Rail vehicles,environment, safety and security

This paper starts with a discussion on typical vehicles. The concepts and the usual practice for rail wagon design, both freight and passengers are presented. A discussion on rail and the environment comes next followed by Truck-Trains. Accident theories, metaphors and investigation methods are widely discussed; Hazard – Barrier – Target Model, Swiss Cheese Model, Bow-Tie Model, Fault Tree Analysis and Event Tree Analysis are explained. This paper concludes with a technical discussion on safety and security of rail vehicles, standards for safety and measures against terrorist attacks.     

Are Longer and Heavier Vehicles (LHVs) Beneficial for Society? A Cost Benefit Analysis to Evaluate their Potential Implementation in Spain

Abstract

In this paper we carry out a thorough review of the current research related to the benefits and costs arising from the implementation of longer and heavier vehicles (LHVs). From this review we concluded that despite the many studies available, little has been said about the sensitivity of the benefits and costs to the ultimate performance of the key variables related to the evolution of the economy, road transport performance, safety, and so on. In order to fill this gap, we have designed a sensitivity approach based on a cost benefit analysis tool to determine which variables demonstrate the greatest influence on the benefits and costs stemming from the implementation of LHVs. In order to test the methodology, we have used it in an analysis of the Spanish trunk network. The results show that the benefits of LHVs for society are significant. Even in the least favorable scenario, the economic benefits are greater than €3500 million over 15 years, and the environment enhanced as well, for CO₂ emissions are reduced by 2 Million tonnes. Overall we noted how the results are not very sensitive to the evolution of key variables in determining the final outcome. However, we found that the variables that have the greatest affect on the final benefit, such as traffic growth and social discount rate, depend basically on the performance of the overall economy. Moreover, the private cost for haulers seems to be more important in determining the final benefit than externality costs.     

低地板有轨电车车辆技术特征

近年来,中国有相当多的城市在筹备建设有轨电车系统,许多车辆企业也在积极研发低地板车辆。首先介绍低地板有轨电车车辆类型和研究实践。然后,详细阐述了低地板车辆技术特征,包括模块化设计、低地板设计、减震降噪设计、适应城市道路设计、独立轮转向架、制动系统、供电方式以及安全设计。最后指出,低地板车辆在结构、参数和性能等方面的多元化将增加车辆运营和维修的难度,中国应尽快规范化、标准化低地板车辆和有轨电车建设标准。     

质子交换膜燃料电池汽车冷起动性能的研究

建立了一个质子交换膜燃料电池电堆的冷起动模型,对燃料电池汽车的冷起动性能进行仿真,旨在通过对电堆中不同位置、不同数量的电池进行外部加热,使电堆充分利用自身的热量,以减小冷起动过程中所需的外部加热功率。结果表明,该方法可使电堆中有更多的单电池在冷起动过程中恢复工作,冷起动的时间更短,从而明显有效地提高燃料电池电堆的冷起动性能。     

Modelling heavy vehicle car‐following behaviour in congested traffic conditions

This study develops a car‐following model in which heavy vehicle behaviour is predicted separately from passenger car. Heavy vehicles have different characteristics and manoeuvrability compared with passenger cars. These differences could create problems in freeway operations and safety under congested traffic conditions (level of service E and F) particularly when there is high proportion of heavy vehicles. With increasing numbers of heavy vehicles in the traffic stream, model estimates of the traffic flow could be degrades because existing car‐following models do not differentiate between these vehicles and passenger cars. This study highlighted some of the differences in car‐following behaviour of heavy vehicle and passenger drivers and developed a model considering heavy vehicles. In this model, the local linear model tree approach was used to incorporate human perceptual imperfections into a car‐following model. Three different real world data sets from a stretch of freeway in USA were used in this study. Two of them were used for the training and testing of the model, and one of them was used for evaluation purpose. The performance of the model was compared with a number of existing car‐following models. The results showed that the model, which considers the heavy vehicle type, could predict car‐following behaviour of drivers better than the existing models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An interdisciplinary study to explore impacts from policies for the introduction of low carbon vehicles

Driven by concerns of climate change, governments across the world are introducing a number of policies to accelerate the uptake of low carbon vehicles (LCVs), with a specific focus on electric motors. However, there is uncertainty in the effectiveness of such policies and technology pathways, which are inherently interlinked. This article considers the short-term situation to 2020 and focuses on the concern that these policies may bring about some disproportionate impacts in society due to changes in mobility. An ethical framework is established that seeks to balance obligations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and rights to car ownership, then selected policies are modelled within this framework to assess acceptability of implementation. Although these policies are successful in introducing LCVs and reducing GHG emissions, findings also indicate uneven cost burdens and reduced affordability of car ownership. Following this, recommendations for policy amendments and model improvements are made.     

信号控制平面交叉口非机动车交通安全分析

运用统计方法研究非机动车与机动车的交通冲突,分析了非机动车在信号控制道路平面交叉口的交通安全.研究表明,非机动车交通流率的增加将导致非机动车和机动车交通冲突的增加.对于机动车车头时距和非机动车及机动车的行驶速度而言,存在一个非机动车和机动车交通冲突的高发区域;而在该区域的左右两侧,交通冲突趋于减少.最后,针对非机动车交通安全的内在机理提出5项改善措施.     

陇中干旱文化初探-以通渭文化研究为个案

通渭作为陇中地区的一个县份,特别干旱和贫苦,文化上形成了一系列非常鲜明的特征,表现为传统教育的滞重、切肤之饥饿意识、迷信神鬼、蝜蝂的命运、特别的坚韧等诸多方面。这些文化特征也是陇中地区干旱文化的特点。在某种程度上,这些文化特征也可向周围附近地方伸延。     

车用质子交换膜燃料电池系统技术现状

详细介绍了车用质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)系统的组成,描述了目前国内外PEMFC系统的技术状态及技术指标.     

基于行为融合的无人自动驾驶车辆的智能控制

针对动态环境下无人自动驾驶车辆控制的非线性、时变的特点,提出并设计了一种基于行为融合的无人驾驶车辆的智能控制策略。根据车辆行驶基于模糊逻辑方法设计了一系列的基本行为模式,用模糊控制的方法分别建立各行为模式控制器,进而对车辆的方向和速度进行控制。在行为选择机制设计中,对常用的行为竞争和行为融合2种方法进行分析比较后,提出限制各行为模式的使用范围,通过各行为的控制和融合,既达到有效避障,又能完成行驶目标的目的。通过几种典型障碍物环境下的避障仿真实验,结果显示设计达到了预期效果。