Assessing the performance of SpeedInfo radar traffic sensors

Traffic speed is a crucial input for real-time traffic management applications. Operating agencies typically deploy their own sensors to collect the measurements, e.g., loop detectors. Recently, SpeedInfo emerged with a different paradigm for traffic speed collection: instead of selling hardware to operating agencies, at each link the company deploys its own Doppler radar in a self-contained wireless unit to measure traffic speeds and then sells the speed data. This study uses well-tuned loop detector-based speed measurements to evaluate 15 of the Doppler radar sensors over several months while the two traffic data collection systems were operating concurrently. The extended study period includes potentially challenging and transient conditions for the radar sensors: both recurrent (rush hour congestion and late night low flow) and nonrecurrent (incidents and precipitation). The analysis took a broad overview, comparing speed measurements from the radar sensors against the concurrent loop detector data and then explicitly looked for any anomalous pattern in the radar data such as latency and system outages. The work found the radar measurements are generally good, but also identified several points that should be considered before deployment, including latency, different biases in free flow and congestion, vulnerability to precipitation, and sensitivity to mounting angle.     

A tyre slip-based integrated chassis control of front/rear traction distribution and four-wheel independent brake from moderate driving to limit handling

This paper presents a tyre slip-based integrated chassis control of front/rear traction distribution and four-wheel braking for enhanced performance from moderate driving to limit handling. The proposed algorithm adopted hierarchical structure: supervisor – desired motion tracking controller – optimisation-based control allocation. In the supervisor, by considering transient cornering characteristics, desired vehicle motion is calculated. In the desired motion tracking controller, in order to track desired vehicle motion, virtual control input is determined in the manner of sliding mode control. In the control allocation, virtual control input is allocated to minimise cost function. The cost function consists of two major parts. First part is a slip-based tyre friction utilisation quantification, which does not need a tyre force estimation. Second part is an allocation guideline, which guides optimally allocated inputs to predefined solution. The proposed algorithm has been investigated via simulation from moderate driving to limit handling scenario. Compared to Base and direct yaw moment control system, the proposed algorithm can effectively reduce tyre dissipation energy in the moderate driving situation. Moreover, the proposed algorithm enhances limit handling performance compared to Base and direct yaw moment control system. In addition to comparison with Base and direct yaw moment control, comparison the proposed algorithm with the control algorithm based on the known tyre force information has been conducted. The results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is similar with that of the control algorithm with the known tyre force information.     

Method for obtaining the wheel–rail contact location and its application to the normal problem calculation through ‘CONTACT’

This work presents a robust methodology for calculating inter-penetration areas between railway wheel and rail surfaces, the profiles of which are defined by a series of points. The method allows general three-dimensional displacements of the wheelset to be considered, and its characteristics make it especially suitable for dynamic simulations where the wheel–rail contact is assumed to be flexible. The technique is based on the discretisation of the geometries of the surfaces in contact, considering the wheel as a set of truncated cones and the rail as points. By means of this approach, it is possible to reduce the problem to the calculation of the intersections between cones and lines, the solution for which has a closed-form expression. The method has been used in conjunction with the CONTACT algorithm in order to solve the static normal contact problem when the lateral displacement of the wheelset, its yaw angle and the vertical force applied in the wheelset centroid are prescribed. The results consist of smooth functions when the dependent coordinates are represented as a function of the independent ones, lacking the jump discontinuities that are present when a rigid contact model is adopted. Example results are shown and assessed for the normal contact problem for different lateral and yaw positions of the wheelset on the track.     

A tool to aid redesign of flexible transport services to increase efficiency in rural transport service provision

Rural areas generally have lower and more dispersed demands for travel which cannot sustain conventional public transport services and consequently have a greater number of flexible and demand responsive transport services operating. These services usually operate on a stand-alone basis, are often subsidized and are typically only accessible by certain passenger types or for specific trip purposes. This generally results in uncoordinated and inefficient transport provision overall. The Flexible integrated transport services (FITS) system featured in this paper has been designed to address this problem. FITS can be used as a planning tool to assess potential benefits from relaxing operating constraints (e.g., a service's operating boundaries), which can potentially suggest service redesign. It also includes the capacity to assign subsidy payments on a trip by trip basis to increase cost efficiency whilst meeting a greater proportion of transport needs. The case study in the paper focusses on transport to health in the Aberdeenshire and Morayshire areas of Scotland in the UK. Despite flexible transport operators receiving public funds to meet passenger needs, this is currently being supplemented by public bodies paying large amounts in taxi fares in instances where there is a statutory obligation to provide travel but where no other suitable transport service exists. The results demonstrate the potential substantial savings which could be realized by allowing transport operators to redesign their services by relaxing constraints and by the reassignment of subsidies: resulting in more passenger demands being met and a reduction in public spending on taxi fares.     

