The performance of route modification and demand stabilization strategies in stochastic vehicle routing

A key concern in managing vehicle routing operations under stochastic demands is whether, on the basis of travel distance, route modification yields materially greater logistical efficiency than fixed routes. This research uses statistical calibration as the primary technique to develop a robust and tractable model for estimating this difference in logistical efficiency. Based on features such as the models predictive accuracy and generalizability, it constitutes a substantive improvement over existing models. The present study also expands the range of predictive models relevant to vehicle routing under stochastic demands with models to estimate the transportation and inventory effects of persuading customers to stabilize their ordering patterns.     

齐齐哈尔市中心城区电动汽车及充电设施需求预测研究

在目前能源危机和环境保护的双重制约下,发展电动汽车已经成为解决能源环境问题的新途径。为适应未来电动汽车快速发展的需要及充电设施的合理规划布局,电动汽车及充电设施的需求预测就显得尤为重要。文中分析了影响齐齐哈尔市电动汽车发展规模的影响因素,结合国内其他省市的经验,考虑齐齐哈尔市实际情况,对齐齐哈尔市中心城区的电动汽车和充电设施发展规模进行了合理预测。     

Differences in single heavy vehicle crashes at intersections and midblocks

The objective of this research is to identify the factors differentiating between single heavy vehicle collisions at intersections and midblocks by using a binary logit model. Our results show that single vehicle crashes involving heavy vehicle at intersections are more likely to occur on main roads and highways, whereas crashes at midblocks are more likely to occur on divided two‐way roads, roads with special facilities or features (e.g. bridge) and roads with a higher percentage of heavy vehicle traffic. Intersection crashes are also more likely to involve vehicles that are turning left or right, resulting in angle crashes and vehicle overturn, whereas midblock crashes are more likely to involve vehicles on higher posted speed roads. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

管道内防腐层补口技术研究进展

管道内衬或内防腐涂层现场施焊时,焊缝两侧的防腐层会由于高温作用而破坏,使环焊缝处不能得到有效的保护,内补口技术也成为影响管道质量的主要瓶颈。文中介绍了国内外主要的内补口技术,如内补口机法、内衬保护套（管）焊接法、不锈钢接头法、机械连接法等,并指出各方法的特点。文中还就内补口技术的质量控制和研究方向等提出了建议。     

Generalized Maximum Benefit Multiple Chinese Postman Problem

This research is focused on a generalization on the Max Benefit Chinese Postman Problem and the multiple vehicle variant of the Chinese Postman Problem. We call this generalization, the Generalized Maximum Benefit k-Chinese Postman Problem (GB k-CPP). We present a novel Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) formulation for the GB k-CPP. Four different cases of the model are discussed. The first case, performs arc-routing with profits and assumes that the origin and destination for each vehicle is the same for each cycle and is given by the user. The next case relaxes the assumption that the origin and destination for each vehicle should be the same and allows the users to select possible origins/destinations for vehicles. Case three gets the origin for each vehicle as input and produces a solution based on finding the best destination for each vehicle. The last case, that is very general, allows the optimization model to select possibly different locations for vehicle origin and destination, during each cycle. The different cases are applied to a security patrolling case conducted on the network of University of Maryland at College Park campus and the results are compared.     

Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for advanced vehicle technology options and fuel types

The automotive industry is witnessing a revolution with the advent of advanced vehicular technologies, smart vehicle options, and fuel alternatives. However, there is very limited research on consumer preferences for such advanced vehicular technologies. The deployment and penetration of advanced vehicular technologies in the marketplace, and planning for possible market adoption scenarios, calls for the collection and analysis of consumer preference data related to these emerging technologies. This study aims to address this need, offering a detailed analysis of consumer preference for alternative fuel types and technology options using data collected in stated choice experiments conducted on a sample of consumers from six metropolitan cities in South Korea. The results indicate that there is considerable heterogeneity in consumer preferences for various smart technology options such as wireless internet, vehicle connectivity, and voice command features, but relatively less heterogeneity in the preference for smart vehicle applications such as real-time traveler information on parking and traffic conditions.     

