A low-cost testbed of underwater mobile sensing network

Comprised by a swarm of acoustically linked and cooperative autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with onboard sensors, an underwater mobile sensing network (UMSN) will be a complementary means to fixed observatory networks, e.g. seafloor observatory networks and moored buoy arrays. It has obvious advantages over a single large AUV in higher efficiency due to parallel observation, stronger robustness to vehicle failures and lower cost. Although an UMSN can be viewed as a counterpart of wireless mobile sensing networks for air and terrestrial applications, it is much more challenging due to poor performance of underwater acoustic communication, poor performance of underwater positioning and high degree of uncertainty in vehicle dynamics and underwater environment. In order to verify key technologies involved in an UMSN, e.g. cooperation of multi-AUVs based on acoustic communication, a low cost testbed has been developed for experimental study. The design of both hardware and software is introduced. Also the results of a functional test for verification of the effectiveness of the testbed are presented.     

Competing Visions for Marine Tenure and Co-Management: Genesis of a Marine Management Area System in Chile

Chile has been attempting to establish a Management Area (MA) system that melds the use of marine protected areas with marine tenure. The process has brought to the fore the competing interests of various user groups: artisanal fishermen, marine science professionals, government managers, tourist developers, and the Navy. We explore the core relationships among fishermen and the ecologists and biologists whose work is essential for establishing and maintaining a MA. The MA system's creation and implementation raise the key question of whether a marine tenure system can work under the conditions imposed by the Chilean government. There is a need to recognize and reconcile contradictions in a government management model that strives simultaneously to be a conservation zone and a financially profitable co-management zone. This article examines the MA management system's fault lines in the context of Chile's political economy, and the intimate interaction of management with fishermen's cultural survival strategies.     

Determining the hydrodynamic forces on a planing hull in steady motion

A combination of methods was developed that can determine hydrodynamic forces on a planing hull in steady motion. Firstly, a potential-based boundary-element method was used to calculate the hydrodynamic pressure, induced resistance and lift. Then the frictional resistance component was determined by the viscous boundary layer theory. Finally, a particular empirical technique was applied, to determine the region of upwash geometry and determine spray resistance. Case studies involving four models of Series 62 planing craft were run. These showed that the suggested method is efficient and capable, with results that are in good agreement with experimental measurements over a wide range of volumetric Froude numbers.     

当前浮式平台船体结构分析的方法与重点综述(英文)

浮式平台概念的选择及其结构设计是深水工程项目的关键环节之一.它决定了平台在波浪载荷作用下的动力学响应、立管在深水条件下的运动以及进行平台建造与安装的技术难度等.结构强度、结构的抗疲劳性能以及结构的整体和局部稳定性能是浮式平台设计必须重点考虑的三个主要方面.总结了当前浮式平台设计的主要方法和它的主要任务以及技术要求,着重分析了设计过程中的主要技术难点及重点;最后,讨论了浮式平台结构设计的潜在发展趋势.     

An analysis of bicycle route choice preferences in Texas,US

In the US, the rise in motorized vehicle travel has contributed to serious societal, environmental, economic, and public health problems. These problems have increased the interest in encouraging non-motorized modes of travel (walking and bicycling). The current study contributes toward this objective by identifying and evaluating the importance of attributes influencing bicyclists’ route choice preferences. Specifically, the paper examines a comprehensive set of attributes that influence bicycle route choice, including: (1) bicyclists’ characteristics, (2) on-street parking, (3) bicycle facility type and amenities, (4) roadway physical characteristics, (5) roadway functional characteristics, and (6) roadway operational characteristics. The data used in the analysis is drawn from a web-based stated preference survey of Texas bicyclists. The results of the study emphasize the importance of a comprehensive evaluation of both route-related attributes and bicyclists’ demographics in bicycle route choice decisions. The empirical results indicate that travel time (for commuters) and motorized traffic volume are the most important attributes in bicycle route choice. Other route attributes with a high impact include number of stop signs, red light, and cross-streets, speed limits, on-street parking characteristics, and whether there exists a continuous bicycle facility on the route.

A traffic analysis zone definition: a new methodology and algorithm

This paper develops a comprehensive approach to the definition of transportation analysis zones (TAZ), and therein, presents a new methodology and algorithm for the definition of TAZ embedded in geographic information systems software, improves the base algorithm with several local algorithms, and comprehensively analyses the obtained results. The results obtained are then compared to these presently used in the transportation analysis process of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The proposed algorithm presents a new methodology for TAZ design based on a smoothed density surface of geocoded travel demand data. The algorithm aims to minimise the loss of information when moving from a continuous representation of the origin and destination of each trip to their discrete representations through zones, and focuses on the trade-off between the statistical precision, geographical error, and the percentage of intra-zonal trips of the resulting OD matrix. The results for the Lisbon Metropolitan Area case study suggest a significant improvement in OD matrix estimates compared to current transportation analysis practises based on administrative units.

A copula-based joint multinomial discrete–continuous model of vehicle type choice and miles of travel

In this paper, a joint model of vehicle type choice and utilization is formulated and estimated on a data set of vehicles drawn from the 2000 San Francisco Bay Area Travel Survey. The joint discrete–continuous model system formulated in this study explicitly accounts for common unobserved factors that may affect the choice and utilization of a certain vehicle type (i.e., self-selection effects). A new copula-based methodology is adopted to facilitate model estimation without imposing restrictive distribution assumptions on the dependency structures between the errors in the discrete and continuous choice components. The copula-based methodology is found to provide statistically superior goodness-of-fit when compared with previous estimation approaches for joint discrete–continuous model systems. The model system, when applied to simulate the impacts of a doubling in fuel price, shows that individuals are more likely to shift vehicle type choices than vehicle usage patterns.

Traveled distance,stock and fuel efficiency of private vehicles in Canada: price elasticities and rebound effect

This paper presents estimates of the rebound effect and other elasticities for the Canadian light-duty vehicle fleet using panel data at the provincial level from 1990 to 2004. We estimate a simultaneous three-equation model of aggregate demand for vehicle kilometers traveled, vehicle stock and fuel efficiency. Price and income elasticities obtained are broadly consistent with those reported in the literature. Among other results, an increase in the fuel price of 10% would reduce driving by ~2% in the long term and by 1% the average fuel consumption rate. Estimates of the short- and long-term rebound effects are ~8 and 20%, respectively. We also find that an increase in the gross domestic product per capita of 10% would cause an increase in driving distance of 2–3% and an increase of up to 4% in vehicle stock per adult. In terms of policy implications, our results suggest that: (1) the effectiveness of new fuel efficiency standards will be somewhat mitigated by the rebound effect and (2) fuel price increases have limited impacts on gasoline demand.

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Not</Emphasis> driving alone? American commuting in the twenty-first century

This paper investigates recent commuting trends by American workers. Unlike most studies of commuting that rely on data from the American Community Survey this study utilizes the American Time Use Survey to detail the complex commuting patterns of modern-day workers. Changes in the price of gasoline in recent years suggest that the incidence of “driving alone” should be on the decline. Indeed, results show that the sensitivity of modal commuting with respect to changes in gasoline prices appears to be relatively large. We estimate the gasoline-price elasticity of driving alone to be 0.057 and the gasoline-price elasticity of carpooling to be 0.502. Additional factors also affect commuting, including socio-economic characteristics and social desires. However, it is changes in gasoline prices that appear to account for nearly all of the recent variation in the mode chosen for commuting.