COMPARATIVE STUDY ON EXHAUST EMISSIONS FROM DIESEL- AND CNG-POWERED URBAN BUSES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

COROLLER, P; PLASSAT, G

2003-08-24

Couple years ago, ADEME engaged programs dedicated to the urban buses exhaust emissions studies. The measures associated with the reduction of atmospheric and noise pollution has particular importance in the sector of urban buses. In many cases, they illustrate the city's environmental image and contribute to reinforcing the attractiveness of public transport. France's fleet in service, presently put at about 14,000 units, consumes about 2 per cent of the total energy of city transport. It causes about 2 per cent of the HC emissions and from 4 to 6 per cent of the NOx emissions and particles. These vehicles typically have a long life span (about 15 years) and are relatively expensive to buy, about 150.000 euros per unit. Several technical solutions were evaluated to quantify, on a real condition cycle for buses, on one hand pollutants emissions, fuel consumption and on the other hand reliability, cost in real existing fleet. This paper presents main preliminary results on urban buses exhaust emission on two different cases: - existing Diesel buses, with fuel modifications (Diesel with low sulphur content), Diesel with water emulsion and bio-Diesel (30% oil ester in standard Diesel fuel); renovating CNG powered Euro II buses fleet, over representative driving cycles, set up by ADEME and partners. On these cycles, pollutants (regulated and unregulated) were measured as well as fuel consumption, at the beginning of a program and one year after to quantify reliability and increase/decrease of pollutants emissions. At the same time, some after-treatment technologies were tested under real conditions and several vehicles. Information such as fuel consumption, lubricant analysis, problem on the technology were following during a one year program. On the overall level, it is the combination of various action, pollution-reduction and renewal that will make it possible to meet the technological challenge of reducing emissions and fuel consumption by urban bus

Studies of self-pollution in diesel school buses: methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Borak, Jonathan; Sirianni, Greg

2007-09-01

Considerable interest has focused on levels of exhaust emissions in the cabins of diesel-powered school buses and their possible adverse health effects. Significantly different policy and engineering issues would be raised if compelling evidence found that inc-cabin contamination was due to self-pollution from bus emissions, rather than ambient pollution, neighboring vehicles, and/or re-entrained road dust. We identified 19 reports from 11 studies that measured diesel exhaust particulate in the cabins of 58 school bus of various type. Studies were evaluated in light of their experimental design, their data quality, and their capacity to quantify self-pollution. Only one study had a true experimental design, comparing the same buses with and without emission controls, while four others used intentional tracers to quantify tail pipe and/or crankcase emissions. Although definitive data are still lacking, these studies suggest that currently available control technologies can nearly eliminate particulate self-pollution inside diesel school buses.

Buse_Francisella Medium

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This dataset contains colony forming unit and qPCR data. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Morris, B., H. Buse, N. Adcock, and E. Rice. A...

Buses involved in fatal accidents codebook 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-01

This report provides documentation for UMTRIs file of Buses Involved in Fatal Accidents (BIFA), 2008, : including distributions of the code values for each variable in the file. The 2008 BIFA file is a census of all : buses involved in a fatal acc...

Buses involved in fatal accidents codebook 2007.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-12-01

This report provides documentation for UMTRIs file of Buses Involved in Fatal Accidents (BIFA), 2007, : including distributions of the code values for each variable in the file. The 2007 BIFA file is a census of all : buses involved in a fatal acc...

49 CFR 393.89 - Buses, driveshaft protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... ACCESSORIES NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION Miscellaneous Parts and Accessories § 393.89 Buses, driveshaft protection. Any driveshaft extending lengthways under the floor of the passenger compartment of a bus shall... 49 Transportation 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Buses, driveshaft protection. 393.89 Section 393...

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.; Gigakis, C.

2010-11-01

This status report, fourth in a series of annual status reports from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, summarizes progress and accomplishments from demonstrations of fuel cell transit buses in the United States. This year's assessment report provides the results from the fifth year of operation of five Van Hool, ISE, and UTC Power fuel cell buses operating at AC Transit, SunLine, and CTTRANSIT. The achievements and challenges of this bus design, implementation, and operating are presented, with a focus on the next steps for implementing larger numbers and new and different designs of fuel cell buses. The major positive result from nearly five years of operation is the dramatic increase in reliability experienced for the fuel cell power system.

Evaluation of city buses installed diesel particulate filter systems on fleet test; Diesel particulate filter system wo tosaishita rosen bus no soko chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sudo, H [Japan Automobile Research Institute Inc., Tsukuba (Japan)

1997-10-01

An environmental air quality of suspended particulate matter is insufficient in the big city area. To reduce the particulate matter, improvement of engine and development of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) system are carrying. The purpose of this report is to investigate a possibility of practical use of the city buses installed DPF systems. From March 1995, investigation for practical use of these DPF systems on a route buses was carried in regular service operation of the Tokyo and Yokohama Transportation Bureau. The investigation items are service situation, smoke density and preparation inspection. From the result for 2 years service operation, each DPF systems needed some failure correspondence. but these were not fatal problem on using the DPF system. Then the subject of relative to durability and reliability became clear, and the performance of a low particulate emission DPF system obtained the high value evaluation for users. 9 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Simulation on the consumption-oriented evaluation of ventilation concepts for buses; Simulation zur verbrauchsorientierten Bewertung von Omnibus-Klimatisierungskonzepten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaiser, Christian; Foersterling, Sven; Strupp, Christian; Lemke, Nicholas [TLK Thermo GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Sonnekalb, Michael [Konvekta AG, Schwalmstadt (Germany); Koehler, Juergen [Technische Univ. Braunschweig (Germany)

2012-11-01

This paper presents different air conditioning system and climate control concepts for buses. These concepts are investigated based on a complete vehicle simulation in order to perform a close-to-reality assessment. The effects of various control strategies are examined in a comparative approach using boundary conditions which are based on on-the-road-relevant test cycles and climatic conditions. The focus of this study is the evaluation of the total energy consumption. Moreover, an analysis of air conditioning systems with conventional and natural refrigerants is presented (R-134a and R-744). Based on simulation results, a high fuel-saving concept is developed and tested in a virtual test drive, in order to present a specific method of control strategy evaluation with transient boundary and environmental conditions. (orig.)

BC Transit Fuel Cell Bus Project Evaluation Results: Second Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Post, M.

2014-09-01

Second report evaluating a fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) demonstration led by British Columbia Transit (BC Transit) in Whistler, Canada. BC Transit is collaborating with the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to evaluate the buses in revenue service. NREL published its first report on the demonstration in February 2014. This report is an update to the previous report; it covers 3 full years of revenue service data on the buses from April 2011 through March 2014 and focuses on the final experiences and lessons learned.

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2015

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Gikakis, Christina [Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC (United States)

2015-12-11

This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. Various stakeholders, including FCEB developers, transit agencies, and system integrators, have expressed the value of this annual status report, which provides a summary of results from evaluations performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The annual status report tracks the progress of the FCEB industry toward meeting technical targets, documents the lessons learned, and discusses the path forward for commercial viability of fuel cell technology for transit buses. The 2015 summary results primarily focus on the most recent year for each demonstration, from August 2014 through July 2015. The results for these buses account for more than 1,045,000 miles traveled and 83,000 hours of fuel cell power system operation. The primary results presented in the report are from two demonstrations of fuel-cell-dominant bus designs: the Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group led by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in California and the American Fuel Cell Bus Project at SunLine Transit Agency in California.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Pennsylvania School Buses Run on Natural Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Pennsylvania School Buses Run on Natural Gas to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Pennsylvania School Buses Run on Natural Gas on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Pennsylvania School Buses Run on Natural Gas on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center

School buses, air pollution and children's health: follow-up report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrotta, K.

2010-10-01

This document is designed to be a follow-up report to the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) school bus report published in 2005, and was produced through a collaboration between the Clean Air Partnership and the OPHA. The level of awareness of school bus emissions are evaluated in this report. The document also provides a review of projects handled by the federal government, programs developed by governments of other provinces and the policies followed by school boards in other provinces, to mitigate emissions and exposures related to school buses. Several recommendations were made, including the replacement of older school buses, adapt the routes considering the emissions generated and promote the use of biodiesel to reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. 36 refs, 8 tabs.

King County Metro Battery Electric Bus Demonstration: Preliminary Project Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-05-22

The U.S. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds a variety of research projects that support the commercialization of zero-emission bus technology. To evaluate projects funded through these programs, FTA has enlisted the help of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to conduct third-party evaluations of the technologies deployed under the FTA programs. NREL works with the selected agencies to evaluate the performance of the zero-emission buses compared to baseline conventional buses in similar service. The evaluation effort will advance the knowledge base of zero-emission technologies in transit bus applications and provide 'lessons learned' to aid other fleets in incrementally introducing next generation zero-emission buses into their operations. This report provides preliminary performance evaluation results from a demonstration of three zero-emission battery electric buses at King County Metro in King County, Washington. NREL developed this preliminary results report to quickly disseminate evaluation results to stakeholders. Detailed evaluation results will be published in future reports.

Evaluation of retrofit crankcase ventilation controls and diesel oxidation catalysts for reducing air pollution in school buses

Science.gov (United States)

Trenbath, Kim; Hannigan, Michael P.; Milford, Jana B.

2009-12-01

This study evaluates the effect of retrofit closed crankcase ventilation filters (CCFs) and diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) on the in-cabin air quality in transit-style diesel school buses. In-cabin pollution levels were measured on three buses from the Pueblo, CO District 70 fleet. Monitoring was conducted while buses were driven along their regular routes, with each bus tested three times before and three times after installation of control devices. Ultrafine number concentrations in the school bus cabins were 33-41% lower, on average, after the control devices were installed. Mean mass concentrations of particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) were 56% lower, organic carbon (OC) 41% lower, elemental carbon (EC) 85% lower, and formaldehyde 32% lower after control devices were installed. While carbon monoxide concentrations were low in all tests, mean concentrations were higher after control devices were installed than in pre-retrofit tests. Reductions in number, OC, and formaldehyde concentrations were statistically significant, but reductions in PM2.5 mass were not. Even with control devices installed, during some runs PM2.5 and OC concentrations in the bus cabins were elevated compared to ambient concentrations observed in the area. OC concentrations inside the bus cabins ranged from 22 to 58 μg m -3 before and 13 to 33 μg m -3 after control devices were installed. OC concentrations were correlated with particle-bound organic tracers for lubricating oil emissions (hopanes) and diesel fuel and tailpipe emissions (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and aliphatic hydrocarbons). Mean concentrations of hopanes, PAH, and aliphatic hydrocarbons were lower by 37, 50, and 43%, respectively, after the control devices were installed, suggesting that both CCFs and DOCs were effective at reducing in-cabin OC concentrations.

46 CFR 111.30-19 - Buses and wiring.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... control wiring must be— (1) Suitable for installation within in a switchboard enclosure and be rated at 90... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Buses and wiring. 111.30-19 Section 111.30-19 Shipping... REQUIREMENTS Switchboards § 111.30-19 Buses and wiring. (a) General. Each bus must meet the requirements of...

Big Brother Is Watching: Video Surveillance on Buses

Science.gov (United States)

Sloggett, Joel

2009-01-01

Many school districts in North America have adopted policies to permit cameras on their properties and, when needed, on buses used to transport students. With regard to school buses, the camera is typically a tool for gathering information to monitor behavior or to help investigate a complaint about behavior. If a picture is worth a thousand…

Towards sustainable urban transportation: Test, demonstration and development of fuel cell and hybrid-electric buses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Folkesson, Anders

2008-05-01

Several aspects make today's transport system non-sustainable: - Production, transport and combustion of fossil fuels lead to global and local environmental problems. - Oil dependency in the transport sector may lead to economical and political instability. - Air pollution, noise, congestion and land-use may jeopardise public health and quality of life, especially in urban areas. In a sustainable urban transport system most trips are made with public transport because high convenience and comfort makes travelling with public transport attractive. In terms of emissions, including noise, the vehicles are environmentally sustainable, locally as well as globally. Vehicles are energy-efficient and the primary energy stems from renewable sources. Costs are reasonable for all involved, from passengers, bus operators and transport authorities to vehicle manufacturers. The system is thus commercially viable on its own merits. This thesis presents the results from three projects involving different concept buses, all with different powertrains. The first two projects included technical evaluations, including tests, of two different fuel cell buses. The third project focussed on development of a series hybrid-bus with internal combustion engine intended for production around 2010. The research on the fuel cell buses included evaluations of the energy efficiency improvement potential using energy mapping and vehicle simulations. Attitudes to hydrogen fuel cell buses among passengers, bus drivers and bus operators were investigated. Safety aspects of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel were analysed and the use of hydrogen compared to electrical energy storage were also investigated. One main conclusion is that a city bus should be considered as one energy system, because auxiliaries contribute largely to the energy use. Focussing only on the powertrain is not sufficient. The importance of mitigating losses far down an energy conversion chain is emphasised. The Scania hybrid fuel cell

49 CFR 393.90 - Buses, standee line or bar.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Buses, standee line or bar. 393.90 Section 393.90 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY... NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION Miscellaneous Parts and Accessories § 393.90 Buses, standee line or bar. Except...

Cost Effectiveness Analysis of Quasi-In-Motion Wireless Power Transfer for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Transit Buses from Fleet Perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Lijuan; Gonder, Jeff; Brooker, Aaron; Meintz, Andrew; Konan, Arnaud; Markel, Tony

2016-05-16

This study evaluated the costs and benefits associated with the use of stationary-wireless-power-transfer-enabled plug-in hybrid electric buses and determined the cost effectiveness relative to conventional buses and hybrid electric buses. A factorial design was performed over a number of different battery sizes, charging power levels, and f bus stop charging stations. The net present costs were calculated for each vehicle design and provided the basis for design evaluation. In all cases, given the assumed economic conditions, the conventional bus achieved the lowest net present cost while the optimal plug-in hybrid electric bus scenario beat out the hybrid electric comparison scenario. The parameter sensitivity was also investigated under favorable and unfavorable market penetration assumptions.

Particle and gaseous emissions from individual diesel and CNG buses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Å. M. Hallquist

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In this study size-resolved particle and gaseous emissions from 28 individual diesel-fuelled and 7 compressed natural gas (CNG-fuelled buses, selected from an in-use bus fleet, were characterised for real-world dilution scenarios. The method used was based on using CO2 as a tracer of exhaust gas dilution. The particles were sampled by using an extractive sampling method and analysed with high time resolution instrumentation EEPS (10 Hz and CO2 with a non-dispersive infrared gas analyser (LI-840, LI-COR Inc. 1 Hz. The gaseous constituents (CO, HC and NO were measured by using a remote sensing device (AccuScan RSD 3000, Environmental System Products Inc.. Nitrogen oxides, NOx, were estimated from NO by using default NO2/NOx ratios from the road vehicle emission model HBEFA3.1. The buses studied were diesel-fuelled Euro III–V and CNG-fuelled Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicles (EEVs with different after-treatment, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR and with and without diesel particulate filter (DPF. The primary driving mode applied in this study was accelerating mode. However, regarding the particle emissions also a constant speed mode was analysed. The investigated CNG buses emitted on average a higher number of particles but less mass compared to the diesel-fuelled buses. Emission factors for number of particles (EFPN were EFPN, DPF = 4.4 ± 3.5 × 1014, EFPN, no DPF = 2.1 ± 1.0 × 1015 and EFPN, CNG = 7.8 ± 5.7 ×1015 kg fuel−1. In the accelerating mode, size-resolved emission factors (EFs showed unimodal number size distributions with peak diameters of 70–90 nm and 10 nm for diesel and CNG buses, respectively. For the constant speed mode, bimodal average number size distributions were obtained for the diesel buses with peak modes of ~10 nm and ~60 nm. Emission factors for NOx expressed as NO2 equivalents for the diesel buses were on average 27 ± 7 g (kg fuel−1 and for the CNG buses 41

49 CFR 392.63 - Towing or pushing loaded buses.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Towing or pushing loaded buses. 392.63 Section 392... COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES Prohibited Practices § 392.63 Towing or pushing loaded buses. No disabled bus with... passengers aboard for the purpose of towing or pushing any disabled motor vehicle, except in such...

76 FR 53102 - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Denial of Petition for Rulemaking; School Buses

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-25

... small school buses to provide adequate crash protection for the occupants. For large school buses, FMVSS... and crash protection,'' requires lap/shoulder belts for all seating positions on small school buses... for adequate occupant crash protection. For large school buses, we have determined there is not a...

Quantitative characterization of the reliability of simplex buses and stars to compare their benefits in fieldbuses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barranco, Manuel; Proenza, Julián; Almeida, Luís

2015-01-01

Fieldbuses targeted to highly dependable distributed embedded systems are shifting from bus to star topologies. Surprisingly, despite the efforts into this direction, engineers lack of analyses that quantitatively characterize the system reliability achievable by buses and stars. Thus, to guide engineers in developing adequate bus and star fieldbuses, this work models, quantifies and compares the system reliability provided by simplex buses and stars for the case of the Controller Area Network (CAN). It clarifies how relevant dependability-related aspects affect reliability, refuting some intuitive ideas, and revealing some previously unknown bus and star benefits. - Highlights: • SANs models that quantify the reliability of simplex buses/stars in fieldbuses. • Models cover system relevant dependability-related features abstracted in the literature. • Results refute intuitive ideas about buses and stars and show some unexpected effects. • Models and results can guide the design of reliable simplex bus/stars fieldbuses

Gas Phase Emission Ratios From In-Use Diesel and CNG Curbside Passenger Buses in New York City

Science.gov (United States)

Herndon, S. C.; Shorter, J.; Canagaratna, M.; Jayne, J.; Nelson, D. D.; Wormhoudt, J. C.; Williams, P.; Silva, P. J.; Shi, Q.; Ghertner, A.; Zahniser, M.; Worsnop, D.; Kolb, C.; Lanni, T.; Drewnick, F.; Demerjian, K. L.

2002-12-01

The Aerodyne Mobile Laboratory simultaneously measured gas phase and particulate emissions from in use vehicles during two campaigns in New York City. The campaigns took place during two weeks in October, 2000 and four weeks in July-August, 2001. Passenger curbside buses were the primary focus of the study, but school buses and several other heavy duty diesel vehicles were also characterized. This paper describes the methodologies used to measure individual in use vehicles and presents the results of the gas phase measurements. Emission ratios for NO, NO2, SO2, N2O, CO, CH4 and H2CO relative to CO2 have been determined across several classes of buses. The gas phase concentrations were measured each second, using Tunable Infrared Laser Direct Absorption Spectroscopy (TILDAS). Some of the categories of buses into which the data has been sorted are; diesel (both 6V92 and Series 50) with and without the Continuous Regenerative Technology (CRT) retrofit, compressed natural gas powered(CNG) and hybrid diesel-electric buses. The New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) cooperated with this work, providing details about each of their buses followed. In addition to MTA buses, other New York City passenger bus operators were also measured. In September 2000, MTA began to switch to 30 ppm sulfur diesel fuel while it is believed the non MTA operators did not. The measured emission ratios show that low sulfur fuel greatly reduces the amount of SO2 per CO2. Roughly one third of the MTA fleet of diesel buses have been equipped with the CRT retrofit. The gas phase results of interest in this category show increased direct emission of NO2 and companion work (also submitted to the 12th CRC) show the impact the CRT refit has on particulate emissions. CNG buses show increased H2CO and CH4 emission ratios relative to diesel powered motors.

Feasibility study on the introduction of hybrid buses; Hybrid bus donyu kanosei chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

The purpose of this research is to design pilot projects for introducing hybrid buses into the public transportation sector. This research also covers contents regarding hybrid buses with a trolley-collector motor and a diesel engine, to identify technical and economical problems and to analyze cost beneficiation using hybrid buses. The trolley parallel hybrid system has been employed for the feasibility study. This system has abundant operation results in Europe and the USA. Its battery is small or is not necessary, and the maintenance cost is also low. As a result of the feasibility study, reduction effects of CO2 emission were found out. When the CO2 generation at the power plant is not counted, the reduction effect was estimated to be 32% compared with the CO2 emission from diesel buses. When the CO2 generation at the power plant is considered, it was estimated to be 18%. The cost beneficiation was investigated for the cases of the transportations using trolley system surrounding a medium-scale terminal among large-scale housing development, tourist resort, and stations. The annual income is estimated to be larger than the annual payment in each case. It was found that the hybrid bus is economically established. 17 refs., 48 figs., 41 tabs.

COORDINATION OF THE WORK OF BUSES IN CITY ROUTES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuad DASHDAMIROV

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The paper studied the work of bus routes passing through a street. Optimality criterion was chosen for the development of appropriate models of effective work of buses on the land. The paper proposes a new model costing time passengers at bus stops. A method of technique was developed to coordinate the buses running on the combined section of route.

School buses, air pollution and children's health: follow-up report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perrotta, K. [Clean Air Partnership, Toronto, ON (Canada)], email: Kperrotta@cleanairpartnership.org

2010-10-15

This document is designed to be a follow-up report to the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) school bus report published in 2005, and was produced through a collaboration between the Clean Air Partnership and the OPHA. The level of awareness of school bus emissions are evaluated in this report. The document also provides a review of projects handled by the federal government, programs developed by governments of other provinces and the policies followed by school boards in other provinces, to mitigate emissions and exposures related to school buses. Several recommendations were made, including the replacement of older school buses, adapt the routes considering the emissions generated and promote the use of biodiesel to reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. 36 refs, 8 tabs.

Natural gas drive for city buses in Skopje

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimitrovski, Mile; Veljanovski, Krsto; Dimitrovski, Dame

2002-01-01

Emission improvement in both city centers and conurbations is an important factor which developers of public-utility vehicles and buses must take into account. If natural gas is used as a fuel the emission is considerably lower than that from conventional diesel drive. Thus it is an important contribution to keep the air clean in the area where the vehicles are deployed. In this paper the project 'Ecological Natural gas drive for city buses in Skopje' is analysed. (Original)

Multistage Mechanical Transmissions with Automatic Control for Advanced Trucks and Buses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blokhin Aleksandr

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The study considers the basic trends of development of modern mechanical transmissions of trucks and buses. It provides the developed various series of multispeed transmissions with automatic control and a number of transmissions from 6 to 16 for trucks and buses. The paper shows the basic parameters of the standard series of new transmissions received on the basis of innovative technical solutions. It provides the results of experimental studies of 16-speed transmissions on a special test stand and on the road as part of a truck transmission. Theoretical and experimental data on the gear change time are compared.

Mass concentrations of BTEX inside air environment of buses in Changsha, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiaokai; Zhang, Guoqiang; Zhang, Quan [College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, Hunan (China); Chen, Hong [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, Hunan (China)

2011-02-15

In order to estimate the mass concentrations of benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E) and xylenes (X) inside air environment of buses and to analyze the influencing factors of the BTEX pollution levels, 22 public buses were investigated in Changsha, China. The interior air was collected through activated charcoal adsorption tubes and then the air samples were analyzed with thermally desorbed gas chromatograph. The mass concentrations ranged from 21.3 to 106.4 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for benzene, from 53.5 to 266.0 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for toluene, from 19.6 to 95.9 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for ethylbenzene and from 46.9 to 234.8 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for xylenes. Their mean values were 68.7, 179.7, 62.5 and 151.8 {mu}g/m{sup 3}, respectively. The rates of buses tested where the interior concentrations exceeded the limit levels of Chinese Indoor Air Quality Standard were 45.5% for toluene and 13.6% for xylenes. The BTEX levels increased when in-car temperature or relative humidity rose, and decreased when car age or travel distance increased. The BTEX concentrations were higher in leather trims buses than in non-leather trims ones, in air-conditioned buses than in non-air-conditioned ones, and in high-grade buses than in low-grade ones. According to the analysis of multiple linear regression equation, car age and in-car temperature were two most important factors influencing the BTEX pollution levels in the cabins of public buses. (author)

Microbial air quality in mass transport buses and work-related illness among bus drivers of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.

Science.gov (United States)

Luksamijarulkul, Pipat; Sundhiyodhin, Viboonsri; Luksamijarulkul, Soavalug; Kaewboonchoo, Orawan

2004-06-01

The air quality in mass transport buses, especially air-conditioned buses may affect bus drivers who work full time. Bus numbers 16, 63, 67 and 166 of the Seventh Bus Zone of Bangkok Mass Transit Authority were randomly selected to investigate for microbial air quality. Nine air-conditioned buses and 2-4 open-air buses for each number of the bus (36 air-conditioned buses and 12 open-air buses) were included. Five points of in-bus air samples in each studied bus were collected by using the Millipore A ir Tester Totally, 180 and 60 air samples collected from air-conditioned buses and open-air buses were cultured for bacterial and fungal counts. The bus drivers who drove the studied buses were interviewed towards histories of work-related illness while working. The results revealed that the mean +/- SD of bacterial counts in the studied open-air buses ranged from 358.50 +/- 146.66 CFU/m3 to 506 +/- 137.62 CFU/m3; bus number 16 had the highest level. As well as the mean +/- SD of fungal counts which ranged from 93.33 +/- 44.83 CFU/m3 to 302 +/- 294.65 CFU/m3; bus number 166 had the highest level. Whereas, the mean +/- SD of bacterial counts in the studied air-conditioned buses ranged from 115.24 +/- 136.01 CFU/m3 to 244.69 +/- 234.85 CFU/m3; bus numbers 16 and 67 had the highest level. As well as the mean +/- SD of fungal counts which rangedfrom 18.84 +/- 39.42 CFU/m3 to 96.13 +/- 234.76 CFU/m3; bus number 166 had the highest level. When 180 and 60 studied air samples were analyzed in detail, it was found that 33.33% of the air samples from open-air buses and 6.11% of air samples from air-conditioned buses had a high level of bacterial counts (> 500 CFU/m3) while 6.67% of air samples from open-air buses and 2.78% of air samples from air-conditioned buses had a high level of fungal counts (> 500 CFU/m3). Data from the history of work-related illnesses among the studied bus drivers showed that 91.67% of open-air bus drivers and 57.28% of air-conditioned bus drivers had

An updated assessment of the prospects for fuel cell-powered buses. An information paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanderson, T.K. [Future Energy Solutions, Harwell (United Kingdom)

2005-07-01

This report presents updated conclusions of the Department of Trade and Industry's research and development programme to assess the commercial prospects for advanced fuel cells in buses. The programme has focussed on low temperature solid polymer fuel cells (SPFCs) for transport and combined heat and power (CHP)/distributed power and high temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for CHP/distributed power. As well as assessing the prospects for SPFCs in buses, the report examines those for alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs) in buses. The report provides an assessment of the status of technology development for different types of fuel cells in terms of applications to buses and offers estimates of market potential. Some fuel-cell powered buses are now available for demonstration purposes but the report concludes that truly commercial sales are unlikely to start before 2010 and widespread deployment is expected to take a further ten years after that. Buses have now slipped behind cars in terms of worldwide deployment. The issue of fuel choice is considered largely resolved with most fleet vehicle/bus manufacturers currently focussing on hydrogen as a fuel. A discussion of the prospects and barriers for fuel cell buses concludes that cost reduction is now the major barrier to the successful commercialisation of fuel cells in buses. More demonstration prototypes and field trials are required to provide information on energy, environmental and economic performance of fuel cell buses. Field trials could also provide information to assist the development of refuelling systems, fuel storage systems, stacks and other system components and to gain experience of building integrated fuel cell systems.

Is the public willing to pay for hydrogen buses? A comparative study of preferences in four cities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Garra, Tanya; Mourato, Susana; Garrity, Lisa; Schmidt, Patrick; Beerenwinkel, Anne; Altmann, Matthias; Hart, David; Graesel, Cornelia; Whitehouse, Simon

2007-01-01

This paper presents results from the international AcceptH2 study (http://www.accepth2.com) of acceptability and preferences for hydrogen fuel cell (FC) buses. Using the contingent valuation method, this paper compares public willingness to pay (WTP) for the air pollution reductions associated with a scenario of large-scale introduction of hydrogen (H 2 ) FC buses in four cities: Berlin, London, Luxembourg and Perth. Results indicate that bus users in all cities have a positive WTP for H 2 buses, and that values (adjusted to the cost of living in each city) are very similar across geographical locations (ranging from WTP an extra Euro 0.29 to Euro 0.35 per single bus fare). Non-bus users were also interviewed in London and Perth, in order to capture values for the whole populations in these cities. Combined results for bus users and non-bus users confirm that overall residents in these cities are willing to pay extra (in taxes) to support the large-scale introduction of H 2 -buses

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2010

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-11

This past year has been one of transition for the introduction of fuel cell transit buses. The existing generation of fuel cell buses from Van Hool and UTC Power has continued to operate in service at three transit agencies. At the same time, a new g...

Current Leads, Links and Buses

CERN Document Server

Ballarino, A

2014-01-01

Electrical transfer from a room temperature power source to a superconducting system is done via conventional or superconducting current leads and superconducting buses or links. The principles of optimization of these devices are presented, with emphasis on the cryogenic, electrical, and superconductor related aspects that drive choices for a system.

Current Leads, Links and Buses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ballarino, A [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland)

2014-07-01

Electrical transfer from a room temperature power source to a superconducting system is done via conventional or superconducting current leads and superconducting buses or links. The principles of optimization of these devices are presented, with emphasis on the cryogenic, electrical, and superconductor related aspects that drive choices for a system.

Concentrations of volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matter in buses on highways in Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Der-Jen; Huang, Hsiao-Lin

2009-12-01

Although airborne pollutants in urban buses have been studied in many cities globally, long-distance buses running mainly on highways have not been addressed in this regard. This study investigates the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2) and particulate matter (PM) in the long-distance buses in Taiwan. Analytical results indicate that pollutants levels in long-distance buses are generally lower than those in urban buses. This finding is attributable to the driving speed and patterns of long-distance buses, as well as the meteorological and geographical features of the highway surroundings. The levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) found in bus cabins exceed the proposed indoor VOC guidelines for aromatic compounds, and are likely attributable to the interior trim in the cabins. The overall average CO level is 2.3 ppm, with higher average level on local streets (2.9 ppm) than on highways (2.2 ppm). The average CO 2 level is 1493 ppm, which is higher than the guideline for non-industrial occupied settings. The average PM level in this study is lower than those in urban buses and IAQ guidelines set by Taiwan EPA. However, the average PM 10 and PM 2.5 is higher than the level set by WHO. Besides the probable causes mentioned above, fewer passenger movements and less particle re-suspension from bus floor might also cause the lower PM levels. Measurements of particle size distribution reveal that more than 75% of particles are in submicron and smaller sizes. These particles may come from the infiltration from the outdoor air. This study concludes that air exchange rates in long-distance buses should be increased in order to reduce CO 2 levels. Future research on long-distance buses should focus on the emission of VOCs from brand new buses, and the sources of submicron particles in bus cabins.

Measurements of ultrafine particles and other vehicular pollutants inside school buses in South Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qunfang; Zhu, Yifang

2010-01-01

Increasing evidence has demonstrated toxic effects of vehicular emitted ultrafine particles (UFPs, diameter pollutants, especially UFPs, was measured inside four diesel-powered school buses. Two 1990 and two 2006 model year diesel-powered school buses were selected to represent the age extremes of school buses in service. Each bus was driven on two routine bus runs to study school children's exposure under different transportation conditions in South Texas. The number concentration and size distribution of UFPs, total particle number concentration, PM 2.5, PM 10, black carbon (BC), CO, and CO 2 levels were monitored inside the buses. The average total particle number concentrations observed inside the school buses ranged from 7.3 × 10 3 to 3.4 × 10 4 particles cm -3, depending on engine age and window position. When the windows were closed, the in-cabin air pollutants were more likely due to the school buses' self-pollution. The 1990 model year school buses demonstrated much higher air pollutant concentrations than the 2006 model year ones. When the windows were open, the majority of in-cabin air pollutants came from the outside roadway environment with similar pollutant levels observed regardless of engine ages. The highest average UFP concentration was observed at a bus transfer station where approximately 27 idling school buses were queued to load or unload students. Starting-up and idling generated higher air pollutant levels than the driving state. Higher in-cabin air pollutant concentrations were observed when more students were on board.

Carbon Dioxide Concentrations and Temperatures within Tour Buses under Real-Time Traffic Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Chun-Fu; Chen, Ming-Hung; Chang, Feng-Hsiang

2015-01-01

This study monitored the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and temperatures of three 43-seat tour buses with high-passenger capacities in a course of a three-day, two-night school excursion. Results showed that both driver zones and passenger zones of the tour buses achieved maximum CO2 concentrations of more than 3000 ppm, and maximum daily average concentrations of 2510.6 and 2646.9 ppm, respectively. The findings confirmed that the CO2 concentrations detected in the tour buses exceeded the indoor air quality standard of Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (8 hr-CO2: 1000 ppm) and the air quality guideline of Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (1 hr-CO2: 2500 ppm for Level 1 for buses). Observations also showed that high-capacity tour bus cabins with air conditioning system operating in recirculation mode are severely lacking in air exchange rate, which may negatively impact transportation safety. Moreover, the passenger zones were able to maintain a temperature of between 20 and 25°C during travel, which effectively suppresses the dispersion of volatile organic compounds. Finally, the authors suggest that in the journey, increasing the ventilation frequency of tour bus cabin, which is very beneficial to maintain the travel safety and enhance the quality of travel. PMID:25923722

Carbon Dioxide Concentrations and Temperatures within Tour Buses under Real-Time Traffic Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Chun-Fu; Chen, Ming-Hung; Chang, Feng-Hsiang

2015-01-01

This study monitored the carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and temperatures of three 43-seat tour buses with high-passenger capacities in a course of a three-day, two-night school excursion. Results showed that both driver zones and passenger zones of the tour buses achieved maximum CO2 concentrations of more than 3000 ppm, and maximum daily average concentrations of 2510.6 and 2646.9 ppm, respectively. The findings confirmed that the CO2 concentrations detected in the tour buses exceeded the indoor air quality standard of Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (8 hr-CO2: 1000 ppm) and the air quality guideline of Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (1 hr-CO2: 2500 ppm for Level 1 for buses). Observations also showed that high-capacity tour bus cabins with air conditioning system operating in recirculation mode are severely lacking in air exchange rate, which may negatively impact transportation safety. Moreover, the passenger zones were able to maintain a temperature of between 20 and 25°C during travel, which effectively suppresses the dispersion of volatile organic compounds. Finally, the authors suggest that in the journey, increasing the ventilation frequency of tour bus cabin, which is very beneficial to maintain the travel safety and enhance the quality of travel.

Fuel Cell Electric Bus Evaluations | Hydrogen and Fuel Cells | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Bus Evaluations Fuel Cell Electric Bus Evaluations NREL's technology validation team evaluates fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) to provide comprehensive, unbiased evaluation results of fuel cell bus early transportation applications for fuel cell technology. Buses operate in congested areas where

Alternative Fuels for Washington's School Buses: A Report to the Washington State Legislature.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, John Kim; McCoy, Gilbert A.

This document presents findings of a study that evaluated the use of both propane and compressed natural gas as alternative fuels for Washington State school buses. It discusses air quality improvement actions by state- and federal-level regulators and summarizes vehicle design, development, and commercialization activities by all major engine,…

The Bus Stops Here: The Case for Biodiesel in School Buses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Steven T.

2002-01-01

Suggests that diesel exhaust from most of the nation's school buses may be hazardous to children's health. Documents studies on the nature and potential magnitude of the risk to children and proposes replacing petroleum diesel with biodiesel as the fuel for school buses. Presents the merits and practicality of switching to biodiesel as a healthier…

Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Fuel Cell Bus Demonstration Results: Fifth Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Jeffers, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-06-01

This report presents results of a demonstration of fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) operating in Oakland, California. Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) leads the Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) demonstration, which includes 13 advanced-design fuel cell buses and two hydrogen fueling stations. The ZEBA partners are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service. NREL has published four previous reports describing operation of these buses. This report presents new and updated results covering data from January 2015 through December 2015.

Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Fuel Cell Bus Demonstration Results: Sixth Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew B. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Jeffers, Matthew A. [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-09-11

This report presents results of a demonstration of fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) operating in Oakland, California. Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) leads the Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) demonstration, which includes 13 advanced-design fuel cell buses and two hydrogen fueling stations. The ZEBA partners are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service. NREL has published five previous reports describing operation of these buses. This report presents new and updated results covering data from January 2016 through December 2016.

Charging cost optimization for EV buses using neural network based energy predictor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nageshrao, S.P.; Jacob, J.; Wilkins, S.

2017-01-01

For conventional buses, based on the decades of their operational knowledge, public transport companies are able to optimize their cost of operation. However, with recent trend in the usage of electric buses, cost optimal operation can become challenging. In this paper an offline optimal charging

On the issue of selecting technical and operational parameters for buses in urban passenger routes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudzinskyi V.V.

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Problems of a public transport bus service in urban areas were analyzed. The aim of the article is to determine actual operational parameters of buses during passenger transportation in Zhytomyr. Ways of determining technical and operational parameters of buses were developed using visual and tabular methods of city buses real-time speed and acceleration performance registration by GPS-monitoring system with the help of a communicational and informational intelligent transport system of the city. Experimental studies of city buses motion parameters were presented. A comprehensive survey of passenger traffic and conditions of public transport functioning in Zhytomyr was carried out. The values of technical and operational parameters of buses on city routes were obtained. Preliminarily conclusions and recommendations considering the criteria for selecting the optimal rolling stock for a bus network of the city were suggested.

The New Energy Buses in China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Jingyu; Liu, Yingqi; Kokko, Ari

2013-01-01

With the advent of “low carbon” economy, new energy vehicles are increasingly favored by the Chinese government and manufacturers. New energy buses have become an important channel for the promotion of new energy utilizations. Based on the summary of policies, this paper conducts a thorough...

URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT WITH THE USE OF ELECTRIC BUSES – DEVELOPMENT TENDENCIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanisław KRAWIEC

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The programing documents of the European Union determine the direction of transport systems development, including large cities and agglomerations. The context of these actions which aim to transform into ecologically clean and sustainable transport system is a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Assuming that public transport will significantly reduce the use of combustion-powered buses, studies on urban logistic enabling the use of electric buses for public transport are needed. The article presents the variants and scenarios for electric buses implementation in urban public transport, as well as the decision algorithm to support electric bus implementation based on technological, organisational, economic and ecological variables.

Real-time measurements of nitrogen oxide emissions from in-use New York City transit buses using a chase vehicle.

Science.gov (United States)

Shorter, Joanne H; Herndon, Scott; Zahniser, Mark S; Nelson, David D; Wormhoudt, Joda; Demerjian, Kenneth L; Kolb, Charles E

2005-10-15

New diesel engine technologies and alternative fuel engines are being introduced into fleets of mass transit buses to try to meet stricter emission regulations of nitrogen oxides and particulates: Real-time instruments including an Aerodyne Research tunable infrared laser differential absorption spectrometer (TILDAS) were deployed in a mobile laboratory to assess the impact of the implementation of the new technologies on nitrogen oxide emissions in real world driving conditions. Using a "chase" vehicle sampling strategy, the mobile laboratory followed target vehicles, repeatedly sampling their exhaust. Nitrogen oxides from approximately 170 in-use New York City mass transit buses were sampled during the field campaigns. Emissions from conventional diesel buses, diesel buses with continuously regenerating technology (CRT), diesel hybrid electric buses, and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses were compared. The chase vehicle sampling method yields real world emissions that can be included in more realistic emission inventories. The NO, emissions from the diesel and CNG buses were comparable. The hybrid electric buses had approximately one-half the NOx emissions. In CRT diesels, NO2 accounts for about one-third of the NOx emitted in the exhaust, while for non-CRT buses the NO2 fraction is less than 10%.

Predicting self-pollution inside school buses using a CFD and multi-zone coupled model

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fei; Lee, Eon S.; Liu, Junjie; Zhu, Yifang

2015-04-01

The in-cabin environment of a school bus is important for children's health. The pollutants from a bus's own exhaust contribute to children's overall exposure to air pollutants inside the school bus cabin. In this study, we adapted a coupled model originally developed for indoor environment to determine the relative contribution of the bus own exhaust to the in-cabin pollutant concentrations. The coupled model uses CFD (computational fluent dynamics) model to simulate outside concentration and CONTAM (a multi-zone model) for inside the school bus. The model was validated with experimental data in the literature. Using the validated model, we analyzed the effects of vehicle speed and tailpipe location on self-pollution inside the bus cabin. We confirmed that the pollution released from the tailpipe can penetrate into the bus cabin through gaps in the back emergency door. We found the pollution concentration inside school buses was the highest when buses were driven at a medium speed. In addition, locating the tailpipe on the side, behind the rear axle resulted in less self-pollution since there is less time for the suction effect to take place. The developed theoretical framework can be generalized to study other types of buses. These findings can be used in developing policy recommendations for reducing human exposure to air pollution inside buses.

Unit Monitors Manchester-Format Data Buses

Science.gov (United States)

Amador, Jose J.

1994-01-01

Circuit card converts data signals into convenient hexadecimal form for troubleshooting. Bus-monitoring unit converts data signals from Manchester II format used on data bus into hexadecimal format. Monitoring circuit causes hexadecimal words to display on video terminal, where test engineer compares them with hexadecimal records for troubleshooting. Circuit monitors one bus or two buses simultaneously.

Buse_Francisella and free-living amoebae data sets

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Co-infection data in the form of colony forming units and amoeba cell counts. This dataset is associated with the following publication: Buse , H., F. Schaefer, and...

Location Planning for Dynamic Wireless Charging Systems for Electric Airport Passenger Buses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Helber

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The majority of the ground vehicles operating on the airside parts of commercial airports are currently powered by diesel engines. These include vehicles such as apron buses, fuel trucks, and aircraft tractors. Hence, these vehicles contribute to the overall CO 2 emissions of the aviation transport system and thus negatively influence its environmental footprint. To reduce this damaging environmental impact, these vehicles could potentially be electrified with on-board batteries as their energy sources. However, the conductive charging of such vehicles via stationary cable connections is rather time-consuming. A dynamic wireless charging system to supply public transportation passenger buses with electric energy while in motion has recently been installed on the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST campus and in the Korean city of Gumi. In this paper, we study configuration problems related to the use of this technology to make airport operations more environmentally sustainable. We concentrate on the power supply for apron buses and analyze the location planning problems related to the distribution of the required power supply and the wireless charging units in the apron road system. To this end, we develop a formal optimization model and discuss the first numerical results.

Using Task Clarification, Goal Setting, and Feedback to Decrease Table Busing Times in a Franchise Pizza Restaurant

Science.gov (United States)

Amigo, Seth; Smith, Andrew; Ludwig, Timothy

2008-01-01

The current study investigated the effects of task-clarification, and manager verbal and graphic feedback on employee busing times at a pizza restaurant. Using an ABC design, task-clarification was provided in a memo, which described the process, priority, and goal time of busing. The busing time decreased slightly, from an average of 315 seconds…

In-vehicle measurement of ultrafine particles on compressed natural gas, conventional diesel, and oxidation-catalyst diesel heavy-duty transit buses.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Davyda; Jones, Steven; Lalor, Melinda

2007-02-01

Many metropolitan transit authorities are considering upgrading transit bus fleets to decrease ambient criteria pollutant levels. Advancements in engine and fuel technology have lead to a generation of lower-emission buses in a variety of fuel types. Dynamometer tests show substantial reductions in particulate mass emissions for younger buses (vehicle particle number concentration measurements on conventional diesel, oxidation-catalyst diesel and compressed natural gas transit buses are compared to estimate relative in-vehicle particulate exposures. Two primary consistencies are observed from the data: the CNG buses have average particle count concentrations near the average concentrations for the oxidation-catalyst diesel buses, and the conventional diesel buses have average particle count concentrations approximately three to four times greater than the CNG buses. Particle number concentrations are also noticeably affected by bus idling behavior and ventilation options, such as, window position and air conditioning.

Adopting Clean Fuels and Technologies on School Buses. Pollution and Health Impacts in Children

Science.gov (United States)

D’Souza, Jennifer; Sheppard, Lianne; Kaufman, Joel D.; Hallstrand, Teal S.; Davey, Mark E.; Sullivan, James R.; Jahnke, Jordan; Koenig, Jane; Larson, Timothy V.; Liu, L. J. Sally

2015-01-01

Rationale: More than 25 million American children breathe polluted air on diesel school buses. Emission reduction policies exist, but the health impacts to individual children have not been evaluated. Methods: Using a natural experiment, we characterized the exposures and health of 275 school bus riders before, during, and after the adoption of clean technologies and fuels between 2005 and 2009. Air pollution was measured during 597 trips on 188 school buses. Repeated measures of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), lung function (FEV1, FVC), and absenteeism were also collected monthly (1,768 visits). Mixed-effects models longitudinally related the adoption of diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs), closed crankcase ventilation systems (CCVs), ultralow-sulfur diesel (ULSD), or biodiesel with exposures and health. Measurements and Main Results: Fine and ultrafine particle concentrations were 10–50% lower on buses using ULSD, DOCs, and/or CCVs. ULSD adoption was also associated with reduced FeNO (−16% [95% confidence interval (CI), −21 to −10%]), greater changes in FVC and FEV1 (0.02 [95% CI, 0.003 to 0.05] and 0.01 [95% CI, −0.006 to 0.03] L/yr, respectively), and lower absenteeism (−8% [95% CI, −16.0 to −0.7%]), with stronger associations among patients with asthma. DOCs, and to a lesser extent CCVs, also were associated with improved FeNO, FVC growth, and absenteeism, but these findings were primarily restricted to patients with persistent asthma and were often sensitive to control for ULSD. No health benefits were noted for biodiesel. Extrapolating to the U.S. population, changed fuel/technologies likely reduced absenteeism by more than 14 million/yr. Conclusions: National and local diesel policies appear to have reduced children’s exposures and improved health. PMID:25867003

Developing a discrete event simulation model for university student shuttle buses

Science.gov (United States)

Zulkepli, Jafri; Khalid, Ruzelan; Nawawi, Mohd Kamal Mohd; Hamid, Muhammad Hafizan

2017-11-01

Providing shuttle buses for university students to attend their classes is crucial, especially when their number is large and the distances between their classes and residential halls are far. These factors, in addition to the non-optimal current bus services, typically require the students to wait longer which eventually opens a space for them to complain. To considerably reduce the waiting time, providing the optimal number of buses to transport them from location to location and the effective route schedules to fulfil the students' demand at relevant time ranges are thus important. The optimal bus number and schedules are to be determined and tested using a flexible decision platform. This paper thus models the current services of student shuttle buses in a university using a Discrete Event Simulation approach. The model can flexibly simulate whatever changes configured to the current system and report its effects to the performance measures. How the model was conceptualized and formulated for future system configurations are the main interest of this paper.

Alternative fuel buses currently in use in China: Life-cycle fossil energy use, GHG emissions and policy recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ou Xunmin; Zhang Xiliang; Chang Shiyan

2010-01-01

The Chinese government has enacted policies to promote alternative vehicle fuels (AVFs) and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), including city bus fleets. The life cycle (LC), energy savings (ES) and GHG reduction (GR) profiles of AVFs/AFVs are critical to those policy decisions. The well-to-wheels module of the Tsinghua-CA3EM model is employed to investigate actual performance data. Compared with conventional buses, AFVs offer differences in performance in terms of both ES and GR. Only half of the AFVs analyzed demonstrate dual benefits. However, all non-oil/gas pathways can substitute oil/gas with coal. Current policies seek to promote technology improvements and market creation initiatives within the guiding framework of national-level diversification and district-level uniformity. Combined with their actual LC behavior and in keeping with near- and long-term strategies, integrated policies should seek to (1) apply hybrid electric technology to diesel buses; (2) encourage NG/LPG buses in gas-abundant cities; (3) promote commercialize electric buses or plug-in capable vehicles through battery technology innovation; (4) support fuel cell buses and hydrogen technology R and D for future potential applications; and (5) conduct further research on boosting vehicle fuel efficiency, applying low-carbon transportation technologies, and addressing all resultant implications of coal-based transportation solutions to human health and natural resources.

Alternative fuel buses currently in use in China: Life-cycle fossil energy use, GHG emissions and policy recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ou Xunmin, E-mail: oxm07@mails.tsinghua.edu.c [School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy (3E), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Zhang Xiliang, E-mail: zhang_xl@tsinghua.edu.c [China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy (3E), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Chang Shiyan [China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy (3E), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2010-01-15

The Chinese government has enacted policies to promote alternative vehicle fuels (AVFs) and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), including city bus fleets. The life cycle (LC), energy savings (ES) and GHG reduction (GR) profiles of AVFs/AFVs are critical to those policy decisions. The well-to-wheels module of the Tsinghua-CA3EM model is employed to investigate actual performance data. Compared with conventional buses, AFVs offer differences in performance in terms of both ES and GR. Only half of the AFVs analyzed demonstrate dual benefits. However, all non-oil/gas pathways can substitute oil/gas with coal. Current policies seek to promote technology improvements and market creation initiatives within the guiding framework of national-level diversification and district-level uniformity. Combined with their actual LC behavior and in keeping with near- and long-term strategies, integrated policies should seek to (1) apply hybrid electric technology to diesel buses; (2) encourage NG/LPG buses in gas-abundant cities; (3) promote commercialize electric buses or plug-in capable vehicles through battery technology innovation; (4) support fuel cell buses and hydrogen technology R and D for future potential applications; and (5) conduct further research on boosting vehicle fuel efficiency, applying low-carbon transportation technologies, and addressing all resultant implications of coal-based transportation solutions to human health and natural resources.

Alternative fuel buses currently in use in China. Life-cycle fossil energy use, GHG emissions and policy recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ou, Xunmin [School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy (3E), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Zhang, Xiliang; Chang, Shiyan [China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy (3E), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2010-01-15

The Chinese government has enacted policies to promote alternative vehicle fuels (AVFs) and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), including city bus fleets. The life cycle (LC), energy savings (ES) and GHG reduction (GR) profiles of AVFs/AFVs are critical to those policy decisions. The well-to-wheels module of the Tsinghua-CA3EM model is employed to investigate actual performance data. Compared with conventional buses, AFVs offer differences in performance in terms of both ES and GR. Only half of the AFVs analyzed demonstrate dual benefits. However, all non-oil/gas pathways can substitute oil/gas with coal. Current policies seek to promote technology improvements and market creation initiatives within the guiding framework of national-level diversification and district-level uniformity. Combined with their actual LC behavior and in keeping with near- and long-term strategies, integrated policies should seek to (1) apply hybrid electric technology to diesel buses; (2) encourage NG/LPG buses in gas-abundant cities; (3) promote commercialize electric buses or plug-in capable vehicles through battery technology innovation; (4) support fuel cell buses and hydrogen technology R and D for future potential applications; and (5) conduct further research on boosting vehicle fuel efficiency, applying low-carbon transportation technologies, and addressing all resultant implications of coal-based transportation solutions to human health and natural resources. (author)

Walking School Buses as a Form of Active Transportation for Children--A Review of the Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Liz; Norgate, Sarah H.; Cherrett, Tom; Davies, Nigel; Winstanley, Christopher; Harding, Mike

2015-01-01

Background: Walking school buses (WSBs) offer a potentially healthier way for children to get to school while reducing traffic congestion. A number of pressing societal challenges make it timely to evaluate evidence of their value. Methods: Studies that focused solely on WSBs were identified through online and manual literature searches. Twelve…

Multi-criteria analysis of alternative-fuel buses for public transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzeng, G.-H.; Lin, C.-W.; Opricovic, Serafim

2005-01-01

The technological development of buses with new alternative fuels is considered in this paper. Several types of fuels are considered as alternative-fuel modes, i.e., electricity, fuel cell (hydrogen), and methanol. Electric vehicles may be considered the alternative-fuel vehicles with the lowest air pollution. Hybrid electric vehicles provide an alternate mode, at least for the period of improving the technology of electric vehicles. A hybrid electric vehicle is defined as a vehicle with the conventional internal combustion engine and an electric motor as its major sources of power. Experts from different decision-making groups performed the multiple attribute evaluation of alternative vehicles. AHP is applied to determine the relative weights of evaluation criteria. TOPSIS and VIKOR are compared and applied to determine the best compromise alternative fuel mode. The result shows that the hybrid electric bus is the most suitable substitute bus for Taiwan urban areas in the short and median term. But, if the cruising distance of the electric bus extends to an acceptable range, the pure electric bus could be the best alternative

Technical evaluation report on the 120 Vac vital instrument buses and inverter Technical Specifications Issue B71

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

St Leger-Barter, G.; White, R.L.

1982-01-01

The operation of a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) with one of its 120 Vac vital buses energized in an off-normal mode was analyzed. A Probabilistic Risk Assessment was made to determine the increment of risk by energizing a vital bus from an off-site source directly vs energizing it from its normal, uninterruptible source (i.e., a battery/inverter arrangement). The calculations were made based on uninterruptible source energized vital buses as the normal mode. The analysis indicated that a reduction in the incremental risk increase (caused by plant operation with a vital bus being energized in an off-normal mode) can be accomplished by limiting the time permitted in that condition. Currently, the time that a vital bus can be energized in the off-normal mode is not universally time-limited by plant Technical Specifications. Several alternatives for the reduction in incremental risk were examined and their value/impacts were derived. These data indicate that a recommendation be made for a Technical Specification time limitation of 72 hours per year for off-normal energizing a vital bus during operation of a PWR

Confusion errors and false manoeuvres at power buses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cernes, A.

