The rational locator reexamined: Are travel times still stable?

The rational locator hypothesis posits that individuals can, if they choose, maintain approximately steady journey-to-work travel times by adjusting their home and workplace. This hypothesis was coupled with the observation of long-term stability in drive alone journey-to-work times in metropolitan Washington (those times were unchanged from 1957 through 1968 to 1988). Despite the increase of average commuting distance and congestion, trip duration remained constant or even declined when controlling for travel purpose and travel mode because of shifting a share of traffic from slow urban routes to faster suburban routes. This observation has significance, as it is important to know for travel demand analysis if there is an underlying budget, or even a regularity, as this helps us determine whether our forecasts are reasonable. To re-test the underlying rationale for the hypothesis that travel times are stable, intra-metropolitan comparisons of travel times are made using Washington DC data from 1968, 1988, and 1994, and Twin Cities data from 1990 and 2000. The results depend upon geography. For the larger Washington DC region, keeping the same geography shows little change in commute times, but using the larger 1994 area suggests an increase in commute times. However, the Twin Cities, starting from a much shorter commute time, shows a marked increase over the decade, using either the smaller or the larger geography. Despite the remarkable continuing observation of stability in drive alone commuting times in metropolitan Washington, we reject the theory of personal commuting budgets, as we find that not only are commuting times not generally stable over time at the intra-metropolitan area, but that commuting time clearly depends on metropolitan spatial structure.     

Efficiency of urban public transit: A meta analysis

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, to provide a statistical overview of the literature on public transit efficiency performance. Second, to statistically explain the variation in efficiency findings reported in the literature. To this end, first some key concepts of efficiency analysis will be introduced, while next the different frontier methodologies that are used in the literature will be discussed. The empirical part of this paper consists of a statistical summary of the literature as well as meta-regression analyses for different samples of the literature in order to identify key determinants of technical efficiency (TE) of public transit operators. For a broad sample of observations, we found significant and consistent effects of the type of database, region and output measurement method. For the sample of non-parametric studies we found that the type of frontier assumptions also have an impact on the efficiency ratio. Further results show that there is no statistical difference in TE ratios between parametric and non-parametric studies. Finally, we found a positive univariate relationship between the number of inputs in the estimated specification and the efficiency ratio.     

Fourier NUBS method to express ship hull form

This article presents a method of numerical expression to draw ship hull forms. Recent developments in research into ship hull optimization need a method to express ship hull form as precisely as possible with a small number of design parameters. This method is based on a combination of the Fourier–sine series expansion and nonuniform B-spline (NUBS) interpolation. The merit of the combination is that it removes the wiggles which are often found when generating a rectangular-type curve, such as the midship section of tanker ship, with a simple Fourier series expansion. Here, the procedure is explained, and then a tanker ship hull is generated. Through the discussion, we show the effectiveness of the method.     

Axial vibrations of a propulsion system taking into account the couplings and the boundary conditions

Calculations of the axial vibrations of a marine power transmission system are a very difficult problem owing to the complicated couplings and difficulties in determining the boundary conditions. The torsional–bending–axial coupling action of the system should be accounted for when considering its dynamics. A determination of the mutual interference of system vibrations and their boundary conditions is also necessary. A performance analysis of the main engine bearings, the thrust bearings, and the axial dampers should also be carried out. Thus, the effects of additional bending stresses in the crankshaft and possible vibrations of the ships structure due to the reaction force in the thrust bearings should be considered. I have devised a computer program to analyse the axial vibration problem. The numerical analysis method presented is compared with measurements (performed on real ships) and verified by them.     

