Engine performance and toxic gas analysis of biobutanol-blended gasoline as a vehicle fuel

A comprehensive study evaluating the performance of biobutanol-blended gasoline in passenger cars was conducted because biobutanol is considered a better biofuel than bioethanol as it has no water solubility and it has a higher caloric value, giving it a higher energy value. Several kinds of samples—suboctane gasoline, 8 volume percentage and 16 volume percentage biobutanol—blended gasoline, and a 10 volume percentage MTBE-blended market sample (as the oxygencontaining gasoline)-were tested to evaluate the engine performance in terms of the detergency of the intake valves and combustion chambers, power, emissions, and fuel efficiency. Additionally, the toxicity of the emissions from these biobutanolblended samples was tested in order to assess the viability of biobutanol as one of the competitive potential substitutes for MTBE as an oxygenator in the near future. The results show that biobutanol-blended gasoline samples had relatively better detergency, relatively higher power, and similar levels of emissions compared with those of MTBE-blended gasoline. Formaldehyde was emitted from all of the samples at almost the same levels and within the error range, whereas biobutanolblended gasoline samples emitted approximately three times the amount of acetaldehyde than did the suboctane gasoline. This study shows that biobutanol is one of the best alternative bioalcohol fuels for use in the near future.     

Quality evaluation of car window motors using sound quality metrics

In this paper, a method to establish a decision criterion to evaluate the quality of small window motors using sound quality (SQ) metrics is suggested. Although the sound level radiated from the motor is relatively small compared to other sounds in a car, the sound from an abnormal motor gives an uncomfortable feeling and the impression of abnormal operation, which can lead to customer complaints. To construct an objective decision criterion, the correlation between the SQ metrics and the subjective decision on the passing or failure of the motor were investigated. Four representative SQ metrics, viz., loudness, sharpness, roughness, and fluctuation strength, were calculated for the collected samples. It was observed that the loudness and roughness of the motor sample group classified as abnormal was higher than those of the normal motors. For a single figure rating for motor quality, an evaluation index for the motor sound was generated by combining the correlated SQ metrics with proper weightings. Evaluation results on the specimens that were not employed in generating the quality evaluation index showed a reasonable agreement with the subjective test at 73%. The suggested quality check method can replace the current subjective decision procedure to identify the faulty motors.     

Damper modeling for dynamic simulation of a large bus with MR damper

In this study, a large bus is tested to measure its dynamic response by the single-lane change test and the rapid stop test. A full car model is established by ADAMS/Car for computer simulation. For multibody modeling of a large bus, user-defined templates are used in the simulation. Simulation results of the single-lane change test and the rapid braking test are compared to the results of the physical experiments, in which several sensors are installed to measure the vehicle’s responses. The results obtained from the simulation show good agreement with the tests’ results. A dynamic model for the MR(magnetic-rheological) damper is also developed by employing the Magic Formula model, which is widely used in the nonlinear modeling of a tire. Bump simulation of a full car with the MR damper is carried out to verify the performance of the MR damper. The comparison of the simulation results obtained with the MR damper model to the results obtained with the traditional passive damper model showed improved response of the vehicle with the MR damper.     

Competition and disruption in a dynamic urban supply chain

Rapid changes and complexities in business environments have stressed the importance of interactions between partners and competitors, leading supply chains to become the most important element of contemporary business environments. There is a concomitant need for foresight in describing supply chain performance in all operating environments, including those involving punctuated disruptions. Furthermore, the urban metropolis is now widely recognized to be an environment which is especially vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and for which integrated supply chain decisions can produce very substantial net benefits. Accordingly, this paper presents a dynamic supply chain network model formulated as a differential variational inequality; the model is fashioned to allow consideration of supply chain disruption threats to producers, freight carriers, and retail enterprises. The DVI is solved using a fixed-point algorithm, and a simple numerical example, introduced to illustrate how the impacts of supply chain disruptions may be quantified, is presented.     