1985-09-01

The incident at Bugey 5 on 14th April 1984, which is regarded as one of the most important in recent years has alas shown again that unless dealt with by the operators in good time, failure of a rectifier supplying one of the buses may soon lead to a very serious situation, in this particular instance voltage loss on the train A 48 volt supply from the two offsite electrical sources and train A diesel generator. Operating experience feedback of the past three years reveals that although the Bugey incident is undoubtedly the most serious, it is not the only where a major alarm was not taken into consideration until fairly late by the operators, and other types of error with far from negligible consequences have occurred during repair work on buses. After a brief reminder of the role and layout of buses, statistics of all incidents of this type in recent years are described and a few cases are presented in order to give some idea of the range of situations encountered. The main measures aimed at reducing the number of incidents of this type are then presented, bearing in mind that one cannot hope to remove the possibility of this type of failure entirely. It may also be noted that the large number of such errors during the night shift or at the very beginning of the morning shift is no doubt connected with the well-known fact that operators are less vigilant at such times

Evaluation of the use of bioethanol fuelled buses based on ambient air pollution screening and on-road measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

López-Aparicio, S., E-mail: sla@nilu.no; Hak, C.

2013-05-01

Mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may have adverse effects on urban air quality and human exposure to harmful pollutants. The use of bioethanol fuelled vehicles is increasing worldwide and may create new undesired pollution effects. Different measurement campaigns were performed in a pilot study to contribute to the understanding of the consequences associated with the use of bioethanol blended fuel (E95) on a series of pollutants. Ambient screening measurements of NO{sub 2}, O{sub 3}, acetic acid, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were performed at different urban locations, exposed and not exposed to the circulation of bioethanol buses. In addition, volatile organic compounds were measured at the exhaust pipe of a bioethanol fuelled bus, both under idling conditions (carbonyls; DNPH cartridge) and under on-road driving conditions applying online monitoring (PTR-TOF). Higher ambient acetaldehyde values were measured at locations exposed to bioethanol fuelled buses than at locations not exposed, and very high acetaldehyde and acetic acid values were measured from the exhaust pipe during driving conditions (acetaldehyde > 150 ppm; acetic acid ≈ 20–30 ppm) and modelled at close distance to the bioethanol bus. Human exposure to high concentration of acetaldehyde is expected, and it may involve a significantly increased chance in developing cancer. The high concentration of acetic acid will involve odour annoyance and significant material degradation or corrosion. - Highlights: ► Acetaldehyde levels above 150 ppm were measured from the bioethanol bus. ► High acetic acid levels (20–30 ppm) were measured from the bioethanol bus. ► Demonstrated usefulness of PTR-MS to evaluate non-criteria pollutants ► High levels of acetaldehyde and acetic acid are estimated in the dispersion plume. ► Climate mitigation measures may have adverse impact on air quality.

Evaluation of the use of bioethanol fuelled buses based on ambient air pollution screening and on-road measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López-Aparicio, S.; Hak, C.

2013-01-01

Mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may have adverse effects on urban air quality and human exposure to harmful pollutants. The use of bioethanol fuelled vehicles is increasing worldwide and may create new undesired pollution effects. Different measurement campaigns were performed in a pilot study to contribute to the understanding of the consequences associated with the use of bioethanol blended fuel (E95) on a series of pollutants. Ambient screening measurements of NO 2 , O 3 , acetic acid, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were performed at different urban locations, exposed and not exposed to the circulation of bioethanol buses. In addition, volatile organic compounds were measured at the exhaust pipe of a bioethanol fuelled bus, both under idling conditions (carbonyls; DNPH cartridge) and under on-road driving conditions applying online monitoring (PTR-TOF). Higher ambient acetaldehyde values were measured at locations exposed to bioethanol fuelled buses than at locations not exposed, and very high acetaldehyde and acetic acid values were measured from the exhaust pipe during driving conditions (acetaldehyde > 150 ppm; acetic acid ≈ 20–30 ppm) and modelled at close distance to the bioethanol bus. Human exposure to high concentration of acetaldehyde is expected, and it may involve a significantly increased chance in developing cancer. The high concentration of acetic acid will involve odour annoyance and significant material degradation or corrosion. - Highlights: ► Acetaldehyde levels above 150 ppm were measured from the bioethanol bus. ► High acetic acid levels (20–30 ppm) were measured from the bioethanol bus. ► Demonstrated usefulness of PTR-MS to evaluate non-criteria pollutants ► High levels of acetaldehyde and acetic acid are estimated in the dispersion plume. ► Climate mitigation measures may have adverse impact on air quality

Foothill Transit Battery Electric Bus Demonstration Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Prohaska, Robert [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kelly, Kenneth [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-01-27

Foothill Transit is collaborating with the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate its fleet of Proterra battery electric buses (BEBs) in revenue service. The focus of this evaluation is to compare performance of the BEBs to that of conventional technology and to track progress over time toward meeting performance targets. This project has also provided an opportunity for DOE to conduct a detailed evaluation of the BEBs and charging infrastructure. This report provides data on the buses from April 2014 through July 2015. Data are provided on a selection of compressed natural gas buses as a baseline comparison.

Comparative study of fuel cell, battery and hybrid buses for renewable energy constrained areas

Science.gov (United States)

Stempien, J. P.; Chan, S. H.

2017-02-01

Fuel cell- and battery-based public bus technologies are reviewed and compared for application in tropical urban areas. This paper scrutinizes the reported literature on fuel cell bus, fuel cell electric bus, battery electric bus, hybrid electric bus, internal combustion diesel bus and compressed natural gas bus. The comparison includes the capital and operating costs, fuel consumption and fuel cycle emissions. To the best of authors knowledge, this is the first study to holistically compare hydrogen and battery powered buses, which is the original contribution of this paper. Moreover, this is the first study to focus on supplying hydrogen and electricity from fossil resources, while including the associated emissions. The study shows that compressed natural gas and hybrid electric buses appear to be the cheapest options in terms of total cost of ownership, but they are unable to meet the EURO VI emissions' standard requirement. Only fuel cell based buses have the potential to achieve the emissions' standard when the fuel cycle based on fossil energy was considered. Fuel cell electric buses are identified as a technology allowing for the largest CO2 emission reduction, making ∼61% decrease in annual emissions possible.

Quantification of self pollution from two diesel school buses using three independent methods

Science.gov (United States)

Sally Liu, L.-J.; Phuleria, Harish C.; Webber, Whitney; Davey, Mark; Lawson, Douglas R.; Ireson, Robert G.; Zielinska, Barbara; Ondov, John M.; Weaver, Christopher S.; Lapin, Charles A.; Easter, Michael; Hesterberg, Thomas W.; Larson, Timothy

2010-09-01

We monitored two Seattle school buses to quantify the buses' self pollution using the dual tracers (DT), lead vehicle (LV), and chemical mass balance (CMB) methods. Each bus drove along a residential route simulating stops, with windows closed or open. Particulate matter (PM) and its constituents were monitored in the bus and from a LV. We collected source samples from the tailpipe and crankcase emissions using an on-board dilution tunnel. Concentrations of PM 1, ultrafine particle counts, elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC) were higher on the bus than the LV. The DT method estimated that the tailpipe and the crankcase emissions contributed 1.1 and 6.8 μg m -3 of PM 2.5 inside the bus, respectively, with significantly higher crankcase self pollution (SP) when windows were closed. Approximately two-thirds of in-cabin PM 2.5 originated from background sources. Using the LV approach, SP estimates from the EC and the active personal DataRAM (pDR) measurements correlated well with the DT estimates for tailpipe and crankcase emissions, respectively, although both measurements need further calibration for accurate quantification. CMB results overestimated SP from the DT method but confirmed crankcase emissions as the major SP source. We confirmed buses' SP using three independent methods and quantified crankcase emissions as the dominant contributor.

Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Fuel Cell Bus Demonstration Results: Third Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Post, M.

2014-05-01

This report presents results of a demonstration of 12 fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) operating in Oakland, California. The 12 FCEBs operate as a part of the Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Demonstration, which also includes two new hydrogen fueling stations. This effort is the largest FCEB demonstration in the United States and involves five participating transit agencies. The ZEBA partners are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service. NREL has published two previous reports, in August 2011 and July 2012, describing operation of these buses. New results in this report provide an update covering eight months through October 2013.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in public transportation vehicles (buses): another piece to the epidemiologic puzzle.

Science.gov (United States)

Lutz, Jonathan K; van Balen, Joany; Crawford, John Mac; Wilkins, John R; Lee, Jiyoung; Nava-Hoet, Rocio C; Hoet, Armando E

2014-12-01

Little is known about the occurrence and epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in public transportation in the United States. This research sought to determine the background prevalence and phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of MRSA strains circulating on buses from a large, metropolitan transportation agency. Electrostatic wipes were used to collect 237 surface samples from 40 buses randomly selected from July-October 2010. Six samples were collected from each bus immediately postservice and before any cleaning and disinfection. Positive isolates were analyzed for antibiotic resistance, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; and potential epidemiologic factors were examined. Of the buses, 68% (27/40) were contaminated with S aureus, and 63% (25/40) were contaminated with MRSA. Seats and seat rails were the surfaces most frequently contaminated, followed by the back door and stanchions. Most (62.9%) of the MRSA isolates were classified as community-associated MRSA clones (SCCmec type IV), and 22.9% were health care-associated MRSA clones (SCCmec type II). Of the MRSA strains, 65% (5/20) were multidrug resistant. MRSA was frequently isolated from commonly touched surfaces in buses serving both hospital and community routes. Phenotypic and genotypic analysis demonstrated that buses may be effective mixing vessels for MRSA strains of both community and health care-associated origin. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools as a source of children's exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Hochstetler, Heather A; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina; Ryan, Patrick H; Grinshpun, Sergey A

2011-03-01

Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 µg m -3 . The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also highest at the school with the greatest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with elements identified in the indoor PM2.5. Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors).

Concentrations and risk assessment of selected monoaromatic hydrocarbons in buses and bus stations of Hangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuang; Chen, Shuguang; Zhu, Lizhong; Chen, Xiasheng; Yao, Chaoying; Shen, Xueyou

2009-03-01

Air pollution surveys of ten selected monoaromatic hydrocarbons (MAHCs) were conducted in buses and bus stations in Hangzhou, China. The mean concentrations of MAHCs in the air of buses and bus stations were 95.9 and 36.5 microg/m(3), respectively, of which toluene was the highest in all the sampling sites. Mean concentrations of all MAHCs in buses were statistically higher than those nearby bus stations (pbus drivers were 1.11x10(-5) and 4.00x10(-5), respectively, which were way above the limit set by USEPA. The health risk caused by MAHCs in bus microenvironment should be cautioned.

National Fuel Cell Bus Program: Accelerated Testing Evaluation Report and Appendices, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandler, K.; Eudy, L.

2009-01-01

This is an evaluation of hydrogen fuel cell transit buses operating at AC Transit in revenue service since March 20, 2006 compared to similar diesel buses operating from the same depot. This evaluation report includes results from November 2007 through October 2008. Evaluation results include implementation experience, fueling station operation, fuel cell bus operations at Golden Gate Transit, and evaluation results at AC Transit (bus usage, availability, fuel economy, maintenance costs, and roadcalls).

Adopting Clean Fuels and Technologies on School Buses. Pollution and Health Impacts in Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Adar, Sara D; D'Souza, Jennifer; Sheppard, Lianne; Kaufman, Joel D; Hallstrand, Teal S; Davey, Mark E; Sullivan, James R; Jahnke, Jordan; Koenig, Jane; Larson, Timothy V; Liu, L J Sally

2015-06-15

More than 25 million American children breathe polluted air on diesel school buses. Emission reduction policies exist, but the health impacts to individual children have not been evaluated. Using a natural experiment, we characterized the exposures and health of 275 school bus riders before, during, and after the adoption of clean technologies and fuels between 2005 and 2009. Air pollution was measured during 597 trips on 188 school buses. Repeated measures of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), lung function (FEV1, FVC), and absenteeism were also collected monthly (1,768 visits). Mixed-effects models longitudinally related the adoption of diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs), closed crankcase ventilation systems (CCVs), ultralow-sulfur diesel (ULSD), or biodiesel with exposures and health. Fine and ultrafine particle concentrations were 10-50% lower on buses using ULSD, DOCs, and/or CCVs. ULSD adoption was also associated with reduced FeNO (-16% [95% confidence interval (CI), -21 to -10%]), greater changes in FVC and FEV1 (0.02 [95% CI, 0.003 to 0.05] and 0.01 [95% CI, -0.006 to 0.03] L/yr, respectively), and lower absenteeism (-8% [95% CI, -16.0 to -0.7%]), with stronger associations among patients with asthma. DOCs, and to a lesser extent CCVs, also were associated with improved FeNO, FVC growth, and absenteeism, but these findings were primarily restricted to patients with persistent asthma and were often sensitive to control for ULSD. No health benefits were noted for biodiesel. Extrapolating to the U.S. population, changed fuel/technologies likely reduced absenteeism by more than 14 million/yr. National and local diesel policies appear to have reduced children's exposures and improved health.

NAA of an iridium tracer to determine soot exposure of students commuting on Baltimore`s buses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ondov, J.M.; Wu, C.C.; Lin, Zhibo; Kidwell, C.B. [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

1997-12-01

Epidemiologic studies suggest that short-term increases in indices of particulate air pollution are associated with increased mortality and morbidity from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. An important component of urban aerosol, diesel soot, is a known respiratory irritant and contains mutagenic and carcinogenic organic compounds. In the United States, motor vehicles are thought to be the largest single source of atmospheric soot and account for {approximately}36% of the annual anthropogenic emission of toxic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Much of the motor-vehicle-derived PAH originates from diesel-powered vehicles because their PAH emissions are up to 50-fold greater than those from gasoline engines. In Baltimore, city high school students take public buses to school and, often, must stand at bus stops while many diesel buses pass or stop before their own buses arrive. To estimate student exposures to soot emitted from public diesel buses (MTA) during commutes to city high schools, the Baltimore municipal fuel supply was tagged with an iridium tracer, and exposure was monitored during commutes with personal aerosol monitors as a part of the Baltimore Environmental Justice Project.

Detection of maximum loadability limits and weak buses using Chaotic PSO considering security constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acharjee, P.; Mallick, S.; Thakur, S.S.; Ghoshal, S.P.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The unique cost function is derived considering practical Security Constraints. → New innovative formulae of PSO parameters are developed for better performance. → The inclusion and implementation of chaos in PSO technique is original and unique. → Weak buses are identified where FACTS devices can be implemented. → The CPSO technique gives the best performance for all the IEEE standard test systems. - Abstract: In the current research chaotic search is used with the optimization technique for solving non-linear complicated power system problems because Chaos can overcome the local optima problem of optimization technique. Power system problem, more specifically voltage stability, is one of the practical examples of non-linear, complex, convex problems. Smart grid, restructured energy system and socio-economic development fetch various uncertain events in power systems and the level of uncertainty increases to a great extent day by day. In this context, analysis of voltage stability is essential. The efficient method to assess the voltage stability is maximum loadability limit (MLL). MLL problem is formulated as a maximization problem considering practical security constraints (SCs). Detection of weak buses is also important for the analysis of power system stability. Both MLL and weak buses are identified by PSO methods and FACTS devices can be applied to the detected weak buses for the improvement of stability. Three particle swarm optimization (PSO) techniques namely General PSO (GPSO), Adaptive PSO (APSO) and Chaotic PSO (CPSO) are presented for the comparative study with obtaining MLL and weak buses under different SCs. In APSO method, PSO-parameters are made adaptive with the problem and chaos is incorporated in CPSO method to obtain reliable convergence and better performances. All three methods are applied on standard IEEE 14 bus, 30 bus, 57 bus and 118 bus test systems to show their comparative computing effectiveness and

Thermodynamic analysis of the two-phase ejector air-conditioning system for buses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ünal, Şaban; Yilmaz, Tuncay

2015-01-01

Air-conditioning compressors of the buses are usually operated with the power taken from the engine of the buses. Therefore, an improvement in the air-conditioning system will reduce the fuel consumption of the buses. The improvement in the coefficient of performance (COP) of the air-conditioning system can be provided by using the two-phase ejector as an expansion valve in the air-conditioning system. In this study, the thermodynamic analysis of bus air-conditioning system enhanced with a two-phase ejector and two evaporators is performed. Thermodynamic analysis is made assuming that the mixing process in ejector occurs at constant cross-sectional area and constant pressure. The increase rate in the COP with respect to conventional system is analyzed in terms of the subcooling, condenser and evaporator temperatures. The analysis shows that COP improvement of the system by using the two phase ejector as an expansion device is 15% depending on design parameters of the existing bus air-conditioning system. - Highlights: • Thermodynamic analysis of the two-phase ejector refrigeration system. • Analysis of the COP increase rate of bus air-conditioning system. • Analysis of the entrainment ratio of the two-phase ejector refrigeration system

Safety issues in urban transit facilities for hydrogen-fueled buses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hay, R.H.; Ducharme, P.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' The Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance (CTFCA), created by the Canadian Government as part of its 2000 Climate Change Action Plan, has commissioned MARCON-DDM's Hydrogen Intervention Team (HIT) to provide a roadmap for urban transit systems that wish to move to hydrogen fuel cell-powered bus fleets. HIT is currently in the process of gathering information from hydrogen technology providers, bus manufacturers, fuelling system providers and urban transit systems in Canada, the US and Europe. In September, HIT will be in a position to provide a hands-on perspective of the introduction of fuel-cell buses in the Canadian environment. Part of the process of adding hydrogen-fueled busses to urban transit systems involves phasing in the new technology to minimize the economic cost. This involves substituting hydrogen buses into the normal bus procurement life cycle and maximizing the use of existing facilities for garaging, maintenance and fueling. Using a schematic outline of an urban transit system, this presentation will outline the safety issues specific to hydrogen in such systems, particularly for garaging, maintenance and fueling components. It will then outline how safety of these component is addressed in current and proposed codes, standards and recommended practices. Based on these requirements the impact of the introduction of hydrogen-fueled buses on each component of the transit system will be addressed in terms of the adaptations of current facilities and practices or the requirements for new facilities and practices. (author)

Lagrangian Hotspots of In-Use NOX Emissions from Transit Buses.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotz, Andrew J; Kittelson, David B; Northrop, William F

2016-06-07

In-use, spatiotemporal NOX emissions were measured from a conventional powertrain transit bus and a series electric hybrid bus over gradients of route kinetic intensity and ambient temperature. This paper introduces a new method for identifying NOX emissions hotspots along a bus route using high fidelity Lagrangian vehicle data to explore spatial interactions that may influence emissions production. Our study shows that the studied transit buses emit higher than regulated emissions because on-route operation does not accurately represent the range of engine operation tested according to regulatory standards. Using the Lagrangian hotspot detection, we demonstrate that NOX hotspots occurred at bus stops, during cold starts, on inclines, and for accelerations. On the selected routes, bus stops resulted in 3.3 times the route averaged emissions factor in grams/km without significant dependence on bus type or climate. The buses also emitted 2.3 times the route averaged NOX emissions factor at the beginning of each route due to cold selective catalytic reduction aftertreatment temperature. The Lagrangian hotspot detection technique demonstrated here could be employed in future connected vehicles empowered by advances in computational power, data storage capability, and improved sensor technology to optimize emissions as a function of spatial location.

The Aerodynamics of Heavy Vehicles III : Trucks, Buses and Trains

CERN Document Server

Orellano, Alexander

2016-01-01

This volume contains papers presented at the International conference “The Aerodynamics of Heavy Vehicles III: Trucks, Buses and Trains” held in Potsdam, Germany, September 12-17, 2010 by Engineering Conferences International (ECI). Leading scientists and engineers from industry, universities and research laboratories, including truck and high-speed train manufacturers and operators were brought together to discuss computer simulation and experimental techniques to be applied for the design of more efficient trucks, buses and high-speed trains in the future.   This conference was the third in the series after Monterey-Pacific Groove in 2002 and Lake Tahoe in 2007.  The presentations address different aspects of train aerodynamics (cross wind effects, underbody flow, tunnel aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, experimental techniques), truck aerodynamics (drag reduction, flow control, experimental and computational techniques) as well as computational fluid dynamics and bluff body, wake and jet flows.

Comparison of Life Cycle energy consumption and GHG emissions of natural gas, biodiesel and diesel buses of the Madrid transportation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

García Sánchez, Juan Antonio; López Martínez, José María; Lumbreras Martín, Julio; Flores Holgado, Maria Nuria

2012-01-01

This paper presents a comparative study on the use of three after-treatment technologies: i) EGR + DPF, ii) SCR + Urea and iii) 3-way catalyst when implemented in urban buses, to determinate the energy requirements, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), direct Land Use Change (dLUC), abiotic depletion of fossil energy by means of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The process of production, conditioning and transporting of the fuels used by the buses (diesel, biodiesel (B100), a blended biodiesel at 20% (B20) and natural gas) were also analyzed (Well-to-Tank analysis) along with the environmental impact due to its combustion in the bus (Tank-to-Wheel analysis). The environmental impact of the manufacturing, maintenance and recycling process of the urban buses and exhaust after-treatment systems has also been evaluated. Main results shows that Life Cycle of SCR + Urea technology reduces environmental impact to a greater extent than its global Life Cycle increases it when gasoil is used resulting in a final balance more efficient than the other options, the same behavior is observed with the use of B20 and B100 but only when 0%dLUC is assumed since if the percentage of dLUC increases the effectiveness of the SCR + Urea technology in the reduction of environmental impact tend to decrease. -- Highlights: ► We examine the environmental impact caused by the Life Cycle of each technology, fossil fuel, biofuel and vehicle. ► Biodiesel environmental impact depends largely on land transformed for grow crops. ► Using SCR + Urea technology and gasoil as a fuel in the bus further reduces the environmental impact.

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2017

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew B [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-11-21

This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The report provides a summary of results from evaluations performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This annual status report combines results from all FCEB demonstrations, tracks the progress of the FCEB industry toward meeting technical targets, documents the lessons learned, and discusses the path forward for commercial viability of fuel cell technology for transit buses. These data and analyses help provide needed information to guide future early-stage research and development. The 2017 summary results primarily focus on the most recent year for each demonstration, from August 2016 through July 2017. The primary results presented in the report are from five demonstrations of two different fuel-cell-dominant bus designs: Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group led by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in California; American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) Project at SunLine Transit Agency in California; AFCB Project at the University of California at Irvine; AFCB Project at Orange County Transportation Authority; and AFCB Project at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Jeffers, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-11-01

This report, published annually, summarizes the progress of fuel cell electric bus development in the United States and discusses the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The report provides a summary of results from evaluations performed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Funding for this effort is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's Fuel Cell Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration. The 2016 summary results primarily focus on the most recent year for each demonstration, from August 2015 through July 2016. The results for these buses account for more than 550,000 miles traveled and 59,500 hours of fuel cell power system operation. The primary results presented in the report are from three demonstrations of two different fuel-cell-dominant bus designs: Zero Emission Bay Area Demonstration Group led by Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) in California; American Fuel Cell Bus Project at SunLine Transit Agency in California; and American Fuel Cell Bus Project at the University of California at Irvine.

Thermal Safety of the Current Buses in the Chimney of the D0 Solenoid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, R.P.

1998-01-01

The thermal and electrical behaviour of the current buses in the chimney of the D0 solenoid during upset conditions is modeled to guide the selection of trip levels for magnet protection circuits which discharge the magnet if abnormal conditions are detected. The current buses in the chimney are designed to operate safely without likelihood of loss of superconductivity as long as normal cooling conditions are maintained. Helium liquid level probes, helium flow instrumentation, and thermometry all are provided to certify that proper cooling conditions exist in the subcooler and chimney at all times. Rising temperatures in any portion of the system, excessive voltage drops on the vapor cooled leads, or decreasing liquid level in the subcooler or flow rate in the system, will each cause the fast discharge system to be triggered. Postulated failures of the helium flow system, somehow undetected by any and all of the aforementioned instrumentation, can in principal eventually lead to loss of superconductivity in the buses. Quenching in one bus will rapidly lead to quenching in the other. Potential taps on the buses and magnet coil halves connected to voltage-detection bridges external to the system provide at least dually redundant signals which will unambiguously trigger the magnet rapid discharge system. The conservative design of the bus system ensures that it will not be damaged during such incidents, however improbable they may be. The transition leads in the subcooler are equally conservatively designed, and would not be damaged if they were operated in a fully non-superconducting state for several minutes. The loss of liquid helium in the sub cooler required to cause this condition would imply that helium flow from the magnet had stopped, which in turn would imply that flow to the magnet had also stopped. The lack of flow into the sub cooler would result in insufficient flow to the vapor cooled leads. Any or all of these conditions would be detected, as would

Life Cycle Assessment of Diesel and Electric Public Transportation Buses

Science.gov (United States)

The Clean Air Act identifies diesel powered motor vehicles, including transit buses, as significant sources of several criteria pollutants which contribute to ground level ozone formation or smog. The effects of air pollution in urban areas are often more significant due to con...

Evaluation of the use of bioethanol fuelled buses based on ambient air pollution screening and on-road measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Aparicio, S; Hak, C

2013-05-01

Mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may have adverse effects on urban air quality and human exposure to harmful pollutants. The use of bioethanol fuelled vehicles is increasing worldwide and may create new undesired pollution effects. Different measurement campaigns were performed in a pilot study to contribute to the understanding of the consequences associated with the use of bioethanol blended fuel (E95) on a series of pollutants. Ambient screening measurements of NO2, O3, acetic acid, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were performed at different urban locations, exposed and not exposed to the circulation of bioethanol buses. In addition, volatile organic compounds were measured at the exhaust pipe of a bioethanol fuelled bus, both under idling conditions (carbonyls; DNPH cartridge) and under on-road driving conditions applying online monitoring (PTR-TOF). Higher ambient acetaldehyde values were measured at locations exposed to bioethanol fuelled buses than at locations not exposed, and very high acetaldehyde and acetic acid values were measured from the exhaust pipe during driving conditions (acetaldehyde>150 ppm; acetic acid ≈ 20-30 ppm) and modelled at close distance to the bioethanol bus. Human exposure to high concentration of acetaldehyde is expected, and it may involve a significantly increased chance in developing cancer. The high concentration of acetic acid will involve odour annoyance and significant material degradation or corrosion. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SunLine Transit Agency Advanced Technology Fuel Cell Bus Evaluation: First Results Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.

2011-03-01

This report describes operations at SunLine Transit Agency for their newest prototype fuel cell bus and five compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. In May 2010, SunLine began operating its sixth-generation hydrogen fueled bus, an Advanced Technology (AT) fuel cell bus that incorporates the latest design improvements to reduce weight and increase reliability and performance. The agency is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the bus in revenue service. This report provides the early data results and implementation experience of the AT fuel cell bus since it was placed in service.

Foothill Transit Battery Electric Bus Demonstration Results: Second Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Jeffers, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-06-28

This report summarizes results of a battery electric bus (BEB) evaluation at Foothill Transit, located in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valley region of Los Angeles County, California. Foothill Transit is collaborating with the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory to evaluate its fleet of Proterra BEBs in revenue service. The focus of this evaluation is to compare performance of the BEBs to that of conventional technology and to track progress over time toward meeting performance targets. This project has also provided an opportunity for DOE to conduct a detailed evaluation of the BEBs and charging infrastructure. This is the second report summarizing the results of the BEB demonstration at Foothill Transit and it provides data on the buses from August 2015 through December 2016. Data are provided on a selection of compressed natural gas buses as a baseline comparison.

Buses retrofitting with diesel particle filters: Real-world fuel economy and roadworthiness test considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleischman, Rafael; Amiel, Ran; Czerwinski, Jan; Mayer, Andreas; Tartakovsky, Leonid

2018-05-01

Retrofitting older vehicles with diesel particulate filter (DPF) is a cost-effective measure to quickly and efficiently reduce particulate matter emissions. This study experimentally analyzes real-world performance of buses retrofitted with CRT DPFs. 18 in-use Euro III technology urban and intercity buses were investigated for a period of 12months. The influence of the DPF and of the vehicle natural aging on buses fuel economy are analyzed and discussed. While the effect of natural deterioration is about 1.2%-1.3%, DPF contribution to fuel economy penalty is found to be 0.6% to 1.8%, depending on the bus type. DPF filtration efficiency is analyzed throughout the study and found to be in average 96% in the size range of 23-560nm. Four different load and non-load engine operating modes are investigated on their appropriateness for roadworthiness tests. High idle is found to be the most suitable regime for PN diagnostics considering particle number filtration efficiency. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools as a source of children’s exposure

Science.gov (United States)

Hochstetler, Heather A.; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina; Ryan, Patrick H.; Grinshpun, Sergey A.

2015-01-01

Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 µg m−3. The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also highest at the school with the greatest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with elements identified in the indoor PM2.5. Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors). PMID:25904818

Ultrafine particle emissions by in-use diesel buses of various generations at low-load regimes

Science.gov (United States)

Tartakovsky, L.; Baibikov, V.; Comte, P.; Czerwinski, J.; Mayer, A.; Veinblat, M.; Zimmerli, Y.

2015-04-01

Ultrafine particles (UFP) are major contributors to air pollution due to their easy gas-like penetration into the human organism, causing adverse health effects. This study analyzes UFP emissions by buses of different technologies (from Euro II till Euro V EEV - Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) at low-load regimes. Additionally, the emission-reduction potential of retrofitting with a diesel particle filter (DPF) is demonstrated. A comparison of the measured, engine-out, particle number concentrations (PNC) for buses of different technological generations shows that no substantial reduction of engine-out emissions at low-load operating modes is observed for newer bus generations. Retrofitting the in-use urban and interurban buses of Euro II till Euro IV technologies by the VERT-certified DPF confirmed its high efficiency in reduction of UFP emissions. Particle-count filtration efficiency values of the retrofit DPF were found to be extremely high - greater than 99.8%, similar to that of the OEM filter in the Euro V bus.

From prototype to product. The development of low emission natural gas- and biogas buses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ekelund, M. [Strateco Development AB, Haninge (Sweden)

1998-01-01

The objective of this report is to show the development of natural gas and bio gas buses and trucks since the termination of the `Co-Nordic GasBus Project`, to which KFB was a major contributor and one of the initiators. Sweden have some 325 heavy duty methane vehicles of which almost 100 are bio gas operated. Scania and Volvo have produced, or have orders for, 500 gas buses to 6 different countries since 1990. The Project objectives were obtained and the significantly reduced emission levels aimed for, were shown. The international bus manufacturing industry followed, and have since shown the same low levels of emissions from gas bus engines. Sweden has taken the lead in the use of bio gas, by operating nearly 100 buses and trucks. Bio gas is still an underestimated fuel when it comes to supply, as it can provide fuel for 50% of the domestic use of diesel oil. Future development need to include control systems for more stable emissions, lower weight cylinders, less costly compressors, cleaning equipment and storage cylinders as well as more fuel efficient engines that can reduce mainly the discharge of CO2, NOx and CH4 further. Societal costs, regardless of who pays, for methane operated buses is still somewhat higher compared with best use of diesel + CRT technology. As commercialization develops, it is expected that the price of the vehicle will be reduced and emissions improved. It is therefore expected that the stake holders costs will be lower then that of diesel technology in the future

Electric buses - An energy efficient urban transportation means

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuehne, Reinhart [German Aerospace Center (DLR), Transportation Studies, Rutherfordstr. 2, 12489 Berlin (Germany)

2010-12-15

Bus transit systems with electric traction are an important contribution to the post fossil fuel mobility. Most renewable energy sources provide energy in the form of electricity. Electric motors thus have promise in the development of the way ''beyond oil''. The reactivation of trolley bus systems - grid bounded but also catenary free for short distances - paves this way. The design of modern trolley bus operations overcomes the existing disadvantages of conventional buses using fossil fuel. Germany has an efficient industry in this field, that offers braking energy recovery and energy storage in modern supercapacitors as well as technical and organisational innovations for a local emission free and a low noise transit system. Gentle but powerful when starting and braking, the trolley bus is cost effective and easy to integrate into an existing infrastructure. Such an electric bus system is ecological, customer-friendly and suitable for cities. It has a high economic efficiency and it also expands the traffic planning field towards an ecological future technology. This paper shows examples at home and abroad how electric buses achieve an energy solving modern urban traffic. It gives insights into technical developments of electric vehicle equipment, cateneries with fast driving handling characteristics and the use of plain electric and hybrid powertrains. (author)

Real-world operation conditions and on-road emissions of Beijing diesel buses measured by using portable emission measurement system and electric low-pressure impactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhihua; Ge, Yunshan; Johnson, Kent C; Shah, Asad Naeem; Tan, Jianwei; Wang, Chu; Yu, Linxiao

2011-03-15

On-road measurement is an effective method to investigate real-world emissions generated from vehicles and estimate the difference between engine certification cycles and real-world operating conditions. This study presents the results of on-road measurements collected from urban buses which propelled by diesel engine in Beijing city. Two widely used Euro III emission level buses and two Euro IV emission level buses were chosen to perform on-road emission measurements using portable emission measurement system (PEMS) for gaseous pollutant and Electric Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI) for particulate matter (PM) number emissions. The results indicate that considerable discrepancies of engine operating conditions between real-world driving cycles and engine certification cycles have been observed. Under real-world operating conditions, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions can easily meet their respective regulations limits, while brake specification nitrogen oxide (bsNO(x)) emissions present a significant deviation from its corresponding limit. Compared with standard limits, the real-world bsNO(x) emission of the two Euro III emission level buses approximately increased by 60% and 120% respectively, and bsNO(x) of two Euro IV buses nearly twice standard limits because Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system not active under low exhaust temperature. Particle mass were estimated via particle size distribution with the assumption that particle density and diameter is liner. The results demonstrate that nanometer size particulate matter make significant contribution to total particle number but play a minor role to total particle mass. It is suggested that specific certified cycle should be developed to regulate bus engines emissions on the test bench or use PEMS to control the bus emissions under real-world operating conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Luxurious Buses As Means Of Night Journey In Nigeria: Challenges ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

transfer to discourage robbery cases on our roads. Passengers should also keep their traveling plans secret as much as possible as a way of fostering safety. Keywords: night journey, armed robbers, luxurious buses and police escorts. Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 1 (3) 2008: pp. 52-62.

American Fuel Cell Bus Project Evaluation. Second Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-09-01

This report presents results of the American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) Project, a demonstration of fuel cell electric buses operating in the Coachella Valley area of California. The prototype AFCB was developed as part of the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA's) National Fuel Cell Bus Program. Through the non-profit consortia CALSTART, a team led by SunLine Transit Agency and BAE Systems developed a new fuel cell electric bus for demonstration. SunLine added two more AFCBs to its fleet in 2014 and another in 2015. FTA and the AFCB project team are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to evaluate the buses in revenue service. This report summarizes the performance results for the buses through June 2015.

Preliminary study on field buses for the control system of the high voltage of the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drevet, F.; Chadelas, R.; Montarou, G.

1996-01-01

We present here after a preliminary study on field buses for the control system of the high voltage of the photomultipliers of the TILECAL calorimeter. After some generalities, different commercial buses are reviewed (CAN, ARCET, WorldFIP, Profibus and LonWorks). The Profibus and LonWorks solution are more extensively studies as a possible solution for the high voltage system of the TILE hadronic calorimeter. (authors)

Environmental, health, and safety issues of fuel cells in transportation. Volume 1: Phosphoric acid fuel-cell buses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ring, S

1994-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) chartered the Phosphoric Acid Fuel-Cell (PAFC) Bus Program to demonstrate the feasibility of fuel cells in heavy-duty transportation systems. As part of this program, PAFC- powered buses are being built to meet transit industry design and performance standards. Test-bed bus-1 (TBB-1) was designed in 1993 and integrated in March 1994. TBB-2 and TBB-3 are under construction and should be integrated in early 1995. In 1987 Phase I of the program began with the development and testing of two conceptual system designs- liquid- and air-cooled systems. The liquid-cooled PAFC system was chosen to continue, through a competitive award, into Phase H, beginning in 1991. Three hybrid buses, which combine fuel-cell and battery technologies, were designed during Phase III. After completing Phase II, DOE plans a comprehensive performance testing program (Phase HI) to verify that the buses meet stringent transit industry requirements. The Phase III study will evaluate the PAFC bus and compare it to a conventional diesel bus. This NREL study assesses the environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues that may affect the commercialization of the PAFC bus. Because safety is a critical factor for consumer acceptance of new transportation-based technologies the study focuses on these issues. The study examines health and safety together because they are integrally related. In addition, this report briefly discusses two environmental issues that are of concern to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The first issue involves a surge battery used by the PAFC bus that contains hazardous constituents. The second issue concerns the regulated air emissions produced during operation of the PAFC bus.

Communication Buses and Protocols for Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Mason

2002-07-01

Full Text Available This paper overviews existing digital communication buses which are commonly used in sensor networks, discusses sensor network architectures, and introduces a new sensor bus for low power microsystem applications. The new intra-module multi-element microsystem (IM2 bus is nine-line interface with 8b serial data which implements several advanced features such as power management and plug-n-play while maintaining minimum hardware overhead at the sensor node. Finally, some issues in wireless sensor networking are discussed. The coverage of these issues provides a guideline for choosing the appropriate bus for different sensor network applications.

Report on FS survey for project of introduction of highly energy-efficient trolley buses into the Mexico Metropolitan Area in FY 1997; 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho (Mexico city eno sho energy gata trolley bus donyu project FS chosa)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

Traffic jam and air pollution by automobiles are currently getting severe in the Mexico Metropolitan Area. Trolley buses were introduced for improving the environment more than ten years ago. Vehicles become too old for use, and their energy efficiency is low. In this project, 200 highly energy-efficient trolley buses are introduced to replace old inefficient trolley buses, which results in the improved traffic convenience in the City and enhanced energy efficiency. The new energy-efficient trolley buses are made of energy-efficient control VVVF inverters produced and exported by MELCO (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), energy-efficient motors by MELMEX (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Mexico), and bodies by MASA which is a major manufacturer of bus bodies. The objective of this research is to analyze the background of introduction of new energy-efficient trolley buses and the effects of the present project. The results of analysis are going to be utilized for future promotion of the Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism. 30 refs., 30 figs., 24 tabs.

Hydrogen for buses in London: A scenario analysis of changes over time in refuelling infrastructure costs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shayegan, S.; Pearson, P.J.G.; Hart, D.

2009-01-01

The lack of a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure is one of the major obstacles to the introduction of the hydrogen vehicles to the road transport market. To help overcome this hurdle a likely transitional solution is to introduce hydrogen for niche applications such as buses or other types of fleet vehicles for which fuel demand is predictable and localised. This paper analyses the costs of different hydrogen production-delivery pathways, via a case study of buses in London. Scenario analysis over time (2007-2025) is used to investigate potential changes to the cost of hydrogen as a result of technology development, growing demand for hydrogen and changes in energy prices (gas and electricity). It is found that factors related to hydrogen demand have the greatest effect on the unit cost of hydrogen, while for the whole of the analysis period, on-site SMR (steam methane reforming) remains the least-cost production-delivery pathway. (author)

Battery Peak Power Shaving Strategy to Prolong Battery Life for Electric Buses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pham, T.H.; Rosea, B.; Wilkins, S.

2016-01-01

This paper presents a battery peak power shaving strategy for battery electric buses. The developed strategy restricts the battery charge/discharge power when the propulsion power demand is high to avoid high deterioration of the battery capacity during operation. Without reducing the propulsion

SunLine Transit Agency Advanced Technology Fuel Cell Bus Evaluation: Third Results Reports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.

2012-05-01

This report describes operations at SunLine Transit Agency for their newest prototype fuel cell bus and five compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. In May 2010, SunLine began operating its sixth-generation hydrogen fueled bus, an Advanced Technology (AT) fuel cell bus that incorporates the latest design improvements to reduce weight and increase reliability and performance. The agency is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the bus in revenue service. NREL has previously published two reports documenting the operation of the fuel cell bus in service. This report provides a summary of the results with a focus on the bus operation from July 2011 through January 2012.

Modeling of passengers' safety perception for buses on mountainous roads.

Science.gov (United States)

Khoo, Hooi Ling; Ahmed, Muaid

2018-04-01

This study had developed a passenger safety perception model specifically for buses taking into consideration the various factors, namely driver characteristics, environmental conditions, and bus characteristics using Bayesian Network. The behaviour of bus driver is observed through the bus motion profile, measured in longitudinal, lateral, and vertical accelerations. The road geometry is recorded using GPS and is computed with the aid of the Google map while the perceived bus safety is rated by the passengers in the bus in real time. A total of 13 variables were derived and used in the model development. The developed Bayesian Network model shows that the type of bus and the experience of the driver on the investigated route could have an influence on passenger's perception of their safety on buses. Road geometry is an indirect influencing factor through the driver's behavior. The findings of this model are useful for the authorities to structure an effective strategy to improve the level of perceived bus safety. A high level of bus safety will definitely boost passenger usage confidence which will subsequently increase ridership. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

School buses, air pollution and children's health : improving children's health and local air quality by reducing school bus emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perrotta, K. [Ontario Public Health Association, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2005-11-01

The exhaust gases from school buses was examined and recommendations were presented for the establishment of a healthy school bus program in Ontario that is directed at improving children's health and local air quality. The Ontario Public Health Association is concerned with school bus emissions because they are heavy-duty vehicles that emit large quantities of diesel-related air pollutants such as fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and diesel particulates. In addition, school buses can be self-polluting vehicles that expose children on-board to high levels of fine particulates and diesel particulate matter. Both these pollutants have been associated with a range of acute and chronic health problems such as asthma, respiratory infections, allergies, and school absences. With nearly 800,000 Ontario children being transported on school buses annually, these exposures can represent a serious public health concern, as childhood exposures can also influence the health of exposed individuals later in life. Exposure studies have found that tailpipe and engine emissions contribute greatly to concentrations of air pollutants on-board school buses. The studies also showed that on-board concentrations were also influenced by local air quality in the communities studied, traffic density, wind direction, the configuration of windows, idling and queuing patterns. It was recommended that the use of ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel along with the installation of diesel particulate filters and closed crankcase filters can reduce the concentrations of air pollutants on-board school buses to almost ambient air levels, even under idling conditions. This report recommended the replacement of pre-1994 school buses, the retrofitting of 1994-2003 school buses with filters, and maintaining proper maintenance, idling and vehicle operation practices. refs., tabs., figs.

76 FR 77888 - Student Transportation of America, Inc.-Control-Dairyland Buses, Inc.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-14

... Wisconsin law, also holds a FMCSA license (MC-170747) and is owned by Coach USA, Inc., a Delaware..., 2011, from their current owner, Coach USA, Inc., into an independent voting trust established under 49... Transportation of America, Inc.--Control--Dairyland Buses, Inc. AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION...

Ways to improve the environmental conditions of their buses in operation on passenger routes of cities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melnychuk S.V.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The results of studies on operational and environmental parameters buses used on bus routes Zhitomir city. It uses statistical methods for determining the intensity of traffic, passenger traffic and ecology in traffic. To assess the environmental chosen stop with the greatest intensity of traffic, which is the probability of accumulation of pollution transport emissions that exceed permissible limits. Calculation of environmental pollution emission route for vehicles made stops street «Str. Hundreds of Heaven» «CUM», «vul. Hlibna» on the main trunk street Kievska. Results obtained environmental field experiments compared with the data defined calculation methods, based on the proposed use appropriate operational vehicles. The conclusions that indicate the seriousness of the problem and the urgency to address it. The system of environmental safety and road safety in Zhitomir requires significant improvements due to the increased quantities bus vehicles plying city routes. Recommendations to improve the ecological condition of intersections can be developed through the optimization of traffic using buses with environmentally improved operating parameters. Keywords: environmental and operational parameters; ecological safety; environmental assessment; intensity of traffic; passenger traffic; environmental conditions; operation; bus choice; stop.

Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Fuel Cell Bus Demonstration: Second Results Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.

2012-07-01

This report presents results of a demonstration of 12 new fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) operating in Oakland, California. The 12 FCEBs operate as a part of the Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Demonstration, which also includes two new hydrogen fueling stations. This effort is the largest FCEB demonstration in the United States and involves five participating transit agencies. The ZEBA partners are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service. The first results report was published in August 2011, describing operation of these new FCEBs from September 2010 through May 2011. New results in this report provide an update through April 2012.

Demonstration of 3 buses fuelled with ethanol with ignition improver in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verweij, J.; Weide, J. van der; Nie, L.H. de; Bruin, A. de

1996-01-01

This three year demonstration programme was initiated by OBL, a subsidiary of two Dutch sugar companies, and GADO, a public transport company. The programme was financially supported by a regional governmental organisation (ISP). In this programme, three bio-ethanol fuelled buses accumulated more

Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) Fuel Cell Transit Bus Preliminary Evaluation Results

Science.gov (United States)

2008-10-16

This report describes operations at Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) in Hartford for one prototype fuel cell bus and three new diesel buses operating from the same location. The report discusses the planned fuel cell bus demonstration and equipment us...

SunLine Transit Agency Advanced Technology Fuel Cell Bus Evaluation: Second Results Report and Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.

2011-10-01

This report describes operations at SunLine Transit Agency for their newest prototype fuel cell bus and five compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. In May 2010, SunLine began operating its sixth-generation hydrogen fueled bus, an Advanced Technology (AT) fuel cell bus that incorporates the latest design improvements to reduce weight and increase reliability and performance. The agency is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the bus in revenue service. This is the second results report for the AT fuel cell bus since it was placed in service, and it focuses on the newest data analysis and lessons learned since the previous report. The appendices, referenced in the main report, provide the full background for the evaluation. They will be updated as new information is collected but will contain the original background material from the first report.

Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Fuel Cell Bus Demonstration Results. Fourth Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-07-02

This report presents results of a demonstration of fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) operating in Oakland, California. Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) leads the Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) demonstration, which includes 12 advanced-design fuel cell buses and two hydrogen fueling stations. The FCEBs in service at AC Transit are 40-foot, low-floor buses built by Van Hool with a hybrid electric propulsion system that includes a US Hybrid fuel cell power system and EnerDel lithium-based energy storage system. The buses began revenue service in May 2010.

New buses and links for data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, H.; Bogaerts, A.; McLaren, R.; Parkman, C.; Linnhoefer, D.

1992-01-01

Bus standards for data acquisition have been vital for the construction and operation of medium and large HEP experiments. The recent industry bus standardisation effort will soon release the next generation of high performance buses and links for scalable systems. Prototype components, VLSI chips and board-level systems are already announced. Layers of the new bus specifications cover wide areas of applications and provide possibilities to define specific bus profiles by interest groups. New, innovative solutions which are needed for high rate experiments are becoming visible. These will provide novel architectural possibilities, very high bandwidth, fast silicon, industry support and new metric mechanical standards. Interconnected via standard bridges, different bus standards can be used to cover the varying requirements from the front ends to the computers. (orig.)

Real-world emissions and fuel consumption of diesel buses and trucks in Macao: From on-road measurement to policy implications

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiaomeng; Zhang, Shaojun; Wu, Ye; Li, Zhenhua; Zhou, Yu; Fu, Lixin; Hao, Jiming

2015-11-01

A total of 13 diesel buses and 12 diesel trucks in Macao were tested using portable emission measurement systems (PEMS) including a SEMTECH-DS for gaseous emissions and a SEMTECH-PPMD for PM2.5. The average emission rates of gaseous pollutants and CO2 are developed with the operating mode defined by the instantaneous vehicle specific power (VSP) and vehicle speed. Both distance-based and fuel mass-based emission factors for gaseous pollutants (e.g., CO, THC and NOX) are further estimated under typical driving conditions. The average distance-based NOX emission of heavy-duty buses (HDBs) is higher than 13 g km-1. Considering the unfavorable conditions for selective reductions catalyst (SCR) systems, such as low-speed driving conditions, more effective technology options (e.g., dedicated natural gas buses and electric buses) should be considered by policy makers in Macao. We identified strong effects of the vehicle size, engine displacement and driving conditions on real-world CO2 emission factors and fuel consumption for diesel vehicles. Therefore, detailed profiles regarding vehicle specifications can reduce the uncertainty in their fleet-average on-road fuel consumption. In addition, strong correlations between relative emission factors and driving conditions indicated by the average speed of generated micro-trips are identified based on a micro-trip method. For example, distance-based emission factors of HDBs will increase by 39% for CO, 29% for THC, 43% for NOX and 26% for CO2 when the average speed decreases from 30 km h-1 to 20 km h-1. The mitigation of on-road emissions from diesel buses and trucks by improving traffic conditions through effective traffic and economic management measures is therefore required. This study demonstrates the important role of PEMS in understanding vehicle emissions and mitigation strategies from science to policy perspectives.

SunLine Transit Agency Advanced Technology Fuel Cell Bus Evaluation: Fourth Results Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.

2013-01-01

SunLine Transit Agency, which provides public transit services to the Coachella Valley area of California, has demonstrated hydrogen and fuel cell bus technologies for more than 10 years. In May 2010, SunLine began demonstrating the advanced technology (AT) fuel cell bus with a hybrid electric propulsion system, fuel cell power system, and lithium-based hybrid batteries. This report describes operations at SunLine for the AT fuel cell bus and five compressed natural gas buses. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working with SunLine to evaluate the bus in real-world service to document the results and help determine the progress toward technology readiness. NREL has previously published three reports documenting the operation of the fuel cell bus in service. This report provides a summary of the results with a focus on the bus operation from February 2012 through November 2012.

Transportation of Wheelchair Seated Students in School Buses: A Review of State Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Britta; Fuhrman, Susan; Karg, Patricia

2010-01-01

This study quantitatively reviews publicly available state policies as they relate to the transportation of wheelchair-seated students in school buses. Inclusion of best practices in specially equipped school bus and driver training policies was assessed. Key points of interest within state policies were identified based on site visits, common…

The Fuel Economy of Hybrid Buses: The Role of Ancillaries in Real Urban Driving

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Bottiglione

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In the present context of the global economic crisis and environmental emergency, transport science is asked to find innovative solutions to turn traditional vehicles into fuel-saving and eco-friendly devices. In the last few years, hybrid vehicles have been shown to have potential benefits in this sense. In this paper, the fuel economy of series hybrid-electric and hybrid-mechanical buses is simulated in two real driving situations: cold and hot weather driving in the city of Taranto, in Southern Italy. The numerical analysis is carried out by an inverse dynamic approach, where the bus speed is given as a velocity pattern measured in the field tests performed on one of the city bus routes. The city of Taranto drive schedule is simulated in a typical tempered climate condition and with a hot temperature, when the air conditioning system must be switched on for passenger comfort. The fuel consumptions of hybrid-electric and hybrid-mechanical buses are compared to each other and with a traditional bus powered by a diesel engine. It is shown that the series hybrid-electric vehicle outperforms both the traditional and the mechanical hybrid vehicles in the cold weather driving simulation, reducing the fuel consumption by about 35% with respect to the traditional diesel bus. However, it is also shown that the performance of the hybrid-electric bus gets dramatically worse when the air-cooling system is continuously turned on. In this situation, the fuel consumption of the three different technologies for city buses under investigation is comparable.

High prevalence of EMRSA-15 in Portuguese public buses: a worrisome finding.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roméo Rocha Simões

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The nosocomial prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA in Portugal remains one of the highest in Europe and is currently around 50%. Transmission of S. aureus, including MRSA, occurs principally by direct human-to-human skin contact. However, S. aureus can survive for long periods on inanimate objects, which may represent an important reservoir for dissemination as well. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Between May 2009 and February 2010, handrails of 85 public urban buses circulating in Oporto, Portugal, were screened for the occurrence of MRSA. Twenty-two (26% buses showed MRSA contamination. The molecular characterization of a total of 55 MRSA, by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC mec typing, spa typing, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST, clustered the isolates into three clonal types. However, the overwhelming majority (n = 50; 91% of the isolates belonged to a single clone (PFGE A, spa types t747, t032, t025 or t020, ST22, SCCmec type IVh that exhibits the characteristics of the pandemic EMRSA-15, currently the major lineage circulating in Portuguese hospitals, namely in the Oporto region. Two additional clones were found but in much lower numbers: (i PFGE B, ST5, spa type t002, SCCmec IVa (n = 3, and (ii PFGE C, spa type t008, ST8, SCCmec IVa (n = 2. None of the 55 isolates was PVL positive. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Public buses in Oporto seem to be an important reservoir of MRSA of nosocomial origin, providing evidence that the major hospital-associated MRSA clone in Portugal is escaping from the primary ecological niche of hospitals to the community environment. Infection control measures are urgently warranted to limit the spread of EMRSA-15 to the general population and future studies are required to assess the eventual increase of MRSA in the Portuguese community, which so far remains low.

Рassenger survey on public transport in Zhitomir and evaluation of the main technical and operational parameters for the choice of city buses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudzynskyi V.V.

