Short-term Hourly Traffic Forecasts using Hong Kong Annual Traffic Census

The need for acquiring the current-year traffic data is a problem for transport planners since such data may not be available for on-going transport studies. A method is proposed in this paper to predict hourly traffic flows up to and into the near future, using historical data collected from the Hong Kong Annual Traffic Census (ATC). Two parametric and two non-parametric models have been employed and evaluated in this study. The results show that the non-parametric models (Non-Parametric Regression (NPR) and Gaussian Maximum Likelihood (GML)) were more promising for predicting hourly traffic flows at the selected ATC station. Further analysis encompassing 87 ATC stations revealed that the NPR is likely to react to unexpected changes more effectively than the GML method, while the GML model performs better under steady traffic flows. Taking into consideration the dynamic nature of the common traffic patterns in Hong Kong and the advantages/disadvantages of the various models, the NPR model is recommended for predicting the hourly traffic flows in that region.     

埋地钢质管道外防腐层选材专家系统

对外防腐层选择时需要考虑到的因素进行总结后，建立了包括3大类18个具体因素的外防腐层选材评价体系，对18个具体因素给予一定的权重，对常用外防腐层的性能以及其适用条件进行细分并采用5分制打分。利用权重系数法计算出常用外防腐层在具体工程中的得分，由此比较防腐层在该工程中的优劣及适用与否。     

一种预测混凝土路面断裂的方法

运用断裂力学理论，计算出3种典型轮载下引起断板的临界长度；通过无损检测，探测出可能产生断板部位的裂缝长度；比较二者，可知混凝土路面是否即将断裂。用此方法可及早发现可能产生断板的部位，采取适当防护措施延长公路使用寿命。     

RBF神经网络理论在发动机特性计算中的应用

运用径向基函数 (RBF)神经网络理论 ,建立发动机万有特性和外特性模型 ,并与常用的一些建模方法所建模型进行了比较。结果表明 ,应用RBF神经网络建模方法简单可靠 ,精度较高。     

增压柴油机燃用LPG/柴油双燃料的性能研究

对IVECO索菲姆增压柴油机改装为LPG/柴油双燃料发动机进行了试验研究。结果表明 ,采用机电联合控制方式 ,双燃料发动机与原柴油机相比 ,动力性基本相同 ,排放烟度有大幅度改善 ,但CO ,HC ,NOx 排放都有不同程度的提高     

A graph-theoretic method to quantify the airline route authority

A U.S. certificated passenger airline must be authorized by the Civil Aeronautics Board before it can schedule a route to serve a set of cities. The route authority is described in a number of legal statements on a Route Certificate, which specifies the routing restrictions by which the airline must abide in offering the service. For cost considerations, an airline is often interested in the shortest flight-time routes between city pairs. This paper introduces a graph-theoretic method to quantify the legal statements in a Certificate. Through straightforward matrix operations, all the authorized nonstop and multistop routes, including the shortest time routes, can be generated. The method is a convenient tool to help an airline to generate alternative network routes as demonstrated by a case study of American Airlines.     

The effects of information bias and riding frequency on noise annoyance to a new railway extension in Hong Kong

We investigate how two non-acoustic factors, information bias and riding frequency, can affect the annoyance response of an urban population to noise created by a new railway line. The study shows that information bias is asymmetrical. Respondents receiving only information on positive measures taken by the authority to reduce noise emission are more tolerant of the noise impact, but those receiving only critical views tend to be more annoyed because they feel that not all measures to reduce noise have been employed. Additionally people who use the line frequently are more tolerant to the noise impact than those who do not. Information bias seems to have a temporary masking effect over riding frequency lasting for a few weeks after railway opening. This suggest that whilst free flow of information provided by the authority can help alleviate annoyance response, encouraging the people affected to make use of the new infrastructure may be useful to reduce public resistance and noise annoyance.     

Implementation of discharging/charging current sensorless state-of-charge estimator reflecting cell-to-cell variations in lithium-ion series battery packs

This paper offers novel insights to the design and implementation of an innovative state-of-charge (SOC) estimator for the lithium-ion (Li-Ion) series battery pack. The most interesting feature of this approach is that it can utilize information from each filtered terminal voltage of the Li-Ion cells connected in series for SOC estimation of the battery pack. Without actual sensing each discharging/charging current (DCC) applied to the Li-Ion cells, it is possible to extract each DCC estimation from the corresponding filtered terminal voltages with an equivalent electrical circuit model (EECM) identification of all Li-Ion cells in the battery pack. There are two advantages to SOC estimation of the battery pack with this approach. First, the proposal can be implemented simply and effectively, reducing the computational steps required for SOC estimation. By reducing computational steps, the proposal is expected to be more cost-effective. Second, the approach guarantees an improved SOC performance, even if the battery pack results in inevitable cell-to-cell variation among Li-Ion cells. Accordingly, there are fewer differences to previously estimated DCCs among Li-Ion cells. Specifically, all values from the estimated DCCs are properly compensated for by simultaneous parameter modification according to each cell’s electrochemical characteristics. Experimental results clearly demonstrate that our DCC sensorless SOC estimator provides robust SOC performance for the battery pack. This approach considered an experimental battery pack (12S1P) connected in series using 2.6 Ah LiCoO2 cells produced by Samsung SDI.     

Experimental study on a model azimuthing podded propulsor in ice

The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of a model azimuthing podded propulsor in ice-covered water. Model tests were carried out with two different depths of cut into the ice (15 and 35 mm), two different ice conditions (presawn and pack ice conditions), and four different azimuthing angles. The depth of cut is the maximum penetration depth of the propeller blade into the ice block. The 0.3-m-diameter model propeller was operated in a continuous ice milling condition. Ice loads were measured by several sensors which were installed in various positions on the model. Six one-axis pancake-style load cells on the top of the model measured the global loads and two six-component dynamometers were installed on the shaft to measure the shaft loads. One six-component dynamometer was attached to the one of the propeller blades inside the hub to measure the blade loads. The pod unit and propeller performance in ice are presented. Ice-related loads, which were obtained when the blade was inside the ice block, are introduced and discussed. During the propeller–ice interaction, a blade can experience the path generated by the previous blade, which is called the shadowing effect. The effects of shadowing, depth of cut, azimuthing angle, and advance coefficient on propulsor performance are presented and discussed.     

公路台谳沉降灌浆法试验与分析

针对公路台后搭板的脱空现象，对竖直灌浆和水平灌浆两种方法的灌浆参数和工艺特点进行试验的结果表明，水平灌浆法作为一种值得推广的新方法，可以在较大程度上避免因封闭车道带来的交通堵塞的困扰。