Periodic Reporting for period 2 - XP-RESILIENCE (EXTREME LOADING ANALYSIS OF PETROCHEMICAL PLANTS AND DESIGN OF METAMATERIAL-BASED SHIELDS FOR ENHANCED RESILIENCE)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2018-09-01 al 2020-08-31
• The tremendous impact of natural hazards, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, etc, which triggered technological accidents, referred to as natural-technological (NaTech) events, was demonstrated by: i) the recent Tohoku earthquake and the following Fukushima disaster in 2011; ii) the UK’s 2015 winter floods which topped £5bn, with thousands of families and businesses that faced financial problems because of inadequate or non-existent insurance. The NaTech problem is quite relevant as up to 10% of industrial accidents, involving the release of CBRNE substances, were triggered by natural hazards. To implement and support the Seveso III Directive 2018/18/EU which regulates the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances, XP-RESILIENCE intended to establish a network of fourteen individual research projects working towards Advanced Modelling and Protection -via metamaterial-based isolators/layouts- of Complex Engineering Systems for Disaster Reduction and Resilient Communities.
• Although the number of lives lost each year for NaTech events is reduced, the recovery costs of major disasters continue to rise. In fact, each year, NaTech disasters cause an estimated $52 billion in damages in the United States in terms of life lost, disruption of commerce, properties destroyed, and the costs of mobilizing emergency response personnel and equipment. Similar figures apply to Europe.
• The specific scientific objectives of XP-RESILIENCE are:
- to provide a comprehensive overview of risk-based evaluation approaches to “special” and “normal risk” petrochemical plants and components and to set a probabilistic-based assessment/design methodology; to select two special representative petrochemical plants and sub-plants for probabilistic risk-based evaluation/design; to define methods to treat extreme hazards;
- to collect experimental data for soil-structure interaction of shallow and deep foundations for critical components of industrial plants; to conceive novel smart layouts of boreholes/tanks and metafoundations based on metamaterial concepts to mitigate seismic shear waves.
- to set stick FE models and perform numerical simulations of critical components/subsystems; use the volume of simulation data acquired/produced to build fragility functions.
- development of a systematic list of top events and accident conditions caused by hazards on plant components leading to a loss of containment or physical damage owing to seismic-induced blast, fire and flooding; development of a methodology to generate accident scenarios and propagation of uncertainties in a Domino-like fashion; development of a method to compute synthetic performance estimation parameters, e.g. risk indices etc., expressing risk of a plant and a method to rank criticalities of process units; application of the risk-based procedure and resilience to the Case Studies plants.
- selection of appropriate signals, signal features and sensors; optimal sensor locations and communication network for gathering data; verification and validation of the monitoring system.
- selection of QRA-based design of petrochemical plants with community disaster resilience; application of metamaterial-based concepts/devices for vibration mitigation to components of two Case Studies; recommendations for extension of Eurocodes.
- implementation of vulnerability scenarios for probabilistic risk analysis; development of a risk/resilience index.
• Although the number of lives lost each year for NaTech events is reduced, the recovery costs of major disasters continue to rise. In fact, each year, NaTech disasters cause an estimated $52 billion in damages in the United States in terms of life lost, disruption of commerce, properties destroyed, and the costs of mobilizing emergency response personnel and equipment. Similar figures apply to Europe.
• The specific scientific objectives of XP-RESILIENCE are:
- to provide a comprehensive overview of risk-based evaluation approaches to “special” and “normal risk” petrochemical plants and components and to set a probabilistic-based assessment/design methodology; to select two special representative petrochemical plants and sub-plants for probabilistic risk-based evaluation/design; to define methods to treat extreme hazards;
- to collect experimental data for soil-structure interaction of shallow and deep foundations for critical components of industrial plants; to conceive novel smart layouts of boreholes/tanks and metafoundations based on metamaterial concepts to mitigate seismic shear waves.
- to set stick FE models and perform numerical simulations of critical components/subsystems; use the volume of simulation data acquired/produced to build fragility functions.
- development of a systematic list of top events and accident conditions caused by hazards on plant components leading to a loss of containment or physical damage owing to seismic-induced blast, fire and flooding; development of a methodology to generate accident scenarios and propagation of uncertainties in a Domino-like fashion; development of a method to compute synthetic performance estimation parameters, e.g. risk indices etc., expressing risk of a plant and a method to rank criticalities of process units; application of the risk-based procedure and resilience to the Case Studies plants.
- selection of appropriate signals, signal features and sensors; optimal sensor locations and communication network for gathering data; verification and validation of the monitoring system.
- selection of QRA-based design of petrochemical plants with community disaster resilience; application of metamaterial-based concepts/devices for vibration mitigation to components of two Case Studies; recommendations for extension of Eurocodes.
- implementation of vulnerability scenarios for probabilistic risk analysis; development of a risk/resilience index.
The work performed from the beginning to the end of the project was based on 11 Work Packages; 8 Milestones allowed for controlling the continuing process and realization of 50 Deliverables drawn and issued.
