A model for assessing the effects of dynamic travel time information via variable message signs

In view of the serious traffic congestion during peak hours in most metropolitan areas around the world and recent improvement of information technology, there is a growing aspiration to alleviate road congestion by applications of electronic information and communication technology. Providing drivers with dynamic travel time information such as estimated journey times on major routes should help drivers to select better routes and guide them to utilise existing expressway network. This can be regarded as one possible strategy for effective traffic management. This paper aims to investigate the effects and benefits of providing dynamic travel time information to drivers via variable message signs at the expressway network. In order to assess the effects of the dynamic driver information system with making use of the variable message signs, a time-dependent traffic assignment model is proposed. A numerical example is used to illustrate the effects of the dynamic travel time information via variable message signs. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Experimental approach to developing human driver models considering driver’s human factors

A new approach to develop human driver models (HDMs) is proposed in accordance with the drivers’ generic human factors, i.e., gender, age, and experience, to develop more realistic vehicle simulations. The HDMs consist of three independent and stepwise models with functioning driver’s information processing stages based on the human factors: constructing drivers’ preview distance (PVD) models as a ‘cognition process’, implementing a finite preview optimal control algorithm as a ‘decision process’, and differentiating an ‘operation process’ according to neuromuscular efficiency. Eight different groups of 65 drivers with a 2 × 2 × 2 within-subject design participated in both the PVD estimates and neuromuscular efficiency tests to develop a set of statistically different HDMs. Regarding the preview distance models, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) procedure was adopted with two covariates (i.e., vehicle velocity and road curvature), while analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were performed on the neuromuscular efficiency parameters. The ANCOVA procedure produced eight significantly different cognition processes, whereas the ANOVAs revealed gender differences for the drivers’ neuromuscular systems. Moreover, an integrated vehicle simulation was configured with the HDMs using Carsim and Simulink software to observe the differential effects of both the cognition and operation processes on a double-lane-change (DLC) maneuver. During the simulations, gender differences in real-world DLC tests were also identified, especially between the male-oldexpert and the female-young-novice HDMs. The results presented in this study suggest that differentiating HDMs according to human factors is an essential process when utilizing vehicle simulations in the early stage of developing an intelligent vehicle system.     

Design of a compressor-power-based exhaust manifold pressure estimator for diesel engine air management

In accordance with the development of hardware configurations in diesel engines, research on model-based control for these systems has been conducted for years. To control the air management system of a diesel engine, the exhaust manifold pressure should be selected as one of the control targets due to its internal dynamic stability and its physical importance in model-based control. However, it is difficult to measure exhaust pressure using sensors due to gas flow oscillation in the exhaust manifold in a reciprocated diesel engine. Moreover, the sensor is too costly to be equipped on production engines. Hence, the estimation strategies for exhaust manifold pressure have been regarded as a primary issue in diesel engine air management control. This paper proposes a new estimation method for determining the exhaust manifold pressure based on compressor power dynamics. With its simple and robust structure, this estimation leads to improved control performance compared with that of general observers. To compensate for the compressor efficiency error that varies with turbine speed, some correction maps are adopted in the compressor power equation. To verify the control system performance with the new estimator, a HiLS (hardware in the loop simulation) of the NRTC mode is performed. Experimental verification is also conducted using a test bench for the C1-08 mode.     

Experimental study on mobility of a vehicle with CTIS in soft soil

Recently, the domestic military vehicles currently being developed are installed with a central tire inflation system (CTIS) to control the pressure of tires to increase the contact area between the tires and the ground and improve mobility on soft soils. On the other hand, it is difficult to find technical data based on experiments for designing a CTIS. In this study, to obtain the technical data to set proper pressures according to road conditions a range of mobility tests were performed on soft soil roads, such as sand and clay, according to the CTIS operating modes to obtain the technical data to set proper pressures according to the road conditions. The characteristics of the mobility and its correlation with the tire pressures in each operating mode were analyzed. The results confirmed that a wheeled vehicle with a CTIS showed better performance on soft soil than a vehicle without a CTIS.     

热带海洋大气环境中3004系列铝和铜电化腐蚀行为研究(英文)

The galvanic corrosion behaviour of aluminium 3004 and copper with different area ratios were studied in the tropical marine atmosphere at Tuticorin harbour over a period of 426 days. The area ratios of AAl : ACu, studied were 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 2:1, 4:1 8:1. The galvanic corrosion behaviour of metals was studied in terms of relative increase in the corrosion rate of aluminium due to galvanic coupling with copper, relative decrease in the corrosion rate of copper due to galvanic coupling with aluminium, and the susceptibility of aluminium to pitting owing to galvanic coupling with copper. The galvanic potential and galvanic current of the system were monitored. Pits of different dimensions ranging from mild etchings to perforations were experienced on the borders and the surfaces of the interface of aluminium in contact with copper. The weathering parameters and the environmental pollutants which have a major role in influencing the galvanic corrosion of metals were also monitored. The corrosion products resulting from galvanic corrosion were analysed using XRD and the pitting on aluminium resulting from galvanic corrosion has been highlighted in terms of pit depth, size and density of pit, using a high resolution microscope.     

