Instrumented city database analysts using multi-agents

The Instrumented City (iC) database is a multi-purpose, transport-related database facility for use by the entire academic transport research community. Data from the UK Leicester City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council Traffic Management Computers is logged and archived on a continuous basis, by the Leeds University’s Institute for Transport Studies. Since its inception in 1992, the iC database has been used for various real-time applications such as air quality and noise monitoring, modelling and forecasting. This paper describes the framework that demonstrates the feasibility of using multi-agents as information analysts to process and manage the iC database. The agents are adaptive, interactive and personal. They can be trained via the interactions with the users to be personalised for individual preferences. These agents are designed to be responsible for (1) data clean-up to remove outliers; (2) missing data substitutions; (3) statistical data analysis; (4) data mining to enhance the understanding of the relationships between traffic and air quality, noise and health; and (5) knowledge discovery by identifying unknown but potentially important patterns.     

Design of fuzzy controller for direct drive wind turbines

Based on the research results of these years, this paper proposes a design of 3MW direct-driven wind generation inverter, and takes much effort in the control algorithm research and MATLAB simulation. Some wonderful results are obtained. All this may provide the reference for practical application. The fuzzy controllers are designed, based on fuzzy logic control theory, which can perfect control of wind generation system with no mathematic model. Models of permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) and dual pulse width modulation (PWM) converter with their controllers are set by MATLAB/Simulink. In addition, experiments are made on the simulation platform of variable speed constant frequency (VSCF) wind power generation system. The behavior of dual PWM converter is demonstrated by simulations and experiment, and the control strategy is valid and correct.     

Travel mode choice: affected by objective or subjective determinants?

This contribution presents theoretical considerations concerning the connections between life situation, lifestyle, choice of residential location and travel behaviour, as well as empirical results of structural equation models. The analyses are based on data resulting from a survey in seven study areas in the region of Cologne. The results indicate that lifestyles influence mode choice, although slightly, even when life situation is controlled for. The influence of life situation on mode choice exceeds the influence of lifestyle. The influence that lifestyle, and in part also life situation, has on mode choice is primarily mediated by specific location attitudes and location decisions that influence mode choice, respectively. Here objective spatial conditions as well as subjective location attitudes are important.

Singapore motorisation restraint and its implications on travel behaviour and urban sustainability

The example of Singapore shows that rapid urban and economic growth does not have to bring traffic congestion and pollution. Singapore has chosen to restrain car traffic demand due to its limited land supply. Transport policy based on balanced development of road and transit infrastructure and restraint of traffic has been consistently implemented for the past 30 years. Combined with land use planning, it resulted in a modern transport system, which is free from major congestion and provides users with different travel alternatives. As the economic growth caused a substantial increase in demand for cars, several pricing policies were introduced with the aim of restraining car ownership and usage. Growth of the vehicle population is now controlled and potentially congested roads are subject to road pricing. These measures help to keep the roads free from major congestion, maintain car share of work trips below 25% and keep the transport energy usage low. Although Singapore conditions are in many aspects unique, its travel demand experience can provide useful lessons for other rapidly growing cities in Asia.

Do changes in neighborhood characteristics lead to changes in travel behavior? A structural equations modeling approach

Suburban sprawl has been widely criticized for its contribution to auto dependence. Numerous studies have found that residents in suburban neighborhoods drive more and walk less than their counterparts in traditional environments. However, most studies confirm only an association between the built environment and travel behavior, and have yet to establish the predominant underlying causal link: whether neighborhood design independently influences travel behavior or whether preferences for travel options affect residential choice. That is, residential self-selection may be at work. A few studies have recently addressed the influence of self-selection. However, our understanding of the causality issue is still immature. To address this issue, this study took into account individuals’ self-selection by employing a quasi-longitudinal design and by controlling for residential preferences and travel attitudes. In particular, using data collected from 547 movers currently living in four traditional neighborhoods and four suburban neighborhoods in Northern California, we developed a structural equations model to investigate the relationships among changes in the built environment, changes in auto ownership, and changes in travel behavior. The results provide some encouragement that land-use policies designed to put residents closer to destinations and provide them with alternative transportation options will actually lead to less driving and more walking.

Modeling residential sorting effects to understand the impact of the built environment on commute mode choice

This paper presents an examination of the significance of residential sorting or self selection effects in understanding the impacts of the built environment on travel choices. Land use and transportation system attributes are often treated as exogenous variables in models of travel behavior. Such models ignore the potential self selection processes that may be at play wherein households and individuals choose to locate in areas or built environments that are consistent with their lifestyle and transportation preferences, attitudes, and values. In this paper, a simultaneous model of residential location choice and commute mode choice that accounts for both observed and unobserved taste variations that may contribute to residential self selection is estimated on a survey sample extracted from the 2000 San Francisco Bay Area household travel survey. Model results show that both observed and unobserved residential self selection effects do exist; however, even after accounting for these effects, it is found that built environment attributes can indeed significantly impact commute mode choice behavior. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the model findings for policy planning.

Preparing and studying of phase change energy storage materials

The thermal energy storage phase change material used for building has been prepared with a few of fatty acids based on the principle of binary low eutectic point. The thermal behaviors such as phase transition temperature and enthalpy of compound energy storage material are researched through differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the thermal energy storage phase change composite material can be used in the wall panels well as its higher latent heat.     

Friction and cutting properties of hot-filament chemical vapor deposition micro- and fine-grained diamond coated silicon nitride inserts

The micro-crystalline diamond (MCD) and fine-grained diamond (FGD) films are deposited on commercial silicon nitride inserts by the hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) method. The friction and cutting properties of as-deposited MCD and FGD films coated silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) inserts are comparatively investigated in this study. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy are adopted to study the characterization of the deposited diamond films. The friction tests are conducted on a ball-on-plate type reciprocating friction tester in ambient air using Co-cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co), Si₃N₄ and ball-bearing steel (BBS) balls as the mating materials of the diamond films. For sliding against WC-Co, Si₃N₄ and BBS, the FGD film presents lower friction coefficients than the MCD film. However, after sliding against Si₃N₄, the FGD film is subject to more severe wear than the MCD film. The cutting performance of as-deposited MCD and FGD coated Si₃N₄ inserts is examined in dry turning glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) composite materials, comparing with the uncoated Si₃N₄ insert. The results indicate that the lifetime of Si₃N₄ inserts can be prolonged by depositing the MCD or FGD film on them and the FGD coated insert shows longer cutting lifetime than the MCD coated one.     

Development of a twin-accumulator hydro-pneumatic suspension

A twin-accumulator hydro-pneumatic suspension has been developed based on the off-road vehicle in order to meet the requirements of ride comfort. The working principle and elements construct of the developed suspension are studied. And then,a mathematical model of the developed suspension is built. The influence of twin-accumulator hydro-pneumatic suspension parameters on the vehicle body vertical acceleration,suspension travel and dynamic tyre load is studied by simulation based on a quarter off-road vehic...     

Analysis and enhancement of a watermarking protocol suitable for web context

AbstractA buyer-seller watermarking protocol is a combination of traditional watermarking and fingerprinting techniques. Recently, Frattolillo proposed such a watermarking protocol suitable for web context. Frattolillo’s scheme has two problems which would make it hard to implement practically. Several possible solutions to the two problems are presented in this paper.