A DEA study of the efficiency of 122 iron ore and coal ports and of 15/17 countries in 2005

This paper, using data envelopment analysis, assesses the efficiency of 122 iron ore and coal ports in 2005. Estimates for 54 loading and 68 unloading ports show that the main source of inefficiency in bulk terminals is related to the scale. Results aggregated at a country level demonstrate that the national efficiency can be achieved either through a limited number of large ports or by combining smaller ports with complementary characteristics—national network effect.     

Multi-objective optimization of oil tanker design

Parametric optimization was applied to a double-hull AFRAMAX tanker design in order to reduce oil-outflow probability and increase cargo carrying capacity, and the results are presented here. A multi-criteria optimization procedure was set up in modeFrontier ^® using the cargo volume, the mean oil-outflow parameter and the steel weight of the cargo block as the objective functions. Calculations are based on a parametric geometric model of the ship created in NAPA ^®, and on a structural model created in POSEIDON ^®. Integration of the above software packages leads to an automated optimization procedure that provides improved feedback to the designer regarding the trade-off between the various design parameters and optimization criteria involved. The results obtained suggest notable improvements in transport capacity and oil-outflow performance for known, well-established yard designs. The presented work derives from a joint industrial project between Germanischer Lloyd (GL) and the Ship Design Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA-SDL), which continues the work done and coordinated by NTUA-SDL within the SAFEDOR project on the same subject.     

摆式列车综述(续完)

2.2.7 TER内燃动车:X 72500(26) 阿尔斯通公司改造了1辆X 72500型内燃动车,用于安装菲亚特型悬挂设备.法国国营铁路希望向地区政府介绍一种最新设计(包括外部轮廓和内部设备)的内燃动车,在某些因线路曲折(半径小于400 m)和轨道外形等原因而行车困难的线路上,这种车可以缩短旅行时间,提高舒适度.由此创造了一个新的商机.     

Distributions of oxygen and carbon stable isotopes and CFC-12 in the water masses of the Southern Ocean at 30°E from South Africa to Antarctica: results of the CIVA1 cruise

This study presents oceanic distributions of stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O of water and δ¹³C of ΣCO₂) and CFC-12 from samples collected during the CIVA1 cruise (February/March 1993), across the Southern Ocean, along a meridian section at 30°E, from South Africa (44°S) to Antarctica (70°S). The isotopic measurements show important variations between the subantarctic surface waters with low δ¹⁸O–high δ¹³C values and the antarctic surface waters with very low δ¹⁸O–low δ¹³C values. The surface distributions of δ¹³C values follow the major frontal oceanic structures; the vertical distribution shows the progressive upwelling from the subantarctic zone to the antarctic divergence of ¹³C-depleted CO₂ derived from remineralization of organic matter. Along the Antarctic continental shelf, between 2500 and 4000 m, a core of water with δ¹⁸O values close to −0.1‰ is associated with a relative maximum in CFC-12 concentration, although this core is not detected by its temperature and salinity parameters. This water mass, which corresponds to recently formed deep water, may originate from the eastward extension of the Weddell gyre or from bottom waters coming from the East and formed near Prydz Bay.     

Liner shipping service optimisation with reefer containers capacity: an application to northern Europe–South America trade

Increasing the number of vessels in a container liner service while reducing speeds, known as slow steaming strategy, has been a short-term response since 2008 to the challenges of over-capacity and the rise in bunker prices faced by shipping lines. This strategy, which reduces the fuel cost per voyage but increases the operating costs as more vessels are added to the service, is difficult to sustain when the transit time significantly affects the transportation demand. This article proposes a model applied to this situation, referred to as a case of optimal speed under semi-elastic demand, for which containerised perishable product transport is sensitive to time, while frozen and dry products are not. It investigates if slow steaming is still optimal when working to maximise the total profit on the cycle. In order to demonstrate the proposed model, a numerical application is carried out for a direct Northern Europe to East Coast of South America container service, a route selected due to the high volume of fresh products. For this application, the speed that maximises the total profit with inelastic and semi-elastic demand is then estimated for several bunker fuel prices.     

