Optimum SUV bumper system design considering pedestrian performance

Until recently, passenger cars have primarily interested in pedestrian protection performance. Nowadays, however, it is important for a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) to meet the bumper system standards for pedestrian safety. For a SUV bumper system, there are some difficulties in attaining a high level of pedestrian performance for the lower legform. An SUV has a high bumper position from the ground level, and the bumper approach angle must also be secured, which has an effect on car insurance fees. Due to these reasons, it is difficult to meet the pedestrian performance of the lower legform for an SUV. In this paper, a comparative study was performed on various SUV bumper systems, and a concept model for a SUV bumper system was developed, which is expected to meet the pedestrian performance by using the Pugh method. The design control factors were defined to affect the bumper pedestrian performance through the experiences of tests and analyses. For the noise factor to affect the pedestrian performance, the deviation of the impactor position was selected at the moment of impact. The design control factors were optimized by using the Taguchi optimization technique. For the Taguchi method, an L18 orthogonal array table of design control factors was used in the optimization process. Particularly, for the optimization of the bumper corner region, an optimization analysis was performed three times to meet pedestrian performance. Based on the results of the Taguchi optimization method, the sensitivity of the bumper design parameters was studied, and a new SUV bumper system is proposed that satisfies the pedestrian performance of the lower legform. The optimized bumper system should obtain a full Euro-NCAP score of 6 points for the bumper test. The pedestrian performance of the optimized bumper system is validated by using a CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) analysis, which has been proven to be in accurate. A comparison between the test and analysis results is shown for the validation of accuracy. By using the optimized bumper system, the tests and development costs of a bumper can be reduced.     

Role of steering wheel feedback on driver performance: driving simulator and modeling analysis

When driving in curves, how do drivers use the force appearing on the steering wheel? As it carries information related to lateral acceleration, this force could be necessary for drivers to tune their internal model of vehicle dynamics; alternatively, being opposed to the drivers' efforts, it could just help them stabilize the steering wheel position. To assess these two hypotheses, we designed an experiment on a motion-based driving simulator. The steering characteristics of the vehicle were modified in the course of driving, unknown to drivers. Results obtained with standard drivers showed a surprisingly wide range of adaptation, except for exaggerated modifications of the steering force feedback. A two-level driver model, combining a preview of vehicle dynamics and a neuromuscular steering control, reproduces these experimental results qualitatively and indicates that adaptation occurs at the haptic level rather than in the internal model of vehicle dynamics. This effect is related to other theories on the manual control of dynamics systems, wherein force feedback characteristics are abstracted at the position control level. This research also illustrates the use of driving simulation for the study of driver behavior and future intelligent steering assistance systems.     

锰粉加工工人心血管功能的调查研究

对 ５５ 名锰粉加工工人和 ５６ 名对照工人的调查结果显示，工人工作地点 Ｍｎ Ｏ２ 浓度几何均值为 １９６ ｍ ｇ／ｍ ３ （锰尘 ０１７～２２．２４ ｍ ｇ／ｍ ３ ），样品超标率 ８８７％ 。接触组头晕头痛、睡眠障碍、容易疲劳和记忆不良的主诉率明显高于对照组（ Ｐ＜００５～００１）。接触组和对照组的心电图异常、高血压和低舒张压检出率未见显著性差异，其心率、 Ｐ Ｒ间期、 Ｑ Ｒ Ｓ波、收缩压和舒张压的均值比较也没有显著性差异。接触组心电图异常和低舒张压的 Ｏ Ｒ分别是 １．５６（９５％ 可信区间为 ０７０～３．５０）和 ２．０８（９５％ 可信区间为 ０１８～２３．５７）。     

Scattering of oblique surface water waves by thin vertical barrier over undulating bed topography

The present study deals with the scattering of oblique surface water waves by small undulation on the bottom in the presence of a thin vertical barrier. Here, three different configurations of vertical barriers are investigated. Perturbation analysis is employed to determine the physical quantities, namely, the reflection and transmission coefficients. In this analysis, many different Boundary Value Problems (BVPs) are obtained out of which the first two bvps are considered. The zeroth order bvp is solved with the aid of eigenfunction expansion method. The first order reflection and transmission coefficients are derived in terms of the integrals by the method of the Green’s integral theorem. The variation of these coefficients is plotted and analyzed for different physical parameters. Furthermore, the energy balance relation, an important relation in the study of water wave scattering, is derived and checked for assuring the correctness of the numerical results for the present problem.     

Development of simplified analytical methods for predicting the response of offshore structures to blast and fire loading

This paper discusses structural response to blast loading and temperature changes in fires. Both extreme events can be modelled using a range of analytical techniques from simple methodologies to the very complicated finite element analysis. The relatively simple techniques are appropriate for this type of problem and degree of accuracy required given the level of uncertainty in the loading. Given specific boundary conditions and physical properties, the methodologies proposed in the paper provide as good estimates of the dynamic response to blast loading and temperature increases in fires as the more sophisticated finite element method. Experimental data compares well with the analytical results.     

Fleet deployment optimization for liner shipping Part 2. Implementation and results

We use linear programming (LP) for solving the problem of the optimal deployment of an existing fleet of multipurpose or fully containerized ships, among a given set of routes, including information for lay-up time, if any, and type and number of extra ships to charter, based on a detailed and realistic model for the calculation of the operating costs of all the ship types in every route and on a suitable LP formulation developed in earlier work of the authors. The optimization model is also applicable to the problem of finding the best fleet compostion and deployment, in a given set of trade routes, which may be the case when a shipping company is considering new or modified services, or a renewal of the existing fleet. In addition, two promising mixed linear-integer programming formulations are suggested.     

Water masses and cyclonic circulation in Bay of La Paz, Gulf of California, during June 1998

The Bay of La Paz, a coastal and shallow basin of the Gulf of California (depth<420 m), exchanges mixed-layer waters with the Gulf of California predominantly through Boca Grande (Big Mouth), in the northeastern part of the bay. Equatorial Surface Water (ESW) flows from the gulf to the bay; once there, due to evaporation processes, this water increases its salinity above 35.00, therefore becoming Gulf of California Water (GCW) Mass. During June 1998, the baroclinic circulation in the bay was dominated by a cyclonic gyre. The hydrographic dome, related to this gyre, is depicted until approximately 150-m depth. However, the vertical mixing of water between the mixed-layer and the ones below practically does not occur because of the development of a sharp pycnocline. This fact and the isolation of the bottom of the bay by a bathymetric sill (approximately 250-m depth) at Boca Grande induce low oxygen content, particularly in the bottom-waters (O₂<0.1 ml/l). Chlorophyll values are higher and with larger vertical fluctuations within the Bay of La Paz than outside.     

Counting people in the crowd using social media images for crowd management in city events

Transportation - City events are getting popular and are attracting a large number of people. This increase needs for methods and tools to provide stakeholders with crowd size information for crowd...     

Accessibility in the regional CGE framework: the effects of major transport infrastructure investments in Poland

Transportation - Since its EU accession, Poland has invested strongly in the development of fast road transport network. As a result, the total length of modern, high-speed roads has increased from...