Estimating traffic volumes for signalized intersections using connected vehicle data

Recently connected vehicle (CV) technology has received significant attention thanks to active pilot deployments supported by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). At signalized intersections, CVs may serve as mobile sensors, providing opportunities of reducing dependencies on conventional vehicle detectors for signal operation. However, most of the existing studies mainly focus on scenarios that penetration rates of CVs reach certain level, e.g., 25%, which may not be feasible in the near future. How to utilize data from a small number of CVs to improve traffic signal operation remains an open question. In this work, we develop an approach to estimate traffic volume, a key input to many signal optimization algorithms, using GPS trajectory data from CV or navigation devices under low market penetration rates. To estimate traffic volumes, we model vehicle arrivals at signalized intersections as a time-dependent Poisson process, which can account for signal coordination. The estimation problem is formulated as a maximum likelihood problem given multiple observed trajectories from CVs approaching to the intersection. An expectation maximization (EM) procedure is derived to solve the estimation problem. Two case studies were conducted to validate our estimation algorithm. One uses the CV data from the Safety Pilot Model Deployment (SPMD) project, in which around 2800 CVs were deployed in the City of Ann Arbor, MI. The other uses vehicle trajectory data from users of a commercial navigation service in China. Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the estimation is found to be 9–12%, based on benchmark data manually collected and data from loop detectors. Considering the existing scale of CV deployments, the proposed approach could be of significant help to traffic management agencies for evaluating and operating traffic signals, paving the way of using CVs for detector-free signal operation in the future.     

Heterogeneous hazard model of PEV users charging intervals: Analysis of four year charging transactions data

Public charging infrastructure represents a key success factor in the promotion of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV). Given that a large initial investment is required for the widespread adoption of PEV, many studies have addressed the location choice problem for charging infrastructure using a priori simple assumptions. Ideally, however, identifying optimal locations of charging stations necessitates an understanding of charging behavior. Limited market penetration of PEV makes it difficult to grasp any regularities in charging behavior. Using a Dutch data set about four-years of charging transactions, this study presents a detailed analysis of inter-charging times. Recognizing that PEV users may exhibit different charging behavior, this study estimates a latent class hazard duration model, which accommodates duration dependence, unobserved heterogeneity and the effects of time-varying covariates. PEV users are endogenously classified into regular and random users by treating charging regularity as a latent variable. The paper provides valuable insights into the dynamics of charging behavior at public charging stations, and which strategies can be successfully used to improve the performance of public charging infrastructure.     

Vehicle electrification in a developing country: Status and issue,from a well-to-wheel perspective

The increase of public attention, scientific research and political interest in environmental problems associated with transportation has provided the motivation for re-invention of electric vehicles. However the usage of grid-dependent EVs with a high-carbon electricity grid might produce more damage to the environment. This study aims to provide an environmental impact comparison of ICEVs, HEVs and EVs during their usage cycle, by modeling their energy consumption (electricity or fuel) and the supply chains of the supplied energy, (well-to-wheel) based on a life cycle assessment. The results show that running EVs with the existing mixed sources of electrical energy produce larger impacts on the environment 60% of the time; when compared to HEVs. When compared to ICEVs, EVs produce a larger environmental impact on 7 out of 15 environmental impact categories. Overall the environmental impacts of EVs are substantial based on the well-to-wheel analysis. It will continue to be so if no change is made to the methods of electricity generation in the near future. Given that the environmental profile of EVs is linked with the existing national electricity generation mix, the national electricity supply must be made cleaner before the electrification of the urban transport system.     

道路交通车辆检测技术及发展综述

基于对智能交通系统（ITS）最基本要素——交通信息采集技术的研究,以及对常用车辆检测器进行的分类、分析和研究,阐述固定型检测技术中较为典型的几种车辆检测器工作原理,分析各自的优势、不足和适用环境。结合当今科技的发展趋势及ITS的发展需求,分析探讨道路交通车辆检测技术的发展方向和交通信息融合技术。