Accurate Calculation of Hazardous Materials Transport Risks

Cataloged from PDF version of article.We propose two path-selection algorithms for the transport of hazardous materials. The algorithms can deal with link impedances that are path-dependent. This approach is superior to the use of a standard shortest path algorithm, common in the literature and practice, which results in inaccuracies

Social costs of land use claims for transport infrastructure: a survey for The Netherlands

In this paper the social costs of land use claims for transport infrastructure are investigated for The Netherlands. This is a complement to the study on ''''Efficient pricing of traffic: estimation of the social costs of the use of transport modes" carried out in The Netherlands by CE (1999). In the present study we pay attention to the acquisition costs of land for infrastructure, the indirect costs of land use caused by infrastructure and the costs of infrastructure as barriers in - and the fragmentation of - the landscape. The paper gives an overview of the problems associated with measuring the land related costs of transport infrastructure. Estimates are given of the land use claims %28in m2) for various types of transport infrastructure. In addition some of the land related cost categories are estimated. These costs are allocated to the various transport modes (cars and trucks of various types, barges, rail and aircraft).

On green routing and scheduling problem

The vehicle routing and scheduling problem has been studied with much interest within the last four decades. In this paper, some of the existing literature dealing with routing and scheduling problems with environmental issues is reviewed, and a description is provided of the problems that have been investigated and how they are treated using combinatorial optimization tools

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SMART ADVISORY SYSTEM FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION RISK ANALYSIS VIA QUANTITATIVE APPROACHES

Safe transportation of hazardous materials is critical as it has a high potential of catastrophic accidents depending on the amount of transported product, its hazardous characteristics and the environmental conditions. Consequently, an efficient, smart and reliable intervention is essential to enhance prediction on the impacts of transportation hazards. Although various risk assessment techniques have been used in industry and regulatory bodies, they were developed for evaluating risk of hazardous materials for fixed installation cases instead of moving risk sources. This study applies the Transportation Risk Analysis (TRA), which is an extension of a well-known Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) technique in developing and design a Smart Advisory Systems (SAS), to determine the safest routes for transportation of hazardous materials according to Malaysia scenario

Searching for the Profit in Pollution Prevention: Case Studies in the Corporate Evaluation of Environmental Opportunities

The concept of pollution prevention, or "P2," signifies a new, proactive environmental mindset that targets the causes, rather than the consequences, of polluting activity. While anecdotal evidence suggests that P2 opportunities exist and that many have been pursued, there is also the perception that the pace of P2 is far too slow. To explore that claim—and to shed light on barriers to P2 innovation—this paper presents case studies of industrial P2 projects that were in some way unsuccessful. While based on a very limited sample, the evidence contradicts the view that firms suffer from organizational weaknesses that make them unable to appreciate the financial benefits of P2 investments. Instead, the projects foundered because of significant unresolved technical difficulties, marketing challenges, and regulatory barriers. Based on evidence from the cases, the paper concludes with a discussion of environmental policy reforms likely to promote P2 innovation..

Biorefinery Safety: A Case Study Focused on Bioethanol Production

With reference to the framework for energy and climate, the European Union (EU) has stated that at least a 32% share of renewable energy consumption has to be achieved within 2030. This context generates attention to the potential hazards, which are associated with flammable biofuels, such as the bioethanol. One of the main hazards, referred to such biofuel, is the formation of potentially explosive atmospheres due to its evaporation from pools in case of accidental releases. In fact, in a bioethanol production plant (biorefinery), there are several components (flanges, valves, pumps, etc.), which can become potential emission sources in case of failure. Bioethanol is a high-boiling liquid, because its boiling temperature (Tboiling = 78°C) is higher than ambient temperature. Therefore, in case of release and spreading on a certain medium, evaporation occurs because of vapor diffusion. The chapter is focused on a case study. In particular, the chapter illustrates a comparison between two predictive models aimed at estimating the bioethanol evaporation rate, which is a fundamental parameter for determining the dilution degree and classifying the workplaces, where potentially explosive atmospheres could occur. The study investigates the influence of bioethanol release temperature and therefore of its vapor pressure on evaporation rate