This work explores the challenges of using life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) analysis to provide easily accessible decision support for early product development in cases where intellectual property (IP) and privacy issues require special consideration. Innovation research projects with partners representing different links along the value chain are potential examples of such cases. A case study in which spreadsheet-based cradle to compounder's gate LCA and LCC screening tools were created for candidate flame retarded polymer formulations exemplifies the need for better solutions to overcome problems associated with lack of transparency due to IP/privacy concerns. These problems affect data quality, scaling up processes, and uncertainty of the results. The consortium in this case study had a common overall goal, although each of the partners had a unique perspective on the polymer development process and different IP/privacy needs. The measures used to overcome the challenges include aggregation, normalisation, and omission of costs and impacts common to all candidate compounds. The resulting LCA and LCC screening tools represent a compromise between providing the requested information at the level of detail required by the partners and reporting results that are as accurate and useful as possible. The findings are: in cases where absolute secrecy must be maintained, no one can learn which materials and processes provide the optimal results; appointing a trusted third party to handle sensitive inventory data can cause increased uncertainty of the results due to lack of peer review; the results of the work cannot be built upon by subsequent research.

There have been a number of fires on board ro-ro ships with severe consequences the last decades, several which have started in a ro-ro space. To prevent and mitigate future fire accidents, cost-effective solutions to improve ships’ abilities to independently handle a fire starting in a ro-ro space are needed. Within the LASH FIRE project, innovative solutions aimed at strengthening the independent fire protection of ro-ro ships have been developed and demonstrated. These solutions are developed to strengthen all parts of the fire protection chain, from ignition prevention all the way to evacuation. This deliverable, D04.10, presents an overview of the testing and demonstration of the solutions. Through this deliverable, external parties, such as industry actors, will have a compilation of the evaluation and its outcome for the different solutions that have been developed and demonstrated within LASH FIRE.

Self-heating during storage of biomass in piles causes material losses, leads to emissions to air, and poses a risk of fire. There are different techniques to assess a biomass material's propensity for self-heating, some of these are briefly reviewed. One of these techniques is isothermal calorimetry, which measures thermal power from materials and produces time-resolved curves. A recently developed and published test standard, ISO 20049-1:2020, describes how the self-heating of pelletized biofuels can be determined by means of isothermal calorimetry and how thermal power and the total heat produced during the test should be measured by isothermal calorimetry. This paper supports interpretation of the result obtained by isothermal calorimetry; the mentioned standard provides examples of peak thermal power and total heat but does not provide any assistance on how the result from isothermal measurements should be interpreted or how the result from measurements on different samples could be compared. This paper addresses the impact of different types of reactions, peak thermal power, total heat released (heat of reaction), activation energy, heat conductivity, and pile size on the temperature development in a generic pile of biomass. This paper addresses important parameters when the result from isothermal calorimetry is evaluated. The most important parameter, with respect to temperature development in large piles, was found to be the total heat released. It was also proposed that safe storage times, that is, the time until a run-away of the temperature in the pile, could be ranked based on the time to the peak thermal power.

This investigation delves into the extraction dynamics of 22 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from PFAS contaminated firefighting materials. Two distinct test sets were executed: one contrasting a commercial product with water following an elaborate decontamination procedure, and the other assessing seven washing agents on materials from firefighting installations, with one agent examined at 22 °C and 50 °C. A general tendency for improved desorption at the higher temperature was observed. Furthermore, a discernible influence of the cleaning agent's pH on the extraction of specific PFAS species was observed, elucidating the role of chemical environment in the extraction process. PFAS rebound was studied for a period of up to 157 days, this unveiled a gradual escalation in PFAS22 levels, indicative of a protracted desorption mechanism. Intriguingly, PFAS with abbreviated carbon chains (C4–C6) exhibit superior desorption efficiency compared to their elongated congeners, suggesting a chain-length-dependent decontamination potential. A comparative scrutiny between a commercially available cleaning product, featuring multiple washing and flushing steps, and a water-only treatment regimen underscores the potential efficacy of the former. This exhaustive investigation furnishes nuanced insights into PFAS extraction complexities, offering a foundation for informed decontamination strategies

