Estimation of the instantaneous air count of general aviation aircraft flying under visual flight rules

This paper presents preliminary estimates of the instantaneous aircraft count (IAC) of general aviation (GA) aircraft flying under visual flight rules (VFR). Separate estimates for each of the following sub-categories of VFR flights are made from available data. (1) Itinerant GA flying under formal VFR flight plans. (2) Itinerant GA with no flight plans of any type. (3) Local GA. An itinerant aircraft is defined to be one whose origin and destination airports are different. A local GA is primarily one doing touch and go runway operations at an airfield. All estimates are generated by new mathematical models which utilize sampled field data. The IAC data of all GA come from towered and non-towered air fields and are tabulated by Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), and by type of flight plan (IFR, VFR, no flight plan), although this paper willdeal only with last two categories of flight plan. General aviation with no flight plans constitute most of the aircraft in the air at any one time. The basic approach has been: (1) data sampling instead of census; (2) statistical estimates to infer data not sampled; and (3) data validation. The IAC of itinerant GA-VFR over the continental United States is estimated to be roughly 13,000, which is about 8% of all registered GA aircraft. The IAC of local GA is about 7% of the itinerant count. Comparison of these estimates with other sources of information indicate that they are fairly reasonable. A point of major importance in the overall approach is that aircraft activity and flight characteristics are similar in similar regions, thereby drastically reducing data collection costs and data processing. Predictive techniques are also facilitated.     

An aircraft performance model implementation for the estimation of global and regional commercial aviation fuel burn and emissions

Estimates of global aviation fuel burn and emissions are currently nearly 10 years out of date. Here, the development of the Aircraft Performance Model Implementation (APMI) software which is used to update global commercial aviation fuel burn and emissions estimates is described. The results from APMI are compared with published estimates obtained using the US Federal Aviation Administration’s System for Assessing Aviation’s Global Emissions (SAGE) for the year 2006. The number of global departures modelled with the APMI software is 8% lower compared with SAGE and reflects the difference between their commercial air traffic statistics data sources. The mission fuel burn, CO₂ and H₂O estimates from APMI are approximately 20% lower than those predicted by SAGE for 2006 while the estimate for the total global aircraft SO_x emissions is approximately 40% lower. The estimates for the emissions of CO, HC and NO_x are 10%, 140% and 30% higher than those predicted by SAGE respectively. The reasons for these differences are discussed in detail.     

A model and optimization-based heuristic for the operational aircraft maintenance routing problem

This paper investigates the Operational Aircraft Maintenance Routing Problem (OAMRP). Given a set of flights for a specific homogeneous fleet type, this short-term planning problem requires building feasible aircraft routes that cover each flight exactly once and that satisfy maintenance requirements. Basically, these requirements enforce an aircraft to undergo a planned maintenance at a specified station before accumulating a maximum number of flying hours. This stage is significant to airline companies as it directly impacts the fleet availability, safety, and profitability. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we elucidate the complexity status of the OAMRP and we propose an exact mixed-integer programming model that includes a polynomial number of variables and constraints. Furthermore, we propose a graph reduction procedure and valid inequalities that aim at improving the model solvability. Second, we propose a very large-scale neighborhood search algorithm along with a procedure for computing tight lower bounds. We present the results of extensive computational experiments that were carried out on real-world flight networks and attest to the efficacy of the proposed exact and heuristic approaches. In particular, we provide evidence that the exact model delivers optimal solutions for instances with up to 354 flights and 8 aircraft, and that the heuristic approach consistently delivers high-quality solutions while requiring short CPU times.     

A fuzzy stochastic approach to the multicriteria selection of an aircraft for regional chartering

This article deals with the problem of decision support for the selection of an aircraft. This is a problem faced by an airline company that is investing in regional charter flights in Brazil. The company belongs to an economic group whose core business is logistics. The problem has eight alternatives to be evaluated under 11 different criteria, whose measurements can be exact, stochastic, or fuzzy. The technique chosen for analyzing and then finding a solution to the problem is the multicriteria decision aiding method named NAIADE (Novel Approach to Imprecise Assessment and Decision Environments). The method used allows tackling the problems by working with quantitative as well as qualitative criteria under uncertainty and imprecision. Another considerable advantage of NAIADE over other multicriteria methods relies in its characteristics of not requiring a prior definition of the weights by the decision maker. As a conclusion, it can be said that the use of NAIADE provided for consistent results to that aircraft selection problem. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fuel and time savings by flying continuous cruise climbs: Estimating the benefit pools for maximum range operations

