Industrial Safety and Physical Risk Analysis Group

Safe Use of High Pressure Gases, etc.

We develop safety assessment techniques to support new technologies using high pressure gases and flammable gases such as hydrogen and new refrigerants, and we aim to realize a safe and secure society through self-managed industrial safety techniques.

 

Hydrogen Safety

Responding to energy supply risk and the problem of global warming
→ Studies aimed for introducing hydrogen pipe supply system

• Hazard evaluation for hydrogen leakage from pipeline and subsequent ignition
• Evaluation of air mixing and flame propagation phenomena in pipes

Flame from ignition of hydrogen leaked to confined space (Ref: 2017FY, METI Project “Risk evaluation of large damage of hydrogen pipeline”)

 

Low-GWP Alternative Refrigerants

To assess the real scale physical hazards of residential-use air conditioners and reach-in showcase, the time dependence of distributions of propane concentrations were measured in a real scale model room.​

• The value of allowable maximum refrigerant charge​
• Decreasing the propane concentrations by mixing the room-air with the fan of air conditioner and showcase

Experiment conditions in a mock-up room for natural leakage and ignition of refrigerants
(Ref: 2020 NEDO “Full-scale physical hazard evaluation of the combustion of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment using natural refrigerant considering actual use conditions” Project Report)

 

Chemistry-Based Evaluation of Combustion Properties

Promoting the use of diverse

industrial gases

→Predicting combustion properties of various gases using chemical kinetic models

• Hydrofluorocarbons
• Oxidizing gases

→Evaluating combustion characteristics based on high-temperature kinetic studies and model-based simulation

Left: Flame speeds of mixtures of NF3 and flammable gases (Ref: 2011-2012 METI project “Evaluation of Hazards from High Pressure Gases”)
Right: Chemical shock tube for high-temperature reaction studies

 

Explosive Safety and its Applications

Development of Blasting Techniques

Technology that uses explosives to quickly destroy only the target area

→Controlled blasting

 

Blasting with smaller amounts of explosives (gram level) than before
→ Mini-Blasting

 

Applications

• Development of partial repair techniques for deteriorated building structures in urban areas
• Application to rescue people from collapsed buildings in the event of a large-scale disaster.

 

Basic research for the realization of blasting technology with rapid and low environmental impact (vibration, noise, and flying debris)

→ Elucidation of explosive explosion and destruction phenomena based on optical observation such as DIC  (Digital Image Correlation) method and numerical simulation technology such as CFD

 

Breaching by mini-blasting

Mini-Blasting Application Examples

Creating an opening for rescuing rescuers from a collapsed building during a large-scale disaster

Destroy the wall so that no flying debris is generated on the rescuer’s side.

 

Industrial Safety

Industrial safety of chemical, petroleum, and petrochemical plants

 

Development of the “Check Points” List for Safety Assurance

 

Engineers with extensive field experience, skills and knowledge extract hidden lessons from past accidents with regard to equipment design, management of change, etc. Senior engineers analyzed 30 domestic and international chemical disasters, and they extracted 3000 “check points.” Dedicated search software is available.

 

Guidelines for the Establishment of Hazardous Areas in Plants

 

Guidelines were organized to elaborate on the establishment of hazard areas without decreasing the level of safety required by law. These guidelines are expected to contribute to promoting safe use of electronic devices in chemical plants. (from “Study on the safe use of non-explosion-proof equipment in the plant” METI Project 2018)

A spreadsheet was released to assist in the determination of hazard areas. https://riss.aist.go.jp/sanpo/