Label: Engines Title: The future of emissions Teaser: Is Euro 7 on the way already? Label: Magirus Label: Opinion Label: Tornadoes Title: Tornado disaster management Teaser: Fire-fighting with common sense and technology Teaser: A.K. Rosenhan explores the many challenges

 Mother Nature does strange and wild things; whether it is flood, wind storm, hurricane, tsunami, cyclones, typhoon, earthquake, hail, snow, all such phenomena significantly affect the emergency services. And the magnitude of damages, life hazard, and both property/life loss are hard to visualise. The definition of a tornado is ‘a fast and violent rotating column of air that may or may not be in contact with the ground’. The terms ‘tornado’ and ‘cyclone’ are used interchangeably in some parts of the world. While they come in various sizes, magnitudes and shapes they are usually in the form of a funnel that is sometimes not visible (they become visible because of condensation in the air due to pressure differentials) and when the narrow end will hit the earth and entrain debris and dust. The typical tornado exhibits speeds less than 110 miles per hour (177 km/hr) and are about 250 feet (76 m) in width and will travel anywhere from less than a mile to many miles cross-country. But tornadoes of up to two miles (3.2 km) across and staying on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 km) have occurred. Tornadoes are ‘rated’ in severity according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which gives a numerical value to the phenomena and is UN-update-based on better Engineering analysis and history. While there are several rating systems for determining the severity of a tornado, using the enhanced Fujita scale a tornado is rated as: EF0 65-85 mph (104-137 km/hr) with three-second gusts EF1 86-100 mph (138-175 km/hr) EF2 111-137 mph (177 – 220 km/hr) EF3 138-167 mph (221 – 268 km/hr) EF4 168-199 mph (270 – 320 km/hr) EF5 200 – 234 mph ( 322 – 377 km/hr) An EF0 tornado will damage trees but would not greatly affect significant structures but on the other end of the score, EF5, will simply destroy buildings and wipe them out down to the foundations. While most USA tornadoes are in the EF0 and EF1 range, about 1% of all tornadoes get into the really violent range. And while really strong tornadoes occur mostly in various ‘Tornado Alleys’ and in the USA they do sometimes occur throughout the world. Statistics show that the US experienced over 400% more tornadoes than all of Europe. A large portion of US tornadoes occur in the Midwest where, due to geography, large masses of cool and warm air collide. There are various geographic and environmental reasons for such data. With many such occurring in a late Spring afternoon is explained by the sun being low on the horizon and able to penetrate clouds, thus impacting energy It’s a local joke in some Mid-Western and Southern areas that if you don’t like the weather, just wait a moment. The US averages over 1200 tornadoes a year, with the UK having more tornadoes than any other country in Europe. In the US the average developed tornado will be about 500 feet (152 metres) across but will vary greatly with varying heights and the path may be short or long. Sometimes the length is measured in miles (KM) with the funnel not continuously touching the ground. Noise, dust, and coloured clouds are standard with even a small tornado. The single most deadly tornado in the US was in the Missouri-Indiana-Illinois area in 1925; it is rated at F5 based on existing data. It travelled some 220 miles (350 km) and travelled at up to 73 mph (117 km/hr) over the terrain. With almost 700 dead and an unknown number injured, it remains the deadliest storm in the US, although several over the years have had deaths in the hundreds. The deadliest tornado in the world was in Bangladesh in 1989, during which is it is reported some 1300 people perished. On April 28 this year, a severe tornado struck in the state of Mississippi, specifically in Tupelo and Louisville, some 80 miles apart. A previous tornado struck Tupelo in 1936 and killed some 216 people. It remains as the highest death toll in the USA, all before good weather forecasting, tornado warnings sirens and so on. And there are numerous studies ongoing about why tornadoes seem to happen more in the daylight and during a weekday. And, of course, the global warming supporters always have something to say about the frequency and intensity of tornadoes and other weather-related phenomena, but it seems that geographic position, especially in the middle latitudes, have a lot to do with frequency of occurrence. There are also several ‘tornado like’ phenomena that are sometimes called ‘gustnados’ (gust-front tornado), dust devils, steam devil, downbursts, or fire whirls which are frequently seen in forest fires. In late April 2011 there were some 358 confirmed tornadoes in the South-Eastern US, an amazing confluence of weather conditions. Luckily most of these were small in both casualties and property damage. There are several ways and means by which tornadoes, as well as other weather phenomena are monitored and tracked. They include Doppler radar, photogrammetry, visual observation, and even live weather satellite transmissions. In fact hurricanes are very closely tracked in real time by satellites and their paths and intensity are tracked with accuracy. The advances in meteorology are really amazing, with