基于BP神经网络的PID参数自整定的船舶操纵控制器研究

船舶操纵的模型参数具有非线性、慢时变特性。船舶操纵的传统控制方法的操纵性能不能令人满意。本文讨论一种应用BP神经网络实现PID参数自整定的控制方法。此法能根据船舶动态特性的变化，自动重新整定PID参数，从而改善了操纵性能和鲁棒性。     

改进型PID参数神经网络自学习的船舶操纵控制器

船舶操纵的模型参数具有非线性、慢时变特性。船舶操纵的传统控制方法的操纵性能不能令人满意。本文讨论一种应用改进型BP神经网络实现PID参数自整定的控制方法。此法能根据船舶动态特性的变化,自动重新整定PID参数,从而改善了操纵性能和鲁棒性,     

船舶神经网络运动模型研究

根据船舶海上航行的实际情况,针对船舶运动的特点,研究了基于神经网络建立船舶操纵运动模型的方法,提出了一种线性神经网络结构,并给出了相应的训练和学习方法。大量的仿真试验表明:线性神经网络用于船舶运动模型的研究,具有收敛速度快、预测误差较小、能快速跟踪参数变化等优点,可用于船舶运动实时辨识。     

船舶神经网络运动模型的研究

根据船舶海上航行的实际情况,针对船舶运动的特点,研究了基于神经网络建立船舶操纵运动模型的方法,提出了一种线性神经网络结构,并给出了相应的训练和学习方法。大量的仿真试验表明：线性神经网络用于船舶运动模型的研究,具有收敛速度快、预测误差较小、能快速跟踪参数变化等优点,可用于船舶运动实时辨识。     

船舶航向的混合智能控制技术研究

考虑船舶运动时的非线性及其操纵特性与航速、复杂多变的环境干扰等带来的不确定因素,将传统的模糊控制的基本结构嵌入到多层神经网络的控制器中,构成了混合智能系统.采用了模糊自适应学习控制网络,应用于船舶航向控制,对控制器的参数和结构进行了在线学习与调整,并进行了仿真,可以在一定程度上克服船舶运动中的不确定性问题.     

基于人工神经网络的船舶操纵运动仿真

介绍船舶操纵运动仿真的发展概况、现有成果及人工神经网络的基本理论,探讨将神经网络应用于船舶操纵运动仿真领域,构造一种网络结构和训练方法完成船舶操纵指令与船舶运动态势参数映射的可行性,并构建基于典型BP神经网络模型的操纵运动仿真系统。     

神经网络在船舶操纵中的应用研究

该文对人工神经网络用于船舶操纵动态特性的在线学习进行了研究,并提出了基于神经网络预报的操舵控制算法。仿真试验的结果表明了该控制算法的有效性。     

船舶操纵的自整定PID参数模糊控制器研究

船舶操纵是一个非线性、高阶的时间滞后过程，并受各种不确定的环境干扰。由于传统的ＰＩＤ调节器的操纵性能不能令人满意，故本文提出一种模糊推量功能实现ＰＩＤ参数自整 控制。它能根据船舶动态特性的变化，自动重新整定ＰＩＤ参数，从而改善了操纵性能和鲁棒性。     

船用固体氧化物燃料电池电堆建模与仿真

由于船用固体氧化物燃料电池复杂的内部环境不利于对其直接建模,针对船舶设备负载变化导致燃料利用率变化,提出利用径向基函数神经网络的"基"函数.结合宽度学习网络结构和恒燃料利用率控制策略,构造了一种识别恒燃料利用率的固体氧化物燃料电池电堆特性的新方法.根据恒燃料利用率控制策略经研究获得电池的输入输出数据组;在输入输出数据组的基础上,利用Lipschitz商准则确定非线性模型的最佳输入变量阶数;利用粒子群优化算法来估算基于径向基函数宽度学习网络参数,包括增强层参数、增强层和输入层到输出层参数.该方法得到的辨识结果精度高且计算量小.试验结果验证了该方法的准确性和有效性.     

