Evolution of the household vehicle fleet: Anticipating fleet composition, PHEV adoption and GHG emissions in Austin, Texas

In today’s world of volatile fuel prices and climate concerns, there is little study on the relationship between vehicle ownership patterns and attitudes toward vehicle cost (including fuel prices and feebates) and vehicle technologies. This work provides new data on ownership decisions and owner preferences under various scenarios, coupled with calibrated models to microsimulate Austin’s personal-fleet evolution.Opinion survey results suggest that most Austinites (63%, population-corrected share) support a feebate policy to favor more fuel efficient vehicles. Top purchase criteria are price, type/class, and fuel economy. Most (56%) respondents also indicated that they would consider purchasing a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) if it were to cost $6000 more than its conventional, gasoline-powered counterpart. And many respond strongly to signals on the external (health and climate) costs of a vehicle’s emissions, more strongly than they respond to information on fuel cost savings.Twenty five-year simulations of Austin’s household vehicle fleet suggest that, under all scenarios modeled, Austin’s vehicle usage levels (measured in total vehicle miles traveled or VMT) are predicted to increase overall, along with average vehicle ownership levels (both per household and per capita). Under a feebate, HEVs, PHEVs and Smart Cars are estimated to represent 25% of the fleet’s VMT by simulation year 25; this scenario is predicted to raise total regional VMT slightly (just 2.32%, by simulation year 25), relative to the trend scenario, while reducing CO₂ emissions only slightly (by 5.62%, relative to trend). Doubling the trend-case gas price to $5/gallon is simulated to reduce the year-25 vehicle use levels by 24% and CO₂ emissions by 30% (relative to trend).Two- and three-vehicle households are simulated to be the highest adopters of HEVs and PHEVs across all scenarios. The combined share of vans, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), and cross-over utility vehicles (CUVs) is lowest under the feebate scenario, at 35% (versus 47% in Austin’s current household fleet). Feebate-policy receipts are forecasted to exceed rebates in each simulation year.In the longer term, gas price dynamics, tax incentives, feebates and purchase prices along with new technologies, government-industry partnerships, and more accurate information on range and recharging times (which increase customer confidence in EV technologies) should have added effects on energy dependence and greenhouse gas emissions.     

寒区公路隧道温度场及保温层的研究

随着寒区公路隧道的不断增多,寒区隧道的保温问题也受到广泛重视。为了分析计算此类隧道施工过程中的温度场,验证寒区隧道保温设计的必要性,确定保温设计的经济性和有效性,文章以某市西山隧道为背景,结合东北冻土的热力性质特点,利用大型有限元计算程序Ansys,对寒区隧道进行了模拟分析,并且将计算的理论数据与实际测定的数据进行对比,分析隧道开挖后围岩温度场的分布、初期支护以及二次衬砌的温度变化过程,对隧道保温效果进行评定。数据对比表明,将保温层设置在二次衬砌外侧是比较合理的,但在东北寒区,对于断面半径达7m的大断面隧道,仅使用40 mm厚的PU硬质聚氨酯泡沫板作为保温材料是不合理的。为使设计经济合理,保温材料在径向上可以采用不同的厚度。     

软弱围岩隧道修建新方法——核心土加固变形控制法

2006年我国铁路系统相关施工单位开始接触变形控制法隧道施工技术,经过长达5年的基础理论学习研究与准备,在铁道部和兰渝铁路公司的支持下,2011年由中铁瑞威公司和意大利土力公司联合在兰渝铁路桃树坪隧道进行了中国首次隧道核心土加固变形控制法应用试验研究,并取得成功。文章通过工程实践,对桃树坪隧道的工程概况、地质问题、施工工艺、施工设备及核心土加固控制变形技术的应用效果作了较详细介绍。     

Optimal funding allocation strategies for safety improvements on urban intersections

Urban intersections crashes cause significant economic loss. The safety management process undertaken by most states in the United States is referred to as Highway Safety Improvement Program and consists of three standardized steps: (i) identification of critical crash locations, (ii) development of countermeasures, and (iii) resource allocation among identified crash locations. Often these three steps are undertaken independently, with limited detail of each step at the state planning agencies. The literature review underlines the importance of the third step, and the lack of sophisticated tools available to state planning agencies for leveraging information obtained from the first two steps. Further, non-strategic approaches and unavailability of methods for evaluating policies may lead to sub-optimal funding allocation. This paper overcomes these limitations and proposes multiple optimal resource allocation strategies for improvements at urban intersections that maximize safety benefits, under budget and policy constraints. Proposed policy measures based on benefits maximization (economic competitiveness), equitable allocation (equity), and relaxation of mutually exclusiveness (multiple alternatives at one location) produce significantly different alternative and fund allocation. The proposed models are applied to selected intersections in four counties of southeast Michigan. Results reinforce the applicability of the strategies/policies and tools developed in this paper for safety project funding allocation on critical urban intersections.     

Transportation and income inequality in China: 1978–2007

This paper mainly studies how various types of transportation modes are associated with income inequality in China for the years between 1978 and 2007. Gini coefficients are used to measure the income inequality nationwide, and within urban and rural areas of China. Factors other than transportation are also considered in the regression model, including a few demographic variables and major economic indicators. We contribute to the literature by examining the income redistributive effects of transport infrastructure and services, and providing transport planning and policy guidance which may alter the orientation of public policy and help alleviate the growing social and economic imbalance in China.     

道路交通事故痕迹鉴定确定肇事车辆

道路交通事故检验鉴定为公安机关交通管理部门的事故处理提供科学、专业的技术支持。检查和核实道路交通事故的影响是对道路交通事故技术评估的基本方法。已成为解决许多事故问题的重要依据。本文根据道路交通事故痕迹鉴定的实际情况,针对公安机关交通管理部门涉及复杂、疑难、特殊技术问题的痕迹鉴定情况,提出了针对性的解决方案。     

三维空间路线连续性衰退对公路安全性影响分析

为深入分析公路三维空间线形连续性衰退对事故频数的影响,采集广东省内3条高等级公路243 km道路设计资料,共1 768条有效事故数据,利用Tobit回归模型分析三维空间路线连续性衰退对公路安全性的影响.应用微分几何空间的基本理论,提出公路线形连续性衰退表征参数,利用Tobit回归模型对数据样本中单元内总曲率差(TCD)...     

基于层次分析法的拉萨市交通安全评价模型研究

随着拉萨市经济水平的发展,城市道路交通安全变成了人们较为重视的社会问题.为改善道路交通安全现状,本文将从人为、车辆、道路和环境四个评价指标,采用层次分析法构建交通安全评价模型,对拉萨市交通安全进行评价分析,为城市道路交通安全提供参考依据.     

车载网络安全的系统设计研究及关键技术开发

本文介绍了车载网络安全的系统设计研究及关键技术开发,以应对黑客通过网联攻击车辆,建立智能网联汽车车内网络信息安全交互模型;分析“外部网络环境”与“车内ECU群体”之间进行“信息资源”交互过程中的安全风险,研究其对车内网络信息安全的破坏机理;利用基于密码学理论研究车内网络安全通信协议的设计方法,解决车内网络在智能网联汽车环境下面临的信息安全问题。     

国六柴油机颗粒物捕集器在工程应用中的关键问题分析

通过分析国六排放法规,并结合对OEM(Original Equipment Manufacturer)市场国六后处理技术的开发以及我国的特殊地理环境,总结了国六柴油机颗粒物捕集器(Diesel Particulate Filter,DPF)开发的重点、难点问题.综合来看,开发高目数、薄壁、非对称孔道结构及高强度的DPF...