Crashworthiness design based on a simplified deceleration pulse

This paper proposes a procedure to improve the design of an automobile crashworthiness using the deceleration pulse in a simplified form as a design variable. A complete vehicle in a full frontal crash was simulated to find its deceleration pulse by finite element method. Based on this deceleration pulse, sled tests were performed, also in a virtual environment. Comparisons between the real deceleration pulse and a simplified pulse were made based on the HIC₁₅ produced. The simplified pulse is developed by dividing the pulse in three phases, each with a constant level of deceleration. Simulations were made to minimize the HIC₁₅ changing parameters in the restraint system and in the deceleration pulse. An expression was found to relate HIC₁₅ and the first phase of the deceleration pulse. A design case using this expression is presented. The benefits of using the pulse as a design variable along with the restraint system are accounted.     

Beyond “Peak Car”: A reflection on the evolution of public sentiment about the role of cars in cities

In this volume, Jones has made a persuasive case for considering recently observed reductions in car use (and sometimes car ownership) in a number of major northern cities as part of an evolutionary process, rather than the consequence of transient conditions such as the economic downturn of 2008 and its relatively slow recovery. In an era bringing new service models for mobility and communications that have important implications for safety, security, the environment and well-being, he points to the role of public attitudes and sentiments that may underlie changing policy priorities and an associated culture change with respect to transport in cities and the reclamation of street space. This paper briefly explores the role of public sentiments and reflects on the apparent emergence of a popular subculture that favors living, if possible, without owning or using cars, in contrast to older subcultures embracing more extreme sentiments that are either Car-centered or emphatically anti-car.     

Study on rail corrugation of a metro tangential track with Cologne-egg type fasteners

In Chinese metro lines, rail corrugation on both tangential and tight curved tracks with Cologne-egg type fasteners is very severe. Based on the viewpoint of friction-induced vibration causing rail corrugation, the rail corrugation on a tangential track with Cologne-egg type fasteners is studied in this paper. A vibration model of an elastic multiple-wheelset-track system with Cologne-egg type fasteners is established. Both the complex eigenvalue analysis and the transient dynamic analysis are performed to study the stability and the dynamic performance of the wheelset-track system. The simulation results show that a low rail support stiffness value is responsible for rail corrugation on the tangential track. When the Cologne-egg fasteners characterised by a lower stiffness value are replaced with the DTVI2 fasteners characterised by a higher stiffness value, rail corrugation disappears. However, rail corrugation on tight curved tracks cannot be suppressed using the same replacement. The above conclusions are consistent with the corrugation occurrences in actual metro tracks.     

Stakeholder Collaboration and Organizational Innovation in the Planning of the Deschutes Estuary Feasibility Study

Coastal managers have sought to enhance the collaborative inputs of stakeholder groups into management activities. Nonetheless, established organizational approaches have led to primarily consultative forms of engagement and constrained citizen involvement in formative activities. In Olympia, Washington, managers overseeing the Deschutes Estuary Feasibility Study (DEFS) implemented an innovative cooperative research planning initiative that diverged from conventional consultative processes. Stakeholders, rather than government officials, identified the research priorities for the socioeconomic component of this restoration feasibility study. This design method altered the traditional roles and responsibilities of different organizational actors, and the involvement of citizen groups in these formative activities changed the relationship between governmental and nongovernmental actors. Using conceptual frameworks from organizational sociology, this study develops insights into the behavior of the organizations involved with the DEFS cooperative planning effort, demonstrating how engaging stakeholders in formative research planning activities may foster new types of collaboration among coastal management organizations.     