algorithms/computers, satellites, and instrumentation being in the forefront of developments. Concurrent with the general weather aspects for the public much work is being done to help with aircraft movements. Several aircraft tragedies have occurred during take-offs and landings due to sudden weather issues. There are numerous resources, studies, references, and data available on weather issues for most any locality in the world. The internet alone provides, literally, millions of ‘hits’ for any such inquiry. Such material not only may provide immediate use but will really provide material for planning purposes. All emergency Services must plan for foreseeable (an even unforeseeable) situations sometimes weather related problem are not really studied or anticipated. But, like any other issue that develops, the Fire Department is going to be in the middle of

At the Jiangsu Fire Brigade, China  The customized ADMS-Command system will be used to train for petrochemical and industrial emergency response. The Advanced Disaster Management Simulator (“ADMS”) suite will include an On-Scene Incident Command Room with a 180-degree immersion theatre screen and eight field unit positions. Within the training facility, an observer theatre will be constructed inside the immersion room for briefings, training observation and evaluation. The customized system will be a full Chinese version of ADMS-Command including response vehicles and crews, casualties and bystanders, street signs and street names, as well as a Chinese User Interface. In addition to these, new response vehicles will be added including ladder trucks, aerial platforms, high capacity water pumps, high capacity foam trucks and an earthquake rescue truck. The Jiangsu Fire Brigade will utilize ADMS to train for both petrochemical and industrial emergency response, and also with special attention given to large scale structural fires in high-rise buildings. To meet these requirements, ETC Simulation will develop a petrochemical factory. “We welcome Jiangsu Fire Academy to our global user community, and are excited to expand our footprint within Asia as we strive to provide the best simulation training platform for emergency responders worldwide,” said Marco van Wijngaarden, President of ETC Simulation. "We just returned from the Design Review Meeting and the training facility has a fantastic layout. The observer theatre will enhance the learning experience. With ADMS, Jiangsu will be able to train standard operating procedures for petrochemical and high-rise building fire incidents, and use all specialized vehicles as they have available in the field."

 European engine manufacturers and truck builders will be very familiar with the European Union’s recent Euro 6 emissions regulations, which were introduced at the start of the year to reduce the levels of harmful emissions from commercial vehicles. Other legislative standards around the world, such as EPA regulations in North America and Post NLT in Japan, have similar ambitions, and are slowly beginning to come together to agree not just on the levels of pollutants in the exhaust, but also in the way that the standard is achieved in the first place. Euro 6 represents a 99% reduction in Nitrous Oxide (NOx) emissions compared to Euro 1, which was introduced in 1991. This shows an impressive rate of change for the industry, but what of the future? How will emissions regulations change in the coming years? Despite only becoming a legal requirement since 1 January this year, Euro 6 engines have been on the marketplace for some time, as manufacturers competed to get early sales as customers tried to ‘cash-in’ on local financial incentives that were in operation in many areas. This means that the powers that be in the European Union are already working on the next generation of emissions regulations. ‘Euro 7’ (which one can assume it will be called) is expected to shift its focus slightly onto different particulates in exhaust gases. Until now, Euro 1-6 have focused their attentions on NOx emissions to the extent that, as mentioned previously, the presence of them in exhausts today is practically non-existent. This means the manufacturers are now going to have to focus their attentions on carbon dioxide – the so-called ‘greenhouse gas’. The easiest way to reduce CO2 emissions is to burn less fuel in the engine, so Euro 7 would not just help reduce emissions, but also preserve valuable fossil fuels as well. The trouble is, there is no definitive way of physically measuring CO2 particulates in commercial engines. While car engines’ emissions can be easily measured in terms of grams per kilometre (g/km), the vast number of applications, duty cycles and configurations of commercial means you can’t use the same catch-all formula as with cars. Ideally, there needs to be a different formula – something that reflects what commercial vehicles actually do, such as ‘grams per tonne per kilometre’ or ‘grams per person per kilometre’ for buses. This is something the EU will have to cover when developing the legislation. Any CO2 data surrounding Heavy Goods or Public Service Vehicles (HGVs and PSVs) will need collating. ACEA, the European vehicle manufacturers’ association, has mooted the idea of a central commercial vehicle efficiency database, into which different trucks and buses could be placed according to their CO2 outputs and operating parameters. This could be used to finalise