Schedule-based transit assignment model with vehicle capacity and seat availability

In this paper, we propose a new schedule-based equilibrium transit assignment model that differentiates the discomfort level experienced by sitting and standing passengers. The notion of seat allocation has not been considered explicitly and analytically in previous schedule-based frameworks. The model assumes that passengers use strategies when traveling from their origin to their destination. When loading a vehicle, standing on-board passengers continuing to the next station have priority to get available seats and waiting passengers are loaded on a First-Come-First-Serve (FCFS) principle. The stimulus of a standing passenger to sit increases with his/her remaining journey length and time already spent on-board. When a vehicle is full, passengers unable to board must wait for the next vehicle to arrive. The equilibrium conditions can be stated as a variational inequality involving a vector-valued function of expected strategy costs. To find a solution, we adopt the method of successive averages (MSA) that generates strategies during each iteration by solving a dynamic program. Numerical results are also reported to show the effects of our model on the travel strategies and departure time choices of passengers.     

车辆阻挡效应对隧道火场燃烧及烟流之影响研究

近期国际曾发生多起重大隧道火灾灾难,隧道火灾安全议题已获得全球普便之重视。目前学术界与工程界多采用缩小尺寸实验或数值模拟方法对隧道火场环境进行研究与探讨。然不论实验或计算机模拟最重要的关键为能否充分地反应出实际隧道之火场情境,方能获致合理且有意义之研究成果。检视现今之隧道火害研究,可发现几乎所有的相关研究皆仅简化地假设火场上游无车辆回堵现象,此有违火场上游应发生车辆回堵之实际隧道火灾情境,因此将无法合理地模拟火场上游车辆阻挡风机气流对火场燃烧及烟流所造成之影响。针对此项尚待厘清之议题,本研究首先执行缩小尺寸实验,以均匀风速施加于隧道横断面模拟风机作动所产生之气流,探讨隧道塞车情境对火场燃烧所造成之影响。复执行全尺寸纵流式排烟模式(轴流风机)隧道火灾情境计算机数值模拟,针对火场上游是否有车辆回堵、回堵车体尺寸、火源与回堵车体距离等变因对火场燃烧、温度及烟流所造成之影响进行探讨。研究结果发现火场环境及烟流将受有、无车辆回堵、回堵车体大小及火源与车体距离等因素而有不同程度之影响。     

软土地基水下真空预压固结离心模型试验

采用新发明的真空吸水系统应用于离心机中,可以使土体产生向上渗流并模拟软土地基真空预压。为获得理想的水下真空预压固结对比效果,竖井采用2种不同井间距的砂井,密封膜采用完全覆盖的形式。用发明的装置产生水下真空得以模拟软土水下固结行为。介绍了模型制作、试验程序及真空发生系统,并分析了孔隙水压力、变形、不排水剪切强度的改变和不同井间距对固结速率的影响。     

Time-variant ultimate longitudinal strength of corroded bulk carriers

Many bulk carrier losses have been reported of late, and one of the possible causes of such casualties is thought to be the structural failure of aging hulls in rough weather. In aging ships, corrosion and fatigue cracks are the two most important factors affecting structural safety and integrity. This paper uses a set of the time-dependent corrosion wastage models for 23 different member locations/categories of bulk carriers previously developed by the authors, based on the available corrosion measurements for existing large bulk carrier structures. Differences due to the location and corrosion severity of every member type are taken into account. The nominal design corrosion values for the primary members are suggested based on the annualized corrosion rates obtained in the present study. The effect of time-variant corrosion wastage on the ultimate hull girder strength as well as the section moduli is studied. The criteria for repair and maintenance of heavily corroded structural members so as to keep the ultimate longitudinal strength at an acceptable level are discussed. Important insights and conclusions developed are summarized.     

Estimation of road profile variability from measured vehicle responses

When assessing the statistical variability of fatigue loads acting throughout the life of a vehicle, the question of the variability of road roughness naturally arises, as both quantities are strongly related. For car manufacturers, gathering information on the environment in which vehicles evolve is a long and costly but necessary process to adapt their products to durability requirements. In the present paper, a data processing algorithm is proposed in order to estimate the road profiles covered by a given vehicle, from the dynamic responses measured on this vehicle. The algorithm based on Kalman filtering theory aims at solving a so-called inverse problem, in a stochastic framework. It is validated using experimental data obtained from simulations and real measurements. The proposed method is subsequently applied to extract valuable statistical information on road roughness from an existing load characterisation campaign carried out by Renault within one of its markets.