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The parameters of the passenger movements in the direction of public transport in Zhitomir are defined and conformity assessment of technical and operational parameters of urban shuttle buses is folded. Firstly, the amount of passenger traffic affects the optimal choice of passenger vehicles and secondly, the intensity of road traffic on the streets of areas where passengers pass routes. It should also be kept in mind that passenger traffic can fluctuate significantly depending on the time of day and days of the week. But virtually all carriers can be replaced within days with rolling at a large passenger capacity, and vice versa. Therefore, the choice of one type of rolling stock, the capacity of which is set taking into account the data on hourly passenger capacity on the most loaded part of the route up to an hour "peak", or its capacity per day on the route as a whole. Thus the research work on inspection of passenger-route passenger transport, and public electric transport in Zhitomir is conducted. Primary data was estimated to select the main criteria for urban passenger bus. It was found that the buses in the "peak" hours move on passenger congestion. Preliminary conclusions and recommendations on the criteria of optimal rolling of choice for the city bus route network are provided.

Characterization and speciation of fine particulate matter inside the public transport buses running on bio-diesel.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

Air pollution with respect to particulate matter was investigated in Toledo, Ohio, USA, a : city of approximately 300,000, in 2009. Two study buses were selected to reflect typical : exposure conditions of passengers while traveling in the bus. Monit...

Development and demonstration of use of methane/hydrogen blends as fuel in existing methane-driven buses; Utveckling och demonstration av anvaendning av metan/vaetgasblandningar som braensle i befintliga metangasdrivna bussar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joensson, Owe

2006-10-15

Two natural gas buses in Malmoe have in a project been converted to run on mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas. The buses have been in operation from September 2003 to December 2005 and have during the whole extent of the project been in commercial operation with passengers. One bus has been refuelled with a mixture containing 8% hydrogen and another with 25% hydrogen. One of the buses has during limited periods been refuelled with natural gas in order to establish differences in fuel consumption between the different fuels. A number of different supporting activities have been performed in conjunction to the project: Tests at the Lund Univ. with hydrogen addition to natural gas in a one cylinder test engine and in a 6 cylinder natural gas engine. Safety analysis for handling of hydrogen/natural gas blends. Hydrogen compatibility study of material and components in bus fuel system. Test of leak detection systems for hydrogen and hydrogen/natural gas blends. Development of safety routines for operation and maintenance staff. Emission measurement during road operation with mobile equipment. Follow up of filling station for hydrogen/natural gas blends. The results from the projects are: The buses did not need to be modified in any way in order to run on mixtures with up to 8 vol-% hydrogen. The buses could, in less than 4 h, be modified to run on mixtures with 25 vol-% hydrogen. The conversion was accomplished by changing one computer chip in the engine control system, thus altering the air/fuel ratio and adjusting the ignition angle. The fuel consumption of the buses was reduced by 20-30% by hydrogen addition. The largest relative influence was achieved with 8% hydrogen addition. The reduced fuel consumption in combination with reduced carbon content in the fuel resulted in a total reduction in CO{sub 2}-emission by approximately 35% using 8% hydrogen (by volume). Addition of hydrogen to natural gas has thus proved to be a more efficient way of reducing CO{sub 2

The effects of urban driving conditions on the operating characteristics of conventional and hybrid electric city buses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soylu, Seref

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Operating characteristics of conventional and hybrid electric buses were examined. • Recovery of braking energy offers an excellent opportunity to improve fuel economy. • Speed and altitude profiles of routes have dramatic impacts on the energy recovery. • Capacity of the auxiliary power source has a dramatic impact on the energy recovery. • Round-trip efficiency of the regenerative braking system was calculated to be 27%. - Abstract: The basic operating characteristics of a conventional bus (CB) and a hybrid electric bus (HEB) were examined under urban driving conditions. To perform this examination, real-time operating data from the buses were collected on the Campus-Return route of the Sakarya Municipality. The main characteristics examined were the traction, braking, engine, engine generator unit (EGU), motor/generator (M/G), and ultracapacitor (Ucap) energies and efficiencies of the buses. The route elevation profile and the frequency of stop-and-go operations of the buses were found to have dramatic impacts on the braking and traction energies of the buses. The declining profile of the Campus-Return route provided an excellent opportunity for energy recovery by the regenerative braking system of the HEB. However, owing to the limits on the capacities and efficiencies of the hybrid drive train components and the Ucap, the bus braking energies were not recovered completely. Braking energies as high as 2.2 kW h per micro-trip were observed, but less than 1 kW h of braking energy per micro-trip was converted to electricity by the M/G; the rest of the braking energy was wasted in frictional braking. The maximum energy recovered and stored in the Ucap per micro-trip was 0.5 kW h, but the amount of energy recovered and stored per micro-trip was typically less than 0.2 kW h for the entire route. The cumulative braking energy recovered and stored in the Ucap for the Campus-Return route was 52% of the available brake energy, which was 13.02 kW h

Combustion Chemistry of Biodiesel for the Use in Urban Transport Buses: Experiment and Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Omidvarborna, Hamid

Biofuels, such as biodiesel, offer benefits as a possible alternative to conventional fuels due to their fuel source sustainability and their reduced environmental impact. Before they can be used, it is essential to understand their combustion chemistry and emission characterizations due to a number of issues associated with them (e.g., high emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx), lower heating value than diesel, etc.). During this study, emission characterizations of different biodiesel blends (B0, B20, B50, and B100) were measured on three different feedstocks (soybean methyl ester (SME), tallow oil (TO), and waste cooking oil (WCO)) with various characteristics, while an ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) was used as base fuel at low-temperature combustion (LTC). A laboratory combustion chamber was used to analyze soot formation, NOx emissions, while real engine emissions were measured for further investigation on PM and NOx emissions. For further study, carbon emissions (CO, CO 2, and CH4) were also measured to understand their relations with feedstocks' type. The emissions were correlated with fuel's characteristics, especially unsaturation degree (number of double bonds in methyl esters) and chain length (oxygen-to-carbon ratio). The experimental results obtained from laboratory experiments were confirmed by field experiments (real engines) collected from Toledo area regional transit authority (TARTA) buses. Combustion analysis results showed that the neat biodiesel fuels had longer ignition delays and lower ignition temperatures compared to ULSD at the tested condition. The results showed that biodiesel containing more unsaturated fatty acids emitted higher levels of NOx compared to biodiesel with more saturated fatty acids. A paired t-test on fuels showed that neat biodiesel fuels had significant reduction in the formation of NOx compared with ULSD. In another part of this study, biodiesel fuel with a high degree of unsaturation and high portion of long chains of

Hydrogen fuelled buses: Italian ENEA research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambrosini, G.; Ciancia, A.; Pede, G.

1993-01-01

Current hydrogen automotive fuels research studies being conducted by ENEA (Italian Agency for New Technology, Energy and the Environment) are being targeted towards the development of hydrogen fueled vans and buses for use in highly polluted urban environments where the innovative vehicles' air pollution abatement characteristics would justify their high operating costs as compared with those of conventional automotive alternatives. The demonstration vehicle being used in the experimental studies and performance tests is a two liter minibus with a spark ignition engine power rated at 55 kW with gasoline operation and 45 kW with hydrogen. Detailed design notes are given regarding the retrofitting of the minibus chassis to house the aluminium gas storage tanks and the adaptation of the engine to operate with compressed hydrogen. Attention is given to efforts being made to resolve combustion control and fueling problems. Focus is on the progress being made in the development of an efficient and safe electronically controlled fuel injection system

SunLine Transit Agency Fuel Cell Transit Bus: Fourth Evaluation Report (Report and Appendices)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandler, K.; Eudy, L.

2009-01-01

This report describes operations at SunLine Transit Agency for a prototype fuel cell bus and five new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. This is the fourth evaluation report for this site, and it describes results and experiences from April 2008 through October 2008. These results are an addition to those provided in the previous three evaluation reports.

SunLine Transit Agency Fuel Cell Transit Bus: Fifth Evaluation Report (Report and Appendices)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Chandler, K.

2009-08-01

This report describes operations at SunLine Transit Agency for a prototype fuel cell bus and five compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. This is the fifth evaluation report for this site, and it describes results and experiences from October 2008 through June 2009. These results are an addition to those provided in the previous four evaluation reports.

Itinerant vending of medicines inside buses in Nigeria: vending strategies, dominant themes and medicine-related information provided.

Science.gov (United States)

Yusuff, Kazeem B; Wassi Sanni, Abd'

2011-07-01

To determine vending strategies and marketing themes employed by itinerant bus vendors, and assess the accuracy and completeness of information provided on medicines being sold in an urban setting in Nigeria. Cross-sectional study and content analysis of itinerant vending of medicines inside buses recorded with a mobile telephone on purposively selected routes in a mega city with an estimated 18 million residents in southwestern Nigeria over a 2-month period. Two coders independently assessed 192 vending episodes by 56 vendors for 147 OTC and prescription medicines. Inter-rater reliability (Gwet AC1 =0.924; p<0.0001). Fourteen thousands and four hundred potential consumers encountered 192 recorded episodes of vending of medicines inside 192 buses within the study periods. Forty-four (78•5%) of the 56 vendors were females in the 30-45 years age bracket, were mostly (75%) attired in the local 'Iro and Buba' Ankara fabric and showed laminated identity cards (97.5%) issued by the local association for 'marketers' of medicines inside buses, markets, and motor parks. Of the 14400 consumers encountered inside buses during the study period, between 6.7% and 48.3% purchased the medicines promoted. Prayers against death from road traffic accidents and diseases of physical and / or meta-physical origins were the most frequently used (76•8%) ice-breaking opening statement / strategy to gain consumers' attention. Hematinics, multi-vitamins, simple analgesic, NSAIDs and corticosteroids were the most frequently vended medicines. Consumers' enquiries were related to dosing for children (51.8%), elderly (28.6%), and pregnancy (52.7%); and contra-indications during pregnancy (8.9%). Factual medicines information such as dose, frequency, potential side effects and contra-indications were not provided in majority of vending episodes. Itinerant vending of medicines and the use of misleading and melodramatic themes to secure high consumer patronage appear considerable in Nigeria

Avaliação da exposição de passageiros ao ruído no interior de ônibus do transporte público do município de Itajubá Evaluating noise exposure levels inside the buses for urban transport in the city of Itajuba-MG, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Felipe Silva

2012-02-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: avaliar os níveis de exposição sonora no interior dos ônibus de transporte urbano na cidade de Itajubá - MG, contemplando conforto e risco à saúde. MÉTODO: uma amostra de itinerários foi determinada para que dosimetrias fossem empreendidas para avaliar a exposição. Os critérios de incômodo e de perda auditiva se referenciaram pelos estabelecidos pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS. RESULTADOS: em 15 linhas avaliadas, totalizando mais de 23 h de avaliação, o nível sonoro variou de 78 a 84 dB(A. A média aritmética dos valores obtidos foi de 81 ± 0,9 dB(A. Conclusão: os ônibus avaliados não oferecem conforto adequado no que concerne aos parâmetros acústicos. Há a necessidade de oferecer veículos mais bem projetados de modo a reduzir o nível de ruído emitido pelo veículo.PURPOSE: to evaluate the noise exposure levels inside the buses for urban transport in the city of Itajuba - MG. METHOD: a sample of the itineraries was determined to carry out dosimetries in order to assess such exposure. The criteria for discomfort and hearing loss were referenced by those set out by the World Health Organization (WHO. RESULTS: evaluation on 15 itineraries, totaling over 23 hours of evaluation, the noise level ranged from 78 to 84 dB(A. The arithmetic mean for the obtained values was 81 ± 0.9 dB(A. CONCLUSIONS: the evaluated buses do not offer appropriate comfort in what concerns the acoustic parameters. There is a need to provide better vehicles being designed to reduce the noise level emitted by the vehicle.

Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Fuel Cell Bus Demonstration: First Results Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandler, K.; Eudy, L.

2011-08-01

This report documents the early implementation experience for the Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Demonstration, the largest fleet of fuel cell buses in the United States. The ZEBA Demonstration group includes five participating transit agencies: AC Transit (lead transit agency), Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Golden Gate Transit (GGT), San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), and San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni). The ZEBA partners are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to evaluate the buses in revenue service.

New Britain, Conn. School District will Benefit from $125,000 EPA Rebate for Clean Emission School Buses

Science.gov (United States)

The New Britain, Conn. school district will benefit from a $125,000 US EPA rebate that will pay for retrofitted engines on seven older school buses so they would emit fewer pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung damage.

American Fuel Cell Bus Project Evaluation: Third Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, Leslie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Post, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Jeffers, Matthew [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-05-01

This report presents results of the American Fuel Cell Bus (AFCB) Project, a demonstration of fuel cell electric buses operating in the Coachella Valley area of California. The prototype AFCB, which was developed as part of the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) National Fuel Cell Bus Program, was delivered to SunLine in November 2011 and was put in revenue service in mid-December 2011. Two new AFCBs with an upgraded design were delivered in June/July of 2014 and a third new AFCB was delivered in February 2015. FTA and the AFCB project team are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to evaluate the buses in revenue service. This report covers the performance of the AFCBs from July 2015 through December 2016.

CNG/diesel buses for Texas school districts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armstrong, J.H.

1993-01-01

At the present time, the preponderance of trucks, buses and other heavy duty vehicles are powered by diesel engines. The reasons for the change from gasoline to diesel engines are all basically economic, due to the longer life and lower operating costs of diesel engines, as compared to gasoline engines. This provides a compelling reason to continue to use these engines, even if powered by fuel other than diesel. A major strategy within the industry has been the various attempts to adapt diesel engines to alternative fuels. These conversions have been largely to either methanol or natural gas, with propane joining the race just recently. This strategy takes advantage of the remaining life of existing vehicles by converting engines rather than purchasing a new engine (and/or vehicle) designed for and dedicated to an alternate fuel. Although diesel engines have been converted to run on natural gas, there are substantial challenges that must be met. The following describes some of the technical approaches being used for diesel engine conversions

A cost-benefit analysis of alternatively fueled buses with special considerations for V2G technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirazi, Yosef; Carr, Edward; Knapp, Lauren

2015-01-01

Motivated by climate, health and economic considerations, alternatively-fueled bus fleets have emerged worldwide. Two popular alternatives are compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles. The latter provides the opportunity to generate revenue through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services if properly equipped. This analysis conducts a robust accounting of the costs of diesel, CNG and battery-electric powertrains for school buses. Both marginal and fleet-wide scenarios are explored. Results indicate that the marginal addition of neither a small CNG nor a small V2G-enabled electric bus is cost effective at current prices. Contrary to previous findings, a small V2G-enabled electric bus increases net present costs by $7,200/seat relative to diesel for a Philadelphia, PA school district. A small CNG bus increases costs by $1,200/seat relative to diesel. This analysis is the first to quantify and include the economic implications of cold temperature extremes on electric vehicle battery operations, and the lower V2G revenues that result. Additional costs and limitations imposed by electric vehicles performing V2G are frequently overlooked in the literature and are explored here. If a variety of technical, legal, and economic challenges are overcome, a future eBus may be economical. - Highlights: • We present a robust cost-benefit analysis of various bus technologies. • Diesel is a low-cost technology at current prices. • CNG represents slightly higher costs on a marginal bus basis. • V2G-enabled electric buses are not cost-effective at current prices. • We identify frequently overlooked costs and challenges to V2G implementation.

Operational integrity using field buses; Integridade operacional utilizando barramentos de campo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hennig, Carlos Henrique [Coester Automacao S.A., Sao Leopoldo, RS (Brazil)

2004-07-01

The device information is collected using standardized Filed Buses with high data transmission capacity, which allows the analysis of his operational status in real time. The quantity of information generated by the devices for the maintenance area is increasing and this data quantity transferred through the field bus should not interfere in the network performance to the point of degrade his control function. In this way, is presented a technique that can be used in different protocols, which allow sending of maintenance data using a small band of the communication channel. Operational integrity can be achieved using predictive maintenance techniques based on the collected data. (author)

Chicopee, Mass. School District will Benefit from $200,000 EPA Rebate to Clean Up Emissions from School Buses

Science.gov (United States)

A school district in Chicopee., Mass. will benefit from $200,000 from the US EPA that will pay for rebates to retrofit the engines on 10 older school buses so they would emit fewer pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma & lung damage.

Unregulated emissions from compressed natural gas (CNG) transit buses configured with and without oxidation catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Robert A; Kado, Norman Y; Kuzmicky, Paul A; Ayala, Alberto; Kobayashi, Reiko

2006-01-01

The unregulated emissions from two in-use heavy-duty transit buses fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) and equipped with oxidation catalyst (OxiCat) control were evaluated. We tested emissions from a transit bus powered by a 2001 Cummins Westport C Gas Plus 8.3-L engine (CWest), which meets the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) 2002 optional NOx standard (2.0 g/bhp-hr). In California, this engine is certified only with an OxiCat, so our study did not include emissions testing without it. We also tested a 2000 New Flyer 40-passenger low-floor bus powered by a Detroit Diesel series 50G engine (DDCs50G) that is currently certified in California without an OxiCat. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) offers a "low-emission" package for this bus that includes an OxiCat for transit bus applications, thus, this configuration was also tested in this study. Previously, we reported that formaldehyde and other volatile organic emissions detected in the exhaust of the DDCs50G bus equipped with an OxiCat were significantly reduced relative to the same DDCs50G bus without OxiCat. In this paper, we examine othertoxic unregulated emissions of significance. The specific mutagenic activity of emission sample extracts was examined using the microsuspension assay. The total mutagenic activity of emissions (activity per mile) from the OxiCat-equipped DDC bus was generally lower than that from the DDC bus without the OxiCat. The CWest bus emission samples had mutagenic activity that was comparable to that of the OxiCat-equipped DDC bus. In general, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions were lower forthe OxiCat-equipped buses, with greater reductions observed for the volatile and semivolatile PAH emissions. Elemental carbon (EC) was detected in the exhaust from the all three bus configurations, and we found that the total carbon (TC) composition of particulate matter (PM) emissions was primarily organic carbon (OC). The amount of carbon emissions far exceeded the

Pilot testing of environment-friendly low-emission alternative drive components for city buses. Phase 1. Technical final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doemeland, H.; Haase, G.; Sarnes, J.; Schultheis, S.; Schuenemann, M.; Strauss, A.; Voss, K.; Aepler, E.; Stachel, K.; Wolter, M.; Lenz, W.

1993-05-01

The report describes pilot tests of environment-friendly, low-emission city buses with alternative drive systems. The following problems are discussed: Natural gas as primary energy source, natural gas drives, safety requirements, measurement and testing technology for natural gas engines, environmental effects, operating concepts, operating cost. (HW) [de

Load demand profile for a large charging station of a fleet of all-electric plug-in buses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario A. Rios

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a general procedure to compute the load demand profile from a parking lot where a fleet of buses with electric propulsion mechanisms are charged. Such procedure is divided in three different stages, the first one models the daily energy utilisation of the batteries based on Monte Carlo simulations and route characteristics. The second one models the process in the charging station based on discrete event simulation of queues of buses served by a lot of available chargers. The third step computes the final demand profile in the parking lot because of the charging process based on the power consumption of batteries’ chargers and the utilisation of the available charges. The proposed procedure allows the computation of the number of required batteries’ chargers to be installed in a charging station placed at a parking lot in order to satisfy and ensure the operation of the fleet, the computation of the power demand profile and the peak load and the computation of the general characteristics of electrical infrastructure to supply the power to the station.

Simulations of the Fuel Economy and Emissions of Hybrid Transit Buses over Planned Local Routes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Zhiming [ORNL; LaClair, Tim J [ORNL; Daw, C Stuart [ORNL; Smith, David E [ORNL; Franzese, Oscar [ORNL

2014-01-01

We present simulated fuel economy and emissions city transit buses powered by conventional diesel engines and diesel-hybrid electric powertrains of varying size. Six representative city drive cycles were included in the study. In addition, we included previously published aftertreatment device models for control of CO, HC, NOx, and particulate matter (PM) emissions. Our results reveal that bus hybridization can significantly enhance fuel economy by reducing engine idling time, reducing demands for accessory loads, exploiting regenerative braking, and shifting engine operation to speeds and loads with higher fuel efficiency. Increased hybridization also tends to monotonically reduce engine-out emissions, but trends in the tailpipe (post-aftertreatment) emissions involve more complex interactions that significantly depend on motor size and drive cycle details.

Txatarra: vivienda transitoria con buses de transporte público

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Pablo Arenas Vargas

2011-07-01

Full Text Available El presente análisis del proyecto Casa Linda parte de una exploración conceptual en torno a un hábitat sostenible, mediante la generación de un tipo de vivienda transitoria que reutiliza buses de transporte público destinados a ser reducidos a chatarra. La necesidad de replantear la labor de configurar espacios con materiales y formas predeterminados llevó a los autores a comprender cómo resultan insuficientes los medios tradicionales de construcción, en los que se acostumbra emplear materias primas en presentaciones estandarizadas y con acabados predefinidos que se adaptan a los requerimientos y necesidades del proyecto. Enfrentar el proyecto a partir del reciclaje de materiales y objetos (chatarra, de diversas dimensiones y en variadas condiciones, generó un proceso cuya característica principal es la imposibilidad de anticipar con exactitud los procesos constructivos y los acabados finales.

Crash problem definition and safety benefits methodology for stability control for single-unit medium and heavy trucks and large-platform buses

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-01

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive engineering analysis of electronic stability control (ESC) and roll stability control (RSC) systems for single-unit medium and heavy trucks and large-platform buses. This report details the applica...

Intermediate transport in Southeast Asia. [Carts, cycles, mini-buses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meier, A.K.

1977-06-01

Traffic flows through the streets of Southeast Asian countries even though they are used for almost all aspects of human and animal existence. The carts, bicycles, tricycles, and motorcycles, motorized three-wheelers, mini-buses are the so-called intermediate-transport vehicles. It is upon this group of vehicles that a culture--constrained by its own unique economic, environmental, and technological factors--exerts its influence most directly toward the solution of the transport problem. Transportation fills more service roles in Southeast Asian cities than in Western cities. Communication facilities such as telephones and postal services are notoriously unreliable. The personal encounter is all important in social and business interactions in Southeast Asia. Each of the transport modes is examined in view of design and use in a number of specific cultural settings for the countries in Southeast Asia. Present use of intermediate transport in developed countries is discussed briefly, and its further development predicted--pointing out the health and conservation advantages. (MCW)

Cool Science: K-12 Climate Change Art Displayed on Buses

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, R. F.; Lustick, D. S.; Lohmeier, J.; Thompson, S. R.

2015-12-01

Cool science is an art contest where K12 students create placards (7" x 22") to educate the public about climate change. Students are prompted to create their artwork in response to questions such as: What is the evidence for climate change? How does climate change impact your local community? What can you do to reduce the impacts of climate change? In each of three years, 500-600 student entrees have been submitted from more than 12 school districts across Massachusetts. A panel of judges including scientists, artists, rapid transit representatives, and educators chooses elementary, middle, and high school winners. Winners (6), runners-up (6), and honorable mentions (12) and their families and teachers are invited to an annual Cool Science Award Ceremony to be recognized and view winning artwork. All winning artwork is posted on the Cool Science website. The winning artwork (2 per grade band) is converted into placards (11" x 28") and posters (2.5' x 12') that are placed on the inside (placards) and outside (posters) of buses. Posters are displayed for one month. So far, Cool Science was implemented in Lowell, MA where over 5000 public viewers see the posters daily on the sides of Lowell Rapid Transit Authority (LRTA) buses, making approximately 1,000,000 impressions per year. Cool Science acts to increase climate literacy in children as well as the public, and as such promotes intergenerational learning. Using art in conjunction with science learning about climate change appears to be effective at engaging not just traditionally high achieving science students, but also those interested in the creative arts. Hearing winners' stories about how they created their artwork and what this contest meant to them supports the idea that Cool Science attracts a wide diversity of students. Parents discuss climate change with their children. Multiple press releases announcing the winners further promotes the awareness of climate change throughout school districts and their

Design of durability test protocol for vehicular fuel cell systems operated in power-follow mode based on statistical results of on-road data

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Liangfei; Reimer, Uwe; Li, Jianqiu; Huang, Haiyan; Hu, Zunyan; Jiang, Hongliang; Janßen, Holger; Ouyang, Minggao; Lehnert, Werner

2018-02-01

City buses using polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells are considered to be the most likely fuel cell vehicles to be commercialized in China. The technical specifications of the fuel cell systems (FCSs) these buses are equipped with will differ based on the powertrain configurations and vehicle control strategies, but can generally be classified into the power-follow and soft-run modes. Each mode imposes different levels of electrochemical stress on the fuel cells. Evaluating the aging behavior of fuel cell stacks under the conditions encountered in fuel cell buses requires new durability test protocols based on statistical results obtained during actual driving tests. In this study, we propose a systematic design method for fuel cell durability test protocols that correspond to the power-follow mode based on three parameters for different fuel cell load ranges. The powertrain configurations and control strategy are described herein, followed by a presentation of the statistical data for the duty cycles of FCSs in one city bus in the demonstration project. Assessment protocols are presented based on the statistical results using mathematical optimization methods, and are compared to existing protocols with respect to common factors, such as time at open circuit voltage and root-mean-square power.

National Fuel Cell Bus Program : Accelerated Testing Report, AC Transit

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

This is an evaluation of hydrogen fuel cell transit buses operating at AC Transit in revenue service since March 20, 2006 compared to similar diesel buses operating from the same depot. This evaluation report includes results from November 2007 throu...

Annoyance evaluation and the effect of noise on the health of bus drivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Portela S Bruno

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, we evaluated annoyance and the effects of noise on the health of bus drivers. For that, 200 bus drivers from a public transport company participated in a cross-sectional study. Annoyance and effects on health was measured with analog scale: Sleep quality, occurrence of tinnitus, headache, irritation, and annoyance from bus engine, traffic, and passengers. Data of age and working time of bus drivers also were obtained. For noise exposure, LA eq was evaluated in 80 buses. Statistical analysis consisted of mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum, Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc Dunn, one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey and Spearman′s correlation coefficient. Results indicate three groups of bus drivers (not annoyed: (N.A., a little annoyed (L.A. and highly annoyed (H.A.. The group H.A. was younger and with less working time in relation to others, with a significant difference only for age. Regarding sleep quality, there was no significant difference. For results on the occurrence of tinnitus, headache and irritation after work, group H.A. had significantly higher means. Result of annoyance to the bus engine was significantly higher in H.A. than in L.A. and N.A. Annoyance to traffic and passengers, no significant differences were found, but the highest results were found for L.A., followed by H.A. and N.A. Equivalent sound pressure level in buses was above of the limit for occupational comfort. It was concluded that bus drivers has considerable level of noise annoyance and some health effects are perceived. The noise is a factor discomfort ergonomic that may cause effects on health of bus drivers. This study aims to evaluate annoyance and the effects of noise on the health of bus drivers. Cross-sectional study with buses and bus drivers. For that, 200 bus drivers from a public transport company participated in a cross-sectional study. Annoyance and effects on health was measured with analog scale: Sleep quality

Emergency and Disaster Preparedness of School Transportation Staff and School Buses in the United States: Compliance With Recommendations for School Transportation Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Olympia, Robert P; Weber, Christopher; Brady, Jodi; Ho, Susana

2017-11-01

The aim of the study was to determine the compliance of school transportation staff and school buses with recommendations for the safe transportation of children to and from school and school-related activities. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to school transportation staff represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters during the 2013-2014 academic year. Analysis was performed on 558 completed questionnaires (13% usable response rate). Responders had previous training in first aid (89%), basic life support (28%), and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (52%). Seventy-eight percent of school buses in our sample had restraint devices and 87% had seat belt cutters. Responders reported the immediate availability of the following on their bus: communication devices (81%), first aid kits (97%), fire extinguishers (89%), automated external defibrillators (1%), and epinephrine autoinjectors (2%). Thirty percent of responders have had no previous training in the management of emergencies such as trouble breathing, severe allergic reaction, seizures, cardiac arrest or unresponsiveness, and head, neck, or extremity trauma. Thirteen percent of responders are unfamiliar with or have had no previous training on protocols regarding emergency shelters and community evacuation plans in the event of a disaster. Variability exists in the compliance of school transportation staff and school buses with recommendations for the safe transportation of children. Areas for improvement were identified, such as educating school transportation staff in the recognition and initial management of pediatric emergencies, ensuring the presence of restraint devices, increasing the immediate availability of certain emergency medications and equipment, and familiarizing school transportation staff with designated emergency shelters and community evacuation plans.

Road Safety Data, Collection, Transfer and Analysis DaCoTa. Factsheet Traffic safety basic facts 2010 : heavy goods vehicles and buses.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pace, J.-F. López de Cozar, E. Pérez-Fuster, P. Sanmartín, J. Kirk, A. Yannis, G. Evgenikos, P. Argyropoulou, E. Papantoniou, P. Broughton, J. Knowles, J. Brandstaetter, C. Candappa, N. Christoph, M. Vis, M. Haddak, M. & Moutengou, E.

2012-01-01

Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) are defined as goods vehicles of over 3,5 tons maximum permissible gross vehicle weight. Road traffic accidents involving HGVs tend to be more severe than other accidents because of the great size and mass of these vehicles. Buses and coaches are included in this Basic

26 CFR 48.4221-8 - Tax-free sales of tires, tubes, and tread rubber used on intercity, local, and school buses.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... if the bus has a passenger seating capacity of at least 20 adults and the transportation is available... of a school. Incidental use (deadheading) of the school bus without passengers to or from a point to... used on intercity, local, and school buses. 48.4221-8 Section 48.4221-8 Internal Revenue INTERNAL...

A Model for the Stop Planning and Timetables of Customized Buses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jihui Ma

Full Text Available Customized buses (CBs are a new mode of public transportation and an important part of diversified public transportation, providing advanced, attractive and user-led service. The operational activity of a CB is planned by aggregating space-time demand and similar passenger travel demands. Based on an analysis of domestic and international research and the current development of CBs in China and considering passenger travel data, this paper studies the problems associated with the operation of CBs, such as stop selection, line planning and timetables, and establishes a model for the stop planning and timetables of CBs. The improved immune genetic algorithm (IIGA is used to solve the model with regard to the following: 1 multiple population design and transport operator design, 2 memory library design, 3 mutation probability design and crossover probability design, and 4 the fitness calculation of the gene segment. Finally, a real-world example in Beijing is calculated, and the model and solution results are verified and analyzed. The results illustrate that the IIGA solves the model and is superior to the basic genetic algorithm in terms of the number of passengers, travel time, average passenger travel time, average passenger arrival time ahead of schedule and total line revenue. This study covers the key issues involving operational systems of CBs, combines theoretical research and empirical analysis, and provides a theoretical foundation for the planning and operation of CBs.

Fatigue-related crashes involving express buses in Malaysia: will the proposed policy of banning the early-hour operation reduce fatigue-related crashes and benefit overall road safety?

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, Norlen; Mohd-Yusoff, Mohammad-Fadhli; Othman, Ilhamah; Zulkipli, Zarir-Hafiz; Osman, Mohd Rasid; Voon, Wong Shaw

2012-03-01

Fatigue-related crashes have long been the topic of discussion and study worldwide. The relationship between fatigue-related crashes and time of day is well documented. In Malaysia, the possibility of banning express buses from operating during the early-hours of the morning has emerged as an important consideration for passenger safety. This paper highlights the findings of an impact assessment study. The study was conducted to determine all possible impacts prior to the government making any decision on the proposed banning. This study is an example of a simple and inexpensive approach that may influence future policy-making process. The impact assessment comprised two major steps. The first step involved profiling existing operation scenarios, gathering information on crashes involving public express buses and stakeholders' views. The second step involved a qualitative impact assessment analysis using all information gathered during the profiling stage to describe the possible impacts. Based on the assessment, the move to ban early-hour operations could possibly result in further negative impacts on the overall road safety agenda. These negative impacts may occur if the fundamental issues, such as driving and working hours, and the need for rest and sleep facilities for drivers, are not addressed. In addition, a safer and more accessible public transportation system as an alternative for those who choose to travel at night would be required. The proposed banning of early-hour operations is also not a feasible solution for sustainability of express bus operations in Malaysia, especially for those operating long journeys. The paper concludes by highlighting the need to design a more holistic approach for preventing fatigue-related crashes involving express buses in Malaysia. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technical evaluation of the proposed design modifications and technical specification changes for the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selan, J.C.

1980-01-01

The present design uses undervoltage relays to sense the loss of offsite power. There are no Class 1E loads on the 4160-volt buses. This design consists of two relays per 480-volt Class 1E bus (two Class 1E buses per redundant load group) for the first level of undervoltage protection. An undervoltage condition (loss-of-voltage) will result in isolating the Class 1E buses from all offsite sources, initiating emergency diesel generator start and load shedding on the Class 1E buses, permitting closure of the diesel generator supply breakers, and lastly, the loads will be automatically time-sequenced onto the buses. Actuation begins with loss of voltage to 368 volts (77% of 480 volts). The existing system does not bypass the load-shedding feature once the emergency diesel generators are energizing the Class 1E buses. The licensee has proposed a design change which includes automatic degraded voltage protection. This modification consists of the addition of two time-delayed, undervoltage relays on each 480-volt Class 1E bus, to provide the second level of undervoltage protection

Walking school buses as a form of active transportation for children-a review of the evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Liz; Norgate, Sarah H; Cherrett, Tom; Davies, Nigel; Winstanley, Christopher; Harding, Mike

2015-03-01

Walking school buses (WSBs) offer a potentially healthier way for children to get to school while reducing traffic congestion. A number of pressing societal challenges make it timely to evaluate evidence of their value. Studies that focused solely on WSBs were identified through online and manual literature searches. Twelve WSB studies involving a total of 9169 children were reviewed. Study aims, designs, methods, outcomes, and barriers and facilitators were examined. WSBs were found to be associated with increased prevalence of walking to school and general activity levels although not always significantly. Time constraints emerged as barriers to WSBs, impacting on recruitment of volunteers and children to the WSBs. Facilitators of WSBs included children enjoying socializing and interacting with the environment. Preliminary evidence of the health value of WSBs was demonstrated, along with recommendations for the design of future studies. By tackling barriers of time constraints, volunteer recruitment, and parents' safety concerns while at the same time, increasing convenience and time savings for families, future WSBs are likely to be more sustainable and taken up by more schools. Implications for future innovation in school health were identified. © 2015, American School Health Association.

Preliminary study on field buses for the control system of the high voltage of the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter; Etude preliminaire d`un reseau de terrain pour le systeme de controle des hautes tensions du calorimetre hadronique d`Atlas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drevet, F.; Chadelas, R.; Montarou, G.

1996-12-31

We present here after a preliminary study on field buses for the control system of the high voltage of the photomultipliers of the TILECAL calorimeter. After some generalities, different commercial buses are reviewed (CAN, ARCET, WorldFIP, Profibus and LonWorks). The Profibus and LonWorks solution are more extensively studies as a possible solution for the high voltage system of the TILE hadronic calorimeter. (authors).

Why People Are Not Willing to Let Their Children Ride in Driverless School Buses: A Gender and Nationality Comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily C. Anania

2018-02-01

Full Text Available As driverless vehicles proliferate, it is possible that this technology will be applied in mass transport vehicles. School buses may be suited for autonomous operations as they follow set routes and schedules. However, a research gap exists in whether or not parents would be willing to have their children ride in autonomously operated school buses. The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ willingness to allow their child to ride in an autonomous school bus. Participant gender and nationality were also two independent variables, along with affect measures as a possible mediating variable. The research used a two-study approach. In study one, it was found that participants were less willing to have their child ride in a driverless school bus than a traditional human-operated vehicle. In study two, findings suggest a significant interaction between the type of driver, participant gender, and nationality. In general, American females were less willing than Indian females and overall, Americans were less willing than Indians in the driverless conditions. Affect was found to be a mediating variable, which suggests that emotions were playing a role in the responses of participants. The paper concludes with theoretical contributions, practical applications, and suggestions for future research.

Massachusetts Fuel Cell Bus Project: Demonstrating a Total Transit Solution for Fuel Cell Electric Buses in Boston

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-05-22

The Federal Transit Administration's National Fuel Cell Bus Program focuses on developing commercially viable fuel cell bus technologies. Nuvera is leading the Massachusetts Fuel Cell Bus project to demonstrate a complete transit solution for fuel cell electric buses that includes one bus and an on-site hydrogen generation station for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). A team consisting of ElDorado National, BAE Systems, and Ballard Power Systems built the fuel cell electric bus, and Nuvera is providing its PowerTap on-site hydrogen generator to provide fuel for the bus.

An Analysis of Challenges Faced by Students Learning in Virtual and Open Distance Learning System: A Case of Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE)

Science.gov (United States)

Dodo, Obediah; Makwerere, David; Parwada, Matavire; Parwada, Cosmas

2013-01-01

After realizing that the traditional modes of tuition in Zimbabwe's andragogy had either gone obsolete or over-crowded, BUSE ventured into a "virtualised" model of open and distance learning as a way of out-doing other competing universities. However, as the programme was rolled out, there came a myriad of challenges affecting the…

Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) Fuel Cell Transit Bus: Third Evaluation Report and Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandler, K.; Eudy, L.

2010-01-01

This report describes operations at Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) in Hartford for one prototype fuel cell bus and three new diesel buses operating from the same location. The prototype fuel cell bus was manufactured by Van Hool and ISE Corp. and features an electric hybrid drive system with a UTC Power PureMotion 120 Fuel Cell Power System and ZEBRA batteries for energy storage. The fuel cell bus started operation in April 2007, and evaluation results through October 2009 are provided in this report.

“Bus Lane Within The Area Of Intersection” Method For Buses Priority On The Intersections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vikovych Ihor

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The primary objective of this article is to formalize the “special bus lanes within the area of intersection” method that allows providing buses with space-time priority at signalized intersections (mostly of the isolated type, including those with no more than two traffic lanes in each direction at the approaches to the intersection. The article establishes the limits for efficient application of this method, and describes the results of a simulation experiment conducted in the VISSIM environment to investigate the functioning of the method on an actual intersection. The most critical phase of implementation of this method is to determine the optimum length of the special bus lane at the approach to the intersection. The optimum length of special bus lanes at the approaches to isolated or coordinated intersections is determined based on the maximum length of queued vehicles which is computed using the simulation models developed in the Objective-C language. The article covers the basic characteristics of those models, their structure and building principles, and also provides the model validation results. Simulation models can be used both for determination of the optimum length of special bus lanes at the approaches to signalized intersections and for analysis of intersection performance based on the maximum length of queued vehicles.

Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) Fuel Cell Bus Demonstration Results: Sixth Report

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

This report presents results of a demonstration of fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs) operating in Oakland, California. Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) leads the Zero Emission Bay Area (ZEBA) demonstration that includes 13 advanced-d...

Efficiency improvement of transport service by trolley buses based on the levels of their power demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Aulin

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Use efficiency improvement of trolley buses in passenger traffic based on power levels of electric energy input and terms adjustment of their maintenance. Methodology. In order to achieve this goal conformance of electric energy input by trolleybus to the transported amount of passengers taking into account characteristics of the route is offered to establish. The major indicators of the trolleybus operation are: speed of a race on lines, number of tractive motor firing, voltage and amperage in the network that were taken with accountants from a dashboard. Research results were tabulated and recorded with DVR. Along with the study of power consumption of electric energy input by a trolleybus passenger count was carried out too. Findings. The directly proportional dependence between the level of energy consumption by a trolleybus and the number of passengers for constant performance route was determined. Originality. As the criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the trolleybus operation on the route is proposed to use the ratio between electricity consumption and number of passengers for these characteristics of the route. This is confirmed experimentally. The obtained formulas give the possibility to balance the force work and consequently the volume of energy consumption during the trolleybus movement on the rise and the descent. Practical value. The proposed criterion can be used to adjust the terms of maintenance on the individual program, that means individual maintenance (IM. Type of work performed at the IM should be determined on the basis of diagnostic data of the vehicle (V. The principles of IM were formulated: 1 the primary task is planned and preventative strategy to identify and eliminate troubleshooting and technical actions; 2 operational control of the vehicle (V technical condition on the basis of prediction of its state using the proposed criteria, that takes into account the dependence of power consumption to

Reliability improvement of potential transformer and secondary circuit of 6 kV 1E-class buses in Qinshan nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Houjun

2014-01-01

There are design defects in potential transformer (PT) and secondary circuit of 6 kV 1E-class buses in Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant Nuclear Island. During the operating period, there happened several serious operational events (loss of power) caused by PT resonance. The essay analyses the defects of original design, and put forward corresponding modification measures, which have been carried out by two steps between 2009 and 2010, and after the modification the same problems have not happened again. (author)

Development of CH{sub 3}OH fueled PEMFC power plants for hybrid transit buses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baumert, R; Cooper, R; Feasey, G [DBB Fuel Cell Engines Corp., Poway, CA (United States)

1999-12-31

An overview of the methanol fuel cell power system was provided, identifying improved efficiency and reduced emissions as the principal advantages. Four critical tasks regarding on-board fuel processing were described: (1) efficient methanol conversion (steam reforming), (2) effective reformate purification (selective catalytic oxidation), (3) optimized heat integration, and (4) rapid response to transients. A description of a 100 kW PEM fuel cell bus engine package was also presented. As far as a development time table is concerned, the DBB Fuel Cell Engines Corp. of Poway California has completed two methanol fueled PEMFC power plants, fabrication of the initial 100 kW PEMFC engine is in progress and scheduled for delivery by 1998. The two methanol fueled commercial products which are in the planning stages are the 100 and 200 kW class FCPS for hybrid and non-hybrid buses and other applications. tabs., figs.

Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) Fuel Cell Transit Bus: Second Evaluation Report and Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandler, K.; Eudy, L.

2009-05-01

This report describes operations at Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) in Hartford for one prototype fuel cell bus and three new diesel buses operating from the same location. The evaluation period in this report (January 2008 through February 2009) has been chosen to coincide with a UTC Power propulsion system changeout that occurred on January 15, 2008.

New portal axle for low-floor electric-powered city buses; Neue Portalachse fuer Niederflur-Stadtbusse mit E-Antrieb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Axel Michael [ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen (Germany); Solka, Ulrich [ZF Passau GmbH, Passau (Germany)

2010-07-01

Serial hybrid systems do have due to the very distinctive intra-urban driving cycles and the low average speeds in city bus applications very good technical characteristics regarding reduction of emissions and fuel consumption. Hence, in comparison to passenger car applications this technical solution has found a wide spreading in the field of city busses. This contribution describes the essential characteristics of the new-developed, electrically driven low floor portal axle AVE 130 for city buses from ZF. Beside the main features of the mechanical constructive assembly, the qualities of the electric drive with the features of the specifically developed asynchronous electrical machines are shown. Another main focus forms the description of the system characteristics of a city bus, which is equipped with a serial hybrid system and the new electrical portal axle. On this occasion, traction performances, aggregate arrangement, weight balances and the interaction of the components in the electrical driveline are discussed. Finally the results of simulation calculations regarding the fuel saving potential in such systems round the paper out. (orig.)

Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Field Evaluations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, Kenneth J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Prohaska, Robert S [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-08-11

This presentation provides information about NREL's real-world evaluations of commercial vehicle technologies, which compare the performance of advanced medium- and heavy-duty fleet vehicles to conventional vehicles. NREL conducts these customized evaluations in partnership with commercial and government fleets across the nation. Current fleet and industry partners include UPS, Workhorse, Parker Hannifin, Proterra, Foothill Transit, Long Beach Transit, BYD, Odyne, Duke Energy, Miami-Dade, TransPower, Eaton, Cummins, Bosch, and Clean Cities/National Clean Fleet Partnership. The presentation focuses on two particular vehicle evaluation projects -- hydraulic hybrid refuse haulers operated by Miami-Dade and electric transit buses operated by Foothill Transit.

Fuel consumption reduction in urban buses by using power split transmissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macor, Alarico; Rossetti, Antonio

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Fuel consumption is highly influenced by transmission layout and control. • Continuous Variable Transmission allows control of the working point of the engine. • Hydromechanical CVT was numerically tested and compared with usual mechanical solutions. • CVT solution proved to reduce fuel consumption, improving the I.C.E. mean efficiency. • Results obtained from standard emission test cycles: New York and Manhattan Buses. - Abstract: The reduction of fuel consumption of urban vehicles is one of the challenges of the society today. Many promising technologies such as hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cells are the focus of a lot of research and investments, but high costs prevent their development on a large scale, especially in heavy duty vehicles. Simpler solutions, such as continuously variable transmissions, are then interesting alternatives: they preserve some of the advantages of hybrid solutions significantly reducing the overall cost of the system. Since these technologies allow the decoupling of the engine’s velocity from that of the wheels, optimised management of the engine becomes feasible, leading to lower fuel consumption than that of traditional solutions. This work compares the hydromechanical transmission with a traditional power shift in an application where efficiency and comfort are required: a city bus. The performance of a vehicle with a dual stage hydromechanical transmission has been investigated by means of a model implemented in the AMESim environment. A second model of a vehicle with a power shift transmission has been taken as reference solution. During the simulation of two standard test cycles, the first vehicle showed the lower fuel consumption, due to its better engine management, and to the operation of the torque converter during starts, which lowers the efficiency of the reference vehicle

Evaluation of harmonic distortions using small scale computers; Avaliacao de distorcoes harmonicas utilizando-se computadores de pequeno porte

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paschoareli, Junior, Dionizio

1991-12-01

The emergence more and more constant of non-linear loads in the power systems, with the consequent distortion in the voltage wave forms and of current, turns necessary complementary analyses in the planning of the systems, in way the if understands and to minimize the effects caused by the harmonic distortions. Among the methods used in this analysis are the computational programs that determine the flow of harmonic current and the voltages distorted in the buses. The objective of this work is the optimization of a program developed for large computers, turning possible its utilization in microcomputers. Besides, several models of components and two electric systems have its answers to the presence of multiple frequencies of the fundamental (harmonic frequency) evaluated and the results of the simulations will be presented. It also accomplishes simulations that make possible the visualization of the distortions in the voltage wave forms of the buses. Finally, the work offers a global and qualitative vision of this phenomenon that has been reason increasing preoccupation for mainly among the responsible for the quality of the supplied energy.

Wind Power Plant Voltage Stability Evaluation: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muljadi, E.; Zhang, Y. C.

2014-09-01

Voltage stability refers to the ability of a power system to maintain steady voltages at all buses in the system after being subjected to a disturbance from a given initial operating condition. Voltage stability depends on a power system's ability to maintain and/or restore equilibrium between load demand and supply. Instability that may result occurs in the form of a progressive fall or rise of voltages of some buses. Possible outcomes of voltage instability are the loss of load in an area or tripped transmission lines and other elements by their protective systems, which may lead to cascading outages. The loss of synchronism of some generators may result from these outages or from operating conditions that violate a synchronous generator's field current limit, or in the case of variable speed wind turbine generator, the current limits of power switches. This paper investigates the impact of wind power plants on power system voltage stability by using synchrophasor measurements.

Technological capability assessment of suppliers to support product development: case study on a buses and coaches manufacturer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas Comerlato

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Supply chain management has become a critical issue in the global collaboration scenario. Suppliers are not expected to provide just commodities or pre-defined components, but also collaborative engineering design solutions within the product development cycle. Thus, the selection criteria for defining supply partner go beyond the production and logistic capabilities, but must also include technical and engineering competence. This, in some sense, can be considered a common scenario of big companies, but is still challenging when dealing with SME´s. This work discusses how SME´s can be included in a supply chains taking in consideration a set of parameters to assess their technical competence related to product development collaboration. A set of eight parameters has been proposed to assess the engineering team competence, physical and technological structure and further legal responsibility. For each parameter values and weights were defined also. The assessment was applied to three companies that are suppliers of a buses and coaches manufacturer from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The results show that even when dealing with objective parameters, the suppliers and costumer can have different perceptions about same issues.

Robust Clamping Force Control of an Electro-Mechanical Brake System for Application to Commercial City Buses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangjune Eum

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a sensor-less robust force control method for improving the control performance of an electro-mechanical brake (EMB which is applicable to commercial city buses. The EMB generates the accurate clamping force commanded by a driver through an independent motor control at each wheel instead of using existing mechanical components. In general, an EMB undergoes parameter variation and a backdrivability problem. For this reason, the cascade control strategy (e.g., force-position cascade control structure is proposed and the disturbance observer is employed to enhance control robustness against model variations. Additionally, this paper proposed the clamping force estimation method for a sensor-less control, i.e., the clamping force observer (CFO. Finally, in order to confirm the performance and effectiveness of a proposed robust control method, several experiments are performed and analyzed.

Electric bus fleet size and mix problem with optimization of charging infrastructure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rogge, Matthias; van der Hurk, Evelien; Larsen, Allan

2018-01-01

Battery electric buses are seen as a well-suited technology for the electrification of road-based public transport. However, the transition process from conventional diesel to electric buses faces major hurdles caused by range limitations and required charging times of battery buses. This work...... addresses these constraints and provides a methodology for the cost-optimized planning of depot charging battery bus fleets and their corresponding charging infrastructure. The defined problem covers the scheduling of battery buses, the fleet composition, and the optimization of charging infrastructure...... in a joint process. Vehicle schedule adjustments are monetized and evaluated together with the investment and operational costs of the bus system. The resulting total cost of ownership enables a comparison of technical alternatives on a system level, which makes this approach especially promising...

COMPARISON OF PARALLEL AND SERIES HYBRID POWERTRAINS FOR TRANSIT BUS APPLICATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Zhiming [ORNL; Daw, C Stuart [ORNL; Smith, David E [ORNL; Jones, Perry T [ORNL; LaClair, Tim J [ORNL; Parks, II, James E [ORNL

2016-01-01

The fuel economy and emissions of both conventional and hybrid buses equipped with emissions aftertreatment were evaluated via computational simulation for six representative city bus drive cycles. Both series and parallel configurations for the hybrid case were studied. The simulation results indicate that series hybrid buses have the greatest overall advantage in fuel economy. The series and parallel hybrid buses were predicted to produce similar CO and HC tailpipe emissions but were also predicted to have reduced NOx tailpipe emissions compared to the conventional bus in higher speed cycles. For the New York bus cycle (NYBC), which has the lowest average speed among the cycles evaluated, the series bus tailpipe emissions were somewhat higher than they were for the conventional bus, while the parallel hybrid bus had significantly lower tailpipe emissions. All three bus powertrains were found to require periodic active DPF regeneration to maintain PM control. Plug-in operation of series hybrid buses appears to offer significant fuel economy benefits and is easily employed due to the relatively large battery capacity that is typical of the series hybrid configuration.

Standing phase angle reduction for power system restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hazarika, D. [Assam Engineering College (India). Electrical Engineering Dept.; Sinha, A.K. [IIT Khargpur (India). Electrical Engineering Dept.

1998-01-01

The paper describes a methodology for the reduction of standing phase angle (SPA) difference between two buses of a power system, which is essential before interconnecting a line between two buses. This problem is encountered normally during restoration operations of a power system. For this purpose, the standing phase angle difference between two specific buses is represented in terms of sensitivity factors associated with the change in real power injections at the buses. To arrive at the desired standing phase angle difference between two buses, the modified contribution at generation/load buses have been evaluated based on 'higher the sensitivity higher the participation' logic. This methodology acts as a direct help to reduce excessive SPA difference between two buses to an acceptable limit, which otherwise requires regulation of various generation levels on a trial and error basis. (author)

Crashworthiness evaluation of mass transit buses.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

Mass transit bus systems are an integral part of the national transportation network, serving more than 20.6 billion passenger-miles per year with a relatively low fatality rate. Bus occupant injuries are evenly distributed among crashes on all sides...

Attributional and consequential environmental assessment of using waste cooking oil- and poultry fat-based biodiesel blends in urban buses: a real-world operation condition study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Rajaeifar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Urban public transportation sector in general is heavily dependent on fossil-oriented fuels, e.g., diesel. Given the fact that a major proportion of urban pollution and the consequent threats towards public health are attributed to this sector, serious efforts at both technical and political levels have been being made to introduce less-polluting fueling regimes, e.g., partial replacement of diesel with biodiesel. In line with that, the present study was aimed at evaluating the emissions attributed to 5% blends of waste cooking oil (WCO and poultry fat (PF biodiesel fuels (i.e., B5-WCO and B5-PF fuel blends when used in urban buses during idle operation mode. Moreover, the attributional and consequential environmental impacts of using these fuel blends were also investigated through a well to wheel life cycle assessment (LCA by considering the real-world condition combustion data using ten urban buses. The findings of the ALCA revealed that the application of 1 L B5-WCO fuel blend could potentially reduce the environmental burdens in human health, ecosystem quality, and resources damage categories compared with using the B5-PF fuel blend. The situation was opposite for climate change damage category in which using 1 L B5-PF fuel blend had a lower impact on the environment. Overall, the environmental hotspots in the B5-WCO and B5-PF life cycles were identified as the combustion stage as well as the diesel production and transportation. From the consequential perspective, using 1 L B5-WCO fuel blend could potentially decrease the environmental burdens in human health, ecosystem quality, and resources damage categories. While, the situation was different for climate change damage category where using 1 L B5-PF fuel blend could have a lower impact on the environment. In conclusion, using B5-WCO fuel blend as an alternative for diesel could be an environmentally-friendly decision for the Iranian urban transportation sector at the policy level as long

Orange County Transit/traffic Management Integration And Traveler Information Project: Evaluation Plan

OpenAIRE

Hall, R.; Hickman, M.

1996-01-01

This document focuses on a Field Operational Test (FOT) to develop an integrated information system for transit and traffic management and for traveler information that relies on Global Positioning System (GPS) equipped buses as probe vehicles. The document provides the evaluation plan for the FOT. The plan covers three principal elements: 1) Institutional, TMC Operator and Bus Operator, 2) Public Knowledge and Perceptions, and 3) System performance. The document provides an overall evaluatio...

