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Sample records for flow vehicle characterization

  1. Flow Characteristics of Ground Vehicle Wake and Its Response to Flow Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sellappan, Prabu; McNally, Jonathan; Alvi, Farrukh

    2017-11-01

    Air pollution, fuel shortages, and cost savings are some of the many incentives for improving the aerodynamics of vehicles. Reducing wake-induced aerodynamic drag, which is dependent on flow topology, on modern passenger vehicles is important for improving fuel consumption rates which directly affect the environment. In this research, an active flow control technique is applied on a generic ground vehicle, a 25°Ahmed model, to investigate its effect on the flow topology in the near-wake. The flow field of this canonical bluff body is extremely rich, with complex and unsteady flow features such as trailing wake vortices and c-pillar vortices. The spatio-temporal response of these flow features to the application of steady microjet actuators is investigated. The responses are characterized independently through time-resolved and volumetric velocity field measurements. The accuracy and cost of volumetric measurements in this complex flow field through Stereoscopic- and Tomographic- Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) will also be commented upon. National Science Foundation PIRE Program.

  2. Three-dimensional flow structure measurements behind a queue of studied model vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, J.F.; Chan, T.L.; Zhou, Y.

    2009-01-01

    The three-dimensional flow structures of a queue of studied model vehicles (i.e., one-, two- and three-vehicle cases) were investigated comprehensively in a closed-circuit wind tunnel using particle image velocimetry (PIV) for the typical urban vehicle speeds (i.e., 10, 30 and 50 km/h). In this three-dimensional vehicle wake, a pair of longitudinal vortices is characterized by counter-rotating and moving downstream at relatively low velocity than their surrounding flow. The flow structures of multiple studied model vehicles are dominated by the wake generated from the last studied model vehicle but the preceding studied model vehicle(s) also has/have some minor effects. Cross-sectional turbulence distribution is non-uniform in the far-wake region for all studied cases. The lowest turbulence occurs at the center part of the vehicle wake while high turbulence occurs at its two sides. As such, it may lead to considerable underestimation in turbulence magnitude if the measurement is only taken along the centerline of the vehicle wake.

  3. Will Automated Vehicles Negatively Impact Traffic Flow?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. C. Calvert

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available With low-level vehicle automation already available, there is a necessity to estimate its effects on traffic flow, especially if these could be negative. A long gradual transition will occur from manual driving to automated driving, in which many yet unknown traffic flow dynamics will be present. These effects have the potential to increasingly aid or cripple current road networks. In this contribution, we investigate these effects using an empirically calibrated and validated simulation experiment, backed up with findings from literature. We found that low-level automated vehicles in mixed traffic will initially have a small negative effect on traffic flow and road capacities. The experiment further showed that any improvement in traffic flow will only be seen at penetration rates above 70%. Also, the capacity drop appeared to be slightly higher with the presence of low-level automated vehicles. The experiment further investigated the effect of bottleneck severity and truck shares on traffic flow. Improvements to current traffic models are recommended and should include a greater detail and understanding of driver-vehicle interaction, both in conventional and in mixed traffic flow. Further research into behavioural shifts in driving is also recommended due to limited data and knowledge of these dynamics.

  4. Flow around an autonomous underwater vehicle with bio-inspired coating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watkins, Scott; Montoya-Segnini, Jose; Bocanegra Evans, Humberto; Curet, Oscar; Gorumlu, Serdar; Aksak, Burak; Kazemi, Amirkhosro; Chamorro, Leonardo; Castillo, Luciano

    2017-11-01

    Flow separation plays a major factor in the form drag of a moving object. In particular, suppressing or reducing flow separation is critical in the energy expenditure of autonomous underwater vehicles. Previous research suggests that bio-inspired micro-fibrillar structures are capable of reducing the boundary layer separation in a turbulent flow. Here, we present laboratory measurements using PIV near the wall and in the wake of two submersible vessel models; one had a coating composed of ordered fibers, and the other had smooth walls. Flow characterization with planar PIV included the presence or absence of a tail fin at multiple angles of attack of the vessels. Preliminary results reveal changes of the flow in the wake of the vessel with coating resulting in lower or similar velocity deficit in the wake compared to the smooth vessel.

  5. Toward the Experimental Characterization of an Unmanned Air System Flow Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velarde, John-Michael; Connors, Jacob; Glauser, Mark

    2017-11-01

    The velocity flow field around a small unmanned air system (sUAS) is investigated in a series of experiments at Syracuse University. Experiments are conducted in the 2'x2' sub-sonic wind tunnel at Syracuse University and the Indoor Flow Lab. The goal of these experiments is to gain a better understanding of the rich, turbulent flow field that a sUAS creates. Comparison to large, multi-rotor manned vehicles is done to gain a better understanding of the flow physics that could be occurring with the sUAS. Regions of investigation include the downwash, above the vehicle, and far downstream. Characterization of the flow is performed using hotwire anemometry. Investigation of several locations around the sUAS show that dominant frequencies exist within the flow field. Analysis of the flow field using power spectral density will be presented as well as looking at which parameters have an effect on these dominant frequencies.

  6. Energy harvesting by means of flow-induced vibrations on aerospace vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Daochun; Wu, Yining; Da Ronch, Andrea; Xiang, Jinwu

    2016-10-01

    This paper reviews the design, implementation, and demonstration of energy harvesting devices that exploit flow-induced vibrations as the main source of energy. Starting with a presentation of various concepts of energy harvesters that are designed to benefit from a general class of flow-induced vibrations, specific attention is then given at those technologies that may offer, today or in the near future, a potential benefit to extend the operational capabilities and to monitor critical parameters of unmanned aerial vehicles. Various phenomena characterized by flow-induced vibrations are discussed, including limit cycle oscillations of plates and wing sections, vortex-induced and galloping oscillations of bluff bodies, vortex-induced vibrations of downstream structures, and atmospheric turbulence and gusts. It was found that linear or linearized modeling approaches are commonly employed to support the design phase of energy harvesters. As a result, highly nonlinear and coupled phenomena that characterize flow-induced vibrations are neglected in the design process. The Authors encourage a shift in the current design paradigm: considering coupled nonlinear phenomena, and adequate modeling tools to support their analysis, from a design limitation to a design opportunity. Special emphasis is placed on identifying designs and implementations applicable to aircraft configurations. Application fields of flow-induced vibrations-based energy harvesters are discussed including power supply for wireless sensor networks and simultaneous energy harvest and control. A large body of work on energy harvesters is included in this review journal. Whereas most of the references claim direct applications to unmanned aerial vehicles, it is apparent that, in most of the cases presented, the working principles and characteristics of the energy harvesters are incompatible with any aerospace applications. Finally, the challenges that hold back the integration of energy harvesting

  7. Drag reduction of a rapid vehicle in supercavitating flow

    OpenAIRE

    D. Yang; Y.L. Xiong; X.F. Guo

    2017-01-01

    Supercavitation is one of the most attractive technologies to achieve high speed for underwater vehicles. However, the multiphase flow with high-speed around the supercavitating vehicle (SCV) is difficult to simulate accurately. In this paper, we use modified the turbulent viscosity formula in the Standard K-Epsilon (SKE) turbulent model to simulate the supercavitating flow. The numerical results of flow over several typical cavitators are in agreement with the experimental data and theoretic...

  8. Cellular automata model for traffic flow at intersections in internet of vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Han-Tao; Liu, Xin-Ru; Chen, Xiao-Xu; Lu, Jian-Cheng

    2018-03-01

    Considering the effect of the front vehicle's speed, the influence of the brake light and the conflict of the traffic flow, we established a cellular automata model called CE-NS for traffic flow at the intersection in the non-vehicle networking environment. According to the information interaction of Internet of Vehicles (IoV), introducing parameters describing the congestion and the accurate speed of the front vehicle into the CE-NS model, we improved the rules of acceleration, deceleration and conflict, and finally established a cellular automata model for traffic flow at intersections of IoV. The relationship between traffic parameters such as vehicle speed, flow and average travel time is obtained by numerical simulation of two models. Based on this, we compared the traffic situation of the non-vehicle networking environment with conditions of IoV environment, and analyzed the influence of the different degree of IoV on the traffic flow. The results show that the traffic speed is increased, the travel time is reduced, the flux of intersections is increased and the traffic flow is more smoothly under IoV environment. After the vehicle which achieves IoV reaches a certain proportion, the operation effect of the traffic flow begins to improve obviously.

  9. Drag reduction of a rapid vehicle in supercavitating flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Yang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Supercavitation is one of the most attractive technologies to achieve high speed for underwater vehicles. However, the multiphase flow with high-speed around the supercavitating vehicle (SCV is difficult to simulate accurately. In this paper, we use modified the turbulent viscosity formula in the Standard K-Epsilon (SKE turbulent model to simulate the supercavitating flow. The numerical results of flow over several typical cavitators are in agreement with the experimental data and theoretical prediction. In the last part, a flying SCV was studied by unsteady numerical simulation. The selected computation setup corresponds to an outdoor supercavitating experiment. Only very limited experimental data was recorded due to the difficulties under the circumstance of high-speed underwater condition. However, the numerical simulation recovers the whole scenario, the results are qualitatively reasonable by comparing to the experimental observations. The drag reduction capacity of supercavitation is evaluated by comparing with a moving vehicle launching at the same speed but without supercavitation. The results show that the supercavitation reduces the drag of the vehicle dramatically.

  10. SMART VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE DETECTION AND TRAFFIC FLOW CONTROL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. SHAFIE

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Traffic signal light can be optimized using vehicle flow statistics obtained by Smart Video Surveillance Software (SVSS. This research focuses on efficient traffic control system by detecting and counting the vehicle numbers at various times and locations. At present, one of the biggest problems in the main city in any country is the traffic jam during office hour and office break hour. Sometimes it can be seen that the traffic signal green light is still ON even though there is no vehicle coming. Similarly, it is also observed that long queues of vehicles are waiting even though the road is empty due to traffic signal light selection without proper investigation on vehicle flow. This can be handled by adjusting the vehicle passing time implementing by our developed SVSS. A number of experiment results of vehicle flows are discussed in this research graphically in order to test the feasibility of the developed system. Finally, adoptive background model is proposed in SVSS in order to successfully detect target objects such as motor bike, car, bus, etc.

  11. An experimental investigation of flow around a vehicle passing through a tornado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Masahiro; Obara, Kouhei; Okura, Nobuyuki

    2016-03-01

    Flow around a vehicle running through a tornado was investigated experimentally. A tornado simulator was developed to generate a tornado-like swirl flow. PIV study confirmed that the simulator generates two-celled vortices which are observed in the natural tornadoes. A moving test rig was developed to run a 1/40 scaled train-shaped model vehicle under the tornado simulator. The car contained pressure sensors, a data logger with an AD converter to measure unsteady surface pressures during its run through the swirling flow. Aerodynamic forces acting on the vehicle were estimated from the pressure data. The results show that the aerodynamic forces change its magnitude and direction depending on the position of the car in the swirling flow. The asymmetry of the forces about the vortex centre suggests the vehicle itself may deform the flow field.

  12. An experimental investigation of flow around a vehicle passing through a tornado

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzuki Masahiro

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Flow around a vehicle running through a tornado was investigated experimentally. A tornado simulator was developed to generate a tornado-like swirl flow. PIV study confirmed that the simulator generates two-celled vortices which are observed in the natural tornadoes. A moving test rig was developed to run a 1/40 scaled train-shaped model vehicle under the tornado simulator. The car contained pressure sensors, a data logger with an AD converter to measure unsteady surface pressures during its run through the swirling flow. Aerodynamic forces acting on the vehicle were estimated from the pressure data. The results show that the aerodynamic forces change its magnitude and direction depending on the position of the car in the swirling flow. The asymmetry of the forces about the vortex centre suggests the vehicle itself may deform the flow field.

  13. Modeling connected and autonomous vehicles in heterogeneous traffic flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Lanhang; Yamamoto, Toshiyuki

    2018-01-01

    The objective of this study was to develop a heterogeneous traffic-flow model to study the possible impact of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) on the traffic flow. Based on a recently proposed two-state safe-speed model (TSM), a two-lane cellular automaton (CA) model was developed, wherein both the CAVs and conventional vehicles were incorporated in the heterogeneous traffic flow. In particular, operation rules for CAVs are established considering the new characteristics of this emerging technology, including autonomous driving through the adaptive cruise control and inter-vehicle connection via short-range communication. Simulations were conducted under various CAV-penetration rates in the heterogeneous flow. The impact of CAVs on the road capacity was numerically investigated. The simulation results indicate that the road capacity increases with an increase in the CAV-penetration rate within the heterogeneous flow. Up to a CAV-penetration rate of 30%, the road capacity increases gradually; the effect of the difference in the CAV capability on the growth rate is insignificant. When the CAV-penetration rate exceeds 30%, the growth rate is largely decided by the capability of the CAV. The greater the capability, the higher the road-capacity growth rate. The relationship between the CAV-penetration rate and the road capacity is numerically analyzed, providing some insights into the possible impact of the CAVs on traffic systems.

  14. Network modeling for reverse flows of end-of-life vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ene, Seval; Öztürk, Nursel

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We developed a network model for reverse flows of end-of-life vehicles. • The model considers all recovery operations for end-of-life vehicles. • A scenario-based model is used for uncertainty to improve real case applications. • The model is adequate to real case applications for end-of-life vehicles recovery. • Considerable insights are gained from the model by sensitivity analyses. - Abstract: Product recovery operations are of critical importance for the automotive industry in complying with environmental regulations concerning end-of-life products management. Manufacturers must take responsibility for their products over the entire life cycle. In this context, there is a need for network design methods for effectively managing recovery operations and waste. The purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical programming model for managing reverse flows in end-of-life vehicles’ recovery network. A reverse flow is the collection of used products from consumers and the transportation of these products for the purpose of recycling, reuse or disposal. The proposed model includes all operations in a product recovery and waste management network for used vehicles and reuse for vehicle parts such as collection, disassembly, refurbishing, processing (shredding), recycling, disposal and reuse of vehicle parts. The scope of the network model is to determine the numbers and locations of facilities in the network and the material flows between these facilities. The results show the performance of the model and its applicability for use in the planning of recovery operations in the automotive industry. The main objective of recovery and waste management is to maximize revenue and minimize pollution in end-of-life product operations. This study shows that with an accurate model, these activities may provide economic benefits and incentives in addition to protecting the environment

  15. Network modeling for reverse flows of end-of-life vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ene, Seval; Öztürk, Nursel

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • We developed a network model for reverse flows of end-of-life vehicles. • The model considers all recovery operations for end-of-life vehicles. • A scenario-based model is used for uncertainty to improve real case applications. • The model is adequate to real case applications for end-of-life vehicles recovery. • Considerable insights are gained from the model by sensitivity analyses. - Abstract: Product recovery operations are of critical importance for the automotive industry in complying with environmental regulations concerning end-of-life products management. Manufacturers must take responsibility for their products over the entire life cycle. In this context, there is a need for network design methods for effectively managing recovery operations and waste. The purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical programming model for managing reverse flows in end-of-life vehicles’ recovery network. A reverse flow is the collection of used products from consumers and the transportation of these products for the purpose of recycling, reuse or disposal. The proposed model includes all operations in a product recovery and waste management network for used vehicles and reuse for vehicle parts such as collection, disassembly, refurbishing, processing (shredding), recycling, disposal and reuse of vehicle parts. The scope of the network model is to determine the numbers and locations of facilities in the network and the material flows between these facilities. The results show the performance of the model and its applicability for use in the planning of recovery operations in the automotive industry. The main objective of recovery and waste management is to maximize revenue and minimize pollution in end-of-life product operations. This study shows that with an accurate model, these activities may provide economic benefits and incentives in addition to protecting the environment.

  16. Characterization Test Procedures for Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems Based on Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-12-01

    Characterization test procedures have been developed to quantify the performance of intersection collision avoidance (ICA) systems based on vehicle-to-vehicle communications. These systems warn the driver of an imminent crossing-path collision at a r...

  17. Full Vehicle Vibration and Noise Analysis Based on Substructure Power Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhien Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Combining substructure and power flow theory, in this paper an external program is written to control MSC. Nastran solution process and the substructure frequency response are also formulated accordingly. Based on a simple vehicle model, characteristics of vibration, noise, and power flow are studied, respectively. After being compared with the result of conventional FEM (finite element method, the new method is confirmed to be feasible. When it comes to a vehicle with the problem of low-frequency noise, finite element models of substructures for vehicle body and chassis are established, respectively. In addition, substructure power flow method is also employed to examine the transfer characteristics of multidimensional vibration energy for the whole vehicle system. By virtue of the adjustment stiffness of drive shaft support and bushes at rear suspension lower arm, the vehicle interior noise is decreased by about 3 dB when the engine speed is near 1050 rpm and 1650 rpm in experiment. At the same time, this method can increase the computation efficiency by 78%, 38%, and 98% when it comes to the optimization of chassis structure, body structure, and vibration isolation components, respectively.

  18. Flexible micro flow sensor for micro aerial vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Rong; Que, Ruiyi; Liu, Peng

    2017-12-01

    This article summarizes our studies on micro flow sensors fabricated on a flexible polyimide circuit board by a low-cost hybrid process of thin-film deposition and circuit printing. The micro flow sensor has merits of flexibility, structural simplicity, easy integrability with circuits, and good sensing performance. The sensor, which adheres to an object surface, can detect the surface flow around the object. In our study, we install the fabricated micro flow sensors on micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) to detect the surface flow variation around the aircraft wing and deduce the aerodynamic parameters of the MAVs in flight. Wind tunnel experiments using the sensors integrated with the MAVs are also conducted.

  19. Analysis of energy consumption and emission of the heterogeneous traffic flow consisting of traditional vehicles and electric vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Hong; Huang, Hai-Jun; Tang, Tie-Qiao

    2017-12-01

    Electric vehicle (EV) has become a potential traffic tool, which has attracted researchers to explore various traffic phenomena caused by EV (e.g. congestion, electricity consumption, etc.). In this paper, we study the energy consumption (including the fuel consumption and the electricity consumption) and emissions of heterogeneous traffic flow (that consists of the traditional vehicle (TV) and EV) under three traffic situations (i.e. uniform flow, shock and rarefaction waves, and a small perturbation) from the perspective of macro traffic flow. The numerical results show that the proportion of electric vehicular flow has great effects on the TV’s fuel consumption and emissions and the EV’s electricity consumption, i.e. the fuel consumption and emissions decrease while the electricity consumption increases with the increase of the proportion of electric vehicular flow. The results can help us better understand the energy consumption and emissions of the heterogeneous traffic flow consisting of TV and EV.

  20. A new car-following model for autonomous vehicles flow with mean expected velocity field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen-Xing, Zhu; Li-Dong, Zhang

    2018-02-01

    Due to the development of the modern scientific technology, autonomous vehicles may realize to connect with each other and share the information collected from each vehicle. An improved forward considering car-following model was proposed with mean expected velocity field to describe the autonomous vehicles flow behavior. The new model has three key parameters: adjustable sensitivity, strength factor and mean expected velocity field size. Two lemmas and one theorem were proven as criteria for judging the stability of homogeneousautonomous vehicles flow. Theoretical results show that the greater parameters means larger stability regions. A series of numerical simulations were carried out to check the stability and fundamental diagram of autonomous flow. From the numerical simulation results, the profiles, hysteresis loop and density waves of the autonomous vehicles flow were exhibited. The results show that with increased sensitivity, strength factor or field size the traffic jam was suppressed effectively which are well in accordance with the theoretical results. Moreover, the fundamental diagrams corresponding to three parameters respectively were obtained. It demonstrates that these parameters play almost the same role on traffic flux: i.e. before the critical density the bigger parameter is, the greater flux is and after the critical density, the opposite tendency is. In general, the three parameters have a great influence on the stability and jam state of the autonomous vehicles flow.

  1. Numerical prediction of Plume Induced Flow Separation (PIFS) on launch vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeffries, D.K.; Ferguson, F.; Chandra, S.

    2002-01-01

    Lockheed Martin Astronautics designs and operates launch vehicles that deliver payloads into specific geosynchronous orbits for the government and the commercial market place. Lockheed's family Atlas Launch Vehicles are an industry leader in this very competitive business and remain in this position by continuously optimizing the Atlas design to increase its performance. However, the unknown overall effects of a phenomenon that occurs when aircraft operate at high altitudes is hindering the advancement of the vehicle. Engineers have known for years through observations and calculations that the exhaust plume from an aircraft's engine undergoes changes in shape and increases in size as the aircraft gains altitude and speed. The change in exhaust plum configuration typically leads to interaction between the exhaust gases and freestream air, which is the cause of the phenomenon know as Plume Induced Flow Separation (PIFS). PIFS separates the external flow from the surface of the vehicle allowing the hot exhaust gases to climb forward from the engines toward the aircraft's leading end. Long believed to harmlessly climb the outside surfaces of aircraft, the mostly unknown phenomenon in now feared to hamper the performance of today's launch vehicles. Lockheed Martin has contracted the research study of PIFS to better understand the flowfield and then use that information to optimize the design of their launch vehicles and mitigate ifs effects. A study of the phenomenon, its resulting flowfield and thermal environment, is greatly needed to add to the knowledge of bases of PIFS and aerospace flight. The study presented outlines the development of a numerical model, which was used to investigate the effects of PIFS on an Atlas IIIA Launch Vehicle by simulating the vehicle operating under flight conditions where PIFS is most likely to occur. The model was validated by comparing numerical results with experimental data and verified by reviewing the flow physics captured. The

  2. CHARACTERIZATION OF WILD PIG VEHICLE COLLISIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mayer, J; Paul E. Johns, P

    2007-05-23

    Wild pig (Sus scrofa) collisions with vehicles are known to occur in the United States, but only minimal information describing these accidents has been reported. In an effort to better characterize these accidents, data were collected from 179 wild pig-vehicle collisions from a location in west central South Carolina. Data included accident parameters pertaining to the animals involved, time, location, and human impacts. The age structure of the animals involved was significantly older than that found in the population. Most collisions involved single animals; however, up to seven animals were involved in individual accidents. As the number of animals per collision increased, the age and body mass of the individuals involved decreased. The percentage of males was significantly higher in the single-animal accidents. Annual attrition due to vehicle collisions averaged 0.8 percent of the population. Wild pig-vehicle collisions occurred year-round and throughout the 24-hour daily time period. Most accidents were at night. The presence of lateral barriers was significantly more frequent at the collision locations. Human injuries were infrequent but potentially serious. The mean vehicle damage estimate was $1,173.

  3. Network modeling for reverse flows of end-of-life vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ene, Seval; Öztürk, Nursel

    2015-04-01

    Product recovery operations are of critical importance for the automotive industry in complying with environmental regulations concerning end-of-life products management. Manufacturers must take responsibility for their products over the entire life cycle. In this context, there is a need for network design methods for effectively managing recovery operations and waste. The purpose of this study is to develop a mathematical programming model for managing reverse flows in end-of-life vehicles' recovery network. A reverse flow is the collection of used products from consumers and the transportation of these products for the purpose of recycling, reuse or disposal. The proposed model includes all operations in a product recovery and waste management network for used vehicles and reuse for vehicle parts such as collection, disassembly, refurbishing, processing (shredding), recycling, disposal and reuse of vehicle parts. The scope of the network model is to determine the numbers and locations of facilities in the network and the material flows between these facilities. The results show the performance of the model and its applicability for use in the planning of recovery operations in the automotive industry. The main objective of recovery and waste management is to maximize revenue and minimize pollution in end-of-life product operations. This study shows that with an accurate model, these activities may provide economic benefits and incentives in addition to protecting the environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A QMU approach for characterizing the operability limits of air-breathing hypersonic vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iaccarino, Gianluca; Pecnik, Rene; Glimm, James; Sharp, David

    2011-01-01

    The operability limits of a supersonic combustion engine for an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle are characterized using numerical simulations and an uncertainty quantification methodology. The time-dependent compressible flow equations with heat release are solved in a simplified configuration. Verification, calibration and validation are carried out to assess the ability of the model to reproduce the flow/thermal interactions that occur when the engine unstarts due to thermal choking. quantification of margins and uncertainty (QMU) is used to determine the safe operation region for a range of fuel flow rates and combustor geometries. - Highlights: → In this work we introduce a method to study the operability limits of hypersonic scramjet engines. → The method is based on a calibrated heat release model. → It accounts explicitly for uncertainties due to flight conditions and model correlations. → We examine changes due to the combustor geometry and fuel injection.

  5. INL Fleet Vehicle Characterization Study for the U.S. Department of Navy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bennett, Brion Dale [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Francfort, James Edward [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Smart, John Galloway [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, managing and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory, is the lead laboratory for U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Vehicle Testing. Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC collected and evaluated data on federal fleet operations as part of the Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity’s Federal Fleet Vehicle Data Logging and Characterization Study. The Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity’s study seeks to collect and evaluate data to validate use of advanced plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) transportation. This report focuses on US Department of Navy's fleet to identify daily operational characteristics of select vehicles and report findings on vehicle and mission characterizations to support the successful introduction of PEVs into the agency’s fleets. Individual observations of these selected vehicles provide the basis for recommendations related to electric vehicle adoption and whether a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (collectively referred to as PEVs) can fulfill the mission requirements.

  6. Investigation of the Link Between Macroscopic Traffic Flow Characteristics and Individual Vehicle Fuel Consumption

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    This project investigated the factors impacting individual vehicle energy consumption, including vehicle characteristics, ambient temperature, season, speed, driving behavior, and traffic flow. A fleet of 18 vehicles with a variety of ownership, size...