Potential of Real-Time Cylinder Pressure Analysis by Using Field Programmable Gate Arrays

In this paper, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) was used to implement a real-time cylinder pressure analysis. The goal of the project was to improve the accuracy of calculated heat release and center of combustion calculations to enhance the precision of engine control functions. Compared to today’s real-time pressure analysis systems, several additional physical effects were taken into account for this objective. The wall heat transfer was calculated based on the approach published by Hohenberg. A chemical equilibrium with six substances was assumed for the mixture composition and a real-time calculation method was developed. Furthermore, a two-zone model was adapted and implemented for this realtime analysis. The validation of the results and the rating of the improvement in precision were based on GT-SUITE simulation results as an offline reference tool. Compared to state-of-the-art analysis systems, it was possible to reduce the average error of the center of combustion position from 1.6° to 0.5° crank angle (CA) by taking the investigated effects into account. Moreover, it was possible to significantly reduce the time required for the calculation from one complete combustion cycle to 0.2°CA at an engine speed of 3,000 rpm by using a continuous calculation method on the FPGA. This led to an additional improvement of the ability to control the engine, especially under highly dynamic operation conditions.     

路段人行横道二次过街感应式信号控制算法设计

在现有感应控制二次过街系统中,道路两边以及安全岛按钮控制多为分开控制,没有相互协调,行人在安全岛等待时间过长易导致违章过街等问题。在一次过街感应控制算法基础上,结合二次过街相关理论、机动车与行人延误机理以及行人过街信号配时理论,提出"人行绿波"协调思路,对路段二次过街感应控制算法进行设计,并应用Vissim软件进行仿真验证,结果显示设计感应控制算法能有效地降低行人和机动车延误。     

集装箱班轮公司航次运力销售过程优化模型

基于种群演变和共生理论,采用Cobb-Douglas生产函数描述航运市场整体需求,从顾客的购买行为出发,以收益最大作为集装箱班轮公司的经营目标,以基于时间序列的运力与运价作为决策变量,构建了集装箱班轮公司航次运力销售过程优化模型。运用Taylor公式与最小二乘法等代数变换手段将非线性规划问题转化为线性规划问题,对关键参数进行了标定与敏感性分析,并利用MATLAB软件进行仿真验证。仿真结果表明:当单个集装箱班轮公司的运力为104 TEU时,采用常规的销售策略,集装箱班轮公司可售出的运力为7 534~9 966TEU,获得收益为1 233 158~12 915 936USD,采用提出的优化模型,可售出的运力为9 915TEU,获得收益为15 111 975USD,收益至少提高17%;当2个集装箱班轮公司的运力均为104 TEU时,采用提出的优化模型,2个集装箱班轮公司可售出的运力分别为9 920、9 947TEU,获得收益分别为14 241 771、9 737 528USD,达到纳什均衡;当3个集装箱班轮公司的运力均为104 TEU时,采用提出的优化模型,3个集装箱班轮公司可售出的运力分别为8 289、5 526、6 034TEU,获得收益分别为6 755 755、6 119 906、4 377 758USD,达到纳什均衡。可见提出的模型可描述多个集装箱班轮公司运力销售情况,且表现出显著的优化效果。     

Investigation into the development of a bus electrical cooling fan system

Manufacturers of commercial vehicles are facing a substantial increase of heat release into their cooling systems. The main sources for this increase are more stringent emissions leading to new combustion technologies and the increased power of these engines. The total increase in the cooling requirement may be up to 20% over the current level. At the same time, the noise levels must be decreased, and fuel economy has to improve. This forces manufacturers to consider new concepts and optimize the efficiency of the cooling system. A bus engine cooling fan system is one of the main means of vehicular fuel efficiency reduction. This is becoming a major factor in city noise, and the necessity of electromagnetic technical development is very great. This study features a highly effective BLDC motor for engine cooling fans with high effectiveness and low noise, which is most suitable for fan blade technical development and cooling fan performance evaluation technical development.     

Requirement-based testing of an automotive ECU considering the behavior of the vehicle

HILS (Hardware In the Loop Simulation) and RBT (Requirement-Based Testing) are widely used to evaluate the performance and reliability of automotive ECUs (Electronic Control Units). The HILS method is used to predict the behavior of ECU-installed vehicles and to evaluate the performance of ECU controllers. RBT evaluates whether the embedded system satisfies the pre-defined requirements. In this study, the behavior of a vehicle is regarded as a system requirement, and an embedded system test procedure that evaluates the system requirement is proposed. In particular, a new method is introduced, which integrates HILS with RBT. Using the proposed method, the behavior of an articulated vehicle equipped with an AWS (All Wheel Steering) ECU is evaluated with RBT software.