Consumption-efficient regulation and switching concepts for air conditioners in buses; Verbrauchseffiziente Regelungs- und Verschaltungskonzepte fuer Omnibusklimaanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaiser, Christian; Tegethoff, Wilhelm [TLK-Thermo GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Koehler, Juergen [TU Braunschweig (Germany). Inst. fuer Thermodynamik; Sonnekalb, Michael [Konvekta AG, Schwalmstadt (Germany)

2012-07-01

The reduction of the fuel consumption and the related reduction of CO{sub 2} emissions is one of the most important requirements in the current development of vehicles. This includes the development of fuel-efficient drive systems and the optimization of the so-called auxiliary users such as the air conditioner. The majority of the buses used today have an air conditioner in order to meet the increased demand of passengers for comfort. Since the operation of the air conditioner results in a significant increase in fuel consumption and thus in enhanced emissions of CO{sub 2}, an essential task of the development engineer is to minimize this additional consumption. In order to identify possible optimization potentials, a bus simulation model was developed which investigates not only exclusively compression refrigeration systems, but also is in communication with their relevant systems: heating circuit with engine cooling circuit, vehicle interior, on-board electrical system and vehicle longitudinal dynamics with the drive train. In the contribution under consideration, potentials of energy conservation should be identified that can be achieved due to the use of improved control and switching concepts. For this purpose, both the conventional R-744 (CO{sub 2}) bus air conditioning systems as well as alternative systems such as an ejector cycle were studied by means of a total vehicle simulation of the bus and compared.

Presentation of economic evaluation results.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaikledkaew, Usa

2014-05-01

The first HTA guidelines for Thailand included a chapter outlining a set of guidelines on how best to report the findings of health economic evaluations, based on a review of best practice and existing guidelines on the presentation of economic evaluation results from around the world. In this second edition of HTA guidelines for Thailand, the recommendations build on the first edition by using a case study to illustrate how the guidelines can be applied in a real research context. The guidelines propose that all reporting include ten key elements: defining the scope of the study, selection of comparator(s), defining the type of economic evaluation, measurement of costs, measurement of clinical effects, handling time in economic evaluation studies, handling uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, presentation of the results, discussion of the results, and disclosure of funding and authors conflict of interest.

Safety evaluation of a hydrogen fueled transit bus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coutts, D.A.; Thomas, J.K.; Hovis, G.L.; Wu, T.T. [Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)

1997-12-31

Hydrogen fueled vehicle demonstration projects must satisfy management and regulator safety expectations. This is often accomplished using hazard and safety analyses. Such an analysis has been completed to evaluate the safety of the H2Fuel bus to be operated in Augusta, Georgia. The evaluation methods and criteria used reflect the Department of Energy`s graded approach for qualifying and documenting nuclear and chemical facility safety. The work focused on the storage and distribution of hydrogen as the bus motor fuel with emphases on the technical and operational aspects of using metal hydride beds to store hydrogen. The safety evaluation demonstrated that the operation of the H2Fuel bus represents a moderate risk. This is the same risk level determined for operation of conventionally powered transit buses in the United States. By the same criteria, private passenger automobile travel in the United States is considered a high risk. The evaluation also identified several design and operational modifications that resulted in improved safety, operability, and reliability. The hazard assessment methodology used in this project has widespread applicability to other innovative operations and systems, and the techniques can serve as a template for other similar projects.

Development and Evaluation of an Economic-Driving Assistance Program for Transit Vehicles

OpenAIRE

Baoxin Han; Wanjing Ma; Hanzhou Xie

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on development and evaluation of an economic-driving assistance program for transit vehicles (EDTV) which can minimize energy consumption, air pollution emission of buses, and improve the level of service of transit system as well. Taking advantage of the latest advances in information and communication technologies, the EDTV system can provide bus drivers with optimal recommended bus holding times at near-side bus stops and dynamic bus speed to adapt to the real-time traff...

Influence of large changes in public transportation (Transantiago) on the black carbon pollution near streets

Science.gov (United States)

Gramsch, E.; Le Nir, G.; Araya, M.; Rubio, M. A.; Moreno, F.; Oyola, P.

2013-02-01

In 2006 a large transformation was carried out on the public transportation system in Santiago de Chile. The original system (before 2006) had hundreds of bus owners with about 7000 diesel buses. The new system has only 13 firms with about 5900 buses which operate in different parts of the city with little overlap between them. In this work we evaluate the impact of the Transantiago system on the black carbon pollution along four roads directly affected by the modification to the transport system. Measurements were carried out during May-July of 2005 (before Transantiago) and June-July of 2007 (after Transantiago). We have used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test to evaluate black carbon concentration in four streets in year 2005 and 2007. The results show that a statistically significant reduction between year 2005 (before Transantiago) and year 2007 (after Transantiago) in Alameda street, which changed from a mean of 18.8 μg m-3 in 2005 to 11.9 μg m-3 in 2007. In this street there was a decrease in the number of buses as well as the number of private vehicles and an improvement in the technology of public transportation between those years. Other two streets (Usach and Departamental) did not change or experienced a small increase in the black carbon concentration in spite of having less flux of buses in 2007. Eliodoro Yañez Street, which did not have public transportation in 2005 or 2007 experienced a 15% increase in the black carbon concentration between those years. Analysis of the data indicates that the change is related to a decrease in the total number of vehicles or the number of other diesel vehicles in the street rather than a decrease in the number of buses only. These results are an indication that in order to decrease pollution near a street is not enough to reduce the number of buses or improve its quality, but to reduce the total number of vehicles.

Evaluation of intelligent transport systems impact on school transport safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jankowska-Karpa Dagmara

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The integrated system of safe transport of children to school using Intelligent Transport Systems was developed and implemented in four locations across Europe under the Safeway2School (SW2S project, funded by the EU. The SW2S system evaluation included speed measurements and an eye-tracking experiment carried out among drivers who used the school bus route, where selected elements of the system were tested. The subject of the evaluation were the following system elements: pedestrian safety system at the bus stop (Intelligent Bus Stop and tags for children, Driver Support System, applications for parents’ and students’ mobile phones, bus stop inventory tool and data server. A new sign designed for buses and bus stops to inform about child transportation/children waiting at the bus stop was added to the system. Training schemes for system users were also provided. The article presents evaluation results of the impact of selected elements of the SW2S system on school transport safety in Poland.

The Practice of Evaluation Research and the Use of Evaluation Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Van den Berg, G.; Hoeben, W. Th. J. G.

1984-01-01

Lack of use of educational evaluation results in the Netherlands was investigated by analyzing 14 curriculum evaluation studies. Results indicated that rational decision making with a technical (empirical) evaluation approach makes utilization of results most likely. Incremental decision making and a conformative approach make utilization least…

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in resuspendable fraction of settled bus dust and its implications for human exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Peng; Liu, Sa; Feng, Yujie; Lin, Nan; Lu, Binyu; Zhang, Zhaohan; Cui, Fuyi; Xing, Baoshan; Hammond, S. Katharine

2015-01-01

This preliminary study measured Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in the resuspendable fraction of settled dust on 39 bus lines, to evaluate the impact of engine type (gasoline and compressed natural gas) on exposure for commuters and drivers. Benzo(b)fluoranthene(BbF) was the predominant PAH in resuspendable fraction of settled bus dust. The concentration of total PAHs was 92.90 ± 116.00 μg/g (range: 0.57–410) in gasoline buses and 3.97 ± 1.81 (range: 2.01–9.47) in compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Based on Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) equivalent concentrations for the sum of 16 PAHs, the average daily dose (ADD) via dust ingestion and dermal contact was calculated. The ADD of PAHs was higher for commuters and drivers in gasoline-powered buses than in buses using CNG buses. For both short and long duration journeys, young commuters were exposed to higher levels of PAHs via dust ingestion and dermal contact than adult commuters. - Highlights: • Resuspendable fraction of settled dust from microenvironment of buses in Harbin monitored for PAHs exposure assessment. • Higher levels of PAHs pollutants at gasoline-powered buses than at compressed natural gas-powered buses. • Non-occupational and occupational exposures in the microenvironment of buses are assessed. - Occupational and non-occupational exposure to PAHs from the microenvironment of bus

Results Evaluation in Reduction Rhinoplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arima, Lisandra Megumi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Final results evaluation after rhinoplasty is a not a topic widely studied from the patient's viewpoint. Objective:Evaluate the satisfaction of the patients submitted to reduction rhinoplasty, from the questionnaire Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation (ROE. Method: Longitudinal study, retrospective cut type, of the preoperative and postoperative satisfaction. The sample was composed by 28 patients who were submitted to rhinoplasty and answered the ROE questionnaire. Three variables were obtained: satisfaction note that the patient had with his/her image before the surgery; note of satisfaction with the current appearance; the difference of the average satisfaction notes between postoperative and preoperative approaches. Results: The postoperative note was higher than the preoperative in all patients. We noticed a difference between the average of the postoperative and preoperative of 48.3 (p75 considered to be an excellent outcome (67.9%. Conclusions: The ROE questionnaire is a helpful tool to show the satisfaction of the patient submitted to reduction rhinoplasty. About 92% of the patients submitted to reduction rhinoplasty consider the postoperative result to be good or excellent.

SOLVING OF SCHOOL BUS ROUTING PROBLEM BY ANT COLONY OPTIMIZATION RESOLUCIÓN DEL PROBLEMA DE RUTEO DE BUSES ESCOLARES CON OPTIMIZACIÓN POR COLONIA DE HORMIGAS RESOLUÇÃO DO PROBLEMA DE RUTEO DE ÔNIBUS ESCOLARES COM OTIMIZAÇÃO POR COLÔNIA DE FORMIGAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan S Arias-Rojas

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The school bus routing problem (SBRP seeks to plan an efficient schedule of a fleet of school buses that must pick up students from various bus stops and deliver them by satisfying various constraints: maximum capacity of the bus, maximum riding time of students, time window to arrive to school. In this paper, we consider a case study of SBRP for a school in Bogotá, Colombia. The problem is solved using ant colony optimization (ACO. Computational experiments are performed using real data. Results lead to increased bus utilization and reduction in transportation times with on-time delivery to the school. The proposed decision-aid tool has shown its usefulness for actual decision-making at the school: it outperforms current routing by reducing the total distance traveled by 8.3 % and 21.4 % respectively in the morning and in the afternoon.El problema de ruteo de buses escolares (SBRP busca encontrar el programa más eficiente para una flota de buses escolares que deben recoger y despachar estudiantes en varias paradas de bus satisfaciendo varias restricciones: capacidad máxima del bus, máximo tiempo de recorrido de los estudiantes, ventanas de tiempo para la llegada al colegio. En este artículo se considera un caso de estudio de un problema SBRP para un colegio en Bogotá, Colombia. El problema se resuelve usando la metaheurística de colonia de hormigas (ACO. Los experimentos computacionales se realizan empleando datos reales. Los resultados muestran el incremento en el nivel de utilización de los buses y una reducción en los tiempos de transporte con despacho a tiempo en el colegio. La herramienta ha mostrado su utilidad para la planeación regular de buses en el colegio: se redujo la distancia total recorrida en 8,3 % en la mañana y en 21,4 % en la tarde.O problema de roteamento de ônibus escolares (SBRP busca encontrar o programa mais eficiente para uma frota de ônibus escolares que devem recolher e despachar estudantes em v

Low-floor bus design preferences of walking aid users during simulated boarding and alighting.

Science.gov (United States)

D'souza, Clive; Paquet, Victor; Lenker, James; Steinfeld, Edward; Bareria, Piyush

2012-01-01

Low-floor buses represent a significant improvement in accessible public transit for passengers with limited mobility. However, there is still a need for research on the inclusive design of transit buses to identify specific low-floor bus design conditions that are either particularly accommodating or challenging for passengers with functional and mobility impairments. These include doorway locations, seating configuration and the large front wheel-well covers that collectively impact boarding, alighting and interior movement of passengers. Findings from a laboratory study using a static full-scale simulation of a lowfloor bus to evaluate the impact of seating configuration and crowding on interior movement and accessibility for individuals with and without walking aids are presented (n=41). Simulated bus journeys that included boarding, fare payment, seating, and alighting were performed. Results from video observations and subjective assessments showed differences in boarding and alighting performance and users' perceptions of task difficulty. The need for assistive design features (e.g. handholds, stanchions), legroom and stowage space for walking aids was evident. These results demonstrate that specific design conditions in low-floor buses can significantly impact design preference among those who use walking aids. Consideration of ergonomics and inclusive design can therefore be used to improve the design of low-floor buses.

THE GRAPHICAL MODELING, SIMULATION AND REALIZATION OF AN EQUIPMENT WITH OPTO-REFLECTIVE SENSORS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT PASSENGERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

CRIȘAN Horea George

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The development of an equipment capable to carry out a real-time evaluation above loading of urban buses, allows the optimization of the urban transport vehicles distribution on a network segment, reducing waiting times, the passenger crowds in buses and at the same time decreasing the need of buses maintenance, issues with direct effects on the growth of the carriers economic profit. A solution based on optical detection is one that can generate results with high accuracy in relatively low cost conditions. This advantage can be obtained only if the constructive version of the equipment is properly designed, taking into account the geometric parameters of the light slots emitted and received by the sensors. Therefore, using three-dimensional CAD modelling, it was realized an optimal constructive variant. This graphical method also allows it the viewing, variation and synchronization of sensors geometrical parameters, so in this way, the equipment can produce the desired effect. Further, it has been carried out a graphical simulation of the designed equipment function, in order to validate the obtained results. Later, the designed equipment was achieved and tested under laboratory conditions, in order to be implemented and used under real conditions, on the buses of an urban public transport operator.

Uncertainty in particle number modal analysis during transient operation of compressed natural gas, diesel, and trap-equipped diesel transit buses.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmén, Britt A; Qu, Yingge

2004-04-15

The relationships between transient vehicle operation and ultrafine particle emissions are not well-known, especially for low-emission alternative bus technologies such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and diesel buses equipped with particulate filters/traps (TRAP). In this study, real-time particle number concentrations measured on a nominal 5 s average basis using an electrical low pressure impactor (ELPI) for these two bus technologies are compared to that of a baseline catalyst-equipped diesel bus operated on ultralow sulfur fuel (BASE) using dynamometer testing. Particle emissions were consistently 2 orders of magnitude lower for the CNG and TRAP compared to BASE on all driving cycles. Time-resolved total particle numbers were examined in terms of sampling factors identified as affecting the ability of ELPI to quantify the particulate matter number emissions for low-emitting vehicles such as CNG and TRAP as a function of vehicle driving mode. Key factors were instrument sensitivity and dilution ratio, alignment of particle and vehicle operating data, sampling train background particles, and cycle-to-cycle variability due to vehicle, engine, after-treatment, or driver behavior. In-cycle variability on the central business district (CBD) cycle was highest for the TRAP configuration, but this could not be attributed to the ELPI sensitivity issues observed for TRAP-IDLE measurements. Elevated TRAP emissions coincided with low exhaust temperature, suggesting on-road real-world particulate filter performance can be evaluated by monitoring exhaust temperature. Nonunique particle emission maps indicate that measures other than vehicle speed and acceleration are necessary to model disaggregated real-time particle emissions. Further testing on a wide variety of test cycles is needed to evaluate the relative importance of the time history of vehicle operation and the hysteresis of the sampling train/dilution tunnel on ultrafine particle emissions. Future studies should

U.S. Department of Energy FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies Program: Oil Bypass Filter Technology Evaluation Seventh Quarterly Report April - June 2004

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larry Zirker; James Francfort; Jordan Fielding

2004-08-01

This Oil Bypass Filter Technology Evaluation quarterly report (April–June 2004) details the ongoing fleet evaluation of an oil bypass filter technology by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies Program. Eight INEEL four-cycle diesel engine buses used to transport INEEL employees on various routes and six INEEL Chevrolet Tahoes with gasoline engines are equipped with oil bypass filter systems from the puraDYN Corporation. The bypass filters are reported to have engine oil filtering capability of <1 micron and a built-in additive package to facilitate extended oil-drain intervals. This quarter, the eight diesel engine buses traveled 85,632 miles. As of the end of June 2004, the eight buses have accumulated 498,814 miles since the beginning of the test and 473,192 miles without an oil change. This represents an avoidance of 39 oil changes, which equates to 1,374 quarts (343 gallons) of new oil not consumed and, furthermore, 1,374 quarts of waste oil not generated. One bus had its oil changed due to the degraded quality of the engine oil. Also this quarter, the six Tahoe test vehicles traveled 48,193 miles; to date, the six Tahoes have accumulated 109,708 total test miles. The oil for all six of the Tahoes was changed this quarter due to low Total Base Numbers (TBN). The oil used initially in the Tahoe testing was recycled oil; the recycled oil has been replaced with Castrol virgin oil, and the testing was restarted. However, the six Tahoe’s did travel a total of 98,266 miles on the initial engine oil. This represents an avoidance of 26 oil changes, which equates to 130 quarts (32.5 gallons) of new oil not consumed and, consequently, 130 quarts of waste oil not generated. Based on the number of oil changes avoided by the test buses and Tahoes to date, the potential engine oil savings if an oil bypass filter system were used was estimated for the INEEL, DOE

Driving-behavior-aware stochastic model predictive control for plug-in hybrid electric buses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Liang; You, Sixiong; Yang, Chao; Yan, Bingjie; Song, Jian; Chen, Zheng

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The novel approximated global optimal energy management strategy has been proposed for hybrid powertrains. • Eight typical driving behaviors have been classified with K-means to deal with the multiplicative traffic conditions. • The stochastic driver models of different driving behaviors were established based on the Markov chains. • ECMS was used to modify the SMPC-based energy management strategy to improve its fuel economy. • The approximated global optimal energy management strategy for plug-in hybrid electric buses has been verified and analyzed. - Abstract: Driving cycles of a city bus is statistically characterized by some repetitive features, which makes the predictive energy management strategy very desirable to obtain approximate optimal fuel economy of a plug-in hybrid electric bus. But dealing with the complicated traffic conditions and finding an approximated global optimal strategy which is applicable to the plug-in hybrid electric bus still remains a challenging technique. To solve this problem, a novel driving-behavior-aware modified stochastic model predictive control method is proposed for the plug-in hybrid electric bus. Firstly, the K-means is employed to classify driving behaviors, and the driver models based on Markov chains is obtained under different kinds of driving behaviors. While the obtained driver behaviors are regarded as stochastic disturbance inputs, the local minimum fuel consumption might be obtained with a traditional stochastic model predictive control at each step, taking tracking the reference battery state of charge trajectory into consideration in the finite predictive horizons. However, this technique is still accompanied by some working points with reduced/worsened fuel economy. Thus, the stochastic model predictive control is modified with the equivalent consumption minimization strategy to eliminate these undesirable working points. The results in real-world city bus routines show that the

Evaluation of duty cycles for heavy-duty urban vehicles : final report of IEA AMF Annex 29

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nylund, N.O.; Erkkila, K. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland); Clark, N. [West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States); Rideout, G. [Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). Environmental Technology Centre, Emissions Research and Measurement Div

2007-07-01

Heavy-duty vehicles in Europe and North America will require incylinder measures or exhaust gas after-treatment technology to control emissions and meet ever stringent emission requirements. Alternatively, manufacturers can choose clean burning alternative fuels such as natural gas. Although there are no international standards for heavy-duty vehicle chassis dynamometer testing at present, the IEA Implementing Agreements offer excellent platforms for international collaborative research. Harmonization of test methods for vehicles and fuels is one important task. This paper reported on the work of 3 laboratories that have produced emission results for complete heavy-duty vehicles. VTT Technical Research of Finland, Environment Canada and West Virginia University measured standard size urban buses driving various duty cycles on chassis dynamometers. The number of transient test cycles per laboratory varied from 6 to 16. European and North American diesel and natural gas vehicles were included in the vehicle matrix. The objective was to demonstrate how the driving cycle affects the emission performance of conventional and advanced urban buses. Several driving cycles were run on urban buses to better understand the characteristics of different duty cycles; produce a key for cross-interpretation of emission results generated with different cycles; and study the interaction between vehicle, exhaust after-treatment and fuel technologies and test procedures. Fuel consumption and exhaust emissions were measured. The results varied significantly not only by test cycle, but also by vehicle technology. In general, vehicles emissions were directly proportioned to the amount of fuel consumed, with the exception of NOx-emissions from SCR-vehicles. There was a clear difference in the emission profiles of European and North American vehicles. In Europe, fuel efficiency was emphasized, while in North America, more focus was given to regulated exhaust emissions, especially low

Bus transit operational efficiency resulting from passenger boardings at park-and-ride facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-01

In order to save time and money by not driving to an ultimate destination, some urban commuters drive themselves a few miles to specially designated parking lots built for transit customers and located where trains or buses stop. The focus of this pa...

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in resuspendable fraction of settled bus dust and its implications for human exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Peng; Liu, Sa; Feng, Yujie; Lin, Nan; Lu, Binyu; Zhang, Zhaohan; Cui, Fuyi; Xing, Baoshan; Hammond, S Katharine

2015-03-01

This preliminary study measured Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in the resuspendable fraction of settled dust on 39 bus lines, to evaluate the impact of engine type (gasoline and compressed natural gas) on exposure for commuters and drivers. Benzo(b)fluoranthene(BbF) was the predominant PAH in resuspendable fraction of settled bus dust. The concentration of total PAHs was 92.90 ± 116.00 μg/g (range: 0.57-410) in gasoline buses and 3.97 ± 1.81 (range: 2.01-9.47) in compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Based on Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) equivalent concentrations for the sum of 16 PAHs, the average daily dose (ADD) via dust ingestion and dermal contact was calculated. The ADD of PAHs was higher for commuters and drivers in gasoline-powered buses than in buses using CNG buses. For both short and long duration journeys, young commuters were exposed to higher levels of PAHs via dust ingestion and dermal contact than adult commuters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oil Bypass Filter Technology Performance Evaluation - First Quarterly Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zirker, L.R.; Francfort, J.E.

2003-01-31

This report details the initial activities to evaluate the performance of the oil bypass filter technology being tested by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for the U.S. Department of Energy's FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies Program. Eight full-size, four-cycle diesel-engine buses used to transport INEEL employees on various routes have been equipped with oil bypass systems from the puraDYN Corporation. Each bus averages about 60,000 miles a year. The evaluation includes an oil analysis regime to monitor the presence of necessary additives in the oil and to detect undesirable contaminants. Very preliminary economic analysis suggests that the oil bypass system can reduce life-cycle costs. As the evaluation continues and oil avoidance costs are quantified, it is estimated that the bypass system economics may prove increasingly favorable, given the anticipated savings in operational costs and in reduced use of oil and waste oil avoidance.

Ongoing evaluation of alternatively fueled buses : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-05-01

The goal of this project is to continue collecting and reporting data on the performance and costs of alternatively fueled public transit vehicles in Florida in a consistent manner. Over the course of this project, researchers sent repeated data requ...

Evaluation of the strengthening of the conditions of voltage security using sensitivity analysis; Avaliacao do reforco das condicoes da seguranca de tensao utilizando a analise de sensibilidade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosa, A.L.S.; Costa, V.M. da; Peres, W. [Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), MG (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia], Emails: arleilucas@gmail.com, vander@lacee.ufjf.br, wesley.peres@yahoo.com.br; Prada, R.B. [Pontificia Universidade Catolica (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Eletrica], Email: prada@ele.puc-rio.br

2009-07-01

Voltage stability or voltage security analysis has motivated an expressive attention of power systems researchers. In this work, a simple and fast method evaluates voltage security and proposes conditions to improve the loading margin. System analysis is carried out in terms of active power transmission path. Sensitivity analysis provides the most adequate buses to active and reactive power redispatch. A sequential iterative methodology to reinforce system conditions is presented. (author)

Evaluation of Results from Sales Promotion Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olimpia Ban

2007-02-01

Full Text Available An essential element of the sales promotion strategy and not only is the evaluation of the results obtained from the activities performed. Due to their nature and applicability, the evaluation of the sales promotion is much easier to be achieved, but it raises some problems. Using a hypothetical example, we have tried to develop a "classic" evaluation model of the specialty literature.

Oil Bypass Filter Technology Performance Evaluation - January 2003 Quarterly Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laurence R. Zirker; James E. Francfort

2003-01-01

This report details the initial activities to evaluate the performance of the oil bypass filter technology being tested by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for the U.S. Department of Energy's FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies Program. Eight full-size, four-cycle diesel-engine buses used to transport INEEL employees on various routes have been equipped with oil bypass systems from the puraDYN Corporation. Each bus averages about 60,000 miles a year. The evaluation includes an oil analysis regime to monitor the presence of necessary additives in the oil and to detect undesirable contaminants. Very preliminary economic analysis suggests that the oil bypass system can reduce life-cycle costs. As the evaluation continues and oil avoidance costs are quantified, it is estimated that the bypass system economics may prove increasingly favorable, given the anticipated savings in operational costs and in reduced use of oil and waste oil avoidance.

Non-Formal Educator Use of Evaluation Results

Science.gov (United States)

Baughman, Sarah; Boyd, Heather H.; Franz, Nancy K.

2012-01-01

Increasing demands for accountability in educational programming have resulted in increasing calls for program evaluation in educational organizations. Many organizations include conducting program evaluations as part of the job responsibilities of program staff. Cooperative Extension is a complex organization offering non-formal educational…

Some recent results on evaluating Feynman integrals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smirnov, V.A. [Nuclear Physics Institute of Moscow State University, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation)

2006-07-15

Some recent results on evaluating Feynman integrals are reviewed. The status of the method based on Mellin-Barnes representation as a powerful tool to evaluate individual Feynman integrals is characterized. A new method based on Groebner bases to solve integration by parts relations in an automatic way is described.

Some recent results on evaluating Feynman integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, V.A.

2006-01-01

Some recent results on evaluating Feynman integrals are reviewed. The status of the method based on Mellin-Barnes representation as a powerful tool to evaluate individual Feynman integrals is characterized. A new method based on Groebner bases to solve integration by parts relations in an automatic way is described

Evaluation Use: Results from a Survey of U.S. American Evaluation Association Members

Science.gov (United States)

Fleischer, Dreolin N.; Christie, Christina A.

2009-01-01

This paper presents the results of a cross-sectional survey on evaluation use completed by 1,140 U.S. American Evaluation Association members. This study had three foci: evaluators' current attitudes, perceptions, and experiences related to evaluation use theory and practice, how these data are similar to those reported in a previous study…

PROSID - a program to evaluate SIMMER-II results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flad, M.; Kuefner, K.; Maschek, W.

1990-02-01

The PROSID program supports the evaluation of SIMMER-II results. PROSID enables the user to get a printout of variables, to get a linear combination of variables or quadrats of variables, to sum up variables or quadrats of variables, to compare variables or whole datasets, to interpolate to a new meshgrid and to get weighted mean values. As special options are available the calculation of the volume of connected gas regions, the evaluation of the fuel enrichment, an estimation of reactivity changes and the retransformation of interpolated velocity values. The results can be stored for further evaluations. (orig.) [de

Development and Commissioning Results of the Hybrid Sensor Bus Engineering Qualification Model

Science.gov (United States)

Hurni, Andreas; Putzer, Phillipp; Roner, Markus; Gurster, Markus; Hulsemeyer, Christian; Lemke, Norbert M. K.

2016-08-01

In order to reduce mass, AIT effort and overall costs of classical point-to-point wired temperature sensor harness on-board spacecraft OHB System AGhas introduced the Hybrid Sensor Bus (HSB) system which interrogates sensors connected in a bus architecture. To use the advantages of electrical as wellas of fiber-optical sensing technologies, HSB is designed as a modular measurement system interrogating digital sensors connected on electricalsensor buses based on I2C and fiber-optical sensor buses based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors inscribed in optical fibers. Fiber-optical sensor bus networks on-board satellites are well suited for temperature measurement due to low mass, electro-magnetic insensitivity and the capability to embed them inside structure parts. The lightweight FBG sensors inscribed in radiation tolerant fibers can reach every part of the satellite. HSB has been developed in the frame of the ESA ARTES program with European and German co- funding and will be verified as flight demonstrator on- board the German Heinrich Hertz satellite (H2Sat).In this paper the Engineering Qualification Model (EQM) development of HSB and first commissioning results are presented. For the HSB development requirements applicable for telecommunication satellite platforms have been considered. This includes an operation of at least 15 years in a geostationary orbit.In Q3/2016 the qualification test campaign is planned to be carried out. The HSB EQM undergoes a full qualification according to ECSS. The paper concludes with an outlook regarding this HSB flight demonstrator development and its in-orbit verification (IOV) on board H2Sat.

Providing many results of evacuation simulation around a nuclear power plant and its speedy use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Shoji; Nagase, Shinichiro; Ino, Masanori

1990-01-01

According to the peculiar situation around nuclear power plant in Japan, many results of evacuation simulation in that the public buses and family cars were used together have being obtained by a super computer. These were comprised of the time dependence of the number of residents and vehicles at the exit and starting points, and traffic jam datas at each intersection on the evacuation roads. Also, exposed dose for each group of the residents were calculated in case of Xe and I-131 release. The retrieval system was applied for selecting the indispensable data from many results, and in order to see data on the display screen, the graphic system was provided. (author)

WP5 Evaluation: D54-D55 Evaluation Results V2 (V3)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Rosmalen, Peter

2011-01-01

Van Rosmalen, P. (2010, 19 May). WP5 Evaluation: D54-D55 Evaluation Results V2 (V3). Presentation at idSpace Final Review, Heerlen, The Netherlands: Open University of the Netherlands. idSpace-project.

Influence of public transport in black carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Vasquez, Y.; Oyola, P.; Gramsch, E. V.; Moreno, F.; Rubio, M.

2013-05-01

As a consequence of poor air quality in Santiago de Chile, several measures were taken by the local authorities to improve the environmental conditions and protect the public health. In year 2005 the Chilean government implemented a project called "Transantiago" aimed to introduce major modifications in the public transportation system. The primary objectives of this project were to: provide an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable service and improve the quality of service without increasing fares. In this work we evaluate the impact of the Transantiago system on the black carbon pollution along four roads directly affected by the modification to the transport system. The black carbon has been used to evaluate changes in air quality due to changes in traffic. The assessment was done using measurements of black carbon before Transantiago (June-July 2005) and after its implementation (June-July 2007). Four sites were selected to monitor black carbon at street levels, one site (Alameda) that represents trunk-bus streets, i.e., buses crossing the city through main avenues. Buses using these streets had an important technological update with respect to 2005. Two streets (Usach and Departamental) show a mixed condition, i.e., they combine feeder and trunk buses. These streets combine new EURO III buses with old buses with more than 3 years of service. The last street (Eliodoro Yañez) represent private cars road without public transportation and did not experience change. Hence, the results from the years 2005 and 2007 can be directly compared using an appropriate methodology. To ensure that it was not the meteorological conditions that drive the trends, the comparison between year 2005 and 2007 was done using Wilcoxon test and a regression model. A first assessment at the four sites suggested a non decrease in black carbon concentration from 2005 to 2007, except for Alameda. A first statistical approach confirmed small increases in BC in Usach and E

APR1400 Electrical Power System Conformance to SECY-91-078

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Che-Wung; Kim, Yun-Ho [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

In this paper, the APR1400 electric power system for NRC-DC was described. In addition, the conformance to SECY 91-078 was evaluated. Enclosure 1 of the SECY provides an overview of the issue and states that the staff concludes that feeding the safety buses from the offsite power sources through non-safety buses or from a common transformer winding with non-safety loads is not the most reliable configuration. Such an arrangement increases the difficulty in properly regulating voltage at the safety buses, subjects the safety loads to transients caused by the non-safety loads, and adds additional failure points between the offsite power sources and safety loads. Therefore, it is the staff’s position that at least one offsite circuit to each redundant safety division should be supplied directly from one of the offsite power sources with no intervening non-safety buses, in such a manner that the offsite source can power the safety buses upon a failure of any non-safety bus. The APR1400 does not have an intervening nonsafety bus in the current offsite to onsite electrical configuration; however, the design does include nonsafety and safety buses coming from the same secondary side 4.16 kV transformer winding. Nevertheless, the APR1400 has designed the electrical interface system between offsite and onsite power with enhanced reliability measures to ensure that the nonsafety system will not impact the safety loads. The design complies with GDC 17 and also conforms to SECY-91-078.

Method for Assessing Risk of Road Accidents in Transportation of School Children

Science.gov (United States)

Pogotovkina, N. S.; Volodkin, P. P.; Demakhina, E. S.

2017-11-01

The rationale behind the problem being investigated is explained by the remaining high level of the accident rates with the participation of vehicles carrying groups of children, including school buses, in the Russian Federation over the period of several years. The article is aimed at the identification of new approaches to improve the safety of transportation of schoolchildren in accordance with the Concept of children transportation by buses and the plan for its implementation. The leading approach to solve the problem under consideration is the prediction of accidents in the schoolchildren transportation. The article presents the results of the accident rate analysis with the participation of school buses in the Russian Federation for five years. Besides, a system to monitor the transportation of schoolchildren is proposed; the system will allow analyzing and forecasting traffic accidents which involve buses carrying groups of children, including school buses. In addition, the article presents a methodology for assessing the risk of road accidents during the transportation of schoolchildren.

Review of evaluations of crushing results for the seedbed preparation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siegfried Anisch

2016-06-01

Full Text Available For evaluating the work results of tillage operations today only inaccurate parameters are available which cannot be readily measured. Thus, evaluating and comparing the work results of machines and developing suitable sensors are difficult. At the Technical University of Dresden, till 1990, research projects for determining aggregate size composition of soil have been done. Based on this work, this study will show suggestions for measuring, displaying and evaluation of soil crushing results depending on tillage work conditions.

Southern Nevada Alternative Fuels Demonstration Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyde, Dan; Fast, Matthew

2009-12-31

The Southern Nevada Alternative Fuels Program is designed to demonstrate, in a day-to-day bus operation, the reliability and efficiency of a hydrogen bus operation under extreme conditions. By using ICE technology and utilizing a virtually emission free fuel, benefits to be derived include air quality enhancement and vehicle performance improvements from domestically produced, renewable energy sources. The project objective is to help both Ford and the City demonstrate and evaluate the performance characteristics of the E-450 H2ICE shuttle buses developed by Ford, which use a 6.8-liter supercharged Triton V-10 engine with a hydrogen storage system equivalent to 29 gallons of gasoline. The technology used during the demonstration project in the Ford buses is a modified internal combustion engine that allows the vehicles to run on 100% hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen gives a more thorough fuel burn which results in more power and responsiveness and less pollution. The resultant emissions from the tailpipe are 2010 Phase II compliant with NO after treatment. The City will lease two of these E-450 H2ICE buses from Ford for two years. The buses are outfitted with additional equipment used to gather information needed for the evaluation. Performance, reliability, safety, efficiency, and rider comments data will be collected. The method of data collection will be both electronically and manually. Emissions readings were not obtained during the project. The City planned to measure the vehicle exhaust with an emissions analyzer machine but discovered the bus emission levels were below the capability of their machine. Passenger comments were solicited on the survey cards. The majority of comments were favorable. The controllable issues encountered during this demonstration project were mainly due to the size of the hydrogen fuel tanks at the site and the amount of fuel that could be dispensed during a specified period of time. The uncontrollable issues encountered during this

Evaluation of LLTR series II test A-7 results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knittle, D.E.; Amos, J.C.; Yang, T.M.

1981-09-01

This report evaluates the test A-7 data and assesses the capability of the analytical methodology (as a result of Series I program) to predict the thermal/hydraulic phenomena associated with a large SWR event occurring after the sodium system pressure has increased to near the rupture disc burst pressure due to a smaller size leak event. Evaluation of intertest examination data to determine the extent of test article damage resulting from test A-7 is also included

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Little Rock Gains Momentum with Natural Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Buses Little Rock Gains Momentum with Natural Gas Buses to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Little Rock Gains Momentum with Natural Gas Buses on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Little Rock Gains Momentum with Natural Gas Buses on Twitter Bookmark Alternative

Improving VANETs Connectivity with a Totally Ad Hoc Living Mobile Backbone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joilson Alves Junior

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The vehicular ad hoc network (VANET for intelligent transportation systems is an emerging concept to improve transportation security, reliability, and management. The network behavior can be totally different in topological aspects because of the mobility of vehicular nodes. The topology can be fully connected when the flow of vehicles is high and may have low connectivity or be invalid when the flow of vehicles is low or unbalanced. In big cities, the metropolitan buses that travel on exclusive lanes may be used to set up a metropolitan vehicular data network (backbone, raising the connectivity among the vehicles. Therefore, this paper proposes the implementation of a living mobile backbone, totally ad hoc (MOB-NET, which will provide infrastructure and raise the network connectivity. In order to show the viability of MOB-NET, statistical analyses were made with real data of express buses that travel through exclusive lanes, besides evaluations through simulations and analytic models. The statistic, analytic, and simulation results prove that the buses that travel through exclusive lanes can be used to build a communication network totally ad hoc and provide connectivity in more than 99% of the time, besides raising the delivery rate up to 95%.

UTILIZATION OF EVALUATION RESULTS IN LEGAL POLICY-MAKING AND ADMINISTRATION

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Hellmut Wollmann

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the analysis of evaluation method and its impact on legal policy development in governance, including in the area of law enforcement.The author outlines the importance of question whether, when and how the evaluation results of public policies, programs and measures has been utilized (or not utilized in policy making and policy implementation.In the pursuit of this guiding question the article will come in five steps.First, major variants of evaluation will be briefly presented particularly with an eye on their respective “utilization potential”.Second, different concepts will be sketched that have been forwarded to capture the utilization of social science generated knowledge by political, administrative and social actors. The author outlines a detailed description of types of evaluations: a retrospective, prelimi-nary, ongoing, interactive, – as well as existing concepts of application of its results.Third, looking at Germany, Switzerland and the European Union as “cases in point” perti-ent research findings will be discussed. The article also subjected to a detailed analysis of the experience of Germany, Switzerland and the European Union in the field of utilization of evaluation results.Fourth, a summary and conclusion will be given.Fifth, some remarks on pertinent research needs will be made.The author comes to the conclusion that that the rate of the utilization of evaluation-generated knowledge has so far turned out be, by and large, scarce. The author says that re-garding the politically crucial decisions the political rationality and its underlying political will of the decision-makers prevail while concerning less important decisions evaluation-generated evidence does show some effect and, hence, a dose of scientific rationality comes to the fore.There is also a need for further research on the subject of how should (and should not use assessment results when making legal and political decisions.

Road safety issues for bus transport management.

Science.gov (United States)

Cafiso, Salvatore; Di Graziano, Alessandro; Pappalardo, Giuseppina

2013-11-01

Because of the low percentage of crashes involving buses and the assumption that public transport improves road safety by reducing vehicular traffic, public interest in bus safety is not as great as that in the safety of other types of vehicles. It is possible that less attention is paid to the significance of crashes involving buses because the safety level of bus systems is considered to be adequate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and perceptions of bus managers with respect to safety issues and the potential effectiveness of various technologies in achieving higher safety standards. Bus managers were asked to give their opinions on safety issues related to drivers (training, skills, performance evaluation and behaviour), vehicles (maintenance and advanced devices) and roads (road and traffic safety issues) in response to a research survey. Kendall's algorithm was used to evaluate the level of concordance. The results showed that the majority of the proposed items were considered to have great potential for improving bus safety. The data indicated that in the experience of the participants, passenger unloading and pedestrians crossing near bus stops are the most dangerous actions with respect to vulnerable users. The final results of the investigation showed that start inhibition, automatic door opening, and the materials and internal architecture of buses were considered the items most strongly related to bus passenger safety. Brake assistance and vehicle monitoring systems were also considered to be very effective. With the exception of driver assistance systems for passenger and pedestrian safety, the perceptions of the importance of other driver assistance systems for vehicle monitoring and bus safety were not unanimous among the bus company managers who participated in this survey. The study results showed that the introduction of new technologies is perceived as an important factor in improving bus safety, but a better understanding

Evaluation of Safety Culture Implementation and Socialization Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Situmorang, Johnny

2003-01-01

Evaluation of safety culture implementation and socialization results has been perform. Evaluation is carried out with specifying safety culture indicators, namely: Meeting between management and employee, system for incidents analysis, training activities related to improving safety, meeting with regulator, contractors, surveys on behavioural attitudes, and resources allocated to promote safety culture. Evaluation is based on observation and visiting the facilities to show the compliance indicator in term of good practices in the frame of safety culture implementation. For three facilities of research reactors, Kartini Yogyakarta, TRIGA Mark II Bandung and MPR-GAS Serpong, implementation of safety culture is considered good enough and progressive. Furthermore some indicator should be considered more intensive, for example the allocated resources, self assesment based on own questionnaire in the frame of improving the safety culture implementation. (author)

A Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm with System Reduction and Restoration for Rapid and Reliable Power Flow Solution of Power Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassan Abdullah Kubba

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a highly accurate power flow solution, reducing the possibility of ending at local minima, by using Real-Coded Genetic Algorithm (RCGA with system reduction and restoration. The proposed method (RCGA is modified to reduce the total computing time by reducing the system in size to that of the generator buses, which, for any realistic system, will be smaller in number, and the load buses are eliminated. Then solving the power flow problem for the generator buses only by real-coded GA to calculate the voltage phase angles, whereas the voltage magnitudes are specified resulted in reduced computation time for the solution. Then the system is restored by calculating the voltages of the load buses in terms of the calculated voltages of the generator buses, after a derivation of equations for calculating the voltages of the load busbars. The proposed method was demonstrated on 14-bus IEEE test systems and the practical system 362-busbar IRAQI NATIONAL GRID (ING. The proposed method has reliable convergence, a highly accurate solution and less computing time for on-line applications. The method can conveniently be applied for on-line analysis and planning studies of large power systems.

Probabilistic evaluation of the Brazilian interconnected power systems; Avaliacao probabilistica do desempenho do sistema interligado brasileiro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melo, A C.G.; Mello, J C.O.; Romero, S P; Oliveira, G C [Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Eletrica (CEPEL), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Fontoura Filho, R N [ELETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

1994-12-31

This paper describes the main features of the NH{sub 2} model, developed for the probabilistic evaluation of the adequacy of large scale power systems. The system analysis is carried out through a full set of indicators, including reliability indices and probability distributions of selected variables, such as area interchanges, power flow in circuits, voltage in buses etc. These indicators are calculated in two stages: before and after the introduction of remedial actions. Also, the model yields the representation of system hourly load curve, with uncertainty around the load levels. The flexibility and performance of the NH2 model are illustrated in case studies with a 1400-bus, configuration of the Brazilian system. (author) 12 refs., 11 figs., 6 tabs.

The Use of School Self-Evaluation Results in the Netherlands and Flanders

Science.gov (United States)

Schildkamp, Kim; Vanhoof, Jan; van Petegem, Peter; Visscher, Adrie

2012-01-01

This article presents the results of two studies on the use of school self-evaluation in the Netherlands and Flanders. It focuses on which forms of instrumental use of school self-evaluation results can be found in schools, and how differences in self-evaluation use between schools can be explained. Results show that the instrumental use of…

Current and Developing Conceptions of Use: Evaluation Use TIG Survey Results.

Science.gov (United States)

Preskill, Hallie; Caracelli, Valerie

1997-01-01

A survey was sent to members of the Evaluation Use Topical Interest Group (TIG) to determine their perceptions about and experiences with evaluation use. Responses from 282 members show agreement on the major purposes of evaluation and an increased use of performance-results oriented and formative evaluations. (SLD)

10 CFR 709.15 - Processing counterintelligence evaluation results.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... financial, credit, travel, and other relevant information to resolve any identified issues. Participation by... information is developed by the Office of Health, Safety and Security indicating counterintelligence issues... and Protection of National Security § 709.15 Processing counterintelligence evaluation results. (a) If...

Evaluation of analytical results on DOE Quality Assessment Program Samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaquish, R.E.; Kinnison, R.R.; Mathur, S.P.; Sastry, R.

1985-01-01

Criteria were developed for evaluating the participants analytical results in the DOE Quality Assessment Program (QAP). Historical data from previous QAP studies were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods to determine the interlaboratory precision that had been attained. Performance criteria used in other similar programs were also reviewed. Using these data, precision values and control limits were recommended for each type of analysis performed in the QA program. Results of the analysis performed by the QAP participants on the November 1983 samples were statistically analyzed and evaluated. The Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) values were used as the known values and 3-sigma precision values were used as control limits. Results were submitted by 26 participating laboratories for 49 different radionuclide media combinations. The participants reported 419 results and of these, 350 or 84% were within control limits. Special attention was given to the data from gamma spectral analysis of air filters and water samples. both normal probability and box plots were prepared for each nuclide to help evaluate the distribution of the data. Results that were outside the expected range were identified and suggestions made that laboratories check calculations, and procedures on these results

Bus use and older people: a literature review applying the Person-Environment-Occupation model in macro practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Broome, Kieran; McKenna, Kryss; Fleming, Jennifer; Worrall, Linda

2009-03-01

The same reasons that prompt older people to give up driving can also result in difficulties with accessing public transport. Difficulties using public transport can limit older people's participation in society, thereby impacting negatively on their health. Focusing on public buses, this review explicates the link between bus usability and the health of older people and frames existing evidence on bus usability issues. The Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model offers a framework by which bus usability can be assessed. A combination of person-centred, environmental, and occupation-related factors, including bus design, service provision and performance, information, and the attitudes of staff and the community, impact on older people's ability to catch buses. More systematic research needs to take place in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of bus usability. Occupational therapy has a key role to play in conceptualizing, implementing, and evaluating improvements in bus usability for older people.

Microgrid energy management in grid-connected and islanding modes based on SVC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabbar, Hossam A.; Abdelsalam, Abdelazeem A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • SVC is used to enhance the performance of a microgrid (MG). • MG performance is measured by some key performance indicators (KPIs). • KPIs comprise power loss, voltage deviation, power factor, THD and v/f deviation. • The microgrid is simulated in grid-connected and islanded modes. • Results show SVC stabilizes voltage, reduce losses and THD and enhance power factor. - Abstract: Microgrids are small scale energy grids that can provide adequate energy supply to cover regional demand by integrating renewable energy generation and storage technologies. This paper develops a high performance dynamic model of a microgrid system comprising a wind turbine, a PV, a fuel cell, a micro gas turbine generator, an energy storage, electric loads with variable load profile and flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices. The FACTS devices based on static VAR compensators have been employed as a supervisory controller. Key performance indicators such as microgrid power losses, buses voltage deviations, buses power factor, buses voltage total harmonic distortion and voltage-frequency deviation are used to evaluate the performance of this microgrid in grid-connected and islanding modes. The results obtained from the Matlab/Simulink environment show that the proposed microgrid design with SVC has the ability to meet its special requirements such as bus voltages stabilization, reduction of feeder losses, power factor enhancement and mitigation of total harmonic distortion using SVC in grid-connected and islanding modes

Evaluating forensic biology results given source level propositions.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Duncan; Abarno, Damien; Hicks, Tacha; Champod, Christophe

2016-03-01

The evaluation of forensic evidence can occur at any level within the hierarchy of propositions depending on the question being asked and the amount and type of information that is taken into account within the evaluation. Commonly DNA evidence is reported given propositions that deal with the sub-source level in the hierarchy, which deals only with the possibility that a nominated individual is a source of DNA in a trace (or contributor to the DNA in the case of a mixed DNA trace). We explore the use of information obtained from examinations, presumptive and discriminating tests for body fluids, DNA concentrations and some case circumstances within a Bayesian network in order to provide assistance to the Courts that have to consider propositions at source level. We use a scenario in which the presence of blood is of interest as an exemplar and consider how DNA profiling results and the potential for laboratory error can be taken into account. We finish with examples of how the results of these reports could be presented in court using either numerical values or verbal descriptions of the results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

PI-3 correlations and statistical evaluation results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pernica, R.; Cizek, J.

1992-01-01

Empirical Critical Heat Flux (CHF) correlations PI-3 having the widest range of validity for flow conditions in both hexagonal and square rod bundle geometries and compared with published CHF correlations are presented. They are valid for vertical water upflow through rod bundles with relatively wide and very tight rod lattices, and include axial and radial non-uniform heating. The correlations were developed with the use of more than 6000 data obtained from 119 electrically heated rod bundles. Comprehensive results of statistical evaluations of the new correlations are presented for various data bases. Also presented is a comparison of statistical evaluations of several well-known CHF correlations in the experimental data base used. A procedure which makes it possible to directly determine the probability that CHF does not occur is described for the purpose of nuclear safety assessment. (author) 8 tabs., 32 figs., 11 refs

Analysis of production models and hydrogen supply for urban collective transportation buses: a case study at Foz do Iguacu; Analise de modelos de producao e abastecimento de hidrogenio para onibus de transporte coletivo urbano: estudo de caso em Foz do Iguacu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riveros-Godoy, Gustavo [Universidade Nacional de Assuncao (Paraguay). Faculdade de Ciencias Quimicas]. E-mail: riveros@qui.una.py; Cavaliero, Carla; Peres, Ennio [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica

2008-07-01

Even though technical-economical barriers still exist for the development of an economy based in the hydrogen, these difficulties are opportunities for the appearance of new business of goods and services, energetic matrix diversification, focusing of researches activities, development and support to provide sustainability to the new economy. This study presents the technical-economical comparison of hydrogen production and supply models, using the so-called Spilled Turbinable Energy of the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant and available for the transport sector. The substitution of the urban collective diesel bus fleet with fuel cell buses in Foz do Iguacu city was used as a case study in this work. (author)

Evaluation of PWR and BWR pin cell benchmark results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pijlgroms, B.J.; Gruppelaar, H.; Janssen, A.J.; Hoogenboom, J.E.; Leege, P.F.A. de; Voet, J. van der; Verhagen, F.C.M.

1991-12-01

Benchmark results of the Dutch PINK working group on PWR and BWR pin cell calculational benchmark as defined by EPRI are presented and evaluated. The observed discrepancies are problem dependent: a part of the results is satisfactory, some other results require further analysis. A brief overview is given of the different code packages used in this analysis. (author). 14 refs., 9 figs., 30 tabs

Evaluation of PWR and BWR pin cell benchmark results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pijlgroms, B.J.; Gruppelaar, H.; Janssen, A.J. (Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN), Petten (Netherlands)); Hoogenboom, J.E.; Leege, P.F.A. de (Interuniversitair Reactor Inst., Delft (Netherlands)); Voet, J. van der (Gemeenschappelijke Kernenergiecentrale Nederland NV, Dodewaard (Netherlands)); Verhagen, F.C.M. (Keuring van Electrotechnische Materialen NV, Arnhem (Netherlands))

1991-12-01

Benchmark results of the Dutch PINK working group on PWR and BWR pin cell calculational benchmark as defined by EPRI are presented and evaluated. The observed discrepancies are problem dependent: a part of the results is satisfactory, some other results require further analysis. A brief overview is given of the different code packages used in this analysis. (author). 14 refs., 9 figs., 30 tabs.

Evaluation of PWR and BWR pin cell benchmark results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pilgroms, B.J.; Gruppelaar, H.; Janssen, A.J. (Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN), Petten (Netherlands)); Hoogenboom, J.E.; Leege, P.F.A. de (Interuniversitair Reactor Inst., Delft (Netherlands)); Voet, J. van der (Gemeenschappelijke Kernenergiecentrale Nederland NV, Dodewaard (Netherlands)); Verhagen, F.C.M. (Keuring van Electrotechnische Materialen NV, Arnhem (Netherlands))

1991-12-01

Benchmark results of the Dutch PINK working group on the PWR and BWR pin cell calculational benchmark as defined by EPRI are presented and evaluated. The observed discrepancies are problem dependent: a part of the results is satisfactory, some other results require further analysis. A brief overview is given of the different code packages used in this analysis. (author). 14 refs.; 9 figs.; 30 tabs.

The effects of fuel characteristics and engine operating conditions on the elemental composition of emissions from heavy duty diesel buses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M.C.H. Lim; G.A. Ayoko; L. Morawska; Z.D. Ristovski; E.R. Jayaratne [Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld. (Australia). International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences

2007-08-15

The effects of fuel characteristics and engine operating conditions on elemental composition of emissions from twelve heavy duty diesel buses have been investigated. Two types of diesel fuels - low sulfur diesel (LSD) and ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuels with 500 ppm and 50 ppm sulfur contents respectively and 3 driving modes corresponding to 25%, 50% and 100% power were used. Elements present in the tailpipe emissions were quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) and those found in measurable quantities included Mg, Ca, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ti, Ni, Pb, Be, P, Se, Ti and Ge. Multivariate analyses using multi-criteria decision making methods (MCDM), principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) facilitated the extraction of information about the structure of the data. MCDM showed that the emissions of the elements were strongly influenced by the engine driving conditions while the PCA loadings plots showed that the emission factors of the elements were correlated with those of other pollutants such as particle number, total suspended particles, CO, CO{sub 2} and NOx. Partial least square analysis revealed that the emission factors of the elements were strongly dependent on the fuel parameters such as the fuel sulfur content, fuel density, distillation point and cetane index. Strong correlations were also observed between these pollutants and the engine power or exhaust temperature. The study provides insights into the possible role of fuel sulfur content in the emission of inorganic elements from heavy duty diesel vehicles. 39 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs.