Det finns driftparametrar som påverkar reaktiviteten på flygaskan från avfallseldade CFB-pannor. Det finns också goda skäl att tänka ett par varv extra kring säkerhetsfrågor i miljöer där dessa askor kommer i kontakt med, eller har kommit i kontakt med, vatten! Det är tidigare känt att askor från avfallseldade CFB-pannor kan bilda vätgas när de kommer i kontakt med vatten. Det övergripande syftet med projektet har varit att minska de vätgasrelaterade arbetsmiljöriskerna förknippade med dessa flygaskor samt att öka kunskapsnivån kring de vätgasrelaterade riskerna generellt. Projektet har undersökt vilka driftparametrar och mekanismer som kan påverka vätgasbildningen både sett till mängd och hastighet, undersökt mängden metalliskt aluminium i askor/beläggningar i pannan samt att genomfört en grovriskanalys för en tänkt logistikkedja med båt. Undersökningarna har fokuserats till P14 och P15 vid E.ON:s Händelöverk. Resultaten visade bland annat att det i litteraturen finns väldigt lite information direkt relaterad till frågeställningen i CFB-pannor. Istället får slutsatser och teorier byggas kring litteratur som hanterar närliggande frågeställningar i andra miljöer. De experimentella resultaten indikerar att det finns en skillnad i reaktivitet i flygaskan mellan de båda pannorna och att val av bäddmaterial är en driftparameter som tycks kunna påverka reaktiviteten. Vid inblandning av ilmenit i bäddmaterialet tycktes den maximala vätgasbildningen sjunka och/eller bli mer fördröjd i tiden. De övriga driftfall som studerades var: dellast, varierande tillsats av ammoniak i SNCR systemet samt lagring/åldring av aska i NID-filtret (rökgasreningen) när en del av filtret är ur drift. Det finns indikationer på att dessa driftfall också kan ha påverkan, men dataunderlaget är för litet för att med säkerhet fastslå något. Det tycks dock svårt att förutom med bäddmaterial påverka reaktiviteten med bibehållen funktion i driften i övrigt. Ask/beläggningsprover från olika delar av pannorna visade att halten metalliskt aluminium i ekonomiser är fullt jämförbar med de efter NID-filtret och därmed är det stor risk för vätgasbildning vid våt rengöring av dessa delar. God ventilation och utbildningsinsatser för att öka medvetenheten är viktiga rekommendationer för att minska/hantera risken. Slutsatserna från grovriskanalysen logistikkedjan lyfter faran med att generalisera vätgasbildningen från askorna eftersom den varierar så kraftigt. Det är också viktigt att ta hänsyn till att vätgasbildningen kan vara fördröjd och inte initieras förrän askan utsätts för mekanisk bearbetning. Den mekaniska bearbetningen utgör också en risk utifrån att den kan initiera gnistbildning. Denna gnistbildning kan i sin tur agera som tändkälla för bildad gas.

Under certain circumstances, contamination of a porous insulation material by a combustible liquid may result in a lagging/insulation fire. In the current study, a method based on isothermal calorimetry and modelling to estimate the risk of a lagging fire, or a maximum insulation thickness for a certain system temperature, is presented. The studied system was a combination of mineral wool and rapeseed oil. Full-scale tests were performed to determine suitable ignition criteria and to validate the results from the isothermal calorimetry tests and modelling. We contaminated the lagging using two methods – a direct method and a solvent method. These methods were evaluated in the full-scale tests. The solvent method resulted in more repeatable results than the direct method, where the contaminant was poured on the insulation. Using the calorimetric measurements, we estimated the parameters for the kinetic equation. This result was used to estimate the self-ignition temperature of contaminated lagging installed on a pipe. We found that a temperature increase of 40 °C was a reasonable ignition criterion when modelling.

The firefighting performance of eleven PFAS-free firefighting foams was evaluated using different fuels (Jet A1, commercial heptane and diesel) and types of water (freshwater and synthetic sea water). Moreover, different firefighting foam generation techniques and application methods were evaluated. The firefighting foams were generated as aspirated foams or as compressed air foams (CAFs). The results for CAF showed a higher performance, with respect to extinction time and burn-back resistance, compared to the foam generated using a UNI 86 nozzle. The CAF was not optimised, indicating a further potential of this foam generation technique. The results indicate that the time to fire knockdown decreases with decreasing foam viscosity. The heat flux was shown to be small, although the entire fuel surface was involved in the fire. The tests showed a dependence on fuel type; different products performed differently depending on the fuel. Tests using sea water showed that addition of salt to the foam solution generally prolonged the extinction time, although for one of the firefighting foams a shorter extinction time was observed. Out of the eleven evaluated PFAS-free products there was no product that outperformed the rest. None of the products in the study met the fire test performance requirements in all the referenced standards. Instead, the products seem to have different niches where they perform best e.g., with different types of fuel or water.

Lagging fires – A summary of the current knowledge

Lagging fires often occur as a result of a leakage of a liquid from e.g. a pipe or a vessel to its lagging. This work highlights risks associated with this type of fires and proposes mitigative actions. A summary of the current knowledge, based on contacts with representants from the industry and on review of literature, is presented in the present work.

This report is divided into the following sections: introduction (to lagging fires); different types of laggings; knowledge gathering; case studies; detection; and recommendations to mitigate and prevent lagging fires. The section dealing with knowledge gathering is based on statistics from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), experience from the industry and from literature. The case studies section presents sequencies of events and lessons learned from seven incidents. Three of the case studies occurred in Sweden, while the other four are international case studies identified in the literature. Two of the international incidents resulted in total losses while the worst incidents in Sweden caused loss of production for up to one week.

The current work presents a review of lagging standards, in this work CINI was the only identified organisation having commercial standards describing how lagging fires may be prevented. The current work also presents examples on alternative, company internal, methods on how lagging fires may be mitigated.

In combination with learnings from the industry, from contacts with MSB and from review of literature some indicative factors if a lagging fire will occur have been identified (e.g. type of contaminant or a relationship between flash point and auto ignition temperature). Finally, the report presents different detection methods and their pros and cons.

