Air pollution from ships: Recent developments

All developments on air pollution by ships are fairly recent. Annex VI of the international Marpol-convention, regulating the emissions of CFCs, Halons, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from cargoes, emissions from incinerators and exhaust gas emissions from engines (NO_x and SO_x) entered into force in May 2005. The International Maritime Organization is currently discussing an upgrade of the air pollution issues covered by Annex VI and some that are not in Annex VI, such as greenhouse gas emissions. CO₂ is the most important greenhouse gas emitted by ship. Fuel consumption by the world merchant fleet is expected to grow to between 250–300 million tons per year with corresponding CO₂ emissions of 800–960 million tons per year. In Western Europe land based measures have reduced sulphur emissions substantially, leaving shipping as an important remaining source of these emissions. Average sulphur content of heavy fuel oils is 3%, with a limit of 4.5% imposed by Annex VI. Both the Baltic- and the North Sea have the status of SO_x emission control area, limiting sulphur content to 1.5%.     

Bus Priority Using pre-signals

The need to provide efficient public transport services in urban areas has led to the implementation of bus priority measures in many congested cities. Much interest has recently centred on priority at signal controlled junctions, including the concept of pre-signals, where traffic signals are installed at or near the end of a with-flow bus lane to provide buses with priority access to the downstream junction. Although a number of pre-signals have now been installed in the U.K., particularly in London, there has been very little published research into their design, operation and optimisation. This paper addresses these points through the development of analytical procedures which allow pre-implementation evaluation of specific categories of pre-signals. The paper initially sets out three categories of pre-signal, which have different operating characteristics, different requirements for signalling and different impacts on capacity and delay. Key issues concerning signalling arrangements for these categories are then discussed, together with a summary of the analytical approach adopted and the assumptions required. Equations are developed to allow appropriate signal timings to be calculated for pre-signalised intersections. Further equations are then developed to enable delays to priority and non-priority traffic, with and without pre-signals, to be estimated with delay being taken here as the key performance criterion. The paper concludes with three application examples illustrating how the equations are applied and the impacts of pre-signals in different situations.The analyses confirm the potential benefits of pre-signals, where these signals apply to non-priority traffic only. Where buses are also subject to a pre-signal, it is shown that disbenefits to buses can often occur, unless bus detectors are used to gain priority signalling.     

低阻通风船体的远程控制测试平台开发（英文）

This paper addresses the development and testing of a remotely controlled boat platform with an innovative air-ventilated hull. The application of air cavities on the underside of ship hulls is a promising means for reducing hydrodynamic drag and pollutant emissions and increasing marine transportation efficiency. Despite this concept’s potential, design optimization and high-performance operation of novel air-cavity ships remain a challenging problem. Hull construction and sensor instrumentation of the model-scale air-cavity boat is described in the paper. The modular structure of the hull allows for easy modifications, and an electric propulsion unit enables self-propelled operation. The boat is controlled remotely via a radio transmission system. Results of initial tests are reported, including thrust, speed, and airflow rate in several loading conditions. The constructed platform can be used for optimizing air-cavity systems and testing other innovative hull designs. This system can be also developed into a high-performance unmanned boat.     

Unsteady finite-depth effects during resistance tests on a ship model in a towing tank

This paper covers an extension of the study of Doctors et al. (J Ship Res 52(4):263–273, 2008) on oscillations in wave resistance during the constant-velocity phase of a towing-tank resistance test on a ship model to the case of relatively shallow water. We demonstrate here that the unsteady effects are very prominent and that it is essentially impossible to achieve a steady-state resistance curve in a towing tank of typical proportions for a water-depth-to-model-length ratio of 0.25. This statement is particularly true in the speed region near a depth Froude number of unity. However, on the positive side, we show here that an application of unsteady linearized wave-resistance theory provides an excellent prediction of the measured total resistance, when one accounts for the form factor in the usual manner. Finally, a simple application of the results to the planning and analysis of towing-tank tests is presented.     