  7. Multiple Vehicle Detection and Segmentation in Malaysia Traffic Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fariz Hasan, Ahmad; Fikri Che Husin, Mohd; Affendi Rosli, Khairul; Norhafiz Hashim, Mohd; Faiz Zainal Abidin, Amar

    2018-03-01

    Vision based system are widely used in the field of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) to extract a large amount of information to analyze traffic scenes. By rapid number of vehicles on the road as well as significant increase on cameras dictated the need for traffic surveillance systems. This system can take over the burden some task was performed by human operator in traffic monitoring centre. The main technique proposed by this paper is concentrated on developing a multiple vehicle detection and segmentation focusing on monitoring through Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) video. The system is able to automatically segment vehicle extracted from heavy traffic scene by optical flow estimation alongside with blob analysis technique in order to detect the moving vehicle. Prior to segmentation, blob analysis technique will compute the area of interest region corresponding to moving vehicle which will be used to create bounding box on that particular vehicle. Experimental validation on the proposed system was performed and the algorithm is demonstrated on various set of traffic scene.

  8. Characteristic Analysis of Mixed Traffic Flow of Regular and Autonomous Vehicles Using Cellular Automata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yangzexi Liu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The technology of autonomous vehicles is expected to revolutionize the operation of road transport systems. The penetration rate of autonomous vehicles will be low at the early stage of their deployment. It is a challenge to explore the effects of autonomous vehicles and their penetration on heterogeneous traffic flow dynamics. This paper aims to investigate this issue. An improved cellular automaton was employed as the modeling platform for our study. In particular, two sets of rules for lane changing were designed to address mild and aggressive lane changing behavior. With extensive simulation studies, we obtained some promising results. First, the introduction of autonomous vehicles to road traffic could considerably improve traffic flow, particularly the road capacity and free-flow speed. And the level of improvement increases with the penetration rate. Second, the lane-changing frequency between neighboring lanes evolves with traffic density along a fundamental-diagram-like curve. Third, the impacts of autonomous vehicles on the collective traffic flow characteristics are mainly related to their smart maneuvers in lane changing and car following, and it seems that the car-following impact is more pronounced.

  9. Letter to the Editor: Electric Vehicle Demand Model for Load Flow Studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Garcia-Valle, Rodrigo; Vlachogiannis, Ioannis (John)

    2009-01-01

    This paper introduces specific and simple model for electric vehicles suitable for load flow studies. The electric vehicles demand system is modelled as PQ bus with stochastic characteristics based on the concept of queuing theory. All appropriate variables of stochastic PQ buses are given...... with closed formulae as a function of charging time. Specific manufacturer model of electric vehicles is used as study case....

  10. Optic Flow Based State Estimation for an Indoor Micro Air Vehicle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verveld, M.J.; Chu, Q.P.; De Wagter, C.; Mulder, J.A.

    2010-01-01

    This work addresses the problem of indoor state estimation for autonomous flying vehicles with an optic flow approach. The paper discusses a sensor configuration using six optic flow sensors of the computer mouse type augmented by a three-axis accelerometer to estimate velocity, rotation, attitude

  11. Stocks, Flows, and Distribution of Critical Metals in Embedded Electronics in Passenger Vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Restrepo, Eliette; Løvik, Amund N; Wäger, Patrick; Widmer, Rolf; Lonka, Radek; Müller, Daniel B

    2017-02-07

    One of the major applications of critical metals (CMs) is in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), which is increasingly embedded in other products, notably passenger vehicles. However, recycling strategies for future CM quantities in end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are poorly understood, mainly due to a limited understating of the complexity of automotive embedded EEE. We introduce a harmonization of the network structure of automotive electronics that enables a comprehensive quantification of CMs in all embedded EEE in a vehicle. This network is combined with a material flow analysis along the vehicle lifecycle in Switzerland to quantify the stocks and flows of Ag, Au, Pd, Ru, Dy, La, Nd, and Co in automotive embedded EEE. In vehicles in use, we calculated 5 -2 +3 t precious metals in controllers embedded in all vehicle types and 220 -60 +90 t rare earth elements (REE); found mainly in five electric motors: alternator, starter, radiator-fan and electronic power steering motor embedded in conventional passenger vehicles and drive motor/generator embedded in hybrid and electric vehicles. Dismantling these devices before ELV shredding, as well as postshredder treatment of automobile shredder residue may increase the recovery of CMs from ELVs. Environmental and economic implications of such recycling strategies must be considered.

  12. Distributed flow estimation and closed-loop control of an underwater vehicle with a multi-modal artificial lateral line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVries, Levi; Lagor, Francis D; Lei, Hong; Tan, Xiaobo; Paley, Derek A

    2015-03-25

    Bio-inspired sensing modalities enhance the ability of autonomous vehicles to characterize and respond to their environment. This paper concerns the lateral line of cartilaginous and bony fish, which is sensitive to fluid motion and allows fish to sense oncoming flow and the presence of walls or obstacles. The lateral line consists of two types of sensing modalities: canal neuromasts measure approximate pressure gradients, whereas superficial neuromasts measure local flow velocities. By employing an artificial lateral line, the performance of underwater sensing and navigation strategies is improved in dark, cluttered, or murky environments where traditional sensing modalities may be hindered. This paper presents estimation and control strategies enabling an airfoil-shaped unmanned underwater vehicle to assimilate measurements from a bio-inspired, multi-modal artificial lateral line and estimate flow properties for feedback control. We utilize potential flow theory to model the fluid flow past a foil in a uniform flow and in the presence of an upstream obstacle. We derive theoretically justified nonlinear estimation strategies to estimate the free stream flowspeed, angle of attack, and the relative position of an upstream obstacle. The feedback control strategy uses the estimated flow properties to execute bio-inspired behaviors including rheotaxis (the tendency of fish to orient upstream) and station-holding (the tendency of fish to position behind an upstream obstacle). A robotic prototype outfitted with a multi-modal artificial lateral line composed of ionic polymer metal composite and embedded pressure sensors experimentally demonstrates the distributed flow sensing and closed-loop control strategies.

  13. Vehicle Infrastructure Cash-Flow Estimation--VICE 2.0; Clean Cities, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mitchell, G.

    2015-04-02

    This presentation discusses the differences between the original Vehicle and Infrastructure Cash-Flow Evaluation (VICE) Model and the revamped version, VICE 2.0. The enhanced tool can now help assess projects to acquire vehicles and infrastructure, or to acquire vehicles only.

  14. Numerical analysis of flow induced noise propagation in supercavitating vehicles at subsonic speeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramesh, Sai Sudha; Lim, Kian Meng; Zheng, Jianguo; Khoo, Boo Cheong

    2014-04-01

    Flow supercavitation begins when fluid is accelerated over a sharp edge, usually at the nose of an underwater vehicle, where phase change occurs and causes low density gaseous cavity to gradually envelop the whole object (supercavity) and thereby enabling higher speeds of underwater vehicles. The process of supercavity inception/development by means of "natural cavitation" and its sustainment through ventilated cavitation result in turbulence and fluctuations at the water-vapor interface that manifest themselves as major sources of hydrodynamic noise. Therefore in the present context, three main sources are investigated, namely, (1) flow generated noise due to turbulent pressure fluctuations around the supercavity, (2) small scale pressure fluctuations at the vapor-water interface, and (3) pressure fluctuations due to direct impingement of ventilated gas-jets on the supercavity wall. An understanding of their relative contributions toward self-noise is very crucial for the efficient operation of high frequency acoustic sensors that facilitate the vehicle's guidance system. Qualitative comparisons of acoustic pressure distribution resulting from aforementioned sound sources are presented by employing a recently developed boundary integral method. By using flow data from a specially developed unsteady computational fluid dynamics solver for simulating supercavitating flows, the boundary-element method based acoustic solver was developed for computing flow generated sound.

  15. Computational Modeling of Flow Control Systems for Aerospace Vehicles, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Clear Science Corp. proposes to develop computational methods for designing active flow control systems on aerospace vehicles with the primary objective of...

  16. Characterizing Epistemic Uncertainty for Launch Vehicle Designs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novack, Steven D.; Rogers, Jim; Hark, Frank; Al Hassan, Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    NASA Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) has the task of estimating the aleatory (randomness) and epistemic (lack of knowledge) uncertainty of launch vehicle loss of mission and crew risk and communicating the results. Launch vehicles are complex engineered systems designed with sophisticated subsystems that are built to work together to accomplish mission success. Some of these systems or subsystems are in the form of heritage equipment, while some have never been previously launched. For these cases, characterizing the epistemic uncertainty is of foremost importance, and it is anticipated that the epistemic uncertainty of a modified launch vehicle design versus a design of well understood heritage equipment would be greater. For reasons that will be discussed, standard uncertainty propagation methods using Monte Carlo simulation produce counter intuitive results and significantly underestimate epistemic uncertainty for launch vehicle models. Furthermore, standard PRA methods such as Uncertainty-Importance analyses used to identify components that are significant contributors to uncertainty are rendered obsolete since sensitivity to uncertainty changes are not reflected in propagation of uncertainty using Monte Carlo methods.This paper provides a basis of the uncertainty underestimation for complex systems and especially, due to nuances of launch vehicle logic, for launch vehicles. It then suggests several alternative methods for estimating uncertainty and provides examples of estimation results. Lastly, the paper shows how to implement an Uncertainty-Importance analysis using one alternative approach, describes the results, and suggests ways to reduce epistemic uncertainty by focusing on additional data or testing of selected components.

  17. Equivalent noise level response to number of vehicles: a comparison between a high traffic flow and low traffic flow highway in Klang Valley, Malaysia

    OpenAIRE

    Halim, Herni; Abdullah, Ramdzani

    2014-01-01

    HIGHLIGHTS Highway traffic noise is a serious problem in Malaysia Heavy traffic flow highway recorded higher noise level compared to low traffic flow Noise level stabilized at certain number of vehicles on the road i.e above 500 vehicles. Although much research on road traffic noise has found that noise level increase are influenced by driver behavior and source-receiver distance, little attention has been paid to the relationship between noise level and total number of vehicles...

  18. Dynamic route guidance strategy in a two-route pedestrian-vehicle mixed traffic flow system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Mianfang; Xiong, Shengwu; Li, Bixiang

    2016-05-01

    With the rapid development of transportation, traffic questions have become the major issue for social, economic and environmental aspects. Especially, during serious emergencies, it is very important to alleviate road traffic congestion and improve the efficiency of evacuation to reduce casualties, and addressing these problems has been a major task for the agencies responsible in recent decades. Advanced road guidance strategies have been developed for homogeneous traffic flows, or to reduce traffic congestion and enhance the road capacity in a symmetric two-route scenario. However, feedback strategies have rarely been considered for pedestrian-vehicle mixed traffic flows with variable velocities and sizes in an asymmetric multi-route traffic system, which is a common phenomenon in many developing countries. In this study, we propose a weighted road occupancy feedback strategy (WROFS) for pedestrian-vehicle mixed traffic flows, which considers the system equilibrium to ease traffic congestion. In order to more realistic simulating the behavior of mixed traffic objects, the paper adopted a refined and dynamic cellular automaton model (RDPV_CA model) as the update mechanism for pedestrian-vehicle mixed traffic flow. Moreover, a bounded rational threshold control was introduced into the feedback strategy to avoid some negative effect of delayed information and reduce. Based on comparisons with the two previously proposed strategies, the simulation results obtained in a pedestrian-vehicle traffic flow scenario demonstrated that the proposed strategy with a bounded rational threshold was more effective and system equilibrium, system stability were reached.

  19. Dynamic Gas Flow Effects on the ESD of Aerospace Vehicle Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogue, Michael D.; Kapat, Jayanta; Ahmed, Kareem; Cox, Rachel E.; Wilson, Jennifer G.; Calle, Luz M.; Mulligan, Jaysen

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to develop a dynamic version of Paschen's Law that takes into account the flow of ambient gas past aerospace vehicle surfaces. However, the classic Paschen's Law does not take into account the flow of gas of an aerospace vehicle, whose surfaces may be triboelectrically charged by dust or ice crystal impingement, traversing the atmosphere. The basic hypothesis of this work is that the number of electron-ion pairs created per unit distance by the electric field between the electrodes is mitigated by the electron-ion pairs removed per unit distance by the flow of gas. The revised Paschen equation must be a function of the mean velocity, v(sub xm), of the ambient gas and reduces to the classical version of Paschen's law when the gas mean velocity, v(sub xm) = 0. New formulations of Paschen's Law, taking into account Mach number and dynamic pressure, derived by the authors, will be discussed. These equations will be evaluated by wind tunnel experimentation later this year. Based on the results of this work, it is hoped that the safety of aerospace vehicles will be enhanced with a redefinition of electrostatic launch commit criteria. It is also possible that new products, such as new anti-static coatings, may be formulated from this data.

  20. Shear flow instability in a partially-ionized plasma sheath around a fast-moving vehicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sotnikov, V. I.; Mudaliar, S.; Genoni, T. C.; Rose, D. V.; Oliver, B. V.; Mehlhorn, T. A.

    2011-01-01

    The stability of ion acoustic waves in a sheared-flow, partially-ionized compressible plasma sheath around a fast-moving vehicle in the upper atmosphere, is described and evaluated for different flow profiles. In a compressible plasma with shear flow, instability occurs for any velocity profile, not just for profiles with an inflection point. A second-order differential equation for the electrostatic potential of excited ion acoustic waves in the presence of electron and ion collisions with neutrals is derived and solved numerically using a shooting method with boundary conditions appropriate for a finite thickness sheath in contact with the vehicle. We consider three different velocity flow profiles and find that in all cases that neutral collisions can completely suppress the instability.

  1. Characterization of PTO and Idle Behavior for Utility Vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duran, Adam W. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Konan, Arnaud M. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Miller, Eric S. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kelly, Kenneth J. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Prohaska, Robert S. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-09-28

    This report presents the results of analyses performed on utility vehicle data composed primarily of aerial lift bucket trucks sampled from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Fleet DNA database to characterize power takeoff (PTO) and idle operating behavior for utility trucks. Two major data sources were examined in this study: a 75-vehicle sample of Odyne electric PTO (ePTO)-equipped vehicles drawn from multiple fleets spread across the United States and 10 conventional PTO-equipped Pacific Gas and Electric fleet vehicles operating in California. Novel data mining approaches were developed to identify PTO and idle operating states for each of the datasets using telematics and controller area network/onboard diagnostics data channels. These methods were applied to the individual datasets and aggregated to develop utilization curves and distributions describing PTO and idle behavior in both absolute and relative operating terms. This report also includes background information on the source vehicles, development of the analysis methodology, and conclusions regarding the study's findings.

  2. Nonlinear output feedback control of underwater vehicle propellers using feedback form estimated axial flow velocity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fossen, T. I.; Blanke, Mogens

    2000-01-01

    Accurate propeller shaft speed controllers can be designed by using nonlinear control theory and feedback from the axial water velocity in the propeller disc. In this paper, an output feedback controller is derived, reconstructing the axial flow velocity from vehicle speed measurements, using...... a three-state model of propeller shaft speed, forward (surge) speed of the vehicle, and the axial flow velocity. Lyapunov stability theory is used to prove that a nonlinear observer combined with an output feedback integral controller provide exponential stability. The output feedback controller...... compensates for variations in thrust due to time variations in advance speed. This is a major problem when applying conventional vehicle-propeller control systems, The proposed controller is simulated for an underwater vehicle equipped with a single propeller. The simulations demonstrate that the axial water...

  3. Evaluating Investments in Natural Gas Vehicles and Infrastructure for Your Fleet: Vehicle Infrastructure Cash-Flow Estimation -- VICE 2.0; Clean Cities, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonzales, John

    2015-04-02

    Presentation by Senior Engineer John Gonzales on Evaluating Investments in Natural Gas Vehicles and Infrastructure for Your Fleet using the Vehicle Infrastructure Cash-flow Estimation (VICE) 2.0 model.

  4. [CFD numerical simulation onto the gas-liquid two-phase flow behavior during vehicle refueling process].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jia-Qing; Zhang, Nan; Wang, Jin-Hui; Zhu, Ling; Shang, Chao

    2011-12-01

    With the gradual improvement of environmental regulations, more and more attentions are attracted to the vapor emissions during the process of vehicle refueling. Research onto the vehicle refueling process by means of numerical simulation has been executed abroad since 1990s, while as it has never been involved so far domestically. Through reasonable simplification about the physical system of "Nozzle + filler pipe + gasoline storage tank + vent pipe" for vehicle refueling, and by means of volume of fluid (VOF) model for gas-liquid two-phase flow and Re-Normalization Group kappa-epsilon turbulence flow model provided in commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software Fluent, this paper determined the proper mesh discretization scheme and applied the proper boundary conditions based on the Gambit software, then established the reasonable numerical simulation model for the gas-liquid two-phase flow during the refueling process. Through discussing the influence of refueling velocity on the static pressure of vent space in gasoline tank, the back-flowing phenomenon has been revealed in this paper. It has been demonstrated that, the more the flow rate and the refueling velocity of refueling nozzle is, the higher the gross static pressure in the vent space of gasoline tank. In the meanwhile, the variation of static pressure in the vent space of gasoline tank can be categorized into three obvious stages. When the refueling flow rate becomes higher, the back-flowing phenomenon of liquid gasoline can sometimes be induced in the head section of filler pipe, thus making the gasoline nozzle pre-shut-off. Totally speaking, the theoretical work accomplished in this paper laid some solid foundation for self-researching and self-developing the technology and apparatus for the vehicle refueling and refueling emissions control domestically.

  5. Bioinspired sensory systems for local flow characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colvert, Brendan; Chen, Kevin; Kanso, Eva

    2016-11-01

    Empirical evidence suggests that many aquatic organisms sense differential hydrodynamic signals.This sensory information is decoded to extract relevant flow properties. This task is challenging because it relies on local and partial measurements, whereas classical flow characterization methods depend on an external observer to reconstruct global flow fields. Here, we introduce a mathematical model in which a bioinspired sensory array measuring differences in local flow velocities characterizes the flow type and intensity. We linearize the flow field around the sensory array and express the velocity gradient tensor in terms of frame-independent parameters. We develop decoding algorithms that allow the sensory system to characterize the local flow and discuss the conditions under which this is possible. We apply this framework to the canonical problem of a circular cylinder in uniform flow, finding excellent agreement between sensed and actual properties. Our results imply that combining suitable velocity sensors with physics-based methods for decoding sensory measurements leads to a powerful approach for understanding and developing underwater sensory systems.

  6. Robust Vehicle Detection under Various Environments to Realize Road Traffic Flow Surveillance Using an Infrared Thermal Camera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoichiro Iwasaki

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available To realize road traffic flow surveillance under various environments which contain poor visibility conditions, we have already proposed two vehicle detection methods using thermal images taken with an infrared thermal camera. The first method uses pattern recognition for the windshields and their surroundings to detect vehicles. However, the first method decreases the vehicle detection accuracy in winter season. To maintain high vehicle detection accuracy in all seasons, we developed the second method. The second method uses tires’ thermal energy reflection areas on a road as the detection targets. The second method did not achieve high detection accuracy for vehicles on left-hand and right-hand lanes except for two center-lanes. Therefore, we have developed a new method based on the second method to increase the vehicle detection accuracy. This paper proposes the new method and shows that the detection accuracy for vehicles on all lanes is 92.1%. Therefore, by combining the first method and the new method, high vehicle detection accuracies are maintained under various environments, and road traffic flow surveillance can be realized.

  7. Robust vehicle detection under various environments to realize road traffic flow surveillance using an infrared thermal camera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwasaki, Yoichiro; Misumi, Masato; Nakamiya, Toshiyuki

    2015-01-01

    To realize road traffic flow surveillance under various environments which contain poor visibility conditions, we have already proposed two vehicle detection methods using thermal images taken with an infrared thermal camera. The first method uses pattern recognition for the windshields and their surroundings to detect vehicles. However, the first method decreases the vehicle detection accuracy in winter season. To maintain high vehicle detection accuracy in all seasons, we developed the second method. The second method uses tires' thermal energy reflection areas on a road as the detection targets. The second method did not achieve high detection accuracy for vehicles on left-hand and right-hand lanes except for two center-lanes. Therefore, we have developed a new method based on the second method to increase the vehicle detection accuracy. This paper proposes the new method and shows that the detection accuracy for vehicles on all lanes is 92.1%. Therefore, by combining the first method and the new method, high vehicle detection accuracies are maintained under various environments, and road traffic flow surveillance can be realized.

  8. Robust Vehicle Detection under Various Environments to Realize Road Traffic Flow Surveillance Using an Infrared Thermal Camera

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwasaki, Yoichiro; Misumi, Masato; Nakamiya, Toshiyuki

    2015-01-01

    To realize road traffic flow surveillance under various environments which contain poor visibility conditions, we have already proposed two vehicle detection methods using thermal images taken with an infrared thermal camera. The first method uses pattern recognition for the windshields and their surroundings to detect vehicles. However, the first method decreases the vehicle detection accuracy in winter season. To maintain high vehicle detection accuracy in all seasons, we developed the second method. The second method uses tires' thermal energy reflection areas on a road as the detection targets. The second method did not achieve high detection accuracy for vehicles on left-hand and right-hand lanes except for two center-lanes. Therefore, we have developed a new method based on the second method to increase the vehicle detection accuracy. This paper proposes the new method and shows that the detection accuracy for vehicles on all lanes is 92.1%. Therefore, by combining the first method and the new method, high vehicle detection accuracies are maintained under various environments, and road traffic flow surveillance can be realized. PMID:25763384

  9. Navier-Stokes structure of merged layer flow on the spherical nose of a space vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, A. C.; Woods, G. H.

    1988-01-01

    Hypersonic merged layer flow on the forepart of a spherical surface of a space vehicle has been investigated on the basis of the full steady-state Navier-Stokes equations using slip and temperature jump boundary conditions at the surface and free-stream conditions far from the surface. The shockwave-like structure was determined as part of the computations. Using an equivalent body concept, computations were carried out under conditions that the Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) Vehicle would encounter at 15 and 20 seconds in its flight path. Emphasis was placed on understanding the basic nature of the flow structure under low density conditions. Particular attention was paid to the understanding of the structure of the outer shockwave-like region as the fluid expands around the sphere. Plots were drawn for flow profiles and surface characteristics to understand the role of dissipation processes in the merged layer of the spherical nose of the vehicle.

  10. Wall shear stress characterization of a 3D bluff-body separated flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fourrié, Grégoire; Keirsbulck, Laurent; Labraga, Larbi

    2013-10-01

    Efficient flow control strategies aimed at reducing the aerodynamic drag of road vehicles require a detailed knowledge of the reference flow. In this work, the flow around the rear slanted window of a generic car model was experimentally studied through wall shear stress measurements using an electrochemical method. The mean and fluctuating wall shear stress within the wall impact regions of the recirculation bubble and the main longitudinal vortex structures which develop above the rear window are presented. Correlations allow a more detailed characterization of the recirculation phenomenon within the separation bubble. In the model symmetry plane the recirculation structure compares well with simpler 2D configurations; specific lengths, flapping motion and shedding of large-scale vortices are observed, these similarities diminish when leaving the middle plane due to the strong three-dimensionality of the flow. A specific attention is paid to the convection processes occurring within the recirculation: a downstream convection velocity is observed, in accordance with 2D recirculations from the literature, and an upstream convection is highlighted along the entire bubble length which has not been underlined in some previous canonical configurations.

  11. Investigation of the Link Between Macroscopic Traffic Flow Characteristics and Individual Vehicle Fuel Consumption : Tech Transfer Summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    The objective of this project was to investigate the impacts of several factors, including vehicle characteristics, ambient temperature, season, speed, driving behavior, and traffic flow, on individual vehicle energy consumption.

  12. Electric vehicle equipment for grid-integrated vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempton, Willett

    2013-08-13

    Methods, systems, and apparatus for interfacing an electric vehicle with an electric power grid are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus may include a station communication port for interfacing with electric vehicle station equipment (EVSE), a vehicle communication port for interfacing with a vehicle management system (VMS), and a processor coupled to the station communication port and the vehicle communication port to establish communication with the EVSE via the station communication port, receive EVSE attributes from the EVSE, and issue commands to the VMS to manage power flow between the electric vehicle and the EVSE based on the EVSE attributes. An electric vehicle may interface with the grid by establishing communication with the EVSE, receiving the EVSE attributes, and managing power flow between the EVE and the grid based on the EVSE attributes.