The amount of battery electrical vehicles (BEVs) carried as cargo on ro-ro ships is increasing. The possibility of thermal runaway in a lithium-ion battery makes BEVs a different fire risk compared to internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV). One of the challenges that arise is how to detect a thermal runaway early. Current detection systems in ro-ro spaces generally consist of smoke and/or heat detection. To identify potential techniques and challenges for detection of a thermal runaway, as early as possible, tests with batteries and detectors are needed. Tests with one battery cell were performed inside an ISO container (with almost negligible ventilation) as well as in an open room with moderate ventilation (14 air changes per hour). Point-type detectors (two smoke and heat detectors, one CO detector, and one LEL detector), thermal imaging, video analytics, and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) were evaluated in the tests. A total of 14 tests were conducted. The detectors were evaluated in different positions relative to the battery cell and comparative tests with wood-sticks were performed to investigate the detectors’ ability to detect a more conventional source of fire. Based on the results, it can be concluded that early detection of thermal runaway in batteries is possible in principle. However, detection is a matter of circumstances e.g., ventilation, gas/smoke production and the location of the detector(s). The result indicates that detection in a small and confined space is relatively manageable, but detection in a large and open space could be more of a challenge. If the gas/smoke is cooled down it may sink and spread along the floor/deck, instead of rising and spreading along the ceiling. This would be a challenge with current smoke detectors installed in the ceiling. Shielding may be a problem, especially with LIDAR and thermal imaging. Future research should address full-scale tests, and it is recommended to include Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) as a mean of detection.

Reducing the environmental and climate impact of shipping propelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) requires the introduction of alternative fuels such as liquid biogas/biomethane (LBG) (Jivén et al., 2022). Today, only a small part of the biomethane produced in Sweden is liquefied into LBG and an even smaller part is used as fuel for shipping. The price and availability of biogas is governed by supply and demand in an international market where shipping, industry and heavy trucks demand biogas. The biogas then needs to be processed into upgraded biogas (biomethane) or LBG quality in order to be transported and used in the respective sectors inside and outside of Sweden. The trend is for a larger proportion of biogas to be liquefied into LBG. The market has thus gone from a local market, where biogas was produced in the city's wastewater treatment plant and the city buses ran on biogas, to an international market where biogas often is transported in the same way as fossil gas and marketed using the fossil gas together with certificates. The project "Renewable liquid biogas (LBG) for shipping in practice" was carried out by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and RISE in 2023 together with stakeholders from the shipping sector, ports and industry organizations for biogas. The project has studied the conditions required to make LBG available to shipping in practice at Swedish ports. The study shows that the major obstacles to an established use of LBG in the shipping sector in Sweden today are pricing/willingness to pay that is affected by international market prices, lack of suitable logistical solutions as well as the absence of the piece of the puzzle that is the business model and cooperation needed to make available the large volumes of biogas that shipping may demand. The stakeholders in the project estimate their total need of biogas to 3 TWh in a short term, and 10 TWh in a longer term. The project has identified a number of conclusions and recommendations for future work, including that the potential for biogas is large and untapped, but that new solutions for the distribution and logistics of LBG are needed. There is a clear interest from maritime actors as they see biogas as a strategic solution and the dialog between actors in the industry remains important. A change in the tax system could be needed so that more actors can use the green gas principle for LBG. In addition, a functioning "marketplace" is needed, which simplifies for sellers and buyers of LBG, and agreements/contracts are needed that are longterm and to a greater extent based on the costs of producing and providing LBG.

A commonly known problem with storage of biomass pellets is the risk for self-heating. The propensity for self-heating depends on several parameters e.g. type of pellets, humidity, ventilation, temperature, type of storage and handling prior to storage.

Within the framework of the research project SafePellets (Safety and quality assurance measures along the pellets supply chain) a medium-scale methodology to assess the propensity for self-heating has been developed. In addition, methods to study carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) concentrations as well as different aldehydes have been tested and evaluated in this study.

Biomass pellets from three different sources, i.e. 100 % pine; a mixture of spruce and pine and a mixture of straw, seed residue and spruce, were tested in a 1 m3 test container. The test container and the pellets were pre-heated and kept at the nominal test temperature until self-heating occurred, or the test was terminated. Temperatures were measured at more than 40 different positions and gas samples were extracted from the test container and analysed.

Differences were observed as a function of pellet type, but also as a function of nominal test temperature and ventilation. Significant levels of CO and CO2 and a reduced level of O2 were observed direct after the pre-heating, indicating oxidation of the pellets. Ten different tests were made; ignition occurred in four of them. The higher the nominal test temperature, the higher propensity for self-heating. When ignition occurred, the concentrations of CO and CO2 increased rapidly. It was found that the ventilation conditions were important. In some of the tests, natural convection caused the pellet bulk to cool. In other tests, when the test container was closed, the oxygen concentration dropped, and self-heating was reduced.

Measurements of CO, CO2 and O2 contributed with information about the tests. However, the results from aldehyde measurements were unconcise and the values have only been used as indicative. Identified aldehydes were hexanal, butyraldehyde, valeraldehyde, formaldehyde, propionaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein.