Asymmetry of Columbia River tidal plume fronts

Columbia River tidal plume dynamics can be explained in terms of two asymmetries related to plume-front depth and internal wave generation. These asymmetries may be an important factor contributing to the observed greater primary productivity and phytoplankton standing crop on the Washington shelf. The tidal plume (the most recent ebb outflow from the estuary) is initially supercritical with respect to the frontal internal Froude number F_R on strong ebbs. It is separated from the rotating plume bulge by a front, whose properties are very different under upwelling vs. downwelling conditions. Under summer upwelling conditions, tidal plume fronts are sharp and narrow (< 20–50 m wide) on their upwind or northern side and mark a transition from supercritical to subcritical flow for up to 12 h after high water. Such sharp fronts are a source of turbulent mixing, despite the strong stratification. Because the tidal plume may overlie newly upwelled waters, these fronts can mix nutrients into the plume. Symmetry would suggest that there should be a sharp front south of the estuary mouth under summer downwelling conditions. Instead, the downwelling tidal plume front is usually diffuse on its upstream side. Mixing is weaker, and the water masses immediately below are low in nutrients. There is also an upwelling–downwelling asymmetry in internal wave generation. During upwelling and weak wind conditions, plume fronts often generate trains of non-linear internal waves as they transition from a supercritical to a subcritical state. Under downwelling conditions, internal wave release is less common and the waves are less energetic. Furthermore, regardless of wind conditions, solition formation almost always begins on the south side of the plume so that the front “unzips” from south to north. This distinction is important, because these internal waves contribute to vertical mixing in the plume bulge and transport low-salinity water across the tidal plume into the plume bulge.F_R and plume depth are key parameters in distinguishing the upwelling and downwelling situations, and these two asymmetries can be explained in terms of potential vorticity conservation. The divergence of the tidal outflow after it leaves the estuary embeds relative vorticity in the emerging tidal plume water mass. This vorticity controls the transition of the tidal plume front to a subcritical state and consequently the timing and location of internal wave generation by plume fronts.     

Part 1. National road safety performance: Data,the emergence of two single-outcome modeling streams and public health

This first part of the state-of-the art focuses on the origins of road safety modeling, covering data, early models and the public health context of model formulation and use.     

Modelling propeller and rudder induced forces acting on deep drafted vessels in muddy navigation areas

To assess the navigability of deep drafted vessels in muddy navigation areas a mathematical model has been built that takes into account the characteristics of the mud layer. This was achieved with the introduction of a fluidization parameter which determines the corresponding hydrodynamically equivalent depth above a solid bottom. As a result, the under keel clearance dependency of a given mathematical manoeuvring model can be reformulated in such way that the effect of any realistic muddy condition is included. In this article the modelling of the propeller and rudder induced forces and the implementation possibilities of the model will be discussed. It is concluded that the mathematical model, initially formulated for a 6,000 TEU container carrier, provides reliable predictions of the behaviour of larger container carriers and even fuller deep drafted ships.     

An application of interactive management information systems to environmental planning: Coastal zone management

Recent emphasis in comprehensive planning for coastal zone regions has created the need for more effective tools for information processing and analysis to aid policymakers and planners in developing strategies for preservation of coastal zone areas. New agencies with broad powers have been created at both state and federal levels to deal with growth management in large coastal regions. However, coastal zone management (CZM) agencies have not yet been able to deal effectively with development processes. A “holding action”; is being maintained in the face of mounting pressure by developers, while planners struggle to develop (1) a data base with sufficient detail for planning; (2) a fair and rapid process for reviewing environmental impact statements and granting of development permits; and (3) a system for making the development permit application process more routine. The key to success of the CZM process is the development of a management information system (MIS) created explicitly for CZM. The prototypical system designed by the authors combines graphic display capabilities (i.e., map display) with interactive on‐line computing and large storage‐capacity computers. Problems of data structure development are documented, together with problems of assembling a large‐scale, highly detailed data base. Of particular importance is the need for well‐developed objectives and specifications for the use of computer‐based data in resolving disputes on environmental issues. A set of objectives and specifications for a prototypical coastal zone MIS is developed. The system is described in detail, showing how its capabilities directly address policy questions formulated by coastal zone planners.     

A box model approach for a long-term assessment of estuarine eutrophication, Szczecin Lagoon, southern Baltic

We develop a layered “box model” to evaluate the major effects of estuarine eutrophication of the Szczecin lagoon which can be compared with integrating measures (chlorophyll a (Chl a), sediment burial, sediment oxygen consumption (SOC), input and output of total nutrient loads) and use it to hindcast the period 1950–1996 (the years when major increase in nutrient discharges by the Oder River took place). The following state variables are used to describe the cycling of the limiting nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus): phytoplankton (Phy), labile and refractory detritus (D_N, D_Nref, D_P, D_Pref), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP), and oxygen (O₂). The three layers of the model include two water layers and one sediment layer. Decrease of the carrying capacity with respect to the increased supply of organic matter of the system with advancing eutrophication over the period studied is parameterized by an exponential decrease of the sediment nitrogen fluxes with increasing burial, simulating changing properties from moderate to high accumulating sediments. The seasonal variation as well as the order of magnitude of nutrient concentrations and phytoplankton stocks in the water column remains in agreement with recent observations. Calculated annual mean values of nutrient burial of 193 mmol N m⁻² a⁻¹ and 23 mmol P m⁻² a⁻¹ are supported by observed values from geological sediment records. Estimated DIN remineralization in the sediments between 100 and 550 mmol N m⁻² a⁻¹ corresponds to SOC measurements. Simulated DIP release up to 60 mmol P m⁻² a⁻¹ corresponds to recent measurements. The conceptual framework presented here can be used for a sequential box model approach connecting small estuaries like the Szczecin lagoon and the open sea, and might also be connected with river box models.     

ERTMS安全性研究--第六篇列车装载ERTMS(ETCS＆GSM-R)系统

欧洲铁路运输管理系统(ERTMS)由地面设备和车载设备组成.欧标司机室(Eurocab)是ERTMS车载设备的通称,包括:中心安全计算机(EVC)、与地面通信的设备(GSM-R)、人机界面设备(显示屏和控制盘, DMI)及与其他车载设备的接口(如制动、位置/速度检测设备等).     

The generalised cost dilemma

Over the last ten years the concept of generalised cost has been gaining an increasing hold in both the theory and practice of transport planning, particularly in Britain and Australia; and in some circles it is now even beginning to be treated with awe as a major break-through with far reaching implications over a much broader area of economic analysis and public sector decision making. This article challenges the current orthodoxy, and suggests that the approach suffers from a number of major theoretical and practical weaknesses: principally that it gives an inaccurate and misleading representation of the interaction between variables relevant to a decision problem, providing little confidence that it can be of much use as a predictive tool; that it has no justification in theories of consumer behaviour, contrary to what is often supposed; and that there are considerable confusions set up by the British Government's recommended approach to evaluation and to the choice of measuring units.Most of these faults stem from falling into "index number traps" which involve reading into indices extra properties which they were not given when constructed, and which are often inconsistent with the basic principles on which they were designed. Five of these traps are discussed: the generalised cost index itself, together with the associated indices of elasticity, utility, time value and consumers' surplus.Suggestions are made not only about the kind of procedures that should replace the inappropriate generalised cost methodology, but also about how the current British practice should in any event be modified so as to eliminate as many as possible of its deficiencies.The article gives only the author's personal views. He is indebted to Phil Goodwin for the several invaluable discussions that stimulated its preparation and to him, David Lewis, David Quarmby and Elyot Turner for helpful comments on earlier drafts.     

A Thermomechanically Coupled Model for Automotive Shock Absorbers: Theory, Experiments and Vehicle Simulations on Test Tracks

In the development of cars numerical simulation plays a more and more important role. A method commonly used in this context is based on the formalism of multibody dynamics. In this approach a vehicle is described as a system of rigid bodies connected by joints, bushings, springs and dampers. For the purpose of estimating the time-dependent dynamical loads when riding, for example, over potholes or other obstacles we need enhanced models representing the mechanical behavior of the shock absorbers. A model of this type should describe the nonlinear rate dependence of the force in combination with friction effects and thermomechanical coupling phenomena. Due to the dissipation of energy the temperature of the shock absorber increases and influences its damping behavior. When riding over long rugged test tracks these effects are strongly pronounced. Thus we develop a thermomechanical model representing all these phenomena with good approximation and being compatible with the natural laws of thermodynamics. To validate the theory, we investigate the thermomechanical behavior of two automotive shock absorbers in detail. We measure the velocity dependence of the force under different temperature levels as well as the dissipative change in the temperature during cyclic excitations. Finally we carry out a vehicle test on a rugged test track and record the temperature of the front and rear dampers. As we show, the model describes all phenomena with sufficient approximation, especially the evolution of temperature.