Estimation of maximum road friction coefficient based on Lyapunov method

With the real time and accurate information of motor torque and rotation speed of the four-in-wheel-motordrive electric vehicles, a slip based algorithm for estimating maximum road friction coefficient is designed using Lyapunov stability theory. Modified Burckhardt tire model is used to describe longitudinal slip property of the tire. By introducing a new state variable, a nonlinear estimator is proposed to estimate the longitudinal tire force and the maximum road friction coefficient simultaneously. With the appropriate selection of estimation gain, the convergence of the estimation error of the tire longitudinal force and maximum road friction coefficient is proved through Lyapunov stability analysis. In addition, the error is exponentially stable near the origin. Finally the method is validated with Carsim-Simulink co-simulation and real vehicle tests under multi working conditions in acceleration situation which demonstrate high computational efficiency and accuracy of this method.     

Degree of fault isolability and active fault diagnosis for redundantly actuated vehicle system

This paper proposes á degree of fault isolability concept and active fault diagnosis method for redundantly actuated vehicle systems. Fault isolability is a structural property related to system dynamics and composition of actuators and sensors. Existing research on testing fault isolability has involved checking whether the system is isolable, i.e., binary in nature. A continuous value rather than a binary metric is needed to evaluate how isolable a given system fault is based on a specific measurement set. After fault components are isolated, the fault type and magnitude are estimated by analyzing residual vectors. In a redundantly actuated system, the number of controls/actuators is greater than the system mobility. Thus, the control input distribution to achieve a given control objective is not unique. In the case of a fault, the active fault diagnosis system adjusts the control input distribution to diagnose the fault. Thus, much more system information can be identified by additional excitation through a redundantly actuated system, which improves the fault diagnosis performance. Simulation results of a four-wheel independently driven and steered vehicle model validated the proposed degree of fault isolability and the effectiveness of the proposed active fault diagnosis method.     

Large-eddy simulation of cross-flow around ship sections

The present work is motivated by phenomena occurring in the flow field around ship-like bodies with an incoming lateral flow (cross-flow, 90 ° drift angle). Three-dimensional unsteady flows around different ship sections are investigated by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) tools with large-eddy simulation (LES) subgrid-scale turbulence model. The simulation results are compared to measurements at several Reynolds numbers in the 90–200,000 range. Focus in our investigation is on the characterization of the motion of vortex structures generated by the separated flow. Another target in the study is to obtain better knowledge of the hydrodynamic forces acting on the sections. Computed pressure and drag coefficients are compared with experimental measurements. The comparison between simulations and measurements shows that an LES model can predict the flow field around ship sections in detail and the hydrodynamic forces acting on the sections.     

Factors associated with bicycle ownership and use: a study of six small U.S. cities

As a means of transportation and as a form of physical activity, bicycling generates benefits to the bicyclist as well as to the community as a whole. Bicycling now accounts for less than 1 percent of all trips for all purposes in the U.S., but evidence from other western countries suggests that under the right conditions, bicycling levels can be significantly higher. Indeed, the experiences of some U.S. cities suggest that it is possible to create conditions conducive to higher levels of bicycling even in the U.S. However, the extent to which bicycle investments have contributed to bicycling levels in these communities has not been rigorously assessed. The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of the determinants of bicycle ownership and use as a basis for identifying ways to promote bicycling. A cross-sectional study of six cities was designed to test the importance of bicycle infrastructure and other physical environment factors relative to individual factors and social environment factors, using a nested logit model to examine ownership and use decisions jointly. The results show strong effects of individual attitudes and physical and social environment factors on bicycle ownership and use.     

Extending stated choice analysis to recognise agent-specific attribute endogeneity in bilateral group negotiation and choice: a think piece

This paper is a think piece on variations in the structure of stated preference studies when modelling the joint preferences of interacting agents who have the power to influence the attribute levels on offer. The approach proposed is an extension of standard stated choice methods, known as ‘stated endogenous attribute level’ (SEAL) analysis. It allows for interactive agents to adjust attribute levels off a base stated choice specification that are within their control, in an effort to reach agreement in an experimental setting. This accomplishes three goals: (1) the ability to place respondents in an environment that more closely matches interactive settings in which some attribute levels are endogenous to a specific agent, should the modeller wish to capture such behaviour; (2) the improved ability of the modeller to capture the behaviour in such settings, including a greater wealth of information on the related interaction processes, rather than simply outcomes; and (3) the expansion of the set of situations that the modeller can investigate using experimental data.

地铁整合建设与广州市可持续发展

从城市可持续发展的角度出发,探讨了地铁与城市发展、地铁经济、交通网络、地下空间、地铁文化之间的整合建设.今后地铁开发应该做好规划,实施综合开发,改善乘车环境,充分发挥地铁对可持续发展的作用.     

The role of paratransit: some reflections based on the experience of residents’ coach services in Hong Kong

Paratransit refers to urban transport services “somewhere between private passenger transport and conventional public transport in terms of cost and quality of service” [Rimmer (1980), Paratransit: A commentary. Environ. Plan. A 12, 937–944]. Since the 1980s, a new form of paratransit—residents’ coach, which provides exclusive transport services to residents living in private housing estates—has emerged in Hong Kong. What was the background underlying the emergence and subsequent growth of residents’ coach services? Also, what was the role of residents’ coach in the public transport system of Hong Kong? With the completion of more railway extensions, should residents’ coach services be replaced? If so, what are the potential impacts on people’s life? This paper addresses the above research questions through a large-scale questionnaire survey that examined not only people’s modal choice but also their residential choice, socio-economic background and attitudes. The findings suggest that transport policy makers should pay more attention to examine new forms of paratransit and the ways of integrating them into the overall public transport system, both spatially and temporally. It is only through the development of an efficient and multi-modal transport system can the maximum potential of paratransit in filling the transport gap between conventional mass transit and private cars be realized.     

刺桐基督教与摩尼教遗迹概述

刺桐(泉州)是中世纪各大宗教之家,有着丰富的宗教遗存,其中以石刻为多,引起中外学者的浓厚兴趣。澳大利亚研究团多次造访泉州,对泉州的宗教石刻(主要是基督教石刻)进行详尽的考证。研究团成员刘南强教授首先对泉州宗教石刻存在的历史背景和收藏保护情况做了简要概述,重点介绍访问的成果主要是碑文的解读与译释情况。