BACKGROUND Numerous cross-sectional studies have reported reduced lung function among welders but limitations of exposure assessment and design preclude causal inference. The aim of this study was to investigate if long-term exposure to welding fume particulates accelerates the age-related decline in lung function. METHODS Lung function was measured by spirometry in 1987 and 2004 among 68 ste...

Pipeline networks are one of the key infrastructures of our modern life. Proactive monitoring and frequent inspection of pipeline networks are very important for sustaining their safe and efficient functionalities. Existing monitoring and maintenance approaches are costly and inefficient because pipelines can be installed in large scale and in an inaccessible and hazardous environment. To overc...

Gas hydrate blockage in pipelines during offshore production becomes a major problem with increasing water depth. In this work, a series of experiments on gas hydrate formation in a flow loop was performed with low flow rates of 0.33, 0.66, and 0.88 m/s; the effects of the initial subcooling, flow rate, pressure, and morphology were investigated for methane hydrate formation in the flow loop. T...

Distributed fiber optic sensing presents unique features that have no match in conventional sensing techniques. The ability to measure temperatures and strain at thousands of points along a single fiber is particularly interesting for the monitoring of elongated structures such as pipelines, flow lines, oil wells, and coiled tubing. Sensing systems based on Brillouin and Raman scattering are us...

The pipelines in mountainous areas have complex terrain conditions and pass through many densely populated areas. Once a pipeline leakage accident occurs, it will cause serious damage to the surrounding people environment. In this article, diffusion model of bare natural gas is established for exposed scenario, simulation scheme according characteristics pipeline-laying processes environmental ...

Welding work is associated with the inhalation of fumes and accumulation of particulates in welders' lungs. It is assumed that particulates deposited in the respiratory system, mainly consisting of iron oxides, are eliminated by several mechanisms, such as muco-ciliary transport and macrophage phagocytosis. In their cross-sectional study of 42 Finnish shipyard arc welders, Kalliomäki et al. ind...

Relatively little research has been conducted to systematically quantify the nationwide earthquake risk of gas pipelines in US; simultaneously, national guidance is limited for operators across country consistently evaluate their assets. Furthermore, many challenges and uncertainties exist a comprehensive seismic assessment pipelines. As first stage systematic assessment, we transmission conter...