基于IGA-BP算法的船舶航向智能自适应控制系统设计

在深入研究基于BP学习算法的前向神经网络以及模糊神经网络控制器的基础上,针对模糊神经网络控制器难以设计以及传统BP学习算法易于陷入局部收敛的不足,结合免疫遗传算法的全局收敛特性以及BP学习算法局部收敛的快速性,提出了一种基于混合计算智能方法的IGA-BP算法的神经网络参数的优化设计方法.将设计的控制器用于建立船舶航向控制系统模型,仿真结果表明,在船舶无干扰和存在随机干扰的情况下,基于IGA-BP算法设计的船舶航向控制系统均能使船舶转向控制无超调,跟踪快,比BP学习算法的控制效果更理想.     

Humpback Whales in Tonga: An Economic Resource for Tourism

The growth of whale-watching internationally has been spectacular. It now occurs in almost 100 countries and is estimated to be worth in excess of U.S.$1 billion each year in revenue. Thus, whales have become valuable as a resource for tourism. The Vava'u island group in the northern part of the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific is an area with a growing reputation as a whale-watching destination. However, the industry is relatively new there and the impacts of whale-based tourism in these islands is, as yet, unknown. In addition, there has been a recent consideration of a return to hunting whales in Tonga. As a result, concerns regarding the value of these animals for tourism and the potential impact of a return to hunting have arisen. Consequently, a study was designed to provide a preliminary assessment of the economic impacts of these animals for the island community. This study estimates that humpback whales may be worth in excess of U.S.$700,000 annually as a tourism attraction and that there is significant potential for future growth. Furthermore, the study shows that current visitors are opposed to any resumption of whaling practices in the islands and that such a move would likely displace large numbers of tourists from Tonga. Thus, it is concluded that a resumption of whaling in Tonga would likely have a significant opportunity cost in terms of lost tourism revenues.     

船舶在狭水道中运用GPS、ARPA、ECDIS定位技术研究

船舶在狭水道或进出港航道航行时,为确保船舶航行在预定的航迹线上,传统的定位与导航方法大多是利用助航标志。本文基于GPS、船用雷达(ARPA)和电子海图(ECDIS)等航海仪器与设备功能特点,就船舶运用GPS、船用雷达和电子海图以确定船舶在狭水道航行的航迹线方法作了研究,并就方法的运用提出了相应的注意事项。     

Maneuvering simulations of pusher-barge systems

Pusher-barge systems were studied in nine different configurations. Captive model tests were performed at the Hiroshima University Towing Tank and the hydrodynamic derivatives for the various configurations were obtained. At a service speed of 7 knots, pusher-barge systems with the same number of barges but arranged in a row (shorter length overall but with a larger breadth) require more power to operate than those that were arranged in a line. When the length overall increased, the tactical diameter, advance, and transfer distances also increased, mainly due to the significant increase in the moment of inertia when barges are arranged in a line, rather than in a row. All pusher-barge systems had small first and second overshoot angles. Pusher-barge systems with the same number of barges had a longer response time to the rudder angle of attack and required a longer stopping distance when arranged in a line, mainly due to the increased moment of inertia and reduced resistance when barges are arranged in this way.     

Effect of microbubbles on the structure of turbulence in a turbulent boundary layer

The time-averaged velocity and turbulence intensity distributions were measured by a laser Doppler velocimeter in a turbulent boundary layer filled with microbubbles. The void fraction distribution was also measured using a fiber-optic probe. The velocity decreased in the region below 100 wall units with an increase in bubble density. This led to a decrease in the velocity gradient at the wall, which was consistent with a decrease in shearing stress on the wall. The turbulence intensity in the buffer layer increased at a low microbubble density, and then began to decrease with an increasing microbubble density. Based on the present measurements, the mechanism of turbulence reduction by microbubbles is discussed and a model is proposed. Received for publication on Dec. 3, 1999; accepted on April 18, 2000     

Locomotion by mechanical pectoral fins

The objectives of this study were the development of a new device for maneuvering an underwater vehicle using the mechanism of a fish swimming, an experimental and theoretical analysis of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the device, and its application to maneuvering a fish robot. Observations and experimental analysis of the pectoral fins of a black bass (Micropterus salmoides) revealed that the locomotion of the fish, such as swimming forward at low speed, swimming backward, and turning in a horizontal plane is generated by using a combination of a feathering motion and a lead-lag motion of the pectoral fins. A mechanical pectoral fin making a feathering motion and a lead-lag motion generates a thrust force in a range of phase differences between both motions. The unsteady vortex lattice method, including the effect of viscosity, can express fairly well the unsteady forces acting on the mechanical pectoral fin in the range of phase differences where it exerts the thrust force. The fish robot, consisting of a model fish body and a pair of mechanical pectoral fins, can not only swim forward and turn in almost the same position, but can also swim in a lateral direction without changing the yaw angle. Translation of an article that appeared in the Journal of The Society of Naval Architects of Japan, vol. 182 (1997): The original article won the SNAJ prize, which is awarded annually to the best papers selected from the SNAJ Journal, JMST, or other quality journals in the field of naval architecture and ocean engineering.     