any future emission standards, as well as providing customers the opportunity to compare the efficiency of different types of truck based on their CO2 output. Any potential database will, of course, take a massive amount of work and will need to be agreed on by all the vehicle and engine manufacturers. Something like this would represent a massive change from previous emissions legislation. If a database comes into effect (some say this may happen within as few as five years), then the next step would be an emphasis on ‘in-service’ performance. Already, Euro 6 legislation includes an in-service requirement of seven years or 700,000 kilometres for commercial vehicles 16 tonnes. Also, engine makers will have to continue to provide proof of ‘whole-life’ compliance of their products with any future emissions regulations. Indeed, this is already the case with many current standards. The job of ensuring that vehicles live up to these regulations while ‘on the road’ will fall on the relevant type-approval authorities in the various EU countries, such as the VCA (Vehicle Certification Agency) in the UK. Thanks to Euro 5 and Euro 6 regulations, Engine On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) have become increasingly important in ensuring in-service compliance with the regulations. OBD alerts the driver or operator to a fault in the emission system when it’s not performing properly, and logs the fault within the vehicle’s OBD unit. This puts an incentive on getting the problem fixed quickly. It stands to reason that OBD will remain important in any future emissions regulations. Finally, as previously mentioned, emission test cycles in the US, Europe and Japan are becoming more and more harmonised and intertwined. This is gradually leading towards the ultimate goal of a universal ‘World Emission Test Protocol’ for diesel engines around the world. The next logical step after this is a ‘World Diesel Engine Emission Standard’ for commercial vehicles, but this may be some way in the horizon.

It wasn’t all that long ago that mine safety boiled down to common sense, heightened levels of self-preservation and a small yellow bird. But the days of canaries putting their lives on the line in the detection of coal gas have long gone. However, for all the advances in safety infrastructures major incidents still do occur, with the recent disaster at the Soma mine in Turkey putting a very sharp perspective just what can still happen. The explosion at Soma, Turkey on the May 13 2014 was caused an underground mine fire, which burned until the May 15, total of 301 people. The cause of what is now the worst mine disaster in Turkey’s history is still under investigation. Unfortunately, mining accidents are scarily common in Turkey. In 2008, deaths per one million tons of coal mined were 7.22 in Turkey – sadly the highest figure in the world and five times that of China (1.27) and 361 times the rate in the US (0.02). Mining accidents are common; in 2012, 78 miners were killed in accidents – a number that rose to 95 the following year. This level of death paints a rather grim picture that even in developed countries such as Turkey this type of incident can occur and, alas, rather regularly. In less developed countries with far lower and much less stringent health and safety legislation the death tolls are potentially even higher and a lot less well recorded. Things are definitely getting better compared to the age of canaries and the first safety lamps. At the end of the 19th Century mining was easily one of the most dangerous industrial disciplines with disasters and death tolls that would just not be acceptable in today’s modern environment. The major issue with mining is that it is heavy and hard; it needs equipment so powerful that the only dependable source of power and movement tends to be assets that themselves create fire risks due to fuel sources or their methods of operation. This is further compounded by natural fuel sources such as dust and gas and it is the management of these varying issues that form the basis of any fire prevention programme. It is almost impossible to prevent ignition sources, so this means that the machinery fuel itself must be very tightly controlled and segregated, which is why fuel farms and chemical stores are either remotely located or comprise storage structures that make Fort Knox look like a flimsy open house. Coal dust and methane are the ‘natural fuels’ most often encountered, with methane also being present in non-coal-based. Methane and other gasses are normally dealt with using high-power ventilation systems, which either extract or dilute the gas. A form of dilution is also used to deal with coal gas, where inert dust is added (such as crushed limestone) to remove the explosion risk from coal dust as a layer of coal dust just 0.012 mm thick could cause an explosion if suspended in air. Advanced detectors are available for methane and other gasses, such as infrared absorption gas detection sensors, which provide gas sensing in the form of suitably ruggedised hardware coupled to low-current signal architectures. Coal dust is approached in a slightly different way, using optical sensors to measure dust concentration and levels. Dust particles produced in underground mines underground range in size from 0 to about 400 µm. The particles are not visible with naked eyes, so their control and measurement need technical equipment. Luckily