Prediction of tip vortex cavitation inception using coupled spherical and nonspherical bubble models and Navier–Stokes computations

A spherical and a nonspherical bubble dynamics models were developed to study cavitation inception, scaling, and dynamics in a vortex flow. The spherical model is a modified Rayleigh–Plesset model to account for bubble slip velocity and for nonuniform pressures around the bubble. The nonspherical model is embedded in an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes code with appropriate free-surface boundary conditions and a moving chimera grid scheme around the bubble. The effect of nonspherical deformation and bubble/flow interaction on bubble dynamics is illustrated by comparing spherical and nonspherical models. It is shown that nonspherical deformations and bubble/flow interactions are important for an accurate prediction of cavitation inception. The surface-averaged pressure-modified Rayleigh–Plesset scheme is a significant improvement over the conventional spherical model, and is able to capture the volume changes of a bubble during its capture. It is also a fast scheme for studying scaling. In a preliminary study, the scaling effects on cavitation inception were examined using two different Reynolds numbers owing to two different chord lengths. The nuclei-size effect on the prediction of cavitation inception was also studied, and its important effects are highlighted.     

Hydrodynamics of a body floating in a two-layer fluid of finite depth. Part 1. Radiation problem

A linearized 2-D radiation problem was considered for a general floating body in a two-layer fluid of finite depth. A boundary integral-equation method was developed for directly computing the velocity potential on the wetted surface of a body which is immersed in both the upper and lower layers as a general case. To do this, appropriate time-harmonic Greens functions were derived, and an efficient numerical method of evaluating those functions is proposed. Based on Greens theorem, hydrodynamic relations such as the energy-conservation principle were derived theoretically for a case of finite depth, and we confirm that those relations are satisfied numerically with very good accuracy. Experiments were also carried out using water and isoparaffin oil as the two fluids and a Lewis-form body. Measured results for the added mass, the damping coefficient, and the amplitude of the generated waves are compared with the computed results, and a favorable agreement is found.     

Contributors to this issue

Contributors to this issue     

对标国际营商环境评价构建城市公交KPI考核体系

立足为优化国际营商环境贡献城市公交之智、发挥城市公交之力,以考核城市公交企业绩效目标为研究视角.本文在国内外研究基础之上,结合现行国家行业规范标准及实地调研结果,对标国际营商环境内涵特征构建城市公交KPI考核体系,并引入熵值法、层次分析法综合计算城市公交KPI考核指标权重,找出公交行业的关键事项或活动,为城市公交发展提供事前预防、事中控制和事后治理的科学决策参考,以提升城市公交运营管理效率和服务质量水平.     

船船水动力相互作用的CFD分析研究（英文）

A numerical study of ship-to-ship interaction forces is performed using a commercial CFD code, and the results are compared with experimental data and with the results of a panel method analysis. Two ship models have been used in the interaction forces analysis: a tug and a tanker, advancing parallel to each other with different lateral distances and two different values of the fluid depth. Computations are carried out with four different flow models: inviscid and viscous flow with the free surface modeled as a rigid wall and inviscid and viscous flow with the deformable free surface. A fair agreement was obtained with available experimental data and results obtained by panel method. The influence of viscosity in the computations is found to be comparatively weak, while the wavemaking effects may be important, at small magnitude of the horizontal clearance.     

New routes on old railways: increasing rail’s mode share within the constraints of the existing railway network

This paper describes an integrated methodology for identifying potential ‘quick wins’ for mode shift from road to passenger rail transport. Firstly, a procedure for analysing rail’s relative competitiveness in the market for passenger transport between large urban areas is developed and then applied to a UK case study. The purpose of such analysis is to allow the identification of flows where rail is currently relatively uncompetitive (in terms of journey time in particular) and to assess the reasons for this poor performance, so that the issues which suppress rail use may be addressed. In parallel, a framework, methodology and tool for the assessment of existing and potential capacity (trains, seats, TEUs, etc.) is developed for both passenger and freight traffic, to identify and address network constraints. An illustrative example of the use of these demand and capacity assessment tools is then presented, with the tools used to identify and evaluate flows where rail demand is suppressed by poor service quality and where spare capacity exists which would allow the passenger rail service to be improved without requiring significant investments in infrastructure. The effects of such improvements on demand are predicted, and the cost implications of operating such additional services are discussed. The analysis suggests that there may be significant potential for increasing rail’s mode share by providing additional inter-urban services where rail currently offers an inferior service.