In Search of the Link between Ship Size and Operations

Abstract

Since 1990s the liner shipping industry has faced a period of restructuring and consolidation, and been confronted with a continuing increase in container vessel scale. The impact of these changes is noticeable in trade patterns, cargo handling methods and shipping routes, in short ‘operations’. After listing factors influencing size, growth in container ship size is explained by economies of scale in deploying larger vessels. In order to quantify economies of scale, this paper uses the liner service cash flow model. A novelty in the model is the inclusion of +6000-20-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) vessels and the distinction in costs between single and twin propeller units on ships. The results illustrate that scale economies have been – and will continue to be – the driving force behind the deployment of larger container vessels. The paper then assesses the link between ship size and operations, given current discussions about the increase in container vessel scale. It is found that (a) ship size and operations are linked; (b) optimal ship size depends on transport segment (deep-sea vs. short-sea shipping, SSS), terminal type (transhipment terminals vs. other terminals), trade lane (East-West vs. North-South trades) and technology; and (c) a ship optimal for one trade can be suboptimal for another.     

环球竞赛号机动船创最新环游地球纪录

装备两台康明斯－水星QSC型8．3升540马力全电控船用发动机、燃用B100生物柴油（100％的生物柴油）的“环球竞赛号（Earthrace）”高速环保机动船6月27日抵达西班牙萨贡托港，结束了为期60天23小时49分钟的环球航程，从而打破英国高速船“大东电报号（Cable＆Wireless）”十年前创下的74天20小时58分钟纪录。     

美国铁路重载运输

介绍了美国铁路重载运输的现状.     

康明斯三季度业绩再攀新高

康明斯公司日前发布了三季度财务公报，销售额和利润再创新高。三季度的大好形势主要归因于国际业务的强劲增势．有效抵消了北美消费品市场持续走低和欧洲市场疲软带来的负面影响。     

Examination of relationships between urban form,household activities,and time allocation in the Atlanta Metropolitan Region

A substantial body of research is focused on understanding the relationships between socio-demographics, land-use characteristics, and mode specific attributes on travel mode choice and time-use patterns. Residential and commercial densities, inter-mixing of land uses, and route directness in conjunction with transportation performance characteristics interact to influence accessibility to destinations as well as time spent traveling and engaging in activities. This study uniquely examines the activity durations undertaken for out-of-home subsistence; maintenance, and discretionary activities. Also examined are total tour durations (summing all activity categories within a tour). Cross-sectional activities are obtained from household activity travel survey data from the Atlanta Metropolitan Region. Time durations allocated to weekdays and weekends are compared. The censoring and endogeneity between activity categories and within individuals are captured using multiple equations Tobit models.The analysis and modeling reveal that land-use characteristics such as net residential density and the number of commercial parcels within a kilometer of a residence are associated with differences in weekday and weekend time-use allocations. Household type and structure are significant predictors across the three activity categories, but not for overall travel times. Tour characteristics such as time-of-day and primary travel mode of the tours also affect traveler’s out-of-home activity-tour time-use patterns.     

Comparison of the Spray and the Spray/Wall Interaction of Two Gasoline Injectors

One important parameter influencing mixture formation and spray/wall interaction within engines is the geometry of the nozzle. In contrast to Diesel nozzles, the influence of the orifice geometry on spray formation has hardly be investigated for gasoline nozzles. In order to demonstrate the potential of adjusting the nozzle geometry of a modern GDI nozzle, we compare two six-hole, high-pressure nozzles with an identical structure, but different rounding radius of the orifice hole-inlet and different orifice hole-geometries: nozzle A with a rounded inlet and an orifice length to diameter ratio of 3/2 and nozzle B with a sharp inlet and an orifice length to diameter ratio of 1. In a first measurement campaign the spray formation is visualized using high-speed shadowgraphy imaging. The results show differences in spray angle and penetration depth. In a second measurement campaign we examine the spray/wall interaction and wall film formation by means of infrared thermography. The thermography measurements indicate that the geometry of nozzle B produces sprays with beneficial characteristics. This is very important for a clean combustion process and a decrease of soot emissions.     

康明斯2007年业绩再创历史新高

2008年2月14日，康明斯公司公布了2007年度公司财务报告，销售额和利润再创新高，连续四年保持高速增长，美国以外的国际业务占到54％，中国区增长50％。     

康明斯荣获美国《汽车新闻》杂志2008年度“产品创新奖”

美国《汽车新闻》杂志日前在底特律举行典礼．颁发2008年度“一级供应商杰出贡献奖”（PACEAWARD）．康明斯公司为克莱斯勒道奇公羊重型皮卡车研制开发的6．7升直列六缸全电控涡轮增压柴油机喜获其中的“产品创新奖”。     

Driver recruitability for advanced traveler information system experiments

A number of Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) field experiments are being undertaken to study the effectiveness of the ATIS concept in ameliorating traffic congestion and reducing delays. Many of these experiments require the participation of private drivers willing to allow in-vehicle navigation units to be installed in their vehicles over an extended period of time. A critical part of any ATIS field experiment is the selection or recruitment of private drivers to fulfill the multi-purpose participation needs of the ATIS experiment. To provide an informed basis for designing such a driver recruitment effort, it is important to understand the factors affecting driver recruitability or “willingness to participate.” This research presents the results of a quantitative analysis of driver recruitability conducted to aid in the design of recruitment procedures for ADVANCE (Advanced Driver and Vehicle Advisory Navigation Concept), the largest ATIS field experiment of its kind. The approach used a telephone survey to assess driver willingness to participate in the ADVANCE field experiment and to explore variations in that willingness among different drivers and across characteristics of the ADVANCE system and experimental design. The results indicate that the willingness to participate in the ADVANCE field test is greater for men, persons who hold executive or managerial occupations, individuals who drive extensively, persons who use electronic devices such as personal computers and car phones regularly, and persons who have positive beliefs regarding the usefulness of the ADVANCE concept. The result also suggest that drivers' willingness to participate is not strongly affected by monitoring/reporting requirements such as responding to surveys, mailing electronically stored records of system operation, and periodic service requirements. However, the willingness decreases considerably if drivers have to bear the financial responsibility for damage of the navigation equipment and any equipment-caused electrical failures to the car. Finally, the incentive of a lottery prize raises the level of participation willingness. These results have important implications for the recruitment effort, both in terms of recruiting drivers for participation in the demonstration and specifying the operational details of the field test.