Human Reliability Data Bank: evaluation results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comer, M.K.; Donovan, M.D.; Gaddy, C.D.

1985-01-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and General Physics Corporation are conducting a research program to determine the practicality, acceptability, and usefulness of a Human Reliability Data Bank for nuclear power industry probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). As part of this program, a survey was conducted of existing human reliability data banks from other industries, and a detailed concept of a Data Bank for the nuclear industry was developed. Subsequently, a detailed specification for implementing the Data Bank was developed. An evaluation of this specification was conducted and is described in this report. The evaluation tested data treatment, storage, and retrieval using the Data Bank structure, as modified from NUREG/CR-2744, and detailed procedures for data processing and retrieval, developed prior to this evaluation and documented in the test specification. The evaluation consisted of an Operability Demonstration and Evaluation of the data processing procedures, a Data Retrieval Demonstration and Evaluation, a Retrospective Analysis that included a survey of organizations currently operating data banks for the nuclear power industry, and an Internal Analysis of the current Data Bank System

Report of the evaluation by the project evaluation committee on research and development of FBR structural materials. Result intermediate evaluation in fiscal year 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-03-01

The project evaluation committee of FBR (Fast Breeder Reactor) and fuel cycle evaluated the problem under the evaluation method defined by the committee on the basis of material and supplementary data produced by JNC (Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute) and discussion. This report consists of summary, construction of the committee, investigation process, evaluation method, opinion of object, plan, research system, results, relation to practical use, public offering of results, development and others and total evaluation. Each opinion of the committee member are reported. Development of structural material is important problem of R and D of FBR. The estimation techniques of materials, high temperature structural and earthquake-resistant design techniques are evaluated to obtain the fruitful results. The remarkable results are development of materials of 316FR, using plate to reactor, estimation method of thermal striping, improvement of earthquake-resistant analysis technology, contribution to evaluation analysis of Monju second liner and basic information to develop quantity technique of material damage. (S.Y.)

Sensitive Constrained Optimal PMU Allocation with Complete Observability for State Estimation Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Manam

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a sensitive constrained integer linear programming approach is formulated for the optimal allocation of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs in a power system network to obtain state estimation. In this approach, sensitive buses along with zero injection buses (ZIB are considered for optimal allocation of PMUs in the network to generate state estimation solutions. Sensitive buses are evolved from the mean of bus voltages subjected to increase of load consistently up to 50%. Sensitive buses are ranked in order to place PMUs. Sensitive constrained optimal PMU allocation in case of single line and no line contingency are considered in observability analysis to ensure protection and control of power system from abnormal conditions. Modeling of ZIB constraints is included to minimize the number of PMU network allocations. This paper presents optimal allocation of PMU at sensitive buses with zero injection modeling, considering cost criteria and redundancy to increase the accuracy of state estimation solution without losing observability of the whole system. Simulations are carried out on IEEE 14, 30 and 57 bus systems and results obtained are compared with traditional and other state estimation methods available in the literature, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

SCIENTOMETRY AND EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS OF ECONOMIC SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana-Lucia RISTEA

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Starting from the necessity of a continuous and demanding evaluation, capable of linking the results obtained with the human, material and financial resources, allocated and periodically setting the position of the national research relative to the world level, the evaluation of the relevance of the publications must be carried out from the positions and requirements of new disciplines: Scientometry. Scientometry is intended to help substantiate the evaluation of research activity and decision-making on its development, the science policy as a whole.

Collaborative Lubricating Oil Study on Emissions: November 28, 2006 - March 31, 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carroll, J. N.; Khalek, I. A.; Smith, L. R.; Fujita, E.; Zielinska, B.

2011-10-01

The Collaborative Lubricating Oil Study on Emissions (CLOSE) project was a pilot investigation of how fuels and crankcase lubricants contribute to the formation of particulate matter (PM) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) in vehicle exhaust. As limited vehicles were tested, results are not representative of the whole on-road fleet. Long-term effects were not investigated. Pairs of vehicles (one normal PM emitting, one high-PM emitting) from four categories were selected: light-duty (LD) gasoline cars, medium-duty (MD) diesel trucks, heavy-duty (HD) natural-gas-fueled buses, and HD diesel buses. HD vehicles procured did not exhibit higher PM emissions, and thus were labeled high mileage (HM). Fuels evaluated were non-ethanol gasoline (E0), 10 percent ethanol (E10), conventional low-sulfur TxLED diesel, 20% biodiesel (B20), and natural gas. Temperature effects (20 degrees F, 72 degrees F) were evaluated on LD and MD vehicles. Lubricating oil vintage effects (fresh and aged) were evaluated on all vehicles. LD and MD vehicles were operated on a dynamometer over the California Unified Driving Cycle, while HD vehicles followed the Heavy Duty Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule. Regulated and unregulated emissions were measured. Chemical markers from the unregulated emissions measurements and a tracer were utilized to estimate the lubricant contribution to PM.

Comparison of burnup calculation results using several evaluated nuclear data files

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suyama, Kenya; Katakura, Jun-ichi; Nomura, Yasushi

2002-01-01

Burn-up calculation and comparison of the results were carried out to clarify the differences among the following latest evaluated nuclear data libraries: JENDL-3.2, ENDF/B-VI and JEF-2.2. The analyses showed that the differences seen among the current evaluated nuclear data libraries are small for evaluation of the amounts of many uranium and plutonium isotopes. However, several nuclides important for evaluation of nuclear fuel cycle as 238 Pu, 244 Cm, 149 Sm and 134 Cs showed large differences among used libraries. The chain analyses for the isotopes were conducted and the reasons for the differences were discussed. Based on the discussion, information of important cross section to obtain better agreement with the experimental results for 238 Pu, 244 Cm, 149 Sm and 134 Cs was shown. (author)

Bus Timetabling as a Fuzzy Multiobjective Optimization Problem Using Preference-based Genetic Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surafel Luleseged Tilahun

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Transportation plays a vital role in the development of a country and the car is the most commonly used means. However, in third world countries long waiting time for public buses is a common problem, especially when people need to switch buses. The problem becomes critical when one considers buses joining different villages and cities. Theoretically this problem can be solved by assigning more buses on the route, which is not possible due to economical problem. Another option is to schedule the buses so that customers who want to switch buses at junction cities need not have to wait long. This paper discusses how to model single frequency routes bus timetabling as a fuzzy multiobjective optimization problem and how to solve it using preference-based genetic algorithm by assigning appropriate fuzzy preference to the need of the customers. The idea will be elaborated with an example.

Report of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on advance science research. Result evaluation, interim evaluation, in-advance evaluation in fiscal year 2003

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-11-01

The Research Evaluation Committee, which consisted of 13 members from outside of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), set up an Ad Hoc Review Committee on Advanced Science Research in accordance with the Fundamental Guideline for the Evaluation of Research and Development (R and D) at JAERI' and its subsidiary regulations in order to evaluate the accomplishments of the research completed in Fiscal Year 2002, the accomplishments of the research started in Fiscal Year 2001, and the adequacy of the programs of the research to be started in Fiscal Year 2004 at Advanced Science Research Center of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee consisted of nine specialists from outside of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee conducted its activities from May to July 2003. The evaluation was performed on the basis of the materials submitted in advance and of the oral presentations made at the Ad Hoc Review Committee meeting which was held on June 24, 2003, in line with the items, viewpoints, and criteria for the evaluation specified by the Research Evaluation Committee. The result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee was submitted to the Research Evaluation Committee, and was judged to be appropriate at its meeting held on August 4, 2003. This report describes the result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Advanced Science Research. (author)

Report of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Advance Science Research. Result evaluation, interim evaluation, in-advance evaluation in fiscal year 2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-11-01

The Research Evaluation Committee, which consisted of 13 members from outside of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), set up an Ad Hoc Review Committee on Advanced Science Research in accordance with the Fundamental Guideline for the Evaluation of Research and Development (R and D) at JAERI' and its subsidiary regulations in order to evaluate the accomplishments of the research completed in Fiscal Year 2001, the accomplishments of the research started in Fiscal Year 2000, and the adequacy of the programs of the research to be started in Fiscal Year 2003 at Advanced Science Research Center of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee consisted of eight specialists from outside of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee conducted its activities from May to July 2002. The evaluation was performed on the basis of the materials submitted in advance and of the oral presentations made at the Ad Hoc Review Committee meeting which was held on June 4, 2002, in line with the items, viewpoints, and criteria for the evaluation specified by the Research Evaluation Committee. The result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee was submitted to the Research Evaluation Committee, and was judged to be appropriate at its meeting held on August 5, 2002. This report describes the result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Advanced Science Research. (author)

High Energy Batteries for Hybrid Buses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruce Lu

2010-12-31

EnerDel batteries have already been employed successfully for electric vehicle (EV) applications. Compared to EV applications, hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) bus applications may be less stressful, but are still quite demanding, especially compared to battery applications for consumer products. This program evaluated EnerDel cell and pack system technologies with three different chemistries using real world HEV-Bus drive cycles recorded in three markets covering cold, hot, and mild climates. Cells were designed, developed, and fabricated using each of the following three chemistries: (1) Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) - hard carbon (HC); (2) Lithium manganese oxide (LMO) - HC; and (3) LMO - lithium titanium oxide (LTO) cells. For each cell chemistry, battery pack systems integrated with an EnerDel battery management system (BMS) were successfully constructed with the following features: real time current monitoring, cell and pack voltage monitoring, cell and pack temperature monitoring, pack state of charge (SOC) reporting, cell balancing, and over voltage protection. These features are all necessary functions for real-world HEV-Bus applications. Drive cycle test data was collected for each of the three cell chemistries using real world drive profiles under hot, mild, and cold climate conditions representing cities like Houston, Seattle, and Minneapolis, respectively. We successfully tested the battery packs using real-world HEV-Bus drive profiles under these various climate conditions. The NMC-HC and LMO-HC based packs successfully completed the drive cycles, while the LMO-LTO based pack did not finish the preliminary testing for the drive cycles. It was concluded that the LMO-HC chemistry is optimal for the hot or mild climates, while the NMC-HC chemistry is optimal for the cold climate. In summary, the objectives were successfully accomplished at the conclusion of the project. This program provided technical data to DOE and the public for assessing

Commuter exposure to black carbon particles on diesel buses, on bicycles and on foot: a case study in a Brazilian city.

Science.gov (United States)

Targino, Admir Créso; Rodrigues, Marcos Vinicius C; Krecl, Patricia; Cipoli, Yago Alonso; Ribeiro, João Paulo M

2018-01-01

Commuting in urban environments accounts for a large fraction of the daily dose of inhaled air pollutants, especially in countries where vehicles have old technologies or run on dirty fuels. We measured black carbon (BC) concentrations during bus, walk and bicycle commutes in a Brazilian city and found a large spatial variability across the surveyed area, with median values between 2.5 and 12.0 μg m -3 . Traffic volume on roadways (especially the number of heavy-duty diesel vehicles), self-pollution from the bus tailpipe, number of stops along the route and displacement speed were the main drivers of air pollution on the buses. BC concentrations increased abruptly at or close to traffic signals and bus stops, causing in-cabin peaks as large as 60.0 μg m -3 . BC hotspots for the walk mode coincided with the locations of bus stops and traffic signals, whilst measurements along a cycle lane located 12 m from the kerb were less affected. The median BC concentrations of the two active modes were significantly lower than the concentrations inside the bus, with a bus/walk and bus/bicycle ratios of up to 6. However, the greater inhalation rates of cyclist and pedestrians yielded larger doses (2.6 and 3.5 μg on a 1.5-km commute), suggesting that the greater physical effort during the active commute may outweigh the reduction in exposure due to the shift from passive to active transport modes.

Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT) Fuel Cell Transit Bus: Preliminary Evaluation Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandler, K.; Eudy, L.

2008-10-01

This report provides preliminary results from a National Renewable Energy Laboratory evaluation of a protoptye fuel cell transit bus operating at Connecticut Transit in Hartford. Included are descriptions of the planned fuel cell bus demonstration and equipment; early results and agency experience are also provided.

Spatial-Temporal Synchrophasor Data Characterization and Analytics in Smart Grid Fault Detection, Identification, and Impact Causal Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Huaiguang; Dai, Xiaoxiao; Gao, David Wenzhong; Zhang, Jun Jason; Zhang, Yingchen; Muljadi, Eduard

2016-09-01

An approach of big data characterization for smart grids (SGs) and its applications in fault detection, identification, and causal impact analysis is proposed in this paper, which aims to provide substantial data volume reduction while keeping comprehensive information from synchrophasor measurements in spatial and temporal domains. Especially, based on secondary voltage control (SVC) and local SG observation algorithm, a two-layer dynamic optimal synchrophasor measurement devices selection algorithm (OSMDSA) is proposed to determine SVC zones, their corresponding pilot buses, and the optimal synchrophasor measurement devices. Combining the two-layer dynamic OSMDSA and matching pursuit decomposition, the synchrophasor data is completely characterized in the spatial-temporal domain. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed characterization approach, SG situational awareness is investigated based on hidden Markov model based fault detection and identification using the spatial-temporal characteristics generated from the reduced data. To identify the major impact buses, the weighted Granger causality for SGs is proposed to investigate the causal relationship of buses during system disturbance. The IEEE 39-bus system and IEEE 118-bus system are employed to validate and evaluate the proposed approach.

Chloothamnus, a neglected genus of Bambusaceae

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Henrard, J.Th.

1936-01-01

Chloothamnus BUSE ap. MIQUEL, Pl. Jungh. 1854, 386 — Oreiostachys GAMBLE ap. KOORDERS, Verh. Kon. Ak. Wet. 16, 1908, 657.. Hab.: Malay Archipelago. 1. C. chilianthus BUSE, l.c., type species of the genus — Schizostachyum chilianthum (BUSE) KURZ, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 39, ii, 1870, 88 — non Melocanna

Evaluating the RELM Test Results

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Michael K. Sachs

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We consider implications of the Regional Earthquake Likelihood Models (RELM test results with regard to earthquake forecasting. Prospective forecasts were solicited for M≥4.95 earthquakes in California during the period 2006–2010. During this period 31 earthquakes occurred in the test region with M≥4.95. We consider five forecasts that were submitted for the test. We compare the forecasts utilizing forecast verification methodology developed in the atmospheric sciences, specifically for tornadoes. We utilize a “skill score” based on the forecast scores λfi of occurrence of the test earthquakes. A perfect forecast would have λfi=1, and a random (no skill forecast would have λfi=2.86×10-3. The best forecasts (largest value of λfi for the 31 earthquakes had values of λfi=1.24×10-1 to λfi=5.49×10-3. The best mean forecast for all earthquakes was λ̅f=2.84×10-2. The best forecasts are about an order of magnitude better than random forecasts. We discuss the earthquakes, the forecasts, and alternative methods of evaluation of the performance of RELM forecasts. We also discuss the relative merits of alarm-based versus probability-based forecasts.

Evaluation of Cosmetic Results of Surgical Wound Closure in Dogs

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Rachel Williams

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the correlation between wound cosmesis and pet owner satisfaction, to determine the agreement among vet surgeons, and pet owners evaluating a surgical wound with a visual assessment score (VAS, and to determine the agreement between the VAS, a semi-quantitative score of wound inflammation, and wound width.Background: Perception of post-surgical cosmesis by human patients has been found to influence their satisfaction and perceived adequacy of vet surgeons. Due to the trend of owners anthropomorphising pets, this logic can be extended to veterinary patients. Also, there is a lack of consistent, reliable methods to evaluate cosmesis have been developed, creating the need for a scoring system that is accurate and reproducible.Evidentiary value: This was a prospective cohort study with one hundred and seven patients. This study may not change day-to-day practices, but it will bring to light for practitioners the discordance between pet owners and vet surgeons concerning attractiveness of an incision as well as overall satisfaction with a procedure.Methods: Photographs of surgical wounds were taken immediately, 2 weeks, and 8 weeks after surgery in dogs. Owners were asked to evaluate satisfaction with the procedure and attractiveness of the incision using the VAS. Photos were evaluated for cosmetic outcome by pet owner and vet surgeon evaluators with different scoring systems. The reliability of the scoring systems was evaluated using intraclass correlations and kappa statistics as appropriate.Results:  Owners’ evaluation of cosmetic outcome correlated with their overall satisfaction. (r2=0.37, where r2 is the coefficient of determination, and can be used to determine what proportion of variance in one variable is predictable from the other variableThere was generally poor reliability of the subjective scoring between both vet surgeons and pet owners, and the less subjective scoring systems.Conclusion: The cosmetic outcome

Economic Benefit of Introducing a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Kano State Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, K. A.; Afolabi, S.; Nda, M.; Daura, H. A.

2018-04-01

The objective of this study is to know the variables use in quantifying economic benefits of public transport project, contribution of public transport to economic productivity This paper attempts to provide a Road User Cost (RUC) comparison of current usage of Buses and Cars in three different stages which are the present time, do nothing and the introduction of new modes. Vehicle operating cost (VOC), value of time (VOT), pollution cost, accident cost and environmental cost are calculated in other to know the benefits for their abilities to ensure accessibility and mobility, reduce accidents and reduce environmental loss. The study stretch involves an 11.1 km of 2-lane divided carriageway road connecting Kabuga bus stop to Janguza market. Social costs which included accident costs, accident cost of cars (private modes) were found to be 50 times the accident cost of bus accidents. California Air Resource Board (CARB) model was adopted to evaluate Environmental costs. The total road user costs were then obtained to provide comparative evaluation among the study modes. Furthermore, the multiple future scenarios were created to provide understanding about the need for inclusion of other modes. In this regard, this paper provided a framework for the cost evaluation for an urban area and results indicate that buses are more cost-effective in transportation of equivalent number of passengers.

Indoor Air Pollution in Non Ac Passenger Bus

Science.gov (United States)

El Husna, Iksiroh; Unzilatirrizqi, Rizal D. Yan El; Karyanto, Yudi; Sunoko, Henna R.

2018-02-01

Passenger buses have been one of favorite means of transportation in Indonesia due to its affordability and flexibility. Intensity of human activities during the trip in the buses have a potential of causing indoor air pollution (polusi udara dalam ruang; PUDR). The indoor air pollution has an impact of 1000-time bigger than outdoor air pollution (polusi udara luar ruang; PULR) on lung. This study aimed to find out indoor air pollution rate of non air conditioned buses using an approach to biological agent pollutant source. The study applied an analysis restricted to microorganisms persistence as one of the sources of the indoor air pollution. The media were placed in different parts of the non AC buses. This study revealed that fungs were found in the non AC buses. They became contaminants and developed pathogenic bacteria that caused air pollution.

Indoor Air Pollution in Non Ac Passenger Bus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El Husna Iksiroh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Passenger buses have been one of favorite means of transportation in Indonesia due to its affordability and flexibility. Intensity of human activities during the trip in the buses have a potential of causing indoor air pollution (polusi udara dalam ruang; PUDR. The indoor air pollution has an impact of 1000-time bigger than outdoor air pollution (polusi udara luar ruang; PULR on lung. This study aimed to find out indoor air pollution rate of non air conditioned buses using an approach to biological agent pollutant source. The study applied an analysis restricted to microorganisms persistence as one of the sources of the indoor air pollution. The media were placed in different parts of the non AC buses. This study revealed that fungs were found in the non AC buses. They became contaminants and developed pathogenic bacteria that caused air pollution.

Advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI)/F-16 Automated Maneuvering Attack System final flight test results

Science.gov (United States)

Dowden, Donald J.; Bessette, Denis E.

1987-01-01

The AFTI F-16 Automated Maneuvering Attack System has undergone developmental and demonstration flight testing over a total of 347.3 flying hours in 237 sorties. The emphasis of this phase of the flight test program was on the development of automated guidance and control systems for air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons delivery, using a digital flight control system, dual avionics multiplex buses, an advanced FLIR sensor with laser ranger, integrated flight/fire-control software, advanced cockpit display and controls, and modified core Multinational Stage Improvement Program avionics.

Evaluation of the radiological risk resulting from road transportation of tritiated water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menossi, C.A.; Segado, R.; Reyes, R.

1983-01-01

A probability model for the evaluation of the individual radiological risk resulting from road transportation of tritiated water in 200-liter drums is presented. In order to evaluate such risk, an evaluation must be made of the probability for an individual to be involved in the consequences of a radiological transport accident, to incur a given dose and to suffer deleterious effects resulting from the dose incurred. With the purpose of quantifying the importance of accidents, a severity level classification was adopted as a function of the fraction of liquid volume spilled as a result of the accident. Considering the above-mentioned severity classification and the transported volume, the volume and the spill area are implied, while the soil characteristics are taken into account. By evaluating the spill characteristics, the average meteorological conditions in the area under analysis and the activity concentration of the transported liquid, the activity concentration values for tritium in air may be estimated, thus allowing calculation of the effective dose equivalent to be incurred by the individual who is most exposed to the consequences of an associated event. As a result of the summarized analysis above, a value of the individual risk per unit of activity concentration is obtained for tritium and for a given volume of transported liquid. 8 references

Physical activity across the curriculum: year one process evaluation results

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Sullivan Debra K

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Physical Activity Across the Curriculum (PAAC is a 3-year elementary school-based intervention to determine if increased amounts of moderate intensity physical activity performed in the classroom will diminish gains in body mass index (BMI. It is a cluster-randomized, controlled trial, involving 4905 children (2505 intervention, 2400 control. Methods We collected both qualitative and quantitative process evaluation data from 24 schools (14 intervention and 10 control, which included tracking teacher training issues, challenges and barriers to effective implementation of PAAC lessons, initial and continual use of program specified activities, and potential competing factors, which might contaminate or lessen program effects. Results Overall teacher attendance at training sessions showed exceptional reach. Teachers incorporated active lessons on most days, resulting in significantly greater student physical activity levels compared to controls (p Conclusion In the first year of the PAAC intervention, process evaluation results were instrumental in identifying successes and challenges faced by teachers when trying to modify existing academic lessons to incorporate physical activity.

Evaluation of Environmental Impact of Biodiesel Vehicles in Real Traffic Conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nylund, N.-O.; Koponen, K. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland)

2012-08-15

In 2009–2011, a comprehensive project on urban buses was carried out in cooperation with IEA’s Implementing Agreements on Alternative Motor Fuels and Bioenergy, with input from additional IEA Implementing Agreements. The objective of the project was to generate unbiased and solid data for use by policy- and decision-makers responsible for public transport using buses. The project comprised four major parts: (1) a well-to-tank (WTT) assessment of alternative fuel pathways, (2) an assessment of bus end-use (tank-to-wheel, TTW) performance, (3) combining WTT and TTW data into well-to-wheel (WTW) data and (4) a cost assessment, including indirect as well as direct costs. Experts at Argonne National Laboratory, Natural Resources Canada and VTT worked on the WTT part. The WTT emissions of various fossil fuels and biofuels were assessed by using GREET model from the United States, GHGenius model from Canada and RED methodology of the European Union. All these models follow the frame work of life cycle assessment. In the TTW part Environment Canada and VTT generated emission and fuel consumption data by running 21 different buses on chassis dynamometers, generating data for some 180 combinations of vehicle, fuel and driving cycle. The fuels covered included diesel, synthetic diesel, various types of biodiesel fuels, additive treated ethanol, methane and DME. Six different hybrid vehicles were included in the vehicle matrix. The TTW work was topped up by on-road measurements (AVL MTC) as well as some engine dynamometer work (von Thuenen Institute). Based on the findings of the project it is possible to establish the effects of various parameters on bus performance. The largest variations and also uncertainties can be found for WTW CO2eqv emissions, or in fact the WTT part of the CO2eqv emissions. The variation is especially significant for biofuels. The WTT results vary due to the differences in the assessed biofuel chains, the regions of biofuel production, the raw

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Publications | Transportation Research | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

vehicle evaluations. Biodiesel Regional Transit District Effect of B20 and Low Aromatic Diesel on Transit Buses Operated on Biodiesel Blends. Kenneth Proc, Robb Barnitt, Robert Hayes, Matthew Ratcliff, and Robert McCormick. (2006) Operating Experience and Teardown Analysis for Engines Operated on Biodiesel

Reference values and evaluation of the results of intercomparisons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aigner, H.; Deron, S.; Kuhn, E.

1981-01-01

The need of a reference value for the composition of materials distributed in intercomparisons is generally recognized. A single reference laboratory or a group of reference laboratories may be used to establish this reference value. The respective advantages and limitations of the two approaches are discussed. The reference measurements must be evaluated to provide the confidence limits of the reference value but also an estimate of the possible heterogeneity of the materials and its samples. The results of the intercomparison measurements should themselves be evaluated to test and discuss the significance of the biases of individual and selected groups of laboratories or techniques. The approach taken by the Analytical Quality Control Services of the International Atomic Energy Agency is illustrated by the SR-1 intercomparison on uranium assay in UO 2 powder

PM, NOx and butane emissions from on-road vehicle fleets in Hong Kong and their implications on emission control policy

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Zhi; Wubulihairen, Maimaitireyimu; Yang, Fenhuan

2012-12-01

Vehicular emissions are the major sources of air pollution in urban areas. For metropolitan cities with large population working and living in environments with direct traffic impact, emission control is of great significance to protect public health. Implementation of more stringent emission standards, retrofitting fleet with emission control devices and switching to clearer fuel has been commonly practiced in different cities including Hong Kong. The present study employed a new plume chasing method for effective and quick evaluation of on-road fleet emission factors of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and butane from heavy duty diesel trucks, diesel buses and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles. The results showed distinct profiles of the emissions from different fleets with excessive butane emissions from LPG fleet and contrasting PM and NOx emissions from diesel trucks and buses fleets. A cross comparison was also made with emission data from other cities and from historic local studies. The implications of the observed difference on the effectiveness of emission control measures and policy are discussed with recommendations of direction for future research and policy making.

ANÁLISIS DE ALTERNATIVAS TECNOLÓGICAS Y ENERGÉTICAS PARA EL SISTEMA METROPLÚS BAJO UNA EVALUACIÓN INTEGRADA ENERGÍA, AMBIENTE, ECONOMÍA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alzate Juan M

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Con un modelo de optimización multi­periodo, basado en programación lineal, y de tipo integrado Energía­Ambiente­Economía (MARKAL­Estándar, se estimaron impactos económicos, energéticos y ambientales de cinco alternativas tecnológicas para la flota de buses que atenderá la demanda de movilidad del sistema de transporte masivo de pasajeros, de mediana capacidad, del Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (Medellín – Colombia ­Sistema Metroplús­. Las alternativas son: (1buses impulsados con gas natural vehicular, (2buses impulsados con diesel local, (3buses impulsados con Euro­diesel III importado desde el golfo de México, (4una flota de buses mixta en proporciones 50/50 gas natural y diesel local y (5buses híbridos de diesel local. Los resultados resaltan las ventajas ambientales y económicas de la utilización de gas natural vehicular en este sistema, por encima de las demás alternativas tecnológicas consideradas.

Report of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Health Physics. Result evaluation in fiscal year 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-06-01

The Research Evaluation Committee, which consisted of 14 members from outside of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), set up an Ad Hoc Review Committee on Health Physics in accordance with the 'Fundamental Guideline for the Evaluation of Research and Development (R and D) at JAERI' and its subsidiary regulations in order to evaluate the R and D accomplishments achieved for five years from Fiscal Year 1995 to Fiscal Year 1999 at Department of Health Physics in Tokai Research Establishment and at related departments in other Establishments of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee consisted of six specialists from outside of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee conducted its activities from October 2000 to January 2001. The evaluation was performed on the basis of the materials submitted in advance and of the oral presentations made at the Ad Hoc Review Committee meeting which was held on October 10, 2000, in line with the items, viewpoints, and criteria for the evaluation specified by the Research Evaluation Committee. The result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee was submitted to the Research Evaluation Committee, and was judged to be appropriate at its meeting held on March 16, 2001. This report describes the result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Health Physics. (author)

Four-train support always more reliable than a two-train support?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guey, C.N.; Arrieta, L.; Youngblood, R.

1986-01-01

Once the gross features of a frontline fluid system have been defined, one must consider what support system configuration will provide the best overall system performance. This paper considers different direct-current (dc) bus configurations for a given emergency feedwater system (EFWS). Results indicate that a four-train support system (i.e., 4 dc buses) gives a lower system unavailability for transients, but a higher system unavailability for anticipated transients without scram (ATWSs), than a two-train support system (i.e., two dc buses). This serves to illustrate that more trains do not necessarily provide higher reliability, and that a configuration choice which is better for one emission success criterion may be worse for another. Because of the small characteristic unreliability of dc buses, the numerical comparisons made here are not dramatic, but the underlying topological point is nevertheless broadly applicable

Concentration measurement in a road tunnel as a method to assess "real-world" vehicles exhaust emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Zanini, G.; Berico, M.; Monforti, F.; Vitali, L.; Zambonelli, S.; Chiavarini, S.; Georgiadis, T.; Nardino, M.

An experiment aimed at comparing particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations produced in a road tunnel by buses is described. The experiment took place in 2001 in Bologna when a couple of buses belonging to the public transport fleet where driven backwards and forwards in a road tunnel closed to all other vehicles. Buses run in the tunnel for 8 h a day for 4 experiment days, each day using a different fuel: biodiesel, diesel-water emulsion, diesel-water emulsion with low sulphur content and commercial diesel. Average daily concentrations of PM of different sizes and of 12 PHAs were measured and comparison between different fuels was attempted in order to assess "real-world" exhaust emissions of different fuels. Due to heterogeneity of experimental conditions in different days and the relatively large measurement uncertainties, the effort was only partially successful, and it was not possible to state any firm conclusion on fuels reliability even if some indications in agreement with literature were found. Nevertheless, the experiment and the data analysis method developed could be of interest as a methodological approach for future experiments aimed at evaluating "real-world" exhaust emissions of single vehicles.

Comparison of WIMS results using libraries based on new evaluated data files

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trkov, A.; Ganesan, S.; Zidi, T.

1996-01-01

A number of selected benchmark experiments have been modelled with the WIMS-D/4 lattice code. Calculations were performed using multigroup libraries generated from a number of newly released evaluated data files. Data processing was done with the NJOY91.38 code. Since the data processing methods were the same in all cases, the results may serve to determine the impact on integral parameters due to differences in the basic data. The calculated integral parameters were also compared to the measured values. Observed differences were small, which means that there are no essential differences between the evaluated data libraries. The results of the analysis cannot serve to discriminate in terms of quality of the data between the evaluated data libraries considered. For the test cases considered the results with the new, unadjusted libraries are at least as good as those obtained with the old, adjusted WIMS library which is supplied with the code. (author). 16 refs, 3 tabs

Evaluating Nitrogen Oxides and Ultrafine Particulate Matter Emission Features of Urban Bus Based on Real-World Driving Conditions in the Yangtze River Delta Area, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dengguo Liu

2018-06-01

Full Text Available A Portable Emission Measurement System was used in this study to evaluate the exhaust emission characteristics of nitrogen oxides (NOx, ultrafine particulate matter (PM, and ultrafine particulate number (PN from buses in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Results showed that NOx emission factor (unit: g·km−1 increased from 5.0 to 19.1, and PM emission factor (unit: g·km−1 increased from 0.001 to 0.189. A nonlinear model was established based on scientific statistical method, which showed that NOx and PM emission factors significantly decreased with speed increasing. The model also showed a “long tail effect” of NOx and PM emission factors beyond 30 km·h−1. Furthermore, hybrid bus exhausted less NOx, PM, and PN emissions compared to conventional bus in the acceleration condition. Exhaust rates of NOx, PM and PN emissions (unit: g·s−1 increased with speed increasing under steady state driving condition, while PN emissions commonly showed a unimodal distribution at the speed of 20 km·h−1.

[Results evaluation in cervical vertigo kinesitherapy--preliminary report].

Science.gov (United States)

Bielińska, Marzena; Olszewski, Jurek

2009-09-01

The work aimed at analyzing results of kinesitherapeutic procedures in patients with cervical vertigo as well as evaluating a mobility range of the cervical spine. The study was conducted on 23 people, including 17 women and 6 men suffering from cervical vertigo, at the age of 23-73 (the average age of 49.5). All the patients had an individually selected cycle of kinesitherapeutic exercises through the period of 2 months. The objective efficiency evaluation of the applied therapy was made on the grounds of the videonystagmographic examination (VNG). Additionally, the range of active mobility of the cervical spine was analyzed and the evaluation of vertigo according to Silvoniemi's criteria was performed. After a 2-month therapy 4 patients (17.4%) out of the examined material showed a total lack of vertigo, 15 patients (65.2%) demonstrated a meaningful decrease in the vertigo intensity, also in the frequency of their occurrence in 14 cases (60.8%). Only 3 patients did not show any decrease in vertigo whereas in 1 patient a slight increase in the intensity was indicated. On the basis of a subjective evaluation of the vertigo increase according to the 5-stage Silvoniemi's scale it was proved that a mean point assessment claimed by the patients at the beginning of the therapy amounts to 3.0 points whereas after the therapy it was as follows: 1.43 pt after 2 weeks, 1.17 pt after 1 month and 1.13 pt after 2 months of kinesitherapy. It is extremely difficult to fully eliminate the symptoms of cervical vertigo (in the studied material in 4 cases--17.3%) because the causes of their occurrence, which are connected with excessive tension and degeneration in the cervical spine, cannot usually be eradicated. Additionally, as a diagnostic means, the videonystagmographic examination (VNG) accompanied by the positioning tests and the cervical rotation test facilitates precise and objective monitoring of the progress in treatment and rehabilitation of vertigo.

Development and Evaluation of an Economic-Driving Assistance Program for Transit Vehicles

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Baoxin Han

2012-02-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on development and evaluation of an economic-driving assistance program for transit vehicles (EDTV which can minimize energy consumption, air pollution emission of buses, and improve the level of service of transit system as well. Taking advantage of the latest advances in information and communication technologies, the EDTV system can provide bus drivers with optimal recommended bus holding times at near-side bus stops and dynamic bus speed to adapt to the real-time traffic control plan at downstream intersections. In order to address the impacts of the stochastic variation of bus dwell time, the total link between adjacent intersections is divided into three parts: upstream of bus stop part; bus stop part; and downstream of bus stop part. The methods for calculating recommended parameters, including bus holding time and bus speed in each of the three parts are proposed based on real-time bus status and signal status at downstream intersections. A VISSIM-based simulation platform was designed and used for simulating and evaluating the proposed EDTV system. Extensive experimental analyses have shown that the proposed EDTV system can improve the performance of a transit system in terms of reducing fuel consumption, air pollution emissions and level of service of the transit system.

Evaluation methodology based on physical security assessment results: a utility theory approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, H.A.; Olascoaga, M.T.

1978-03-01

This report describes an evaluation methodology which aggregates physical security assessment results for nuclear facilities into an overall measure of adequacy. This methodology utilizes utility theory and conforms to a hierarchical structure developed by the NRC. Implementation of the methodology is illustrated by several examples. Recommendations for improvements in the evaluation process are given

A Feeder-Bus Dispatch Planning Model for Emergency Evacuation in Urban Rail Transit Corridors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yun; Yan, Xuedong; Zhou, Yu; Zhang, Wenyi

2016-01-01

The mobility of modern metropolises strongly relies on urban rail transit (URT) systems, and such a heavy dependence causes that even minor service interruptions would make the URT systems unsustainable. This study aims at optimally dispatching the ground feeder-bus to coordinate with the urban rails’ operation for eliminating the effect of unexpected service interruptions in URT corridors. A feeder-bus dispatch planning model was proposed for the collaborative optimization of URT and feeder-bus cooperation under emergency situations and minimizing the total evacuation cost of the feeder-buses. To solve the model, a concept of dummy feeder-bus system is proposed to transform the non-linear model into traditional linear programming (ILP) model, i.e., traditional transportation problem. The case study of Line #2 of Nanjing URT in China was adopted to illustrate the model application and sensitivity analyses of the key variables. The modeling results show that as the evacuation time window increases, the total evacuation cost as well as the number of dispatched feeder-buses decrease, and the dispatched feeder-buses need operate for more times along the feeder-bus line. The number of dispatched feeder-buses does not show an obvious change with the increase of parking spot capacity and time window, indicating that simply increasing the parking spot capacity would cause huge waste for the emergent bus utilization. When the unbalanced evacuation demand exists between stations, the more feeder-buses are needed. The method of this study will contribute to improving transportation emergency management and resource allocation for URT systems. PMID:27676179

Using an Engaged Scholarship Symposium to Change Perceptions: Evaluation Results

Science.gov (United States)

Varkey, Sapna; Smirnova, Olga; Gallien, Tara Lee

2018-01-01

Engaged scholarship (ES) entails a symbiotic relationship between the community and the university. This article reports results from an evaluation of an ES symposium Eastern Carolina University held to increase awareness of ES as a means for integrating research, teaching, and service and to potentially change unfavorable perceptions about ES…

The impact of transit signal priority: case study in Dubai, UAE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al Khateeb Hadeel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abdulfatah & Alkhateeb proposes on this paper one of the Intelligent Transportation Systems- ITS, the Transit Signal Priority- TSP, which involves real time tracking. The United States is considered one of the lead countries in implementing this strategy since decades ago. Europe and Germany have also implemented TSP quite extensively to improve rider-ship and buses efficiency. TSP is a strategy that supports the transit system through easing the movement of the service. The operational technique used for TSP is controlling the signal system at the intersections. A detector system must be integrated in the implementation stage. It will detect the preference of public buses among the other vehicles in the traffic queue. Determining of optimal detector location for the TSP with queued lanes is the main feature. It must be studied and decided on before starting different signalization proposals for the intersection. Controlling traffic signal in favor of the public bus system will improve reliability and efficiency for buses. Meanwhile, the extreme impact of the TSP on general traffic as well as on public buses became the basis for many recent studies and thesis tested by many authors. The scope of the project as addressed in this paper is to report the delivered results of different scenarios tested, and then compare these proposed scenarios to select the best signal consideration, which has a potential impact on bus and traffic performance. After applying TSP, the results show that the impact of actuating traffic signals in Al Mussallah / Al Maktoum corridor after extending green time for bus approach (15 sec through minimum reduction on average travel time for busses by 7.04%and tremendous increase in travel time for cars by 38.68%. A reduction in cars Avg. Speed by 28.04% in comparison to 35.52% buses Avg. Speed. On the other hand, a reduction in buses delay received by 14.11% and a decrease in Avg. Stopped delay per bus of about 18.56%, while

School Districts Move to the Head of the Class with Propane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2016-01-01

Propane has been a proven fuel for buses for decades. For the first time in 2007, Blue Bird rolled out a propane school bus using direct liquid injection, which was later followed by Thomas Built Buses and Navistar. Because this new technology is much more reliable than previous designs, it is essentially reintroducing propane buses to many school districts. During this same time period, vehicle emissions standards have tightened. To meet them, diesel engine manufacturers have added diesel particulate filters (DPF) and, more recently, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems. As an alternative to diesel buses with these systems, many school districts have looked to other affordable, clean alternatives, and they've found that propane fits the bill.

The use of fracture mechanics methodologies for NDT results evaluation and comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reale, S.

1995-01-01

In the general frame of analysing the interactions amongst the information from non destructive evaluation (NDE) and the methodologies to assess the integrity of a defective structure (such as fracture mechanics), the aim of the paper is to analyse and compare, in terms of indices related to safety margins, NDE results from round robin testing trials to acheive assessments of capabilities and limitations.A structural integrity/fracture mechanics approach for evaluating and comparing results from non destructive techniques is presented. Safety factors can be associated to flaws detected and characterized by inspections (estimated flaws) and to flaws actually present (reference flaws). The mismatch between safety factors associated to estimated flaws and safety factors associated to reference flaws can be used to assess capabilities and limitations of procedures and techniques in use for inspections.As an example, to show how the above procedure is applied and its potential as a method of data evaluation and comparison, the NDE results produced by the PISC (project for the inspection of steel components) activity have been considered. (orig.)

Evaluating Equating Results: Percent Relative Error for Chained Kernel Equating

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yanlin; von Davier, Alina A.; Chen, Haiwen

2012-01-01

This article presents a method for evaluating equating results. Within the kernel equating framework, the percent relative error (PRE) for chained equipercentile equating was computed under the nonequivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) design. The method was applied to two data sets to obtain the PRE, which can be used to measure equating…

Results of a Research Evaluating Quality of Computer Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Záhorec, Ján; Hašková, Alena; Munk, Michal

2012-01-01

The paper presents the results of an international research on a comparative assessment of the current status of computer science education at the secondary level (ISCED 3A) in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Belgium. Evaluation was carried out based on 14 specific factors gauging the students' point of view. The authors present qualitative…

Report of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Nuclear Safety Research. Result evaluation in fiscal year 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-06-01

The Research Evaluation Committee, which consisted of 14 members from outside of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), set up an Ad Hoc Review Committee on Nuclear Safety Research in accordance with the Fundamental Guideline for the Evaluation of Research and Development (R and D) at JAERI' and its subsidiary regulations in order to evaluate the R and D accomplishments achieved for five years from Fiscal Year 1995 to Fiscal Year 1999 at Department of Reactor Safety Research, Department of Fuel Cycle Safety Research, Department of Environmental Safety Research and Department of Safety Research Technical Support in Tokai Research Establishment at JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee consisted of 11 specialists from outside of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee conducted its activities from December 2000 to February 2001. The evaluation was performed on the basis of the materials submitted in advance and of the oral presentations made at the Ad Hoc Review Committee meeting which was held on December 11, 2000, in line with the items, viewpoints, and criteria for the evaluation specified by the Research Evaluation Committee. The result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee was submitted to the Research Evaluation Committee, and was judged to be appropriate at its meeting held on March 16, 2001. This report describes the result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Nuclear Safety Research. (author)

75 FR 32484 - Array-Based Cytogenetic Tests: Questions on Performance Evaluation, Result Reporting and...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-08

...] Array-Based Cytogenetic Tests: Questions on Performance Evaluation, Result Reporting and Interpretation... public meeting: Array-Based Cytogenetic Tests: Questions on Performance Evaluation, Result Reporting and... cytogenetic tests. Date and Time: The meeting will be held on June 30, 2010, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Location...

Participant evaluation results for two indoor air quality studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawthorne, A.R.; Dudney, C.S.; Cohen, M.A.; Spengler, J.D.

1987-01-01

After two surveys for indoor air pollutants (radon and other chemicals) the homeowners were surveyed for their reactions. The results of these participant evaluation surveys, assuming that the participants that responded to the survey were representative, indicate that homeowners will accept a significant level of monitoring activity as part of an indoor air quality field study. Those participants completing surveys overwhelmingly enjoyed being in the studies and would do it again. We believe that the emphasis placed on positive homeowner interactions and efforts made to inform participants throughout our studies were positive factors in this result. There was no substantial differences noted in the responses between the 70-house study, which included a homeowner compensation payment of $100, and the 300-house study, which did not include a compensation payment. These results provide encouragement to conduct future complex, multipollutant indoor air quality studies when they are scientifically sound and cost effective

Alternative Fuel News, Volume 4, Number 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ficker, C.

2000-11-14

This issue of Alternative Fuel News focuses on transit buses and refuse haulers. Many transit agencies and waste management companies are investigating alternatives to traditional diesel buses and refuse haulers.

Report of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Nuclear Safety Research. Result evaluation in fiscal year 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-06-01

The Research Evaluation Committee, which consisted of 14 members from outside of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), set up an Ad Hoc Review Committee on Nuclear Safety Research in accordance with the Fundamental Guideline for the Evaluation of Research and Development (R and D) at JAERI' and its subsidiary regulations in order to evaluate the R and D accomplishments achieved for five years from Fiscal Year 1995 to Fiscal Year 1999 at Department of Reactor Safety Research, Department of Fuel Cycle Safety Research, Department of Environmental Safety Research and Department of Safety Research Technical Support in Tokai Research Establishment at JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee consisted of 11 specialists from outside of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee conducted its activities from December 2000 to February 2001. The evaluation was performed on the basis of the materials submitted in advance and of the oral presentations made at the Ad Hoc Review Committee meeting which was held on December 11, 2000, in line with the items, viewpoints, and criteria for the evaluation specified by the Research Evaluation Committee. The result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee was submitted to the Research Evaluation Committee, and was judged to be appropriate at its meeting held on March 16, 2001. This report describes the result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Nuclear Safety Research. (author)

Efficient and Robust Data Collection Using Compact Micro Hardware, Distributed Bus Architectures and Optimizing Software

Science.gov (United States)

Chau, Savio; Vatan, Farrokh; Randolph, Vincent; Baroth, Edmund C.

2006-01-01

Future In-Space propulsion systems for exploration programs will invariably require data collection from a large number of sensors. Consider the sensors needed for monitoring several vehicle systems states of health, including the collection of structural health data, over a large area. This would include the fuel tanks, habitat structure, and science containment of systems required for Lunar, Mars, or deep space exploration. Such a system would consist of several hundred or even thousands of sensors. Conventional avionics system design will require these sensors to be connected to a few Remote Health Units (RHU), which are connected to robust, micro flight computers through a serial bus. This results in a large mass of cabling and unacceptable weight. This paper first gives a survey of several techniques that may reduce the cabling mass for sensors. These techniques can be categorized into four classes: power line communication, serial sensor buses, compound serial buses, and wireless network. The power line communication approach uses the power line to carry both power and data, so that the conventional data lines can be eliminated. The serial sensor bus approach reduces most of the cabling by connecting all the sensors with a single (or redundant) serial bus. Many standard buses for industrial control and sensor buses can support several hundreds of nodes, however, have not been space qualified. Conventional avionics serial buses such as the Mil-Std-1553B bus and IEEE 1394a are space qualified but can support only a limited number of nodes. The third approach is to combine avionics buses to increase their addressability. The reliability, EMI/EMC, and flight qualification issues of wireless networks have to be addressed. Several wireless networks such as the IEEE 802.11 and Ultra Wide Band are surveyed in this paper. The placement of sensors can also affect cable mass. Excessive sensors increase the number of cables unnecessarily. Insufficient number of sensors

Preparation and evaluation of reference materials for accountancy analysis. (2) Evaluation results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumi, Mika; Abe, Katsuo; Kageyama, Tomio; Nakazawa, Hiroaki; Takamatsu, Mai; Kacchi, Tomokazu; Murakami, Toshiki; Ai, Hironobu

2009-01-01

Destructive analysis for accountancy at nuclear fuel facilities should attain international target values for measurement uncertainties in safeguarding nuclear materials (ITVs). Since measurement uncertainties of isotope dilution mass spectrometry depend on uncertainties of spikes (standard materials) used, utilizing highly reliable standard material is essential. The LSD spikes prepared under collaboration work with JAEA and JNFL has different Pu/U ratio and smaller nuclear material in a spike compared with the LSD spikes used a safeguard laboratories, and the value of Pu which separated and purified from MOX and used as raw material for one of the LSD spike prepared at JAEA were measured at JAEA. Uncertainties of the prepared LSD spikes and the measurement results of actual samples with these LSD spikes were evaluated based on ISO-GUM and compared with ITVs. (author)

Developing a viable electric bus service: the Milton Keynes demonstration project

OpenAIRE

Miles, John; Potter, Stephen

2014-01-01

Buses can be a serious source of city centre air pollution. Electric buses deliver zero emissions but, because of the time required to recharge, more buses are needed for a given timetable than diesel counterparts, so making mainstream electric bus operations prohibitively expensive.\\ud \\ud Early 2014 saw the implementation in Milton Keynes of an electric bus service designed to overcome this problem. An entire bus route has been converted to electric operation with inductive charging at bus ...

Bridge Condition Assessment based on Vibration Responses of Passenger Vehicle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyamoto, Ayaho; Yabe, Akito

2011-01-01

In this paper, we propose a new method of assessing the condition of existing short- and medium-span reinforced/prestressed concrete bridges based on vibration monitoring data obtained from a public bus. This paper not only describes details of a prototype monitoring system that uses information technology and sensors capable of providing more accurate knowledge of bridge performance than conventional ways but also shows a few specific examples of bridge condition assessment based on vehicle vibrations measured by using an in-service public bus equipped with vibration measurement instrumentation. This paper also describes a sensitivity analysis of deteriorating bridges based on simulation of the acceleration response of buses conducted by the 'substructure method' employing a finite element model to verify the above bridge performance results. The main conclusions obtained in this study can be summarized as follows: (1) Because the vibration responses of passenger vehicles, such as buses, have a good linear relationship with the vibration responses of the target bridges, the proposed system can be used as a practical monitoring system for bridge condition assessment. (2) The results of sensitivity analysis performed by the substructure method show that bus vibration responses are useful for evaluating target bridge performance. (3) The proposed method was applied to a network of real bridges in a local area to evaluate its effectiveness. The results indicate that the proposed method can be used to prioritize the repair/strengthening works of existing bridges based on various vibration information in order to help bridge administrators establish rational maintenance strategies.

Exhaust emissions evaluation of Colombian commercial diesel fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, Jaime; Bello, Arcesio; Sarmiento, Jose; Rostkowski, Jacek; Brady, Jeremy

2003-01-01

Ecopetrol, based on the results obtained in the study, The effect of diesel properties on the emissions of particulate matter (Bello et al 2000), reformulated the diesel fuel distributed in Bogota, becoming it lighter and with lower sulfur content. In order to evaluate the environmental benefits that the reformulation of diesel fuel generate in Bogota, Instituto Colombiano del Petroleo (ICP), with the assistance of emissions research and measurement division (ERMD) from environment Canada, arranged a research project to determine the changes in CO, THC, NO x , CO 2 and particulate matter emissions. The research program was developed in two steps. First one, developed in Bogota, involved a fleet test with 15 public service buses that normally operate in Bogota's savannah, using a portable emissions sampling technology developed for ERMD (DOES2) and following a representative transient driving cycle. Second step, carried out in ERMD's Heavy-Duty engine emissions laboratory in Ottawa, tested a 1995 caterpillar 3406E 324/5 KW (435 HP) diesel truck engine on the same samples of Colombian diesel fuels used in the fleet tests performed in Bogota, baselining the tests with a Canadian commercial low sulfur diesel fuel. The two commercial Colombian diesel fuels used had the following properties: High Sulfur Diesel (HSD), with 3000 ppm (0,3 wt %) of sulfur and a final boiling point (FBP) of 633 K and the new reformulated diesel fuel, with 1000 ppm (0,1 wt %) of sulfur and FBP of 613 K, which is currently been distributed in Bogota. Fleet test show small reduction on CO, THC and TPM, and small increments on CO 2 and NO x but with not statistically significant results, while engine testing shows a strong reduction of 40/8% in TPM when you use the new reformulated diesel fuel (0,1 wt % of sulfur) instead of high sulfur diesel

Report of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Computational Science and Engineering. Result evaluation in fiscal year 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-06-01

The Research Evaluation Committee, which consisted of 14 members from outside of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), set up an Ad Hoc Review Committee on Computational Science and Engineering in accordance with the 'Fundamental Guideline for the Evaluation of Research and Development (R and D) at JAERI' and its subsidiary regulations in order to evaluate the R and D accomplishments achieved for five years from Fiscal Year 1995 to Fiscal Year 1999 at Center for Promotion of Computational Science and Engineering of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee consisted of seven specialists from outside of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee conducted its activities from December 2000 to March 2001. The evaluation was performed on the basis of the materials submitted in advance and of the oral presentations made at the Ad Hoc Review Committee meeting which was held on December 27, 2000, in line with the items, viewpoints, and criteria for the evaluation specified by the Research Evaluation Committee. The result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee was submitted to the Research Evaluation Committee, and was judged to be appropriate at its meeting held on March 16, 2001. This report describes the result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on Computational Science and Engineering. (author)

Alternative Energy Busing

Science.gov (United States)

LaFee, Scott

2012-01-01

In recent years, school districts have converted portions of their bus fleets to cleaner-burning, sometimes cheaper, alternative fossil fuels, such as compressed natural gas or propane. Others have adopted biodiesel, which combines regular diesel with fuel derived from organic sources, usually vegetable oils or animal fats. The number of biodiesel…

SEE - Sight Effectiveness Enhancement. Results of the automotive evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, V.; Hansen, K.D.; Cathala, T.

2006-01-01

In the SEE project two parallel evaluations have been conducted, an experimental trial of the automotive and another of the aeronautical application. The evaluations have measured the efficiency and HMI (human-machine interaction) characteristics of theSEE prototype. This report covers the automo......In the SEE project two parallel evaluations have been conducted, an experimental trial of the automotive and another of the aeronautical application. The evaluations have measured the efficiency and HMI (human-machine interaction) characteristics of theSEE prototype. This report covers...... the automotive part of the evaluation. The evaluation of the automotive application was carried out in computer simulated environments and followed the general objectives of the evaluation described in ‘Definition of theEvaluation Plan’ . The field experiment discussed, however, was given up due to lack...