they are good light absorbers so optical sensors can be highly effective. Like most establishments, the prevention of ignition sources is the primary preventative measure. Smoking is the obvious no brainer, but when it comes to the vast volumes of electricity consumed, coupled with the incredibly high currents employed, electrical arcing can be a real issues. It is for this reason that many heavy duty motor switches have arc proof enclosures and the associated motors are enclosed with arcing protection. In many instances, the control gear for motors and conveyor systems also require the deployment of high working current, but thankfully there have been many technological developments in the last few years that allow for drives and PLCs to be mounted much further from the operating equipment and hence outside the risk areas. This technology has been spurred on by the oil and gas industry as it strives to reopen certain previously unprofitable wells and then undertake subsea processing; requiring very long cable runs for control signals and power lines. Should the worst happen and a fire does break out, water is most often deployed as the primary means of fighting. The good news is that due to the depth of many mines the head of water and hence the pressure can be substantial, however there is still need for additional pumping for horizontal tunnels and larger chambers, which require higher pressure. In most instances, the water supply infrastructure is documented to the minute detail in order to ensure enough water can be delivered in enough time to prevent any fires spreading. Expanding foam is also deployed in many situations and is ideal for filling voids and starving the fire of oxygen. A lot of research is undergoing in the development of more effective foaming techniques, especially with regards to the longevity of the foam and its effectiveness to remain feasible for a long enough time to allow for the subsequent cooling of the filled area. If they do catch hold, some coal seam fires can burn for years and despite many attempts to put them out they are still burning. Indeed, in China, one fire at a colliery near Urumqi has been burning since 1874! However, even stubborn seam fires may have met their match with the development of the Górniczy Agregat Gaśniczy (GAG), a jet engine unit developed for controlling and suppressing coal seam fires and neutralising firedamp situations. The unit emits carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapour at a rate of 25 m3/s in order

Streets of Kaohsiung are ripped open by petrochemical pipeline blast At least 24 people have been killed and 271 others injured when several underground gas explosions ripped through Taiwan’s second-largest city overnight, hurling concrete through the air and blasting long trenches in the streets. The series of explosions about midnight Thursday and early Friday struck a district where several petrochemical plans operate pipelines alongside the sewer system of Kaohsiung, a south-western port with 2.8 million people. The fires were believed to have been caused by a leak of propene, a petrochemical material not intended for public use, but the source of the gas was not immediately clear, officials said. Video from the TVBS broadcaster showed residents searching for victims in shattered storefronts and rescuers pulling injured people from the rubble of a road and placing them on stretchers while passersby helped other victims on a sidewalk. Broadcaster ETTV showed rows of large fires sending smoke into the night sky. Four firefighters were among the 24 dead and 271 people were injured, the National Fire Agency said. The firefighters had been at the scene investigating reports of a gas leak when the explosions occurred, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported. At least five blasts shook the city, said Taiwan’s Premier Jiang Yi-huah. Chang Jia-juch, the director of the Central Disaster Emergency Operation Center, said the leaking gas was most likely to be propene, meaning that the resulting fires could not be extinguished by water. He said emergency workers would have to wait until the gas was burnt away. The source of the leak was unknown. Chang said, however, that propene was not for public use and that it was a petrochemical material. The Kaohsiung mayor, Chen Chu, said several petrochemical companies had pipelines built along the sewage system in Chian-Chen district, which has both factories and residential buildings. "Our priority is to save people now. We ask citizens living along the pipelines to evacuate," Chen told TVBS television. Power was cut off in the area, making it difficult for firefighters to search for others who might be buried in rubble. Channel NewsAsia said the local fire department received reports from residents of gas leakage at about 8.46pm and explosions started around midnight. Closed-circuit television showed an explosion rippling through the floor of a motorcycle parking area, hurling concrete and other debris through the air. Mobile phone video captured the sound of an explosion as flames leapt at least nine metres (30ft) into the air. One of the explosions left a large trench running down the center of a road, edged with piles of concrete slabs torn apart by the force of the blast. A damaged motorcycle lay in the crater and TVBS showed cars flipped over. The force of the initial blast also felled trees lining the street.

