The Effects of Boating Safety Regulations

This article investigates the effects of boater education programs and an increase in the number of water patrol officers on the prevention of recreational boating accidents. The empirical study, which estimates a reduced-form model similar to those used in the automobile safety literature, analyzes data on boating accidents that occurred in 1994 from 49 states and the District of Columbia. Model simulations, based on empirical estimates from Poisson and negative binomial models, suggest that a uniform law-enforcement policy of one-and-a-half water patrol officers per 1,000 boaters would prevent between 2,229 (negative binomial) and 2,318 (Poisson) accidents in 44 states.     

Increase of metro line capacity by optimisation of track circuit length and location: In a distance to go system

The signalling system affects the type of service that can be provided on any particular railway line. The aims set when it comes to designing these systems to operate a railway line are: to ensure safety of operation and to ensure flexible and efficient running. When building a line capacity optimisation algorithm, it must reach a compromise solution between two parameters: minimise the interval between trains and keep journey time as low as possible. This paper aims to describe the algorithm developed between METRO DE MADRID and CITEF (Railway Technology Research Centre of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid – UPM) that allows the capacity of an underground line equipped with ATP Distance To Go systems to be studied and optimised. This algorithm facilitates the tasks of signalling design and optimisation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

消除三相电压不平衡引起的电压源逆变器直流环节电压脉动的控制方法

研究和分析了用于消除电网不平衡时电压源逆变器直流母线脉动电流的补偿控制方法.脉动电流不仅影响传动装置的运行性能,而且降低逆变器的电源品质.控制参数范围的选择取决于变流器抵抗电压不平衡的能力和系统参数.文中讨论和分析了在控制参数范围内控制方法对每相的功率因数和电流幅值的影响,重点分析了功率因数和前端整流器输入端电流不平衡问题,并提供系统在无补偿控制和补偿控制两种状态下的数值仿真和实验测量结果.     

摩擦楔块几何尺寸对货车转向架性能的影响

分析了俄罗斯18-100型三大件货车转向架摩擦楔块结构的特点,指出改变摩擦楔块形状可以改进转向架的性能.     

Stress analysis of ventilated brake discs using the finite element method

One of the most common problems related to ventilated brake discs are crack formations, particularly under high brake loads or from the associated stresses during braking. In this study, three different ventilated brake discs, the crossdrilled disc, the cross-slotted disc, and the cross-slotted with a side groove disc, were manufactured, and their braking force performances were investigated experimentally together with a solid disc. Stress analyses were subsequently performed by the finite element method. Analyses results showed that the maximum stress generations were formed on the ventilated discs in comparison to the solid disc. However, these comparisons indicate that the application of varying force distributions along brake pads reduces the stresses on ventilated discs by 8.8% to 19.1%.     

Emerging organizational values in shipping: Part 4. Decentralization—the redefinition of authority in shipping company organization

Decentralization is a major theme of organizational change in shipping. It is often seen as ‘putting power back aboard ship’. However, the authors argue that this view is too simple. Decentralization poses fundamental questions about the entire management structure of the shipping company. The redistribution of authority necessary for decentralization is discussed in terms of the company organization structure.     

Analytical study of magnetohydrodynamic propulsion stability

In this paper an analytical solution for the stability of the fully developed flow drive in a magneto-hydro-dynamic pump with pulsating transverse Eletro-magnetic fields is presented. To do this, a theoretical model of the flow is developed and the analytical results are obtained for both the cylindrical and Cartesian configurations that are proper to use in the propulsion of marine vessels. The governing parabolic momentum PDEs are transformed into an ordinary differential equation using approximate velocity distribution. The numerical results are obtained and asymptotic analyses are built to discover the mathematical behavior of the solutions. The maximum velocity in a magneto-hydro-dynamic pump versus time for various values of the Stuart number, electro-magnetic interaction number, Reynolds number, aspect ratio, as well as the magnetic and electrical angular frequency and the shift of the phase angle is presented. Results show that for a high Stuart number there is a frequency limit for stability of the fluid flow in a certain direction of the flow. This stability frequency is dependent on the geometric parameters of a channel.     

Attribute‐based perceptual mapping using discriminant analysis in a public sector passenger bus transport company: A case study

This study aims at evaluating the customer expectations in a public sector passenger transport company, a crucial sector in developing countries like India. A questionnaire containing 18 quality characteristics was administered to various customers of three bus depots of one division of a state road transport undertaking in South India. Attribute‐based perceptual mapping using discriminant analysis was done to position the three depots and to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The findings would help prioritize different parameters and also provide guidelines for managers to focus on and to improve. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in the external costs of freight surface transport In Spain

This paper studies the external costs of surface freight transport in Spain and finds that a reduction occurred over the past15 years. The analysis yields two conclusions: trucks have experienced a reduction in external costs, and rail has lower externalities. The external costs of road freight transport decrease between 1993 and 2007 (44%). The external costs of rail freight increase by 12%. During this period, the external costs of road freight related to climate increase by 16%, oppositely than those from air pollution and accidents (51 and 44%). The external costs of rail related to pollutant emissions and climate increase by 4% and 43%. Oppositely, the external costs related to accidents decrease by 27%. Road freight generates eight times the external costs of rail, 2.35 Euro cents per tonne kilometre in 2005 (5.6% accidents, 74.7% air pollution and 19.7% climate) vs. 0.28 (13.4% accidents, 53.9% air pollution and 32.7% climate).