In situ colonization of marine biofilms on UNS S32760 duplex stainless steel coupons in areas with different water qualities: Implications for corrosion potential behavior

In the presence of biofilms, stainless steels （SS） exhibits an increase in corrosion potential, called ennoblement. In the present study, the corrosion potential （Eco,） behavior of the duplex SS UNS S32760 was recorded simultaneously with the in situ marine biofilm formation in two areas at Arraial do Cabo, Southeastern Brazil. The biofilm at Forno Harbor （an anthropogenically disturbed area） was characterized by higher relative abundances of Bacteria at day 2, followed by diatoms （especially Navicula sp.） on day 10 and dinoflagellates on day 18, whereas no clear trend was recorded at Cabo Frio Island （an undisturbed area）. The ennoblement of Ecor values was site-dependent. In a complementary laboratory assay, biofilms were removed and the Eco values registered in sterile conditions for the subsequent 10 days and corroborated in situ results. Understanding biofilms and SS interactions has important implications for materials science and engineering decisions as well as helping to fill in imnortant gaps in this knowledge.     

Estimates of vertical mixing during a Lagrangian experiment off the Galician coast

An adjoint 1-D model was used to determine vertical diffusivity coefficients from temperature profiles collected within a filament escaping from the Galician coast following an upwelling event. The optimisation scheme ended with relatively high diffusivity values within the thermocline (9×10⁻⁵ m² s⁻¹). Such high values are relevant for biogeochemical exchanges between surface and deep waters in stratified areas.The optimised values were several orders of magnitude higher than the bulk of diffusivity measurements recorded with a free-falling device; however, the optimisation solution was consistent with the arithmetic mean of the measurements in the thermocline (7.7×10⁻⁵ m² s⁻¹), giving more weight to the few largest values. Below the thermocline, the data assimilation method failed because of the three-dimensional nature of the advective field of the upwelling system. Ignoring this advective forcing in the model led to estimates that were two orders of magnitude too high.The results suggest that turbulent mixing is a random process where a few intense events determine the average mixing that drives the long-term evolution of the water column structure. This statistical property is very important when one wants to use instantaneous diffusivity measurements for modelling purposes.     

Biodynamic responses of seated pregnant subjects exposed to vertical vibrations in driving conditions

A pregnant woman's body is a very sophisticated dynamic system that is sensitive to whole-body vibrations in a sitting posture. While much effort has been devoted to vibration effects on non-pregnant seated persons, little research has been devoted to the biodynamic responses of seated pregnant women exposed to vertical vibrations, especially in driving conditions. In this study a thorough survey of lumped-parameter models for non-pregnant seated persons is implemented. According to the literature the mathematical models adequate for representing the increase in mass due to pregnancy are proposed and evaluated systematically. On the basis of an analytical study and experimental validation, the six-degree-of-freedom model modified from the non-linear model proposed by Muksian and Nash is recommended. In addition, the recommended pregnant model is further integrated with two-dimensional half-car and three-dimensional full-car models to assess the responses of pregnant drivers or passengers exposed to vertical vibrations due to road unevenness. It is believed that the study presented in this report provides a profound understanding of biodynamic responses of seated pregnant women and that it may offer vehicle engineers a good reference in the design of vehicle suspension systems.     

Should we abandon activity type analysis? Redefining activities by their salient attributes

This paper poses a challenge and begins a search. The challenge is to reconsider the usefulness of traditional activity types (“work”, “shopping”, etc.) in the understanding and modelling of travel behaviour. The search is for the more salient attributes of activities that may serve to better explain complex travel behaviours—such as activity scheduling and tour formation. In particular, this paper focuses on explicit measures of the spatial, temporal and interpersonal flexibility of activities, along with several traditional attributes (frequency, duration, involved persons, travel time, and location). Data from a recent in-depth week-long activity scheduling survey was used to define and compare these attributes. Results show that considerable variability in the attributes between and within traditional activity groups is evident. This casts considerable uncertainty on assumptions that statically assign levels of spatial, temporal, and interpersonal flexibility to any given activity type. A Principal Components Analysis further revealed eight new distinct clusters of activities that share like attributes. The relative role of each attribute in each component is examined, and subjective interpretations emerged (e.g., “Long and frequent”, “Space and time flexible” “Social networking”). The implications of these results for future model development and research are discussed. Future research should continue to expand the search for salient attributes and link them more directly to decision processes.     

Dual extended Kalman filter for vehicle state and parameter estimation

The article demonstrates the implementation of a model-based vehicle estimator, which can be used for combined estimation of vehicle states and parameters. The estimator is realised using the dual extended Kalman filter (DEKF) technique, which makes use of two Kalman filters running in parallel, thus 'splitting' the state and parameter estimation problems. Note that the two problems cannot be entirely separated due to their inherent interdependencies. This technique provides several advantages, such as the possibility to switch off the parameter estimator, once a sufficiently good set of estimates has been obtained. The estimator is based on a four-wheel vehicle model with four degrees of freedom, which accommodates the dominant modes only, and is designed to make use of several interchangeable tyre models. The paper demonstrates the appropriateness of the DEKF. Results to date indicate that this is an effective approach, which is considered to be of potential benefit to the automotive industry.     