Results of evaluation of tailing dumps dust intensity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masloboev V. A.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A set of most acceptable and well-known methods of dust intensity evaluation has been defined and tested (dependence of Westphal D. L. et al. and DEAD scheme based on the analysis of exiting approaches (deserts, tailing dumps, etc.. The description of the chosen methods has been given. The determination of dynamic velocity u* and velocity at the height of +10 m above the dusting surface u10 which are necessary to evaluate the dust intensity has been demonstrated. The method is based on two-dimensional numerical model of atmosphere aerodynamics in the area of "tailing dumps of ANOF-2 ‒ the town of Apatity". The study provides calculations of horizontal velocity at the height of +10 m above the dusting surface at the wind speed varying from 5 to 23 m/sec. The work also suggests the results of graphical data processing related to tailing grain size distribution from the surface of the firmly established surface of the tailing dumps of ANOF-2. Comparative analysis has been given and the peculiarities of interval (based on grains sizes dust intensity of the tailing dumps of ANOF-2 have been shown using the dependence of Westphal D. L. et al. and DEAD scheme within the wind speed range. The received values of dust intensity at the lower range limit are close to the "maximum specific dust off" value which is used by project specialists for documentation development

Evaluating rehabilitation methods - some practical results from Rum Jungle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, P.

1987-01-01

Research and analysis of the following aspects of rehabilitation have been conducted at the Rum Jungle mine site over the past three years: drainage structure stability; rock batter stability; soil fauna; tree growth in compacted soils; rehabilitation costs. The results show that, for future rehabilitation projects adopting refined methods, attention to final construction detail and biospheric influences is most important. The mine site offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the success of a variety of rehabilitation methods to the benefit of the industry in Australia overseas. It is intended that practical, economic, research will continue for some considerable time

An environmental, economical and socio-political analysis of a variety of urban air-pollution reduction policies for primary PM10 and NOx: The case study of the Province of Milan (Northern Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiesa, M.; Perrone, M.G.; Cusumano, N.; Ferrero, L.; Sangiorgi, G.; Bolzacchini, E.; Lorenzoni, A.; Ballarin Denti, A.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • PM10 and NO x emission reduction by different policies have been estimated. • Various actions have been considered, in the transport and residential sectors. • Environmental, economic and socio-political data were jointly evaluated. • Results are reported for the case study of the Province of Milan (Northern Italy). • Bike use fostering best matches cost–benefit results and socio-political acceptance. - Abstract: In the frame of urban air-pollution reduction policies, economic costs and environmental benefits of a variety of actions have been quantitatively assessed for the Province of Milan (Northern Italy), focusing on PM10 and NO x emission sources. Short-to-mid-term interventions that have been taken into consideration include reduction of inner temperature in residential buildings, banning of residential biomass heating systems, banning of diesel fuelled domestic boilers, night-time streets washing, speed limit reduction on highways, circulation restrictions of oldest EURO vehicles, conversion of diesel buses to natural gas, car sharing/biking promotion, DPF adoption in diesel vehicles, extension of road lanes for urban buses, energy efficiency refurbishment in residential buildings. Re*sults emerged from the cost–benefit analysis integrated with socio-political indicators obtained through direct surveys, will contribute, with an holistic and multidisciplinary approach, to drive the local administrators to implement the most suitable actions in one of the most polluted areas in west-Europe

Vehicle technologies, fuel-economy policies, and fuel-consumption rates of Chinese vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huo Hong; He Kebin; Wang, Michael; Yao Zhiliang

2012-01-01

One of the principal ways to reduce transport-related energy use is to reduce fuel-consumption rates of motor vehicles (usually measured in liters of fuel per 100 km). Since 2004, China has implemented policies to improve vehicle technologies and lower the fuel-consumption rates of individual vehicles. Policy evaluation requires accurate and adequate information on vehicle fuel-consumption rates. However, such information, especially for Chinese vehicles under real-world operating conditions, is rarely available from official sources in China. For each vehicle type we first review the vehicle technologies and fuel-economy policies currently in place in China and their impacts. We then derive real-world (or on-road) fuel-consumption rates on the basis of information collected from various sources. We estimate that the real-world fuel-consumption rates of vehicles in China sold in 2009 are 9 L/100 km for light-duty passenger vehicles, 11.4 L/100 km for light-duty trucks, 22 L/100 km for inter-city transport buses, 40 L/100 km for urban transit buses, and 24.9 L/100 km for heavy-duty trucks. These results aid in understanding the levels of fuel consumption of existing Chinese vehicle fleets and the effectiveness of policies in reducing on-road fuel consumption, which can help in designing and evaluating future vehicle energy-efficiency policies. - Highlights: ► Vehicle fuel-consumption rate (VFCR) data are rarely available in China. ► We review the fuel-economy policies currently in place in China and their impacts. ► We derive real-world VFCRs on the basis of information collected from various sources. ► Results aid in understanding the fuel consumption levels of Chinese vehicle fleets. ► Results help in designing and evaluating future vehicle energy-efficiency policies.

The introduction of gas-powered busses in Berne; Die Einfuehrung von Gasbussen bei Bernmobil - Ein Erfahrungsbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finger, D.; Kljun, N.; Keller, M.

2008-07-01

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) discusses the experience gained from the operation of biogas-powered buses in Berne, Switzerland. The fleet conversion from diesel-engined buses to new vehicles powered by biogas from the city's wastewater treatment plant is discussed. Six operational aspects involved in the use of gas-powered buses in comparison with traditional diesel buses are examined and discussed. These include infrastructure adaptations, fuel and energy consumption, emissions and air-hygiene, operational changes, financial aspects and acceptance of the new vehicles both by operating personnel and the general public. Operational difficulties encountered after fire-damage to the gas filling equipment in the bus depot are noted. Fuel consumption is commented on and measurements made on emissions are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of biogas busses in comparison with diesel busses are discussed.

A Comparison of Bus Architectures for Safety-Critical Embedded Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rushby, John; Miner, Paul S. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

We describe and compare the architectures of four fault-tolerant, safety-critical buses with a view to deducing principles common to all of them, the main differences in their design choices, and the tradeoffs made. Two of the buses come from an avionics heritage, and two from automobiles, though all four strive for similar levels of reliability and assurance. The avionics buses considered are the Honeywell SAFEbus (the backplane data bus used in the Boeing 777 Airplane Information Management System) and the NASA SPIDER (an architecture being developed as a demonstrator for certification under the new DO-254 guidelines); the automobile buses considered are the TTTech Time-Triggered Architecture (TTA), recently adopted by Audi for automobile applications, and by Honeywell for avionics and aircraft control functions, and FlexRay, which is being developed by a consortium of BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Motorola, and Philips.

Evaluation of in-vehicle HMI using occlusion techniques: experimental results and practical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, Martin; Keinath, Andreas; Krems, Josef F; Bengler, Klaus

2004-05-01

Despite the usefulness of new on-board information systems one has to be concerned about the potential distraction effects that they impose on the driver. Therefore, methods and procedures are necessary to assess the visual demand that is connected to the usage of an on-board system. The occlusion-method is considered a strong candidate as a procedure for evaluating display designs with regard to their visual demand. This paper reports results from two experimental studies conducted to further evaluate this method. In the first study, performance in using an in-car navigation system was measured under three conditions: static (parking lot), occlusion (shutter glasses), and driving. The results show that the occlusion-procedure can be used to simulate visual requirements of real traffic conditions. In a second study the occlusion method was compared to a global evaluation criterion based on the total task time. It can be demonstrated that the occlusion method can identify tasks which meet this criterion, but are yet irresolvable under driving conditions. It is concluded that the occlusion technique seems to be a reliable and valid method for evaluating visual and dialogue aspects of in-car information systems.

Mitigation potential of greenhouse gas emission and implications on fuel consumption due to clean energy vehicles as public passenger transport in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal: A case study of trolley buses in Ring Road

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradhan, Shreekar; Ale, Bhakta Bahadur; Amatya, Vishwa Bhusan

2006-01-01

This paper estimates the consequences in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emission due to the possible intervention of the electric run trolley buses in the existing public transport system in a particular road up to the year 2025 in Kathmandu Valley. It projects the scenarios on the basis that the passenger travel demand is the function of population and income. Basically, it uses the Long Range Energy Alternatives Planning System software to develop Business as Usual scenario and the five alternative scenarios. The alternative scenarios are 100% replacement of vehicles catering to mass-transit in the concerned routes, 50% replacement, 25% replacement, stopping future growth of other vehicles catering to mass-transit in the concerned routes and 25% replacement in the first year, and combination scenarios. The results estimate that the passenger travel demand will increase by three folds from the year 2003 to the year 2025. It projects the three-fold increase of the existing vehicle activity by the year 2025 in Business as Usual scenario. The fuel consumption will increase by 2.4 times compared to the year 2003. It estimates the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission as 8.5 thousands tons in year 2003 which will increase by more than 3 times in year 2025. It estimates that 174.3 thousands t CO 2 e can be avoided in combination scenario. The paper concludes that the intervention of clean energy transport in the existing public transport can have a significant positive impact on the GHG emission and current fuel consumption

Design Guidelines for Bus Transit Systems Using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as an Alternative Fuel.

Science.gov (United States)

1996-09-01

The use of alternative fuels to power transit buses is steadily increasing. Several fuels, including Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and Methanol/Ethanol, are already being used in buses. At present, there do not exist co...

Evaluation of ESWL results by conventional and digital tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sacks, E.M.; Hillman, B.J.; Fajardo, L.L.; Donovan, J.; Drach, G.; Mockbee, B.; Bjelland, J.

1987-01-01

The authors are investigating patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) to determine if more rigorous assessment of residual calculi by conventional (CR) and digital (DR) renal tomography provides a truer evaluation of the treatment's effectiveness. One hundred sequential patients are being imaged before and after ESWL by KUB, CR, and DR. Examinations are independently reviewed by three radiologists. Differences are elicited by calculating sensitivity, specificity, and by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results in 35 patients show improved detection of calculi by tomography versus KUB, with greater differences noted in posttreatment studies when calculi are generally smaller. DR appears to be somewhat more effective than CR

Exposure Assessment of Diesel Bus Emissions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Werner Hofmann

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The goal of this study was to measure ultrafine particle concentrations with diameters less than 1 μm emitted by diesel buses and to assess resulting human exposure levels. The study was conducted at the Woolloongabba Busway station in Brisbane, Australia in the winter months of 2002 during which temperature inversions frequently occurred. Most buses that utilize the station are fuelled by diesel, the exhaust of which contains a significant quantity of particle matter. Passengers waiting at the station are exposed to these particles emitted from the buses. During the course of this study, passenger census was conducted, based on video surveillance, yielding person-by-person waiting time data. Furthermore, a bus census revealed accurate information about the total number of diesel versus Compressed Natural Gas (CNG powered buses. Background (outside of the bus station and platform measurements of ultrafine particulate number size distributions were made to determine ambient aerosol concentrations. Particle number exposure concentration ranges from 10 and 40 to 60% of bus related exhaust fumes. This changes dramatically when considering the particle mass exposure concentration, where most passengers are exposed to about 50 to 80% of exhaust fumes. The obtained data can be very significant for comparison with similar work of this type because it is shown in previous studies that exhaust emissions causes cancer in laboratory animals. It was assumed that significant differences between platform and background distributions were due to bus emissions which, combined with passenger waiting times, yielded an estimate of passenger exposure to ultrafine particles from diesel buses. From an exposure point of view, the Busway station analyzed resembles a street canyon. Although the detected exhaust particle concentration at the outbound platform is found to be in the picogram range, exposure increases with the time passengers spend on the platform

Tracking costs of alternatively fueled buses in Florida - phase II.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-01

The goal of this project is to continue collecting and reporting the data on the performance and costs of alternatively fueled public transit vehicles in the state in a consistent manner in order to keep the Bus Fuels Fleet Evaluation Tool (BuFFeT) c...

GRS Method for Uncertainty and Sensitivity Evaluation of Code Results and Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glaeser, H.

2008-01-01

During the recent years, an increasing interest in computational reactor safety analysis is to replace the conservative evaluation model calculations by best estimate calculations supplemented by uncertainty analysis of the code results. The evaluation of the margin to acceptance criteria, for example, the maximum fuel rod clad temperature, should be based on the upper limit of the calculated uncertainty range. Uncertainty analysis is needed if useful conclusions are to be obtained from best estimate thermal-hydraulic code calculations, otherwise single values of unknown accuracy would be presented for comparison with regulatory acceptance limits. Methods have been developed and presented to quantify the uncertainty of computer code results. The basic techniques proposed by GRS are presented together with applications to a large break loss of coolant accident on a reference reactor as well as on an experiment simulating containment behaviour

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic

Science.gov (United States)

and Environmental Benefits with Propane Buses Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic and School District Reaps Economic and Environmental Benefits with Propane Buses on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Mesa Unified School District Reaps Economic and Environmental Benefits with

Research Article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018-02-24

Feb 24, 2018 ... In this century, high efficiency and safety in the design and operation of the ... This system had 6 generator buses and 25 load buses with 41 ..... Optimal Spinning Reserve for a Wind-Thermal Power System Using EIPSO.

75 FR 54000 - Reports, Forms, and Record keeping Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-02

..., including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection... vehicles (including passenger cars, certain small buses, all light trucks and multipurpose passenger.... Manufacturers of new passenger motor vehicles, including passenger cars, certain small buses, and light trucks...

75 FR 53521 - Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under the National Transit Systems Security...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-31

... discrimination, demotion, discharge, suspension, threats, harassment, reprimand, retaliation, or any other manner... include school buses, charter, or intercity bus transportation or intercity passenger rail transportation... regular and continuous general or special transportation to the public, but does not include school buses...

Report of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on High-Temperature Engineering and Research. Result evaluation in fiscal year 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-06-01

The Research Evaluation Committee, which consisted of 14 members from outside of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), set up an Ad Hoc Review Committee on High-Temperature Engineering and Research in accordance with the 'Fundamental Guideline for the Evaluation of Research and Development (R and D) at JAERI' and its subsidiary regulations in order to evaluate the R and D accomplishments achieved for five years from Fiscal Year 1995 to Fiscal Year 1999 at Department of HTTR Project and Department of Advanced Nuclear Heat Technology in Oarai Research Establishment of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee consisted of nine specialists from outside of JAERI. The Ad Hoc Review Committee conducted its activities from December 2000 to February 2001. The evaluation was performed on the basis of the materials submitted in advanced and of the oral presentations made at the Ad Hoc Review Committee meeting which was held on December 8, 2000, in line with the items, viewpoints, and criteria for the evaluation specified by the Research Evaluation Committee. The result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee was submitted to the Research Evaluation Committee, and was judged to be appropriate at its meeting held on March 16, 2001. This report describes the result of the evaluation by the Ad Hoc Review Committee on High-Temperature Engineering and Research. (author)

Audio segmentation of broadcast news in the Albayzin-2010 evaluation: overview, results, and discussion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Butko Taras

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Recently, audio segmentation has attracted research interest because of its usefulness in several applications like audio indexing and retrieval, subtitling, monitoring of acoustic scenes, etc. Moreover, a previous audio segmentation stage may be useful to improve the robustness of speech technologies like automatic speech recognition and speaker diarization. In this article, we present the evaluation of broadcast news audio segmentation systems carried out in the context of the Albayzín-2010 evaluation campaign. That evaluation consisted of segmenting audio from the 3/24 Catalan TV channel into five acoustic classes: music, speech, speech over music, speech over noise, and the other. The evaluation results displayed the difficulty of this segmentation task. In this article, after presenting the database and metric, as well as the feature extraction methods and segmentation techniques used by the submitted systems, the experimental results are analyzed and compared, with the aim of gaining an insight into the proposed solutions, and looking for directions which are promising.

Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Data for BP Spill/Deepwater Horizon - June 2010

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) buses are self-contained mobile laboratories that conduct instant-result monitoring of air quality at particular locations....

Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Data for BP Spill/Deepwater Horizon - August 2010

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) buses are self-contained mobile laboratories that conduct instant-result monitoring of air quality at particular locations....

Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Data for BP Spill/Deepwater Horizon - July 2010

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) buses are self-contained mobile laboratories that conduct instant-result monitoring of air quality at particular locations....

Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Data for BP Spill/Deepwater Horizon - May 2010

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) buses are self-contained mobile laboratories that conduct instant-result monitoring of air quality at particular locations....

Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) Dispersant Data for BP Spil/Deepwater Horizon - August 2010

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyzer (TAGA) buses are self-contained mobile laboratories that conduct instant-result monitoring of air quality at particular locations....

Development of System for Evaluating Concrete Strength Deterioration Due to Radiation and Resultant Heat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maruyama, I.; Kontani, O.; Ishizawa, A.; Takizawa, M.; Sato, O.

2012-01-01

Evaluation of the soundness of concrete exposed to irradiation has been studied within the framework of a project of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) 'Japan Ageing Management Program for System Safety'. This contribution presents the background to the existing evaluation processes, a review of the irradiation exposure effect on concrete and needs for irradiation testing. Based on results of this study, working assumptions for the development of an evaluation system are derived, and an overall picture of a numerical model as well as a framework for evaluating concrete soundness under irradiated conditions are proposed. (author)

First results of the wind evaluation breadboard for ELT primary mirror design

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes García-Talavera, Marcos; Viera, Teodora; Núñez, Miguel

2010-07-01

The Wind Evaluation Breadboard (WEB) is a primary mirror and telescope simulator formed by seven aluminium segments, including position sensors, electromechanical support systems and support structures. WEB has been developed to evaluate technologies for primary mirror wavefront control and to evaluate the performance of the control of wind buffeting disturbance on ELT segmented mirrors. For this purpose WEB electro-mechanical set-up simulates the real operational constrains applied to large segmented mirrors. This paper describes the WEB assembly, integration and verification, the instrument characterisation and close loop control design, including the dynamical characterization of the instrument and the control architecture. The performance of the new technologies developed for position sensing, acting and controlling is evaluated. The integration of the instrument in the observatory and the results of the first experiments are summarised, with different wind conditions, elevation and azimuth angles of incidence. Conclusions are extracted with respect the wind rejection performance and the control strategy for an ELT. WEB has been designed and developed by IAC, ESO, ALTRAN and JUPASA, with the integration of subsystems of FOGALE and TNO.

Evaluation of the results from partial arthroplasty for treating shoulder osteoarthrosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Naoki Miyazaki

2013-04-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: In this study we aim at statistically evaluating the results of the surgical treatment of the osteoarthrosis of the shoulder (OAS with partial shoulder arthroplasty (PSA and at correlating them with the several variables involved. METHODS: In this study we evaluated 36 shoulders of 31 patients with OAS who underwent treatment with PSA in the Grupo de Ombro e Cotovelo (Group of Shoulders and Elbows of the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo - Pavillion Fernandinho Simonsen between January, 1989 and November, 2010. Patients who underwent PSA and who had a post-operative follow-up of at least 12 months were included in the study. RESULTS: After the surgery the range of elevation, external rotation, internal rotation and the UCLA scale improved (with average differences of 35º, 27º, 4ºand 17 points, respectively, with a significant level of 5% (p < 0.05. For the same level of significance, the relation between a satisfactory UCLA and two variables was found: patients with maximum age of 60 years old at the moment of the surgery and patients that underwent tenotomy of the long head of biceps. CONCLUSION: Patients under 60 who underwent surgery and patients who underwent tenotomy of the long head of biceps achieved better results.

Evaluation and perceived results of moral case deliberation: A mixed methods study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssens, R.; van Zadelhoff, E.; van Loo, G.; Widdershoven, G.A.; Molewijk, A.C.

2015-01-01

Background: Moral case deliberation is increasingly becoming part of various Dutch healthcare organizations. Although some evaluation studies of moral case deliberation have been carried out, research into the results of moral case deliberation within aged care is scarce. Research questions: How did

Towards General Evaluation of Intelligent Systems: Lessons Learned from Reproducing AIQ Test Results

Science.gov (United States)

Vadinský, Ondřej

2018-03-01

This paper attempts to replicate the results of evaluating several artificial agents using the Algorithmic Intelligence Quotient test originally reported by Legg and Veness. Three experiments were conducted: One using default settings, one in which the action space was varied and one in which the observation space was varied. While the performance of freq, Q0, Qλ, and HLQλ corresponded well with the original results, the resulting values differed, when using MC-AIXI. Varying the observation space seems to have no qualitative impact on the results as reported, while (contrary to the original results) varying the action space seems to have some impact. An analysis of the impact of modifying parameters of MC-AIXI on its performance in the default settings was carried out with the help of data mining techniques used to identifying highly performing configurations. Overall, the Algorithmic Intelligence Quotient test seems to be reliable, however as a general artificial intelligence evaluation method it has several limits. The test is dependent on the chosen reference machine and also sensitive to changes to its settings. It brings out some differences among agents, however, since they are limited in size, the test setting may not yet be sufficiently complex. A demanding parameter sweep is needed to thoroughly evaluate configurable agents that, together with the test format, further highlights computational requirements of an agent. These and other issues are discussed in the paper along with proposals suggesting how to alleviate them. An implementation of some of the proposals is also demonstrated.

Multistage optimal PMU placement for hybrid state estimation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hazra, J.; Das, Kaushik; Roy, B. K. S.

2017-01-01

placed by the proposed method are used in developing a hybrid state estimator (HSE). The HSE estimates the voltage phasor at all the buses of a power system with a limited numbers of PMUs in steady state as well as in the presence of disturbances even in that part of network which is unobservable through...... PMUs. Performance of the proposed phased installation scheme for HSE is evaluated on the number of standard test system and the simulation results shows an improvement in the accuracy of the estimated states as compared to the existing methods in the literature....

Study on the air pollution in typical transportation microenvironment: Characteristics and health risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Mili; Jin, Xin

2015-01-01

The concentration of formaldehyde in micro-traffic atmospheric environment (including buses, cars, bus stations, and traffic artery) of Lin'an City was carefully investigated. The results showed that the formaldehyde average concentration was 0.0162 mg/m³ in the buses, 0.0225 mg/m³ in the cars, 0.0047 mg/m³ in the West Bus Stations, and 0.0133 mg/m³ in the East Bus Stations. The concentration of formaldehyde along the traffic artery decreased with the height increased. From 0 to 140 cm, the formaldehyde concentration decreased from 0.031 to 0.018 mg/m³. The formaldehyde concentration decreased when far away from the traffic artery. When the distance reached 200 m, the formaldehyde concentration decreased from 0.018 to 0.005 mg/m³. Based on the health risk assessment model, using 1 hr as the average retention time, the average health risk in buses, cars, and West/East Bus Stations was 2.106 × 10⁻⁴, 2.925 × 10⁻⁴, and 1.157 × 10⁻⁴, respectively.

Scaling Research Results: Design and Evaluation | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Design and evaluation The project will provide helpful guidance to IDRC management and ... scaling and programming for scalable research Offer the monograph in multiple forms, ... Asian outlook: New growth dependent on new productivity.

Operational demands as determining factor for electric bus charging infrastructure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beekman, R.; Van Den Hoed, R.

2016-01-01

Many cities in Europe have ambitious goals when it comes to making their public transport buses emission free. This article outlines the reasoning behind the choices made in the city of Amsterdam with regards to charging infrastructure for electric buses. Emphasising the importance of operational

Monitoring operational conditions of vehicle tyre pressure levels and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Compliance with vehicle tyre inflation pressure and tread depth standard specifications and legal requirements were monitored by survey study in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. The survey covered 400 vehicles, comprising cars (28 %), medium buses (25 %), large capacity buses (15 %) and trucks (32 %). There were wide ...

77 FR 31910 - Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-30

... appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of... manufacturers of passenger cars and of trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle... there are 21 manufacturers of passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses with a...

Driving the Phileas, a new automated public transport vehicle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Waard, Dick; Brookhuis, Karel; Fabriek, Eva; Van Wolffelaar, Peter C.

2004-01-01

Phileas is a high quality public transport vehicle combining characteristics of bus, tram, and the underground. Phileas is equipped with pneumatic tyres and complies with the statutory regulations for buses. Accordingly Phileas may drive everywhere on public roads where buses are allowed to drive.

Evaluation of major polluting accidents in China-Results and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Yu; Zhang Tianzhu

2009-01-01

Lessons learnt from accidents are essential sources for updating state-of-the-art requirements in pollution accident prevention. To improve this input in the People's Republic of China in a systematic way, a database for collecting and evaluating major pollution accidents is being established. This is being done in co-operation with Chinese Society for Environment Sciences and other national Institutions. At the time of writing over 80 major events from 2002-2006 have been collected. In this paper, a summary evaluation on the major polluting events in China from 2002 to 2006 is presented and some basic lessons drawn shown. There is no a systematic pollution accident notification system currently in China. The results from root cause analysis underline the importance of emergency measures, maintenance, human factor issues and the role of safety organization. Chronic pollution, especially water pollution and air pollution should be paid the same attention as the sudden pollution. It is important to keep in mind that collecting information from major accidents represents a small percentage of the actual number of events taking place.

Progress in hydrogen fueled busses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, P.B.; Mazaika, D.M.; Tyler, T.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' The Thor/ISE fuel cell bus has been in demonstration and revenue service during 2002-2003 at sites including SunLine Transit, Chula Vista Transit, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority, and AC Transit in Oakland. By taking advantage of ISE's advanced hybrid-electric drive technology, this 30-foot bus operates with a much smaller fuel cell than those used in other buses of this class. Further, stress on the fuel cell is diminished. Based on the exceptional performance of this prototype bus, the transit agencies listed above have concluded that hybrid electric hydrogen fueled buses are attractive. Two types of hydrogen fueled hybrid electric buses will be described: - fuel cell powered, and - HICE (Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine) This progress report will include: 1. Experience with the Thor/ISE fuel cell bus, including results from revenue service at two transit locations, 2. Design and fabrication status of the advanced fuel cell buses being built for AC Transit and SunLine Transit, 3. Design and fabrication status of the prototype HHICE (Hybrid electric Hydrogen fueled Internal Combustion Engine) bus that uses a Ford hydrogen burning engine, mated to a generator, rather than a fuel cell. Other than the engine, the drive train in the HHICE bus is nearly identical to that of a fuel cell hybrid-electric bus. Canadian participation in the HHICE bus is extensive, it is a New Flyer platform and will be winter tested in Winnipeg. (author)

Status of the IEEE P896 Future Backplane Bus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gustavson, D.B.

1983-10-01

The IEEE P896 Future Backplane Bus project has been influenced by and has influenced FASTBUS and several other contemporary bus designs. This paper summarizes the current status of that project, which is directed toward the needs of modern 32-bit microprocessor systems with multiple processors. Some of the technology developed for P896 will be important for future non-ECL implementations of FASTBUS and other buses. In particular, new bus drivers and receivers should greatly improve the performance and reliability of backplane buses and cable buses. The current status of the P896 serial bus is also summarized

Yosemite Waters Vehicle Evaluation Report: Final Results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eudy, L.; Barnitt, R.; Alleman, T. L.

2005-08-01

Document details the evaluation of Fischer-Tropsch diesel, a gas-to-liquid fuel, in medium-duty delivery vehicles at Yosemite Waters. The study was conducted by NREL at the company's Fullerton, California, bottling headquarters.

Evaluation of the PISC-2 trials results PISC 2 report No.5. Final issue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-09-01

Ultrasonic testing is widely used for detecting, locating and sizing flaws in primary circuit elements at various stages of plant life. The successive PISC projects have constituted the most notable, sustained, international effort to assess the effectiveness of these inspection techniques. The Programme for the Inspection of Steel Components (PISC-II, 1981-1986) constitutes a detailed evaluation of the best performance obtainable by modern ultrasonic techniques under optimal conditions. The present report gives a complete evaluation of the results of PISC-II obtained on various plates presenting different types of defects. Three levels of evaluation are considered: a comparison between teams, a comparison between procedures, and a comparison of the individual techniques and components of the procedures. Results are discussed as a function of the tolerance on sizing, as a function of subgroups of defects (defect position, size, characteristics)

Organizational Capacity to Do and Use Evaluation: Results of a Pan-Canadian Survey of Evaluators

Science.gov (United States)

Cousins, J. Bradley; Elliott, Catherine; Amo, Courtney; Bourgeois, Isabelle; Chouinard, Jill; Goh, Swee C.; Lahey, Robert

2008-01-01

Despite increasing interest in the integration of evaluative inquiry into organizational functions and culture, the availability of empirical research addressing organizational capacity building to do and use evaluation is limited. This exploratory descriptive survey of internal evaluators in Canada asked about evaluation capacity building in the…

GPRA (Government Performance and Results Act) and research evaluation for basic science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Shoji

2002-08-01

The purpose of the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) is to ask federal agencies for evaluating their program performance especially from cost-efficiency aspect and to report to Congress. GPRA is to hold agencies accountable for their programs by requiring that they think strategically (in most cases every 5 years) and set, measure and report goals annually. The agencies which have responsibilities for enhancing basic science like Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Fund (NSF) are not excluded by reasons of the difficulties of economic evaluations. In Japan, based on 'the Rationalization program for the public corporations' of 2001, the research developing type corporations should make a cost-performance evaluation in addition to the conventional ones. They have same theme as US agencies struggles. The purpose of this report is to get some hints for this theme by surveying GPRA reports of DOE and NSF and analyzing related information. At present, I have to conclude although everybody accepts the necessities of socio-economic evaluations and investment criteria for basic research, studies and discussions about ways and means are still continuing even in the US. (author)

Handwriting features of children with developmental coordination disorder--results of triangular evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblum, Sara; Margieh, Jumana Aassy; Engel-Yeger, Batya

2013-11-01

Developmental coordination disorders (DCD) is one of the most common disorders affecting school-aged children. The study aimed to characterize the handwriting performance of children with DCD who write in Arabic, based on triangular evaluation. Participants included 58 children aged 11-12 years, 29 diagnosed with DCD based on the DSM-IV criteria and the M-ABC, and 29 matched typically developed controls. Children were asked to copy a paragraph on a sheet of paper affixed to a digitizer supplying objective measures of the handwriting process. The handwriting proficiency screening questionnaire (HPSQ) was completed by their teachers while observing their performance and followed by evaluation of their final written product. Results indicated that compared to controls, children with DCD required significantly more on-paper and in-air time per stroke while copying. In addition, global legibility, unrecognizable letters and spatial arrangement measures of their written product were significantly inferior. Significant group differences were also found between the HPSQ subscales scores. Furthermore, 82.8% of all participants were correctly classified into groups based on one discriminate function which included two handwriting performance measures. These study results strongly propose application of triangular standardized evaluation to receive better insight of handwriting deficit features of individual children with DCD who write in Arabic. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE AUTOMATIC SYSTEM’S MODEL OF DECISION-MAKING SUPPORT FOR DISPATCHING CONTROL OF THE CITY PASSENGER TRAFFIC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Lakhno

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. This scientific work considers the further development of mathematical models and algorithms for automatic decision support for dispatching management of the city passenger traffic. Methodology. Systems of dispatching management for the city passenger transport are to provide the carrying out of the routes according schedules with minimal deviations from the planned ones through the using of appropriate control actions. The systems’ algorithm focuses on the selection of control actions that compensate the disturbances. It is proposed to use the index of the waiting time minimum for passengers of buses and taxis at stops as a criterion for evaluating of dispatching control systems work. Findings. Based on the conducted analysis of the research within the existing theory of traffic flow of vehicles, it was proposed the model for the system of dispatching management for urban passenger moving units considering the effect of the most important stochastic factors on the schedule of buses and taxis movement in large cities. The obtained system of equations that models the parameter of movement on the bus routes allows you to assess quickly the influence of disturbing effects on the service quality indicators of passengers and, if necessary, to draw up the optimal schedule. Originality. The authors propose a new model for decision support of dispatching management for the city passenger transport. They take into account the effect of the most important stochastic factors, such as the overflowing buses and taxis, their descent from the lines, delays, deviations from the speed limit on the route, etc., on indicators of service quality, as well as optimizing the schedule. Practical value. The results allow to improve approaches to building models using in the systems of dispatching management of urban bus routes, as well as to improve the selection of control actions for similar systems in large cities of Ukraine.

Boraflex test results and evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindquist, K.; Kline, D.E.; Haley, T.C.

1993-02-01

New data developed, collected, and evaluated to further assess the in-pool performance of the neutron absorber material, Boraflex. The data are from new EPRI test programs, utility surveillance programs, and blackness testing at a number of plants. This new data provides a basis for quantifying the gap phenomenon in full length panels of Boraflex in spent fuel racks; the maximum anticipated gap size, frequency of gap occurrence, and axial distribution of gaps. Methods have been developed to assess the reactivity effects of gaps and Boraflex shrinkage. The analyses presented demonstrates that the reactivity effect of gaps is very small, not much larger than the statistical variations inherent in the calculational method. The data and analyses presented serve to close the issue of gap formation and shrinkage in panels of Boraflex and the effect of such gaps and shrinkage on the reactivity of the fuel/rack configuration. Ongoing EPRI programs to assess the long term performance of Boraflex in spent fuel storage racks are described

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE: Program Planning and Evaluation Should Follow Results Act Framework

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1999-01-01

As you requested, we examined the extent to which DOD has applied the Results Act's outcome-oriented principles to the CB Defense Program, focusing in particular on research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E...

[Contract focused short-term group therapy--results of an evaluation].

Science.gov (United States)

Hirschberg, Rainer; Meyer, Birgit

2010-01-01

A short description outlines the development of commission focused short-term therapy (AFoG) for children and adolescents. Subsequently the generic principles of psychotherapy are applied to AFoG in order to underline the basic assumptions of this variation of systemic group therapy. Behavioural changes arising in different contexts (school, family, group therapy) show the need for an appropriate flexibility of group therapy techniques. The evaluation was accomplished using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL 4-18) at the beginning and 3 month after the end of the group therapy. The results show positive effects which finally are discussed critically.

76 FR 2924 - Proposed Generic Communications; Draft NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2011-XX; Adequacy of Station...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-18

... emergency diesel generators (EDGs) from connecting to the safety related buses in a timely manner. This... conditions are detected. The time delay chosen should be optimized to ensure that permanently connected Class... startup, normal operation and shutdown. These DVRs should disconnect the Class 1E buses from any power...

49 CFR Appendix F to Part 222 - Diagnostic Team Considerations

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

..., public safety or law enforcement, engineering personnel from the State agency responsible for grade... freight; 4. Accident history for each crossing under consideration; 5. School bus or transit bus use at... at any of the crossings? 14. If school buses or transit buses use crossings within the proposed quiet...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Fleet Application for School Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

Propane Buses Jan. 26, 2016 Video thumbnail for Biodiesel Offers an Easy Alternative for Fleets Biodiesel thumbnail for Biodiesel Fuels Education in Alabama Biodiesel Fuels Education in Alabama May 1, 2012 Video School Transportation Videos on YouTube Video thumbnail for New Hampshire Cleans up with Biodiesel Buses

Online Student Evaluation Improves Course Experience Questionnaire Results in a Physiotherapy Program

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Beatrice; Jones, Sue; Straker, Leon

2008-01-01

This paper reports the use of an online student evaluation system, Course Experience on the Web (CEW), in a physiotherapy program to improve their Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) results. CEW comprises a course survey instrument modeled on the CEQ and a tailored unit survey instrument. Closure of the feedback loop is integral in the CEW…

ANALYSIS OF PROFESSORS’ EVALUATION AT LA SALLE UNIVERSITY MÉXICO FROM 2010 TO 2016: WHAT THE RESULTS INDICATE?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flegl, Martin

2017-09-01

Full Text Available La Salle University México (La Salle uses an internal system of professors’ evaluation, which main purpose is to evaluate professors’ performance and secure high quality of teaching at all of its faculties. Since its inception in 2010, La Salle has obtained 517,635 individual evaluations of 45,346 courses. However, no additional analysis of the obtained results has ever been done. This article provides introductory analysis of the accumulated results at faculty level. The main objective is to analyze whether there are differences between faculties regarding the evaluation. Although the results are highly skewed towards the maximal evaluation at all faculties, there are statistically significant differences. The next important task is to investigate what factors influence the evaluation. Moreover, as this is the introductory analysis, the article concludes with possible future steps that should be consider regarding eventual structural changes in the evaluation system.

Transport arrangements for the scientific symposium

CERN Multimedia

2000-01-01

Parking in the region of building 180 will be severely restricted during the LEPFest scientific symposium of 10-11 October, and a special bus service will operate to ferry people to and from the event. From 8:00 am, buses will leave the reception at building 33, stop to pickup passengers outside the hostels (buildings 38 and 39), and drop people off at the symposium venue - building 180. At the end of each day’s proceedings, the buses will bring people back, and through out the day a shuttle service will operate around every 15-20 minutes. Attendees are strongly recommended to use the buses.

49 CFR Subpart D - Appendix A-1 of FMVSS No. 208 Phase-in Reporting Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... manufacturers of passenger cars, and of trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle... passenger cars, and of trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a GVWR of 3,856 kg (8,500 lb... meaning. (b) Bus, gross vehicle weight rating or GVWR, multipurpose passenger vehicle, passenger car, and...

[An integrated model for examination of aphasic patients and evaluation of treatment results].

Science.gov (United States)

Ansink, B J; Vanneste, J A; Endtz, L J

1980-02-01

This article is an overview of the literature on integrated, multidisciplinar examination of aphasic patients, its consequences for treatment and the evaluation of the results thereof; the need of virtually standardized methods of investigation for each language is stressed.

Evaluation of software and electronics technologies for the control of the E-ELT instruments: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Marcantonio, P.; Cirami, R.; Coretti, I.; Chiozzi, G.; Kiekebusch, M.

2012-01-01

In the scope of the evaluation of architecture and technologies for the control system of the E-ELT (European-Extremely Large Telescope) instruments, a collaboration has been set up between the Instrumentation and Control Group of the INAF-OATs and the ESO Directorate of Engineering. The first result of this collaboration is the design and implementation of a prototype of a small but representative control system for a kind of multi-object (optical) spectrograph. The electronics has been based on PLCs (Programmable Logical Controller) and Ethernet based field-buses from different vendors but using international standards like the IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen Motion Control. The baseline design for the control software follows the architecture of the VLT (Very Large Telescope) Instrumentation application framework but it has been implemented using the ACS (ALMA Common Software), an open source software framework developed for the ALMA project and based on CORBA middle-ware. The communication among the software components is based on two models: CORBA calls for command/reply using the client/server paradigm and CORBA notification channel for distributing the devices status using the publisher/subscriber paradigm. The communication with the PLCs is based on OPC UA, an international standard for the communication with industrial controllers. The results of this work will contribute to the definition of the architecture of the control system that will be provided to all consortia responsible for the actual implementation of the E-ELT instruments. This paper presents the prototype motivation, its architecture, design and implementation. (authors)

Portuguese School Libraries Evaluation Model: An Analysis of Primary Schools' Results for the "Reading and Literacy" Domain

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Jorge Tiago; Martins, Rosa Maria

2012-01-01

This paper reports the implementation results of the Portuguese School Libraries Evaluation Model, more specifically the results of primary schools self-evaluation of their libraries' reading promotion and information literacy development activities. School libraries that rated their performance as either "Excellent" or "Poor"…

Preliminary measurements of aromatic VOCs in public transportation modes in Guangzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, L Y; Lau, W L; Wang, X M; Tang, J H

2003-07-01

This study examined the exposure level of aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in public transportation modes in Guangzhou, China. A total of 40 VOC samples were conducted in four popular public commuting modes (subway, taxis, non-air-conditioned buses and air-conditioned buses) while traversing in urban areas of Guangzhou. Traffic-related VOCs (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m/p-xylene and o-xylene) were collected on adsorbent tubes and analyzed by thermal desorption (TD) and gas chromatography/mass-selective detector (GC/MSD) technique. The results indicate that commuter exposure to VOCs is greatly influenced by the choice of public transport. For the benzene measured, the mean exposure level in taxis (33.6 microg/m(3)) was the highest and was followed by air-conditioned buses (13.5 microg/m(3)) and non-air-conditioned buses (11.3 microg/m(3)). The exposure level in the subway (7.6 microg/m(3)) is clearly lower than that in roadway transports. The inter-microenvironment variations of other target compounds were similar to that of benzene. The target VOCs were well correlated to each other in all the measured transports. The concentration profile of the measured transport was also investigated and was found to be similar to each other. Based on the experiment results, the average B/T/E/X found in this study was about (1.0/4.3/0.7/1.4). In this study, the VOC levels measured in evening peak hours were only slightly higher than those in afternoon non-peak hours. This is due to the insignificant change of traffic volume on the measured routes between these two set times. The out-dated vehicle emission controls and slow-moving traffic conditions may be the major reasons leading elevated in-vehicle exposure level in some public commuting journeys.

Probabilistic seismic hazards: Guidelines and constraints in evaluating results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadigh, R.K.; Power, M.S.

1989-01-01

In conducting probabilistic seismic hazard analyses, consideration of the dispersion as well as the upper bounds on ground motion is of great significance. In particular, the truncation of ground motion levels at some upper limit would have a major influence on the computed hazard at the low-to-very-low probability levels. Additionally, other deterministic guidelines and constraints should be considered in evaluating the probabilistic seismic hazard results. In contrast to probabilistic seismic hazard evaluations, mean plus one standard deviation ground motions are typically used for deterministic estimates of ground motions from maximum events that may affect a structure. To be consistent with standard deterministic maximum estimates of ground motions values should be the highest level considered for the site. These maximum values should be associated with the largest possible event occurring at the site. Furthermore, the relationships between the ground motion level and probability of exceedance should reflect a transition from purely probabilistic assessments of ground motion at high probability levels where there are multiple chances for events to a deterministic upper bound ground motion at very low probability levels where there is very limited opportunity for maximum events to occur. In Interplate Regions, where the seismic sources may be characterized by a high-to-very-high rate of activity, the deterministic bounds will be approached or exceeded by the computer probabilistic hazard values at annual probability of exceedance levels typically as high as 10 -2 to 10 -3 . Thus, at these or lower values probability levels, probabilistically computed hazard values could be readily interpreted in the light of the deterministic constraints

Results of the psychiatric, select-out evaluation of US astronaut applications

Science.gov (United States)

Faulk, D. M.; Santy, P. A.; Holland, A. W.; Marsh, R.

1992-01-01

The psychiatric exclusion criteria for astronauts are based on NASA Medical Psychiatric Standards for space flight. Until recently, there were no standardized methods to evaluate disqualifying psychopathology in astronaut applicants. Method: One hundred and six astronaut applicants who had passed the intitial screening were evaluated for Axis 1 and Axis 2 DSM-3-R diagnoses using the NASA structured psychiatric interview. The interview consisted of three parts: (1) an unstructured portion for obtaining biographical and historical information, (2) the schedule for effective disorders-lifetime version (SASDL), specially modified to include all disqualifying Axis 1 mental disorders; and, (3) the personality assessment schedule (PAS) also modified to evaluate for Axis 2 disorders. Results: Nine of 106 candidates (8.5 percent) met diagnostic criteria for six Axis 1 disorders (including V code) or Axis 2 disorders. Two of these disorders were disqualifying for the applicants. 'Near' diagnoses (where applicants met at least 50 percent of the listed criteria) were assessed to demonstrate that clinicians using the interview were able to overcome applicants' reluctance to report symptomatomatology. Conclusion: The use of the NASA structured interview was effective in identifying past and present psychopathology in a group of highly motivated astronaut applicants. This was the first time a structured psychiatric interview had been used in such a setting for this purpose.

Evaluating the influential priority of the factors on insurance loss of public transit

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yongmin; Chen, Xinqiang

2018-01-01

Understanding correlation between influential factors and insurance losses is beneficial for insurers to accurately price and modify the bonus-malus system. Although there have been a certain number of achievements in insurance losses and claims modeling, limited efforts focus on exploring the relative role of accidents characteristics in insurance losses. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the influential priority of transit accidents attributes, such as the time, location and type of accidents. Based on the dataset from Washington State Transit Insurance Pool (WSTIP) in USA, we implement several key algorithms to achieve the objectives. First, K-means algorithm contributes to cluster the insurance loss data into 6 intervals; second, Grey Relational Analysis (GCA) model is applied to calculate grey relational grades of the influential factors in each interval; in addition, we implement Naive Bayes model to compute the posterior probability of factors values falling in each interval. The results show that the time, location and type of accidents significantly influence the insurance loss in the first five intervals, but their grey relational grades show no significantly difference. In the last interval which represents the highest insurance loss, the grey relational grade of the time is significant higher than that of the location and type of accidents. For each value of the time and location, the insurance loss most likely falls in the first and second intervals which refers to the lower loss. However, for accidents between buses and non-motorized road users, the probability of insurance loss falling in the interval 6 tends to be highest. PMID:29298337

49 CFR 571.403 - Standard No. 403; Platform lift systems for motor vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... the mobility aid or passenger rests while being raised or lowered. Platform lift means a level change... from ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. S5.6... lifts suitable for installation on buses, school buses, and MPVs other than motor homes with a GVWR...

Maxillofacial Surgery, FG Macigo, BDS, MPH, Senior Lecturer

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2007-06-01

Jun 1, 2007 ... leading vehicles primarily responsible for accidents followed by lorries, buses and taxis put together, and passenger service vehicles with a carrying capacity of between 9-30 people (matatus). For example, in. 2002, private salon cars were responsible for 6,931 accidents, lorries, buses and taxis 2,781 and ...

Commuters’ Exposure to Particulate Matter Air Pollution Is Affected by Mode of Transport, Fuel Type, and Route

Science.gov (United States)

Zuurbier, Moniek; Hoek, Gerard; Oldenwening, Marieke; Lenters, Virissa; Meliefste, Kees; van den Hazel, Peter; Brunekreef, Bert

2010-01-01

Background Commuters are exposed to high concentrations of air pollutants, but little quantitative information is currently available on differences in exposure between different modes of transport, routes, and fuel types. Objectives The aim of our study was to assess differences in commuters’ exposure to traffic-related air pollution related to transport mode, route, and fuel type. Methods We measured particle number counts (PNCs) and concentrations of PM2.5 (particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter), PM10, and soot between June 2007 and June 2008 on 47 weekdays, from 0800 to 1000 hours, in diesel and electric buses, gasoline- and diesel-fueled cars, and along two bicycle routes with different traffic intensities in Arnhem, the Netherlands. In addition, each-day measurements were taken at an urban background location. Results We found that median PNC exposures were highest in diesel buses (38,500 particles/cm3) and for cyclists along the high-traffic intensity route (46,600 particles/cm3) and lowest in electric buses (29,200 particles/cm3). Median PM10 exposure was highest from diesel buses (47 μg/m3) and lowest along the high- and low-traffic bicycle routes (39 and 37 μg/m3). The median soot exposure was highest in gasoline-fueled cars (9.0 × 10−5/m), diesel cars (7.9 × 10−5/m), and diesel buses (7.4 × 10−5/m) and lowest along the low-traffic bicycle route (4.9 × 10−5/m). Because the minute ventilation (volume of air per minute) of cyclists, which we estimated from measured heart rates, was twice the minute ventilation of car and bus passengers, we calculated that the inhaled air pollution doses were highest for cyclists. With the exception of PM10, we found that inhaled air pollution doses were lowest for electric bus passengers. Conclusions Commuters’ rush hour exposures were significantly influenced by mode of transport, route, and fuel type. PMID:20185385

The Best Project: bioethanol for sustainable transport and public policies to encourage the use of ethanol; O Projeto Best: bioetanol para o transporte sustentavel e as politicas publicas de incentivo ao uso do etanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Velazquez Gonzalez, Silvia Maria Stortini; Santos, Sandra Maria Apolinario; Moreira, Jose Roberto; Melo, Euler Hoffmann [Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Centro Nacional de Referencia em Biomassa (CENBIO), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2010-07-01

The usage of ethanol in buses is a reality in cities from Sweden, such as Stockholm. The technology of diesel bus adapted to operate with ethanol has been used in that country since 1985, with great success, mainly in the environmental point of view. With the intent of encouraging ethanol usage in urban public transportation aiming, among other goals, at the reduction of atmospheric pollution in the big urban centers, the BEST Project - BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport was created. Besides Sao Paulo (pioneer in the Americas), this project, encouraged by the European Union, counts with eight other cities located in Europe and Asia. In Brazil, the project was developed and coordinated by CENBIO - Brazilian Reference Center on Biomass, from the Electrotechnics and Energy Institute of USP. With the partnership of other institutions, the project is developed since 2007 and currently counts on two diesel buses adapted to operate with ethanol. The buses circulate in operatives from EMTU - Sao Paulo Metropolitan Company for Urban Transports, in the Jabaquara - Sao Mateus line, and in operative from SPTrans - Sao Paulo Transportations, in the Lapa - Vila Mariana corridor. This paper has as its purpose to present the BEST Project in Brazil, its partners and, mainly, the results from the demonstration tests performed in field, as well as the proposals of public policies that were elaborated and are being implemented. It is worth remembering that the technology of the buses pays attention to the EURO 5 strict emission Standards, a norm that was recently invigorated in Europe. (author)

Public library consumer health information pilot project: results of a National Library of Medicine evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, F B; Lyon, B; Schell, M B; Kitendaugh, P; Cid, V H; Siegel, E R

2000-10-01

In October 1998, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) launched a pilot project to learn about the role of public libraries in providing health information to the public and to generate information that would assist NLM and the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) in learning how best to work with public libraries in the future. Three regional medical libraries (RMLs), eight resource libraries, and forty-one public libraries or library systems from nine states and the District of Columbia were selected for participation. The pilot project included an evaluation component that was carried out in parallel with project implementation. The evaluation ran through September 1999. The results of the evaluation indicated that participating public librarians were enthusiastic about the training and information materials provided as part of the project and that many public libraries used the materials and conducted their own outreach to local communities and groups. Most libraries applied the modest funds to purchase additional Internet-accessible computers and/or upgrade their health-reference materials. However, few of the participating public libraries had health information centers (although health information was perceived as a top-ten or top-five topic of interest to patrons). Also, the project generated only minimal usage of NLM's consumer health database, known as MEDLINEplus, from the premises of the monitored libraries (patron usage from home or office locations was not tracked). The evaluation results suggested a balanced follow-up by NLM and the NN/LM, with a few carefully selected national activities, complemented by a package of targeted activities that, as of January 2000, are being planned, developed, or implemented. The results also highlighted the importance of building an evaluation component into projects like this one from the outset, to assure that objectives were met and that evaluative information was available on a timely basis, as was

NYC's experience with low-sulfur diesel and particulate traps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parsley, B. [New York City Transit Department of Buses, New York, NY (United States)

2001-07-01

The operation of the New York City Transit's (NYCT) Bus Department was reviewed with particular focus on program objectives and partners, results of field demonstrations, results of emissions testing, and future plans. NYCT operates a 4,489 bus fleet of diesel transit (3,516), diesel coach (380), diesel articulated (361), CNG transit (221) and hybrid transit (11) buses. This power point presentation presented the results of an evaluation of the particulate emissions reductions using Johnson Matthey's continuous regenerating technology (CRT) in conjunction with reduced sulfur diesel fuel. The applicability of the technology for both new 4-stroke and older 2-stroke diesel engines was also evaluated along with fuel parameters that can enhance future commercial success. New technology focuses on oxidation catalyst and wall-flow ceramic filters, as well as the reduction of sulfur diesel fuel. CRT success factors were presented. JM's project partners in this new technology are Corning, Equilon, and Environment Canada (which performs the emissions testing), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, RAD Energy, and MTA New York City Transit bus operations. A total of 50 buses have been equipped with the CRT system in Manhattan for over one year now. CRT was found to produce the following emissions reductions: 88-98 per cent reduction in CO, HC, PM, but no effect on NOx. CRT produced 70-99 per cent reduction in toxic emissions of PAH, NPAH, carbonyls and volatile organic compounds. CRT also produced 99 per cent reduction in particulate matter counts across all size ranges, including the smallest particles. Based on the success of the pilot program, NYCT has committed to implementing clean diesel technology fleet-wide and plans to retire all 2 stroke engines. 2 tabs., 12 figs.

Evaluation and perceived results of moral case deliberation: A mixed methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssens, Rien M J P A; van Zadelhoff, Ezra; van Loo, Ger; Widdershoven, Guy A M; Molewijk, Bert A C

2015-12-01

Moral case deliberation is increasingly becoming part of various Dutch healthcare organizations. Although some evaluation studies of moral case deliberation have been carried out, research into the results of moral case deliberation within aged care is scarce. How did participants evaluate moral case deliberation? What has moral case deliberation brought to them? What has moral case deliberation contributed to care practice? Should moral case deliberation be further implemented and, if so, how? Quantitative analysis of a questionnaire study among participants of moral case deliberation, both caregivers and team leaders. Qualitative analysis of written answers to open questions, interview study and focus group meetings among caregivers and team leaders. Caregivers and team leaders in a large organization for aged care in the Netherlands. A total of 61 moral case deliberation sessions, carried out on 16 care locations belonging to the organization, were evaluated and perceived results were assessed. Participants gave informed consent and anonymity was guaranteed. In the Netherlands, the law does not prescribe independent ethical review by an Institutional Review Board for this kind of research among healthcare professionals. Moral case deliberation was evaluated positively by the participants. Content and atmosphere of moral case deliberation received high scores, while organizational issues regarding the moral case deliberation sessions scored lower and merit further attention. Respondents indicated that moral case deliberation has the potential to contribute to care practice as relationships among team members improve, more openness is experienced and more understanding for different perspectives is fostered. If moral case deliberation is to be successfully implemented, top-down approaches should go hand in hand with bottom-up approaches. The relevance of moral case deliberation for care practice received wide acknowledgement from the respondents. It can contribute

A European neutron dosimetry intercomparison project (ENDIP). Results and evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broerse, J.J.; Burger, G.; Coppola, M.

