Achieving transport modal split targets at intermodal freight hubs using a model predictive approach

The increase of international freight commerce is creating pressure on the existing transport network. Cooperation between the different transport parties (e.g., terminal managers, forwarders and transport providers) is required to increase the network throughput using the same infrastructure. The intermodal hubs are locations where cargo is stored and can switch transport modality while approaching the final destination. Decisions regarding cargo assignment are based on cargo properties. Cargo properties can be fixed (e.g., destination, volume, weight) or time varying (remaining time until due time or goods expiration date). The intermodal hub manager, with access to certain cargo information, can promote cooperation with and among different transport providers that pick up and deliver cargo at the hub. In this paper, cargo evolution at intermodal hubs is modeled based on a mass balance, taking into account hub cargo inflows and outflows, plus an update of the remaining time until cargo due time. Using this model, written in a state-space representation, we propose a model predictive approach to address the Modal Split Aware – Cargo Assignment Problem (MSA–CAP). The MSA–CAP concerns the cargo assignment to the available transport capacity such that the final destination can be reached on time while taking into consideration the transport modality used. The model predictive approach can anticipate cargo peaks at the hub and assigns cargo in advance, following a push of cargo towards the final destination approach. Through the addition of a modal split constraint it is possible to guide the daily cargo assignment to achieve a transport modal split target over a defined period of time. Numerical experiments illustrate the validity of these statements.     

Modeling time-of-day car use behavior: A Bayesian network approach

In this research, a Bayesian network (BN) approach is proposed to model the car use behavior of drivers by time of day and to analyze its relationship with driver and car characteristics. The proposed BN model can be categorized as a tree-augmented naive (TAN) Bayesian network. A latent class variable is included in this model to describe the unobserved heterogeneity of drivers. Both the structure and the parameters are learned from the dataset, which is extracted from GPS data collected in Toyota City, Japan. Based on inferences and evidence sensitivity analysis using the estimated TAN model, the effects of each single observed characteristic on car use measures are tested and found to be significant. The features of each category of the latent class are also analyzed. By testing the effect of each car use measure on every other measure, it is found that the correlations between car use measures are significant and should be considered in modeling car use behavior.     

Dynamic traffic metering in urban street networks: Formulation and solution algorithm

Traffic metering offers great potential to reduce congestion and enhance network performance in oversaturated urban street networks. This paper presents an optimization program for dynamic traffic metering in urban street networks based on the Cell Transmission Model (CTM). We have formulated the problem as a Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP) capable of metering traffic at network gates with given signal timing parameters at signalized intersections. Due to the complexities of the MILP model, we have developed a novel and efficient solution approach that solves the problem by converting the MILP to a linear program and several CTM simulation runs. The solution algorithm is applied to two case studies under different conditions. The proposed solution technique finds solutions that have a maximum gap of 1% of the true optimal solution and guarantee the maximum throughput by keeping some vehicles at network gates and only allowing enough vehicles to enter the network to prevent gridlocks. This is confirmed by comparing the case studies with and without traffic metering. The results in an adapted real-world case study network show that traffic metering can increase network throughput by 4.9–38.9% and enhance network performance.     

How the environmental impact affects the design of logistics networks based on cost minimization

The degree of centralization of the logistics network is one of the important strategic decisions to take. This issue has often been studied but mainly from a cost minimization focus. This research studies the influence of incorporating the environmental impact in logistics network design models, comparing the results with those obtained considering cost minimization only. A fuzzy biobjective optimization model is used to carry out a number of experiments. By weighting the relative importance of the two objectives, the differences with respect to the base cost minimization solution can be ascertained. Our results show that in general more material is moved through warehouses when the environmental impact is considered and more decentralized facilities are opened.     

