Use of hybrid vehicles in Japan: An analysis of used car market data

Despite the rapid market penetration of hybrid vehicles (HVs), their usage and contributions to environmental protection have not been examined by vehicle traveling data. In this paper, we analyzed Japan’s used car market data to understand how HVs are used on the street. We find GV drivers with high travel demand switched from GVs to HVs during the transition period. Despite HV owners driving much longer distances than conventional gasoline vehicle (GV) owners, they emit less carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, owing to better fuel economy. We also find that HV owners spend roughly the same amount of money annually as GV owners. However, the per-kilometer travel cost of HVs is much lower than that of GVs even if the depreciation cost of the vehicle and vehicle related taxes are included in the analysis.     

中国城市化与生态足迹的动态计量分析

首先对我国1978--2007年间的生态足迹进行了测算,然后对城市化与生态足迹进行单位根检验及协整检验,最后建立向量自回归模型,利用广义脉冲响应函数法对其关系进行了实证分析。研究结果表明,我国的快速城市化导致生态足迹的增加,即生态环境的恶化。     

CFRP圆柱螺旋弹簧静刚度预测理论及仿真

针对实心结构形式的碳纤维复合材料圆柱螺旋弹簧进行了建模分析,明确了相关的设计参数,提出了一种碳纤维复合材料圆柱螺旋弹簧的静刚度预测理论,进行了算例分析,并将理论预测结果与仿真结果进行了比较.结果表明,理论预测值与仿真值相比误差较小,该预测理论可用于碳纤维复合材料圆柱螺旋弹簧的静刚度设计.     

梯度碳纤维复合材料/铝合金复合多胞管斜压失稳研究

以碳纤维复合材料 （Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer/Plastic,CFRP） /铝合金复合多胞吸能管为研究对象,建立基于试验验证的高精度有限元模型,对比分析了CFRP/铝合金复合单胞管与多胞管在多角度斜向压缩工况下的动力学响应,阐明CFRP/铝合金复合多胞管的优缺点,解析CFRP与铝合金的吸能贡献机制。针对CFRP/铝合金多胞管大角度工况下的斜压失稳问题,提出一种基于CFRP梯度缠绕策略的失稳控制方法,明确了以CFRP正向梯度缠绕铝合金复合多胞管为基础构型的解决方案。通过对梯度厚度差值与梯度层数进行参数化研究,建立了高效精准的梯度设计策略,确保CFRP/铝合金复合多胞管在期望角度范围内始终保持稳定高效的变形模式,实现多工况综合耐撞性能的显著提升。研究 成果为多材料轻质安全车身结构的耐撞性设计提供理论指导与共性技术支撑。     

基于碳平衡法的汽车油耗测量方法

介绍了我国油耗测量方法标准情况以及常见的汽车油耗测量方法；阐述了碳平衡法的基本原理；分析了日本、美国、欧盟等油耗标准或法规的碳平衡法公式。通过示例比较了上述公式的计算结果以及主要影响因素，并与油耗仪实测结果进行了对比。最后指出欧盟碳平衡法公式比较简洁实用，值得我国借鉴。     

外部粘贴预应力碳纤维板技术加固桥梁结构的工程应用与评估

采用外部粘贴预应力碳纤维板技术对金刚桥进行加固。金刚桥是一座已使用40多年的钢筋混凝土简支T形梁桥,开裂严重,抗弯刚度退化,在汽车荷载作用下梁体挠曲变形明显,需要进行加固并提高其通行荷载。根据正截面承载力验算结果,确定在主梁底部和梁肋两侧尽可能接近底部的位置粘贴预应力碳纤维板进行加固,以提高抗弯强度。加固过程中采用结构基座式的预应力张拉设备对碳纤维板施加1 000 MPa的初始应力,并在桥梁支座处通过永久性锚具设置了可靠的锚固。加固完成后采用标准荷载对桥梁进行荷载试验。试验结果表明:应用预应力碳纤维板加固技术,桥梁结构承载力满足加固设计荷载要求,且挠曲变形显著减小,桥梁结构的内力分布得到明显改善。     

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Modeling financial least-cost pathways to compliance in Northwest California

