Urban single-lane roundabouts: A new analytical approach using multi-criteria and simultaneous multi-objective optimization of geometry design,efficiency and safety

Building safe and effective roundabouts requires optimizing traffic (operational) efficiency (TE) and traffic safety (TS) while taking into account geometric factors, traffic characteristics and local constraints. Most existing simulation-based optimization models do not simultaneously optimize all these factors. To capture the relationship among geometry, efficiency and safety, we put forward a model formulation in this paper. We present a new multi-criteria and simultaneous multi-objective optimization (MOO) model approach to optimize geometry, TE and TS of urban unsignalized single-lane roundabouts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first model that uses the multi-criteria decision-making method known as analytic hierarchy process to evaluate and rank traffic parameters and geometric elements of urban single-lane roundabouts. The model was built based on comprehensive review of the research literature and existing roundabout simulation software, a field survey of 61 civil and traffic expert engineers in Croatia, and field studies of roundabouts in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb. We started from the basis of Kimber’s capacity model, HCM2010 serviceability model, and Maycock and Hall's accident prediction model, which we extended by adding sensitivity analysis and powerful MOO procedures of the bounded objective function method and interactive optimization. Preliminary validation of the model was achieved by identifying the optimal and most robust of three geometric alternatives (V.1-V.3) for an unsignalized single-lane roundabout in Zagreb, Croatia. The geometric parameters in variant V.1 had significantly higher values than in the existing design V.0, while approaches 1 and 3 in variant V.2 were enlarged as much as possible within allowed spatial limits and Croatian guidelines, reflecting their higher traffic demand. Sensitivity analysis indicated that variant V.2 showed the overall highest TE and TS across the entire range of traffic flow demand and pedestrian crossing flow demand at approaches. At the same time, the number of predicted traffic accidents was similar for all three variants, although it was lowest overall for V.2. The similarity in predicted accident frequency for the three variants suggests that V.2 provides the greatest safety within the predefined constraints and parameter ranges explored in our study. These preliminary results suggest that the proposed model can optimize geometry, TE and TS of urban single-lane roundabouts.     

封堵三通卡球原因分析及封堵设备改进设计

文中简述了某天然气管道A站-B站段内检测通球过程中封堵三通处出现的卡堵问题,结合通球、封堵等工程实践,对卡球原因进行了分析,发现了塞堵的设计缺陷,通过理论计算提出了塞堵的优化设计,解决了塞堵无旋转限位的问题,并对优化设计后期实践应用可能存在的问题提出了解决办法,对天然气管道带压封堵、通球,提高输气效率等具有参考意义。     

Potential of low viscosity oils to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of urban buses fleets

This paper shows the results of a comparative fleet test the main objective of which was to measure the influence of Low Viscosity Oils (LVO) over the fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions of urban buses. To perform this test, 39 urban buses, classified into candidate and reference groups depending on the engine oil viscosity, covered a 60,000 km mileage corresponding to two rounds of standard Oil Drain Interval (ODI). In the same way, for 9 buses of the 39 buses, the effect of differential LVO over fuel consumption and their interaction with engine LVO was assessed during the second ODI.Test results confirm that the use of LVO could reduce fuel consumption, hence CO₂ emissions. However, special attention should be taken prior to its implementation in a fleet, particularly if the vehicles are powered by engines with high mechanical and thermal stresses during vehicle operation because this could lead to friction loss increase, loss of the potential fuel consumption reduction of LVO and, in the worst scenario, higher rates of engine wear.     

Influential vectors in fuel consumption by an urban bus operator: Bus route,driver behavior or vehicle type?

Energy costs account for an important share of the total costs of urban and suburban bus operators. The purpose of this paper is to expand empirical research on bus transit operation costs and identify the key factors that influence bus energy efficiency of the overall bus fleet of one operator and aid to the management of its resources.We estimate a set of multivariate regression models, using cross-section dataset of 488 bus drivers operating over 92 days in 2010, in 87 routes with different bus typologies, of a transit company operating in the Lisbon’s Metropolitan Area (LMA), Rodoviária de Lisboa, S.A.Our results confirm the existence of influential variables regarding energy efficiency and these are mainly: vehicle type, commercial speed, road grades over 5% and bus routes; and to a lesser extent driving events such as: sudden longitudinal decelerations and excessive engine rotation. The methodology proved to be useful for the bus operator as a decision-support tool for efficiency optimization purpose at the company level.     