1978-01-01

A total of twenty groups from nine countries participated in sessions of the European Neutron Dosimetry Intercomparison Project (ENDIP) which were held during 1975 at GSF, Munich-Neuherberg and TNO, Rijswijk. The data of all participants are collected, the analysis and evaluation of the results are given in the present report. Specific chapters deal with the experimental arrangements and monitoring results at GSF and TNO, characteristics of the dosimetry systems employed by the paticipating groups and the basic physical data and correction factors employed for the determination of kerma and absorbed dose. In general, the participants in ENDIP quote systematic uncertainties of 7 to 8% in the neutron and total kerma or absorbed dose, which are mainly attributed to inadequate knowledge of basic constants. The variations in the results obtained by different participants seem to be in accordance with the relative large systematic uncertainties quoted. In order to determine the influence of the use of different values for the physical parameters, the relative responses of the participants' dosimeters have also been compared. The variances of quoted kerma and dose values are of the same order of magnitude as those of instrument responses. This result indicates inconsistencies in experimental techniques employed by the participants for the determination of kerma and absorbed dose. A separate nonparametric analysis of the ENDIP results confirmed that there are considerable systematic differences. Recommendations for future studies on neutron dosimetry for biological and medical applications are given at the end of the report

Performance of school bus retrofit systems: ultrafine particles and other vehicular pollutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qunfang; Zhu, Yifang

2011-08-01

This study evaluated the performance of retrofit systems for diesel-powered school buses, a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) muffler and a spiracle crankcase filtration system (CFS), regarding ultrafine particles (UFPs) and other air pollutants from tailpipe emissions and inside bus cabins. Tailpipe emissions and in-cabin air pollutant levels were measured before and after retrofitting when the buses were idling and during actual pick-up/drop off routes. Retrofit systems significantly reduced tailpipe emissions with a reduction of 20-94% of total particles with both DOC and CFS installed. However, no unequivocal decrease was observed for in-cabin air pollutants after retrofitting. The AC/fan unit and the surrounding air pollutant concentrations played more important roles for determining the in-cabin air quality of school buses than did retrofit technologies. Although current retrofit systems reduce children's exposure while waiting to board at a bus station, retrofitting by itself does not protect children satisfactorily from in-cabin particle exposures. Turning on the bus engine increased in-cabin UFP levels significantly only when the wind blew from the bus' tailpipe toward its hood with its windows open. This indicated that wind direction and window position are significant factors determining how much self-released tailpipe emissions may penetrate into the bus cabin. The use of an air purifier was found to remove in-cabin particles by up to 50% which might be an alternative short-to-medium term strategy to protect children's health.

Inter ISO Market Coordination by Calculating Border Locational Marginal Prices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BABIC, A. B.

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper the methodology for solving Locational Marginal Price (LMP differences (inconsistency of LMPs that arise at the boundary buses between separate power markets is proposed. The algorithm developed enables us to obtain consistent LMP values at the boundary buses between interconnected ISOs. A Primal-Dual Interior Point based optimal power flow (OPF is applied, with complete set of power system physical limit constraints, to solve a regional spot market. The OPF is implemented such that producer and consumer behaviors are modeled simultaneously, while the welfare is maximized. In this paper a generalized methodology for multiple ISOs case is proposed and later it is practically applied on two interconnected independent entities. The algorithm for approximation of cost coefficients of generators and dispatchable loads for neighboring ISOs is proposed. The developed algorithm enables participating ISOs to obtain LMPs at the boundary buses with other interconnected ISOs. By controlling interchange of electric power at the scheduled level, regional spot markets are resolved eliminating possible exercise of market power by individual interconnected ISOs. Results of proposed methodology are tested on the IEEE 118-bus power system.

Buses at the crossroads

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1990-06-15

With demanding new physics data handling requirements on the horizon, the VMEbus Working Group of ESONE (the European Standards On Nuclear Electronics committee of European laboratories) organized a fruitful meeting entitled 'New Backplane Bus Architectures' at CERN in March.

Improving School Bus Safety. Transportation Research Board Special Report 222.

Science.gov (United States)

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Transportation Research Board.

While school buses transport more passengers per trip, the rate of occupant fatalities per mile driven for school buses is one-quarter that for passenger cars. Nevertheless, the public expects school districts and other school bus operators to take all reasonable precautions to protect children as they travel to and from school. Although a variety…

Innovative nuclear thermal propulsion technology evaluation: Results of the NASA/DOE Task Team study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howe, S.; Borowski, S.; Helms, I.; Diaz, N.; Anghaie, S.; Latham, T.

1991-01-01

In response to findings from two NASA/DOE nuclear propulsion workshops held in the summer of 1990, six task teams were formed to continue evaluation of various nuclear propulsion concepts. The Task Team on Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) created the Innovative Concepts Subpanel to evaluate thermal propulsion concepts which did not utilize solid fuel. The Subpanel endeavored to evaluate each of the concepts on a ''level technological playing field,'' and to identify critical technologies, issues, and early proof-of-concept experiments. The concepts included the liquid core fission, the gas core fission, the fission foil reactors, explosively driven systems, fusion, and antimatter. The results of the studies by the panel will be provided. 13 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs

Statistical evaluation of characteristic SDDLV-induced stress resultants to discriminate between undamaged and damaged elements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Lasse Majgaard; Johansen, Rasmus Johan; Ulriksen, Martin Dalgaard

2015-01-01

of modified characteristic stress resultants, which are compared to a pre-defined tolerance value, without any thorough statistical evaluation. In the present paper, it is tested whether three widely-used statistical pattern-recognition-based damage-detection methods can provide an effective statistical...... evaluation of the characteristic stress resultants, hence facilitating general discrimination between damaged and undamaged elements. The three detection methods in question enable outlier analysis on the basis of, respectively, Euclidian distance, Hotelling’s statistics, and Mahalanobis distance. The study...... alternately to an undamaged reference model with known stiffness matrix, hereby, theoretically, yielding characteristic stress resultants approaching zero in the damaged elements. At present, the discrimination between potentially damaged elements and undamaged ones is typically conducted on the basis...

The Sarah evaluation scale for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: description and results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katia S. Pinto

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Background Assessments of motor-functional aspects in cerebral palsy are crucial to rehabilitation programs. Objective To introduce the Sarah motor-functional evaluation scale and to report the initial results of its measurement properties. This scale was created based on the experience of the Sarah Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals in the care of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Method Preliminary results concerning the measurement properties of the scale were obtained via assessment of 76 children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Experts' opinions were used to determine an expected empirical score by age group and to differentiate severity levels. Results The scale exhibited a high Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (0.95. Strong correlation was observed with experts’ classification for severity levels (0.81 to 0.97 and with the scales Gross Motor Function Measure and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (0.80 to 0.98. Regression analysis detected a significant relationship between the scale score and the severity of the child’s motor impairment. The inter-rater reliability was also strong (intraclass correlation coefficient ranging from 0.98 to 0.99. The internal responsiveness of the scale score was confirmed by significant differences between longitudinal evaluations (paired Student’s t test with p<0.01; standardized response mean of 0.60. Conclusion The Sarah scale provides a valid measure for assessing the motor skills and functional performance of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. The preliminary results showed that the Sarah scale has potential for use in routine clinical practice and rehabilitation units.

Evaluation of late effects, esthetic results and quality of life after conservative treatment of breast cancer?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geffrelot, J.; Toudic-Emily, F.; Delozier, T.; Switsers, O.; Allouache, D.; Delcambre, C.; Segura, C.; Levy, C.; Dupont, M.; Joly, F.

2009-01-01

Purpose: to evaluate the delayed toxicity of two patterns of adjuvant radiotherapy including a breast irradiation, at the dose of 48 Gy in 20 seances and five weeks or 57.60 Gy in 24 seances and six weeks in case of majored factors of local recurrence risk. The secondary objective were the auto evaluation by the patient of the esthetic result and the influence of this last one on the quality of life. Conclusion: the delayed toxicity was dominated by the fibrosis low to moderated one, without any significant difference between the doses of 48 Gy and 57.60 Gy. The esthetic result evaluated by the patient, globally good, seemed however, damaged with the last pattern. A bad esthetic result, without affected the global quality of life was associated to more specific breast symptoms and damaged the perception of the body image. (N.C.)

Non-Destructive Evaluation Method Based On Dynamic Invariant Stress Resultants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Junchi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Most of the vibration based damage detection methods are based on changes in frequencies, mode shapes, mode shape curvature, and flexibilities. These methods are limited and typically can only detect the presence and location of damage. Current methods seldom can identify the exact severity of damage to structures. This paper will present research in the development of a new non-destructive evaluation method to identify the existence, location, and severity of damage for structural systems. The method utilizes the concept of invariant stress resultants (ISR. The basic concept of ISR is that at any given cross section the resultant internal force distribution in a structural member is not affected by the inflicted damage. The method utilizes dynamic analysis of the structure to simulate direct measurements of acceleration, velocity and displacement simultaneously. The proposed dynamic ISR method is developed and utilized to detect the damage of corresponding changes in mass, damping and stiffness. The objectives of this research are to develop the basic theory of the dynamic ISR method, apply it to the specific types of structures, and verify the accuracy of the developed theory. Numerical results that demonstrate the application of the method will reflect the advanced sensitivity and accuracy in characterizing multiple damage locations.

77 FR 70538 - Final Decision That Certain Canadian-Certified Vehicles Are Eligible for Importation

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-26

.... 126 for all passenger cars and all multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses with a GVWR of 4... vehicles, U.S. Standard Canadian standard Passenger cars trucks, and buses with a GVWR of 4,536 kg (10,000... Protection. CMVSS 214--Side Door X X Strength. FMVSS 222--School Bus Passenger CMVSS 222--School Bus School...

Information letter on industrial and commercial applications of electrical equipment; La lettre des applications industrielles et tertiaires du materiel electrique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

This issue of Electricite de France research department newsletter, is composed of three articles, which titles and themes are: series reactance, a solution for the optimization of alternating current arc furnace performances; from industrial field buses to smart building field buses, owing to EDF testing; new methods for the voltage drop desensitization of frequency converters for asynchronous machines

Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Hampshire Transportation Data for

Science.gov (United States)

Private Biodiesel (B20 and above) 1 3 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) 3 1 Electric 80 20 Ethanol (E85) 0 0 YouTube Video thumbnail for New Hampshire Cleans up with Biodiesel Buses New Hampshire Cleans up with Biodiesel Buses May 26, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/embed/9Qq-Leiujjk Video thumbnail for New Hampshire

Test results evaluation: Pilot evaluations Deliverable no D6.5. Final draft

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoedemaeker, D.M.; Dangelmaier, M.; Gelau, C.; Mattes, S.; Montanari, R.

2003-01-01

This deliverable describes the User Centred Design approach that has been adopted within the COMUNICAR project. In this design approach several iterative steps were taken to design and evaluate the multimedia Human Machine Interface that is able to manage all the information exchanges between the

242Pu: Preliminary evaluation with consideration of 240Pu, and some sensitivity results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jary, J.; Lagrange, C.; Philis, C.

1978-01-01

A preliminary evaluation of 242 Pu nuclear data is presented for the neutron energy range from 10 keV to 20 MeV. The fission cross section is based upon recent experimental measurements on 242 Pu. The remaining cross sections have been calculated using various nuclear models with parameters obtained mainly by both fits on 240 Pu experimental data and general reflexions on the actinides. Particular care has been taken of the direct interactions. The laws of secondary neutron energy spectra and the average number of neutrons produced per fission have been evaluated. The results have been placed in ENDF/BIV format and combined with the low energy region of ENDF/BIV MAT = 1161 data to make complete the evaluation over the whole energy range 10 -5 eV - 20 MeV. Finally, the sensitivities of some of these nuclear data available for reactor calculations are given in terms of the variation of the calculated critical masses

Benchmarking Evaluation Results for Prototype Extravehicular Activity Gloves

Science.gov (United States)

Aitchison, Lindsay; McFarland, Shane

2012-01-01

subjects representing the design ]to hand anthropometry completed range of motion, grip/pinch strength, dexterity, and fit evaluations for each glove design in both the unpressurized and pressurized conditions. This paper provides a comparison of the test results along with a detailed description of hardware and test methodologies used.

Cosmetic Evaluation of long term results following intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) of conservative surgery for breast carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fussl, C. M.

2009-01-01

Introduction In breast conserving therapy (BCT) of breast cancer, cosmetic results have become next to tumor-related outcome parameters a criterion of increasing awareness. The aim of this study is the evaluation of long term cosmetic results after conservative surgery and intraoperative radiotherapy with 10 Gy electrons (IOERT), followed by whole breast radiotherapy (WBRT) with 50-54 Gy. Patients and Methods From October 1998 to October 2005, 818 patients (median age 57.89 years) were treated by IOERT during breast conserving surgery, 12 of them for bilateral cancer. 32 patients were referred to mastectomy within primary treatment, 50 were reported as dead at the beginning of the study, 4 patients had developed an in-breast-recurrence and had been salvaged by secondary mastectomy, and in 41 cases an intercurrent dissemination was noted. All 679 remaining patients were invited in written form to participate in the cosmesis study. 403 of them (59.4%) have answered and were object of the evaluation (August 2006 to April 2007). To provide reproducible examination conditions, a standardized photo-documentation in four positions (frontal, loose-hanging and elevated arms; left and right lateral, elevated arms) was accomplished. Patients and treating physicians evaluated the cosmetic results separately within a 5-point-score (Excellent, Good, Moderate, Bad, Complications). Patient-, tumor- and treatment-related factors were investigated with regard to possible impact on the cosmetic outcome in all patients (group 1). A separate subgroup analysis was carried out for 261 patients with a follow-up of at least three years after completion of local treatment (group 2). For computation of the statistic correlation between the variables and the cosmetic evaluation the rank correlation coefficients Kendall's τ Spearman's ρ were used. A correlation is significant below a p-value of 0.05. Results The self-assessment of the patients in group 1 yielded around 69% excellent, 25

Reusable Rack Interface Controller Common Software for Various Science Research Racks on the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, George C.

2003-01-01

The purpose of the EXPRESS (Expedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station) rack project is to provide a set of predefined interfaces for scientific payloads which allow rapid integration into a payload rack on International Space Station (ISS). VxWorks' was selected as the operating system for the rack and payload resource controller, primarily based on the proliferation of VME (Versa Module Eurocard) products. These products provide needed flexibility for future hardware upgrades to meet everchanging science research rack configuration requirements. On the International Space Station, there are multiple science research rack configurations, including: 1) Human Research Facility (HRF); 2) EXPRESS ARIS (Active Rack Isolation System); 3) WORF (Window Observational Research Facility); and 4) HHR (Habitat Holding Rack). The RIC (Rack Interface Controller) connects payloads to the ISS bus architecture for data transfer between the payload and ground control. The RIC is a general purpose embedded computer which supports multiple communication protocols, including fiber optic communication buses, Ethernet buses, EIA-422, Mil-Std-1553 buses, SMPTE (Society Motion Picture Television Engineers)-170M video, and audio interfaces to payloads and the ISS. As a cost saving and software reliability strategy, the Boeing Payload Software Organization developed reusable common software where appropriate. These reusable modules included a set of low-level driver software interfaces to 1553B. RS232, RS422, Ethernet buses, HRDL (High Rate Data Link), video switch functionality, telemetry processing, and executive software hosted on the FUC computer. These drivers formed the basis for software development of the HRF, EXPRESS, EXPRESS ARIS, WORF, and HHR RIC executable modules. The reusable RIC common software has provided extensive benefits, including: 1) Significant reduction in development flow time; 2) Minimal rework and maintenance; 3) Improved reliability; and 4) Overall

Stokes polarimetry probe for skin lesion evaluation: preliminary results

Science.gov (United States)

Louie, Daniel C.; Tchvialeva, Lioudmilla; Kalia, Sunil; Lui, Harvey; Lee, Tim K.

2018-02-01

This paper reports on the design of a prototype in-vivo Stokes polarimetry probe for skin lesion evaluation, and preliminary results from skin phantom and clinical trials of this device. The probe releases a single millisecond-long pulse from a laser diode with either linear or circular polarization. It then captures the resulting backscattered far-field polarization speckle and calculates the Stokes parameters. This probe was designed with three novel innovations in mind. First, the Stokes vector is captured quickly, using low-cost components without the use of moving parts. Second, a compact collimated laser diode was used as the light source. Third, the device and detector geometry were designed to produce and capture a uniform speckle field. In the first clinical trial of this device, measurements were taken from a variety of skin lesions, both cancerous and benign. The Stokes vector was measured and used to calculate the degree of polarization (DOP), the azimuth angle, and the ellipticity angle of the polarization ellipse for two input light polarizations. Among other findings, the DOP for circular polarized input light was consistently lower than the DOP for linear polarized input light. These findings indicate the potential for a fast and low-cost in-vivo skin cancer screening tool, and encourages the continuing development of this probe's techniques.

Role and Evaluation of Interlaboratory Comparison Results in Laboratory Accreditation

Science.gov (United States)

Bode, P.

2008-08-01

Participation in interlaboratory comparisons provides laboratories an opportunity for independent assessment of their analytical performance, both in absolute way and in comparison with those by other techniques. However, such comparisons are hindered by differences in the way laboratories participate, e.g. at best measurement capability or under routine conditions. Neutron activation analysis laboratories, determining total mass fractions, often see themselves classified as `outliers' since the majority of other participants employ techniques with incomplete digestion methods. These considerations are discussed in relation to the way results from interlaboratory comparisons are evaluated by accreditation bodies following the requirements of Clause 5.9.1 of the ISO/IEC 17025:2005. The discussion and conclusions come largely forth from experiences in the author's own laboratory.

[Reliability for detection of developmental problems using the semaphore from the Child Development Evaluation test: Is a yellow result different from a red result?

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzoli-Córdoba, Antonio; Ortega-Ríosvelasco, Fernando; Villasís-Keever, Miguel Ángel; Pizarro-Castellanos, Mariel; Buenrostro-Márquez, Guillermo; Aceves-Villagrán, Daniel; O'Shea-Cuevas, Gabriel; Muñoz-Hernández, Onofre

The Child Development Evaluation (CDE) is a screening tool designed and validated in Mexico for detecting developmental problems. The result is expressed through a semaphore. In the CDE test, both yellow and red results are considered positive, although a different intervention is proposed for each. The aim of this work was to evaluate the reliability of the CDE test to discriminate between children with yellow/red result based on the developmental domain quotient (DDQ) obtained through the Battelle Development Inventory, 2nd edition (in Spanish) (BDI-2). The information was obtained for the study from the validation. Children with a normal (green) result in the CDE were excluded. Two different cut-off points of the DDQ were used (BDI-2): social: 20.1% vs. 28.9%; and adaptive: 6.9% vs. 20.4%. The semaphore result yellow/red allows identifying different magnitudes of delay in developmental domains or subdomains, supporting the recommendation of different interventions for each one. Copyright © 2014 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

Public availability of results of observational studies evaluating an intervention registered at ClinicalTrials.gov.

Science.gov (United States)

Baudart, Marie; Ravaud, Philippe; Baron, Gabriel; Dechartres, Agnes; Haneef, Romana; Boutron, Isabelle

2016-01-28

Observational studies are essential for assessing safety. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether results of observational studies evaluating an intervention with safety outcome(s) registered at ClinicalTrials.gov were published and, if not, whether they were available through posting on ClinicalTrials.gov or the sponsor website. We identified a cohort of observational studies with safety outcome(s) registered on ClinicalTrials.gov after October 1, 2007, and completed between October 1, 2007, and December 31, 2011. We systematically searched PubMed for a publication, as well as ClinicalTrials.gov and the sponsor website for results. The main outcomes were the time to the first publication in journals and to the first public availability of the study results (i.e. published or posted on ClinicalTrials.gov or the sponsor website). For all studies with results publicly available, we evaluated the completeness of reporting (i.e. reported with the number of events per arm) of safety outcomes. We identified 489 studies; 334 (68%) were partially or completely funded by industry. Results for only 189 (39%, i.e. 65% of the total target number of participants) were published at least 30 months after the study completion. When searching other data sources, we obtained the results for 53% (n = 158; i.e. 93% of the total target number of participants) of unpublished studies; 31% (n = 94) were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov and 21% (n = 64) on the sponsor website. As compared with non-industry-funded studies, industry-funded study results were less likely to be published but not less likely to be publicly available. Of the 242 studies with a primary outcome recorded as a safety issue, all these outcomes were adequately reported in 86% (114/133) when available in a publication, 91% (62/68) when available on ClinicalTrials.gov, and 80% (33/41) when available on the sponsor website. Only 39% of observational studies evaluating an intervention with safety outcome

Passenger thermal perceptions, thermal comfort requirements, and adaptations in short- and long-haul vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Tzu-Ping; Hwang, Ruey-Lung; Huang, Kuo-Tsang; Sun, Chen-Yi; Huang, Ying-Che

2010-05-01

While thermal comfort in mass transportation vehicles is relevant to service quality and energy consumption, benchmarks for such comfort that reflect the thermal adaptations of passengers are currently lacking. This study reports a field experiment involving simultaneous physical measurements and a questionnaire survey, collecting data from 2,129 respondents, that evaluated thermal comfort in short- and long-haul buses and trains. Experimental results indicate that high air temperature, strong solar radiation, and low air movement explain why passengers feel thermally uncomfortable. The overall insulation of clothing worn by passengers and thermal adaptive behaviour in vehicles differ from those in their living and working spaces. Passengers in short-haul vehicles habitually adjust the air outlets to increase thermal comfort, while passengers in long-haul vehicles prefer to draw the drapes to reduce discomfort from extended exposure to solar radiation. The neutral temperatures for short- and long-haul vehicles are 26.2 degrees C and 27.4 degrees C, while the comfort zones are 22.4-28.9 degrees C and 22.4-30.1 degrees C, respectively. The results of this study provide a valuable reference for practitioners involved in determining the adequate control and management of in-vehicle thermal environments, as well as facilitating design of buses and trains, ultimately contributing to efforts to achieve a balance between the thermal comfort satisfaction of passengers and energy conserving measures for air-conditioning in mass transportation vehicles.

The effects of solar-geomagnetically induced currents on electrical systems in nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subudhi, M.; Carroll, D.P.; Kasturi, S.

1994-01-01

This report presents the results of a study to evaluate the potential effects of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) caused by the solar disturbances on the in-plant electrical distribution system and equipment in nuclear power stations. The plant-specific electrical distribution system for a typical nuclear plant is modeled using the ElectroMagnetic Transient Program (EMTP). The computer model simulates online equipment and loads from the station transformer in the switchyard of the power station to the safety-buses at 120 volts to which all electronic devices are connected for plant monitoring. The analytical model of the plant's electrical distribution system is studied to identify the transient effects caused by the half-cycle saturation of the station transformers due to GIC. This study provides results of the voltage harmonics levels that have been noted at various electrical buses inside the plant. The emergency circuits appear to be more susceptible to high harmonics due to the normally light load conditions. In addition to steady-state analysis, this model was further analyzed simulating various plant transient conditions (e.g., loss of load or large motor start-up) occurring during GIC events. Detail models of the plant's protective relaying system employed in bus transfer application were included in this model to study the effects of the harmonic distortion of the voltage input. Potential harmonic effects on the uniterruptable power system (UPS) are qualitatively discussed as well

Thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy and evaluation of its results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatih Taşkesen

2011-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, we aim to evaluate obstetric outcomes of the women with thyroid dysfunction than the normal pregnant women.Materials and methos: In our study, 633 women between the ages of 18 to 35 who admitted to Kovancılar State Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic for pregnancy follow-up between January 2010 and January 2011 were evaluated. Serum thyroid - stimulating hormones (TSH, free tri-iyodotironin (T3, free thyroxine (T4 levels for all patients were studied. Antithyroidal peroxidase (anti-TPO and Anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg parameters were measured if they were necessary. The relationship between thyroid functions and complications such as eclampsia, preeclampsia, maternal anemia, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal anomalies, shoulder dystocia, neonatal hypoglycemia was examined.Results: Hypothyroidism was found 18 of cases and hyperthyroidism was found 4 of them. The mean age of patients in the study was 26.42 (± 8.42. The mean values were 1.86 ± 0.19 μIU/mL for TSH, 1.15 ± 0.29 ng/mL for free T4 and 2.90 ± 0.31 pg/mL for free T3 respectively. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (9 cases, 50 % was the most frequent etiology for patients with hypothyroidism. Other etiologic factors for hypothyroidism were found to be for 4 cases as (22.2%, iatrogenic (previously undergone thyroidectomy and 5 cases as (37.8% a lack of iodine. Maternal anemia was observed in 5 (27.78% cases with hypothyroidism. Preeclampsia was observed 16.67% in patients with hypothyroidism.Conclusion: Observed thyroid dysfunction in pregnant women may cause serious maternal and fetal complications. For disorders of thyroid function during pregnancy, to provide the necessary treatment at the appropriate time is important to prevent complications of mother and fetus. J Clin Exp Invest 2011;2(2:196-201

BEST Project: bioethanol for sustainable transportation; Projeto BEST: bioetanol para o transporte sustentavel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreira, J R; Velazquez, S M.S.G.; Apolinario, S M; Melo, E H; Elmadjian, P H [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IEE/CENBIO/USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Eletrotecnica e Energia. Centro Nacional de Referencia em Biomassa

2008-07-01

The BEST Project BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport aims to promote the ethanol usage, replacing diesel, in the urban public transport in Brazil and worldwide. Apart from Sao Paulo, leading city in the Americas, another eight cities located in Europe and Asia takes part in the project. One of the Brazilian project's goals is to evaluate ethanol usage as diesel fuel replacement in public transport buses by comparatively following the operational output of the experimental fleet, taking as reference an equivalent diesel bus. The utilized test vehicles will be evaluated and monitored to demonstrate ethanol energetic efficiency and, after the results the BEST project and the European Union will set a blue print for public policies to incentive ethanol usage in the urban public transport. The results will allow identifying technical and economical barriers that will eventually overlap the viability process of this technology in the Brazilian public transport. (author)

Comparison of evaluation results of piping thermal fatigue evaluation method based on equivalent stress amplitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Takafumi; Kasahara, Naoto

2012-01-01

In recent years, reports have increased about failure cases caused by high cycle thermal fatigue both at light water reactors and fast breeder reactors. One of the reasons of the cases is a turbulent mixing at a Tee-junction, where hot and cold temperature fluids are mixed, in a coolant system. In order to prevent thermal fatigue failures at Tee-junctions. The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers published the guideline which is an evaluation method of high cycle thermal fatigue damage at nuclear pipes. In order to justify safety margin and make the procedure of the guideline concise, this paper proposes a new evaluation method of thermal fatigue damage with use of the 'equivalent stress amplitude.' Because this new method makes procedure of evaluation clear and concise, it will contribute to improving the guideline for thermal fatigue evaluation. (author)

The Use of Collaborative Midterm Student Evaluations to Provide Actionable Results

Science.gov (United States)

Veeck, Ann; O'Reilly, Kelley; MacMillan, Amy; Yu, Hongyan

2016-01-01

Midterm student evaluations have been shown to be beneficial for providing formative feedback for course improvement. With the purpose of improving instruction in marketing courses, this research introduces and evaluates a novel form of midterm student evaluation of teaching: the online collaborative evaluation. Working in small teams, students…

Piloted Simulator Evaluation Results of Flight Physics Based Stall Recovery Guidance

Science.gov (United States)

Lombaerts, Thomas; Schuet, Stefan; Stepanyan, Vahram; Kaneshige, John; Hardy, Gordon; Shish, Kimberlee; Robinson, Peter

2018-01-01

In recent studies, it has been observed that loss of control in flight is the most frequent primary cause of accidents. A significant share of accidents in this category can be remedied by upset prevention if possible, and by upset recovery if necessary, in this order of priorities. One of the most important upsets to be recovered from is stall. Recent accidents have shown that a correct stall recovery maneuver remains a big challenge in civil aviation, partly due to a lack of pilot training. A possible strategy to support the flight crew in this demanding context is calculating a recovery guidance signal, and showing this signal in an intuitive way on one of the cockpit displays, for example by means of the flight director. Different methods for calculating the recovery signal, one based on fast model predictive control and another using an energy based approach, have been evaluated in four relevant operational scenarios by experienced commercial as well as test pilots in the Vertical Motion Simulator at NASA Ames Research Center. Evaluation results show that this approach could be able to assist the pilots in executing a correct stall recovery maneuver.

The Results of a Randomized Control Trial Evaluation of the SPARK Literacy Program

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Curtis J.; Christian, Michael; Rice, Andrew

2016-01-01

The purpose of this report is to present the results of a two-year randomized control trial evaluation of the SPARK literacy program. SPARK is an early grade literacy program developed by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. In 2010, SPARK was awarded an Investing in Innovation (i3) Department of Education grant to further develop the…

Impact of Spanish electricity mix, over the period 2008–2030, on the Life Cycle energy consumption and GHG emissions of Electric, Hybrid Diesel-Electric, Fuel Cell Hybrid and Diesel Bus of the Madrid Transportation System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

García Sánchez, Juan Antonio; López Martínez, José María; Lumbreras Martín, Julio; Flores Holgado, María Nuria; Aguilar Morales, Hansel

2013-01-01

Highlights: • We assess the performance of 4 buses that run on different alternative fuel types and technologies. • The buses assessed are Fuel Cell-Hybrid Bus, Hybrid Diesel-Electric Bus, Battery Electric Bus, and a Diesel Bus. • We examine the environmental impact caused by the Life Cycle of each vehicle technology, fossil fuel and energy carrier. • Life Cycle of Battery Electric Bus shows that it has a big potential of improvement in terms of environmental impact. - Abstract: In spite of the advanced research in automotive technology, and the improvement of fuels, the road transport sector continues to be an environmental concern, since the increase in transport demand is offsetting the effects of these technological improvements. Therefore, this poses the following question: what combination of technology and fuel is more efficient in terms of energy consumption and green house gas (GHG) emissions? To fully address this question it is necessary to carry out a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This paper presents a global LCA of 4 buses that run on the following fuel types and technologies: (1) Fuel Cell- Hybrid Bus, (2) Hybrid Diesel-Electric Bus (series configuration), (3) Battery Electric Bus and (4) Combustion Ignition Engine Bus. The impact categories assessed are: primary energy consumption, fossil energy and GHG emissions. Among the principal results, we can conclude that the Global LCA of buses (3) and (1) (which are the more sensitive pathways to the electricity mix variation) have for the 2008–2030 period a room for improvement of 25.62% and 28.16% in terms of efficiency of fossil energy consumption and a potential GHG emission reduction of 28.70% and 30.88% respectively

Assessment on the occupational exposure of urban public bus drivers to bioaccessible trace metals through resuspended fraction of settled bus dust

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Peng [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090 (China); Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Liu, Sa [Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-7360 (United States); Ye, Wenyuan [Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 46, B-3001 Heverlee (Belgium); Lin, Nan; Meng, Ping [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090 (China); Feng, Yujie, E-mail: yujief@hit.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090 (China); Zhang, Zhaohan; Cui, Fuyi; Lu, Binyu [State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, No. 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin 150090 (China); Xing, Baoshan [Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

2015-03-01

Limited information is available on the bioaccessible fraction of trace metals in the resuspended fraction of settled bus dust in order to estimate bus drivers ' occupational exposure. In this study, 45 resuspended fraction of settled dust samples were collected from gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG) powered buses and analyzed for trace metals and their fraction concentrations using a three-step sequential extraction procedure. Experimental results showed that zinc (Zn) had the greatest bioaccessible fraction, recorded as an average of 608.53 mg/kg, followed in order of decreasing concentration by 129.80 mg/kg lead (Pb), 56.77 mg/kg copper (Cu), 34.03 mg/kg chromium (Cr), 22.05 mg/kg nickel (Ni), 13.17 mg/kg arsenic (As) and 2.77 mg/kg cadmium (Cd). Among the three settled bus dust exposure pathways, ingestion was the main route. Total exposure hazard index (HIt) for non-carcinogenic effect trace metals was lower than the safety level of 1. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for drivers was estimated for trace metal exposure. Pb and Ni presented relatively high potential risks in the non-carcinogenic and potentially carcinogenic health assessment for all drivers. ILCR was in the range of 1.84E − 05 to 7.37E − 05 and 1.74E − 05 to 6.95E − 05 for gasoline and CNG buses, respectively. - Highlights: • As, Cd and Ni had relatively higher bioaccessibility and mobility in the resuspended fraction of settled bus dust. • Bioaccessible metal concentrations were higher in gasoline-fueled buses than those in CNG-fueled buses. • The carcinogenic risk probabilities to drivers were around the acceptable level.

A Framework for Assessing Feasibility of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Project Sites

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

After the Second World War, the United States saw a decline in ridership on transit systems, which eventually resulted in the dismantling and abandonment of many rail systems. The primary mode of public transportation shifted from transit to buses. I...

A summary of design, policies and operational characteristics for shared bicycle/bus lanes.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-01

This report contains the results of an investigation of the design and operation of shared bicycle/bus lanes in municipalities in the United States and other countries. These lanes are designated for use by public transit buses, bicycles, and usually...

Molecular dynamics studies of actinide nitrides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurosaki, Ken; Uno, Masayoshi; Yamanaka, Shinsuke; Minato, Kazuo

2004-01-01

The molecular dynamics (MD) calculation was performed for actinide nitrides (UN, NpN, and PuN) in the temperature range from 300 to 2800 K to evaluate the physical properties viz., the lattice parameter, thermal expansion coefficient, compressibility, and heat capacity. The Morse-type potential function added to the Busing-Ida type potential was employed for the ionic interactions. The interatomic potential parameters were determined by fitting to the experimental data of the lattice parameter. The usefulness and applicability of the MD method to evaluate the physical properties of actinide nitrides were studied. (author)

Computer evaluation of the results of batch fermentations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nyeste, L; Sevella, B

1980-01-01

A useful aid to the mathematical modeling of fermentation systems, for the kinetic evaluation of batch fermentations, is described. The generalized logistic equation may be used to describe the growth curves, substrate consumption, and product formation. A computer process was developed to fit the equation to experimental points, automatically determining the equation constants on the basis of the iteration algorithm of the method of non-linear least squares. By fitting the process to different master programs of various fermentations, the complex kinetic evaluation of fermentations becomes possible. Based on the analysis easily treatable generalized logistic equation, it is possible to calculate by computer different kinetic characteristics, e.g. rates, special rates, yields, etc. The possibility of committing subjective errors was reduced to a minimum. Employment of the method is demonstrated on some fermentation processes and problems arising in the course of application are discussed.

Intercomparison of air ion spectrometers: an evaluation of results in varying conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Gagné

2011-05-01

Full Text Available We evaluated 11 air ion spectrometers from Airel Ltd. after they had spent one year in field measurements as a part of the EUCAARI project: 5 Air Ion Spectrometers (AIS, 5 Neutral cluster and Air Ion Spectrometers (NAIS and one Airborne NAIS (ANAIS. This is the first time that an ANAIS is evaluated and compared so extensively. The ion spectrometers' mobility and concentration accuracy was evaluated. Their measurements of ambient air were compared between themselves and to reference instruments: a Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (DMPS, a Balanced Scanning Mobility Analyzer (BSMA, and an Ion-DMPS. We report on the simultaneous measurement of a new particle formation (NPF event by all 11 instruments and the 3 reference instruments. To our knowledge, it is the first time that the size distribution of ions and particles is measured by so many ion spectrometers during a NPF event. The new particle formation rates (~0.2 cm⁻³ s⁻¹ for ions and ~2 cm⁻³ s⁻¹ for particles and growth rates (~25 nm h⁻¹ in the 3–7 nm size range were calculated for all the instruments. The NAISs and the ANAIS gave higher concentrations and formation rates than the AISs. For example, the AISs agreed with the BSMA within 11 % and 28 % for negative and positive ion concentration respectively, whereas the NAISs agreed within 23 % and 29 %. Finally, based on the results presented here, we give guidelines for data evaluation, when data from different individual ion spectrometers are compared.

Airport surface moving map displays: OpEval-2 evaluation results and future plans

Science.gov (United States)

Livack, Garret; McDaniel, James I.; Battiste, Vernol

2001-08-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in cooperation with the Cargo Airline Association (CAA) and three of its member airlines (Airborne Express, Federal Express, and United Parcel Service), have embarked upon an aggressive yet phased approach to introduce new Free Flight-enabling technologies into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). General aviation is also actively involved, represented primarily by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). These new technologies being evaluated include advanced cockpit avionics and a complimentary ground infrastructure. In support of this initiative, a series of operational evaluations (OpEvals) have been conducted or are planned. The OpEvals have evaluated in-flight as well as airport surface movement applications. Results from the second OpEval, conducted at Louisville, Kentucky in October 2000, indicated that runway incursions might be significantly reduced with the introduction of a cockpit-based moving map system derived from emerging technologies. An additional OpEval is planned to evaluate the utility of an integrated cockpit and airport surface architecture that provides enhanced pilot and controller awareness of airport surface operations. It is believed that the combination of such an airborne and a ground-based system best addresses many of the safety issues surrounding airport surface operations. Such a combined system would provide both flight crews and controllers with a common awareness, or shared picture of airport surface operations.

Development of A Hydraulic Drive for a novel Diesel-Hydraulic system for Large commercial Vehicles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stecki, J. S.; Conrad, Finn; Matheson, P.

2002-01-01

The objectives and results of the research project Hybrid Diesel-Hydraulic System for Large commercial vehicles, e.g. urban freight delivery, buses or garbage trucks. The paper presents and discusses the research and development of the system, modelling approach and results from preliminary...... performance tests on a 10 ton vehicle....

[Sexual disorders in epilepsy. Results of a multidisciplinary evaluation].

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, H C; Carvalho, M J; Jorge, C L; Cunha Neto, M B; Goes, P M; Yacubian, E M

1999-09-01

Eleven epileptic men who complained of epilepsy and sexual dysfunction were submitted to a multidisciplinary evaluation. Mean age was 27 years (20-34), mean epilepsy duration was 19 years (0.5-32) and the mean seizure frequency was two by week (0-7). Ten patients had partial seizures and one other had myoclonic epilepsy. Ten patients were treated with antiepileptic drugs (phenytoin--1, carbamazepine--8, clonazepam--3, clobazam--2, valproic acid--3, vigabatrin--1). As defined in the DSM III-R, the complaints were: erectile disorder (9), hypoactive sexual desire disorder (4), frotteurism (4), inhibited orgasm (3), premature ejaculation (3), fetishism (2), voyeurism (2), exhibitionism (2), pedophilia (1) and sexual aversion disorder (1). Two patients showed hypogonadotropic hypogonadism on endocrinologic screening. Urological evaluation disclosed organic erectile dysfunction in other two. One patient had a diagnosis of psychogenic sexual disorder. In six patients a conclusive etiologic diagnosis was not reached. This report shows the multifactorial nature of sexual disorder in epilepsy and underlies the need of a multidisciplinar evaluation.

Evaluating the Dynamics of Aircraft Crew Skill Development by Using the Results of Discrete Exercise Marking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lešinskis Aloizs

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Aircraft crew training corresponds to the interactive learning models of sensorimotor skill acquisition, and the dynamics of skill acquirement can be approximated by the exponential trend. A model of 5-grade assessment of separate exercises is offered. It helps to calculate a resulting evaluation, in accordance with which the progress level of a discrete exercise is evaluated. Such an evaluation forms one of the points for the analytical construction of a learning curve using the Gaussian method. Possible applications of the learning curve are covered.

Fuzzy usage pattern in customizing public transport fleet and its maintenance options

Science.gov (United States)

Husniah, H.; Herdiani, L.; Kusmaya; Supriatna, A. K.

2018-05-01

In this paper we study a two-dimensional maintenance contract for a fleet of public transport, such as buses, shuttle etc. The buses are sold with a two-dimensional warranty. The warranty and the maintenance contract are characterized by two parameters – age and usage – which define a two-dimensional region. However, we use one dimensional approach to model these age and usage of the buses. The under-laying maintenance service contracts is the one which offers policy limit cost to protect a service provider (an agent) from over claim and to pursue the owner to do maintenance under specified cost in house. This in turn gives benefit for both the owner of the buses and the agent of service contract. The decision problem for an agent is to determine the optimal price for each option offered, and for the owner is to select the best contract option. We use a Nash game theory formulation in order to obtain a win-win solution – i.e. the optimal price for the agent and the optimal option for the owner. We further assume that there will be three different usage pattern of the buses, i.e. low, medium, and high pattern of the usage rate. In many situations it is often that we face a blur boundary between the adjacent patterns. In this paper we look for the optimal price for the agent and the optimal option for the owner, which minimizes the expected total cost while considering the fuzziness of the usage rate pattern.

The California experience : lessons learned and prospects for the future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levin, J. [AC Transit, Oakland, CA (United States)

2007-07-01

AC Transit operates 650 hydrogen-powered mass transit buses that serve 1.5 million people in 13 cities in California. This presentation discussed the impact of the buses on public health, quality of life and cost savings. Hydrogen has been touted as a diversified and renewable energy supply that can provide energy independence and reduction in global warming. Mass transit systems have proven to be well suited for testing the limits of hydrogen-powered vehicles primarily because of the centralized fueling and maintenance structure. AC Transit began ZEbus testing in November 1999 and became involved in the California Fuel Cell Partnership in 2000. The NeBus test was performed in 2000, followed by the ISE/UTC Thor Bus in 2003/2004. The governor's inauguration of the zero emission buses was in January 2007. The lessons learned from the California experience were: (1) motivation must be for the right reason, (2) a champion is required, (3) community and political support is required, (4) capital investment is required, (5) a strong management team is required, (6) partners must be chosen wisely, (7) the end user or customer must be allowed to drive the design, (8) inform the public about plans, (9) evaluation is essential to industry-wide application, (10) all resources must be considered for outreach and education, (11) optimism is required to surpass challenges, (12) the technology should be promoted for future generations. The presentation concluded with comments on market value of hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles, their fuel efficiency, reliability and durability. tabs., figs.

The delay effect on outcome evaluation: results from an Event-related Potential study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen eQu

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Behavioral studies demonstrate that the timing of receiving gains or losses affects decision-making, a phenomenon known as temporal discounting, as participants are inclined to prefer immediate rewards over delayed ones and vice versa for losses. The present study used the event-related potential (ERP technique with a simple gambling task to investigate how delayed rewards and losses affected the brain activity in outcome evaluations made by 20 young adults. Statistical analysis revealed a larger feedback related negativity (FRN effect between loss and gain following immediate outcomes than following future outcomes. In addition, delay impacted FRN only in gain conditions, with delayed winning eliciting a more negative FRN than immediatewinning. These results suggest that temporal discounting and sign effect could be encoded in the FRN in the early stage of outcome evaluation.

Bus basics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobinson, R.W.

1983-01-01

The aims of this course are: 1. To introduce the general concepts of buses used to interconnect processors, perpherals, and instrumentation. 2. To classify, albeit crudely, different types of bus systems. 3. To give some examples of past, present, and future buses as applied to the field of high-energy physics, including some details of software. 4. To provide references for further study. (orig.)

OSU TOMF Program Site Selection and Preliminary Concept Design Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spadling, Steve [Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK (United States)

2012-05-10

The purpose of this report is to confirm the programmatic requirements for the new facilities, identify the most appropriate project site, and develop preliminary site and building concepts that successfully address the overall project goals and site issues. These new facilities will be designed to accommodate the staff, drivers and maintenance requirements for the future mixed fleet of passenger vehicles, Transit Style Buses and School Buses.

Case Study - Propane School Bus Fleets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laughlin, M; Burnham, A.

2014-08-31

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) effort to deploy transportation technologies that reduce U.S. dependence on imported petroleum, this study examines five school districts, one in Virginia and four in Texas, successful use of propane school buses. These school districts used school buses equipped with the newly developed liquid propane injection system that improves vehicle performance. Some of the school districts in this study saved nearly 50% on a cost per mile basis for fuel and maintenance relative to diesel. Using Argonne National Laboratory’s Alternative Fuel Life-Cycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) Tool developed for the DOE’s Clean Cities program to help Clean Cities stakeholders estimate petroleum use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air pollutant emissions and cost of ownership of light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles, the results showed payback period ranges from 3—8 years, recouping the incremental cost of the vehicles and infrastructure. Overall, fuel economy for these propane vehicles is close to that of displaced diesel vehicles, on an energy-equivalent basis. In addition, the 110 propane buses examined demonstrated petroleum displacement, 212,000 diesel gallon equivalents per year, and GHG benefits of 770 tons per year.

Evaluation of the Nasal Surgical Questionnaire for Monitoring Results of Septoplasty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rolf Haye

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Monitoring the results of surgery is important. The otorhinolaryngology department of our hospital currently uses preoperative and postoperative versions of the Nasal Surgical Questionnaire (NSQ for continuous evaluation of nasal septoplasty. In this study, 55 patients undergoing septoplasty answered the preoperative version twice to assess the NSQ’s test-retest precision, and 75 patients answered the preoperative questionnaire before and the postoperative one 6 months after surgery to evaluate the NSQ’s ability to detect change in symptoms following surgery. Both the pre- and postoperative versions of the NSQ use separate visual analogue scales (VAS to assess nasal obstruction during the day, at night, and during exercise. Other nasal symptoms are graded as secondary outcomes using 4-point Likert scales. The mean VAS scores for the two preoperative obstruction ratings were not significantly different. The scores were significantly higher than in a normal population. There were also significant differences between preoperative and postoperative ratings. The mean pre- and postoperative scores at night for those who reported complete improvement were 66.1 and 8.4, substantial improvement 74.5 and 24.2, and no improvement 83.3 and 76.4. The NSQ reliably assesses nasal symptoms in patients and may be useful for both short and long term prospective studies of septoplasty.

Analysis of payload bay magnetic fields due to dc power multipoint and single point ground configurations

Science.gov (United States)

Lawton, R. M.

1976-01-01

An analysis of magnetic fields in the Orbiter Payload Bay resulting from the present grounding configuration (structure return) was presented and the amount of improvement that would result from installing wire returns for the three dc power buses was determined. Ac and dc magnetic fields at five points in a cross-section of the bay are calculated for both grounding configurations. Y and Z components of the field at each point are derived in terms of a constant coefficient and the current amplitude of each bus. The dc loads assumed are 100 Amperes for each bus. The ac noise current used is a spectrum 6 db higher than the Orbiter equipment limit for narrowband conducted emissions. It was concluded that installing return wiring to provide a single point ground for the dc Buses in the Payload Bay would reduce the ac and dc magnetic field intensity by approximately 30 db.

Emissions of toxic pollutants from compressed natural gas and low sulfur diesel-fueled heavy-duty transit buses tested over multiple driving cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Kado, Norman Y; Okamoto, Robert A; Kuzmicky, Paul A; Kobayashi, Reiko; Ayala, Alberto; Gebel, Michael E; Rieger, Paul L; Maddox, Christine; Zafonte, Leo

2005-10-01

The number of heavy-duty vehicles using alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and new low-sulfur diesel fuel formulations and equipped with after-treatment devices are projected to increase. However, few peer-reviewed studies have characterized the emissions of particulate matter (PM) and other toxic compounds from these vehicles. In this study, chemical and biological analyses were used to characterize the identifiable toxic air pollutants emitted from both CNG and low-sulfur-diesel-fueled heavy-duty transit buses tested on a chassis dynamometer over three transient driving cycles and a steady-state cruise condition. The CNG bus had no after-treatment, and the diesel bus was tested first equipped with an oxidation catalyst (OC) and then with a catalyzed diesel particulate filter (DPF). Emissions were analyzed for PM, volatile organic compounds (VOCs; determined on-site), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and mutagenic activity. The 2000 model year CNG-fueled vehicle had the highest emissions of 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and carbonyls (e.g., formaldehyde) of the three vehicle configurations tested in this study. The 1998 model year diesel bus equipped with an OC and fueled with low-sulfur diesel had the highest emission rates of PM and PAHs. The highest specific mutagenic activities (revertants/microg PM, or potency) and the highest mutagen emission rates (revertants/mi) were from the CNG bus in strain TA98 tested over the New York Bus (NYB) driving cycle. The 1998 model year diesel bus with DPF had the lowest VOCs, PAH, and mutagenic activity emission. In general, the NYB driving cycle had the highest emission rates (g/mi), and the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) had the lowest emission rates for all toxics tested over the three transient test cycles investigated. Also, transient emissions were, in general, higher than steady-state emissions. The emissions of toxic compounds from an in-use CNG transit bus (without an oxidation

Vienna: a capital transported by LPG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1996-01-01

For more than 30 years the Austrian capital has chosen the LPG-fuel for its public transportation systems. This choice was advised by the environmental necessity to reduce the emissions of particulates from diesel engines and by the economical will of having a competitive fuel source with respect to diesel fuel. This paper recalls first the historical evolution of Vienna's buses progressively equipped with dual-fuel engines, and since 1976 with LPG fuel engines only. Today's the LPG buses fleet represents about 80% of the Vienna Transport buses. Then, the economical (fuel consumption, investment, exploitation and maintenance costs) and environmental (particulates and CO emissions) balance-sheet of this evolution is analysed. Since 1988, the use of catalytic converters for exhaust systems has allowed a 80% reduction of NOx emissions. (J.S.)

Bus Participation Factor Analysis for Harmonic Instability in Power Electronics Based Power Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ebrahimzadeh, Esmaeil; Blaabjerg, Frede; Wang, Xiongfei

2018-01-01

Compared with the conventional power systems, large-scale power electronics based power systems present a more complex situation, where harmonic instability may be induced by the mutual interactions between the inner control loops of the converters. This paper presents an approach to locate which...... power converters and buses are more sensitive and have significant contribution to the harmonic instability. In the approach, a power electronics based system is introduced as a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) dynamic system by means of a dynamic admittance matrix. Bus Participation Factors (PFs......) are calculated by the oscillatory mode sensitivity analysis versus the elements of the MIMO transfer function matrix. The PF analysis detects which power electronic converters or buses have a higher participation in harmonic instability excitation than others or at which buses such instability problems have...

[Nutritional screening before surgery for esophageal cancer - current status and evaluation results].

Science.gov (United States)

Shimakawa, Takeshi; Asaka, Shinich; Sagawa, Masano; Shimazaki, Asako; Yamaguchi, Kentaro; Usui, Takebumi; Yokomizo, Hajime; Shiozawa, Shunichi; Yoshimatsu, Kazuhiko; Katsube, Takao; Naritaka, Yoshihiko

2014-10-01

The incidence of postoperative complications and mortality are usually higher in patients with preoperative malnutrition. Malnutrition often preexists, particularly in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer, which is substantially invasive. It is therefore important to understand the nutritional condition of patients and actively control perioperative nutrition.Our hospital has been providing nutritional status screening for patients before resection of esophageal cancer, and we report the current status and evaluation results in this article.This screening included 158 patients requiring radical resection of esophageal cancer.Age, comorbidity with diabetes, body mass index(BMI), serum albumin(Alb), Onodera's prognostic nutritional index(PNI), and Glasgow prognostic score(GPS)were used as nutritional indicators to stratify patients for analysis.Evaluation parameters included the incidence of postoperative complications(any complication, pulmonary complications, psychiatric disorder, and anastomotic leakage)and rates of long-term postoperative hospitalization.The analysis indicated that age, BMI, serum Alb, PNI, and GPS are useful for predicting the onset of postoperative complications and prolonged postoperative hospitalization.For such patients, more active nutritional control should be provided.

A System Evaluation Theory Analyzing Value and Results Chain for Institutional Accreditation in Oman

Science.gov (United States)

Paquibut, Rene Ymbong

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to apply the system evaluation theory (SET) to analyze the institutional quality standards of Oman Academic Accreditation Authority using the results chain and value chain tools. Design/methodology/approach: In systems thinking, the institutional standards are connected as input, process, output and feedback and leads to…

Presentation of a methodology for measuring social acceptance of three hydrogen storage technologies and preliminary results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noirot, I.; Bigay, C. N.

2005-07-01

Hydrogen storage is a key technology for the extensive use of H2 as energy carrier. As none of the current technologies satisfies all of the hydrogen storage attributes required by manufacturers and end users, there is intense research works aiming at developing viable solutions. A broad objective of the StorHy European project is to provide technological storage solutions, which are attractive from an economical, environmental and safety point of view. A specific sub-project is dedicated to the comparison of three different potential storage technologies for transport applications (compressed gas, cryogenic liquid, solid media). This evaluation is carried out in a harmonised way, based on common tools and assessment strategies that could be useful for decision makers and stakeholders. The assessment is achieved in a 'sustainable development' spirit, taking into consideration the technical, environmental, economical, safety and social requirements. The latter ones have newly emerged in such evaluations, based on the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach, and would require to be further studied. Hydrogen acceptability studies have been conducted in previous projects. They have been reviewed by LBST in the AcceptH2 project Public acceptance of Hydrogen Transport Technologies : Analysis and comparisons of existing studies (www. accepth2. com - August 2003). During these hydrogen acceptance surveys, mainly fuel cell bus passengers from demonstration projects around the world have been questioned. The work presented in this paper goes further in the methodology refinement as it focuses on the evaluation of hydrogen storage solutions. It proposes a methodological tool for efficient social evaluation of new technologies and associated preliminary results concerning France. In a global approach to sustainable development, the CEA has developed a new methodology to evaluate its current research projects : Multicriteria Analysis for Sustainable Industrial

Test results for the evaluation of a glucometer for use under hyperbaric conditions: Technical report.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsouras, Theo

2017-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate a recently developed equipment test method by assessing the safe and accurate functioning of the Abbott Optium FreeStyle H portable blood glucose monitor for use in the Alfred Hospital's hyperbaric chamber. The results of this study indicate that the test method can be used successfully to evaluate instruments and/or devices for use in the hyperbaric environment. The evaluation initially found that this particular glucose monitor contained a lithium battery which can be hazardous when used in the hyperbaric environment. However, upon further inspection it was determined the battery posed minimal risk for fire and explosion due to its small capacity and design application. The results indicate that the Abbott Optium FreeStyle H blood glucose monitor operated normally when used in the hyperbaric chamber. This glucometer was found to perform within the calibration specification requirements for accuracy at all stages of a typical hyperbaric treatment and as such the Abbott Optium FreeStyle H blood glucose monitor was deemed safe for use in the hyperbaric chamber at the Alfred Hospital. Copyright© Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.