  13. Empirical analysis of gross vehicle weight and free flow speed and consideration on its relation with differential speed limit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saifizul, Ahmad Abdullah; Yamanaka, Hideo; Karim, Mohamed Rehan

    2011-05-01

    Most highly motorized countries in the world have implemented different speed limits for light weight and heavy weight vehicles. The heavy vehicle speed limit is usually chosen to be lower than that of passenger cars due to the difficulty for the drivers to safely maneuver the heavy vehicle at high speed and greater impact during a crash. However, in many cases, the speed limit for heavy vehicle is set by only considering the vehicle size or category, mostly due to simplicity in enforcement. In this study, traffic and vehicular data for all vehicle types were collected using a weigh-in-motion system installed at Federal Route 54 in Malaysia. The first finding from the data showed that the weight variation for each vehicle category is considerable. Therefore, the effect of gross vehicle weight (GVW) and category of heavy vehicle on free flow speed and their interaction were analyzed using statistical techniques. Empirical analysis results showed that statistically for each type of heavy vehicle, there was a significant relationship between free flow speed of a heavy vehicle and GVW. Specifically, the results suggest that the mean and variance of free flow speed decrease with an increase GVW by the amount unrelated to size and shape for all GVW range. Then, based on the 85th percentile principle, the study proposed a new concept for setting the speed limit for heavy vehicle by incorporating GVW where a different speed limit is imposed to the heavy vehicle, not only based on vehicle classification, but also according to its GVW. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Numerical study of flow control strategies for a simplified square back ground vehicle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eulalie, Yoann; Gilotte, Philippe [Plastic Omnium, Avenue du bois des vergnes, F-01150 Sainte-Julie (France); Mortazavi, Iraj, E-mail: iraj.mortazavi@cnam.fr [Team M2N, CNAM Paris, 292 Rue St. Martin, 75003 Paris (France)

    2017-06-15

    Current automotive trends lead to vertical shapes in the region of the rear tailgates, which induce high aerodynamical losses at the rear wall of vehicles. It is therefore important to work on turbulent wake in order to find drag reduction solutions for the current vehicle design. This paper focuses on flow control strategies, which are designed to interact with shear layers backward from the detachment region, in order to increase pressure values in the wake of a square back bluff body. This study involves large eddy simulation results validated by experimental data. After the first section, which represents experimental validation of LES computations with and without active flow control on an Ahmed bluff body, we will present a wide range of numerical results describing several active and passive flow control solutions leading to drag reductions of up to 10%. The last part of this paper will focus on some fluid mechanisms, which could explain these aerodynamical performances. (paper)

  15. Numerical study of flow control strategies for a simplified square back ground vehicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eulalie, Yoann; Gilotte, Philippe; Mortazavi, Iraj

    2017-01-01

    Current automotive trends lead to vertical shapes in the region of the rear tailgates, which induce high aerodynamical losses at the rear wall of vehicles. It is therefore important to work on turbulent wake in order to find drag reduction solutions for the current vehicle design. This paper focuses on flow control strategies, which are designed to interact with shear layers backward from the detachment region, in order to increase pressure values in the wake of a square back bluff body. This study involves large eddy simulation results validated by experimental data. After the first section, which represents experimental validation of LES computations with and without active flow control on an Ahmed bluff body, we will present a wide range of numerical results describing several active and passive flow control solutions leading to drag reductions of up to 10%. The last part of this paper will focus on some fluid mechanisms, which could explain these aerodynamical performances. (paper)

  16. A Study on the Model of Traffic Flow and Vehicle Exhaust Emission

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Han Xue

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The increase of traffic flow in cities causes traffic congestion and accidents as well as air pollution. Traffic problems have attracted the interest of many researchers from the perspective of theory and engineering. In order to provide a simple and practical method for measuring the exhaust emission and assessing the effect of pollution control, a model is based on the relationship between traffic flow and vehicle exhaust emission under a certain level of road capacity constraints. In the proposed model, the hydrocarbons (HC, carbon monoxide (CO, and nitrogen oxides (NOx are considered as the indexes of total exhaust emission, and the speed is used as an intermediate variable. To verify the rationality and practicality of the model, a case study for Beijing, China, is provided in which the effects of taxi fare regulation and the specific vehicle emission reduction policy are analyzed.

  17. Description of flow field in the wheelhouses of cars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Regert, Tamas; Lajos, Tamas

    2007-01-01

    RANS and URANS modeling of flow past simplified vehicle bodies with wheelhouses and rotating wheels have been carried out in order to understand the flow phenomena through detailed analyses of flow in the wheelhouses. The vortex skeleton method was used to characterize the flow structure. The second invariant of the velocity gradient tensor (Q) and iso-surfaces of total pressure have been applied for detecting dynamically significant vortical structures. It was found that the flow field in the wheelhouse can be characterized by several large recirculation zones, of which six can be classified as qualitatively independent of the grid, numerical scheme, turbulence model and the shape of the vehicle body. The change of flow field structure was investigated for various wheelhouse geometries, and for closed lower and/or lateral gaps between the wheelhouse and the external flow field. Aerodynamic forces acting on the body, wheelhouse and wheel were determined separately for different configurations

  18. Methodology for kinematic cycle characterization of vehicles with fixed routes in urban areas

    OpenAIRE

    Jiménez Alonso, Felipe; Román de Andrés, Alfonso; López Martínez, José María

    2013-01-01

    This paper analyses the driving cycles of a fleet of vehicles with predetermined urban itineraries. Most driving cycles developed for such type of vehicles do not properly address variability among itineraries. Here we develop a polygonal driving cycle that assesses each group of related routes, based on microscopic parameters. It measures the kinematic cycles of the routes traveled by the vehicle fleet, segments cycles into micro-cycles, and characterizes their properties, groups them int...

  19. Mixed Vehicle Flow At Signalized Intersection: Markov Chain Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gertsbakh Ilya B.

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available We assume that a Poisson flow of vehicles arrives at isolated signalized intersection, and each vehicle, independently of others, represents a random number X of passenger car units (PCU’s. We analyze numerically the stationary distribution of the queue process {Zn}, where Zn is the number of PCU’s in a queue at the beginning of the n-th red phase, n → ∞. We approximate the number Yn of PCU’s arriving during one red-green cycle by a two-parameter Negative Binomial Distribution (NBD. The well-known fact is that {Zn} follow an infinite-state Markov chain. We approximate its stationary distribution using a finite-state Markov chain. We show numerically that there is a strong dependence of the mean queue length E[Zn] in equilibrium on the input distribution of Yn and, in particular, on the ”over dispersion” parameter γ= Var[Yn]/E[Yn]. For Poisson input, γ = 1. γ > 1 indicates presence of heavy-tailed input. In reality it means that a relatively large ”portion” of PCU’s, considerably exceeding the average, may arrive with high probability during one red-green cycle. Empirical formulas are presented for an accurate estimation of mean queue length as a function of load and g of the input flow. Using the Markov chain technique, we analyze the mean ”virtual” delay time for a car which always arrives at the beginning of the red phase.

  20. Drag Reduction CFD Simulations and Flow Visualization of Light Vehicle-Trailer Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigurdson, Lorenz; Boyer, Henry; Lange, Carlos F.

    2016-11-01

    Experiments and CFD were performed to study the effect a deflector had on the flow and drag force associated with a 2010 F-150 truck and cargo trailer Light Vehicle-Trailer System (LVTS). Image Correlation Velocimetry (ICV) on smokewire streaklines measured the velocity field on the model mid-plane. CFD estimated the drag reduction as 13% at a Re of 14,900 with a moving ground-plane, and 17% without. Experiments suggested that the low Re does not diminish the full-scale relevance of the drag reduction results. One low Re effect was the presence of a separation bubble on the hood of the tow vehicle whose size reduced with an increase in Re. Three other characteristic flow patterns were identified: separation off the lead vehicle cab, stagnation of the free-stream on the trailer face for the no-deflector case, and subsequent separation at the trailer front corner. Comparisons of the ICV and CFD results with no deflector indicated good agreement in the direction of the velocity vectors, and the smoke streaklines and CFD streamlines also agreed well. However, for the deflector case, the CFD found an entirely different topological solution absent in the experiment. A pair of vertically-oriented mid-plane vortices were wrapped around the front of the trailer. Support from the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Grant 41747 is gratefully acknowledged.

  1. The effects of electric vehicles on residential households in the city of Indianapolis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Shisheng; Safiullah, Hameed; Xiao Jingjie; Hodge, Bri-Mathias S.; Hoffman, Ray; Soller, Joan; Jones, Doug; Dininger, Dennis; Tyner, Wallace E.; Liu, Andrew; Pekny, Joseph F.

    2012-01-01

    There is an increasing impetus to transform the U.S transportation sector and transition away from the uncertainties of oil supply. One of the most viable current solutions is the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). These vehicles allow for a transportation system that would be flexible in its fuel demands. However, utilities may need to address questions such as distribution constraints, electricity tariffs and incentives and public charging locations before large scale electric vehicle adoption can be realized. In this study, the effect of electric vehicles on households in Indianapolis is examined. A four-step traffic flow model is used to characterize the usage characteristics of vehicles in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. This data is then used to simulate EV usage patterns which can be used to determine household electricity usage characteristics. These results are differentiated by the zones with which the households are associated. Economic costs are then calculated for the individual households. Finally, possible public charging locations are examined. - Highlights: ► Traffic flow modeling is used to accurately characterize EV usage in Indianapolis. ► EV usage patterns are simulated to determine household electricity usage patterns. ► Economic costs are calculated for the households for electric vehicles. ► Possible public charging locations are examined.

  2. Numerical simulation of base flow of a long range flight vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saha, S.; Rathod, S.; Chandra Murty, M. S. R.; Sinha, P. K.; Chakraborty, Debasis

    2012-05-01

    Numerical exploration of base flow of a long range flight vehicle is presented for different flight conditions. Three dimensional Navier-Stokes equations are solved along with k-ɛ turbulence model using commercial CFD software. Simulation captured all essential flow features including flow separation at base shoulder, shear layer formation at the jet boundary, recirculation at the base region etc. With the increase in altitude, the plume of the rocket exhaust is seen to bulge more and more and caused more intense free stream and rocket plume interaction leading to higher gas temperature in the base cavity. The flow field in the base cavity is investigated in more detail, which is found to be fairly uniform at different instant of time. Presence of the heat shield is seen to reduce the hot gas entry to the cavity region due to different recirculation pattern in the base region. Computed temperature history obtained from conjugate heat transfer analysis is found to compare very well with flight measured data.

  3. Experimental Characterization of Wings for a Hawkmoth-Sized Micro Air Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-03-27

    butterfly where the modeshapes were found to be identical with the Hawkmoth, lending more credence to the assertion that the wing modal ratios...EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF WINGS FOR A HAWKMOTH-SIZED MICRO AIR VEHICLE THESIS Zachary R. Brown, Lieutenant Commander, USN AFIT-ENY-14-M-10...of the U.S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. AFIT-ENY-14-M-10 EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF WINGS FOR A

  4. Selective detection and characterization of nanoparticles from motor vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnston, Murray V; Klems, Joseph P; Zordan, Christopher A; Pennington, M Ross; Smith, James N

    2013-02-01

    Numerous studies have shown that exposure to motor vehicle emissions increases the probability of heart attacks, asthma attacks, and hospital visits among at-risk individuals. However, while many studies have focused on measurements of ambient nanoparticles near highways, they have not focused on specific road-level domains, such as intersections near population centers. At these locations, very intense spikes in particle number concentration have been observed. These spikes have been linked to motor vehicle activity and have the potential to increase exposure dramatically. Characterizing both the contribution and composition of these spikes is critical in developing exposure models and abatement strategies. To determine the contribution of the particle spikes to the ambient number concentration, we implemented wavelet-based algorithms to isolate the particle spikes from measurements taken during the summer and winter of 2009 in Wilmington, Delaware, adjacent to a roadway intersection that approximately 28,000 vehicles pass through daily. These measurements included both number concentration and size distributions recorded once every second by a condensation particle counter (CPC*; TSI, Inc., St. Paul, MN) and a fast mobility particle sizer (FMPS). The high-frequency portion of the signal, consisting of a series of abrupt spikes in number concentration that varied in length from a few seconds to tens of seconds, accounted for 3% to 35% of the daily ambient number concentration, with spike contributions sometimes greater than 50% of hourly number concentrations. When the data were weighted by particle volume, this portion of the signal contributed an average of 10% to 20% to the daily concentration of particulate matter (PM) vehicles accelerated after a red traffic light turned green. As the distance or transit time from emission to sampling increased, the size distribution shifted to a larger particle size, which confirmed the source assignments. To determine the

  5. Probabilistic Constrained Load Flow Considering Integration of Wind Power Generation and Electric Vehicles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vlachogiannis, Ioannis (John)

    2009-01-01

    A new formulation and solution of probabilistic constrained load flow (PCLF) problem suitable for modern power systems with wind power generation and electric vehicles (EV) demand or supply is represented. The developed stochastic model of EV demand/supply and the wind power generation model...... are incorporated into load flow studies. In the resulted PCLF formulation, discrete and continuous control parameters are engaged. Therefore, a hybrid learning automata system (HLAS) is developed to find the optimal offline control settings over a whole planning period of power system. The process of HLAS...

  6. Optical Particle Characterization in Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tropea, Cameron

    2011-01-01

    Particle characterization in dispersed multiphase flows is important in quantifying transport processes both in fundamental and applied research: Examples include atomization and spray processes, cavitation and bubbly flows, and solid particle transport in gas and liquid carrier phases. Optical techniques of particle characterization are preferred owing to their nonintrusiveness, and they can yield information about size, velocity, composition, and to some extent the shape of individual particles. This review focuses on recent advances for measuring size, temperature, and the composition of particles, including several planar methods, various imaging techniques, laser-induced fluorescence, and the more recent use of femtosecond pulsed light sources. It emphasizes the main sources of uncertainty, the achievable accuracy, and the outlook for improvement of specific techniques and for specific applications. Some remarks are also directed toward the computational tools used to design and investigate the performance of optical particle diagnostic instruments.

  7. Geologic flow characterization using tracer techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klett, R.D.; Tyner, C.E.; Hertel, E.S. Jr.

    1981-04-01

    A new tracer flow-test system has been developed for in situ characterization of geologic formations. This report describes two sets of test equipment: one portable and one for testing in deep formations. Equations are derived for in situ detector calibration, raw data reduction, and flow logging. Data analysis techniques are presented for computing porosity and permeability in unconfined isotropic media, and porosity, permeability and fracture characteristics in media with confined or unconfined two-dimensional flow. The effects of tracer pulse spreading due to divergence, dispersion, and porous formations are also included

  8. Electrical Capacitance Probe Characterization in Vertical Annular Two-Phase Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grazia Monni

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the experimental analysis and the characterization of an electrical capacitance probe (ECP that has been developed at the SIET Italian Company, for the measurement of two-phase flow parameters during the experimental simulation of nuclear accidents, as LOCA. The ECP is used to investigate a vertical air/water flow, characterized by void fraction higher than 95%, with mass flow rates ranging from 0.094 to 0.15 kg/s for air and from 0.002 to 0.021 kg/s for water, corresponding to an annular flow pattern. From the ECP signals, the electrode shape functions (i.e., the signals as a function of electrode distances in single- and two-phase flows are obtained. The dependence of the signal on the void fraction is derived and the liquid film thickness and the phase’s velocity are evaluated by means of rather simple models. The experimental analysis allows one to characterize the ECP, showing the advantages and the drawbacks of this technique for the two-phase flow characterization at high void fraction.

  9. TARDEC Ground Vehicle Robotics: Vehicle Dynamic Characterization and Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-01

    subassemblies that would be common on ground vehicles. Powertrain Systems: Gas Powered, Diesel , Turbo Diesel , Gas Turbine, Hybrid: Gas- Electric...PROPULSE (Hybrid Diesel - Electric System with Export Power), Command Zone (integrated vehicle control and diagnostic system), and TerraMax (Unmanned... Diesel -Electric, Series, Parallel. Power Distribution: RWD, FWD, AWD, open diff, LSD, Torsen diff, differential braking (traction control), drive by

  10. Ocean outfall plume characterization using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogowski, Peter; Terrill, Eric; Otero, Mark; Hazard, Lisa; Middleton, William

    2013-01-01

    A monitoring mission to map and characterize the Point Loma Ocean Outfall (PLOO) wastewater plume using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) was performed on 3 March 2011. The mobility of an AUV provides a significant advantage in surveying discharge plumes over traditional cast-based methods, and when combined with optical and oceanographic sensors, provides a capability for both detecting plumes and assessing their mixing in the near and far-fields. Unique to this study is the measurement of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) in the discharge plume and its application for quantitative estimates of the plume's dilution. AUV mission planning methodologies for discharge plume sampling, plume characterization using onboard optical sensors, and comparison of observational data to model results are presented. The results suggest that even under variable oceanic conditions, properly planned missions for AUVs equipped with an optical CDOM sensor in addition to traditional oceanographic sensors, can accurately characterize and track ocean outfall plumes at higher resolutions than cast-based techniques.

  11. Separation flow control on a generic ground vehicle using steady microjet arrays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aubrun, Sandrine; Kourta, Azeddine [Universite d' Orleans, Laboratoire PRISME, Orleans cedex (France); McNally, Jonathan; Alvi, Farrukh [Florida State University, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Tallahassee, FL (United States)

    2011-11-15

    A model of a generic vehicle shape, the Ahmed body with a 25 slant, is equipped with an array of blowing steady microjets 6 mm downstream of the separation line between the roof and the slanted rear window. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of this actuation method in reducing the aerodynamic drag, by reducing or suppressing the 3D closed separation bubble located on the slanted surface. The efficiency of this control approach is quantified with the help of aerodynamic load measurements. The changes in the flow field when control is applied are examined using PIV and wall pressure measurements and skin friction visualisations. By activating the steady microjet array, the drag coefficient was reduced by 9-14% and the lift coefficient up to 42%, depending on the Reynolds number. The strong modification of the flow topology under progressive flow control is particularly studied. (orig.)

  12. Space Vehicle Valve System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor); Lindner, Jeffrey L. (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    The present invention is a space vehicle valve system which controls the internal pressure of a space vehicle and the flow rate of purged gases at a given internal pressure and aperture site. A plurality of quasi-unique variable dimension peaked valve structures cover the purge apertures on a space vehicle. Interchangeable sheet guards configured to cover valve apertures on the peaked valve structure contain a pressure-activated surface on the inner surface. Sheet guards move outwardly from the peaked valve structure when in structural contact with a purge gas stream flowing through the apertures on the space vehicle. Changing the properties of the sheet guards changes the response of the sheet guards at a given internal pressure, providing control of the flow rate at a given aperture site.

  13. Vehicle Speed Estimation and Forecasting Methods Based on Cellular Floating Vehicle Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Kuang Lai

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Traffic information estimation and forecasting methods based on cellular floating vehicle data (CFVD are proposed to analyze the signals (e.g., handovers (HOs, call arrivals (CAs, normal location updates (NLUs and periodic location updates (PLUs from cellular networks. For traffic information estimation, analytic models are proposed to estimate the traffic flow in accordance with the amounts of HOs and NLUs and to estimate the traffic density in accordance with the amounts of CAs and PLUs. Then, the vehicle speeds can be estimated in accordance with the estimated traffic flows and estimated traffic densities. For vehicle speed forecasting, a back-propagation neural network algorithm is considered to predict the future vehicle speed in accordance with the current traffic information (i.e., the estimated vehicle speeds from CFVD. In the experimental environment, this study adopted the practical traffic information (i.e., traffic flow and vehicle speed from Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau as the input characteristics of the traffic simulation program and referred to the mobile station (MS communication behaviors from Chunghwa Telecom to simulate the traffic information and communication records. The experimental results illustrated that the average accuracy of the vehicle speed forecasting method is 95.72%. Therefore, the proposed methods based on CFVD are suitable for an intelligent transportation system.

  14. The simulated air flow pattern around a moving animal transport vehicle as the basis for a prospective biosecurity risk assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jens Seedorf

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Research that investigates bioaerosol emissions from animal transport vehicles (ATVs and their importance in the spread of harmful airborne agents while the ATVs travel on roads is limited. To investigate the dynamical behaviour of theoretically released particles from a moving ATV, the open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD software OpenFOAM was used to calculate the external and internal air flow fields with passive and forced ventilated openings of a common ATV moving at a speed of 80 km/h. In addition to a computed flow rate of approximately 40,000 m3/h crossing the interior of the ATV, the visualization of the trajectories has demonstrated distinct patterns of the spatial distribution of potentially released bioaerosols in the vicinity of the ATV. Although the front openings show the highest air flow to the outside, the recirculations of air masses between the interior of the ATV and the atmosphere also occur, which complicate the emission and the dispersion characterizations. To specify the future emission rates of ATVs, a database of bioaerosol concentrations within the ATV is necessary in conjunction with high-performance computing resources to simulate the potential dispersion of bioaerosols in the environment.

  15. The simulated air flow pattern around a moving animal transport vehicle as the basis for a prospective biosecurity risk assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seedorf, Jens; Schmidt, Ralf-Gunther

    2017-08-01

    Research that investigates bioaerosol emissions from animal transport vehicles (ATVs) and their importance in the spread of harmful airborne agents while the ATVs travel on roads is limited. To investigate the dynamical behaviour of theoretically released particles from a moving ATV, the open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software OpenFOAM was used to calculate the external and internal air flow fields with passive and forced ventilated openings of a common ATV moving at a speed of 80 km/h. In addition to a computed flow rate of approximately 40,000 m 3 /h crossing the interior of the ATV, the visualization of the trajectories has demonstrated distinct patterns of the spatial distribution of potentially released bioaerosols in the vicinity of the ATV. Although the front openings show the highest air flow to the outside, the recirculations of air masses between the interior of the ATV and the atmosphere also occur, which complicate the emission and the dispersion characterizations. To specify the future emission rates of ATVs, a database of bioaerosol concentrations within the ATV is necessary in conjunction with high-performance computing resources to simulate the potential dispersion of bioaerosols in the environment.

  16. Real-world emissions of in-use off-road vehicles in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zavala, Miguel; Huertas, Jose Ignacio; Prato, Daniel; Jazcilevich, Aron; Aguilar, Andrés; Balam, Marco; Misra, Chandan; Molina, Luisa T

    2017-09-01

    Off-road vehicles used in construction and agricultural activities can contribute substantially to emissions of gaseous pollutants and can be a major source of submicrometer carbonaceous particles in many parts of the world. However, there have been relatively few efforts in quantifying the emission factors (EFs) and for estimating the potential emission reduction benefits using emission control technologies for these vehicles. This study characterized the black carbon (BC) component of particulate matter and NOx, CO, and CO 2 EFs of selected diesel-powered off-road mobile sources in Mexico under real-world operating conditions using on-board portable emissions measurements systems (PEMS). The vehicles sampled included two backhoes, one tractor, a crane, an excavator, two front loaders, two bulldozers, an air compressor, and a power generator used in the construction and agricultural activities. For a selected number of these vehicles the emissions were further characterized with wall-flow diesel particle filters (DPFs) and partial-flow DPFs (p-DPFs) installed. Fuel-based EFs presented less variability than time-based emission rates, particularly for the BC. Average baseline EFs in working conditions for BC, NOx, and CO ranged from 0.04 to 5.7, from 12.6 to 81.8, and from 7.9 to 285.7 g/kg-fuel, respectively, and a high dependency by operation mode and by vehicle type was observed. Measurement-base frequency distributions of EFs by operation mode are proposed as an alternative method for characterizing the variability of off-road vehicles emissions under real-world conditions. Mass-based reductions for black carbon EFs were substantially large (above 99%) when DPFs were installed and the vehicles were idling, and the reductions were moderate (in the 20-60% range) for p-DPFs in working operating conditions. The observed high variability in measured EFs also indicates the need for detailed vehicle operation data for accurately estimating emissions from off

  17. Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometry Enabling High-Throughput Single-Cell Electrical Property Characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jian; Xue, Chengcheng; Zhao, Yang; Chen, Deyong; Wu, Min-Hsien; Wang, Junbo

    2015-01-01

    This article reviews recent developments in microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for high-throughput electrical property characterization of single cells. Four major perspectives of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell characterization are included in this review: (1) early developments of microfluidic impedance flow cytometry for single-cell electrical property characterization; (2) microfluidic impedance flow cytometry with enhanced sensitivity; (3) microfluidic impedance and optical flow cytometry for single-cell analysis and (4) integrated point of care system based on microfluidic impedance flow cytometry. We examine the advantages and limitations of each technique and discuss future research opportunities from the perspectives of both technical innovation and clinical applications. PMID:25938973

  18. Characterization of wastewaters from vehicle washing companies and environmental impacts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valderi Duarte Leite

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The car wash business has developed rapidly in recent years due to the increased number of cars, thus, it can cause serious environmental problems considering its potential source of pollution. The aim of this study was to characterize the wastewater from car washing companies in the city of Campina Grande, in Paraiba state, and to analyze the environmental impacts generated. A survey was conducted from November 2009 to July 2010. The first step we present a survey of car wash businesses in the city, and identified 20 licensed companies in which we evaluated the number of vehicles washed per week, the existence of a system of pre-treatment of wastewater generated and infrastructure that would allow the realization of the collection of samples of the effluent, the second step was carried out chemical and physical characterization of wastewater from five 20 companies surveyed in the previous step, and third stage were measured pollution loads of wastewater from washing of vehicles in the city, from the results obtained in previous steps. The characterization parameters were analyzed: oil and grease, COD, heavy metals, TS, TSS, turbidity, TKN, total P, pH and color. The results demonstrated that the wastewater from the car wash establishments shows high concentrations of organic matter, oils and grease, heavy metals and solids, and as such did not conform with the specific environmental legislation. Evaluation of pollutant loads demonstrated that if releases without proper treatment, it can cause serious environmental problems. It is therefore essential that these establishments are properly monitored.

  19. Information-Aided Smart Schemes for Vehicle Flow Detection Enhancements of Traffic Microwave Radar Detectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tan-Jan Ho

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available For satisfactory traffic management of an intelligent transport system, it is vital that traffic microwave radar detectors (TMRDs can provide real-time traffic information with high accuracy. In this study, we develop several information-aided smart schemes for traffic detection improvements of TMRDs in multiple-lane environments. Specifically, we select appropriate thresholds not only for removing noise from fast Fourier transforms (FFTs of regional lane contexts but also for reducing FFT side lobes within each lane. The resulting FFTs of reflected vehicle signals and those of clutter are distinguishable. We exploit FFT and lane-/or time stamp-related information for developing smart schemes, which mitigate adverse effects of lane-crossing FFT side lobes of a vehicle signal. As such, the proposed schemes can enhance the detection accuracy of both lane vehicle flow and directional traffic volume. On-site experimental results demonstrate the advantages and feasibility of the proposed methods, and suggest the best smart scheme.

  20. The General-Use Nodal Network Solver (GUNNS) Modeling Package for Space Vehicle Flow System Simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, Jason; Moore, Michael

    2013-01-01

    The General-Use Nodal Network Solver (GUNNS) is a modeling software package that combines nodal analysis and the hydraulic-electric analogy to simulate fluid, electrical, and thermal flow systems. GUNNS is developed by L-3 Communications under the TS21 (Training Systems for the 21st Century) project for NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), primarily for use in space vehicle training simulators at JSC. It has sufficient compactness and fidelity to model the fluid, electrical, and thermal aspects of space vehicles in real-time simulations running on commodity workstations, for vehicle crew and flight controller training. It has a reusable and flexible component and system design, and a Graphical User Interface (GUI), providing capability for rapid GUI-based simulator development, ease of maintenance, and associated cost savings. GUNNS is optimized for NASA's Trick simulation environment, but can be run independently of Trick.

