• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.914-922
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• 2019

Gas composition has a significant impact on the dispersion behavior and accumulation characteristics of blowout gas. However, few public studies has investigated the corresponding effect of gas composition. Therefore, this study firstly builds the FLACS-based numerical model about an offshore drilling platform. Then several scenarios by varying the composition of blowout gas are simulated while the scenario with the composition of "Deepwater Horizon" accident is regarded as the benchmark. Furthermore, the effects of the gas composition on the flammable cloud volume, the influenced area of flammable cloud, the influenced area of hydrogen sulfide and the critical time of the hydrogen sulfide spreading to the living area are analyzed. The results demonstrate that gas composition is a driving factor for dispersion characteristics of blowout gas. All the results can give support to reduce the risk of the similar accidents incurred by real blowouts.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.110-119
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• 2020

Explosions and fires on offshore drilling units and process plants, which cause loss of life and environmental damage, have been studied extensively. However, research on drilling units increased only after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico. A major reason for explosions and fires on a drilling unit is blowout, which is caused by a failure to control the high temperatures and pressures upstream of the offshore underwater well. The area susceptible to explosion and fire due to blowout is the drill floor, which supports the main drilling system. Structural instability and collapse of the drill floor can threaten the structural integrity of the entire unit. This study simulates the behavior of fire subsequent to blowout and assesses the thermal load. A heat transfer structure analysis of the drill floor was carried out using the assessed thermal load, and the risk was noted. In order to maintain the structural integrity of the drill floor, passive fire protection of certain areas was recommended.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.68-71
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• 1994

A tracheo-esophageal fistula following from blunt chest trauma is one of less common lesion and few guidelines are available to direct its optimal management. Herein, we report a 24-year-old man injured in a motor vehicular accident sustained a nonpenetrating double blowout injury of the thorax and large tracheoesophageal fistula occurred. Tracheal defect required resection and reconstruction, of which the membranous portion underwent closure with borrowed adjacent esophageal wall primarily and substernal left colon interposition was performed 4 weeks later.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.503-512
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• 2014

In this paper, various tire blow-out force experiment data were collected and analyzed to obtain approximate values of related coefficients such as rolling resistance, self-aligning torque, cornering stiffness, and radial stiffness for the analysis of the motion of vehicles with tire blow-outs. These coefficients related to tire blow-outs were input into a vehicle accident analysis program to simulate and examine the effects of tire blow-outs. Various configurations and velocities of vehicle collisions without tire blow-outs were also used as reference to establish collision events of vehicle collisions with tire blow-outs. For the events, the simulation analysis was performed and collision characteristics were obtained. Consideration of tire blow-outs or damages suggested in this study will greatly contribute to more reliable vehicle accident reconstructions.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.90-95
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• 2011

On April 20, 2010, a well control event allowed hydrocarbon (oil and gas) to escape from the Macondo well onto Deepwater Horizon (DWH), resulting in an exploration and fire on the rig. While 17 people were injured, 11 others lost their lives. The fire continued for 36 hours until the rig sank. Hydrocarbons continued to flow out from the reservoir through the well bore and blowout preventer (BOP) for 87 days, causing an unprecedented oil spill. Beyond Petroleum (BP) and the US federal government tried various methods to prevent the oil spill and to capture the spilled oil. The corresponding responses were very challenging due to the scale, intensity, and duration of the incident that occurred under extreme conditions in terms of pressure, temperature, and amount of flow. On July 15, a capping stack, which is another BOP on top of the existing BOP, was successfully installed, and the oil spill was stopped. After several tests and subsea responses, the well was permanently sealed by a relief well and a bottom kill on September 19. This paper analyzes the subsea responses and engineering efforts to capture the oil, stop the leaking, and kill the subsea well. During the investigation and analysis of subsea responses, information was collected and data bases were established for future accident prevention and the development of subsea engineering.