Schlieren,Shadowgraph, Mie-scattering visualization of diesel and gasoline sprays in high pressure/high temperature chamber under GDCI engine low load condition

Three visualization methods, Schlieren, Shadowgraph, and Mie-scattering, were applied to compare diesel and gasoline spray structures in a constant volume chamber. Fuels were injected into a high pressure/high temperature chamber under the same in-cylinder pressure and temperature conditions of low load in a GDCI (gasoline direct injection compression ignition) engine. Two injection pressures (40 MPa and 80 MPa), two ambient pressures (4.2 MPa and 1.7 MPa), and two ambient temperatures (908 K and 677 K) were use. The images from the different methods were overlapped to show liquid and vapor phases more clearly. Vapor developments of the two fuels were similar; however, different liquid developments were seen. At the same injection pressure and ambient temperature, gasoline liquid propagated more quickly and disappeared more rapidly than diesel liquid phase. At the low ambient temperature and pressure condition, gasoline and diesel sprays with higher injection pressures showed longer liquid lengths due to higher spray momentum. At the higher ambient temperature condition, the gasoline liquid length was shorter for the higher injection pressure. Higher volatility of gasoline is the main reason for this shorter liquid length under higher injection pressure and higher ambient temperature conditions. For a design of GDCI engine, it is necessary to understand the higher volatility of gasoline.     

Feature-Based Cad System Buildup for Passenger Airbag Design

The passenger airbag (PAB) requires a large volume and fast deployment because of the large distance between the dashboard and the passenger. And various shapes and sizes of the PAB are required depending on the type of vehicle. However, since the PAB modeling process for each design change is complicated and time consuming, the design parameters of the PAB could not be well investigated. In this study, a unique feature-based CAD system has been proposed that easily constructs PAB CAD model and then generates PAB FE model for collision analysis. Main keypoints and widths of PAB that determine the shape and size have been extracted by analyzing the geometric-feature of airbag. The PAB CAD model can be easily constructed by inputting keypoints and widths information. Then, from the constructed PAB CAD model, the PAB FE model is automatically generated. Finally, the generated PAB FE model can be directly employed for collision analysis, thereby reducing the modeling time of the PAB and enabling efficient parametric studies on design.     

论蓬莱出土的高丽古船在韩国船舶史上的意义

1984年和2005年在山东省蓬莱市所发掘的4艘古船中,根据船体舷板的连接方式判断,第3号船和第4号船公认为是高丽船.由于蓬莱第4号船的船体的残存量很少,因此无法推断其原来的结构特点,但被称之为高丽船的第3号船,因其比较完整地保存了船底板、舷板以及其他相关部件,可供我们推断其结构特点.第3号船的舷板是采用传统韩船的制造方式进行连接,在船体内部并没有设置加龙木而是采用设置隔舱板的方法提高船体的横向强度.韩国船舶史界普遍认为传统的韩船是通过设置加龙木来提高船体的横向强度,因此蓬莱出土的高丽古船,在韩国的学术界乃至在中国的学术界都引起了相当大的争论.在这篇论文中,准备初步探讨拥有隔舱板的韩国古船--蓬莱3号船,在韩国船舶史研究方面带来的意义;同时回顾-下所谓"在韩船中没有隔舱板"观点的形成过程,以及在考察蓬莱高丽古船的发掘概况和结构特征的基础上,重新整理其他学者对蓬莱3号船的有关观点.     

20世纪美国应对机动性的交通构想及高速公路发展历程

为了阐述20世纪除汽车机动性外,交通发展经历的最重要的进程——城市高速公路的出现,考察了过去100年来美国城市交通规划的历史。通过回顾各种研究资料,认为资助州际公路发展所采用的方法使联邦和州公路工程师成为主管,这影响了公路的选线及设计。联邦公路工程师只关注机动车通过效率的最大化,而在很大程度上忽略了城市的其他利害关系。没有先进的规划理念指导、过度建设、稀疏、放射环状的道路网对于加强机动性取得了极大的效益,但通常要为此付出巨大的社会和环境成本。最后指出,在实践中要重新审视具有百年历史的协调交通与土地利用规划的观点,而且,公共财政权宜之计式的政治决策方式将对工程、出行和城市形态产生深远的影响。·     

考虑不确定性因素的路径优化(英文)

A route optimization methodology in the frame of an onboard decision support/guidance system for the ship’s master has been developed and is presented in this paper.The method aims at the minimization of the fuel voyage cost and the risks related to the ship’s seakeeping performance expected to be within acceptable limits of voyage duration.Parts of this methodology were implemented by interfacing alternative probability assessment methods,such as Monte Carlo,first order reliability method(FORM) and second order reliability method(SORM),and a 3-D seakeeping code,including a software tool for the calculation of the added resistance in waves of NTUA-SDL.The entire system was integrated within the probabilistic analysis software PROBAN.Two of the main modules for the calculation of added resistance and the probabilistic assessment for the considered seakeeping hazards with respect to exceedance levels of predefined threshold values are herein elaborated and validation studies proved their efficiency in view of their implementation into an on-board optimization system.     

Development of a time domain prediction method for hull pressure fluctuation induced by marine propeller sheet cavitation with consideration of scattering effects

Using a time domain acoustic analogy, we develop a method to predict the sound field and hull pressure fluctuation generated by unsteady sheet cavitation on marine propellers. Formulation 1A of Farassat is introduced to enhance theoretical understanding of this work, and it is applied to modeling the scattered sound field created by the fuselage boundary. To express the direct sound field resulting from sheet cavitation, a new solution is studied which considers the Doppler effect and also separately expresses the near and far fields. A small cube model is used to verify the method. Computed acoustic field pressures around the cube are compared with the boundary element method, and the numerical results show good agreement. Finally, the pressure fluctuation on a ship stern model is calculated.