  1. Bio-inspired multi-mode optic flow sensors for micro air vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Seokjun; Choi, Jaehyuk; Cho, Jihyun; Yoon, Euisik

    2013-06-01

    Monitoring wide-field surrounding information is essential for vision-based autonomous navigation in micro-air-vehicles (MAV). Our image-cube (iCube) module, which consists of multiple sensors that are facing different angles in 3-D space, can be applied to the wide-field of view optic flows estimation (μ-Compound eyes) and to attitude control (μ- Ocelli) in the Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) platforms. In this paper, we report an analog/digital (A/D) mixed-mode optic-flow sensor, which generates both optic flows and normal images in different modes for μ- Compound eyes and μ-Ocelli applications. The sensor employs a time-stamp based optic flow algorithm which is modified from the conventional EMD (Elementary Motion Detector) algorithm to give an optimum partitioning of hardware blocks in analog and digital domains as well as adequate allocation of pixel-level, column-parallel, and chip-level signal processing. Temporal filtering, which may require huge hardware resources if implemented in digital domain, is remained in a pixel-level analog processing unit. The rest of the blocks, including feature detection and timestamp latching, are implemented using digital circuits in a column-parallel processing unit. Finally, time-stamp information is decoded into velocity from look-up tables, multiplications, and simple subtraction circuits in a chip-level processing unit, thus significantly reducing core digital processing power consumption. In the normal image mode, the sensor generates 8-b digital images using single slope ADCs in the column unit. In the optic flow mode, the sensor estimates 8-b 1-D optic flows from the integrated mixed-mode algorithm core and 2-D optic flows with an external timestamp processing, respectively.

  2. Characterization of turbulent coherent structures in square duct flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atzori, Marco; Vinuesa, Ricardo; Lozano-Durán, Adrián; Schlatter, Philipp

    2018-04-01

    This work is aimed at a first characterization of coherent structures in turbulent square duct flows. Coherent structures are defined as connected components in the domain identified as places where a quantity of interest (such as Reynolds stress or vorticity) is larger than a prescribed non-uniform threshold. Firstly, we qualitatively discuss how a percolation analysis can be used to assess the effectiveness of the threshold function, and how it can be affected by statistical uncertainty. Secondly, various physical quantities that are expected to play an important role in the dynamics of the secondary flow of Prandtl’s second kind are studied. Furthermore, a characterization of intense Reynolds-stress events in square duct flow, together with a comparison of their shape for analogous events in channel flow at the same Reynolds number, is presented.

  3. Improved Road-Network-Flow Control Strategy Based on Macroscopic Fundamental Diagrams and Queuing Length in Connected-Vehicle Network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaohui Lin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Connected-vehicles network provides opportunities and conditions for improving traffic signal control, and macroscopic fundamental diagrams (MFD can control the road network at the macrolevel effectively. This paper integrated proposed real-time access to the number of mobile vehicles and the maximum road queuing length in the Connected-vehicles network. Moreover, when implementing a simple control strategy to limit the boundary flow of a road network based on MFD, we determined whether the maximum queuing length of each boundary section exceeds the road-safety queuing length in real-time calculations and timely adjusted the road-network influx rate to avoid the overflow phenomenon in the boundary section. We established a road-network microtraffic simulation model in VISSIM software taking a district as the experimental area, determined MFD of the region based on the number of mobile vehicles, and weighted traffic volume of the road network. When the road network was tending to saturate, we implemented a simple control strategy and our algorithm limits the boundary flow. Finally, we compared the traffic signal control indicators with three strategies: (1 no control strategy, (2 boundary control, and (3 boundary control with limiting queue strategy. The results show that our proposed algorithm is better than the other two.

  4. Signal Control for Reducing Vehicle NOx and CO2 Emissions Based on Prediction of Arrival Traffic Flows at Intersections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oda, Toshihiko

    Nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from vehicles have been increasing every year because of the growing number of vehicles, and they cause serious environmental problems such as air pollution and global warming. To alleviate these problems, this paper proposes a new traffic signal control method for reducing vehicle NOx and CO2 emissions on arterial roads. To this end, we first model the amount of vehicle emissions as a function of the traffic delay and the number of stops at intersections. This step is necessary because it is difficult to obtain the amount of emissions directly using traffic control systems. Second, we introduce a signal control model in which the control parameters are continuously updated on the basis of predictions of arrival traffic flows at intersections. The signal timings are calculated in such a manner so as to minimize the weighted sum of the two emissions, which depend on the traffic flow. To evaluate the validity of this method, simulation experiments are carried out on an arterial road. The experiments show that the proposed method significantly outperforms existing methods in reducing both the emissions and travel time.

  5. Vortex-based spatiotemporal characterization of nonlinear flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Gregory A.

    Although the ubiquity of vortices in nature has been recognized by artists for over seven centuries, it was the work of artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci that provided the monumental transition from an aesthetic form to a scientific tool. DaVinci used vortices to describe the motions he observed in air currents, flowing water and blood flow in the human heart. Five centuries later, the Navier-Stokes equations allow us to recreate the swirling motions of fluid observed in nature. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations have provided a lens through which to study the role of vortices in a wide variety of modern day applications. The research summarized below represents an effort to look through this lens and bring into focus the practical use of vortices in describing nonlinear flows. Vortex-based spatiotemporal characterizations are obtained using two specific mathematical tools: vortex core lines (VCL) and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). By applying these tools, we find that vortices continue to provide new insights in the realm of biofluids, urban flows and the phase space of dynamical systems. The insights we have gained are described in this thesis. Our primary focus is on biofluids. Specifically, we seek to gain new insights into the connection between vortices and vascular diseases in order to provide more effective methods for clinical diagnosis and treatment. We highlight several applications in which VCL and POD are used to characterize the flow conditions in a heart pump, identify stenosis in carotid arteries and validate numerical models against PIV-based experimental data. Next, we quantify the spatial complexity and temporal stability of hemodynamics generated by a database of 210 patient-specific aneurysm geometries. Visual classifications of the hemodynamics are compared to the automated, quantitative classifications. The quantities characterizing the hemodynamics are then compared to clinical data to determine conditions that are

  6. Vehicle test report: Electric Vehicle Associates electric conversion of an AMC Pacer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, T. W.; Wirth, V. A., Jr.; Pompa, M. F.

    1981-01-01

    Tests were performed to characterize certain parameters of the EVA Pacer and to provide baseline data that can be used for the comparison of improved batteries that may be incorporated into the vehicle at a later time. The vehicle tests were concentrated on the electrical drive subsystem; i.e., the batteries, controller and motor. The tests included coastdowns to characterize the road load, and range evaluations for both cyclic and constant speed conditions. A qualitative evaluation of the vehicle's performance was made by comparing its constant speed range performance with other electric and hybrid vehicles. The Pacer performance was approximately equal to the majority of those vehicles assessed in 1977.

  7. Experimental Visualizations of a Generic Launch Vehicle Flow Field: Time-Resolved Shadowgraph and Infrared Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garbeff, Theodore J., II; Panda, Jayanta; Ross, James C.

    2017-01-01

    Time-Resolved shadowgraph and infrared (IR) imaging were performed to investigate off-body and on-body flow features of a generic, 'hammer-head' launch vehicle geometry previously tested by Coe and Nute (1962). The measurements discussed here were one part of a large range of wind tunnel test techniques that included steady-state pressure sensitive paint (PSP), dynamic PSP, unsteady surface pressures, and unsteady force measurements. Image data was captured over a Mach number range of 0.6 less than or equal to M less than or equal to 1.2 at a Reynolds number of 3 million per foot. Both shadowgraph and IR imagery were captured in conjunction with unsteady pressures and forces and correlated with IRIG-B timing. High-speed shadowgraph imagery was used to identify wake structure and reattachment behind the payload fairing of the vehicle. Various data processing strategies were employed and ultimately these results correlated well with the location and magnitude of unsteady surface pressure measurements. Two research grade IR cameras were positioned to image boundary layer transition at the vehicle nose and flow reattachment behind the payload fairing. The poor emissivity of the model surface treatment (fast PSP) proved to be challenging for the infrared measurement. Reference image subtraction and contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) were used to analyze this dataset. Ultimately turbulent boundary layer transition was observed and located forward of the trip dot line at the model sphere-cone junction. Flow reattachment location was identified behind the payload fairing in both steady and unsteady thermal data. As demonstrated in this effort, recent advances in high-speed and thermal imaging technology have modernized classical techniques providing a new viewpoint for the modern researcher

  8. Rheological Characterization of Green Sand Flow

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jabbaribehnam, Mirmasoud; Spangenberg, Jon; Hovad, Emil

    2016-01-01

    The main aim of this paper is to characterize experimentally the flow behaviour of the green sand that is used for casting of sand moulds. After the sand casting process is performed, the sand moulds are used for metal castings. The rheological properties of the green sand is important to quantif...

  9. Single- and two-phase flow characterization using optical fiber bragg gratings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baroncini, Virgínia H V; Martelli, Cicero; da Silva, Marco José; Morales, Rigoberto E M

    2015-03-17

    Single- and two-phase flow characterization using optical fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is presented. The sensor unit consists of the optical fiber Bragg grating positioned transversely to the flow and fixed in the pipe walls. The hydrodynamic pressure applied by the liquid or air/liquid flow to the optical fiber induces deformation that can be detected by the FBG. Given that the applied pressure is directly related to the mass flow, it is possible to establish a relationship using the grating resonance wavelength shift to determine the mass flow when the flow velocity is well known. For two phase flows of air and liquid, there is a significant change in the force applied to the fiber that accounts for the very distinct densities of these substances. As a consequence, the optical fiber deformation and the correspondent grating wavelength shift as a function of the flow will be very different for an air bubble or a liquid slug, allowing their detection as they flow through the pipe. A quasi-distributed sensing tool with 18 sensors evenly spread along the pipe is developed and characterized, making possible the characterization of the flow, as well as the tracking of the bubbles over a large section of the test bed. Results show good agreement with standard measurement methods and open up plenty of opportunities to both laboratory measurement tools and field applications.

  10. Characterization of bio-inspired hair flow sensors for oscillatory airflows: techniques to measure the response for both flow and pressure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Droogendijk, H.; Dagamseh, A.M.K.; Sanders, Remco G.P.; Yntema, Doekle Reinder; Krijnen, Gijsbertus J.M.

    2014-01-01

    Hair sensors for oscillatory airflow, operating in the regime of bulk flow, particle velocity or both, can be characterized by several methods. In this work, we discuss harmonic measurements on MEMS hair flow sensors. To characterize this type of flow sensor the use of three different types of

  11. Base flow investigation of the Apollo AS-202 Command Module

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walpot, Louis M. G.; Wright, Michael J.; Noeding, Peter; Schrijer, Ferry

    2012-01-01

    A major contributor to the overall vehicle mass of re-entry vehicles is the afterbody thermal protection system. This is due to the large acreage (equal or bigger than that of the forebody) to be protected. The present predictive capabilities for base flows are comparatively lower than those for windward flowfields and offer therefore a substantial potential for improving the design of future re-entry vehicles. To that end, it is essential to address the accuracy of high fidelity CFD tools exercised in the US and EU, which motivates a thorough investigation of the present status of hypersonic flight afterbody heating. This paper addresses the predictive capabilities of afterbody flow fields of re-entry vehicles investigated in the frame of the NATO/RTO-RTG-043 task group. First, the verification of base flow topologies on the basis of available wind-tunnel results performed under controlled supersonic conditions (i.e. cold flows devoid of reactive effects) is performed. Such tests address the detailed characterization of the base flow with particular emphasis on separation/reattachment and their relation to Mach number effects. The tests have been performed on an Apollo-like re-entry capsule configuration. Second, the tools validated in the frame of the previous effort are exercised and appraised against flight-test data collected during the Apollo AS-202 re-entry.

  12. Multi-Use Non-Intrusive Flow Characterization System (FCS), Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The innovation is a Multi-Use Non-Intrusive Flow Characterization System (FCS) for densified, normal boiling point, and two-phase cryogenic flows, capable of...

  13. First approach to exhaust emissions characterization of light vehicles in Montevideo, Uruguay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Angelo, Mauro; González, Alice Elizabeth; Rezzano Tizze, Nicolás

    2018-03-15

    According to Act No. 17283 of November 28th, 2000, air quality protection is a general concern in Uruguay. Road transport is the main emitter of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), as the National Inventory of Air Emissions 2006 stated. Actually, it is responsible for the emissions of 59.8% of NO x and 28% of carbon monoxide (CO). The number of households owning a car in Uruguay increased from 29% in 2005 to 39% in 2013, enhancing the importance of characterizing the vehicular emissions of the national fleet. In this paper, a first approach for this characterization is presented. It was carried out on a sample of 11 light vehicles currently in use in Montevideo city, Uruguay. On-road emissions measurements of nitrogen monoxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) were carried out for calculating the emission factors. The fitness of the set of calculated emission factors values to different probability distributions was tested. When possible, the 95% confidence intervals were obtained for the mean emission factors (CO: 2.0g/km±0.3g/km; NO: 0.05g/km±0.01g/km). This procedure was useful to obtaining accurate confidence intervals from a relatively small sample size. Finally, the link between atmospheric emissions and some other parameters of the tested vehicles was studied using a multivariate statistical tool, highlighting the strong increase in carbon monoxide emissions observed for low vehicles speeds and fuel efficiencies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. CFD on hypersonic flow geometries with aeroheating

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sohail, Muhammad Amjad; Chao, Yan; Hui, Zhang Hui; Ullah, Rizwan

    2012-11-01

    The hypersonic flowfield around a blunted cone and cone-flare exhibits some of the major features of the flows around space vehicles, e.g. a detached bow shock in the stagnation region and the oblique shock wave/boundary layer interaction at the cone-flare junction. The shock wave/boundary layer interaction can produce a region of separated flow. This phenomenon may occur, for example, at the upstream-facing corner formed by a deflected control surface on a hypersonic entry vehicle, where the length of separation has implications for control effectiveness. Computational fluid-dynamics results are presented to show the flowfield around a blunted cone and cone-flare configurations in hypersonic flow with separation. This problem is of particular interest since it features most of the aspects of the hypersonic flow around planetary entry vehicles. The region between the cone and the flare is particularly critical with respect to the evaluation of the surface pressure and heat flux with aeroheating. Indeed, flow separation is induced by the shock wave boundary layer interaction, with subsequent flow reattachment, that can dramatically enhance the surface heat transfer. The exact determination of the extension of the recirculation zone is a particularly delicate task for numerical codes. Laminar flow and turbulent computations have been carried out using a full Navier-Stokes solver, with freestream conditions provided by the experimental data obtained at Mach 6, 8, and 16.34 wind tunnel. The numerical results are compared with the measured pressure and surface heat flux distributions in the wind tunnel and a good agreement is found, especially on the length of the recirculation region and location of shock waves. The critical physics of entropy layer, boundary layers, boundary layers and shock wave interaction and flow behind shock are properly captured and elaborated.. Hypersonic flows are characterized by high Mach number and high total enthalpy. An elevated

  15. Vehicle speed guidance strategy at signalized intersection based on cooperative vehicle infrastructure system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fengyuan JIA

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available In order to reduce stopping time of vehicle at a signalized intersection, aiming at the difficulty, even the impossibility to obtain real-time queue length of intersection in third and fourth-tier cities in China sometimes, a speed guidance strategy based on cooperative vehicle infrastructure system is put forward and studied. For validating the strategy, the traffic signal timing data of the intersection at Hengshan Road and North Fengming Lake Road in Wuhu is collected by a vehicular traffic signal reminder system which is designed. The simulation experiments using the acquired data are done by software VISSIM. The simulation results demonstrate that the strategy under high and low traffic flow can effectively decrease the link travel-time, reducing average ratio is 9.2 % and 13.0 %, respectively, and the effect under low traffic flow is better than that under high traffic flow. The strategy improves efficiency of traffic at a signalized intersection and provides an idea for the application of vehicle speed guidance based on cooperative vehicle infrastructure system.

  16. Big data analytics : predicting traffic flow regimes from simulated connected vehicle messages using data analytics and machine learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-12-25

    The key objectives of this study were to: 1. Develop advanced analytical techniques that make use of a dynamically configurable connected vehicle message protocol to predict traffic flow regimes in near-real time in a virtual environment and examine ...

  17. Design and Implementation of an Emergency Vehicle Signal Preemption System Based on Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure Technology

    OpenAIRE

    Yinsong Wang; Zhizhou Wu; Xiaoguang Yang; Luoyi Huang

    2013-01-01

    Emergency vehicle is an important part of traffic flow. The efficiency, reliability, and safety of emergency vehicle operations dropped due to increasing traffic congestion. With the advancement of the wireless communication technologies and the development of the vehicle-to-vehicle (v2v) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (v2i) systems, called Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure System (CVIS), there is an opportunity to provide appropriate traffic signal preemption for emergency vehicle based on r...

  18. Design and characterization of an electromagnetic energy harvester for vehicle suspensions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zuo, Lei; Scully, Brian; Shestani, Jurgen; Zhou, Yu

    2010-01-01

    During the everyday usage of an automobile, only 10–16% of the fuel energy is used to drive the car—to overcome the resistance from road friction and air drag. One important loss is the dissipation of vibration energy by shock absorbers in the vehicle suspension under the excitation of road irregularity and vehicle acceleration or deceleration. In this paper we design, characterize and test a retrofit regenerative shock absorber which can efficiently recover the vibration energy in a compact space. Rare-earth permanent magnets and high permeable magnetic loops are used to configure a four-phase linear generator with increased efficiency and reduced weight. The finite element method is used to analyze the magnetic field and guide the design optimization. A theoretical model is created to analytically characterize the waveforms and regenerated power of the harvester at various vibration amplitudes, frequencies, equilibrium positions and design parameters. It was found that the waveform and RMS voltage of the individual coils will depend on the equilibrium position but the total energy will not. Experimental studies of a 1:2 scale prototype are conducted and the results agree very well with the theoretical predictions. Such a regenerative shock absorber will be able to harvest 16–64 W power at 0.25–0.5 m s −1 RMS suspension velocity

  19. Measurement of Vehicle Air Conditioning Pull-Down Period

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomas, John F [ORNL; Huff, Shean P [ORNL; Moore, Larry G [ORNL; West, Brian H [ORNL

    2016-08-01

    Air conditioner usage was characterized for high heat-load summer conditions during short driving trips using a 2009 Ford Explorer and a 2009 Toyota Corolla. Vehicles were parked in the sun with windows closed to allow the cabin to become hot. Experiments were conducted by entering the instrumented vehicles in this heated condition and driving on-road with the windows up and the air conditioning set to maximum cooling, maximum fan speed and the air flow setting to recirculate cabin air rather than pull in outside humid air. The main purpose was to determine the length of time the air conditioner system would remain at or very near maximum cooling power under these severe-duty conditions. Because of the variable and somewhat uncontrolled nature of the experiments, they serve only to show that for short vehicle trips, air conditioning can remain near or at full cooling capacity for 10-minutes or significantly longer and the cabin may be uncomfortably warm during much of this time.

  20. Robust Vehicle Detection under Various Environmental Conditions Using an Infrared Thermal Camera and Its Application to Road Traffic Flow Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toshiyuki Nakamiya

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available We have already proposed a method for detecting vehicle positions and their movements (henceforth referred to as “our previous method” using thermal images taken with an infrared thermal camera. Our experiments have shown that our previous method detects vehicles robustly under four different environmental conditions which involve poor visibility conditions in snow and thick fog. Our previous method uses the windshield and its surroundings as the target of the Viola-Jones detector. Some experiments in winter show that the vehicle detection accuracy decreases because the temperatures of many windshields approximate those of the exterior of the windshields. In this paper, we propose a new vehicle detection method (henceforth referred to as “our new method”. Our new method detects vehicles based on tires’ thermal energy reflection. We have done experiments using three series of thermal images for which the vehicle detection accuracies of our previous method are low. Our new method detects 1,417 vehicles (92.8% out of 1,527 vehicles, and the number of false detection is 52 in total. Therefore, by combining our two methods, high vehicle detection accuracies are maintained under various environmental conditions. Finally, we apply the traffic information obtained by our two methods to traffic flow automatic monitoring, and show the effectiveness of our proposal.

  1. Robust vehicle detection under various environmental conditions using an infrared thermal camera and its application to road traffic flow monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwasaki, Yoichiro; Misumi, Masato; Nakamiya, Toshiyuki

    2013-06-17

    We have already proposed a method for detecting vehicle positions and their movements (henceforth referred to as "our previous method") using thermal images taken with an infrared thermal camera. Our experiments have shown that our previous method detects vehicles robustly under four different environmental conditions which involve poor visibility conditions in snow and thick fog. Our previous method uses the windshield and its surroundings as the target of the Viola-Jones detector. Some experiments in winter show that the vehicle detection accuracy decreases because the temperatures of many windshields approximate those of the exterior of the windshields. In this paper, we propose a new vehicle detection method (henceforth referred to as "our new method"). Our new method detects vehicles based on tires' thermal energy reflection. We have done experiments using three series of thermal images for which the vehicle detection accuracies of our previous method are low. Our new method detects 1,417 vehicles (92.8%) out of 1,527 vehicles, and the number of false detection is 52 in total. Therefore, by combining our two methods, high vehicle detection accuracies are maintained under various environmental conditions. Finally, we apply the traffic information obtained by our two methods to traffic flow automatic monitoring, and show the effectiveness of our proposal.

  2. Drag reduction of motor vehicles by active flow control using the Coanda effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geropp, D.; Odenthal, H.-J.

    A test facility has been constructed to realistically simulate the flow around a two dimensional car shaped body in a wind tunnel. A moving belt simulator has been employed to generate the relative motion between model and ground. In a first step, the aerodynamic coefficients cL and cD of the model are determined using static pressure and force measurements. LDA-measurements behind the model show the large vortex and turbulence structures of the near and far wake. In a second step, the ambient flow around the model is modified by way of an active flow control which uses the Coanda effect, whereby the base-pressure increases by nearly 50% and the total drag can be reduced by 10%. The recirculating region is completely eliminated. The current work reveals the fundamental physical phenomena of the new method by observing the pressure forces on the model surface as well as the time averaged velocities and turbulence distributions for the near and far wake. A theory resting on this empirical information is developed and provides information about the effectiveness of the blowing method. For this, momentum and energy equations were applied to the flow around the vehicle to enable a validation of the theoretical results using experimental values.

  3. Electric and hybrid vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-01-01

    Report characterizes state-of-the-art electric and hybrid (combined electric and heat engine) vehicles. Performance data for representative number of these vehicles were obtained from track and dynamometer tests. User experience information was obtained from fleet operators and individual owners of electric vehicles. Data on performance and physical characteristics of large number of vehicles were obtained from manufacturers and available literature.

  4. Flow characterization in periodic microchannels containing asymmetric grooves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Osorio-Nesme, A; Delgado, A, E-mail: anuhar.nesme@fau.de [Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander Erlangen-Nuremberg University, Cauerstrasse 4, D-91058 Erlangen (Germany)

    2017-10-15

    Characterization of two-dimensional flows in microchannels with anisotropic periodic grooves is numerically carried out by using the lattice Boltzmann method. Periodically placed microstructures, consisting of novel nozzle-diffuser-like grooves are deliberately designed to introduce a flow-direction dependent resistance. Simulations were conducted for a low-to-moderate Reynolds number in the laminar-transition flow regime. Different channel geometries, defined by the half-angle ϕ of the periodic grooves are considered. The influence of the half-angle on both the flow field and the onset of oscillatory flow regime at different driving body forces is analyzed. At a low Reynolds number, the flow is observed stationary and fully reversible, regardless of the groove geometry. In this regime, higher Reynolds numbers were observed when the geometry acts as a diffuser (negative flow) than as a nozzle (positive flow) for a given driving body force. At sufficiently high Reynolds number the flow turns from a steady state to a time-dependent oscillatory regime through a Hopf bifurcation. Successive flow bifurcations lead the flow structure from a periodic regime to a quasi-chaotic regime with three-dimensional structures. The onset of unsteady flow occurs earlier for positive flows and geometries with small half-angles. For higher driving forces, there is a reduction in the volume flow rate due to the advected material in the transversal direction, causing consequently a decrease in the Reynolds number. (paper)

  5. An Improved Car-Following Model in Vehicle Networking Based on Network Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Y. Kong

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Vehicle networking is a system to realize information interoperability between vehicles and people, vehicles and roads, vehicles and vehicles, and cars and transport facilities, through the network information exchange, in order to achieve the effective monitoring of the vehicle and traffic flow. Realizing information interoperability between vehicles and vehicles, which can affect the traffic flow, is an important application of network control system (NCS. In this paper, a car-following model using vehicle networking theory is established, based on network control principle. The car-following model, which is an improvement of the traditional traffic model, describes the traffic in vehicle networking condition. The impact that vehicle networking has on the traffic flow is quantitatively assessed in a particular scene of one-way, no lane changing highway. The examples show that the capacity of the road is effectively enhanced by using vehicle networking.

