Improving rail network velocity: A machine learning approach to predictive maintenance

Rail network velocity is defined as system-wide average speed of line-haul movement between terminals. To accommodate increased service demand and load on rail networks, increase in network velocity, without compromising safety, is required. Among many determinants of overall network velocity, a key driver is service interruption, including lowered operating speed due to track/train condition and delays caused by derailments. Railroads have put significant infrastructure and inspection programs in place to avoid service interruptions. One of the key measures is an extensive network of wayside mechanical condition detectors (temperature, strain, vision, infrared, weight, impact, etc.) that monitor the rolling-stock as it passes by. The detectors are designed to alert for conditions that either violate regulations set by governmental rail safety agencies or deteriorating rolling-stock conditions as determined by the railroad.Using huge volumes of historical detector data, in combination with failure data, maintenance action data, inspection schedule data, train type data and weather data, we are exploring several analytical approaches including, correlation analysis, causal analysis, time series analysis and machine learning techniques to automatically learn rules and build failure prediction models. These models will be applied against both historical and real-time data to predict conditions leading to failure in the future, thus avoiding service interruptions and increasing network velocity. Additionally, the analytics and models can also be used for detecting root cause of several failure modes and wear rate of components, which, while do not directly address network velocity, can be proactively used by maintenance organizations to optimize trade-offs related to maintenance schedule, costs and shop capacity. As part of our effort, we explore several avenues to machine learning techniques including distributed learning and hierarchical analytical approaches.     

Modeling design of military equipment operational concepts by MBSE北大核心CSCD

［Objectives］In order to give full play to role of "operational concepts" in the engineering process of military equipment development, it is necessary to understand and form standardized operational concept documents (OCD), and study the modeling design of OCD in order to implement the transformation of the system engineering process from document-centric to model-centric. ［Methods］This study analyzes the US military's definition of operational concepts and introduces its hierarchical operational concepts, especially the bottom level ConOps or OpsCon, usually as a part of equipment acquisition and requirement engineering. Lessons are then drawn from the relevant theories and standards such as IEEE 29148:2018 and ANSI/AIAA G-043B-2018 of the operational concepts document outline in order to design the specifications of the OCD. Finally, key technologies are studied, including SysML-based OpsCon modeling, UML Profile-based OpsCon framework design and MSDL/C-BML-based operational scenario development.［Result］The results indicate the effectiveness of implementing the modeling design of OCDs. ［Conclusions］In the process of equipment requirement engineering, the results of this study can help to improve the efficiency of equipment requirement demonstration through an ambiguous operational concept model and an engineering environment for all stakeholders of the system. © 2022 Journal of Clinical Hepatology. All rights reserved.     

Assessing social equity in distance based transit fares using a model of travel behavior

The goal of this study is to develop and apply a new method for assessing social equity impacts of distance-based public transit fares. Shifting to a distance-based fare structure can disproportionately favor or penalize different subgroups of a population based on variations in settlement patterns, travel needs, and most importantly, transit use. According to federal law, such disparities must be evaluated by the transit agency, but the area-based techniques identified by the Federal Transit Authority for assessing discrimination fail to account for disparities in distances travelled by transit users. This means that transit agencies currently lack guidelines for assessing the social equity impacts of replacing flat fare with distance-based fare structures. Our solution is to incorporate a joint ordinal/continuous model of trip generation and distance travelled into a GIS Decision Support System. The system enables a transit planner to visualize and compare distance travelled and transit-cost maps for different population profiles and fare structures. We apply the method to a case study in the Wasatch Front, Utah, where the Utah Transit Authority is exploring a switch to a distance-based fare structure. The analysis reveals that overall distance-based fares benefit low-income, elderly, and non-white populations. However, the effect is geographically uneven, and may be negative for members of these groups living on the urban fringe.     

