Investigation on the vortex structure of propeller wake influenced by loading on the blade

The vortex structure of the wake behind a marine propeller was investigated in terms of loading variation by using particle image velocimetry. One hundred and fifty instantaneous velocity fields were ensemble averaged to study the spatial evolution of the wake and the behavior of the tip vortices in the region ranging from the trailing edge to one propeller diameter downstream. The trailing vorticity was found to be related to the radial velocity jump, and the viscous wake was affected by the boundary layers developed on the blade surfaces. A vortex identification method using the swirling strength was employed to extract the location of the tip vortex. The loading on the blade made a clear difference to the contraction angles. Slipstream contraction occurred in the very near wake region, and unstable oscillation occurred because of reduced interaction between the tip vortex and the wake sheet behind the maximum contraction point for each loading condition. The maximum tangential velocity around the tip vortex center revealed the average radius of its core, which was used for calculating the vortex strength. Additionally, variation of the average radius of tip vortices with the change of blade loading was related to vortex tube stretching in the wake region. The nearly constant vortex strength continued up to one diameter downstream for light loading and design loading conditions.     

The influence of workplace environment on lung function of shopkeepers working near National Highway in Jalgaon: A note

The inferior ambient air quality was observed near highway passing through Jalgaon urban center. Among the pollutants critical level of particulates are observed at the roadside during May 2003 to April 2004. The shopkeepers working at the highway sides are at high risk of exposure to the air pollution caused by heavy highway traffic. The lung function test of the shopkeepers shows significant decrease in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second and peak expiratory flow rate. The regular periodic health checkup and use of nose mask will protect the health of shopkeepers working near National Highway passing through Jalgaon urban center.     

Electronically Controllable Vehicle Suspensions

The basic functions which suspensions must perform are described and categories of controllable suspensions based on the required amount of control power are defined. The kinds of devices which can be used in controllable suspensions are discussed as well as several basic control philosophies. Finally, fundamental theoretical and practical limitations in suspension performance are indicated.     

Optimal handling capacity at a berth

In a recent paper Wanhill [1] described a method for determining the number of berths that should be provided at a port so that the total usage cost would be minimized. However, in many situations a port will provide a single specialized berth to cater for a particular type of cargo; for example, the unloading of iron-ore at a steelworks or the discharge of oil at a general cargo port. The problem then is not one of deciding on the number of berths to be built but rather that of finding the optimal cargo handling capacity for the single berth available. A model is presented in this paper indicating how such a decision may be made, and two examples give approximate lower and upper bounds for the optimal capacity for many practical cases. A second paper will show how a theoretical model often has to be modified in the light of particular circumstances.     

Relaxation approaches to large scale bus driver scheduling problems

The bus driver scheduling (BDS) problem in a transit company consists of establishing, at minimum cost, a list of work-days in which a driver is assigned to each bus in the given time-table and all clauses of the union contract are respected. In this paper we present a general mathematical programming formulation for the BDS problem. Because, in general, the problem is too large to be solved directly, we introduce a relation of the problem and three different solution approaches. Computational results obtained on real life problems indicate that mathematical programming techniques can solve the BDS problem efficiently.     

The design of tram priority at traffic signals

This paper outlines the guidelines being used to introduce tram priority at traffic signals in Melbourne. Where techniques being used to meet the guidelines are of interest they are briefly outlined. Similarly, where it has been found that it is not possible to meet the full requirements of the guidelines, the deficiencies of current techniques are outlined and areas for further investigation put forward.     

Tractor Handling during Control Loss on Sloping Ground

Tractor behaviour on sloping ground following a control loss due to rear wheel locking is examined. A mathematical model to predict the tractor trajectory is presented and the results obtained from this model are compared with those obtained from experiments with a remotely controlled tractor.

Reasonable agreement is reached between measured and predicted results - the discrepancies arise from limited tyre data or local random variations in slope, ground roughness or tyre/ground frictional values.

Within these limitations, the model is used to examine possible driver strategies following a control loss. Applying and maintaining full lock for this particular type of accident appears to improve safety; it certainly tends to avoid the worst situation in which the tractor accelerates backwards down the slope and reaches dangerously high speeds although inevitably it increases the likelihood of a low speed overturn.     

An experimental testbed for mobile offshore base control concepts

 The concept of a mobile offshore base (MOB) reflects the need to stage and support military and humanitarian operations anywhere in the world. A MOB is a self-propelled, modular, floating platform that can be assembled into lengths of up to 2 km, as required, to provide logistic support to US military operations where fixed bases are not available or adequate. It accommodates the take-off and landing of C17 aircraft, and can be used for storage, as well as to send resources quickly to shore. In most concepts, the structure is made of three to five modules, which have to perform long-term station-keeping in the presence of winds, waves, and currents. This is usually referred to as dynamic positioning (DP). In the MOB, the alignment is maintained through the use of thrusters, connectors, or a combination of both. In this paper, we consider the real-time control of scaled models of a MOB. The modules are built at the 1 : 150 scale, and are kept aligned by rotating thrusters under a hierarchical hybrid control scheme. This paper describes a physical testbed developed at the University of California, Berkeley, under a grant from the US Office of Naval Research, for the purpose of evaluating competing MOB control concepts. Received: June 4, 2002 / Accepted: October 30, 2002 Acknowledgments. This material is based on work supported by the MOB Program of the US Office of Naval Research under grant N00014-98-1-0744. The authors would like to thank the Link Foundation for its support. Many thanks go to Stephen Spry for his experimental work. The photographs are courtesy of Bill Stone, Gerald Stone, and Jay Sullivan of the PATH Publications staff. Address correspondence to: A.R. Girard (e-mail: anouck@eecs.berkeley.edu)