Assessment of Power Plant Based on Unsafe Behavior of Workers through Backpropagation Neural Network Model

Safety is an essential topic for electric power plants. In recent years, accidents caused by unsafe behaviors of electric power plant employees are frequent. To promote the sustainable development and safety of electric power plants, studies on the assessment of unsafe behavior are becoming increasingly important and urgent. In this study, accident statistical analysis, literature review, and expert survey are adopted to select more comprehensive and accurate assessment indicators of unsafe behavior of the workers in electric power plants. Data about indicator and unsafe behavior were obtained through a questionnaire survey, and 27 indicators were used as inputs, and the unsafe behavior was taken as the output of a backpropagation (BP) neural network based unsafe behavior assessment model. An assessment indicator system about power plant workers’ unsafe behavior composed of 4 first-level indicators and 27 second-level indicators was established and the weights of the assessment indicators were determined. A three-layer feedforward BP neural network assessment model of “27-13-1” layers was found to be a suitable model. The proposed model can demonstrate the nonlinear complex relationship between the assessment indicator and the unsafe behavior of power plant workers. The model can be helpful to evaluate, predict, and monitor the safety performance of electric power plants.

Improving energy efficiency of power electric power plants of low-tonnage passenger ships

The article is devoted to solving the problem of improving the energy efficiency of power plants of high-speed lowtonnage (planing) vessels used for passenger transportation between coastal settlements on the example of the port of Vladivostok located on the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which has mainly land communication with settlements located on the coast. The oversaturation of motor transport, due to the need for communication between localities, which are usually characterized by dense buildings, is one of the main causes of many hours of traffic congestion, which worsen the environmental situation and increase social tension in society. At the same time, the tourist attractiveness of Primorye is also decreasing. One of the promising areas for solving this transport problem is the use of low-tonnage passenger vessels, in particular planing vessels, with hybrid electrified power propulsion systems. According to the available data, such vessels have reduced consumption of fuel and lubricants necessary for the operation of power plants and reduction in harmful emissions into the surrounding atmosphere by more than two times compared to similar traditional diesel vessels. In addition, the prospects of the proposed scientific and technical solution are due to the reduction in the time of passenger transportation while reducing the cost of travel

Sulfate Resistance in Cements Bearing Bottom Ash from Biomass-Fired Electric Power Plants

To address some of the gaps in the present understanding of the behavior of new supplementary cementitious materials such as bottom ash (BA) from biomass-fired electric power plants in cement manufacture, this study explored the effect of this promising material on the sulfate resistance of the end product. Cement paste prepared with 10% or 20% (previously characterized for mineralogy and chemical composition) BA was Köch–Steinegger tested for sulfate resistance. The hydration products, in turn, were analyzed before and after soaking the reference and experimental cements in sodium sulfate to determine whether the use of the addition hastened microstructural, mineralogical, or morphological decay in the material. The 56 days findings showed that the presence of BA raised binder resistance to sulfate attack. Köch–Steinegger corrosion indices of 1.29 and 1.27 for blended cements OPC + 10 BA and OPC + 20 BA, respectively, were higher than the 1.26 recorded for ordinary Portland cement (OPC). In addition, weight gain was 20.5% and volume expansion was 28.5% lower in the new materials compared to OPC. The products resulting from the external sulfate-cement interaction, gypsum and ettringite, were deposited primarily in the pores present in the pastes. The conclusion drawn is that binders bearing 10% or 20% BA are, a priori, apt for use in the design and construction of cement-based elements exposed to sulfate-laden environments.