内容教学法在高职英语教学中的应用

本文介绍了英语教学中一种新的教学思路——内容教学法。它强调通过内容学习来提高语言技能。在我院大学英语改革中，我们将内容教学法引人大学英语课堂，取得了良好的教学效果。     

集装箱场桥发动机双速节能装置的研制

集装箱场桥在作业中存在待机空耗的情况。针对此问题,提出了场桥进行双速发电改造的方案,以满足场桥生产终端等必要用电设备的不间断供电。介绍了双速发电装置和该装置节能的原理,并介绍了改装后的使用效果。     

Computational fluid dynamics-based multiobjective optimization of a surface combatant using a global optimization method

The main objective of this article is to describe the development of two advanced multiobjective optimization methods based on derivative-free techniques and complex computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Alternatives for the geometry and mesh manipulation techniques are also described. Emphasis is on advanced strategies for the use of computer resource-intensive CFD solvers in the optimization process: indeed, two up-to-date free surface-fitting Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation solvers are used as analysis tools for the evaluation of the objective function and functional constraints. The two optimization methods are realized and demonstrated on a real design problem: the optimization of the entire hull form of a surface combatant, the David Taylor Model Basin—Model 5415. Realistic functional and geometrical constraints for preventing unfeasible results and to get a final meaningful design are enforced and discussed. Finally, a recently proposed verification and validation methodology is applied to assess uncertainties and errors in simulation-based optimization, based on the differences between the numerically predicted improvement of the objective function and the actual improvement measured in a dedicated experimental campaign. The optimized model demonstrates improved characteristics beyond the numerical and experimental uncertainty, confirming the validity of the simulation-based design frameworks.     

计算机联锁仿真试验自动执行平台研究

介绍车站计算机联锁仿真试验通过计算机技术模拟人工操作,实现仿真试验自动执行平台的方案。通过分析当前计算机联锁仿真试验的现状,提出采用自动执行平台的解决方案,从平台任务设计、功能接口、执行流程等主要方面论述平台的方案实现,最后通过平台初版的示例站应用验证方案的效果,分析平台研究的下一阶段目标及未来价值。     

The application of reliability methods in the design of tophat stiffened composite panels under in-plane loading

Composite materials have been widely used in modern engineering fields such as aircraft, space and marine structures due to their high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios. However, structural efficiency gained through the adoption of composite materials can only be guaranteed by understanding the influence of production upon as-designed performance. In particular, topologies that are challenging to production including panels stiffened with pi or tophat stiffeners dominate many engineering applications and often observe complex loading. The design of stiffened composite panels against buckling is a key point of composite structures. While a growing number of studies are related to the reliability analysis of composites few of these relate to the local analysis of more complicated structures. Furthermore for the assessment of these structures in a design environment it is important to have models that allow the rapid assessment of the reliability of these local structures. This paper explores the use of a stochastic approach to the design of stiffened composite panels for which typical applications can be found in composite ship structures. A parametric study is conducted using Navier grillage theory and First-order Reliability Methods to investigate any detectable trend in the safety index with various design parameters. Finally, recommendations are made to provide guidance on applications.     

Interactive image-based information visualization for aircraft trajectory analysis

Objectives: The objective of the presented work is to present novel methods for big data exploration in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) domain. Data is formed by sets of airplane trajectories, or trails, which in turn records the positions of an aircraft in a given airspace at several time instants, and additional information such as flight height, speed, fuel consumption, and metadata (e.g. flight ID). Analyzing and understanding this time-dependent data poses several non-trivial challenges to information visualization.Materials and methods: To address this Big Data challenge, we present a set of novel methods to analyze aircraft trajectories with interactive image-based information visualization techniques.As a result, we address the scalability challenges in terms of data manipulation and open questions by presenting a set of related visual analysis methods that focus on decision-support in the ATC domain. All methods use image-based techniques, in order to outline the advantages of such techniques in our application context, and illustrated by means of use-cases from the ATC domain.Results: For each considered use-case, we outline the type of questions posed by domain experts, data involved in addressing these questions, and describe the specific image-based techniques we used to address these questions. Further, for each of the proposed techniques, we describe the visual representation and interaction mechanisms that have been used to address the above-mentioned goals. We illustrate these use-cases with real-life datasets from the ATC domain, and show how our techniques can help end-users in the ATC domain discover new insights, and solve problems, involving the presented datasets.     

基于光缆传输的信号系统拓展探讨

在总结国内铁路信号系统设计的基础上,结合国外部分项目的实施情况,提出光缆替代部分电缆,搭建基于光缆传输的信号系统结构,并讨论目前国内信号系统结构拓展的可能性。