SGER: Fundamental Study on Chemical Process Operational Security Assessment

本项目将重点开展快速、定量、准确的化工过程安全评估的基础研究。目标是开发一个有用的知识库，用于快速、定量和准确地评估过程安全和保障。知识库将包含一个通用的过程安全动态建模方法和一个过程安全评估方法（具有基本的增强能力）。这项研究将为今后开发更全面的过程安全增强方法奠定基础。化工厂的安全是国土安全的一个重要方面，因为可能造成严重的环境和经济后果。方法是考虑：(i)如果一个工厂受到技术知识渊博的恐怖分子的攻击，它在操作上是否安全；（ii）如果不是，在灾难发生之前有多少时间可用；（iii）对于一个给定的工厂，如何识别安全操作的最关键因素。这项工作将着眼于评估的准确性，并适用于化学过程工业（CPI）。如果成功，它将为如何为工业设施开发快速、有效的过程安全和增强方法提供关键指导。广泛影响所产生的知识库可以提供对工厂安全的全面了解，可被工业用于追求超越传统过程安全措施的过程安全增强。PI计划让来自代表性不足群体的学生参与该项目，因此，除了对国土安全具有明显的重要性外，该项目还将具有教育和推广价值。

ResearchThis project will focus on the fundamental study of fast, quantitative, and accurate security assessment of chemical processes. The goal is to develop a useful knowledge base for fast, quantitative and accurate assessment of process safety and security. The knowledge base will contain a general process security dynamic modeling method and a process security assessment method (with a basic enhancement capability). The study will lay the foundation for a future effort to develop a more comprehensive process security enhancement methodology.Chemical plant security is one important aspect of homeland security since the potential for severe environmental and economic consequences is great. The approach is to look at: (i) is a plant operationally secure if it is attacked by a technically knowledgeable terrorist, (ii) if not, how much time is available before a disaster occurs, and (iii) for a given plant, how can the most critical factors for secure operation be identified. The work will look at assessment accuracy and be applicable to the chemical process industries (CPI). If successful, it will provide critical guidance on how to develop fast, effective process security and enhancement methodologies for industrial facilities.Broad ImpactThe knowledge base generated could provide a comprehensive understanding of plant security, which can be used by industry to pursue process security enhancement over and above traditional process safety measures. The PI is planning to involve students from underrepresented groups in the project, thus besides the obvious importance to homeland security, the project will also have educational and outreach value.