The impact of weather conditions on bikeshare trips in Washington,DC

Bicycle usage can be affected by colder weather, precipitation, and excessive heat. The research presented here analyzes the effect of weather on the use of the Washington, DC, bikeshare system, exploiting a dataset of all trips made on the system. Hourly weather data, including temperature, rainfall, snow, wind, fog, and humidity levels are linked to hourly usage data. Statistical models linking both number of users and duration of use are estimated. Further, we evaluate trips from bikeshare stations within one quarter mile of Metro (subway) stations at times when Metro is operating. This allows us to determine whether Metro serves as a back-up option when weather conditions are unfavorable for bicycling. Results show that cold temperatures, rain, and high humidity levels reduce both the likelihood of using bikeshare and the duration of trips. Trips taken from bikeshare stations proximate to Metro stations are affected more by rain than trips not proximate to Metro stations and less likely when it is dark. This information is useful for understanding bicycling behavior and also for those planning bikeshare systems in other cities.     

Fuel economy comparison of conventional drive trains series and parallel hybrid electric step vans

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a vehicle that combines a conventional propulsion system with an on-board rechargeable energy storage system to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle HEVs do not have limited ranges like battery electric vehicles, which use batteries charged by an external source. The different propulsion power systems may have common subsystems or components. The objective of this study is to compare the fuel economies of a conventional step van, a series hybrid electric step van (HESV), and a parallel HESV by calculating the fuel consumption using the ADVISOR software by NREL. We also showed the results of the vehicles in different driving cycles including the Central Business District bus cycles, the New York City Cycle, and the US EPA City and Highway cycles.     

Analysis of a regenerative braking system for Hybrid Electric Vehicles using an Electro-Mechanical Brake

The regenerative braking system of the Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) is a key technology that can improve fuel efficiency by 20∼50%, depending on motor size. In the regenerative braking system, the electronically controlled brake subsystem that directs the braking forces into four wheels independently is indispensable. This technology is currently found in the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and in Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC). As braking technologies progress toward brake-by-wire systems, the development of Electro-Mechanical Brake (EMB) systems will be very important in the improvement of both fuel consumption and vehicle safety. This paper investigates the modeling and simulation of EMB systems for HEVs. The HEV powertrain was modeled to include the internal combustion engine, electric motor, battery and transmission. The performance simulation for the regenerative braking system of the HEV was performed using MATLAB/Simulink. The control performance of the EMB system was evaluated via the simulation of the regenerative braking of the HEV during various driving conditions.     

Development of an intelligent CAE system for auto-body concept design

The concept design phase is a critical step in auto-body design, as it has a great effect on later design work. This paper describes the implementation of an auto-body structure design in the early stages of a new auto-body developing program. In order to reduce the long design period and analysis error that plagues traditional auto-body concept design, an intelligent CAE system has been successfully developed and implemented based on the UGS NX/API opening platform. This system, the so-called ACD-ICAE (Auto-body concept design-intelligent computer aided engineering) System that means concept design-intelligent computer aided engineering system, employs a fully parametrized template method to build the conceptual auto-body geometry model and FEM model quickly and easily. It also integrates auto-body modeling, analysis and optimization on only one CAD platform via a parametric variables database. Moreover, all parametric variables are shared and updated in different phases of the ACD-ICAE System. A wizard User Interface (UI) based on knowledge of auto-body engineering was developed and used in this system. The procedures implementing the functional diagram of the ACD-ICAE system are also provided. A typical example of a car body concept design with four doors shows that the ACD-ICAE system is efficient and accurate.     

Visualisation of uncertainty in probabilistic traffic models for policy and operations

This study investigates different methods to visualise uncertainty in static representations of probabilistic traffic models predictions on road-networks. Although various graphical cues may be used to represent uncertainty it is not a priori clear which of them are most suited for this purpose, since their legibility, intelligibility and the degree to which they interfere with other graphical elements in a representation differ widely. Several graphical uncertainty representations were therefore developed and analysed in expert sessions. A selection of the initial set of uncertainty visualisations was further evaluated in a cognitive alternative task-switching experiment. The results show that graphical representations are able to convey uncertainty information relatively accurately, while some uncertainty visualisations outperform others. It depends on the model and scenario which representation is most suited for a given application. This paper presents an overview of possible graphic uncertainty representations and the considerations involved when applying them to uncertainty in traffic model visualisations.     

The merits of accelerated depreciation for promoting investment in clean transport technologies: A simulation study in the Australian rail freight industry

This article ascertains the viability of promoting accelerated depreciation for newly acquired locomotives and other rolling stock as a means of encouraging technological investment in more efficient and environmentally friendly assets. The study uses a tax-adjusted asset replacement model to evaluate the merits of accelerated depreciation, and then compares the outcomes with alternative incentive schemes. It also examines what would occur if various schemes were used simultaneously.     

Altimeter assimilation in the OCCAM global model: Part I: A twin experiment

An altimeter data assimilation scheme has been tested in the OCCAM (Ocean Circulation and Climate Advanced Modelling) global 1/4°, 36-level model using a twin experiment format. The Cooper and Haines displacement scheme is used. The method works well in most regions and depths. Currents and densities in the top 1000 m generally improve by over 50–70% after 5 months of sea level assimilation every 15 days. Below 1000 m, an error reduction of up to 50% is achieved. The errors remain low during a further 60-day run without assimilation. Diagnostics for the North Atlantic, the Tropical Pacific and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current are shown alongside the global averages.The main problems encountered were in weakly stratified regions of the Antarctic and Arctic seas. A scale selective filter is developed to avoid assimilating scales much larger than the local deformation radius, and this avoids the adverse assimilation effects in the southern oceans. A companion paper uses this scheme to assimilate TOPEX and ERS-1 altimeter maps.