  6. Characterizing effects of hydropower plants on sub-daily flow regimes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bejarano, María Dolores; Sordo-Ward, Álvaro; Alonso, Carlos; Nilsson, Christer

    2017-07-01

    A characterization of short-term changes in river flow is essential for understanding the ecological effects of hydropower plants, which operate by turning the turbines on or off to generate electricity following variations in the market demand (i.e., hydropeaking). The goal of our study was to develop an approach for characterizing the effects of hydropower plant operations on within-day flow regimes across multiple dams and rivers. For this aim we first defined ecologically meaningful metrics that provide a full representation of the flow regime at short time scales from free-flowing rivers and rivers exposed to hydropeaking. We then defined metrics that enable quantification of the deviation of the altered short-term flow regime variables from those of the unaltered state. The approach was successfully tested in two rivers in northern Sweden, one free-flowing and another regulated by cascades of hydropower plants, which were additionally classified based on their impact on short-term flows in sites of similar management. The largest differences between study sites corresponded to metrics describing sub-daily flow magnitudes such as amplitude (i.e., difference between the highest and the lowest hourly flows) and rates (i.e., rise and fall rates of hourly flows). They were closely followed by frequency-related metrics accounting for the numbers of within-day hourly flow patterns (i.e., rises, falls and periods of stability of hourly flows). In comparison, between-site differences for the duration-related metrics were smallest. In general, hydropeaking resulted in higher within-day flow amplitudes and rates and more but shorter periods of a similar hourly flow patterns per day. The impacted flow feature and the characteristics of the impact (i.e., intensity and whether the impact increases or decreases whatever is being described by the metric) varied with season. Our approach is useful for catchment management planning, defining environmental flow targets

  7. Incorporating Charging/Discharging Strategy of Electric Vehicles into Security-Constrained Optimal Power Flow to Support High Renewable Penetration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyungsung An

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available This research aims to improve the operational efficiency and security of electric power systems at high renewable penetration by exploiting the envisioned controllability or flexibility of electric vehicles (EVs; EVs interact with the grid through grid-to-vehicle (G2V and vehicle-to-grid (V2G services to ensure reliable and cost-effective grid operation. This research provides a computational framework for this decision-making process. Charging and discharging strategies of EV aggregators are incorporated into a security-constrained optimal power flow (SCOPF problem such that overall energy cost is minimized and operation within acceptable reliability criteria is ensured. Particularly, this SCOPF problem has been formulated for Jeju Island in South Korea, in order to lower carbon emissions toward a zero-carbon island by, for example, integrating large-scale renewable energy and EVs. On top of conventional constraints on the generators and line flows, a unique constraint on the system inertia constant, interpreted as the minimum synchronous generation, is considered to ensure grid security at high renewable penetration. The available energy constraint of the participating EV associated with the state-of-charge (SOC of the battery and market price-responsive behavior of the EV aggregators are also explored. Case studies for the Jeju electric power system in 2030 under various operational scenarios demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and improved operational flexibility via controllable EVs.

  8. Base Flow Investigation of the Apollo AS-202 Command Module. Chapter 6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walpot, Louis M. G.; Wright, Michael J.; Noeding, Peter; Schrijer, Ferry

    2011-01-01

    when attempting to rebuild measurements performed in "hot" ground facilities, where the difficulty level is increased by the addition of the free-flow characterization itself. The implementation of ever more sophisticated thermochemical models is no obvious cure to the aforementioned problems since their effect is often overwhelmed by the large measurement uncertainties incurred in both flight and ground high enthalpy facilities. Concurrent to the previous considerations, a major contributor to the overall vehicle mass of re-entry vehicles is the afterbody thermal protection system. This is due to the large acreage (equal or bigger than that of the forebody) to be protected. The present predictive capabilities for base flows are comparatively lower than those for windward flowfields and offer therefore a substantial potential for improving the design of future re-entry vehicles. To that end, it is essential to address the accuracy of high fidelity CFD tools exercised in the US and EU, which motivates a thorough investigation of the present status of hypersonic flight afterbody heating. This paper addresses the predictive capabilities of after body flow fields of re-entry vehicles investigated in the frame of the NATO/RTO - RTG-043 Task Group and is structured as follows: First, the verification of base flow topologies on the basis of available wind-tunnel results performed under controlled supersonic conditions (i.e., cold flows devoid of reactive effects) is performed. Such tests address the detailed characterization of the base flow with particular emphasis on separation/reattachment and their relation to Mach number effects. The tests have been performed on an Apollo-like re-entry capsule configuration. Second, the tools validated in the frame of the previous effort are exercised and appraised against flight-test data collected during the Apollo AS-202 re-entry.

  9. Numerical calculation on infrared characteristics of the special vehicle exhaust system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yun-song; Li, Xiao-xia; Jin, Wei

    2017-10-01

    For mastery of infrared radiation characteristics and flow field of the special vehicle exhaust system, first, a physical model of the special vehicle exhaust system is established with the Gambit, and the mathematical model of flow field is determined. Secondly, software Fluent6.3 is used to simulated the 3-D exterior flow field of the special vehicle exhaust system, and the datum of flow field, such as temperature, pressure and density, are obtained. Thirdly, based on the plume temperature, the special vehicle exhaust space is divided. The exhaust is equivalent to a gray-body. A calculating model of the vehicle exhaust infrared radiation is established, and the exhaust infrared radiation characteristics are calculated by the software MATLAB, then the spatial distribution curves are drawn. Finally, the numerical results are analyzing, and the basic laws of the special vehicle exhaust infrared radiation are explored. The results show that with the increase of the engine speed, the temperature of the exhaust pipe wall of the special vehicle increases, and the temperature and pressure of the exhaust gas flow field increase, which leads to the enhancement of the infrared radiation intensity

  10. Vehicle test report: Battronic pickup truck

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, T. W.; Shain, T. W.; Freeman, R. J.; Pompa, M. F.

    1982-01-01

    An electric pickup truck was tested to characterize certain parameters and to provide baseline data that can be used for the comparison of improved batteries that may be incorporated into the vehicle at a later time. The vehicle tests were concentrated on the electrical drive subsystem; i.e., the batteries, controller, and motor. The tests included coastdowns to characterize the road load and range evaluations for both cyclic and constant speed conditions. A qualitative evaluation of the vehicle's performance was made by comparing its constant speed range performance with other vehicles.

  11. Multi-Disciplinary Design Optimization of Hypersonic Air-Breathing Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Peng; Tang, Zhili; Sheng, Jianda

    2016-06-01

    A 2D hypersonic vehicle shape with an idealized scramjet is designed at a cruise regime: Mach number (Ma) = 8.0, Angle of attack (AOA) = 0 deg and altitude (H) = 30kms. Then a multi-objective design optimization of the 2D vehicle is carried out by using a Pareto Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II). In the optimization process, the flow around the air-breathing vehicle is simulated by inviscid Euler equations using FLUENT software and the combustion in the combustor is modeled by a methodology based on the well known combination effects of area-varying pipe flow and heat transfer pipe flow. Optimization results reveal tradeoffs among total pressure recovery coefficient of forebody, lift to drag ratio of vehicle, specific impulse of scramjet engine and the maximum temperature on the surface of vehicle.

  12. State-of-the-art assessment of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    1977-01-01

    The Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1976 (PL 94-413) requires that data be developed to characterize the state of the art of vehicles powered by an electric motor and those propelled by a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine or other power sources. Data obtained from controlled tests of a representative number of sample vehicles, from information supplied by manufacturers or contained in the literature, and from surveys of fleet operators of individual owners of electric vehicles is discussed. The results of track and dynamometer tests conducted by NASA on 22 electric, 2 hybrid, and 5 conventional vehicles, as well as on 5 spark-ignition-engine-powered vehicles, the conventional counterparts of 5 of the vehicles, are presented.

  13. Supercavitating Vehicle Control

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Kuklinski, Robert

    2008-01-01

    .... The segmented ring wing is controlled by a ring actuator. The ring actuator may be used to control the angle of attack of the ring wing. Alternately, or in combination the flow over the ring wing may be neutralized by using the cavitator of the vehicle to globally enlarge the cavity and thus limit the flow.

  14. Measuring Aerosols Generated Inside Armoured Vehicles Perforated by Depleted Uranium Ammunition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parkhurst, MaryAnn

    2003-01-01

    In response to questions raised after the Gulf War about the health significance of exposure to depleted uranium (DU), the U.S. Department of Defense initiated a study designed to provide an improved scientific basis for assessment of possible health effects of soldiers in vehicles struck by these munitions. As part of this study, a series of DU penetrators were fired at an Abrams tank and a Bradley fighting vehicle, and the aerosols generated by vehicle perforation were collected and characterized. A robust sampling system was designed to collect aerosols in this difficult environment and to monitor continuously the sampler flow rates. Interior aerosols collected were analyzed for uranium concentration and particle size distribution as a function of time. They were also analyzed for uranium oxide phases, particle morphology, and dissolution in vitro. These data will provide input for future prospective and retrospective dose and health risk assessments of inhaled or ingested DU aerosols. This paper briefly discusses the target vehicles, firing trajectories, aerosol samplers and instrumentation control systems, and the types of analyses conducted on the samples

  15. Evaluating the Interference of Bicycle Traffic on Vehicle Operation on Urban Streets with Bike Lanes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ziyuan Pu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Many urban streets are designed with on-street bike lanes to provide right-of-way for bicycle traffic. However, when bicycle flow is large, extensive passing maneuvers could occupy vehicle lanes and thus cause interferences to vehicle traffic. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate how bicycle traffic affects vehicle operation on urban streets with bike lanes. Data were collected on six street segments in Nanjing, China. The cumulative curves were constructed to extract traffic flow information including individual bicycle and vehicle speeds and aggregated traffic parameters such as flow and density. The results showed that as bicycle density on bike lanes continuously increases faster bicycles may run into vehicle lanes causing considerable reductions in vehicle speeds. A generalized linear model was estimated to predict the vehicle delay. Results showed that vehicle delay increases as bicycle flow and vehicle flow increase. Number of vehicle lanes and width of bike lane also have significant impact on vehicle delay. Findings of the study are helpful to regions around the world in bike infrastructure design in order to improve operations of both bicycles and vehicles.

  16. Continuous traffic flow modeling of driver support systems in multiclass traffic with inter-vehicle communication and drivers in the loop

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tampere, C.M.J.; Hoogendoorn, S.P.; Arem, B. van

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a continuous traffic-flow model for the explorative analysis of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADASs). Such systems use technology (sensors and intervehicle communication) to support the task of the driver, who retains full control over the vehicle. Based on a review of

  17. Flow Regime Classification and Hydrological Characterization: A Case Study of Ethiopian Rivers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Belete Berhanu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The spatiotemporal variability of a stream flow due to the complex interaction of catchment attributes and rainfall induce complexity in hydrology. Researchers have been trying to address this complexity with a number of approaches; river flow regime is one of them. The flow regime can be quantified by means of hydrological indices characterizing five components: magnitude, frequency, duration, timing, and rate of change of flow. Similarly, this study aimed to understand the flow variability of Ethiopian Rivers using the observed daily flow data from 208 gauging stations in the country. With this process, the Hierarchical Ward Clustering method was implemented to group the streams into three flow regimes (1 ephemeral, (2 intermittent, and (3 perennial. Principal component analysis (PCA is also applied as the second multivariate analysis tool to identify dominant hydrological indices that cause the variability in the streams. The mean flow per unit catchment area (QmAR and Base flow index (BFI show an incremental trend with ephemeral, intermittent and perennial streams. Whereas the number of mean zero flow days ratio (ZFI and coefficient of variation (CV show a decreasing trend with ephemeral to perennial flow regimes. Finally, the streams in the three flow regimes were characterized with the mean and standard deviation of the hydrological variables and the shape, slope, and scale of the flow duration curve. Results of this study are the basis for further understanding of the ecohydrological processes of the river basins in Ethiopia.

  18. Intermediate Experimental Vehicle, ESA Program IXV ATDB Tool and Aerothermodynamic Characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mareschi, Vincenzo; Ferrarella, Daniela; Zaccagnino, Elio; Tribot, Jean-Pierre; Vallee, Jean-Jacques; Haya-Ramos, Rodrigo; Rufolo, Giuseppe; Mancuso, Salvatore

    2011-05-01

    In the complex domain of the space technologies and among the different applications available in Europe, a great interest has been placed since several years in the development of re-entry technologies. Among the different achievements obtained in that field it is to be recalled the experience of the Atmospheric Re-entry Vehicle flight in 1998 and a certain number of important investments per-formed at Agency and national levels like Hermes, MSTP, Festip, X-38, FLPP, TRP, GSTP, HSTS, AREV, Pre-X. IXV (Intermediate eXperimental V ehicle) builds on these past experiences and studies and it is conceived to be the next technological step forward with respect to ARD With respect to previous European ballistic or quasi- ballistic demonstrators, IXV will have an increased in- flight manoeuvrability and the planned mission will allow verifying the performances of the required technologies against a wider re-entry corridor. This will imply from the pure technological aspect to increase the level of engagement on critical technologies and disciplines like aerodynamics/aerothermodynamics, guidance, navigation, control, thermal protection materials and in flight measurements. In order to support the TPS design and the other sub- systems, an AeroThermodynamicDataBase Tool has been developed by Dassault Aviation and integrated by Thales Alenia Space with the Functional Engineering Simulator (used for GNC performances evaluation) in order to characterize the aerothermodynamic behaviour of the vehicle. This paper will describe: - The methodology used to develop the ATDB tool, based on the processing of CFD computations and WTT campaigns results. - The utilization of the ATDB tool, by means of its integration into the System process. - The methodology used for the aerothermal characterization of IXV.

  19. Gas-water two-phase flow characterization with Electrical Resistance Tomography and Multivariate Multiscale Entropy analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Chao; Zhao, Jia; Dong, Feng

    2015-03-01

    Flow behavior characterization is important to understand gas-liquid two-phase flow mechanics and further establish its description model. An Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) provides information regarding flow conditions at different directions where the sensing electrodes implemented. We extracted the multivariate sample entropy (MSampEn) by treating ERT data as a multivariate time series. The dynamic experimental results indicate that the MSampEn is sensitive to complexity change of flow patterns including bubbly flow, stratified flow, plug flow and slug flow. MSampEn can characterize the flow behavior at different direction of two-phase flow, and reveal the transition between flow patterns when flow velocity changes. The proposed method is effective to analyze two-phase flow pattern transition by incorporating information of different scales and different spatial directions. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Characterizing Groundwater Level and Flow Pattern in a Shallow ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Bheema

    This study characterize groundwater yield and flow pattern on a shallow ... simple process of weathering, fractured fissure systems, networks of joints and ..... lowest yield in wells that are deeper than the mean well depth in the study area.

  1. Dynamic flow control strategies of vehicle SCR Urea Dosing System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Wei; Zhang, Youtong; Asif, Malik

    2015-03-01

    Selective Catalyst Reduction(SCR) Urea Dosing System(UDS) directly affects the system accuracy and the dynamic response performance of a vehicle. However, the UDS dynamic response is hard to keep up with the changes of the engine's operating conditions. That will lead to low NO X conversion efficiency or NH3 slip. In order to optimize the injection accuracy and the response speed of the UDS in dynamic conditions, an advanced control strategy based on an air-assisted volumetric UDS is presented. It covers the methods of flow compensation and switching working conditions. The strategy is authenticated on an UDS and tested in different dynamic conditions. The result shows that the control strategy discussed results in higher dynamic accuracy and faster dynamic response speed of UDS. The inject deviation range is improved from being between -8% and 10% to -4% and 2% and became more stable than before, and the dynamic response time was shortened from 200 ms to 150 ms. The ETC cycle result shows that after using the new strategy the NH3 emission is reduced by 60%, and the NO X emission remains almost unchanged. The trade-off between NO X conversion efficiency and NH3 slip is mitigated. The studied flow compensation and switching working conditions can improve the dynamic performance of the UDS significantly and make the UDS dynamic response keep up with the changes of the engine's operating conditions quickly.

  2. Aerodynamic Problems of Launch Vehicles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyong Chol Chou

    1984-09-01

    Full Text Available The airflow along the surface of a launch vehicle together with vase flow of clustered nozzles cause problems which may affect the stability or efficiency of the entire vehicle. The problem may occur when the vehicle is on the launching pad or even during flight. As for such problems, local steady-state loads, overall steady-state loads, buffet, ground wind loads, base heating and rocket-nozzle hinge moments are examined here specifically.

  3. Curcumin phytosomal softgel formulation: Development, optimization and physicochemical characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allam, Ahmed N; Komeil, Ibrahim A; Abdallah, Ossama Y

    2015-09-01

    Curcumin, a naturally occurring lipophilic molecule can exert multiple and diverse bioactivities. However, its limited aqueous solubility and extensive presystemic metabolism restrict its bioavailability. Curcumin phytosomes were prepared by a simple solvent evaporation method where free flowing powder was obtained in addition to a newly developed semisolid formulation to increase curcumin content in softgels. Phytosomal powder was characterized in terms of drug content and zeta potential. Thirteen different softgel formulations were developed using oils such as Miglyol 812, castor oil and oleic acid, a hydrophilic vehicle such as PEG 400 and bioactive surfactants such as Cremophor EL and KLS P 124. Selected formulations were characterized in terms of curcumin in vitro dissolution. TEM analysis revealed good stability and a spherical, self-closed structure of curcumin phytosomes in complex formulations. Stability studies of chosen formulations prepared using the hydrophilic vehicle revealed a stable curcumin dissolution pattern. In contrast, a dramatic decrease in curcumin dissolution was observed in case of phytosomes formulated in oily vehicles.

  4. Curcumin phytosomal softgel formulation: Development, optimization and physicochemical characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allam Ahmed N.

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Curcumin, a naturally occurring lipophilic molecule can exert multiple and diverse bioactivities. However, its limited aqueous solubility and extensive presystemic metabolism restrict its bioavailability. Curcumin phytosomes were prepared by a simple solvent evaporation method where free flowing powder was obtained in addition to a newly developed semisolid formulation to increase curcumin content in softgels. Phytosomal powder was characterized in terms of drug content and zeta potential. Thirteen different softgel formulations were developed using oils such as Miglyol 812, castor oil and oleic acid, a hydrophilic vehicle such as PEG 400 and bioactive surfactants such as Cremophor EL and KLS P 124. Selected formulations were characterized in terms of curcumin in vitro dissolution. TEM analysis revealed good stability and a spherical, self-closed structure of curcumin phytosomes in complex formulations. Stability studies of chosen formulations prepared using the hydrophilic vehicle revealed a stable curcumin dissolution pattern. In contrast, a dramatic decrease in curcumin dissolution was observed in case of phytosomes formulated in oily vehicles.

  5. A participatory sensing approach to characterize ride quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bridgelall, Raj

    2014-03-01

    Rough roads increase vehicle operation and road maintenance costs. Consequently, transportation agencies spend a significant portion of their budgets on ride-quality characterization to forecast maintenance needs. The ubiquity of smartphones and social media, and the emergence of a connected vehicle environment present lucrative opportunities for cost-reduction and continuous, network-wide, ride-quality characterization. However, there is a lack of models to transform inertial and position information from voluminous data flows into indices that transportation agencies currently use. This work expands on theories of the Road Impact Factor introduced in previous research. The index characterizes road roughness by aggregating connected vehicle data and reporting roughness in direct proportion to the International Roughness Index. Their theoretical relationships are developed, and a case study is presented to compare the relative data quality from an inertial profiler and a regular passenger vehicle. Results demonstrate that the approach is a viable alternative to existing models that require substantially more resources and provide less network coverage. One significant benefit of the participatory sensing approach is that transportation agencies can monitor all network facilities continuously to locate distress symptoms, such as frost heaves, that appear and disappear between ride assessment cycles. Another benefit of the approach is continuous monitoring of all high-risk intersections such as rail grade crossings to better understand the relationship between ride-quality and traffic safety.

  6. Modified Motor Vehicles Travel Speed Models on the Basis of Curb Parking Setting under Mixed Traffic Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenyu Mei

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The ongoing controversy about in what condition should we set the curb parking has few definitive answers because comprehensive research in this area has been lacking. Our goal is to present a set of heuristic urban street speed functions under mixed traffic flow by taking into account impacts of curb parking. Two impacts have been defined to classify and quantify the phenomena of motor vehicles' speed dynamics in terms of curb parking. The first impact is called Space impact, which is caused by the curb parking types. The other one is the Time impact, which results from the driver maneuvering in or out of parking space. In this paper, based on the empirical data collected from six typical urban streets in Nanjing, China, two models have been proposed to describe these phenomena for one-way traffic and two-way traffic, respectively. An intensive experiment has been conducted in order to calibrate and validate these proposed models, by taking into account the complexity of the model parameters. We also provide guidelines in terms of how to cluster and calculate those models' parameters. Results from these models demonstrated promising performance of modeling motor vehicles' speed for mixed traffic flow under the influence of curb parking.

  7. Characterizing flow pathways in a sandstone aquifer: Tectonic vs sedimentary heterogeneities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medici, G.; West, L. J.; Mountney, N. P.

    2016-11-01

    Sandstone aquifers are commonly assumed to represent porous media characterized by a permeable matrix. However, such aquifers may be heavy fractured when rock properties and timing of deformation favour brittle failure and crack opening. In many aquifer types, fractures associated with faults, bedding planes and stratabound joints represent preferential pathways for fluids and contaminants. In this paper, well test and outcrop-scale studies reveal how strongly lithified siliciclastic rocks may be entirely dominated by fracture flow at shallow depths (≤ 180 m), similar to limestone and crystalline aquifers. However, sedimentary heterogeneities can primarily control fluid flow where fracture apertures are reduced by overburden pressures or mineral infills at greater depths. The Triassic St Bees Sandstone Formation (UK) of the East Irish Sea Basin represents an optimum example for study of the influence of both sedimentary and tectonic aquifer heterogeneities in a strongly lithified sandstone aquifer-type. This fluvial sedimentary succession accumulated in rapidly subsiding basins, which typically favours preservation of complete depositional cycles including fine grained layers (mudstone and silty sandstone) interbedded in sandstone fluvial channels. Additionally, vertical joints in the St Bees Sandstone Formation form a pervasive stratabound system whereby joints terminate at bedding discontinuities. Additionally, normal faults are present through the succession showing particular development of open-fractures. Here, the shallow aquifer (depth ≤ 180 m) was characterized using hydro-geophysics. Fluid temperature, conductivity and flow-velocity logs record inflows and outflows from normal faults, as well as from pervasive bed-parallel fractures. Quantitative flow logging analyses in boreholes that cut fault planes indicate that zones of fault-related open fractures characterize 50% of water flow. The remaining flow component is dominated by bed-parallel fractures

  8. Assessment of the development of a battery charging infrastructure for a redox flow battery based electromobility concept; Bewertung des Aufbaus einer Ladeinfrastruktur fuer eine Redox-Flow-Batteriebasierte Elektromobilitaet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arpad Funke, Simon; Wietschel, Martin [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI), Karlsruhe (Germany). Competence Center Energietechnologien und Energiesysteme

    2012-07-01

    Apart from the high acquisition cost, the major obstacles to widespread use of electric-powered vehicles today are long battery charging times and limited mileage. Rechargeable batteries might be a solution. The publication investigates a potential infrastructure for electric-powered vehicles based on so-called redox flow batteries. Redox flow batteries are characterized in that active materials are dissolved in liquid electrolyte and are stored outside the cell. Batteries are recharged by exchanging charged electrolyte for discharged electrolyte, which can be done in fuel stations. Redox flow batteries have the drawback of low energy and power density and were hardly ever considered for mobile applications so far. A technical analysis of RFB technology identified the vanadium oxygen redox flow fuel cell (VOFC) as a promising version. It provides higher energy density than conventional redox flow batteries, but development is still in an early stage. Assuming a 'best case' scenario, a refuelling infrastructure for VOFC vehicles was developed and compared with battery-powered vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell vehicles (FVEV). It was found that electromobility based on VOFC may be a promising alternative to current electromobility concepts. (orig./AKB) [German] Neben den Anschaffungsausgaben stehen lange Ladezeiten und eine beschraenkte Reichweite dem heutigen Einsatz von Elektrofahrzeugen oft entgegen. Eine moegliche Abhilfe koennten betankbare Batterien leisten. In der vorliegenden Arbeit soll ein moeglicher Infrastrukturaufbau fuer Elektrofahrzeuge mit sogenannten Redox-Flow-Batterien untersucht werden. Redox-Flow-Batterien besitzen die Eigenschaft, dass aktive Materialien geloest in Fluessigelektrolyten ausserhalb der Zelle gespeichert werden. Dieser Aufbau ermoeglicht das Aufladen der Batterie, indem der entladene Elektrolyt durch geladenen ausgetauscht wird. Dieser Tausch kann an einer Tankstelle durchgefuehrt werden. Ein wesentlicher Nachteil von Redox-Flow

  9. Characterization of Residual Particulates from Biomass Entrained Flow Gasification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Qin, Ke; Lin, Weigang; Fæster, Søren

    2013-01-01

    Biomass gasification experiments were carried out in a bench scale entrained flow reactor, and the produced solid particles were collected by a cyclone and a metal filter for subsequent characterization. During wood gasification, the major part of the solid material collected in the filter is soot...

  10. Aggregation server for grid-integrated vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempton, Willett

    2015-05-26

    Methods, systems, and apparatus for aggregating electric power flow between an electric grid and electric vehicles are disclosed. An apparatus for aggregating power flow may include a memory and a processor coupled to the memory to receive electric vehicle equipment (EVE) attributes from a plurality of EVEs, aggregate EVE attributes, predict total available capacity based on the EVE attributes, and dispatch at least a portion of the total available capacity to the grid. Power flow may be aggregated by receiving EVE operational parameters from each EVE, aggregating the received EVE operational parameters, predicting total available capacity based on the aggregated EVE operational parameters, and dispatching at least a portion of the total available capacity to the grid.

  11. Characterization of horizontal air–water two-phase flow

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kong, Ran; Kim, Seungjin, E-mail: skim@psu.edu

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • A visualization study is performed to develop flow regime map in horizontal flow. • Database in horizontal bubbly flow is extended using a local conductivity probe. • Frictional pressure drop analysis is performed in horizontal bubbly flow. • Drift flux analysis is performed in horizontal bubbly flow. - Abstract: This paper presents experimental studies performed to characterize horizontal air–water two-phase flow in a round pipe with an inner diameter of 3.81 cm. A detailed flow visualization study is performed using a high-speed video camera in a wide range of two-phase flow conditions to verify previous flow regime maps. Two-phase flows are classified into bubbly, plug, slug, stratified, stratified-wavy, and annular flow regimes. While the transition boundaries identified in the present study compare well with the existing ones (Mandhane et al., 1974) in general, some discrepancies are observed for bubbly-to-plug/slug, and plug-to-slug transition boundaries. Based on the new transition boundaries, three additional test conditions are determined in horizontal bubbly flow to extend the database by Talley et al. (2015a). Various local two-phase flow parameters including void fraction, interfacial area concentration, bubble velocity, and bubble Sauter mean diameter are obtained. The effects of increasing gas flow rate on void fraction, bubble Sauter mean diameter, and bubble velocity are discussed. Bubbles begin to coalesce near the gas–liquid layer instead of in the highly packed region when gas flow rate increases. Using all the current experimental data, two-phase frictional pressure loss analysis is performed using the Lockhart–Martinelli method. It is found that the coefficient C = 24 yields the best agreement with the data with the minimum average difference. Moreover, drift flux analysis is performed to predict void-weighted area-averaged bubble velocity and area-averaged void fraction. Based on the current database, functional

  12. ACCELEROMETERS IN FLOW FIELDS: A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHOPPED DUMMY INPILE TUBE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Howard, T. K.; Marcum, W. R.; Latimer, G. D.; Weiss, A.; Jones, W. F.; Phillips, A. M.; Woolstenhulme, N.; Holdaway, K.; Campbell, J.