Design,analysis and performance evaluation of a third order distributed protocol for platooning in the presence of time-varying delays and switching topologies

This paper is concerned with the problem of designing a decentralized consensus protocol for platooning of non-identical vehicles in the presence of heterogeneous time-varying communication delays. The proposed control protocol makes use of a state feedback and to this aim drivetrain dynamics are modeled as third-order linear systems. Necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence and exponential stability, derived by using an appropriate Krasovskii functional, demonstrate the ability of the platoon in reaching the required regime with an exponentially bounded behavior. The proposed LMI-based approach allows to estimate both delay margin and decay rate. Moreover, convergence is proven under switching communication network topologies by means of a Lyapunov-Razumikhin function, and the assessment of a string stable behavior has been also theoretically investigated. High-fidelity simulations with Plexe show the effectiveness of the theoretical results in different driving conditions and in the presence of external disturbances and communication impairment. Different communication channel models are used in the validation stage to further prove robustness of the proposed methodology with respect hard delay and packets losses.     

Plate scanning tools to obtain travel times in traffic networks

The management of vehicle travel times has been shown to be fundamental to traffic network analysis. To collect travel time measurement, some methods focus solely on isolated links or highway segments, and where two measurement points, at the beginning and at the end of a section, are deemed sufficient to evaluate users' travel time. However, in many cases, transport studies involve networks in which the problem is more complex. This article takes advantage of the plate scanning technique to propose an algorithm that minimizes the required number of registering devices and their location in order to identify vehicles candidates to compute the travel times of a given set of routes (or subroutes). The merits of the proposed method are explained using simple examples and are illustrated by its application to the real network of Ciudad Real.     

珠三角科技型小微企业协同创新网络的构建

珠三角地区作为我国重要的城市群之一,拥有众多的小微企业,这些企业的发展模式受到大家重视和关注。文中首先分析了珠三角科技型小微企业协同创新存在的问题,提出协同创新网络的构建是解决当前一些问题的有效措施;其次,在协同创新网络的构建中,分析了构建的主体要素、构建的模式、构建的过程和具体的构建框架;最后分析了构建后的协同创新网络的特征。     

基于神经网络和遗传算法的系泊线长度参数优化

摘 要: 针对多成分系泊线三段长度如何取值的问题,采用一种基于神经网络和遗传算法对深海多成分锚泊系统长度进行优化。应用AQWA软件计算多点系泊FPSO,其时域结果直接用于训练BP神经网络。从而利用神经网络的非线性映射功能构建替代锚泊时域计算网络,大大缩短了优化所需的时间。以FPSO最小平面运动值为目标函数,锚链破断强度作为约束条件,采用遗传算法优化系泊长度。计算结果表明,与传统设计的锚泊长度相比,优化后FPSO在各个浪向下纵荡横荡值均能减少20%以上。 关键词:系泊;神经网络;遗传算法;优化     

基于无线传感器网络的运动目标检测动态聚类图

有效的目标跟踪需要积极的传感器节点对运动目标群实行跟踪。与单目标跟踪相比,聚类在效能上有显著提高。本文提出准确的相干和非相干运动模式下目标的聚类,采用隐式动态时间框架来评估在创建连接组件加权图的目标关系史。该算法采用目标跟踪中定位算法的关键特征,即估计当前和预测的位置来确定移动目标的方向和距离的关系。模拟结果显示,通过动态调整历史窗口大小和预测目标之间的关系,可以显著提高聚类的准确性并减少运算时间。     

基于神经网络的感应电动机特性辨识新方法

提出并论证了一种基于神经网络的感应电动机特性辨识新方法,只需测得电机两相电流数值便可以辨识出电动机转矩和转速,用改进的Levenberg-Marquardt算法对神经网络进行学习和训练,构建了适合电动机转矩转速观测的BP神经网络。由于RBF神经网络无论是在逼近能力、函数拟合和学习速度方面都优于BP网络,也利用RBF网络进行了辨识。该方法较已经提出的方法相比,需要的检测量少,辨识方法简单。仿真研究表明,RBF神经网络辨识效果优于BP神经网络。