HITERM: High-performance computing and networking for technological and environmental risk management

• Forschungsstelle: EU FRP
• Projektnummer: 96.0203
• Projekttitel Englisch: HITERM: High-performance computing and networking for technological and environmental risk management

Schlüsselwörter (Englisch)

High-performance computing; dispersion simulation; risk management; decision support system for intervention forces; validation of performance; accuracy; relevance

Alternative Projektnummern (Englisch)

EU project number: EP 22.723

Forschungsprogramme (Englisch)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.3 Telematic systems

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

See abstract

Weitere Hinweise und Angaben (Englisch)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Asit AG für Informations- u. Sicherheitssysteme im Transportwesen

Partner und Internationale Organisationen (Englisch)

ESS (A), GMD (D), SYRECO (I), FCCN (P), PETROGAL (P), LNEC (P), ASIT (CH)

Abstract (Englisch)

The main objective of the HITERM-Project was to develop a high performance computing and net-working decision support system in the field of technological risk management. The developed system called 'RISKWARE', which can run on the base of parallel computing or workstation clusters, includes tools for the (better than real time) simulation of accidental release of hazardous substances into the atmosphere, groundwater bodies and surface water. The results of the simulated extents of accidents of transported dangerous goods and accidents in plants with hazardous materials respectively can be used in the interactive decision and advisory system for the support of emergency management tasks.
The Swiss Test Case Demonstrator which was built during the project, deals with the management of transportation accidents with a clear focus on railway accidents with a release of dangerous goods. The decision support system (DSS) for the emergency management application was developed in accor-dance to the requirements of the Swiss executive authorities and emergency forces. Its most important function is the support of the emergency forces by managing information in order to get the relevant information according to the actual needs of the emergency management organization.
The test site which had been chosen for the Swiss demonstrator was the Gotthard-railway route in the Reuss Valley in the canton Uri. In this test site, the demonstrator can be applied for the emergency management of accidents with hazards for the population (e.g. atmospheric dispersion of toxic gases in complex pre-alpine terrain) or of accidents with hazardous liquids for ground water. For the realistic simulation of the various accident situations, automatic access onto external data sources (Cargo In-formation System (CIS) of the Swiss Federal Railways, or meteorological data from the national wheather service (SMI-Meteo Swiss); two meteo stations are located in the test site) had been inte-grated in the system. The evaluation of the emergency scenario is supported by dispersion modelling of toxic gas (Multi-Puff-models) and by modelling the time of the vertical infiltration of a water polluting liquid through the soil until it reaches the groundwater body. The DSS also evaluates possible fire or explosion hazards by calculating the blast range.
In the last phase of the project, a big effort had been made to validate on one hand the Demonstrator itself and the relevance of a system like RISKWARE on the other hand. For the validation of the per-formance and accuracy of the system, the Demonstrator had been tested in detail and the results of the modelling calculations had been exactly investigated - also with the help of various experts (Risk-management specialists, safety experts, meteorologist/ air pollution specialist, etc.). The investigation showed that the decision support system is indeed good and useful for for the different accident sce-narios, and the individual sequences of the DSS seem to be logic. Also the simulations of gaseous dispersion at various weather situations and of the infiltration of hazuardous liquids into the water body proved to be good and realistic.
The relevance of the system had been validated with help of a questionnaire addressed to potential users in administration and industry in Switzerland and also with presentations of the Demonstrator. The analyses of the questionnaire and the presentations led in a positive judgement: The system is considered to be an excellent information tool for emergency forces for a fast and reliable decision sup-port and also a useful tool for simulating various accident scenarios for risk determinations.
If this RISKWARE-Demonstrator could be developed into a market product (still involving considerable expense) and the tool could be offered for common computer platforms combined with a reasonable prise, the system is expected to have a good chance to be successful.

Datenbankreferenzen (Englisch)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 96.0203