In-plane Dynamics of Tires on the Road Based on an Experimentally Verified Rolling Ring Model

The dynamic behavior of tires rolling on the road is predicted based on a ring model that is experimentally verified to well represent a real tire. The road contact is kinematically represented by two displacement constraints, one in radial and one in tangential direction. The displacement constraints are enforced via the receptance theory. The receptance matrix developed for the rolling tire is found to be Hermitian. Numerical results show that the natural (or eigen-) frequencies of the rolling tire with road contact are, as expected, higher than those of the tire with no contact. The influence of the rotating speed to the eigen-frquencies of the tire is also shown. Analytic expressions for the mode shapes of a rolling tire with ground contact are derived.     

Intra-Platoon Collision Behavior during Emergency Operations

This paper presents current research regarding intra-platoon collision dynamics for rapid decelerations. Measures of ride quality and impact severity are introduced to allow comparisons between different collision scenarios. In this study, the disturbance input to the platoon is assumed to be a rapid braking of the lead vehicle. Several deceleration rates are used to assess the overall platoon behavior and the effect of the intra-platoon collisions on the platoon passengers. The role of the desired headway spacing on preventing the occurrence of intra-platoon collisions and improving rider comfort is discussed.     

Ocean Citizenship: An Emergent Geographical Concept

Ocean citizenship describes a relationship between our everyday lives and the health of the coastal and marine environment. Through our everyday lives we affect, and are affected by, the marine and coastal environment in numerous ways. As such, individuals have a responsibility to make informed lifestyle choices to minimize this impact. In doing so, the actions of individuals can contribute to the amelioration of large-scale and seemingly insurmountable geographical problems. This article outlines the concept of ocean citizenship within the context of the public understanding of marine environmental issues. The article draws heavily on the experience of the National Maritime Museum as an important contributor to the development of ocean citizenship in the United Kingdom. Specifically, the Planet Ocean initiative will be examined, in which the Museum has adopted a multimodal approach to public engagement through exhibitions, educational resources, and specific research publications. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of geography in the development and sustainability of ocean citizenship.     

The Offshore Wind Power Debate: Views from Cape Cod

Wind power resources on the eastern U.S. continental shelf are estimated to be over 400 GW, several times the electricity used by U.S. eastern coastal states. The first U.S. developer proposes to build 130 large (40 story tall) wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, just outside Massachusetts state waters. These would provide 420 MW at market prices, enough electricity for most of Cape Cod. The project is opposed by a vigorous and well-financed coalition. Polling shows local public opinion on the project almost equally divided. This article draws on semistructured interviews with residents of Cape Cod to analyze values, beliefs, and logic of supporters and opponents. For example, one value found to lead to opposition is that the ocean is a special place that should be kept natural and free of human intrusion. One line of argument found to lead to support is: The war in Iraq is problematic, this war is “really” over petroleum, Cape Cod generates electricity from oil, therefore, the wind project would improve U.S. security. Based on analysis of the values and reasoning behind our interview data, we identify four issues that are relevant but not currently part of the debate.     

The economics of technological change in shipping

Management of technological change is among the most important problems in shipping management. Models representing the economic impact of technological change in shipping are presented and the use of technology productivity analysis as a method for effective management of technological change in shipping is proposed.     

Hierarchical logic in shipping policy and decision-making

Shipping policy is made and implemented under conditions of multiple objectives and constraints. It is often also subject to diverse interests and decision-makers, each with his own agenda. Policy alternatives usually have different financial, economic, market, environmental, and other implications, and, as a result, affect objectives and constraints differently. In turn, their desirability from the point of view of the various decision-makers will be influenced by complex sets of priorities. Shipping policy and decision-making involves the trade-off among a myriad of often conflicting objectives in the choice between alternative strategies. A hierarchical network approach to the determination of the most effective choice or strategy is proposed to represent the effect of policy alternatives on desired and undesired outcomes and the impact of these outcomes on the objectives and, as a result, the various interest groups supporting different policy objectives. The model suggested is based on the analytic hierarchy or expert choice process and permits consideration of both qualitative as well as quantitative performance measures and their impact on policy or decision objectives.     

Development and Evaluation of a High Voltage Supply Unit for Electrorheological Fluid Dampers

Controllable dampers using electrorheological (ER) fluids have attracted considerable interest in recent years. They are proposed for use in semi-active suspensions for ground vehicles. The main advantages of ER fluid dampers are their fast response, ease of control, simple construction and low power requirements. This paper describes the development and testing of a high-voltage supply unit for modulating the damping force of an ER fluid damper. Experimental results on the vibration isolation characteristics of an ER fluid damper with different control strategies, obtained using a quarter-car model test rig, are also presented.     

Development of an Anti-Lock Brake System for Motorcycle

An Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) system is developed for motorcycles using different control laws to improve the safety during emergent braking conditions. The mechanical design problem is first investigated so as to modify a scooter to be equipped with the proposed ABS brake system and to set up experimental test stand. For ABS control, the slip control, P1R3, and P2R4 methods are used to implement the controller using an Intel 80196KC single chip microcomputer. The hard-ware-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation is also performed in PC to check the performance in various road conditions including dry and wet roads. It is found experimentally that both P1R3 and P2R4 can both achieve ABS function, but P2R4 performs more desirably than P1R3 method.     

A Modular Computer Model for the Design of Vehicle Dynamics Control Systems1

This paper describes a multiport approach to computer-aided modeling of vehicle dynamics. The modeling approach produces models that are suitable for the interactive design and evaluation of complex control strategies. The vehicle model which can be used for ride and handling analysis, is built from modular components. The components are programmed using the syntax of the computer aided control system design (CACSD) program EASYS. Seven modeling components are used to create a three-dimensional vehicle dvnamics model. The model is flexible enoug-h to simulate any suspension design with revolute joints.

Each component of the model consists of a FORTRAN subroutine and a main calling module called a macro. To simplify the process of model building, the modeling components in the car model are designed to represent physical elements, such as the spring, damper, link or tire. To create a model, the components, which are represented by blocks, are interconnected through points, located on the blocks, called pons. These ports have been designed to simulate the location of the connection points between the physical elements, as observed in real systems. The construction of multibody models within a CACSD program offers the flexibility of simultaneous interactive simulation of the three-dimensional dvnamics and evaluation of the desien of the controls.

Although modeling of multibody systems using FORTRAN components has been pioneered by Chace, Haug and Orlandea; and bond graph modeling of multibody systems has been investigated by Bos, this approach is novel because:-

The model is included in the control system design program (EASYS). This arrangement allows the designer to exploit the advanced control design tools available in the program. Furthermore, this approach significantly reduces the computation time required for running the model after parameters modification.

The model is built from components that are interconnected by ports which represent the actual physical location of the connection points between the elements. The multiport approach simplifies the model building process for multibody systems. This simplification is achieved by reducing the model of a multibody system to a block diagram form.     

基于运量的国民经济效益网络计算法

通过对现行国民经济效益计算方法的研究,运用交通分配理论论证了现行计算方法中运量分析存在的问题。依据交通分配理论和消费者剩余理论,将交通建设项目吸引区内整个路网作为研究对象,建立了基于运量的国民经济效益网络计算法。实例计算表明该方法的有效性。