Does the political and economic context influence the success of a transport project? An analysis of transport public-private partnerships

The construction and provision of infrastructure services such as transport nowadays is often based on a partnership between three main actors: public sector, private sector and multilateral lenders, under a framework of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). This type of partnership has been employed in a wide range of projects in the transport sector and in various contexts in developing and developed countries. Given this observation, the objective of this paper is to examine how countries’ economic and political characteristics contribute to the success of PPPs in transport investments. Special focus in the analysis is given to how the perception of corruption and democratic accountability may influence the success of a PPP project in different transport sectors. We examine a database with 856 transport PPP projects using a generalized linear model in the form of a logit model in order to evaluate the transport database covering data from 72 countries, classified in six regions. The study highlights the importance of national experience. Not only does national macroeconomic experience appear to have a relevant role, but so also does its past experience (either positive or negative) of transport PPP projects. An interesting finding from the analysis is the importance of the rest of the world’s perception of a country’s level of corruption and democratic accountability for the final outcome of a PPP project.     

A study of liabilities of multimodal transport operators in China

This article studies the liabilities of a multimodal transport operator under Chinese law. The present legal framework governing the multimodal transport consists of a complex array of laws and regulations. As a consequence, the applicable liability rules, the degree and the extent of the liability of a multimodal transport operator may vary from case to case. In addition, the ratification of the Rotterdam Rules would only contribute to clarification of legal complexities in a multimodal transport case where a sea leg is included. We conclude that there is a need to have a Chinese multimodal transport law which is broad enough in scope to govern the rights and liabilities of all parties involved in multimodal carriage in China.     

法兰连接螺栓疲劳分析方法的探讨

以华电重工在澳大利亚昆士兰州的一个项目中的一台桥式刮板取料机料耙连接为实例,详细讨论法兰连接中螺栓的疲劳计算的各种算法.通过比较澳洲钢结构规范AS4100中对螺栓疲劳等级的界定和我国机械设计手册中对螺栓疲劳的计算,得到清晰的螺栓疲劳计算思路,并了解两种规范中螺栓疲劳计算的差异,以便在实际设计分析中能快速准确地确定相关参数.     

Determinants of the probability of default: the case of the internationally listed shipping corporations

In this study, we use a sample of 192 listed shipping companies and employ a logit model in order to investigate the determinants of the probability of default. We enhance our analysis by isolating not only the cases of company liquidations but also those cases where companies had to change their legal status due to warning liquidity signals. Our key findings are in line with prior research and moreover we depict a changing trend in the marginal effects of relevant variables, on the probability of default. We further show, through an empirical application, how the obtained results can be used in a managerial decision-making process and in a bank credit underwriting process in order to assess the creditworthiness of a shipping company.     

Minimum Efficient Scale (MES) and preferred scale of container terminals

The decision on the scale of a port terminal affects the terminal’s managerial, operational and competitive position in all the phases of its life. It also affects competition structures in the port in which the terminal is operating, and has a potential impact on other terminals. Port authorities and terminal operators need to know the scale of the terminal when engaging in concession agreements. In economic theory the scale of a plant/firm is typically defined in relation to the Minimum Efficient Scale (MES), the long-run output where the internal economies of scale are fully exploited. However, there are a number of theoretical and empirical indications that in ports the scale of a terminal is commonly guided by a combination of the MES and other determining factors. The “preferred” scale is the result of a complex interaction between the MES, the port governance framework and objectives, the market size and structure, technological change and operational considerations, physical and geographical limitations, and the business patterns of shipping lines. This study analyses the factors resulting in a preferred container terminal scale that in most of the times is different from the MES. The analysis of the technical, market-related and governance-related factors is supported by theoretical and empirical insights that illustrate the presence of a range of actual ”preferred” scales of terminal concessions that usually are different, below or above, MES.