    2016-06-01

    Four tests characterizing the structural response of the Chopped-Dummy In-Pile tube (CDIPT) experiment design were measured in the Hydro-Mechanical Fuel Test Facility (HMFTF). Four different test configurations were tried. These configurations tested the pressure drop and flow impact of various plate configurations and flow control orifices to be used later at different reactor power levels. Accelerometers were placed on the test vehicle and flow simulation housing. A total of five accelerometers were used with one on the top and bottom of the flow simulator and vehicle, and one on the outside of the flow simulator. Data were collected at a series of flow rates for 5 seconds each at an acquisition rate of 2 kHz for a Nyquist frequency of 1 kHz. The data were then analyzed using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm. The results show very coherent vibrations of the CDIPT experiment on the order of 50 Hz in frequency and 0.01 m/s2 in magnitude. The coherent vibrations, although small in magnitude pose a potential design problem if the frequencies coincide with the natural frequency of the fueled plates or test vehicle. The accelerometer data was integrated and combined to create a 3D trace of the experiment during the test. The merits of this data as well as further anomalies and artifacts are also discussed as well as their relation to the instrumentation and experiment design.

  13. Characterization of metals emitted from motor vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schauer, James J; Lough, Glynis C; Shafer, Martin M; Christensen, William F; Arndt, Michael F; DeMinter, Jeffrey T; Park, June-Soo

    2006-03-01

    A systematic approach was used to quantify the metals present in particulate matter emissions associated with on-road motor vehicles. Consistent sampling and chemical analysis techniques were used to determine the chemical composition of particulate matter less than 10 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10*) and particulate matter less than 2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5), including analysis of trace metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Four sources of metals were analyzed in emissions associated with motor vehicles: tailpipe emissions from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles, brake wear, tire wear, and resuspended road dust. Profiles for these sources were used in a chemical mass balance (CMB) model to quantify their relative contributions to the metal emissions measured in roadway tunnel tests in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Roadway tunnel measurements were supplemented by parallel measurements of atmospheric particulate matter and associated metals at three urban locations: Milwaukee and Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Denver, Colorado. Ambient aerosol samples were collected every sixth day for one year and analyzed by the same chemical analysis techniques used for the source samples. The two Wisconsin sites were studied to assess the spatial differences, within one urban airshed, of trace metals present in atmospheric particulate matter. The measurements were evaluated to help understand source and seasonal trends in atmospheric concentrations of trace metals. ICP-MS methods have not been widely used in analyses of ambient aerosols for metals despite demonstrated advantages over traditional techniques. In a preliminary study, ICP-MS techniques were used to assess the leachability of trace metals present in atmospheric particulate matter samples and motor vehicle source samples in a synthetic lung fluid.

  14. Internal air flow analysis of a bladeless micro aerial vehicle hemisphere body using computational fluid dynamic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Othman, M. N. K.; Zuradzman, M. Razlan; Hazry, D.; Khairunizam, Wan; Shahriman, A. B.; Yaacob, S.; Ahmed, S. Faiz; Hussain, Abadalsalam T.

    2014-12-01

    This paper explain the analysis of internal air flow velocity of a bladeless vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) hemisphere body. In mechanical design, before produce a prototype model, several analyses should be done to ensure the product's effectiveness and efficiency. There are two types of analysis method can be done in mechanical design; mathematical modeling and computational fluid dynamic. In this analysis, I used computational fluid dynamic (CFD) by using SolidWorks Flow Simulation software. The idea came through to overcome the problem of ordinary quadrotor UAV which has larger size due to using four rotors and the propellers are exposed to environment. The bladeless MAV body is designed to protect all electronic parts, which means it can be used in rainy condition. It also has been made to increase the thrust produced by the ducted propeller compare to exposed propeller. From the analysis result, the air flow velocity at the ducted area increased to twice the inlet air. This means that the duct contribute to the increasing of air velocity.

  15. Internal air flow analysis of a bladeless micro aerial vehicle hemisphere body using computational fluid dynamic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Othman, M. N. K.; Zuradzman, M. Razlan; Hazry, D.; Khairunizam, Wan; Shahriman, A. B.; Yaacob, S.; Ahmed, S. Faiz

    2014-01-01

    This paper explain the analysis of internal air flow velocity of a bladeless vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) hemisphere body. In mechanical design, before produce a prototype model, several analyses should be done to ensure the product's effectiveness and efficiency. There are two types of analysis method can be done in mechanical design; mathematical modeling and computational fluid dynamic. In this analysis, I used computational fluid dynamic (CFD) by using SolidWorks Flow Simulation software. The idea came through to overcome the problem of ordinary quadrotor UAV which has larger size due to using four rotors and the propellers are exposed to environment. The bladeless MAV body is designed to protect all electronic parts, which means it can be used in rainy condition. It also has been made to increase the thrust produced by the ducted propeller compare to exposed propeller. From the analysis result, the air flow velocity at the ducted area increased to twice the inlet air. This means that the duct contribute to the increasing of air velocity

  16. Internal air flow analysis of a bladeless micro aerial vehicle hemisphere body using computational fluid dynamic

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Othman, M. N. K., E-mail: najibkhir86@gmail.com, E-mail: zuradzman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: hazry@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: khairunizam@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: shahriman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: s.yaacob@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: syedfaiz@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: abadal@unimap.edu.my; Zuradzman, M. Razlan, E-mail: najibkhir86@gmail.com, E-mail: zuradzman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: hazry@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: khairunizam@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: shahriman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: s.yaacob@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: syedfaiz@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: abadal@unimap.edu.my; Hazry, D., E-mail: najibkhir86@gmail.com, E-mail: zuradzman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: hazry@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: khairunizam@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: shahriman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: s.yaacob@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: syedfaiz@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: abadal@unimap.edu.my; Khairunizam, Wan, E-mail: najibkhir86@gmail.com, E-mail: zuradzman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: hazry@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: khairunizam@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: shahriman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: s.yaacob@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: syedfaiz@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: abadal@unimap.edu.my; Shahriman, A. B., E-mail: najibkhir86@gmail.com, E-mail: zuradzman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: hazry@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: khairunizam@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: shahriman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: s.yaacob@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: syedfaiz@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: abadal@unimap.edu.my; Yaacob, S., E-mail: najibkhir86@gmail.com, E-mail: zuradzman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: hazry@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: khairunizam@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: shahriman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: s.yaacob@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: syedfaiz@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: abadal@unimap.edu.my; Ahmed, S. Faiz, E-mail: najibkhir86@gmail.com, E-mail: zuradzman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: hazry@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: khairunizam@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: shahriman@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: s.yaacob@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: syedfaiz@unimap.edu.my, E-mail: abadal@unimap.edu.my [Centre of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Systems, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, 01000 Kangar, Perlis (Malaysia); and others

    2014-12-04

    This paper explain the analysis of internal air flow velocity of a bladeless vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) hemisphere body. In mechanical design, before produce a prototype model, several analyses should be done to ensure the product's effectiveness and efficiency. There are two types of analysis method can be done in mechanical design; mathematical modeling and computational fluid dynamic. In this analysis, I used computational fluid dynamic (CFD) by using SolidWorks Flow Simulation software. The idea came through to overcome the problem of ordinary quadrotor UAV which has larger size due to using four rotors and the propellers are exposed to environment. The bladeless MAV body is designed to protect all electronic parts, which means it can be used in rainy condition. It also has been made to increase the thrust produced by the ducted propeller compare to exposed propeller. From the analysis result, the air flow velocity at the ducted area increased to twice the inlet air. This means that the duct contribute to the increasing of air velocity.

  17. Multidisciplinary Modeling Software for Analysis, Design, and Optimization of HRRLS Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spradley, Lawrence W.; Lohner, Rainald; Hunt, James L.

    2011-01-01

    The concept for Highly Reliable Reusable Launch Systems (HRRLS) under the NASA Hypersonics project is a two-stage-to-orbit, horizontal-take-off / horizontal-landing, (HTHL) architecture with an air-breathing first stage. The first stage vehicle is a slender body with an air-breathing propulsion system that is highly integrated with the airframe. The light weight slender body will deflect significantly during flight. This global deflection affects the flow over the vehicle and into the engine and thus the loads and moments on the vehicle. High-fidelity multi-disciplinary analyses that accounts for these fluid-structures-thermal interactions are required to accurately predict the vehicle loads and resultant response. These predictions of vehicle response to multi physics loads, calculated with fluid-structural-thermal interaction, are required in order to optimize the vehicle design over its full operating range. This contract with ResearchSouth addresses one of the primary objectives of the Vehicle Technology Integration (VTI) discipline: the development of high-fidelity multi-disciplinary analysis and optimization methods and tools for HRRLS vehicles. The primary goal of this effort is the development of an integrated software system that can be used for full-vehicle optimization. This goal was accomplished by: 1) integrating the master code, FEMAP, into the multidiscipline software network to direct the coupling to assure accurate fluid-structure-thermal interaction solutions; 2) loosely-coupling the Euler flow solver FEFLO to the available and proven aeroelasticity and large deformation (FEAP) code; 3) providing a coupled Euler-boundary layer capability for rapid viscous flow simulation; 4) developing and implementing improved Euler/RANS algorithms into the FEFLO CFD code to provide accurate shock capturing, skin friction, and heat-transfer predictions for HRRLS vehicles in hypersonic flow, 5) performing a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computation on an HRRLS

  18. Legacy Vehicle Fuel System Testing with Intermediate Ethanol Blends

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davis, G. W.; Hoff, C. J.; Borton, Z.; Ratcliff, M. A.

    2012-03-01

    The effects of E10 and E17 on legacy fuel system components from three common mid-1990s vintage vehicle models (Ford, GM, and Toyota) were studied. The fuel systems comprised a fuel sending unit with pump, a fuel rail and integrated pressure regulator, and the fuel injectors. The fuel system components were characterized and then installed and tested in sample aging test rigs to simulate the exposure and operation of the fuel system components in an operating vehicle. The fuel injectors were cycled with varying pulse widths during pump operation. Operational performance, such as fuel flow and pressure, was monitored during the aging tests. Both of the Toyota fuel pumps demonstrated some degradation in performance during testing. Six injectors were tested in each aging rig. The Ford and GM injectors showed little change over the aging tests. Overall, based on the results of both the fuel pump testing and the fuel injector testing, no major failures were observed that could be attributed to E17 exposure. The unknown fuel component histories add a large uncertainty to the aging tests. Acquiring fuel system components from operational legacy vehicles would reduce the uncertainty.

  19. Monitoring Inflation and Emplacement During the 2014-2015 Kilauea Lava Flow With an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perroy, R. L.; Turner, N.; Hon, K. A.; Rasgado, V.

    2015-12-01

    Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a powerful new tool for collecting high resolution on-demand spatial data over volcanic eruptions and other active geomorphic processes. These data can be used to improve hazard forecasts and emergency response efforts, and also allow users to economically and safely observe and quantify lava flow inflation and emplacement on spatially and temporally useful scales. We used a small fixed-wing UAV with a modified point-and-shoot camera to repeatedly map the active front of the 2014-2015 Kīlauea lava flow over a one-month period in late 2014, at times with a two-hour repeat interval. An additional subsequent flight was added in July, 2015. We used the imagery from these flights to generate a time-series of 5-cm resolution RGB and near-infrared orthoimagery mosaics and associated digital surface models using structure from motion. Survey-grade positional control was provided by ground control points with differential GPS. Two topographic transects were repeatedly surveyed across the flow surface, contemporaneously with UAV flights, to independently confirm topographic changes observed in the UAV-derived surface models. Vertical errors were generally 10 cm. Inside our 50 hectare study site, the flow advanced at a rate of 0.47 hectares/day during the first three weeks of observations before abruptly stalling out 4 m. New outbreak areas, both on the existing flow surface and along the flow margins, were readily mapped across the study area. We detected sinuous growing inflation ridges within the flow surface that correlated with subsequent outbreaks of new lava, suggesting that repeat UAV flights can provide a means of better predicting pahoehoe lava flow behavior over flat or uneven topography. Our results show that UAVs can generate accurate and digital surface models quickly and inexpensively over rapidly changing active pahoehoe lava flows.

  20. Vehicle test report: Jet Industries Electra Van 600

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, T. W.; Wirth, V. A., Jr.

    1982-01-01

    The Electra Van 600, an electric vehicle, was tested. Tests were performed to characterize parameters of the Electra Van 600 and to provide baseline data to be used for comparison of improved batteries and to which will be incorporated into the vehicle. The vehicle tests concentrated on the electrical drive subsystem, the batteries, controller, and motor; coastdowns to characterize the road load and range evaluation for cyclic and constant speed conditions; and qualitative performance was evaluated. It is found that the Electra Van 600 range performance is approximately equal to the majority of the vehicles tested previously.

  1. Establishing bonds between vehicle certification data and real-world vehicle fuel consumption – A Vehicle Specific Power approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duarte, G.O.; Gonçalves, G.A.; Baptista, P.C.; Farias, T.L.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Innovative methodology to estimate VSP fuel consumption based on public available data. • Model validation with accurate fuel consumption results (absolute deviation from 4.7% to 9.2%). • Best-selling vehicles in Portugal case study was developed for different driving cycles. - Abstract: A method to perform the energy characterization of a vehicle according to the specific power required while driving was developed using public vehicle certification data. Using a portable emission measurement system, fuel consumption was quantified in a second-by-second basis under on-road conditions for 19 vehicles (spark-ignition, compression-ignition and hybrids). This data allowed building generic curves of fuel consumption as a function of the specific power, according to Vehicle Specific Power methodology. Comparing on-road measurements and the model estimates, a R 2 higher than 0.9 for conventional and hybrid vehicles was obtained regarding modal fuel consumption. Comparing the fuel consumption measured on the drive cycles performed by each vehicle and the correspondent estimates, an absolute deviation of 9.2% ± 9.2% was found for conventional vehicles and 4.7% ± 1.8% for hybrids vehicles. This methodology was validated and applied to estimate the energy impacts of the best-selling vehicles in Portugal for different driving cycles. This prompt method, that does not require vehicle monitoring, can estimate curves of fuel consumption in g/s, as a function of specific power, which allows quantifying the absolute fuel use for any driving cycle

  2. Multivariate recurrence network analysis for characterizing horizontal oil-water two-phase flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhong-Ke; Zhang, Xin-Wang; Jin, Ning-De; Marwan, Norbert; Kurths, Jürgen

    2013-09-01

    Characterizing complex patterns arising from horizontal oil-water two-phase flows is a contemporary and challenging problem of paramount importance. We design a new multisector conductance sensor and systematically carry out horizontal oil-water two-phase flow experiments for measuring multivariate signals of different flow patterns. We then infer multivariate recurrence networks from these experimental data and investigate local cross-network properties for each constructed network. Our results demonstrate that a cross-clustering coefficient from a multivariate recurrence network is very sensitive to transitions among different flow patterns and recovers quantitative insights into the flow behavior underlying horizontal oil-water flows. These properties render multivariate recurrence networks particularly powerful for investigating a horizontal oil-water two-phase flow system and its complex interacting components from a network perspective.

  3. Characterization of extrusion flow using particle image velocimetry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was the characterization of polymer flows within an extrusion die using particle image velocimetry (PIV in very constraining conditions (high temperature, pressure and velocity. Measurements were realized on semi-industrial equipments in order to have test conditions close to the industrial ones. Simple flows as well as disrupted ones were studied in order to determine the capabilities and the limits of the method. The analysis of the velocity profiles pointed out significant wall slip, which was confirmed by rheological measurements based on Mooney's method. Numerical simulations were used to connect the two sets of measurements and to simulate complex velocity profiles for comparison to the experimental ones. A good agreement was found between simulations and experiments providing wall slip is taken into account in the simulation.

  4. Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multiple detections: A complementary approach in the characterization of egg yolk plasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dou, Haiyang; Li, Yueqiu; Choi, Jaeyeong; Huo, Shuying; Ding, Liang; Shen, Shigang; Lee, Seungho

    2016-09-23

    The capability of asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled with UV/VIS, multiangle light scattering (MALS) and quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) (AF4-UV-MALS-QELS) for separation and characterization of egg yolk plasma was evaluated. The accuracy of hydrodynamic radius (Rh) obtained from QELS and AF4 theory (using both simplified and full expression of AF4 retention equations) was discussed. The conformation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and its aggregates in egg yolk plasma was discussed based on the ratio of radius of gyration (Rg) to Rh together with the results from bio-transmission electron microscopy (Bio-TEM). The results indicate that the full retention equation is more relevant than simplified version for the Rh determination at high cross flow rate. The Rh from online QELS is reliable only at a specific range of sample concentration. The effect of programmed cross flow rate (linear and exponential decay) on the analysis of egg yolk plasma was also investigated. It was found that the use of an exponentially decaying cross flow rate not only reduces the AF4 analysis time of the egg yolk plasma, but also provides better resolution than the use of either a constant or linearly decaying cross flow rate. A combination of an exponentially decaying cross flow AF4-UV-MALS-QELS and the utilization of full retention equation was proved to be a useful method for the separation and characterization of egg yolk plasma. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. [Dynamic road vehicle emission inventory simulation study based on real time traffic information].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Cheng; Liu, Juan; Chen, Chang-Hong; Zhang, Jian; Liu, Deng-Guo; Zhu, Jing-Yu; Huang, Wei-Ming; Chao, Yuan

    2012-11-01

    The vehicle activity survey, including traffic flow distribution, driving condition, and vehicle technologies, were conducted in Shanghai. The databases of vehicle flow, VSP distribution and vehicle categories were established according to the surveyed data. Based on this, a dynamic vehicle emission inventory simulation method was designed by using the real time traffic information data, such as traffic flow and average speed. Some roads in Shanghai city were selected to conduct the hourly vehicle emission simulation as a case study. The survey results show that light duty passenger car and taxi are major vehicles on the roads of Shanghai city, accounting for 48% - 72% and 15% - 43% of the total flow in each hour, respectively. VSP distribution has a good relationship with the average speed. The peak of VSP distribution tends to move to high load section and become lower with the increase of average speed. Vehicles achieved Euro 2 and Euro 3 standards are majorities of current vehicle population in Shanghai. Based on the calibration of vehicle travel mileage data, the proportions of Euro 2 and Euro 3 standard vehicles take up 11% - 70% and 17% - 51% in the real-world situation, respectively. The emission simulation results indicate that the ratios of emission peak and valley for the pollutants of CO, VOC, NO(x) and PM are 3.7, 4.6, 9.6 and 19.8, respectively. CO and VOC emissions mainly come from light-duty passenger car and taxi, which has a good relationship with the traffic flow. NO(x) and PM emissions are mainly from heavy-duty bus and public buses and mainly concentrate in the morning and evening peak hours. The established dynamic vehicle emission simulation method can reflect the change of actual road emission and output high emission road sectors and hours in real time. The method can provide an important technical means and decision-making basis for transportation environment management.

  6. T.R.I.C.K.-Tire/Road Interaction Characterization & Knowledge - A tool for the evaluation of tire and vehicle performances in outdoor test sessions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farroni, Flavio

    2016-05-01

    The most powerful engine, the most sophisticated aerodynamic devices or the most complex control systems will not improve vehicle performances if the forces exchanged with the road are not optimized by proper employment and knowledge of tires. The vehicle interface with the ground is constituted by the sum of small surfaces, wide about as one of our palms, in which tire/road interaction forces are exchanged. From this it is clear to see how the optimization of tire behavior represents a key-factor in the definition of the best setup of the whole vehicle. Nowadays, people and companies playing a role in automotive sector are looking for the optimal solution to model and understand tire's behavior both in experimental and simulation environments. The studies carried out and the tool developed herein demonstrate a new approach in tire characterization and in vehicle simulation procedures. This enables the reproduction of the dynamic response of a tire through the use of specific track sessions, carried out with the aim to employ the vehicle as a moving lab. The final product, named TRICK tool (Tire/Road Interaction Characterization and Knowledge), comprises of a vehicle model which processes experimental signals acquired from vehicle CAN bus and from sideslip angle estimation additional instrumentation. The output of the tool is several extra "virtual telemetry" channels, based on the time history of the acquired signals and containing force and slip estimations, useful to provide tire interaction characteristics. TRICK results can be integrated with the physical models developed by the Vehicle Dynamics UniNa research group, providing a multitude of working solutions and constituting an ideal instrument for the prediction and the simulation of the real tire dynamics.

  7. Thermographic venous blood flow characterization with external cooling stimulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saxena, Ashish; Ng, E. Y. K.; Raman, Vignesh

    2018-05-01

    Experimental characterization of blood flow in a human forearm is done with the application of continuous external cooling based active thermography method. Qualitative and quantitative detection of the blood vessel in a thermal image is done, along with the evaluation of blood vessel diameter, blood flow direction, and velocity in the target blood vessel. Subtraction based image manipulation is performed to enhance the feature contrast of the thermal image acquired after the removal of external cooling. To demonstrate the effect of occlusion diseases (obstruction), an external cuff based occlusion is applied after the removal of cooling and its effect on the skin rewarming is studied. Using external cooling, a transit time method based blood flow velocity estimation is done. From the results obtained, it is evident that an external cooling based active thermography method can be used to develop a diagnosis tool for superficial blood vessel diseases.

  8. Computational Simulation of the Flow Past an Airfoil for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Velázquez-Araque

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with the numerical simulation of the two-dimensional, incompressible, steady air flow past a NACA 2415 airfoil and four modifications of this one. The modification of this airfoil was made in order to create a blowing outlet with the shape of a step on the suction surface. Therefore, five different locations along the cord line for this blowing outlet were analyzed. This analysis involved the aerodynamic performance which meant obtaining lift, drag and pitching moment coefficients curves as a function of the angle of attack for the situation where the engine of the aerial vehicle is turned off called the no blowing condition by means computational fluid dynamics. The RNG k-ε model is utilized to describe the turbulent flow process. The simulations were held at a Reynolds number of 105. Results allowed obtaining lift and drag forces and pitching moment coefficient and also the location of the separation and reattachment point in some cases for different angles of attack, from 0 to 16 degrees with the smallest increment of 4 degrees. Finally, numerical results were compared with results obtained from wind tunnel tests by means of an aerodynamic balance and also oil and smoke visualization techniques and found to be in very good agreement.

  9. Numerical study of aerodynamic effects on road vehicles lifting surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cernat, Mihail Victor; Cernat Bobonea, Andreea

    2017-01-01

    The aerodynamic performance analysis of road vehicles depends on the study of engine intake and cooling flow, internal ventilation, tire cooling, and overall external flow as the motion of air around a moving vehicle affects all of its components in one form or another. Due to the complex geometry of these, the aerodynamic interaction between the various body components is significant, resulting in vortex flow and lifting surface shapes. The present study, however focuses on the effects of external aerodynamics only, and in particular on the flow over the lifting surfaces of a common compact car, designed especially for this study.

  10. Study on Reverse Reconstruction Method of Vehicle Group Situation in Urban Road Network Based on Driver-Vehicle Feature Evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoyuan Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Vehicle group situation is the status and situation of dynamic permutation which is composed of target vehicle and neighboring traffic entities. It is a concept which is frequently involved in the research of traffic flow theory, especially the active vehicle security. Studying vehicle group situation in depth is of great significance for traffic safety. Three-lane condition was taken as an example; the characteristics of target vehicle and its neighboring vehicles were synthetically considered to restructure the vehicle group situation in this paper. The Gamma distribution theory was used to identify the vehicle group situation when target vehicle arrived at the end of the study area. From the perspective of driver-vehicle feature evolution, the reverse reconstruction method of vehicle group situation in the urban road network was proposed. Results of actual driving, virtual driving, and simulation experiments showed that the model established in this paper was reasonable and feasible.

  11. Leveraging Big Data Analysis Techniques for U.S. Vocational Vehicle Drive Cycle Characterization, Segmentation, and Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duran, Adam W [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Phillips, Caleb T [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Perr-Sauer, Jordan [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Kelly, Kenneth J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Konan, Arnaud M [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2018-04-03

    Under a collaborative interagency agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) performed a series of in-depth analyses to characterize on-road driving behavior including distributions of vehicle speed, idle time, accelerations and decelerations, and other driving metrics of medium- and heavy-duty vocational vehicles operating within the United States. As part of this effort, NREL researchers segmented U.S. medium- and heavy-duty vocational vehicle driving characteristics into three distinct operating groups or clusters using real-world drive cycle data collected at 1 Hz and stored in NREL's Fleet DNA database. The Fleet DNA database contains millions of miles of historical drive cycle data captured from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles operating across the United States. The data encompass existing DOE activities as well as contributions from valued industry stakeholder participants. For this project, data captured from 913 unique vehicles comprising 16,250 days of operation were drawn from the Fleet DNA database and examined. The Fleet DNA data used as a source for this analysis has been collected from a total of 30 unique fleets/data providers operating across 22 unique geographic locations spread across the United States. This includes locations with topographies ranging from the foothills of Denver, Colorado, to the flats of Miami, Florida. This paper includes the results of the statistical analysis performed by NREL and a discussion and detailed summary of the development of the vocational drive cycle weights and representative transient drive cycles for testing and simulation. Additional discussion of known limitations and potential future work is also included.