The transition to low-carbon transportation fuels plays a key role in ongoing efforts to combat climate change. This analysis seeks to optimize potential alternative fuel portfolios that would lead to a 10% reduction in fuel carbon intensity by 2020 as required under California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).We present a novel, probabilistic modeling approach for evaluating alternative fuel portfolios based on their marginal greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement costs. Applied to a case study region in Northwest California, our model enables us to quantify the financial cost of GHG reduction via each fuel pathway, as well as for a portfolio deployed to meet the LCFS target. It also enables us to explore the sensitivity of the alternative fuel portfolio, evaluating the impact of fluctuating prices, fuel carbon intensities, and technology penetrations on the makeup of the portfolio and on the average cost of GHG abatement.We find that battery electric vehicles play a critical role, as they offer the lowest-financial-cost significant abatement in almost all plausible scenarios. However, electric vehicles alone will not be sufficient to reach the target; low-carbon biofuels can be expected to play a role in the achievement of 2020 Low Carbon Fuel Standard targets.     

Combining pickups and deliveries in vehicle routing – An assessment of carbon emission effects

This paper studies the effect on carbon emissions of consolidation of shipments on trucks. New positioning and communication technologies, as well as decision support systems for vehicle routing, enable better utilization of vehicle capacity, reduced travel distance, and thereby carbon emission reductions. We present a novel carbon emission analysis method that determines the emission savings obtained by an individual transport provider, who receives customer orders for outbound deliveries as well as pickup orders from supply locations. The transport provider can improve vehicle utilization by performing pickups and deliveries jointly instead of using separate trucks. In our model we assume that the transport provider minimizes costs by use of a tool that calculates detailed vehicle routing plans, i.e., an assignment of each transport order to a specific vehicle in the fleet, and the sequence of customer visit for each vehicle. We compare a basic set-up, in which pickups and deliveries are segregated and performed with separate vehicles, with two consolidation set-ups where pickups and deliveries may be mixed more or less freely on a single vehicle. By allowing mixing, the average vehicle load will increase and the total driven distance will decrease. To compare carbon emissions for the three set-ups, we use a carbon assessment method that uses the distance driven and the average load factor. An increase in the load factor can reduce part of the emission savings from consolidation. We find that emission savings are relatively large in case of small vehicles and for delivery and pickup locations that are relatively far from the depot. However, if a truck visits many demand and supply locations before returning to the depot, we observe negligible carbon emission decreases or even emission increases for consolidation set-ups, meaning that in such cases investing in consolidation through joint pickups and deliveries may not be effective. The results of our study will be useful for transport users and providers, policymakers, as well as vehicle routing technology vendors.     

The carbon footprint of business travel in the knowledge-intensive service sector

We explore the travel needs and patterns, and the corresponding carbon footprint, of small service organizations during different phases of knowledge-intensive business processes, and compare the results with the priorities given to travel-related goals by staff. We apply a combination of focus group data, mobile positioning, and individual follow-up interviews as study methods. The need for physical travel is determined by a combination of the perceived potential for knowledge creation and transfer offered by each trip, the strength of interpersonal relationships in business networks, and the significance of the travel goal in terms of economic sustainability. The priorities given to travel goals reflect the environmental load of business travel only in domestic contexts, where executing core business processes accounted for the highest carbon footprint. We propose the ways in which the management of business interactions could take into account sociotechnical environment and social recognition of low-carbon communication and travel modes.     

Energetic,environmental and economic performance of electric vehicles: Experimental evaluation

Fuelled by a rapidly rising human global population, an increasing demand for freedom to travel and the affordability made possible by modern manufacturing there has been an exponential rise in the number of automobiles – in the year 2013 there were in excess of a billion automobiles in use! Three factors that are of serious concern are the consequential energetic, environmental and economic impacts. One solution that is being seen by a number of national governments is the advent (or rather re-introduction) of electric vehicles (EVs). However, one of the key factors that will need to be explored will be the source of the required electricity for the EVs that will define the level of their sustainability.In this article an experimental evaluation of an electric vehicle has been undertaken. The Renault Zoe e-car has been used for this task with the ‘car chasing’ technique employed to measure the driving cycle. The speed and energy use were recorded for the vehicle that was driven along the principal arteries of the City of Edinburgh, Scotland. In a separate activity vehicle driving tests were also undertaken in one town in Slovenia (Celje). In both places urban and suburban routes were covered for different times of the day. Results are presented to quantify the energetic, environmental and economic performance indices for the driven vehicle. A discussion is also provided on the potential for reduction of carbon emissions from the transport sector by provision of environmentally-friendly means of generating electricity.