety and accuracy shortfalls. Stennis then developed technology to visually assess the presence, location and extent of hydrogen fires. SafetyScan, LLC. is now manufacturing FIRESCAPE, the first affordable commercial product for invisible (or ashless) fire imaging based on the original technology, to aid firefighters in seeing the invisible flames from alcohol and hydrogen fires during the day and even through smoke. The hand-held device weighs five pounds, is used like a pair of binoculars and can run for up to two hours before recharging.

Source record↗