  12. Directed weighted network structure analysis of complex impedance measurements for characterizing oil-in-water bubbly flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhong-Ke; Dang, Wei-Dong; Xue, Le; Zhang, Shan-Shan

    2017-03-01

    Characterizing the flow structure underlying the evolution of oil-in-water bubbly flow remains a contemporary challenge of great interests and complexity. In particular, the oil droplets dispersing in a water continuum with diverse size make the study of oil-in-water bubbly flow really difficult. To study this issue, we first design a novel complex impedance sensor and systematically conduct vertical oil-water flow experiments. Based on the multivariate complex impedance measurements, we define modalities associated with the spatial transient flow structures and construct modality transition-based network for each flow condition to study the evolution of flow structures. In order to reveal the unique flow structures underlying the oil-in-water bubbly flow, we filter the inferred modality transition-based network by removing the edges with small weight and resulting isolated nodes. Then, the weighted clustering coefficient entropy and weighted average path length are employed for quantitatively assessing the original network and filtered network. The differences in network measures enable to efficiently characterize the evolution of the oil-in-water bubbly flow structures.

  13. Spatial Characterization of Radio Propagation Channel in Urban Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Environments to Support WSNs Deployment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fausto Granda

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Vehicular ad hoc Networks (VANETs enable vehicles to communicate with each other as well as with roadside units (RSUs. Although there is a significant research effort in radio channel modeling focused on vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V, not much work has been done for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I using 3D ray-tracing tools. This work evaluates some important parameters of a V2I wireless channel link such as large-scale path loss and multipath metrics in a typical urban scenario using a deterministic simulation model based on an in-house 3D Ray-Launching (3D-RL algorithm at 5.9 GHz. Results show the high impact that the spatial distance; link frequency; placement of RSUs; and factors such as roundabout, geometry and relative position of the obstacles have in V2I propagation channel. A detailed spatial path loss characterization of the V2I channel along the streets and avenues is presented. The 3D-RL results show high accuracy when compared with measurements, and represent more reliably the propagation phenomena when compared with analytical path loss models. Performance metrics for a real test scenario implemented with a VANET wireless sensor network implemented ad-hoc are also described. These results constitute a starting point in the design phase of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs radio-planning in the urban V2I deployment in terms of coverage.

  14. Effect of interactions between vehicles and pedestrians on fuel consumption and emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiang; Sun, Jian-Qiao

    2014-12-01

    This paper presents a study of variations of fuel consumption and emissions of vehicles due to random street crossings of pedestrians. The pedestrian and vehicle movement models as well as the interaction model between the two entities are presented. Extensive numerical simulations of single and multiple cars are carried out to investigate the traffic flow rate, vehicle average speed, fuel consumption, CO, HC and NOx emissions. Generally more noncompliant road-crossings of pedestrians lead to higher level of fuel consumptions and emissions of vehicles, and the traffic situation can be improved by imposing higher vehicle speed limit to some extent. Different traffic characteristics in low and high vehicle density regions are studied. The traffic flow is more influenced by crossing pedestrians in the low vehicle density region, while in the high vehicle density region, the interactions among vehicles dominate. The main contribution of this paper lies in the qualitative analysis of the impact of the interactions between pedestrians and vehicles on the traffic, its energy economy and emissions.

  15. Transportable Emissions Testing Laboratory for Alternative Vehicles Emissions Testing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clark, Nigel

    2012-01-31

    The overall objective of this project was to perform research to quantify and improve the energy efficiency and the exhaust emissions reduction from advanced technology vehicles using clean, renewable and alternative fuels. Advanced vehicle and alternative fuel fleets were to be identified, and selected vehicles characterized for emissions and efficiency. Target vehicles were to include transit buses, school buses, vocational trucks, delivery trucks, and tractor-trailers. Gaseous species measured were to include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. An objective was to characterize particulate matter more deeply than by mass. Accurate characterization of efficiency and emissions was to be accomplished using a state-of-the-art portable emissions measurement system and an accompanying chassis dynamometer available at West Virginia University. These two units, combined, are termed the Transportable Laboratory. An objective was to load the vehicles in a real-world fashion, using coast down data to establish rolling resistance and wind drag, and to apply the coast down data to the dynamometer control. Test schedules created from actual vehicle operation were to be employed, and a specific objective of the research was to assess the effect of choosing a test schedule which the subject vehicle either cannot follow or can substantially outperform. In addition the vehicle loading objective was to be met better with an improved flywheel system.

  16. Research on traffic flow characteristics at signal intersection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Jun-Wei; Yu, Sen-Bin; Qian, Yong-Sheng; Wei, Xu-Ting; Feng, Xiao; Wang, Hui

    2017-09-01

    Based on the cautious driving behavior and the principle of the vehicles at left-side having priority to pass in the intersection, a two-dimensional cellular automata model for planar signalized intersection (NS-STCA) is established. The different turning vehicles are regarded as the research objects and the effect of the left-turn probability, signal cycle, vehicle flow density on traffic flow at the intersection is investigated.

  17. Characterization of particle bound organic carbon from diesel vehicles equipped with advanced emission control technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pakbin, Payam; Ning, Zhi; Schauer, James J; Sioutas, Constantinos

    2009-07-01

    A chassis dynamometer study was carried out by the University of Southern California in collaboration with the Air Resources Board (CARB) to investigate the physical, chemical, and toxicological characteristics of diesel emissions of particulate matter (PM) from heavy-duty vehicles. These heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDV) were equipped with advanced emission control technologies, designed to meet CARB retrofit regulations. A HDDV without any emission control devices was used as the baseline vehicle. Three advanced emission control technologies; continuously regenerating technology (CRT), zeolite- and vanadium-based selective catalytic reduction technologies (Z-SCRT and V-SCRT), were tested under transient (UDDS) (1) and cruise (80 kmph) driving cycles to simulate real-world driving conditions. This paper focuses on the characterization of the particle bound organic species from the vehicle exhaust. Physical and chemical properties of PM emissions have been reported by Biswas et al. Atmos. Environ. 2008, 42, 5622-5634) and Hu et al. (Atmos. Environ. 2008, submitted) Significant reductions in the emission factors (microg/mile) of particle bound organic compounds were observed in HDDV equipped with advanced emission control technologies. V-SCRT and Z-SCRT effectively reduced PAHs, hopanes and steranes, n-alkanes and acids by more than 99%, and often to levels below detection limits for both cruise and UDDS cycles. The CRT technology also showed similar reductions with SCRT for medium and high molecular weight PAHs, acids, but with slightly lower removal efficiencies for other organic compounds. Ratios of particle bound organics-to-OC mass (microg/g) from the baseline exhaust were compared with their respective ratios in diesel fuel and lubricating oil, which revealed that hopanes and steranes originate from lubricating oil, whereas PAHs can either form during the combustion process or originate from diesel fuel itself. With the introduction of emission control

  18. Experimental Flow Characterization of a Flow Diverting Device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparrow, Eph; Chow, Ricky; Campbell, Gary; Divani, Afshin; Sheng, Jian

    2012-11-01

    Flow diverters, such as the Pipeline Embolization Device, are a new class of endovascular devices for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. While clinical studies have demonstrated safety and efficacy, their impact on intra-aneurysmal flow is not confirmed experimentally. As such, optimization of the flow diversion behavior is not currently possible. A quasi-3D PIV technique was developed and applied in various glass models at Re = 275 and 550 to determine the changes to flow characteristics due to the deployment of a flow diverter across the aneurysm neck. Outcomes such as mean velocity, wall shear stress, and others metrics will be presented. Glass models with varying radii of curvature and aneurysm locations will be examined. Experiments were performed in a fully index-matched flow facility using ~10 μm diameter polystyrene particles doped with Rhodium 6G dye. The particles were illuminated with a 532nm laser sheet and observed with a CCD camera and a 592nm +/-43 nm bandpass filter. A quasi 3D flow field was reconstructed from multiple orthogonal planes (spaced 0.4mm apart) encompassing the entire glass model. Wall stresses were evaluated from the near-wall flow viscous stresses.

  19. Wind tunnel experiments on flow separation control of an Unmanned Air Vehicle by nanosecond discharge plasma aerodynamic actuation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Kang; Liang Hua

    2016-01-01

    Plasma flow control (PFC) is a new kind of active flow control technology, which can improve the aerodynamic performances of aircrafts remarkably. The flow separation control of an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) by nanosecond discharge plasma aerodynamic actuation (NDPAA) is investigated experimentally in this paper. Experimental results show that the applied voltages for both the nanosecond discharge and the millisecond discharge are nearly the same, but the current for nanosecond discharge (30 A) is much bigger than that for millisecond discharge (0.1 A). The flow field induced by the NDPAA is similar to a shock wave upward, and has a maximal velocity of less than 0.5 m/s. Fast heating effect for nanosecond discharge induces shock waves in the quiescent air. The lasting time of the shock waves is about 80 μs and its spread velocity is nearly 380 m/s. By using the NDPAA, the flow separation on the suction side of the UAV can be totally suppressed and the critical stall angle of attack increases from 20° to 27° with a maximal lift coefficient increment of 11.24%. The flow separation can be suppressed when the discharge voltage is larger than the threshold value, and the optimum operation frequency for the NDPAA is the one which makes the Strouhal number equal one. The NDPAA is more effective than the millisecond discharge plasma aerodynamic actuation (MDPAA) in boundary layer flow control. The main mechanism for nanosecond discharge is shock effect. Shock effect is more effective in flow control than momentum effect in high speed flow control. (paper)

  20. Probabilistic Load-Flow Analysis of Biomass-Fuelled Gas Engines with Electrical Vehicles in Distribution Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco J. Ruiz-Rodríguez

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Feeding biomass-fueled gas engines (BFGEs with olive tree pruning residues offers new opportunities to decrease fossil fuel use in road vehicles and electricity generation. BFGEs, coupled to radial distribution systems (RDSs, provide renewable energy and power that can feed electric vehicle (EV charging stations. However, the combined impact of BFGEs and EVs on RDSs must be assessed to assure the technical constraint fulfilment. Because of the stochastic nature of source/load, it was decided that a probabilistic approach was the most viable option for this assessment. Consequently, this research developed an analytical technique to evaluate the technical constraint fulfilment in RDSs with this combined interaction. The proposed analytical technique (PAT involved the calculation of cumulants and the linearization of load-flow equations, along with the application of the cumulant method, and Cornish-Fisher expansion. The uncertainties related to biomass stock and its heating value (HV were important factors that were assessed for the first time. Application of the PAT in a Spanish RDS with BFGEs and EVs confirmed the feasibility of the proposal and its additional benefits. Specifically, BFGEs were found to clearly contribute to the voltage constraint fulfilment. The computational cost of the PAT was lower than that associated with Monte-Carlo simulations (MCSs.

  1. Dynamic analysis of pedestrian crossing behaviors on traffic flow at unsignalized mid-block crosswalks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Gang; He, Jing; Luo, Zhiyong; Yang, Wunian; Zhang, Xiping

    2015-05-01

    It is important to study the effects of pedestrian crossing behaviors on traffic flow for solving the urban traffic jam problem. Based on the Nagel-Schreckenberg (NaSch) traffic cellular automata (TCA) model, a new one-dimensional TCA model is proposed considering the uncertainty conflict behaviors between pedestrians and vehicles at unsignalized mid-block crosswalks and defining the parallel updating rules of motion states of pedestrians and vehicles. The traffic flow is simulated for different vehicle densities and behavior trigger probabilities. The fundamental diagrams show that no matter what the values of vehicle braking probability, pedestrian acceleration crossing probability, pedestrian backing probability and pedestrian generation probability, the system flow shows the "increasing-saturating-decreasing" trend with the increase of vehicle density; when the vehicle braking probability is lower, it is easy to cause an emergency brake of vehicle and result in great fluctuation of saturated flow; the saturated flow decreases slightly with the increase of the pedestrian acceleration crossing probability; when the pedestrian backing probability lies between 0.4 and 0.6, the saturated flow is unstable, which shows the hesitant behavior of pedestrians when making the decision of backing; the maximum flow is sensitive to the pedestrian generation probability and rapidly decreases with increasing the pedestrian generation probability, the maximum flow is approximately equal to zero when the probability is more than 0.5. The simulations prove that the influence of frequent crossing behavior upon vehicle flow is immense; the vehicle flow decreases and gets into serious congestion state rapidly with the increase of the pedestrian generation probability.

  2. Bathyphotometer bioluminescence potential measurements: A framework for characterizing flow agitators and predicting flow-stimulated bioluminescence intensity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latz, Michael I.; Rohr, Jim

    2013-07-01

    Bathyphotometer measurements of bioluminescence are used as a proxy for the abundance of luminescent organisms for studying population dynamics; the interaction of luminescent organisms with physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic processes; and spatial complexity especially in coastal areas. However, the usefulness of bioluminescence measurements has been limited by the inability to compare results from different bathyphotometer designs, or even the same bathyphotometer operating at different volume flow rates. The primary objective of this study was to compare measurements of stimulated bioluminescence of four species of cultured dinoflagellates, the most common source of bioluminescence in coastal waters, using two different bathyphotometer flow agitators as a function of bathyphotometer volume flow rate and dinoflagellate concentration. For both the NOSC and BIOLITE flow agitators and each species of dinoflagellate tested, there was a critical volume flow rate, above which average bioluminescence intensity, designated as bathyphotometer bioluminescence potential (BBP), remained relatively constant and scaled directly with dinoflagellate cell concentration. At supra-critical volume flow rates, the ratio of BIOLITE to NOSC BBP was nearly constant for the same species studied, but varied between species. The spatial pattern and residence time of flash trajectories within the NOSC flow agitator indicated the presence of dominant secondary recirculating flows, where most of the bioluminescence was detected. A secondary objective (appearing in the Appendix) was to study the feasibility of using NOSC BBP to scale flow-stimulated bioluminescence intensity across similar flow fields, where the contributing composition of luminescent species remained the same. Fully developed turbulent pipe flow was chosen because it is hydrodynamically well characterized. Average bioluminescence intensity in a 2.54-cm i.d. pipe was highly correlated with wall shear stress and

  3. Remote site survey and characterization for the National ER ampersand WM Program using the SRIP [Solider Robot Interface Project] vehicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richardson, B.S.; Killough, S.M.; Emery, M.D.; Herndon, J.N.; Hamel, W.R.; Burks, B.L.

    1990-01-01

    A significant number of Department of Energy (DOE) production and research sites will require remediation of buried waste sites during the coming years. An important first step in cleanup, restoration, and decontamination activities is burial site characterization. An early field demonstration of buried waste site survey and characterization will be conducted using a remotely operated vehicle equipped with sensors, a manipulator system, and a vision system. This demonstration will be conducted in July 1990. 4 refs., 4 figs

  4. Sand and Dust Testing of Wheeled and Tracked Vehicles and Stationary Equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-11-18

    Vacuum pump Flow meter Measurement of dust mass ±2 percent ±4 percent ±0.0005 g Weight of air cleaner element ±0.5 percent (Total estimated error...samplers should be set to a flow rate that is isokinetic ) on the front of the vehicle, in the center of the grill or windshield, or the center of...3) Record the test bed vehicle odometer and hour meter reading. (4) Document the condition of the vehicle interior, exterior, and all

  5. Contribution to the study of nonstationary aerodynamic forces in problems of interest for Micro-Air Vehicles

    OpenAIRE

    Martín-Alcántara, Antonio

    2016-01-01

    The main aim of this dissertation is the quantitative characterization of the contributions of individual fluid elements (vortices) to aerodynamic forces, explaining and quantifying the mechanisms by which both drag and lift are generated. For this purpose, a vorticity forces formulation was used to the two problems addressed in this thesis. Thus, a novel physical point of view of the flow dynamics is provided which is expected to be useful for the Micro-Air Vehicles (MAVs) design. Firstl...

  6. Using virtual environment for autonomous vehicle algorithm validation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levinskis, Aleksandrs

    2018-04-01

    This paper describes possible use of modern game engine for validating and proving the concept of algorithm design. As the result simple visual odometry algorithm will be provided to show the concept and go over all workflow stages. Some of stages will involve using of Kalman filter in such a way that it will estimate optical flow velocity as well as position of moving camera located at vehicle body. In particular Unreal Engine 4 game engine will be used for generating optical flow patterns and ground truth path. For optical flow determination Horn and Schunck method will be applied. As the result, it will be shown that such method can estimate position of the camera attached to vehicle with certain displacement error respect to ground truth depending on optical flow pattern. For displacement rate RMS error is calculating between estimated and actual position.

  7. Quantifying, characterizing, and controlling information flow in ultracold atomic gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haikka, P.; McEndoo, S.; Maniscalco, S.; De Chiara, G.; Palma, G. M.

    2011-01-01

    We study quantum information flow in a model comprised of a trapped impurity qubit immersed in a Bose-Einstein-condensed reservoir. We demonstrate how information flux between the qubit and the condensate can be manipulated by engineering the ultracold reservoir within experimentally realistic limits. We show that this system undergoes a transition from Markovian to non-Markovian dynamics, which can be controlled by changing key parameters such as the condensate scattering length. In this way, one can realize a quantum simulator of both Markovian and non-Markovian open quantum systems, the latter ones being characterized by a reverse flow of information from the background gas (reservoir) to the impurity (system).

  8. Numerical study for flame deflector design of a space launch vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Hwayoung; Lee, Jungil; Um, Hyungsik; Huh, Hwanil

    2017-04-01

    A flame deflector is a structure that prevents damage to a launch vehicle and a launch pad due to exhaust plumes of a lifting-off launch vehicle. The shape of a flame deflector should be designed to restrain the discharged gas from backdraft inside the deflector and to reflect the impact to the surrounding environment and the engine characteristics of the vehicle. This study presents the five preliminary flame deflector configurations which are designed for the first-stage rocket engine of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-II and surroundings of the Naro space center. The gas discharge patterns of the designed flame deflectors are investigated using the 3D flow field analysis by assuming that the air, in place of the exhaust gas, forms the plume. In addition, a multi-species unreacted flow model is investigated through 2D analysis of the first-stage engine of the KSLV-II. The results indicate that the closest Mach number and temperature distributions to the reacted flow model can be achieved from the 4-species unreacted flow model which employs H2O, CO2, and CO and specific heat-corrected plume.

  9. Locating replenishment stations for electric vehicles: Application to Danish traffic data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wen, Min; Laporte, Gilbert; Madsen, Oli B.G.

    2012-01-01

    for electric vehicles on a traffic network with flow-based demand. The objective is to optimize the network performance, for example to maximize the flow covered by a prefixed number of stations, or to minimize the number of stations needed to cover traffic flows. Two mixed integer linear programming......Environment-friendly electric vehicles have gained substantial attention in governments, industry and universities. The deployment of a network of recharging stations is essential given their limited travel range. This paper considers the problem of locating electronic replenishment stations...

  10. Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Aerothermal Characteristics Of The IXV Hypersonic Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paris, S.; Charbonnier, D.; Tran, D.

    2011-05-01

    The main results of the aerothermodynamic hypersonic characterization of Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), by means of both CFD simulations and wind tunnel measurements, have been reported and analyzed. In the framework of ESA FLPP Program, the VKI (Von Karman Institute) was in charge of an experimental test campaign for the consolidation of the aerothermal database in cold hypersonic regime. The tests campaign has been carried out at VKI Free Piston Longshot wind tunnel at mach 14. The numerical simulations have been performed for VKI wind tunnel conditions by CFSE with the in-house NSMB flow solver (Navier-Stokes Multi-Blocks 3D), the goal being to support the procedure of extrapolation-to-flight of the measurements and the general aerothermal characterization. Laminar, transitional and fully turbulent flows have been computed, with air considered as an ideal gas, for the wind tunnel tests numerical rebuilding. A detailed comparison of all measured and predicted hypersonic relevant phenomena and parameters (surface pressure and heat flux) is reported in the paper, together with a detailed description of configuration, freestream conditions, model attitude effects and flap deflection effect. The detailed analyze of the experimental and numerical data gives information on the nature of the flow on the body and on the flaps for the most critical configuration

  11. Characterization of non equilibrium effects on high quality critical flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Camelo, E.; Lemonnier, H.; Ochterbeck, J.

    1995-01-01

    The appropriate design of various pieces of safety equipment such as relief systems, relies on the accurate description of critical flow phenomena. Most of the systems of industrial interest are willing to be described by one-dimensional area-averaged models and a large fraction of them involves multi-component high gas quality flows. Within these circumstances, the flow is very likely to be of an annular dispersed nature and its description by two-fluid models requires various closure relations. Among the most sensitive closures, there is the interfacial area and the liquid entrained fraction. The critical flowrate depends tremendously on the accurate description of the non equilibrium which results from the correctness of the closure equations. In this study, two-component flows are emphasized and non equilibrium results mainly form the differences in the phase velocities. It is therefore of the utmost importance to have reliable data to characterize non equilibrium phenomena and to assess the validity of the closure models. A comprehensive description of air-water nozzle flows, with emphasis on the effect of the nozzle geometry, has been undertaken and some of the results are presented here which helps understanding the overall flow dynamics. Besides the critical flowrate, the presented material includes pressure profiles, droplet size and velocity, liquid film flowrate and liquid film thickness

  12. Characterization of non equilibrium effects on high quality critical flows

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Camelo, E.; Lemonnier, H.; Ochterbeck, J. [Commissariat a l Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France)] [and others

    1995-09-01

    The appropriate design of various pieces of safety equipment such as relief systems, relies on the accurate description of critical flow phenomena. Most of the systems of industrial interest are willing to be described by one-dimensional area-averaged models and a large fraction of them involves multi-component high gas quality flows. Within these circumstances, the flow is very likely to be of an annular dispersed nature and its description by two-fluid models requires various closure relations. Among the most sensitive closures, there is the interfacial area and the liquid entrained fraction. The critical flowrate depends tremendously on the accurate description of the non equilibrium which results from the correctness of the closure equations. In this study, two-component flows are emphasized and non equilibrium results mainly form the differences in the phase velocities. It is therefore of the utmost importance to have reliable data to characterize non equilibrium phenomena and to assess the validity of the closure models. A comprehensive description of air-water nozzle flows, with emphasis on the effect of the nozzle geometry, has been undertaken and some of the results are presented here which helps understanding the overall flow dynamics. Besides the critical flowrate, the presented material includes pressure profiles, droplet size and velocity, liquid film flowrate and liquid film thickness.

  13. A Study on the Flow Characterization in the Reactor Cavity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Ho Jung; Ko, Kwang Jeok; Kim, Sung Hwan; Kim, Min Gyu; Cho, Yeon Ho; Kim, Hyun Min [KEPCO Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd., Deajeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    In this study, the flow characterization of the cooling air in reactor cavity nearby RCPSA has been analyzed by using a 3 dimensional model and the ANSYS CFX software in order to predict the Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient (CHTC) of the RCPSA. The Reactor Cavity is the annular space by the concrete structure, the Reactor Cavity Pool Seal Assembly (RCPSA), which consists of the welded steel and is designed to be installed between the RV and the refueling pool floor, and the Reactor Vessel (RV). For such reason, the RCPSA should be designed to provide the cooling air passage for ventilation to circulate high temperature air passing by the RV during the reactor operation. It means that the RCPSA is influenced by the convection of cooling air and the thermal expansion of the RV. Therefore, the flow characterization at the reactor cavity is one of the factors of the RCPSA design during the reactor operation. The flow distribution of the cooling air in reactor cavity nearby RCPSA has been analyzed using ANSYS CFX software to obtain the CHTC at surface of the RCPSA. 1) The temperature from the RV and the insulation is one of the critical factors for the thermal gradient of the cooling air and the CHTC in the reactor cavity. 2) The rapid change of the CHTC in inner region nearby inner and outer flexure is related to the geometry shape of the RCPSA and velocity of cooling air.

  14. Vehicle-class Specific Route-guidance of Freeway Traffic by Model-predictive Control

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schreiter, T.; Landman, R.L.; Van Lint, J.W.C.; Hegyi, A.; Hoogendoorn, S.P.

    2012-01-01

    Few Active Traffic Management measures proposed in the past consider the distinction of different vehicle classes. Examples of vehicle-class specific measures are truck lanes and high-occupancy/toll (HOT) lanes. We propose that the distinction of different vehicle classes, with different flow

  15. CFD Based Added Mass Prediction in Cruise Condition of Underwater Vehicle Dynamic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agoes Moelyadi, Mochammad; Bambang Riswandi, Bagus

    2018-04-01

    One of the unsteady flow behavior on the hydrodynamic characteristics of underwater vehicle is the presence of added mass. In cruising conditions, the underwater vehicle may require the addition of speed or experience the disturbance in the form of unsteady flow so that cause the hydrodynamic interaction between the surface of the vehicle with the surrounding fluid. This leads to the rise of local velocity of flow and the great changes of hydrodynamic forces which are very influential on the stability of the underwater vehicle. One of the result is an additional force called added mass. It is very useful parameter to control underwater vehicle dynamic.This paper reports the research on the added mass coefficient of underwater vehicles obtained through the Computational Fluid Dynmaic (CFD) simulation method using CFX software. Added mass coefficient is calculated by performing an unsteady simulation or known as transient simulation. Computational simulations are based on the Reynold Average Navier- Stokes (RANS) equation solution. The simulated vehicle moves forward and backward according to the sinus function, with a frequency of 0.25 Hz, a 2 m amplitude, a cruising depth of 10 m below sea level, and Vcruise 1.54 m / s (Re = 9.000.000). Simulation result data includes velocity contour, variation of force and acceleration to frequency, and added mass coefficient.

  16. Electric Vehicle Preparedness - Implementation Approach for Electric Vehicles at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Task 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schey, Stephen [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Francfort, Jim [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-06-01

    Several U.S. Department of Defense base studies have been conducted to identify potential U.S. Department of Defense transportation systems that are strong candidates for introduction or expansion of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). This study is focused on the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NASWI) located in Washington State. Task 1 consisted of a survey of the non-tactical fleet of vehicles at NASWI to begin the review of vehicle mission assignments and types of vehicles in service. In Task 2, daily operational characteristics of vehicles were identified to select vehicles for further monitoring and attachment of data loggers. Task 3 recorded vehicle movements in order to characterize the vehicles’ missions. The results of the data analysis and observations were provided. Individual observations of the selected vehicles provided the basis for recommendations related to PEV adoption, i.e., whether a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) (collectively PEVs) can fulfill the mission requirements. It also provided the basis for recommendations related to placement of PEV charging infrastructure. This report focuses on an implementation plan for the near-term adoption of PEVs into the NASWI fleet.