The facility is often referred to as ‘Ferrybridge C’ A fire has broken out at Ferrybridge power station, near Castleford. Huge plumes of black smoke could be seen coming from the facility, which is often referred to as "Ferrybridge C". West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service dispatched about 50 firefighters and 10 pumps to the site at about 14:00 BST. Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it had sent a hazardous area response team to the coal-powered fire station. No people are reported to be trapped at the site. BBC Travel News said there was slow traffic on the M62 in both directions between Junction 32 at Pontefract and Junction 33 at Ferrybridge Services because of smoke blowing across the road. The A1(M) is also affected between junction 42 for the A63 and junction 41 for the M62. The B6136 Stranglands Lane in Knottingley is closed. Ferrybridge power station is situated on the River Aire and is the third coal-fired power station to be built on the site since 1924. The power station first fed electricity into the national grid in February 1966. It is operated by SSE, formerly Scottish and Southern Energy.

AMX 2.17 now supports a wider range of fire control panels  Drax Technology, one of the UK’s leading providers of fire alarm monitoring solutions, has launched an updated version of the AMX alarm management platform. AMX 2.17 now supports a wider range of fire control panels and adds many new and innovative feature enhancements to ensure that the system maintains its leading position in the market. According to Alex Cother, Sales and Marketing Director for Drax Technology: “AMX 2.17 makes it even easier for organisations to centralise the monitoring and management of diverse systems and deliver the most appropriate and efficient response to fire alarms. It allows organisations to make more effective use of resources, reduce costs and deliver higher visibility of all installed systems regardless of location.” AMX 2.17 is now Windows 8 compatible and supports virtually all leading fire control panels with the addition of the ADT MX/ZX, C-Tec, Kidde Vega and Morley DX Connexion systems. It provides a real-time view of the status and performance of all connected devices and enables faults to be rapidly identified across the network without having to physically check each remote control panel. The system also allows individual devices to be isolated remotely in the event of building work or other activities that occur in a specific zone to eliminate the incidence of false alarms. The system’s synchronisation capabilities have also been enhanced to improve operational efficiency. AMX 2.17 now allows clocks in remote fire alarms and connected devices to be synchronised to ensure that reports and event logs are more accurate. Also, when multiple AMX workstations are connected as part of a group, they are synchronised to ensure that a single data set is used to simplify future reporting. “Drax Technology’s latest version of the AMX system is a cost effective solution that allows all installed alarm systems to be monitored in real-time using the existing IT infrastructure, Wi-Fi or 3G/4G connections. It eliminates the need for costly and disruptive cabling installations and allows organisations to reduce the incidence of false alarms and demonstrate compliance with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005,” concluded Alex Cother.

The blaze broke out on Wednesday night Fire crews have saved a "huge amount" of Eastbourne Pier after fire ripped through the Victorian structure leaving only a metal skeleton. The blaze broke out on Wednesday night behind some wood panelling in the arcade building. Chief fire officer Des Pritchard said the outgoing tide and low water pressure hampered the crews but their hard work had "paid off". Fire minister Penny Mordaunt is to visit the scene later. No-one was injured and the fire is not being treated as suspicious. Mr Pritchard, of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said "there’s a great deal that’s still there". "Pier fires are notoriously difficult to fight because there is one way on and one way off – and the tide can caused additional problems," he said. "The hard work of our firefighters has paid off in that we have been able to save a section of this iconic landmark but I know for the people of Eastbourne, this will still be devastating." He thanked everyone who was involved in the operation. RNLI lifeboat crews helped reach the remaining hot spots during the night. About 20 firefighters are still damping down. The arcade has been left a shell and a number of small buildings have been badly damaged, a fire service spokesman said. An investigation into the cause of the blaze is under way. Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd said: "The good news is that we don’t have a Brighton or Hastings scenario where the whole pier is destroyed." Mr Lloyd is due to meet the pier’s owners and local councillors later to discuss the blaze and its aftermath. Ms Mordaunt said she would be visiting Eastbourne "as a priority" to speak to local people and thank firefighters for their efforts. "It is heart-breaking to see such a wonderful Victorian pier so damaged. Thankfully no-one appears to have been hurt," she said.