A hedonic test of the effects of the Alternative Motor Fuels Act

Under the Alternative Motor Fuels Act (AMFA), vehicles that run on ethanol, methanol, or natural gas get extra credits in the calculation of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE). This paper uses hedonic techniques to examine the effect of production of alternative-fuel vehicles (AFVs) on the implicit price of fuel economy. This study finds that, after AFVs came to market, the marginal value of fuel economy from companies producing them decreased. This finding suggests that manufacturers who produced AFVs were willing to offer a lower price for fuel economy, because automakers had an additional way to achieve fuel economy standards beyond improving the fuel efficiency of conventional cars. These findings bolster the argument that a major role of the AMFA credit for AFVs is to allow automakers to increase their production of fuel-inefficient vehicles.     

将安全及环境保护置于一切之上

今天,我将冒着一定的风险来预言一些在下一世纪开始阶段,会出现在航运业内的某些事物的形态.很显然,我会着重谈一些IMO活动范围以内的事.     

Intermodal and international freight network modeling

The authors describe the development and application of a single, integrated digital representation of a multimodal and transcontinental freight transportation network. The network was constructed to support the simulation of some five million origin to destination freight shipments reported as part of the 1997 United States Commodity Flow Survey. The paper focuses on the routing of the tens of thousands of intermodal freight movements reported in this survey. Routings involve different combinations of truck, rail and water transportation. Geographic information systems (GIS) technology was invaluable in the cost-effective construction and maintenance of this network and in the subsequent validation of mode sequences and route selections. However, computationally efficient routing of intermodal freight shipments was found to be most efficiently accomplished outside the GIS. Selection of appropriate intermodal routes required procedures for linking freight origins and destinations to the transportation network, procedures for modeling intermodal terminal transfers and inter-carrier interlining practices, and a procedure for generating multimodal impedance functions to reflect the relative costs of alternative, survey reported mode sequences.     

海拔对铁路隧道内瞬变压力及车厢内乘坐舒适性的影响

利用计算流体力学软件FLUENT,基于三维可压缩、黏性、非定常流场数值模拟方法,建立隧道-空气-列车三维数值仿真模型。针对高海拔地区隧道空气动力学效应,研究列车以300 km/h的速度运行通过不同海拔隧道时产生的隧道内瞬变压力及车体表面瞬变压力的变化特征,分析大气压和温度等因素对瞬变压力的影响规律,得到海拔高度与瞬变压力之间的拟合关系。在此基础上根据车内外瞬变压力计算公式,进一步研究不同海拔下车内外瞬变压力的变化规律,分析高速列车密封性能对高海拔地区乘客舒适性的影响,提出不同海拔下的列车密封性指数。研究结果表明：1) 数值计算结果与现场实车试验结果峰值的最大误差为13%,说明数值模拟方法可靠;2) 压力波在不同海拔下的传播特性不变,瞬变压力的时程曲线变化趋势一致,海拔仅改变瞬变压力峰值;3) 隧道内瞬变压力和车体表面瞬变压力与海拔之间存在较大的关联性,瞬变压力峰值随着海拔的升高呈现出线性降低的趋势;4) 不同海拔对列车密封性指数有不同的要求,0海拔地区要求车体密封性指数不得小于9 s,当海拔超过3 000 m时,列车的密封性指数应不得低于5 s。     

车撞混凝土桥墩精细化建模方法

车桥碰撞属于典型的非线性动力过程,采用理论方法通常难以求解。有限元方法(Finite element method,FEM)是研究车桥碰撞问题的重要工具,但其前处理过程涉及参数及算法众多,实际操作极其繁杂。为提升研究者建模效率,同时提高模型计算精度,提出一种精细化建模方法,该方法操作步骤为：1) 以实际工程为背景,建立完整车辆-桥梁碰撞模型,并进行验证;2) 进行网格敏感性分析,选择合适网格尺寸,取得计算效率与精度的平衡;3) 对重力荷载进行初始加载,避免桥墩产生P-delta效应。研究结果表明：该精细化建模方法能较好地还原真实事故情况,并且碰撞过程满足能量守恒定律,沙漏能仅为总能量的2.3%;网格尺寸为35 mm和50 mm时桥墩的损伤情况、碰撞力和最大位移均比较接近,100 mm网格桥墩产生的碰撞力和最大位移偏大;ANSYS/LS-DYNA软件默认加载方式下的桥墩轴力呈现幅度较大的波动,最大轴力比预期轴力高75%,采取的重力初始化方法能够在一定程度上消除ANSYS/LS-DYNA软件的固有弊端,避免P-delta效应。该精细化建模方法能有效实现车桥碰撞模拟,并且能够取得良好的精度,可为未来的研究者提供建模思路,提升建模效率。     

应用Delphi语言进行AutoCAD2006二次开发实现重轨孔型优化设计

根据ActiveX Automation技术原理．利用AutoCAD2006提供的类型库。介绍了应用Delphi语言进行AutoCAD2006二次开发的程序设计方法和技巧。     

Stability Criteria for Automobile-Trailer Combinations

The characteristic equation for a simple automobile-trailer combination is analyzed, revealing the parameter groups which are important in determining the stability characteristics. Application of Routh's method results in separate criteria for oscillatory and non-oscillatory criteria which can be evaluated algebraically, and which can also be displayed graphically showing a region of stability on a two-dimensional plot. The stability region is bounded by limits of oscillatory and non-oscillatory stability, and the evaluation of a specific case corresponds to the location of a point relative to the boundaries.     

IN VITRO GLYCATION OF HEMOGLOBIN (HB):CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE MODEL

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Characteristics of Guided-Steering Railway Trucks

The dynamic characteristics of guided-steering railway trucks are described both in a general sense and in terms of a specific design. Stability margins and curving performance have been predicted and are compared for both conventional and steered vehicles. It is shown that guided-steering trucks exhibit modes of instability which, although surmountable by proper design, are not found in conventional trucks. In particular, a low conicity, divergent, leading truck instability is described together with a companion high conicity, divergent trailing truck instability. Curving and dynamic performance for steered vehicles is shown to have the potential of being far superior to that of comparable conventional vehicles. Factors influencing the design of steered rail vehicles are presented and discussed.     

The effects of US shipping regulation on specific aspects of liner conference operation

This paper is the first of two articles by J. E. Davies which seek to explore the incongruities of the USA's current regulatory system. The second paper will cover the overall economic impact of the USA's insistence on open conferences in its trades, whilst the first concentrates on the effects of US regulation on specific aspects of the operation of linear conferences.