Operational Assessment of Paralympics Transit Systems : Low-Floor Buses, Lift-Equipped Buses, and Signage

Science.gov (United States)

1997-02-01

From August 15-25, Atlanta hosted the paralympics, a world-class athletic competition for athletes with disabilities. To support the Paralympics, a specialized transit service was planned and deployed to service the travel needs of athletes, trainers...

Article 1

African Journals Online (AJOL)

integration of GIS, remote sensing and the Shannon's entropy method. The results obtained ... sprawl towards the sustainable growth and development of cities. ... unified medium by utilizing data collected at ..... networks for water supply to the sampled suburban ... automobile, taxis and small buses for daily commuting.

Architectural-level power estimation and experimentation

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Wu

With the emergence of a plethora of embedded and portable applications and ever increasing integration levels, power dissipation of integrated circuits has moved to the forefront as a design constraint. Recent years have also seen a significant trend towards designs starting at the architectural (or RT) level. Those demand accurate yet fast RT level power estimation methodologies and tools. This thesis addresses issues and experiments associate with architectural level power estimation. An execution driven, cycle-accurate RT level power simulator, SimplePower, was developed using transition-sensitive energy models. It is based on the architecture of a five-stage pipelined RISC datapath for both 0.35mum and 0.8mum technology and can execute the integer subset of the instruction set of SimpleScalar . SimplePower measures the energy consumed in the datapath, memory and on-chip buses. During the development of SimplePower , a partitioning power modeling technique was proposed to model the energy consumed in complex functional units. The accuracy of this technique was validated with HSPICE simulation results for a register file and a shifter. A novel, selectively gated pipeline register optimization technique was proposed to reduce the datapath energy consumption. It uses the decoded control signals to selectively gate the data fields of the pipeline registers. Simulation results show that this technique can reduce the datapath energy consumption by 18--36% for a set of benchmarks. A low-level back-end compiler optimization, register relabeling, was applied to reduce the on-chip instruction cache data bus switch activities. Its impact was evaluated by SimplePower. Results show that it can reduce the energy consumed in the instruction data buses by 3.55--16.90%. A quantitative evaluation was conducted for the impact of six state-of-art high-level compilation techniques on both datapath and memory energy consumption. The experimental results provide a valuable insight for

Use of ethanol in public urban transport: BEST (BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport) Project; Uso de etanol no transporte publico urbano: projeto BEST (Bio Ethanol para o Transporte Sustentavel)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreira, Jose Roberto; Apolinario, Sandra; Pecora, Vanessa [Universidade de Sao Paulo (CENBIO/USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Eletrotecnica e Energia. Centro Nacional de Referencia em Biomassa; Velazquez, Silvia [Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2008-07-01

This paper present the BEST project - Bio Ethanol for Sustainable Transport, that aims to promote the ethanol usage, replacing diesel, in the urban public transport in Brazil and worldwide. Apart from Sao Paulo, leading city in the Americas, another eight cities located in Europe and Asia takes part in the project. One of the Brazilian project's goals is to evaluate ethanol usage as diesel fuel replacement in public transport buses by comparatively following the operational output of the experimental fleet, taking as reference an equivalent diesel bus. The utilized test vehicles will be evaluated and monitored to demonstrate ethanol energetic efficiency and, after the results the BEST project and the European Union will set a blue print for public policies to incentive ethanol usage in the urban public transport. The results will allow identifying technical and economical barriers that will eventually overlap the viability process of this technology in the Brazilian public transport. (author)

BEST Project: bioethanol for sustainable transportation; Projeto BEST: bioetanol para o transporte sustentavel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreira, J.R.; Velazquez, S.M.S.G.; Apolinario, S.M.; Melo, E.H.; Elmadjian, P.H. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IEE/CENBIO/USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Eletrotecnica e Energia. Centro Nacional de Referencia em Biomassa

2008-07-01

The BEST Project BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport aims to promote the ethanol usage, replacing diesel, in the urban public transport in Brazil and worldwide. Apart from Sao Paulo, leading city in the Americas, another eight cities located in Europe and Asia takes part in the project. One of the Brazilian project's goals is to evaluate ethanol usage as diesel fuel replacement in public transport buses by comparatively following the operational output of the experimental fleet, taking as reference an equivalent diesel bus. The utilized test vehicles will be evaluated and monitored to demonstrate ethanol energetic efficiency and, after the results the BEST project and the European Union will set a blue print for public policies to incentive ethanol usage in the urban public transport. The results will allow identifying technical and economical barriers that will eventually overlap the viability process of this technology in the Brazilian public transport. (author)

Use of ethanol in public urban transport: BEST (BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport) Project; Uso de etanol no transporte publico urbano: projeto BEST (Bio Ethanol para o Transporte Sustentavel)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreira, Jose Roberto; Apolinario, Sandra; Pecora, Vanessa [Universidade de Sao Paulo (CENBIO/USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Eletrotecnica e Energia. Centro Nacional de Referencia em Biomassa; Velazquez, Silvia [Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2008-07-01

This paper present the BEST project - Bio Ethanol for Sustainable Transport, that aims to promote the ethanol usage, replacing diesel, in the urban public transport in Brazil and worldwide. Apart from Sao Paulo, leading city in the Americas, another eight cities located in Europe and Asia takes part in the project. One of the Brazilian project's goals is to evaluate ethanol usage as diesel fuel replacement in public transport buses by comparatively following the operational output of the experimental fleet, taking as reference an equivalent diesel bus. The utilized test vehicles will be evaluated and monitored to demonstrate ethanol energetic efficiency and, after the results the BEST project and the European Union will set a blue print for public policies to incentive ethanol usage in the urban public transport. The results will allow identifying technical and economical barriers that will eventually overlap the viability process of this technology in the Brazilian public transport. (author)

Determination of the ejector dimensions of a bus air-conditioning system using analytical and numerical methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ünal, Şaban

2015-01-01

Comfortable journey with commercial buses is an essential goal of transportation companies. An air-conditioning system can play an important role for this comfortable journey but it can put extra load on the engine and extra cost in the fuel consumption. The purpose of this work is to increase the performance of air-conditioning system of the buses by reducing the load on the engine and fuel consumption. Using a two-phase ejector as an expansion valve can increase the coefficient of performance (COP) of the air-conditioning system. An improvement in the COP can reduce the empty vehicle weight and fuel consumption of buses. Two-phase ejector dimensions can be determined using the empirical methods available in the literature. In this paper, the two-phase ejector dimensions of air conditioning system for a bus are calculated using the analytical and numerical methods. First of all, the thermodynamic analysis of the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle with a two-phase ejector is performed, and then the ejector dimensions are subsequently determined. The cooling loads of the midibus and bus with R134a as a refrigerant are assumed to be 14 kW and 32 kW, respectively. The total length of the two-phase ejector for the midibuses and buses due to these cooling loads, are computed to be 480.8 mm and 793.1 mm, respectively. Also, an experimental setup is installed on a midibus air conditioner to turn it into the ejector air conditioning system to validate theoretical results with the experimental study. - Highlights: • Determination of two-phase ejector dimensions of a bus air-conditioning system. • Thermodynamic analysis of the two-phase ejector cooling system. • Experimental study on a midibus air conditioner using two-phase ejector.

Evaluation of the functional results after rotator cuff arthroscopic repair with the suture bridge technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Naoki Miyazaki

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of arthroscopic treatment of large and extensive rotator cuff injuries (RCI that involved the supra and infraspinatus muscles using the suture bridge (SB technique. METHODS: Between July 2010 and November 2014, 37 patients with RCI who were treated with SB technique were evaluated. The study included all patients with a minimum follow-up of 12 months who underwent primary surgery of the shoulder. Twenty-four patients were male and 13 were female. The mean age was 60 years (45-75. The dominant side was affected in 32 cases. The most common cause of injury was trauma (18 cases. The mean preoperative motion was 123°, 58°, T11. Through magnetic resonance imaging, 36 fatty degenerations were classified according to Goutallier. Patients underwent rotator cuff repair with SB technique, which consists of using a medial row anchor with two Corkscrew(r fibertape(r or fiberwire(r at the articular margin, associated with lateral fixation without stitch using PushLocks(r or SwiveLocks(r. RESULTS: The mean age was 60 years and mean fatty degeneration was 2.6. The mean range of motion (following the AAOS in the postoperative evaluation was 148° of forward elevation, 55° in lateral rotation and medial rotation in T9. Using the criteria of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA, 35 (94% patients had excellent and good results; one (2.7%, fair; and one (2.7%, poor. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic repair of a large and extensive RCI using SB technique had good and excellent results in 94% of the patients.

Evaluation of allowed outage time using PRA results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johanson, G.

1985-01-01

In a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) different measures of risk importance can be established. These measures can be used as a basis for further evaluation and determination of allowed outage time for specific components, within safety systems of a nuclear power plant. In order to optimize the allowed outage time (AOT) stipulated in the plant's Technical Specification it is necessary to create a methodology which could incorporate existing PRA data into a quantitative extrapolation. In order to evaluate the plant risk status due to AOT in a quantitative manner, the risk achievement worth is utilized. Risk achievement worth is defined as follows: to measure the worth of a feature, in achieving the present risk, one approach is to remove the feature and then determine how much the risk has increased. Thus, the risk achievement worth is formally defined to be the increase in risk if the feature were assumed not be there or to be failed. Another parameter of interest for this analysis is the shutdown risk increase. The shutdown risk achievement worth must be incorporated into the accident sequence risk achievement worth to arrive at an optimal set of plant specific AOTs

Uncertainty Evaluation of Best Estimate Calculation Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glaeser, H.

2006-01-01

Efforts are underway in Germany to perform analysis using best estimate computer codes and to include uncertainty evaluation in licensing. The German Reactor Safety Commission (RSK) issued a recommendation to perform uncertainty analysis in loss of coolant accident safety analyses (LOCA), recently. A more general requirement is included in a draft revision of the German Nuclear Regulation which is an activity of the German Ministry of Environment and Reactor Safety (BMU). According to the recommendation of the German RSK to perform safety analyses for LOCA in licensing the following deterministic requirements have still to be applied: Most unfavourable single failure, Unavailability due to preventive maintenance, Break location, Break size and break type, Double ended break, 100 percent through 200 percent, Large, medium and small break, Loss of off-site power, Core power (at accident initiation the most unfavourable conditions and values have to be assumed which may occur under normal operation taking into account the set-points of integral power and power density control. Measurement and calibration errors can be considered statistically), Time of fuel cycle. Analysis using best estimate codes with evaluation of uncertainties is the only way to quantify conservatisms with regard to code models and uncertainties of plant, fuel parameters and decay heat. This is especially the case for approaching licensing limits, e.g. due to power up-rates, higher burn-up and higher enrichment. Broader use of best estimate analysis is therefore envisaged in the future. Since some deterministic unfavourable assumptions regarding availability of NPP systems are still used, some conservatism in best-estimate analyses remains. Methods of uncertainty analyses have been developed and applied by the vendor Framatome ANP as well as by GRS in Germany. The GRS development was sponsored by the German Ministry of Economy and Labour (BMWA). (author)

Evaluation of training in the health sector. Results of training on the use of medicines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pilar Pineda-Herrero

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The evaluation of training efficacy is one of the challenges of today’s organizations. In this article we present the results of an evaluation carried out in order to measure transfer of a training plan about the rational use of medicines addressed to 1550 health professionals. Data is collected by means of a survey to the trainee, two months after the training program. Results show that most of the trainees have improved their professional performance, in special the duties related to the selection and use of medicines. Key factors for transfer are also detected, such as motivation and support from the organization. In the paper, we reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the training plan so as to help other researchers and practitioners to advance towards improving transfer of training and the efficacy of training.  

Major Results of the OECD BEMUSE (Best Estimate Methods; Uncertainty and Sensitivity Evaluation) Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reventos, F.

2008-01-01

One of the goals of computer code models of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) is to demonstrate that these are designed to respond safely at postulated accidents. Models and codes are an approximation of the real physical behaviour occurring during a hypothetical transient and the data used to build these models are also known with certain accuracy. Therefore code predictions are uncertain. The BEMUSE programme is focussed on the application of uncertainty methodologies to large break LOCAs. The programme intends to evaluate the practicability, quality and reliability of best-estimate methods including uncertainty evaluations in applications relevant to nuclear reactor safety, to develop common understanding and to promote/facilitate their use by the regulator bodies and the industry. In order to fulfil its objectives BEMUSE is organized in to steps and six phases. The first step is devoted to the complete analysis of a LB-LOCA (L2-5) in an experimental facility (LOFT) while the second step refers to an actual Nuclear Power Plant. Both steps provide results on thermalhydraulic Best Estimate simulation as well as Uncertainty and sensitivity evaluation. At the time this paper is prepared, phases I, II and III are fully completed and the corresponding reports have been issued. Phase IV draft report is by now being reviewed while participants are working on Phase V developments. Phase VI consists in preparing the final status report which will summarizes the most relevant results of the whole programme.

Evaluation results of the 700 deg C Chinese strain gages

Science.gov (United States)

Hobart, H. F.

1984-01-01

There is a continuing interest and need for resistance strain gages capable of making static strain measurements on components located in the hot section of gas turbine engines. A paper by Tsen-tai Wu describes the development and evaluation of high temperature gauges fabricated from specially developed Fe-Cr-Al-V-Ti-Y alloy wire. Several of these gages and a quantity of P12-2 ceramic adhesive were purchased for evaluation. Nine members of the aircraft turbine engine community were invited to participate in an evaluation of these gages. Each participant was sent one strain gage, a small amount of ceramic adhesive, instructions for mounting the gage on a test beam, and a set of suggestions for the experiment. Data on gage factor variation with temperature, apparent strain, and drift are discussed.

Emission inventory estimation of an intercity bus terminal.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Zhaowen; Li, Xiaoxia; Hao, Yanzhao; Deng, Shunxi; Gao, H Oliver

2016-06-01

Intercity bus terminals are hotspots of air pollution due to concentrated activities of diesel buses. In order to evaluate the bus terminals' impact on air quality, it is necessary to estimate the associated mobile emission inventories. Since the vehicles' operating condition at the bus terminal varies significantly, conventional calculation of the emissions based on average emission factors suffers the loss of accuracy. In this study, we examined a typical intercity bus terminal-the Southern City Bus Station of Xi'an, China-using a multi-scale emission model-(US EPA's MOVES model)-to quantity the vehicle emission inventory. A representative operating cycle for buses within the station is constructed. The emission inventory was then estimated using detailed inputs including vehicle ages, operating speeds, operating schedules, and operating mode distribution, as well as meteorological data (temperature and humidity). Five functional areas (bus yard, platforms, disembarking area, bus travel routes within the station, and bus entrance/exit routes) at the terminal were identified, and the bus operation cycle was established using the micro-trip cycle construction method. Results of our case study showed that switching to compressed natural gas (CNG) from diesel fuel could reduce PM2.5 and CO emissions by 85.64 and 6.21 %, respectively, in the microenvironment of the bus terminal. When CNG is used, tail pipe exhaust PM2.5 emission is significantly reduced, even less than brake wear PM2.5. The estimated bus operating cycles can also offer researchers and policy makers important information for emission evaluation in the planning and design of any typical intercity bus terminals of a similar scale.

Natural gas powered bus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambuehl, D.; Fernandez, J.

2003-01-01

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy presents the results of a project carried out by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich to evaluate the performance of a natural-gas-powered bus in comparison with two diesel buses. The report provides details on the vehicles, their routes and the results of interviews made with both passengers and drivers. Details of measurements made on fuel consumption and pollutant emissions are presented in tabular and graphical form, as are those made on noise emissions inside and outside the vehicles. The conclusions of the project are presented including economic aspects of using gas as a motor fuel. Also, the views of passengers, who were more concerned with comfort aspects, and drivers, who were more interested in technical aspects, are quoted

Willingness to Pay and Public Acceptance for Hydrogen Buses: A Case Study of Perugia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Bigerna

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Sustainability transportation is characterized by a positive externality on the environment, health, social security, land use and social inclusion. The increasing interest in global warming has caused attention to be paid to the introduction of the hydrogen bus (H2B. When introducing new environmental technologies, such as H2B, it is often necessary to assess the environmental benefits related to this new technology. However, such benefits are typically non-priced due to their public good nature. Therefore, we have to address this problem using the contingent valuation (CV method. This method has been developed within environmental economics as a means to economically assess environmental changes, which are typically not traded in the market. So far, several big cities have been analyzed to evaluate the perceived benefit related to H2B introduction, but to the best of our knowledge, no one has performed a CV analysis of a historical city where smog also damages historical buildings. This paper presents the results obtained using a multi-wave survey. We have investigated user preferences to elicit their willingness to pay for H2B introduction in Perugia, taking into account all types of negative externalities due to the traffic pollution. The results confirm that residents in Perugia are willing to pay extra to support the introduction of H2B.

Optimal PMU location in power systems using MICA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Abbas Taher

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This study presented a modified imperialist competitive algorithm (MICA for optimal placement of phasor measurement units (PMUs in normal and contingency conditions of power systems. The optimal PMU placement problem is used for full network observability with the minimum number of PMUs. For this purpose, PMUs are installed in strategic buses. Efficiency of the proposed method is shown by the simulation results of IEEE 14, 30, 57, and 118-bus test systems. Results of the numerical simulation on IEEE-test systems indicated that the proposed technique provided maximum redundancy measurement and minimum request of PMUs so that the whole system could be topologically observable by installing PMUs on the minimum system buses. To verify the proposed method, the results are compared with those of some recently reported methods. When MICA is used for solving optimal PMU placement (OPP, the number of PMUs would be usually equal to or less than those of the other existing methods. Results indicated that MICA is a very fast and accurate algorithm for OPP solution.

Gaseous and particulate composition of fresh and aged emissions of diesel, RME and CNG buses using Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Psichoudaki, Magda; Le Breton, Michael; Hallquist, Mattias; Watne, Ågot; Hallquist, Asa

2016-04-01

Urban air pollution is becoming a significant global problem, especially for large cities around the world. Traffic emissions contribute significantly to both elevated particle concentrations and to gaseous pollutants in cities. The latter also have the potential of forming more particulate mass via their photochemical oxidation in the atmosphere. The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US EPA have characterised diesel exhausts as a likely human carcinogen that can also contribute to other health problems. In order to meet the challenges with increased transportation and enhanced greenhouse gas emissions, the European Union have decided on a 10% substitution of traditional fuels in the road transport sector by alternative fuels (e.g. biodiesel, CNG) before the year 2020. However, it is also important to study the influence of fuel switches on other primary pollutants as well as the potential to form secondary aerosol mass. This work focuses on the characterisation of the chemical composition of the gas and the condensed phase of fresh bus emissions during acceleration, in order to mimic the exhaust plume that humans would inhale under realistic conditions. In addition, photochemical aging of the exhaust emissions was achieved by employing a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) flow reactor, allowing the characterization of the composition of the corresponding aged emissions. The PAM reactor uses UV lamps and high concentrations of oxidants (OH radicals and O3) to oxidize the organic species present in the chamber. The oxidation that takes place within the reactor can be equivalent to up to one week of atmospheric oxidation. Preliminary tests showed that the oxidation employed in these measurements corresponded to a range from 4 to 8 days in the atmosphere. During June and July 2015, a total of 29 buses, 5 diesel, 13 CNG and 11 RME (rapeseed methyl ester), were tested in two different locations with limited influence from other types of emissions and traffic

Results of ultrasonic testing evaluations on UF6 storage cylinders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lykins, M.L.

1997-02-01

The three site cylinder management program is responsible for the safe storage of the DOE owned UF 6 storage cylinders at PORTS, PGDP and at the K-25 site. To ensure the safe storage of the UF 6 in the cylinders, the structural integrity of the cylinders must be evaluated. This report represents the latest cylinder integrity investigation that utilized wall thickness evaluations to identify thinning due to atmospheric exposure

Remote Voltage Control Using the Holomorphic Embedding Load Flow Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Chengxi; Qin, Nan; Sun, Kai

2018-01-01

such that the approach can remotely control the voltage magnitudes of desired buses. The proposed approach is compared with a conventional Newton-Raphson approach by study cases on the IEEE New England 39-bus system. The results show that the proposed approach achieves a larger convergence region....

An Optimization Method of Passenger Assignment for Customized Bus

OpenAIRE

Yang Cao; Jian Wang

2017-01-01

This study proposes an optimization method of passenger assignment on customized buses (CB). Our proposed method guarantees benefits to passengers by balancing the elements of travel time, waiting time, delay, and economic cost. The optimization problem was solved using a Branch and Bound (B&B) algorithm based on the shortest path for the selected stations. A simulation-based evaluation of the proposed optimization method was conducted. We find that a CB service can save 38.33% in average tra...

TAN/LOFT 13.8 KV, 2.4 KV, and 480 V relay and circuit breaker coordination study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnett, J.E.

1977-01-01

Present overcurrent relay settings are presented and evaluated for adequacy in terms of the updated short circuit analysis. Recommendations are made for new relay and trip device settings to improve coordination. Switchgear ratings are examined against available short circuit currents, and recommendations are made where applicable. Vital MCC-A and B are examined in detail to provide maximum continuity of service for every fault contingency. A recommendation is made to improve the reliability of these buses

School Districts Move to the Head of the Class with Propane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2016-01-12

School districts across the country are under pressure to reduce their cost of operations and ensure their budgets are spent wisely. School bus fleets operate more than 675,000 buses in the United States, and many school districts have found the answer to their budget woes in the form of propane, or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Propane is a reliable, domestic fuel, and it's used in approximately 2% of school buses nationwide.

The Effects of Bus Ridership on Airborne Particulate Matter (PM10) Concentrations

OpenAIRE

Jaeseok Her; Sungjin Park; Jae Seung Lee

2016-01-01

Air pollution caused by rapid urbanization and the increased use of private vehicles seriously affects citizens’ health. In order to alleviate air pollution, many cities have replaced diesel buses with compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that emit less exhaust gas. Urban planning strategies such as transit-oriented development (TOD) posit that reducing private vehicle use and increasing public transportation use would reduce air pollution levels. The present study examined the effects of bus r...

Evaluation of the PISC trials results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

This report gives the results of the analysis carried out in the manner described in PISC report no.4, to compare the defects indicated by ultrasonic examination with those discovered by a destructive examination. The analysis was repeated three times; once for ultrasonic examination using the PISC procedure but with as much as possible subjective interpretation from the teams removed, once for ultrasonic examination using the PISC procedure incorporating the subjective interpretation of the teams, and once for ultrasonic examination using a variety of alternative techniques. Results are given in the form of tables and figures for each reference defect (i.e. those found by the destructive examination) in turn. Correlations, when they exist, are presented between the parameters describing the performance of the ultrasonic examination procedures and the parameters describing the reference defects. From the global set of results conclusions are drawn concerning the efficiency of the ultrasonic procedures for detecting, sizing, locating and correct rejection of defects

Evaluation of the impact of the filing on the match results in qualifying for ME 2017 men's volleyball.

OpenAIRE

Dopita, Michal

2017-01-01

Title of the thesis Evaluation of the impact of service on the match result in qualification for Men's European Volleyball Championship 2017 Abstract The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the influence of service on the match result in qualification for the 2017 Men's Volleyball European Championship, using indirect video monitoring, and trace the success rate and frequency of individual types of services. Our intention is to show the importance of this individual game activity in a match wit...

Evaluation Criteria and Results of Full Scale Testing of Bridge Abutment Made from Reinforced Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Hildebrand, Maciej; Rybak, Jarosław

2017-10-01

Structures made of reinforced soil can be evaluated for their safety based on a load testing. Measurement results are essentially evaluated by displacements of surcharge (mainly in vertical direction) and facing elements (mainly in horizontal direction). Displacements are within several tenths to several millimetres and they can be taken by common geodetic equipment. Due to slow soil consolidation (progress of displacements) under constant load, observations should be made over several days or even weeks or months. A standard procedure of heating of geotextiles, used in laboratory conditions to simulate long term behaviour cannot be used in a natural scale. When the load is removed, the soil unloading occurs. Both the progress of displacements and soil unloading after unloading of the structure are the key presumptions for evaluating its safety (stability). Assessment of measuring results must be preceded by assuming even the simplest model of the structure, so as it could be possible to estimate the expected displacements under controlled load. In view of clearly random nature of soil parameters of retaining structure composed of reinforced soil and due to specific erection technology of reinforced soil structure, the assessment of its condition is largely based on expert’s judgment. It is an essential and difficult task to interpret very small displacements which are often enough disturbed by numerous factors like temperature, insolation, precipitation, vehicles, etc. In the presented paper, the authors tried to establish and juxtapose some criteria for a load test of a bridge abutment and evaluate their suitability for decision making. Final remarks are based on authors experience from a real full scale load test.

Public transportation and tuberculosis transmission in a high incidence setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamudio, Carlos; Krapp, Fiorella; Choi, Howard W; Shah, Lena; Ciampi, Antonio; Gotuzzo, Eduardo; Heymann, Jody; Seas, Carlos; Brewer, Timothy F

2015-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) transmission may occur with exposure to an infectious contact often in the setting of household environments, but extra-domiciliary transmission also may happen. We evaluated if using buses and/or minibuses as public transportation was associated with acquiring TB in a high incidence urban district in Lima, Peru. Newly diagnosed TB cases with no history of previous treatment and community controls were recruited from August to December 2008 for a case-control study. Crude and adjusted odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression to study the association between bus/minibus use and TB risk. One hundred forty TB cases and 80 controls were included. The overall use of buses/minibuses was 44.9%; 53.3% (72/135) among cases and 30.4% (24/79) among controls [OR: 3.50, (95% CI: 1.60-7.64)]. In the TB group, 25.7% (36/140) of subjects reported having had a recent household TB contact, and 13% (18/139) reported having had a workplace TB contact; corresponding figures for controls were 3.8% (3/80) and 4.1% (3/73), respectively[OR: 8.88 (95% CI: 2.64-29.92), and OR: 3.89 (95% CI: 1.10-13.70)]. In multivariate analyses, age, household income, household contact and using buses/minibuses to commute to work were independently associated with TB [OR for bus/minibus use: 11.8 (95% CI: 1.45-96.07)]. Bus/minibus use to commute to work is associated with TB risk in this high-incidence, urban population in Lima, Peru. Measures should be implemented to prevent TB transmission through this exposure.

76 FR 70768 - Biweekly Notice; Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving No...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-15

... failure scenarios are: (1) Failure of an [a] primary microcontroller that results in rapidly decreasing voltage supplied to the ESF buses and; (2) failure of an [a] primary microcontroller to respond to decreasing grid voltage. For the first scenario, a backup microcontroller is provided for each OLTC, which...

A comprehensive performance evaluation on the prediction results of existing cooperative transcription factors identification algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Fu-Jou; Chang, Hong-Tsun; Huang, Yueh-Min; Wu, Wei-Sheng

2014-01-01

Eukaryotic transcriptional regulation is known to be highly connected through the networks of cooperative transcription factors (TFs). Measuring the cooperativity of TFs is helpful for understanding the biological relevance of these TFs in regulating genes. The recent advances in computational techniques led to various predictions of cooperative TF pairs in yeast. As each algorithm integrated different data resources and was developed based on different rationales, it possessed its own merit and claimed outperforming others. However, the claim was prone to subjectivity because each algorithm compared with only a few other algorithms and only used a small set of performance indices for comparison. This motivated us to propose a series of indices to objectively evaluate the prediction performance of existing algorithms. And based on the proposed performance indices, we conducted a comprehensive performance evaluation. We collected 14 sets of predicted cooperative TF pairs (PCTFPs) in yeast from 14 existing algorithms in the literature. Using the eight performance indices we adopted/proposed, the cooperativity of each PCTFP was measured and a ranking score according to the mean cooperativity of the set was given to each set of PCTFPs under evaluation for each performance index. It was seen that the ranking scores of a set of PCTFPs vary with different performance indices, implying that an algorithm used in predicting cooperative TF pairs is of strength somewhere but may be of weakness elsewhere. We finally made a comprehensive ranking for these 14 sets. The results showed that Wang J's study obtained the best performance evaluation on the prediction of cooperative TF pairs in yeast. In this study, we adopted/proposed eight performance indices to make a comprehensive performance evaluation on the prediction results of 14 existing cooperative TFs identification algorithms. Most importantly, these proposed indices can be easily applied to measure the performance of new

Report of evaluation on socio-economic effects of R and D results in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-08-01

Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), as a core organization devoted to comprehensive nuclear energy research, has steadily promoted nuclear energy research aiming at long-term and stable supply of energy supporting the basis of national existence, advanced nuclear science and engineering leading to increase in Japanese industrial competitive power, etc. Through these undertaking, JAERI has produced a lot of remarkable achievements to contribute the national requests mentioned above. In total, about 1.8 trillion-yen of national funds and over 60,000 person · years of researchers and technical staffs have been invested in the R and D's for the past 45 years. Recently it has been argued and recognized to evaluate how the profits of R and D results in public research institutes supported by national funds are returned to the Japanese people as taxpayers and society as part of an administrative and financial reform. Then, seeing its 45th anniversary, JAERI has tried to evaluate the effects of the R and D achievements on the Japanese society and economy apart from the reviews on the management of the organization and research results by the ex-house experts from the viewpoints of specialty and technical aspects. In order to execute the aforementioned evaluation, JAERI established the in-house Ad hoc Committee for Evaluation of R and D Achievements where decision of the evaluation plan is made, in July 2001, and executed the evaluation followed by assembling the necessary database collected from individual branches. Results obtained from these activities were finally summarized in the Ad hoc Committee. Because a methodology for quantitative evaluation of the economical effects, i.e. cost-benefit effects of R and D's was not established yet, the evaluation was prudently carried out with the assistance of three think tanks and under advices by three ex-house experts. R and D's in JAERI are not limited to the ones where benefits corresponding to profits can be

Evaluating the Accuracy of Results for Teacher Implemented Trial-Based Functional Analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Rispoli, Mandy; Ninci, Jennifer; Burke, Mack D; Zaini, Samar; Hatton, Heather; Sanchez, Lisa

2015-09-01

Trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) allows for the systematic and experimental assessment of challenging behavior in applied settings. The purposes of this study were to evaluate a professional development package focused on training three Head Start teachers to conduct TBFAs with fidelity during ongoing classroom routines. To assess the accuracy of the TBFA results, the effects of a function-based intervention derived from the TBFA were compared with the effects of a non-function-based intervention. Data were collected on child challenging behavior and appropriate communication. An A-B-A-C-D design was utilized in which A represented baseline, and B and C consisted of either function-based or non-function-based interventions counterbalanced across participants, and D represented teacher implementation of the most effective intervention. Results showed that the function-based intervention produced greater decreases in challenging behavior and greater increases in appropriate communication than the non-function-based intervention for all three children. © The Author(s) 2015.

Is a 4-train support ''always'' more reliable than a 2-train support

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guey, C.N.; Arrieta, L.; Youngblood, R.

1986-06-01

Once the gross features of a frontline fluid system have been defined, one must consider what support system configuration will provide the best overall system performance. This paper considers different dc bus configurations for a given emergency feedwater system. Results indicate that a four-train support system (i.e., 4 dc buses) gives a lower system unavailability for transients, but a higher system unavailability for Anticipated Transients Without Scram (ATWS), than a two-train support system (i.e., two dc buses). This serves to illustrate that more trains do not necessarily provide higher reliability, and that a configuration choice which is better for one mission success criterion may be worse for another. Because of the small characteristic unreliability of dc buses, the numerical comparisons made here are not dramatic, but the underlying topological point is nevertheless broadly applicable. The EFWS selected in this study consists of two turbine-driven pumps, and two motor-driven pumps, with associated piping, instruments, and valves. There are two divisions of EFWS, each division including one turbine-driven pump train, and one motor-driven pump train with a crosstie that can provide an alternate flow path in case one train is not available. Each of the motor-driven pumps has one ac power bus associated with it. No ac power is required for the turbine-driven trains

Evaluation of selected martensitic stainless steels for use in downhole tubular expansion - Results of a laboratory study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mack, Robert [Shell International E and P, b.v. Kessler Park 1, Postbus 60, 2280 AB Rijswijk (Netherlands)

2004-07-01

A laboratory program was performed to evaluate the potential of selected martensitic stainless steels for downhole cladding applications. The evaluation of the effects of tubular expansion on mechanical properties, defects, and resistance to environmentally assisted cracking demonstrated that some steels were acceptable for the intended application. The results were used to qualify and select the stainless steel for the intended sweet cladding applications. (authors)

Evaluating species richness: biased ecological inference results from spatial heterogeneity in species detection probabilities

Science.gov (United States)

McNew, Lance B.; Handel, Colleen M.

2015-01-01

Accurate estimates of species richness are necessary to test predictions of ecological theory and evaluate biodiversity for conservation purposes. However, species richness is difficult to measure in the field because some species will almost always be overlooked due to their cryptic nature or the observer's failure to perceive their cues. Common measures of species richness that assume consistent observability across species are inviting because they may require only single counts of species at survey sites. Single-visit estimation methods ignore spatial and temporal variation in species detection probabilities related to survey or site conditions that may confound estimates of species richness. We used simulated and empirical data to evaluate the bias and precision of raw species counts, the limiting forms of jackknife and Chao estimators, and multi-species occupancy models when estimating species richness to evaluate whether the choice of estimator can affect inferences about the relationships between environmental conditions and community size under variable detection processes. Four simulated scenarios with realistic and variable detection processes were considered. Results of simulations indicated that (1) raw species counts were always biased low, (2) single-visit jackknife and Chao estimators were significantly biased regardless of detection process, (3) multispecies occupancy models were more precise and generally less biased than the jackknife and Chao estimators, and (4) spatial heterogeneity resulting from the effects of a site covariate on species detection probabilities had significant impacts on the inferred relationships between species richness and a spatially explicit environmental condition. For a real dataset of bird observations in northwestern Alaska, the four estimation methods produced different estimates of local species richness, which severely affected inferences about the effects of shrubs on local avian richness. Overall, our results

Managing high penetration of renewable energy in MV grid by electric vehicle storage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kordheili, Reza Ahmadi; Bak-Jensen, Birgitte; Pillai, Jayakrishnan Radhakrishna

2015-01-01

This paper proposes an intelligent algorithm for dealing with high penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) in the medium voltage by intelligently managing electric vehicles (EVs), as one of the grid flexible loads. The MV grid used in this work is a CIGRE benchmark grid. Different...... residential and industrial loads are considered in this grid. The connection of medium voltage wind turbines to the grid is investigated. The solar panels in this study are residential panels. Also, EVs are located among the buses with residential demand. The study is done for different winter and summer...... scenarios, considering typical load profiles in Denmark. Different scenarios have been studied with different penetration level of RESs in the grid. The results show the capability of the proposed algorithm to reduce voltage deviations among the grid buses, as well as to increase the RES penetration...

Evaluation of diagnostic radiology services in five Latin American countries: Results for mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandan, M.E.; Caspani, C.E.M.; Mora, R. de la; Miranda, A.A.; Plazas, M.-C.; Borras, C.

2001-01-01

Under the auspices of PAHO/WHO, a multicentric investigation is carried out in five Latin American countries. Its aim is to correlate quality indicators of radiology services with the accuracy of the radiological interpretation as determined by a panel of experts. We present preliminary results from mammographic imaging facilities, which indicate that the failure to comply with the international standards of quality control produces images of unacceptable quality, as measured either by using a phantom or by an independent evaluation of the clinical images. (author)

Analyzing the Relationship Between Bus Pollution Policies and Morbidity Using a Quasi-Experiment

OpenAIRE

Ngo, Nicole S.

2015-01-01

Abstract Transit buses are used by millions of commuters every day, but they emit toxic diesel fumes. In 1988, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented emission standards for transit buses, which have been continually updated. Yet there is no quantitative evidence of the health benefits from these bus pollution policies due to data constraints and confounding variables. In this study, a quasi-experiment is used to exploit the geographic and temporal variation in emission standards...

Evaluation of ring tensile test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatterjee, S.; Anantharaman, S.; Balakrishnan, K.S.; Sivaramakrish, K.S.

1990-01-01

Ring specimens of 5-mm width cut from Zircaloy-2 cladding of reactor operated fuel elements that had experienced 5000 to 15,000 MWD/T of fuel burnup were subjected to ring tensile testing. The true stress-true strain data points up to the onset of necking from the individual load-elongation curves of these specimens were used as input data in Voce's equation. The results reveal that the uniform elongation (UE) values generated using Voce's equation were within (UE-2)% of the experimental percent uniform elongation (UE%). The corresponding ultimate tensile strength values were within ±1%. The uncertainty inherently associated in the determination of gauge length introduces extraneous deformation in the rings tested. Previous results had shown that a 14% increase in cladding diameter caused the gauge length to increase by 40%. To simulate the contribution of extraneous deformation due to an increase in cladding diameter, an analysis of the variation of the tensile parameters (uniform elongation and ultimate tensile strength) due to increase in the gauge length in the range of 10 to 40% was carried out. The results are discussed

Impact of methodology on the results of economic evaluations of varicella vaccination programs: is it important for decision-making?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrícia Coelho de Soárez

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This study aims to review the literature on economic evaluation of childhood varicella vaccination programs and to discuss how heterogeneity in methodological aspects and estimation of parameters can affect the studies' results. After applying the inclusion criteria, 27 studies published from 1980 to 2008 were analyzed in relation to methodological differences. There was great heterogeneity in the perspective adopted, evaluation of indirect costs, type of model used, modeling of the effect on herpes zoster, and estimation of vaccine price and efficacy parameters. The factor with the greatest impact on results was the inclusion of indirect costs, followed by the perspective adopted and vaccine price. The choice of a particular methodological aspect or parameter affected the studies' results and conclusions. It is essential that authors present these choices transparently so that users of economic evaluations understand the implications of such choices and the direction in which the results of the analysis were conducted.

Evaluation of the control system checkout test results for YGN 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Eon Young; Shon, Suk Whun; Kim, Shim Whan; Sung, Kang Sik; Seo, Jong Tae.

1996-11-01

During the Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 (YGN3) Power Ascension Test (PAT) period, the Control System Checkout tests were performed at 10%, 20%, 50%, 80%, and 100% respectively. This test evaluates the performance of the feedwater control system, reactor regulating system, pressurizer level and pressure control system in controlling their respective parameters within specified control bands at different power levels. The first test evaluates the ability of the FWCS to control steam generator 1 and 2 water levels during steady and transient conditions. The SG level setpoint was changed from normal SG level. The FWCS no.1 and no.2 controlled the SG water level to the new setpoint within the acceptable band. The second test evaluates the ability of the reactor regulating system (RRS) to control reactor coolant system (RCS) average temperature with respect to the reference temperature. The final test evaluates the ability of all of the control systems to work in an integrated manner controlling their respective parameters while the plant is at steady state conditions. The FWCS, RRS, SBCS, PLCS control their respective parameters within the control bands. The tests performed at Unit 3 were successful by meeting all of the test acceptable criteria. The measured test data for the major plant parameters were collected and evaluated. (author). 14 tabs., 217 figs., 7 refs

Black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions from vehicles in the United States-Mexico border region: pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Kerry; Wagner, David; Lighty, JoAnn; Quintero Núñez, Margarito; Vazquez, F Adrian; Collins, Kimberly; Barud-Zubillaga, Alberto

2006-03-01

The investigators developed a system to measure black carbon (BC) and particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission factors during roadside sampling in four cities along the United States-Mexico border, Calexico/Mexicali and El Paso/Juarez. The measurement system included a photoacoustic analyzer for BC, a photoelectric aerosol sensor for particle-bound PAHs, and a carbon dioxide (CO2) analyzer. When a vehicle with measurable emissions passed the system probe, corresponding BC, PAH, and CO2 peaks were evident, and a fuel-based emission factor was estimated. A picture of each vehicle was also recorded with a digital camera. The advantage of this system, compared with other roadside methods, is the direct measurement of particulate matter components and limited interference from roadside dust. The study revealed some interesting trends: Mexican buses and all medium-duty trucks were more frequently identified as high emitters of BC and PAH than heavy-duty trucks or passenger vehicles. In addition, because of the high daily mileage of buses, they are good candidates for additional study. Mexican trucks and buses had higher average emission factors compared with U.S. trucks and buses, but the differences were not statistically significant. Few passenger vehicles had measurable BC and PAH emissions, although the highest emission factor came from an older model passenger vehicle licensed in Baja California.

Report on preliminary study for promoting joint implementation in fiscal 1999. Feasibility study on introduction of dual mode bus system for reducing greenhouse effect gases in Malaysia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

In order to discuss the possibility of adoption as the COP3 clean development mechanism, discussions were given in fiscal 1999 on the dual mode bus system (DMBS) in Malaysia. The DMBS combines the advantages of the track system such as monorails and the road system such as buses. On the dedicated roads, the DMBS forms ranks of buses which travel automatically. On ordinary roads, the ranks are separated into independent buses to cover an area in terms of a plane, with buses travelling for their respective destinations. Reduction in air resistance because of travelling at economic speeds and in ranks can save fuel and reduce CO2 emission. The DMBS can work effectively also in forming complementary relationship with the existing public transportation systems. Two routes have been set in the urban area of Kuala Lumpur, and discussions were given on the new town of Putra Jaya as the object. From the viewpoint of financial internal profitability, the possibility of establishing the system as a private business is low if it relies only on income from ticket sales because of high initial cost including development of infrastructures. The effects of CO2 reduction and energy conservation, and economic benefits would be brought about from the viewpoint of modal shift from privately owned automobiles to public transportation systems. (NEDO)

TB transmission on public transportation: a review of published studies and recommendations for contact tracing.

Science.gov (United States)

Edelson, Paul J; Phypers, M

2011-01-01

The risk of transmission when persons with active tuberculosis travel on buses or trains is uncertain and no recommendations have been published for contact investigations on these conveyances. We conducted a systematic review of the published studies of tuberculosis transmission among bus or train travelers. Twelve published reports were identified, including one retrospective cohort study and eleven contact investigations. One contact investigation involved train travelers and one involved students on a 6 h bus excursion. The remaining nine involved exposures on school buses or in commuter vans. In eight reports, evidence of tuberculosis infection was found in 8.7%-55% of those tested; six of these studies reported identifying 1-24 cases of active tuberculosis. These reports support the need to be alert to the possibility of tuberculosis transmission on buses or trains. However, they do not offer the quantitative estimate of risk needed for defining policy regarding contact tracing for persons exposed on buses or trains. Decisions to carry out contact investigations should take into account the proximity to the index case, duration of exposure, and other risk factors that may affect the infectiousness of the case or the susceptibility of the contact. Additional reports taking these factors into consideration would help clarify the risk of tuberculosis transmission on public transport. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Surgery as specialization for female physicians: Results from course evaluations and alumni studies at MHH].

Science.gov (United States)

Paulmann, V; Fischer, V; Dudzinska, A; Pabst, R

2015-06-01

There is a lack of young surgeons in Germany. In order to provide a successful learning environment in medical education and to attract more physicians, training concepts need to be regularly controlled. Evaluation results compiled over several years from the Hanover Medical School (MHH) were analyzed for gender-related differences. In addition to overall satisfaction with practical training items were included that consider aspects of interaction between students and instructors. Furthermore, alumni studies provided data on the postgraduate specialty choice made by MHH students. Surgical training is integrated into medical education as block training periods of various durations. Against the background of an increased percentage of women in medicine this article analyzed whether surgery is evaluated differently between female and male medical students with respect to their experiences in clinical teaching. Evaluations of clinical training in surgery demonstrated that female and male medical students do not differ substantially with respect to the teaching quality; however, young female physicians choose surgery as a professional option less frequently than men. A systematic review of clinical training evaluations is crucial to identify weaknesses of current curricula. More empirical data from other faculties can induce discussions about the attractiveness of surgery as a profession.

Aircrew Exposure To Cosmic Radiation Evaluated By Means Of Several Methods; Results Obtained In 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ploc, Ondrej; Spurny, Frantisek; Jadrnickova, Iva; Turek, Karel

2008-01-01

Routine evaluation of aircraft crew exposure to cosmic radiation in the Czech Republic is performed by means of calculation method. Measurements onboard aircraft work as a control tool of the routine method, as well as a possibility of comparison of results measured by means of several methods. The following methods were used in 2006: (1) mobile dosimetry unit (MDU) type Liulin--a spectrometer of energy deposited in Si-detector; (2) two types of LET spectrometers based on the chemically etched track detectors (TED); (3) two types of thermoluminescent detectors; and (4) two calculation methods. MDU represents currently one of the most reliable equipments for evaluation of the aircraft crew exposure to cosmic radiation. It is an active device which measures total energy depositions (E dep ) in the semiconductor unit, and, after appropriate calibration, is able to give a separate estimation for non-neutron and neutron-like components of H*(10). This contribution consists mostly of results acquired by means of this equipment; measurements with passive detectors and calculations are mentioned because of comparison. Reasonably good agreement of all data sets could be stated

A model for reliability avaliation of the electrical supply source of the 1A3 and 1A4 control rods assemblies of Angra I reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, T.

1978-01-01

The reliability of the electrical power supply to the 4.16KV buses for the safety system operation of a nuclear power plant was studied. Particularly, Angra Unit I system was focused. Initially, reliability of each electrical supply source was estimated. Using a probabilistic approach based on the Markov processes, the system reliability was evaluated in terms of frequency and duration of loss of power supply and of the system failure probability evolution when one or more sources remained unavailable. Based on these results, certain reactor operating rules were proposed concerning later shutdown of the plant without compromising the nuclear reactor safety. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to show the different reliability parameter influences on final results. This analysis showed that the diesel system performs an important role in the power supply for a nuclear power plant [pt

THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF SELECTING THE ROLLING STOCK FOR PASSENGER BUS TRANSPORTATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Kostikova

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The problem of choosing buses of different carrying capacity while simultaneously using them on regular urban routes is considered. The indicators that affect the selection of the rolling stock are analyzed. Methods for constructing models, which allow calculating the number of buses of different classes for one city route are proposed. The implementation of the constructed models will make it possible to obtain the savings in capital expenditures, as well as reduce the operational costs of an enterprise.

Air-pollution and economics: diesel bus versus electric bus

OpenAIRE

Adheesh, SR; Vasisht, Shravanth M; Ramasesha, Sheela K

2016-01-01

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) took an initiative to check the overall benefits of introducing electric buses as a suitable replacement for the diesel buses to tackle the burgeoning pollution in the city of Bengaluru, India. For a trial run of three months, an electric bus was procured from a Chinese company `Build Your Dreams' (BYD). Data were collected by BMTC on the operation and maintenance of the bus. This new initiative, if rightly guided, could have a direct im...

California Air Resources board's mobil source emission reduction credit guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunwoody Lentz, C.; Werner, B.

1993-01-01

The California Air Resources Board has developed guidance for the generation and use of mobil source emission reduction credits. Mobil source credits can be used to improve air quality, or to mitigate increases in emissions associated with industrial and non-industrial sources. They are created by programs which reduce mobile source emission beyond the reductions required by federal, state, and local laws or air quality attainment plans. Significant amounts of credit can be generated by some types of programs which reduce mobile source emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) and reactive organic gases (ROG). Mobile source credit programs must be carefully structured to ensure that emission reductions are real, accurately quantified, enforceable, and have a defined life. Three potentially feasible programs for the creation of mobile source credits include accelerated retirement of older vehicles, purchase of low-emission buses, and purchase of zero-emission vehicles. These programs are evaluated for their ability to generate credit and to assess their cost effectiveness. Based on the examples presented, two methods of generating mobile source credits, the accelerated retirement of older vehicles and the purchase of low-emission buses, appear to be cost-effective when compared to other emission control measures

Exploring risk communication - results of a research project focussed on effectiveness evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Charrière, Marie; Bogaard, Thom; Junier, Sandra; Mostert, Erik

2016-04-01

The need for effective science communication and outreach efforts is widely acknowledged in the academic community. In the field of Disaster Risk Reduction, the importance of communication is clearly stressed, e.g. in the newly adopted Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (under the 1st priority of action: understanding disaster risk). Consequently, we see increasing risk communication activities. However, the effectiveness of these activities is rarely evaluated. To address this gap, several research activities were conducted in the context of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network "Changes", the results of which we will present and discuss. First, results of a literature review show, among others, that research on effectiveness is mainly focussed on the assessment of users' needs and their ability to understand the content, rather than on the final impact of the risk communication efforts. Moreover, lab-environment research is more often undertaken than assessment of real communication efforts. Second, a comparison between perceptions of risk managers and the general public of risk communication in a French Alps Valley highlighted a gap between the two groups in terms of amount of information needed (who wants more), the important topics to address (what) and the media to use (how). Third, interviews with developers of smartphone applications for disseminating avalanche risk information showed a variety of current practices and the absence of measurements of real their effectiveness. However, our analysis allowed identifying good practices that can be an inspiration for risk communication related to other hazards. Fourth, an exhibition has been set up following a collaborative approached based on stakeholder engagement. Using a pre/post-test design, the immediate impact of the exhibition, which aimed at increasing the risk awareness of the population (Ubaye Valley, France), was measured. The data obtained suggests that visiting the exhibition

Retrospective radiographic evaluation of treatment results of developmental dysplasia of the hip in walking-age children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heesakkers, Nicole A. M.; Witbreuk, Melinda M. E. H.; Besselaar, Philip P.; van der Sluijs, Johannes A.

2013-01-01

We evaluated treatment results of 22 children (32 hips) with idiopathic hip dislocation after walking age in two Dutch academic hospitals. The Tonnis classification was used preoperatively. Outcome was measured using the Severin and Kalamchi classification. The mean age at treatment was 24 months

SOME STATISTICAL RESULTS REGARDING THE EVALUATION OF THE QUALITY OF THE MASTER EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

POPA IRIMIE

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The article emphasizes aspects regarding the evaluation of the higher education's quality. In certain countries, the questionnaires regarding quality of the activity of HEIs (Higher Education Institutions are administrated by specialized institutions led by the Ministry of Education or the university associations. The evaluation principles derive from well-known economic and social theories, evolving even evaluation models (see the SERVQUAL model. As a result of the Bologna Treaty (1999, the European Union has the objective to become an international reference concerning the higher education quality and to be more attractive than in the present for students, professors and researchers from other regions of the world. So as to fulfill these objectives ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education recommends HEIs to include in their development plans regarding quality aspects five principles described in the article. The practical study refers to the results of a questionnaire applied to the master business students from a Romanian university. In order to assess the level of satisfaction of students in relation to the master programme they are involved in, a questionnaire was applied on a sample of 200 such persons. The responses were then analyzed using multidimensional data analysis methods. Out of these, the present research is based on multiple response analysis. In the questionnaire, students were asked to return their level of satisfaction for different aspects related to the educational process they are involved in. The questions were constructed as five-level Likert items. In this way was insured a connection between answers given at each of the questions assessing the quality of the programme. Only 0.2% of the answers given relate to aspects about which the students were not satisfied at all. These answers represent 3.2% of the number of respondents. 30% of the students were slightly satisfied, returning 57 choices

Results-Oriented Evaluations: Their Uses, Their Limits and How They are Driving Implementers‘ Coping Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michel Leroy

2015-01-01

Full Text Available While the use of monitoring and evaluation (M&E by media development implementers is well documented, organizations’ coping strategies to adapt to new environments in media and development still remain a relatively unexplored area. The article aims at showing how the theoretical lessons learnt by the industry have been put into practice and how a successful change can be driven within an organization using outside experts. A results-oriented culture of performance and service has been enforced since the 1990s in the EU. Evaluation systems have been a powerful catalyst in driving the transition from media support to media development and in making the latter more independent from broadcasters and donors. In recent years, changes in media assistance procedures and aims have profoundly modified the traditional landscape. This article will not question these changes, their origin and motivations. It will focus on implementers’ coping strategies to adapt (or not to these new procedures and aims and how results-oriented evaluations can drive the shift from outputs to outcomes in a changing media development sector. Can capitalizing on experience be considered a learning process that prepares for change and improves the design and implementation of projects? To what extent can it help to empower the operator as an organization? Referring to various concrete case studies from British, French and German media assistance, the article will focus on virtuous change – the circumstances that encourage structures, as well as donors who fund them, to better define and operationalize their strategies.

Evaluating strength at ultra-high temperatures-Methods and results