This paper estimates the benefits, in terms of fuel and time, which continuous climb operations can save during the cruise phase of the flights, assuming maximum range operations. Based on previous works, a multiphase optimal control problem is solved by means of numerical optimization and using accurate aircraft performance data from the manufacturer. Optimal conventional trajectories (subject to current air traffic management practices and constraints) are computed and compared with ideal continuous operations only subject to aircraft performance constraints. Trip fuel and time for both concepts of operations are quantified for two aircraft types (a narrow-body and a wide-body airplane) and a representative set of different trip distances and landing masses. Results show that the continuous cruise phase can lead to fuel savings ranging from 0.5% to 2% for the Airbus A320, while for an Airbus A340 the dispersion is lower and savings lie in between 1% and 2%. Interestingly, trip time is also reduced between 1% and 5%.     

地铁渡线地段大断面浅埋暗挖综合施工技术研究

文章结合北京地铁5号线和平西站至北土城东路站区间隧道施工实践,对地铁渡线地段浅埋、大跨、变断面隧道暗挖施工技术进行了分析,在从小断面向大断面施工、大断面向小断面施工以及双连拱地段等的施工技术方面提出了新的思路。     

构建“一带一路”区域民航合作新模式

"一带一路"战略将构建我国全方位对外开放新格局,民航的产业属性和独特优势决定了民航业对"一带一路"国家战略实施具有重要作用。在"一带一路"战略实施中,民航业已走在前端。从长远看,机遇远大于挑战。建议从航空运输政策、安全技术、基础设施建设和外部政策环境等四个合作机制建设入手,构建国际区域民航合作新模式。     

On the degradation of performance for traffic networks with oblivious users

We consider the problem of characterizing user equilibria and optimal solutions for routing in a given network. We extend the known models by considering users oblivious to congestion in the following sense: While in the typical user equilibrium setting the users follow a strategy that minimizes their individual cost by taking into account the (dynamic) congestion due to the current routing pattern, an oblivious user ignores congestion altogether; instead, he or she decides his routing on the basis of cheapest routes on a network without any flow whatsoever. These cheapest routes can be, for example, the shortest paths in the network without any flow. This model tries to capture the fact that a certain percentage of travelers base their route simply on the distances they observe on a map, without thinking (or knowing, or caring) about the delays experienced on this route due to their fellow travelers. In this work we study the effect of such users using as the measure of network performance its price of anarchy, i.e., the ratio of the total latency experienced by the users (oblivious or not) at equilibrium over the social optimum.     

A methodology for evaluating the performance of model-based traffic prediction systems

Model-based traffic prediction systems (mbTPS) are a central component of the decision support and ICM (integrated corridor management) systems currently used in several large urban traffic management centers. These models are intended to generate real-time predictions of the system’s response to candidate operational interventions. They must therefore be kept calibrated and trustworthy. The methodologies currently available for tracking the validity of a mbTPS have been adapted from approaches originally designed for off-line operational planning models. These approaches are insensitive to the complexity of the network and to the amount and quality of the data available. They also require significant human intervention and are therefore not suitable for real-time monitoring. This paper outlines a set of criteria for designing tests that are appropriate for the mbTPS task. It also proposes a test that meets the criteria. The test compares the predictions of the mbTPS in question to those of a model-less alternative. A t-test is used to determine whether the predictions of the mbTPS are superior to those of the model-less predictor. The approach is applied to two different systems using data from the I-210 freeway in Southern California.     

宽浅变迁性河段桥长计算公式比较分析

文章以新疆宽浅变迁性河段现行桥长计算公式为基础,通过建立桥长模型公式与实桥的比较分析,选出适用于新疆宽浅变迁河段水流泥沙运动特性的桥长计算公式。     

管道化溶出装置压力管道焊接工艺

以管道化装置为载体的一水硬铝石管道化溶出工艺在国际同行业中居于领先地位,其换热段系压力管段,制定科学严谨的压力管道焊接工艺对于确保该部分管段的焊接质量,生产时装置和操作者的安全,以及提高装置的工作效率和溶出反应效率具有十分重大的意义。     

超百米高墩的滑升架翻转模板施工工艺

文章通过介绍新寨河特大桥主跨高墩的滑升架翻转模板施工方法,阐述了滑升架翻转模板施工工艺在高墩施工中的应用和技术特点。并通过与其他高墩施工工艺的对比,评价了滑升架翻转模板施工工艺的适用性、经济性和安全性。     