Innovative strategies for urban car-sharing systems and a simulator to assess their performance

In this paper, three innovative car-sharing systems for urban areas are proposed, based on fleets of individual intelligent vehicles with three service characteristics: instant access, open-ended reservations and one-way trips. These features provide high flexibility but create an uneven distribution of vehicles among stations. Therefore, relocation of vehicles must be performed. Three different system procedures are proposed: in the first system, relocations are performed by users; in the other two, vehicles relocate automatically, thanks to their automation. In the first two systems, vehicles are accessible only at stations, whereas in the third they are also accessible along roads. In order to provide transport managers with a tool to test systems in different realities, an object-oriented simulator is developed. The simulation provides outputs of system performance, in terms of user waiting times and system efficiency. The proposed systems are simulated for the city of Genoa, in Italy, and a comparative analysis is presented.     

欧洲客车装备的发展

有人问笔者:过去40年里城市客车与长途/旅游客车装备的发展情况。在解答这个问题之前,笔者有必要做一个简要的自我介绍,以便更加清楚为什么世界客车联盟组织要笔者来作这个演讲。笔者从1967年开始从事客车营销工作。当时笔者加入了有名的范胡尔贝尔格兰客车制造商,作为比利时、     

Coastal management issues for the mouth of the river murray,South Australia

Abstract

This paper examines the management issues relating to the potential closure of the mouth of Australia's largest river. The importance of maintaining the river mouth is outlined, together with the implications of restricted river flow and the management response following the most recent closure of the mouth in 1981. One of the major unresolved issues is the question of responsibility and funding, which has arisen because of overlapping jurisdictions on either side of the river mouth and a lack of jurisdiction f or the mouth itself, which is an administrative boundary.     

Silicon dynamics in the Oder estuary, Baltic Sea

Studies on dissolved silicate (DSi) and biogenic silica (BSi) dynamics were carried out in the Oder estuary, Baltic Sea in 2000–2005. The Oder estuary proved to be an important component of the Oder River–Baltic Sea continuum where very intensive seasonal DSi uptake during spring and autumn, but also BSi regeneration during summer take place. Owing to the regeneration process annual DSi patterns in the river and the estuary distinctly differed; the annual patterns of DSi in the estuary showed two maxima and two minima in contrast to one maximum- and one minimum-pattern in the Oder River. DSi concentrations in the river and in the estuary were highest in winter (200–250 μmol dm^− 3) and lowest (often less than 1 μmol dm^− 3) in spring, concomitant with diatom growth; such low values are known to be limiting for new diatom growth. Secondary DSi summer peaks at the estuary exit exceeded 100 μmol dm^− 3, and these maxima were followed by autumn minima coinciding with the autumn diatom bloom. Seasonal peaks in BSi concentrations (ca. 100 μmol dm^− 3) occurred during the spring diatom bloom in the Oder River. Mass balance calculations of DSi and BSi showed that DSi + BSi import to the estuary over a two year period was 103.2 kt and that can be compared with the DSi export of 98.5 kt. The difference between these numbers gives room for ca. 2.5 kt BSi to be annually exported to the Baltic Sea. Sediment cores studies point to BSi annual accumulation on the level of 2.5 kt BSi. BSi import to the estuary is on the level of ca. 10.5 kt, thus ca. 5 kt of BSi is annually converted into the DSi, increasing the pool of DSi that leaves the system. BSi concentrations being ca. 2 times higher at the estuary entrance than at its exit remain in a good agreement with the DSi and BSi budgeting presented in the paper.     

Modelling navigation in muddy areas through captive model tests

Many access channels and harbours suffer from sedimentation and formation of mud layers. To keep navigation safe and economic, extensive maintenance dredging is needed. Until now, the required level of dredging has always been determined by making use of the physical characteristics of the mud layer, which does not necessarily result in efficient dredging. Ship behaviour also matters, and knowledge of ship manoeuvrability can help to redefine the level of dredging required. A mathematical model of manoeuvring for simulation purposes, based on a comprehensive series of captive model tests, is presented, along with a selection of results.