Heterogeneous archaeal communities in the particle-rich environment of an arctic shelf ecosystem

We evaluated the phylogenetic diversity of particle-associated and free-living archaeal assemblages from the Mackenzie River and Beaufort Sea in the western Canadian Arctic. The physico-chemical characteristics of the water separated the sampling sites into three groups: riverine, coastal and marine water, which had strikingly different archaeal communities. The riverine water was characterised by the presence of Euryarchaeota mainly belonging to the LDS and RC-V clusters. The coastal water was also dominated by Euryarchaeota but they were mostly affiliated to Group II.a. The marine waters contained most exclusively Crenarchaeota belonging to the Marine Group I.1a. The results suggest that Euryarchaeota in the coastal surface layer are associated with particle-rich waters, while Crenarchaeota are more characteristic of Arctic Ocean waters that have been less influenced by riverine inputs. The particle-associated communities were similar to the free-living ones at the riverine and marine sites but differed from each other at the coastal site in terms of the presence or absence of some taxonomic groups in one of the fractions, or differences in the proportion of the phylogenetic groups. However, there was no specific archaeal group that was exclusively restricted to the free-living or particle fraction, and the diversity of the particle-associated archaeal assemblages did not significantly differ from the diversity of the free-living communities.     

An econometric analysis of deficiencies noted in port state control inspections

The factors to consider in selecting which vessels to board for port state control (PSC) inspections are crucial. This paper tries to identify these factors using 4080 reported PSC inspections from the Swedish Maritime Administration for the period 1996-2001. It relies on count data models and compares results from the Poisson, negative binomial, random effect and random parameters models. The results suggest that three factors are the main determinants of the number of reported deficiencies: the age at inspection, the flag of registry and the type of ships. Conversely, the year when the inspection occurs does not seem to be a significant factor. Estimations also stress that the relationship between the age at inspection and the number of deficiencies detected is not similar for different vessel types. For instance, the number of deficiencies detected decreases for chemical carriers and Ro-Ro passenger vessels older than 25 and 22 years old, while for instance the effect is rather small for tanker and bulk carriers and only occurs when vessels are older than 35 years.     

多孔介质流动的直接数值模拟

基于计算流体动力学软件Fluent建立了一个二维DNS模型,研究了多孔介质中的流动阻力和压降.模拟时对填充的圆柱粒子采用了2种几何排列方式,即直排和叉排.DNS直排模型的压差为53.5Pa,接近于采用原始系数A=150,B=1.75的尔格方程计算结果55.6Pa.叉排模型的压差为65.1Pa,接近于采用修正系数A=180,B=1.80的尔格方程计算结果62.1Pa.对于真实多孔介质材料的模拟来说,圆柱形粒子叉排比直排更为准确.因此DNS结果确认了修正系数组(A=180,B=1.80)比原始系数组(A=150,B=1.75)更适合尔格方程模型.应用文中推荐的DNS方法,通过采用不同的粒子几何排列方式、填充不同形状的粒子可以进一步地预测尔格方程系数或改善其他的多孔介质模型.     

汽车偏置前撞试验用渐变强度可变形壁障的有限元模型

建立了渐变强度可变形壁障(PDB)的有限元模型。PDB的两个铝蜂窝芯采用壳单元并用"等同化"方法使之与实际的蜂窝结构一致,铝蜂窝窝孔中的空气采用阻尼杆单元表示。对PDB偏置板和横梁的碰撞实验过程进行了仿真,结果表明测力墙受力和壁障碰撞后变形与实验结果高度吻合,验证了模型的正确性。     

摆式列车综述(待续)

系统介绍了近30年来国外研制的摆式列车的结构特点.