A rolling horizon algorithm for auto-carrier transportation

This paper introduces a rolling horizon algorithm to plan the delivery of vehicles to automotive dealers by a heterogeneous fleet of auto-carriers. The problem consists in scheduling the deliveries over a multiple-day planning horizon during which requests for transportation arrive dynamically. In addition, the routing of the auto-carriers must take into account constraints related to the loading of the vehicles on the carriers. The objective is to minimize the sum of traveled distances, fixed costs for auto-carrier operation, service costs, and penalties for late deliveries. The problem is solved by a heuristic that first selects the vehicles to be delivered in the next few days and then optimizes the deliveries by an iterated local search procedure. A branch-and-bound search is used to check the feasibility of the loading. To handle the dynamic nature of the problem, the complete algorithm is applied repeatedly in a rolling horizon framework. Computational results on data from a major European logistics service provider show that the heuristic is fast and yields significant improvements compared to the sequential solution of independent daily problems.     

Probabilistic fatigue analysis of marine structures using the univariate dimension-reduction method

Probabilistic fatigue analysis of offshore structures requires the numerical simulation of a huge number of loading cases to compute the long-term multi-dimensional integral associated to the fatigue damage assessment. This paper proposes the implementation of the univariate dimension-reduction method developed by Rahman and Xu [1] in order to compute the long-term fatigue damage more efficiently. This method is particularly attractive because it reduces significantly the number of simulations by decomposing the N-dimensional integral associated to expected long-term fatigue damage assessment into the sum of N one-dimensional integrals. In addition, this paper compares the univariate-dimension reduction method with the brute force direct integration methodology and other methods based on Taylor expansions, such as perturbation approach and asymptotic expansion method discussed by Low and Cheung [2]. Two comprehensive examples are included to show the effectiveness of the method. At first, the performance of the univariate dimension-reduction method is evaluated by assessing the fatigue damage of a theoretical structure represented by a single stress response amplitude operator (RAO). Then, in order to show a case of practical application, the fatigue damage is evaluated for a Steel Lazy Wave Riser (SLWR) connected to an FPSO in a water depth of 2200 m.     

铁路路基动态变形模量的数值模拟分析

介绍铁路路基动态变形模量理论计算公式的推导及动态变形模量的测试原理,采用有限元软件模拟动态变形模量的测试过程,分析承载板与土体接触压力、路基动态变形模量的影响因素,并计算动态变形模量的有效测试深度.结果表明:在承载板中心一定范围内,接触压力模拟结果较理论计算值大;土体的动弹性模量对接触压力影响很小,可以忽略;路基动态变形模量测试冲击荷载作用下,土体只发生弹性变形;动态变形模量与土体动弹性模量呈线性关系,路基动态变形模量的模拟结果大于理论计算值;土体的泊松比对动态变形模量影响较小;动态变形模量有效测试深度建议取0.5~0.6 m.     

Passenger oriented railway disruption management by adapting timetables and rolling stock schedules

In passenger railway operations, unforeseen events require railway operators to adjust their timetable and their resource schedules. The passengers will also adapt their routes to their destinations. When determining the new timetable and rolling stock schedule, the railway operator has to take passenger behavior into account. The operator should increase the capacity of trains for which the operator expects more demand than on a regular day. Furthermore, the operator could increase the frequency of the trains that serve stations with an additional demand.This paper describes a real-time disruption management approach which integrates the rescheduling of the rolling stock and the timetable by taking the changed passenger demand into account. The timetable decisions are limited to additional stops of trains at stations at which they normally would not call. Several variants of the approach are suggested, with the difference in how to determine which additional stops should be executed.Real-time rescheduling requires fast solutions. Therefore a heuristic approach is used. We demonstrate the performance of the several variants of our algorithm on realistic instances of Netherlands Railways, the major railway operator in the Netherlands.     

Integrated vehicle and powertrain optimization for passenger vehicles with vehicle-infrastructure communication

This research proposes an optimal controller to improve fuel efficiency for a vehicle equipped with automatic transmission traveling on rolling terrain without the presence of a close preceding vehicle. Vehicle acceleration and transmission gear position are optimized simultaneously to achieve a better fuel efficiency. This research leverages the emerging Connected Vehicle technology and utilizes present and future information—such as real-time dynamic speed limit, vehicle speed, location and road topography—as optimization input. The optimal control is obtained using the Relaxed Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle. The benefit of the proposed optimal controller is significant compared to the regular cruise control and other eco-drive systems. It varies with the hill length, grade, and the number of available gear positions. It ranges from an increased fuel saving of 18–28% for vehicles with four-speed transmission and 25–45% for vehicles with six-speed transmission. The computational time for the optimization is 1.0–2.1 s for the four-speed vehicle and 1.8–3.9 s for the six-speed vehicle, given a 50 s optimization time horizon and 0.1 s time step. The proposed controller can potentially be used in real-time.     