汽车筒式液阻减振器技术的发展

分析了汽车乘坐舒适性／行驶平顺性和操作稳定性对筒式液阻减振器特性的要求，提出汽车在不同行驶工况减振器特性的要求是不的；分析了被动式减振器的发展历程及非充气和充气减振器的特点，阐述了机械控制式可调阻尼减振器，电子控制式减振器以及电流变和磁流变液体减器等的结构特点，工作原理及其动态特性；分析了筒式液阻减振器其于经验设计／实验修正开发方法的缺点，阐述了基于CAD／CAE技术的现代设计开发方法的过程及其关键问题，最后分析了我国筒式液阻减振器技术的发展状况及问题，展望了减振器技术的发展前景。     

Evaluation of forced flows on freeways with single‐loop detectors

This paper documents the development of a simple method for identifying and/or predicting freeway congestion using single loop detection systems. The proposed algorithm is simple and easy to incorporate into most freeway management systems. The Washington State Department of Transportation's Traffic Systems Management Center (TSMC) sponsored the original study. The investigation also led to a recommendation to replace the original TSMC definition of congestion or forced flow conditions with a more reliable indicator. Although, the TSMC has recently implemented a more advanced prediction system based on fuzzy set theory and neural networks to further identify patterns and rules for ramp metering strategies, the findings presented here continue to be constructive to freeway managers looking for quick and easy analyses that rely solely on single‐loop detection systems. The Seattle Area freeway study section used for the original study was the portion of mainline 1–5 northbound starting at the downtown Seattle Station 108 and ending at the Mountlake Terrace Station 193. Several days' worth of volume and lane‐occupancy data were collected for the afternoon time period from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Time intervals of 20 seconds were chosen for each data collection period. Important products of this research include the following:

• simple, and more reliable criterion for the definition of “bottleneck” or forced flow conditions than that originally used by the TSMC.
• simple, and reliable criterion for predicting impending “bottlenecks” or forced flow conditions.
• A proposed variable for improved selection of the appropriate metering rate. (Further analysis of the use of this variable for determining metering rates is recommended for future studies.

The proposed criteria are simple and easy to incorporate into current freeway management computer systems. Further investigation of freeway performance measurement using volume and occupancy data obtained from single‐loop systems is currently being performed.     

The stability of stochastic equilibrium in a two-link transportation network

Most research and applications of network equilibrium models are based on the assumption that traffic volumes on roadways are virtually certain to be at or near their equilibrium values if the equilibrium volumes exist and are unique. However, it has long been known that this assumption can be violated in deterministic models. This paper presents an investigation of the stability of stochastic equilibrium in a two-link network. The stability of deterministic equilibrium also is discussed briefly. Equilibrium is defined to be stable if it is unique and the link volumes converge over time to their equilibrium values regardless of the initial conditions. Three models of route choice decision-making over time are formulated, and the stability of equilibrium is investigated for each. It is shown that even when equilibrium is unique, link volumes may converge to their equilibrium values, oscillate about equilibrium perpetually, or converge to values that may be considerably different from the equilibrium ones, depending on the details of the route choice decision-making process. Moreover, even when convergence of link volumes to equilibrium is assured, the convergence may be too slow to justify the standard assumption that these volumes are usually at or near their equilibrium values. When link volumes converge to non-equilibrium values, the levels at which the volumes stabilize typically depend on the initial link volumes or perceptions of travel costs. Conditions sufficient to assure convergence to equilibrium in two of the three models of route choice decision-making are presented, and these conditions are interpreted in terms of the route choice decision-making process.     

Conformity: How VMT-speed distributions can affect mobile emission inventories

Transportation conformity is a US regulatory process that requires that transportation modeling be integrated with air quality modeling. Consequently, every change to either modeling process is undertaken with great scrutiny by the regional governments, who have to use the models for demonstrating conformity. This paper explores the "trip versus link debate," which stems from the fact that the standard travel demand models used by most metropolitan planning organizations are primarily link oriented, while the air quality models have been primarily trip oriented. Using the Sacramento region we examine the effects on mobile source emissions inventories when speed-VMT distributions are constructed using the trip and link-based philosophies. The results of our study indicate that trip-based VMT-speed distributions produce consistently lower emissions estimates than the link-based distributions. We use the results to assert that deciding between a trip-based or link-based conformity modeling process involves more than the technical difficulty of changesto the models or the potential political ramifications, it involves assessing which method will provide the most accurate estimates of regional motor vehicle emissions. We also examine ways to think about constructing mobile source emission inventories.     

Roll Dynamics of Commercial Vehicles

An analytical model is developed here for studying the roll dynamics of commercial vehicles. Large displacements and rotations are accounted for in this nonlinear model so that it can be used for the study of roll dynamics well beyond the limits of wheel lift-off. The model is used to illustrate some of the dynamic phenomena in vehicle rollover, especially the interactive coupling between the roll and the vertical modes of motion. The influence of suspension backlash on rollover resistance is demonstrated, and the phenomenon of roll motion resonance is illustrated to suggest new means for evaluating vehicle rollover sensitivity.