The overall main achievements were realized through: i) Scientific progress: 16 journal papers; 26 conference papers; ii) Recruitment and training: all 13 ESRs appointed for 36 months were enrolled in a PhD programme; all 14 ESRs participated in a structured training programme based on improving the career prospects of the trainees;
iii) scientific results have been disseminated through the following activities: 15 seminars; a dedicated website; a facebook page and a twitter account; iv) 7 outreach activities; 8 network-wide training events.
Main results achieved so far: the high number of the aforementioned publications; 12 ESRs concluded their PhD and work in private organizations; 1 ESR concluded his post-master research activities: fruitful interaction between ESRs, academic and non-academic organizations.
The main achievements of the last two-years period were made of: i) Scientific progress: 14 journal papers; 12 conference papers; ii) Training: all 14 ESRs participated in a structured training programme based on improving the career prospects of the trainees;
iii) scientific results have been disseminated through the following activities: 7 seminars; a dedicated website; a facebook page and a twitter account; iv) 1 outreach activities; e) 4 network-wide training events.
Main results achieved so far: Beneficial participation by ESRs to a structured training programme both in terms of main network-wide training events, specialized and complementary training modules; 12 ESRs concluded their PhD and work in private companies; 1 ESR concluded his post-master research activity: fruitful interaction between ESRs, academic and non-academic organizations.
The overall main achievements were realized through: i) Scientific progress: 16 journal papers; 26 conference papers; ii) Recruitment and training: all 13 ESRs appointed for 36 months were enrolled in a PhD programme; all 14 ESRs participated in a structured training programme based on improving the career prospects of the trainees;
iii) scientific results have been disseminated through the following activities: 15 seminars; a dedicated website; a facebook page and a twitter account; iv) 7 outreach activities; 8 network-wide training events.
Main results achieved so far: the high number of the aforementioned publications; 12 ESRs concluded their PhD and work in private organizations; 1 ESR concluded his post-master research activities: fruitful interaction between ESRs, academic and non-academic organizations.
The main achievements of the last two-years period were made of: i) Scientific progress: 14 journal papers; 12 conference papers; ii) Training: all 14 ESRs participated in a structured training programme based on improving the career prospects of the trainees;
iii) scientific results have been disseminated through the following activities: 7 seminars; a dedicated website; a facebook page and a twitter account; iv) 1 outreach activities; e) 4 network-wide training events.
Main results achieved so far: Beneficial participation by ESRs to a structured training programme both in terms of main network-wide training events, specialized and complementary training modules; 12 ESRs concluded their PhD and work in private companies; 1 ESR concluded his post-master research activity: fruitful interaction between ESRs, academic and non-academic organizations.
The progress of XP-RESILIENCE beyond the state of the art consists in:
- development of appropriate signals, signal features, and sensors as well as optimal sensor locations for primary structures and secondary process equipment of process plants;
- development of Quantitative Risk Assessment-based design procedures for petrochemical plants with community disaster resilience and recovery-functions evaluation;
- application of metamaterial-based concepts/devices for vibration mitigation to components of process plants; probabilistic fire demand models for steel pipe-racks exposed to localised fires
The impact of the project was relevant and is summarized herein.
- Grow researchers that combined a robust academic foundation in reliability/resilience with practical experiences, technological expertise with awareness of the socio-economical context and conviction to furthering research with an entrepreneurial spirit.
- productive dissemination of knowledge via workshops/conferences/seminars.
- Academic institutions could count on first quality Ph.D. students to carry out the ambitious scientific program drawn up in XP-RESILIENCE.
- Non-academic organizations were getting benefits from the presence of ESRs. In particular, ESRs contributed to procedures/problems of organizations relevant to the XP-RESILIENCE project. They helped in their solution.
- A long-term cooperation between academic-non-academic partners was favored.
- The scientific goals of the project have had a strong potential for advanced research and technological development. Both scientific activities – journal publications, etc.- training activities – summer school, specialized courses, etc. – and dissemination activities are clear indicators of the impact of XP-RESILIENCE on the ERA.
- development of appropriate signals, signal features, and sensors as well as optimal sensor locations for primary structures and secondary process equipment of process plants;
- development of Quantitative Risk Assessment-based design procedures for petrochemical plants with community disaster resilience and recovery-functions evaluation;
- application of metamaterial-based concepts/devices for vibration mitigation to components of process plants; probabilistic fire demand models for steel pipe-racks exposed to localised fires
The impact of the project was relevant and is summarized herein.
- Grow researchers that combined a robust academic foundation in reliability/resilience with practical experiences, technological expertise with awareness of the socio-economical context and conviction to furthering research with an entrepreneurial spirit.
- productive dissemination of knowledge via workshops/conferences/seminars.
- Academic institutions could count on first quality Ph.D. students to carry out the ambitious scientific program drawn up in XP-RESILIENCE.
- Non-academic organizations were getting benefits from the presence of ESRs. In particular, ESRs contributed to procedures/problems of organizations relevant to the XP-RESILIENCE project. They helped in their solution.
- A long-term cooperation between academic-non-academic partners was favored.
- The scientific goals of the project have had a strong potential for advanced research and technological development. Both scientific activities – journal publications, etc.- training activities – summer school, specialized courses, etc. – and dissemination activities are clear indicators of the impact of XP-RESILIENCE on the ERA.