A study on seepage field in subgrade slope subjected to various rainfall patternsEI北大核心

Research purposes: Rainfall is one of the most important factors for subgrade slope failure, and rainfall patter is one of the most primary influence parameters. Based on the two-dimensional saturated-unsaturated seepage theory, numerical analyses are conducted to investigate the change rules of seepage field in subgrade slope subjected to rainfalls with four different patterns, i.e. delayed, uniform, central and advanced rainfall patterns. Research conclusions: (1) Both the maximum pore-water pressure umax and the maximum saturated depth Hsmax at shoulder are affected by rainfall intensity and rainfall duration observably. (2) There is a sensitive range of coefficient of permeability influencing on the maximum saturated depth, only within the sensitive range increasing coefficient of permeability could reduce Hsmax and subgrade surface pore-water pressure effectively. (3) Under central and advanced rainfall patterns, the most dangerous time stage of slope stability is obvious affected by coefficient of permeability, within the sensitive range and the less side outside the sensitive range, the starting point of the most dangerous time stage is not affected by coefficient of permeability, but the end time is advanced with coefficient of permeability increasing. (4) The stability of subgrade slope is the best under advanced rainfall pattern and the worst under delayed rainfall pattern. (5) The research results can provide basis and reference for slope protection and reinforcement design.     

Fatigue life estimation of injection mold core using simulation-based approach

The purpose of this study is to present a simulation-based approach capable of predicting the fatigue life of a mold core with the help of CAE technology based on injection molding simulation, core stress analysis and fatigue life prediction. Injection molding simulation is performed in order to obtain the non-uniform pressure acting on a mold core due to the polymer melt flow during injection molding process. Subsequently, the melt pressure profile is used as loading condition for core stress analysis via one-way coupling technique. The lifetime of a mold core is then predicted by fatigue analysis with stress-life approach. For verification of simulation-based approach to the fatigue life prediction, tests were also performed.     

Impact of SME blended fuel combustion on soot morphological characteristics in a diesel engine

The soot morphological study and NOx emissions of soybean oil methyl ester (SME) in a passenger diesel vehicle were investigated experimentally. The soot morphological characteristics were conducted at various injection pressures, engine speeds and engine loads. Soot sampling and image processing analysis with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to investigate the influence on particulate morphologies. The dimensions of average primary particles and the size of the radius of gyration were gradually decreased as injection pressures increased at all operating engine conditions. The average radius of gyration was increased with increasing engine load, while the average primary particle size decreased. NOx emissions were gradually increased with the increasing injection pressure at all operating engine conditions.     

Wall-wetting model based method for air-fuel ratio transient control in gasoline engines with dual injection system

Modern gasoline engines with dual injection system improve combustion efficiency by using the two injection commands simultaneously. Due to the different dynamics in the two injection paths, the transient air-fuel ratio (A/F) performance when the injection authority is changed remarkably affects the emission performance of the engine system. For this kind of engines, this paper proposes a model-based design approach that gives a dynamic feedforward compensation for achieving good transient A/F performance. Actually, this work centers on discussing the mean-value model parameters for characterizing the wall-wetting phenomenon when the port injection authority is changed under different engine operation conditions. Moreover, from the view of practice, taking into account the event-based physics of the engine system, significant calibration for the model parameters that are employed for achieving the feedforward compensation is investigated experimentally. Finally, experimental validation results demonstrate the improvement of the transient A/F performance by using the control scheme.     

Dynamic analysis of energy storage unit of the hydraulic hybrid vehicle

A new configuration of hydraulic hybrid vehicle (HHV) was presented, which mainly consists of an engine, high-pressure accumulator, lower-pressure reservoir and hydraulic transformer (HT) connected to common pressure rail (CPR), and the working principle of hydraulic hybrid vehicle has been described to extend its energy-regenerated potential. Moreover, the mathematical models of the instantaneous pressure ratio of HT and the characteristic parameters of parallel and series accumulator (i.e. effective volume, specific energy, and charge-discharge efficiency) based on lumped parameters method were built, respectively. The simulation and experimental tests of dynamic characteristics of HT and accumulator were done, the result shows that the theoretical analysis was the same as the experimental results by comparing them in the curve trend, and the series accumulator was much superior to parallel accumulator in terms of pulsation damping of hydraulic transformer, that is the simulation results reasonably and appropriately.