Competitiveness of container terminal operating companies in South Korea and the industry–university–government network

Burgeoning container port facilities have fostered intensified competition among container terminal operating companies (CTOCs). However, despite research into their survival strategies which identified antecedents of competitiveness including hard factors such as facilities, available cargo and cargo processing ability, softer factors spanning human resource management, networks and strategic alliances with universities and government agencies in industry–university–government (I–U–G) networks have been overlooked. This study aims to examine both hard and softer antecedents of competitiveness as perceived by 152 professionals in South Korean CTOCs; empirical relationships among these antecedents, I–U–G networks, and competitiveness itself; and the significance of the I–U–G network in establishing and improving competitiveness. Posited antecedents of competitiveness included human resources, facilities, service quality, customer orientation, reputation, and government support policy as independent variables; the I–U–G network as a moderating variable; and competitiveness as a dependent variable. Empirical structural relationships revealed that excepting government support policy, each variable significantly affected CTOC competitiveness. Further, the I–U–G network moderated the relationships between the antecedents of competitiveness and competitiveness. Because an effective I–U–G network was pivotal in controlling CTOC competitiveness, improved competitiveness requires not only differentiation of human resources, facilities, service quality, customer orientation, and reputation factors but also I–U–G network developments.     

Demi-flexible operating policies to promote the performance of public transit in low-demand areas

The efforts of providing attractive transport service to residents in sparse communities have previously focused on operating flexible transit services. This paper identifies a new category of transit policies, called demi-flexible operating policies, to fill the gap between flexible transit services and conventional fixed-route systems. The passenger cost function is defined as the performance measure of transit systems and the analytic work is performed based on a real-world flag-stop transit service, in which we compare its system performance with another two comparable systems, the fixed-route and flex-route services, at expected and unexpected demand levels in order to be closer to reality. In addition, the dynamic-station policy is introduced to assist the flex-route service to better deal with unexpectedly high demand. Experiments demonstrate the unique advantages of demi-flexible operating policies in providing affordable, efficient, and reliable transport service in low-demand operating environments and this work is helpful to optimize the unifying framework for designing public transit in suburban and rural areas.     

Airline energy efficiency measures using the Virtual Frontier Network RAM with weak disposability

In this paper, airline energy efficiency is divided into three stages: the operations stage, the services stage and the sales stage. Greenhouse gas emissions are treated as an undesirable output of the services stage. This new three-stage strategic operating framework is a modification of existing models. A new model, Virtual Frontier Network Range Adjusted Measure with weak disposability, is proposed to evaluate the efficiencies of 22 international airlines, from 2008 to 2012. The results show that the new model can establish more reasonable rankings and confirm new benchmarking airlines and that inclusion in the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme has had little influence on the improvement of airline energy efficiency.     

二级增压系统压气机效率的优化策略研究

对配置在1台重型车用柴油机上的二级增压系统进行了性能研究。结果表明:放气阀开启的二级增压系统存在进气能力不足、压气机效率低的问题;关闭二级增压放气阀后,在中、低转速低负荷工况仅采用高压级增压器,而其余工况借助高压级涡轮旁通阀实现进气压力可调,增压系统压气机效率均可超过60%,且最大进气压力可达334kPa;针对不同工况采用不同增压形式,通过控制涡轮旁通阀开度使二级增压系统进气压力及压比分配得到有效调节,可以改善压气机效率及燃油经济性,为二级增压系统与重型柴油机的性能匹配提供技术参考。     

高负荷下应用米勒循环提升高压比汽油机热效率机理研究

对高负荷工况下应用进气阀早关(EIVC)或者迟关(LIVC)技术实现的米勒循环进行仿真计算,基于热力学第一定律比较分析两者改善高压缩比增压直喷汽油机热效率的机理。结果表明:几何压缩比的增加提高了发动机的理论热效率,但由于高负荷时的爆震限制使油耗恶化了1.9%;米勒循环的应用可以有效降低爆震倾向,与原发动机相比,采用EIVC与LIVC策略燃油经济性的分别提升2.4%和3.0%;对比分析EIVC与LIVC对汽油机热效率的影响发现,LIVC策略能使燃烧相位更加优化、缸内燃烧更为充分,使得其燃油改善效果好于EIVC策略。     

基于有机朗肯循环的车用柴油机排气余热回收系统性能分析

利用设计的有机朗肯循环系统回收某重型车用柴油机的排气能量,通过台架试验,获得了变工况下柴油机排气余热能分布特性。分析了有机工质蒸发压力、过热度以及柴油机工况变化对有机朗肯循环系统性能的影响,以系统净输出功率和热效率为优化目标,确定了适用于有机朗肯循环系统的最佳蒸发压力。研究结果表明,当有机工质蒸发压力为1.8 MPa时,有机朗肯循环系统的净输出功率最大可以达到12.69kW,热效率可以达到11.19%;将有机工质加热至过热状态并不能明显提高有机朗肯循环系统的净输出功率。