A three-stage least squares approach to the analysis of airline strategies for aircraft size and airline frequency on the north Atlantic: an airline case study

In response to increasing demand, airlines may increase capacity by increasing the frequency of flights or they may choose to increase aircraft size. This may yield operating cost economies. If the airports they operate from are capacity constrained, they will be limited in the extent that they can change frequency which will limit their ability to compete with the number of frequencies offered. This article focuses on this trade-off and pays particular attention to the practices of a specific airline. Conclusions are offered on the impact of inter alia competition, changes in aircraft technology, 9/11 and the impact of slot constraints. It appears that changes in size are more important than frequency, which is consistent with the presence of slot constraints and there is a significant impact of competition. As the concentration of carriers increases, so aircraft size falls. 9/11 also has a significant impact on traffic whereas the introduction of the Boeing 777, as an illustration of a change in technology, does not.     

A new approach for improving the performance of freight train timetabling of a single-track railway system

A new approach for improving the performance of freight train timetabling for single-track railways is proposed. Using the idea of a fixed-block signaling system, we develop a matrix representation to express the occupation of inter- and intra-station tracks by trains illustrating the train blocking time diagram in its entirety. Train departure times, dwell times, and unnecessary stopping are adjusted to reduce average train travel time and single train travel time. Conflicts between successive stations and within stations are identified and solved. A fuzzy logic system is further used to adjust the range of train departure times and checks are made to determine whether dwell times and time intervals can be adjusted for passenger and freight trains at congested stations to minimize train waiting times. By combining manual scheduling expertise with the fuzzy inference method, timetable efficiency is significantly improved and becomes more flexible.     

北京地铁五号线预制盾构管片的高性能混凝土研究

文章通过利用2次正交试验,对内掺4种掺合料的高性能混凝土配合比的多指标进行了评价和筛选,确定了理论配合比.与国内其他地铁管片厂家的混凝土配合比相比,该配合比的突出特点是总胶凝材料用量较低、大量使用了矿碴掺合料、水胶比和砂率较低.依据该配合比配制的混凝土试验结果表明混凝土强度达到了C50、拌合物易于浇捣、28天收缩值较纯水泥降低一半、抗渗等级为P30、碱含量仅2.4 kg/m3,满足用于潮湿条件等耐久性要求.目前用该配合比生产的预制盾构管片已在北京地铁五号线中累计使用超过1 000环,满足工程无结构缺陷、无外形缺陷、无外表缺陷和无外表油污的四无质量要求.     

青藏铁路风火山隧道低温早强高性能混凝土试验研究与施工

文章主要阐述了低温早强高性能混凝土的特点、原材料的选择、优化设计后的混凝土性能试验和试验结果,以及施工过程及质量控制.     

A data envelopment analysis model for evaluating the performance of taxi operators: a case study in Harbin,China

ABSTRACT

This paper measures the performance of taxi operators using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the improvement of performance based on benchmarks. This includes basic DEA models and a cross efficiency model. In the present work, a sample set of 20 taxi operators are considered, and an evaluation indicator framework is constructed, which mainly involves the identification of decision-making units (DMUs) and the determination of input-output variables. The combined results of multiple DEA models are used to evaluate the performance of taxi operators in a case study of Harbin. The results highlight the significance of the combined application of multiple DEA models, especially a cross-efficiency model that can obtain more objective efficiency values. Finally, the benchmarking method is used to capture the achievements of best-performing operators and provide valuable improvement recommendations for inefficient operators. Conclusions provide a suitable basis for the operation and management of the taxi market.     

Design,analysis and performance evaluation of a third order distributed protocol for platooning in the presence of time-varying delays and switching topologies

This paper is concerned with the problem of designing a decentralized consensus protocol for platooning of non-identical vehicles in the presence of heterogeneous time-varying communication delays. The proposed control protocol makes use of a state feedback and to this aim drivetrain dynamics are modeled as third-order linear systems. Necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence and exponential stability, derived by using an appropriate Krasovskii functional, demonstrate the ability of the platoon in reaching the required regime with an exponentially bounded behavior. The proposed LMI-based approach allows to estimate both delay margin and decay rate. Moreover, convergence is proven under switching communication network topologies by means of a Lyapunov-Razumikhin function, and the assessment of a string stable behavior has been also theoretically investigated. High-fidelity simulations with Plexe show the effectiveness of the theoretical results in different driving conditions and in the presence of external disturbances and communication impairment. Different communication channel models are used in the validation stage to further prove robustness of the proposed methodology with respect hard delay and packets losses.