The Kalker book of tables for non-Hertzian contact of wheel and rail

A new regularisation of non-elliptical contact patches has been introduced, which enables building the look-up table called by us the Kalker book of tables for non-Hertzian contact (KBTNH), which is a fast creep force generator that can be used by multibody dynamics system simulation programs. The non-elliptical contact patch is regularised by a simple double-elliptical contact region (SDEC). The SDEC region is especially suitable for regularisation of contact patches obtained with approximate non-Hertzian methods for solving the normal contact problem of wheel and rail. The new regularisation is suitable for wheels and rails with any profiles, including worn profiles.

The paper describes the new procedure of regularisation of the non-elliptical contact patch, the structure of the Kalker book of tables, and parameterisation of the independent variables of the tables and creep forces.

A moderate volume Kalker book of tables for SDEC region suitable for simulation of modern running gears has been computed in co-simulation of Matlab and program CONTACT.

To access the creep forces of the Kalker book of tables, the linear interpolation has been applied.

The creep forces obtained from KBTNH have been compared to those obtained by program CONTACT and FASTSIM algorithm. FASTSIM has been applied on both the contact ellipse and the SDEC contact patch. The comparison shows that KBTNH is in good agreement with CONTACT for a wide range of creepage condition and shapes of the contact patch, whereas the use of FASTSIM on the elliptical patch and SDEC may lead to significant deviations from the reference CONTACT solutions.

The computational cost of calling creep forces from KBTNH has been estimated by comparing CPU time of FASTSIM and KBTNH. The KBTNH is 7.8–51 times faster than FASTSIM working on 36–256 discretisation elements, respectively.

In the example of application, the KBTNH has been applied for curving simulations and results compared with those obtained with the creep force generator employing the elliptical regularisation. The results significantly differ, especially in predicted creepages, because the elliptical regularisation neglects generation of the longitudinal creep force by spin creepage.     

基于发动机台架考核方法的气缸盖高周疲劳特性研究

依据发动机台架考核规范,运用疲劳强度理论,对某铸铁气缸盖进行高周疲劳强度评估。明确温度和应力随考核工况改变的变化行为,研究气缸盖各区域受工作载荷的影响状况,为缸盖寿命评估模型提供载荷边界。结合疲劳理论,在考虑材料修正的基础上进行了疲劳特性分析和损伤状况分析。分析表明,气缸盖各区域的疲劳安全系数均大于1,视为安全,但冷却钻孔区域的安全裕度较小。     

基于名义应力法的动车组车体净水箱吊装部件疲劳强度分析

针对高速运行动车组车体悬挂设备振动疲劳损伤问题,以某型动车组车顶净水箱吊装结构为研究对象,采用名义应力法对吊装结构的焊缝部位进行疲劳强度评估.根据EN 12663标准确定净水箱的工作载荷工况,采用有限元法计算了各工况下结构的振动响应,并基于BS标准计算了焊缝疲劳评估点的寿命.假定各载荷工况出现频率相同的情况下,构造了工作载荷历程,采用Fe-safe软件对焊缝的疲劳寿命进行了仿真分析.两种方法分析结果均表明:焊缝1与焊缝2寿命最低,是结构最易发生疲劳破坏的位置;焊缝位于筋板表面的焊趾寿命低于位于主支撑板表面的焊趾寿命.     

基于VDI2230-2003标准的动车组车钩联接螺栓强度分析

使用ANSYS软件对某车钩安装座及其联接螺栓进行接触非线性静强度计算,在此基础上基于德国《VDI2230-2003螺栓强度校核标准》对螺栓进行强度评估,并和传统《机械设计手册》计算的结果进行比较,得出两种方法的计算值均满足强度要求,同时前者计算的轴向拉应力水平为后者计算的应力水平的72%,但剪切应力两者相同.     

高速铁路声屏障在列车脉动风载荷下的强度计算

为了得到高速列车声屏障在列车经过时的受力规律,建立了声屏障的外流场模型和有限元模型。利用流固耦合技术,计算分析了声屏障的三维动态流场和结构模型,得到了列车风气动力特性和H钢立柱的受力规律。计算结果表明:列车经过时声屏障受到的压力为一个随时间变化且不均匀分布的面载荷。H钢立柱发生弯扭组合变形,弯矩扭矩各经历两次换向。每当列车经过一次,等效应力产生四个脉冲。H钢立柱受到的应力不大,可能出现疲劳破坏。