Stop-and-go traffic analysis: Theoretical properties,environmental impacts and oscillation mitigation

This study aims (i) to analyze theoretical properties of a recently proposed describing-function (DF) based approach (Li and Ouyang, 2011; Li et al., 2012) for traffic oscillation quantification, (ii) to adapt it for estimating fuel consumption and emission from traffic oscillation and (iii) to explore vehicle control strategies of smoothing traffic with advanced technologies. The DF approach was developed to predict traffic oscillation propagation across a platoon of vehicles following each other by a nonlinear car-following law with only the leading vehicle’s input. We first simplify the DF approach and prove a set of properties (e.g., existence and uniqueness of its solution) that assure its prediction is always consistent with observed traffic oscillation patterns. Then we integrate the DF approach with existing estimation models of fuel consumption and emission to analytically predict environmental impacts (i.e., unit-distance fuel consumption and emission) from traffic oscillation. The prediction results by the DF approach are validated with both computer simulation and field measurements. Further, we explore how to utilize advantageous features of emerging sensing, communication and control technologies, such as fast response and information sharing, to smooth traffic oscillation and reduce its environmental impacts. We extend the studied car-following law to incorporate these features and apply the DF approach to demonstrate how these features can help dampen the growth of oscillation and environmental impact measurements. For information sharing, we convert the corresponding extended car-following law into a new fixed point problem and propose a simple bisecting based algorithm to efficiently solve it. Numerical experiments show that these new car-following control strategies can effectively suppress development of oscillation amplitude and consequently mitigate fuel consumption and emission.     

海底溢油输移扩散的可视化数值模拟系统

为直观研究溢油在复杂水下环境中的动态行为,设计和开发一套海底溢油可视化数值模拟系统(SIMPACT-SOS).系统由数值模型、数据库和图形界面构成,具有地理信息系统(GIS)应用平台、数值建模分析、溢油数值模拟等专业功能.应用算例表明,SIMPACT-SOS系统可为海底沉船溢油、海底输油管道泄漏、海洋石油钻井井喷等水下污染事故的风险评估、应急决策及损害评估提供理论和技术支持.     

刘家沟水电站水工模型试验研究

通过对刘家沟水电站水工模型的优化试验,发现溢洪道进水渠右导墙体型采用两圆弧+直线段结构能够较好的解决泄流流态问题,而消能形式采用泄槽出口平台设T型墩+岸坡分散水流+平台挑射出流的联合结构亦能够达到令人满意的消能效果.     

大连“7·16”事故海上清污工作的深度思考

为及时应对大规模海上溢油污染事故,有效控制和消除污染,最大限度地降低溢油污染事故对海洋环境造成的影响.在分析大连“7·16”事故海上清污工作全过程的基础上,深入研究此次清污工作的成功经验和存在的问题.在国家和地方层面上,从体制、机制、法规、资金、装备和人员等方面提出加强我国海域和内河水域溢油应急能力建设的建议,对完善我国溢油应急体系,提升海上溢油污染事故的防治能力具有重要意义.     

三峡库区溢油预报模型构建及数值模拟

随着三峡库区通航条件改善和船舶流量的不断增加,库区水上溢油风险形势日益严峻.综合考虑风、流的作用,结合水动力方程、溢油漂移扩散的“油粒子”模型等,设计了适用于三峡库区船舶溢油预报模型,并从应急的角度出发,对水动力模型进行并行化改造,提高了预报速度.在此基础上对175 m水位库区的假想溢油事故进行了模拟,初步检验了溢油预测模型的效果.     

海上溢油应急能力评估研究

针对目前我国海上溢油应急能力评估现状,借鉴国内外其他领域应急能力评估模式的先进经验,建立了包含5个一级指标,20个二级指标的海上溢油应急能力评估指标体系.运用改进的层次分析法得出不同层次指标的权重,并结合某海区溢油应急能力现状评分,得到该海区海上溢油应急能力等级.研究表明,该评价指标体系合理、实用,可为海上溢油应急能力...     

墨西哥湾漏油事件中溢油应对处理方案研究

伴随着我国能源需求及海上石油运输量的大幅增长,我国海上发生溢油事故的风险也不断加大,针对海上大型溢油事故制定有效的溢油应对处理方案已成为我国的当务之急.该文通过对2010年4月发生在墨西哥湾的英国石油公司“深水地平线”平台泄漏事件进行研究,分析收集了此次事故过程中美国采用的主要溢油应急处理方案及值得借鉴的手段,为我国研究海上溢油应急方案提供了重要的参考和依据.     

论环境法医学在海事行政执法中的重要性

以溢油鉴定和溯源研究为主的环境法医学,被证明在海事行政执法中作用显著。文中在分析环境法医学的发展历史和定义的基础上,结合我国环境法医学的发展现状阐述了环境法医学在海事行政执法过程中的积极意义。     

Quantifying the benefit of responsive pricing and travel information in the stochastic congestion pricing problem

This paper is concerned with roadway pricing amidst the uncertainty which characterizes long-term transportation planning. Uncertainty is considered both on the supply-side (e.g., the effect of incidents on habitual route choice behavior) and on the demand-side (e.g., due to prediction errors in demand forecasting). The framework developed in this paper also allows the benefits of real-time travel information to be compared directly against the benefits of responsive pricing, allowing planning agencies to identify the value of these policy options or contract terms in publicly-operated toll roads. Specifically, six scenarios reflect different combinations of policy options, and correspond to different solution methods for optimal tolls. Demonstrations are provided on both the Sioux falls and Anaheim networks. Results indicate that providing information to drivers implemented alongside responsive tolling may reduce expected total system travel time by over 9%, though more than 8% of the improvement is due to providing information, with the remaining 1% improvement gained from responsive tolling.     

Rewarding rush-hour avoidance: A study of commuters’ travel behavior

Spitsmijden, peak avoidance in Dutch, is the largest systematic effort to date to study, in the field, the potential of rewards as a policy mean for changing commuter behavior. A 13 week field study was organized in The Netherlands with the purpose of longitudinally investigating the impacts of rewards on commuter behavior. Different levels and types of rewards were applied and behavior was tracked with state-of-the art detection equipment. Based on the collected data, which included also pre and post-test measurements, a mixed discrete choice model was estimated. The results suggest that rewards can be effective tools in changing commuting behavior. Specifically rewards reduce the shares of rush-hour driving, shift driving to off-peak times and increase the shares of public transport, cycling and working from home. Mediating factors include socio-demographic characteristics, scheduling constraints and work time flexibility, habitual behavior, attitudes to commuting alternatives, the availability of travel information and even the weather. The success of this study has encouraged adoption of rewards, as additional policy tools, to alleviate congestion, especially during temporary road closures.