  17. Electric Vehicle Preparedness Task 3: Detailed Assessment of Target Electrification Vehicles at Joint Base Lewis McChord Utilization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schey, Stephen [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Francfort, Jim [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2014-08-01

    Task 2 involved identifying daily operational characteristics of select vehicles and initiating data logging of vehicle movements in order to characterize the vehicle’s mission. Individual observations of these selected vehicles provide the basis for recommendations related to PEV adoption and whether a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) (collectively PEVs) can fulfill the mission requirements and provides observations related to placement of PEV charging infrastructure. This report provides the results of the data analysis and observations related to the replacement of current vehicles with PEVs. This fulfills part of the Task 3 requirements. Task 3 also includes an assessment of charging infrastructure required to support this replacement. That is the subject of a separate report.

  18. Distributed Propulsion Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyun Dae

    2010-01-01

    Since the introduction of large jet-powered transport aircraft, the majority of these vehicles have been designed by placing thrust-generating engines either under the wings or on the fuselage to minimize aerodynamic interactions on the vehicle operation. However, advances in computational and experimental tools along with new technologies in materials, structures, and aircraft controls, etc. are enabling a high degree of integration of the airframe and propulsion system in aircraft design. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been investigating a number of revolutionary distributed propulsion vehicle concepts to increase aircraft performance. The concept of distributed propulsion is to fully integrate a propulsion system within an airframe such that the aircraft takes full synergistic benefits of coupling of airframe aerodynamics and the propulsion thrust stream by distributing thrust using many propulsors on the airframe. Some of the concepts are based on the use of distributed jet flaps, distributed small multiple engines, gas-driven multi-fans, mechanically driven multifans, cross-flow fans, and electric fans driven by turboelectric generators. This paper describes some early concepts of the distributed propulsion vehicles and the current turboelectric distributed propulsion (TeDP) vehicle concepts being studied under the NASA s Subsonic Fixed Wing (SFW) Project to drastically reduce aircraft-related fuel burn, emissions, and noise by the year 2030 to 2035.

  19. Heavy-Duty Vehicle Port Drayage Drive Cycle Characterization and Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prohaska, Robert; Konan, Arnaud; Kelly, Kenneth; Lammert, Michael

    2016-10-06

    In an effort to better understand the operational requirements of port drayage vehicles and their potential for adoption of advanced technologies, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers collected over 36,000 miles of in-use duty cycle data from 30 Class 8 drayage trucks operating at the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles in Southern California. These data include 1-Hz global positioning system location and SAE J1939 high-speed controller area network information. Researchers processed the data through NREL's Drive-Cycle Rapid Investigation, Visualization, and Evaluation tool to examine vehicle kinematic and dynamic patterns across the spectrum of operations. Using the k-medoids clustering method, a repeatable and quantitative process for multi-mode drive cycle segmentation, the analysis led to the creation of multiple drive cycles representing four distinct modes of operation that can be used independently or in combination. These drive cycles are statistically representative of real-world operation of port drayage vehicles. When combined with modeling and simulation tools, these representative test cycles allow advanced vehicle or systems developers to efficiently and accurately evaluate vehicle technology performance requirements to reduce cost and development time while ultimately leading to the commercialization of advanced technologies that meet the performance requirements of the port drayage vocation. The drive cycles, which are suitable for chassis dynamometer testing, were compared to several existing test cycles. This paper presents the clustering methodology, accompanying results of the port drayage duty cycle analysis and custom drive cycle creation.

  20. Characterization of interfacial waves in horizontal core-annular flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathi, Sumit; Bhattacharya, Amitabh; Singh, Ramesh; Tabor, Rico F.

    2016-11-01

    In this work, we characterize interfacial waves in horizontal core annular flow (CAF) of fuel-oil and water. Experimental studies on CAF were performed in an acrylic pipe of 15.5mm internal diameter, and the time evolution of the oil-water interface shape was recorded with a high speed camera for a range of different flow-rates of oil (Qo) and water (Qw). The power spectrum of the interface shape shows a range of notable features. First, there is negligible energy in wavenumbers larger than 2 π / a , where a is the thickness of the annulus. Second, for high Qo /Qw , there is no single dominant wavelength, as the flow in the confined annulus does not allow formation of a preferred mode. Third, for lower Qo /Qw , a dominant mode arises at a wavenumber of 2 π / a . We also observe that the power spectrum of the interface shape depends weakly on Qw, and strongly on Qo, perhaps because the net shear rate in the annulus appears to depend weakly on Qw as well. We also attempt to build a general empirical model for CAF by relating the interfacial stress (calculated via the mean pressure gradient) to the flow rate in the annulus, the annular thickness and the core velocity. Authors are thankful to Orica Mining Services (Australia) for the financial support.

  1. Multi-path transportation futures study : vehicle characterization and scenario analyses.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Plotkin, S. E.; Singh, M. K.; Energy Systems; TA Engineering; ORNL

    2009-12-03

    Projecting the future role of advanced drivetrains and fuels in the light vehicle market is inherently difficult, given the uncertainty (and likely volatility) of future oil prices, inadequate understanding of likely consumer response to new technologies, the relative infancy of several important new technologies with inevitable future changes in their performance and costs, and the importance - and uncertainty - of future government marketplace interventions (e.g., new regulatory standards or vehicle purchase incentives). This Multi-Path Transportation Futures (MP) Study has attempted to improve our understanding of this future role by examining several scenarios of vehicle costs, fuel prices, government subsidies, and other key factors. These are projections, not forecasts, in that they try to answer a series of 'what if' questions without assigning probabilities to most of the basic assumptions.

  2. New modeling and experimental approaches for characterization of two-phase flow interfacial structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishii, Mamoru; Sun, Xiaodong

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents new experimental and modeling approaches in characterizing interfacial structures in gas-liquid two-phase flow. For the experiments, two objective approaches are developed to identify flow regimes and to obtain local interfacial structure data. First, a global measurement technique using a non-intrusive ring-type impedance void-meter and a self-organizing neural network is presented to identify the one-dimensional'' flow regimes. In the application of this measurement technique, two methods are discussed, namely, one based on the probability density function of the impedance probe measurement (PDF input method) and the other based on the sorted impedance signals, which is essentially the cumulative probability distribution function of the impedance signals (instantaneous direct signal input method). In the latter method, the identification can be made close to instantaneously since the required signals can be acquired over a very short time period. In addition, a double-sensor conductivity probe can also be used to obtain ''local'' flow regimes by using the instantaneous direct signal input method with the bubble chord length information. Furthermore, a newly designed conductivity probe with multiple double-sensor heads is proposed to obtain ''two-dimensional'' flow regimes across the flow channel. Secondly, a state-of-the-art four-sensor conductivity probe technique has been developed to obtain detailed local interfacial structure information. The four-sensor conductivity probe accommodates the double-sensor probe capability and can be applied in a wide range of flow regimes spanning from bubbly to churn-turbulent flows. The signal processing scheme is developed such that it categorizes the acquired parameters into two groups based on bubble cord length information. Furthermore, for the modeling of the interfacial structure characterization, the interfacial area transport equation proposed earlier has been studied to provide a dynamic and

  3. Aerothermodynamics of blunt body entry vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollis, Brian R.; Borrelli, Salvatore

    2012-01-01

    In this chapter, the aerothermodynamic phenomena of blunt body entry vehicles are discussed. Four topics will be considered that present challenges to current computational modeling techniques for blunt body environments: turbulent flow, non-equilibrium flow, rarefied flow, and radiation transport. Examples of comparisons between computational tools to ground and flight-test data will be presented in order to illustrate the challenges existing in the numerical modeling of each of these phenomena and to provide test cases for evaluation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code predictions.

  4. Product Characterization for Entrained Flow Coal/Biomass Co-Gasification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maghzi, Shawn; Subramanian, Ramanathan; Rizeq, George; Singh, Surinder; McDermott, John; Eiteneer, Boris; Ladd, David; Vazquez, Arturo; Anderson, Denise; Bates, Noel

    2011-09-30

    The U.S. Department of Energy‘s National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE NETL) is exploring affordable technologies and processes to convert domestic coal and biomass resources to high-quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels. This interest is primarily motivated by the need to increase energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Gasification technologies represent clean, flexible and efficient conversion pathways to utilize coal and biomass resources. Substantial experience and knowledge had been developed worldwide on gasification of either coal or biomass. However, reliable data on effects of blending various biomass fuels with coal during gasification process and resulting syngas composition are lacking. In this project, GE Global Research performed a complete characterization of the gas, liquid and solid products that result from the co-gasification of coal/biomass mixtures. This work was performed using a bench-scale gasifier (BSG) and a pilot-scale entrained flow gasifier (EFG). This project focused on comprehensive characterization of the products from gasifying coal/biomass mixtures in a high-temperature, high-pressure entrained flow gasifier. Results from this project provide guidance on appropriate gas clean-up systems and optimization of operating parameters needed to develop and commercialize gasification technologies. GE‘s bench-scale test facility provided the bulk of high-fidelity quantitative data under temperature, heating rate, and residence time conditions closely matching those of commercial oxygen-blown entrained flow gasifiers. Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) pilot-scale test facility provided focused high temperature and pressure tests at entrained flow gasifier conditions. Accurate matching of syngas time-temperature history during cooling ensured that complex species interactions including homogeneous and heterogeneous processes such as particle nucleation, coagulation, surface condensation, and

  5. Product Characterization for Entrained Flow Coal/Biomass Co-Gasification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maghzi, Shawn [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Subramanian, Ramanathan [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Rizeq, George [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Singh, Surinder [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); McDermott, John [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Eiteneer, Boris [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Ladd, David [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Vazquez, Arturo [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Anderson, Denise [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States); Bates, Noel [General Electric Global Research, Niskayuna, NY (United States)

    2011-12-11

    The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE NETL) is exploring affordable technologies and processes to convert domestic coal and biomass resources to high-quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels. This interest is primarily motivated by the need to increase energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Gasification technologies represent clean, flexible and efficient conversion pathways to utilize coal and biomass resources. Substantial experience and knowledge had been developed worldwide on gasification of either coal or biomass. However, reliable data on effects of blending various biomass fuels with coal during gasification process and resulting syngas composition are lacking. In this project, GE Global Research performed a complete characterization of the gas, liquid and solid products that result from the co-gasification of coal/biomass mixtures. This work was performed using a bench-scale gasifier (BSG) and a pilot-scale entrained flow gasifier (EFG). This project focused on comprehensive characterization of the products from gasifying coal/biomass mixtures in a high-temperature, high-pressure entrained flow gasifier. Results from this project provide guidance on appropriate gas clean-up systems and optimization of operating parameters needed to develop and commercialize gasification technologies. GE's bench-scale test facility provided the bulk of high-fidelity quantitative data under temperature, heating rate, and residence time conditions closely matching those of commercial oxygen-blown entrained flow gasifiers. Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) pilot-scale test facility provided focused high temperature and pressure tests at entrained flow gasifier conditions. Accurate matching of syngas time-temperature history during cooling ensured that complex species interactions including homogeneous and heterogeneous processes such as particle nucleation, coagulation, surface condensation

  6. Hypersonic vehicle model and control law development using H(infinity) and micron synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, Irene M.; Chowdhry, Rajiv S.; Mcminn, John D.; Shaughnessy, John D.

    1994-01-01

    The control system design for a Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) air breathing vehicle will be central to a successful mission because a precise ascent trajectory will preserve narrow payload margins. The air breathing propulsion system requires the vehicle to fly roughly halfway around the Earth through atmospheric turbulence. The turbulence, the high sensitivity of the propulsion system to inlet flow conditions, the relatively large uncertainty of the parameters characterizing the vehicle, and continuous acceleration make the problem especially challenging. Adequate stability margins must be provided without sacrificing payload mass since payload margins are critical. Therefore, a multivariable control theory capable of explicitly including both uncertainty and performance is needed. The H(infinity) controller in general provides good robustness but can result in conservative solutions for practical problems involving structured uncertainty. Structured singular value mu framework for analysis and synthesis is potentially much less conservative and hence more appropriate for problems with tight margins. An SSTO control system requires: highly accurate tracking of velocity and altitude commands while limiting angle-of-attack oscillations, minimized control power usage, and a stabilized vehicle when atmospheric turbulence and system uncertainty are present. The controller designs using H(infinity) and mu-synthesis procedures were compared. An integrated flight/propulsion dynamic mathematical model of a conical accelerator vehicle was linearized as the vehicle accelerated through Mach 8. Vehicle acceleration through the selected flight condition gives rise to parametric variation that was modeled as a structured uncertainty. The mu-analysis approach was used in the frequency domain to conduct controller analysis and was confirmed by time history plots. Results demonstrate the inherent advantages of the mu framework for this class of problems.

  7. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis of axisymmetric plume and base flow of film/dump cooled rocket nozzle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tucker, P. K.; Warsi, S. A.

    1993-01-01

    Film/dump cooling a rocket nozzle with fuel rich gas, as in the National Launch System (NLS) Space Transportation Main Engine (STME), adds potential complexities for integrating the engine with the vehicle. The chief concern is that once the film coolant is exhausted from the nozzle, conditions may exist during flight for the fuel-rich film gases to be recirculated to the vehicle base region. The result could be significantly higher base temperatures than would be expected from a regeneratively cooled nozzle. CFD analyses were conduced to augment classical scaling techniques for vehicle base environments. The FDNS code with finite rate chemistry was used to simulate a single, axisymmetric STME plume and the NLS base area. Parallel calculations were made of the Saturn V S-1 C/F1 plume base area flows. The objective was to characterize the plume/freestream shear layer for both vehicles as inputs for scaling the S-C/F1 flight data to NLS/STME conditions. The code was validated on high speed flows with relevant physics. This paper contains the calculations for the NLS/STME plume for the baseline nozzle and a modified nozzle. The modified nozzle was intended to reduce the fuel available for recirculation to the vehicle base region. Plumes for both nozzles were calculated at 10kFT and 50kFT.

  8. Intelligent vehicle based traffic monitoring – exploring application in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Labuschagne, FJJ

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available The paper details the anticipated benefits of an intelligent vehicle based traffic monitoring approach holds. The approach utilises advanced technology with the potential to reduce crashes and includes the monitor of vehicle speeds and flows...

  9. Plug-in electric vehicles integrating fluctuating renewable electricity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dallinger, David

    2013-11-01

    This paper examines a method to model plug-in electric vehicles as part of the power system and presents results for the contribution of plug-in electric vehicles to balance the fluctuating electricity generation of renewable energy sources. The scientific contribution includes: - A novel approach to characterizing fluctuating generation. This allows the detailed comparison of results from energy analysis and is the basis to describe the effect of electricity from renewable energy sources and plug-in electric vehicles on the power system. - The characterization of mobile storage, which includes the description of mobility behavior using probabilities and battery discharging costs. - The introduction of an agent-based simulation approach, coupling energy markets and distributed grids using a price-based mechanism design. - The description of an agent with specific driving behavior, battery discharging costs and optimization algorithm suitable for real plug-in vehicles and simulation models. - A case study for a 2030 scenario describing the contribution of plug-in electric vehicles to balance generation from renewable energy sources in California and Germany.

  10. Underground structure characterization using motor vehicles as passive seismic sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzma, H. A.; Liu, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Rector, J.; Vaidya, S.

    2009-12-01

    The ability to detect and characterize underground voids will be critical to the success of On-Site Inspections (OSI) as mandated by the nuclear Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). OSIs may be conducted in order to successfully locate the Ground Zero of underground tests as well as infrastructure related to testing. Recently, our team has shown the potential of a new technique to detect underground objects using the amplitude of seismic surface waves generated by motor vehicles. In an experiment conducted in June, 2009 we were able to detect an abandoned railroad tunnel by recognizing a clear pattern in the surface waves scattered by the tunnel, using a signal generated by driving a car on a dirt road across the tunnel. Synthetic experiments conducted using physically realistic wave-equation models further suggest that the technique can be readily applied to detecting underground features: it may be possible to image structures of importance to OSI simply by laying out an array of geophones (or using an array already in place for passive listening for event aftershocks) and driving vehicles around the site. We present evidence from a set of field experiments and from synthetic modeling and inversion studies to illustrate adaptations of the technique for OSI. Signature of an abandoned underground railroad tunnel at Donner Summit, CA. To produce this image, a line of geophones was placed along a dirt road perpendicular to the tunnel (black box) and a single car was driven along the road. A normalized mean power-spectrum is displayed on a log scale as a function of meters from the center of the tunnel. The top of the tunnel was 18m below ground surface. The tunnel anomaly is made up of a shadow (light) directly above the tunnel and amplitude build-up (dark) on either side of the tunnel. The size of the anomaly (6 orders of magnitude) suggests that the method can be extended to find deep structures at greater distances from the source and receivers.

  11. Markov transition probability-based network from time series for characterizing experimental two-phase flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Zhong-Ke; Hu Li-Dan; Jin Ning-De

    2013-01-01

    We generate a directed weighted complex network by a method based on Markov transition probability to represent an experimental two-phase flow. We first systematically carry out gas—liquid two-phase flow experiments for measuring the time series of flow signals. Then we construct directed weighted complex networks from various time series in terms of a network generation method based on Markov transition probability. We find that the generated network inherits the main features of the time series in the network structure. In particular, the networks from time series with different dynamics exhibit distinct topological properties. Finally, we construct two-phase flow directed weighted networks from experimental signals and associate the dynamic behavior of gas-liquid two-phase flow with the topological statistics of the generated networks. The results suggest that the topological statistics of two-phase flow networks allow quantitative characterization of the dynamic flow behavior in the transitions among different gas—liquid flow patterns. (general)

  12. Connected variable speed limits control and vehicle acceleration control to resolve moving jams

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, M.; Daamen, W.; Hoogendoorn, S.P.; Van Arem, B.

    2015-01-01

    The vision of intelligent vehicles traveling in road networks has prompted numerous concepts to control future traffic flow, one of which is the in-vehicle actuation of traffic control signals. The key of this concept is using intelligent vehicles as actuators for traffic control systems, replacing

  13. Effect of adaptive cruise control systems on mixed traffic flow near an on-ramp

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, L. C.

    2007-06-01

    Mixed traffic flow consisting of vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and manually driven vehicles is analyzed using car-following simulations. Simulations of merging from an on-ramp onto a freeway reported in the literature have not thus far demonstrated a substantial positive impact of ACC. In this paper cooperative merging for ACC vehicles is proposed to improve throughput and increase distance traveled in a fixed time. In such a system an ACC vehicle senses not only the preceding vehicle in the same lane but also the vehicle immediately in front in the other lane. Prior to reaching the merge region, the ACC vehicle adjusts its velocity to ensure that a safe gap for merging is obtained. If on-ramp demand is moderate, cooperative merging produces significant improvement in throughput (20%) and increases up to 3.6 km in distance traveled in 600 s for 50% ACC mixed flow relative to the flow of all-manual vehicles. For large demand, it is shown that autonomous merging with cooperation in the flow of all ACC vehicles leads to throughput limited only by the downstream capacity, which is determined by speed limit and headway time.

  14. Nonlinear Output Feedback Control of Underwater Vehicle Propellers using Advance Speed Feedback

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fossen, T.I.; Blanke, M.

    1999-01-01

    More accurate propeller shaft speed controllers can be designed by using nonlinear control theory. In this paper, an output feedback controller reconstructing the advance speed (speed of water going into the propeller) from vehicle speed measurements is derived. For this purpose a three-state model...... minimizes thruster losses due to variations in propeller axial inlet flow which is a major problem when applying conventional vehicle-propeller control systems. The proposed controller is simulated for an underwater vehicle equipped with a single propeller. From the simulations it can be concluded...... of propeller shaft speed, forward (surge) speed of the vehicle and axial inlet flow of the propeller is applied. A nonlinear observer in combination with an output feedback integral controller are derived by applying Lyapunov stability theory and exponential stability is proven. The output feedback controller...

  15. CFD analysis for road vehicles - case study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eugen Mihai NEGRUS

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available This is a case study on the influence of the lower part of road vehicles on the global drag characteristics. Reducing overall drag by redesigning the lower part of the road vehicles has a potential of almost 20% in the overall drag breakdown, mainly due to the viscous effects and the fluidic interaction of the flow under the car with the typical bluff body flow pattern behind the vehicle. A special parameterization is proposed for the global shape of the sedan car, with respect to the lower part of the body, taking into account most of the specificities of the system. For such a complex interaction, CFD analysis is probably the only efficient tool in order to assess specific design parameterization of a generic car shape. Building on the credibility of such instruments is one of the major goals of this paper. Also, with respect to a target sedan car configuration, examples of successful design strategies are presented. Based on the CFD results, possible strategies to be used in order to reduce viscous drag and global drag characteristics are proposed.

  16. GASOLINE VEHICLE EXHAUST PARTICLE SAMPLING STUDY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kittelson, D; Watts, W; Johnson, J; Zarling, D Schauer,J Kasper, K; Baltensperger, U; Burtscher, H

    2003-08-24

    The University of Minnesota collaborated with the Paul Scherrer Institute, the University of Wisconsin (UWI) and Ricardo, Inc to physically and chemically characterize the exhaust plume from recruited gasoline spark ignition (SI) vehicles. The project objectives were: (1) Measure representative particle size distributions from a set of on-road SI vehicles and compare these data to similar data collected on a small subset of light-duty gasoline vehicles tested on a chassis dynamometer with a dilution tunnel using the Unified Drive Cycle, at both room temperature (cold start) and 0 C (cold-cold start). (2) Compare data collected from SI vehicles to similar data collected from Diesel engines during the Coordinating Research Council E-43 project. (3) Characterize on-road aerosol during mixed midweek traffic and Sunday midday periods and determine fleet-specific emission rates. (4) Characterize bulk- and size-segregated chemical composition of the particulate matter (PM) emitted in the exhaust from the gasoline vehicles. Particle number concentrations and size distributions are strongly influenced by dilution and sampling conditions. Laboratory methods were evaluated to dilute SI exhaust in a way that would produce size distributions that were similar to those measured during laboratory experiments. Size fractionated samples were collected for chemical analysis using a nano-microorifice uniform deposit impactor (nano-MOUDI). In addition, bulk samples were collected and analyzed. A mixture of low, mid and high mileage vehicles were recruited for testing during the study. Under steady highway cruise conditions a significant particle signature above background was not measured, but during hard accelerations number size distributions for the test fleet were similar to modern heavy-duty Diesel vehicles. Number emissions were much higher at high speed and during cold-cold starts. Fuel specific number emissions range from 1012 to 3 x 1016 particles/kg fuel. A simple

  17. Technical Evaluation Report, Part A - Vortex Flow and High Angle of Attack

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luckring, James M.

    2003-01-01

    A symposium entitled Vortex Flow and High Angle of Attack was held in Loen, Norway, from May 7 through May 11, 2001. The Applied Vehicle Technology (AVT) panel, under the auspices of the Research and Technology Organization (RTO), sponsored this symposium. Forty-eight papers, organized into nine sessions, addressed computational and experimental studies of vortex flows pertinent to both aircraft and maritime applications. The studies also ranged from fundamental fluids investigations to flight test results, and significant results were contributed from a broad range of countries. The principal emphasis of this symposium was on "the understanding and prediction of separation-induced vortex flows and their effects on military vehicle performance, stability, control, and structural design loads." It was further observed by the program committee that "separation- induced vortex flows are an important part of the design and off-design performance of conventional fighter aircraft and new conventional or unconventional manned or unmanned advanced vehicle designs (UAVs, manned aircraft, missiles, space planes, ground-based vehicles, and ships)." The nine sessions addressed the following topics: vortical flows on wings and bodies, experimental techniques for vortical flows, numerical simulations of vortical flows, vortex stability and breakdown, vortex flows in maritime applications, vortex interactions and control, vortex dynamics, flight testing, and vehicle design. The purpose of this paper is to provide brief reviews of these papers along with some synthesizing perspectives toward future vortex flow research opportunities. The paper includes the symposium program. (15 refs.)

  18. Simulation of hybrid vehicle propulsion with an advanced battery model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nallabolu, S.; Kostetzer, L.; Rudnyi, E. [CADFEM GmbH, Grafing (Germany); Geppert, M.; Quinger, D. [LION Smart GmbH, Frieding (Germany)

    2011-07-01

    In the recent years there has been observed an increasing concern about global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to the environmental issues the predicted scarcity of oil supplies and the dramatic increase in oil price puts new demands on vehicle design. As a result energy efficiency and reduced emission have become one of main selling point for automobiles. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) have therefore become an interesting technology for the governments and automotive industries. HEV are more complicated compared to conventional vehicles due to the fact that these vehicles contain more electrical components such as electric machines, power electronics, electronic continuously variable transmissions (CVT), and embedded powertrain controllers. Advanced energy storage devices and energy converters, such as Li-ion batteries, ultracapacitors, and fuel cells are also considered. A detailed vehicle model used for an energy flow analysis and vehicle performance simulation is necessary. Computer simulation is indispensible to facilitate the examination of the vast hybrid electric vehicle design space with the aim to predict the vehicle performance over driving profiles, estimate fuel consumption and the pollution emissions. There are various types of mathematical models and simulators available to perform system simulation of vehicle propulsion. One of the standard methods to model the complete vehicle powertrain is ''backward quasistatic modeling''. In this method vehicle subsystems are defined based on experiential models in the form of look-up tables and efficiency maps. The interaction between adjacent subsystems of the vehicle is defined through the amount of power flow. Modeling the vehicle subsystems like motor, engine, gearbox and battery is under this technique is based on block diagrams. The vehicle model is applied in two case studies to evaluate the vehicle performance and fuel consumption. In the first case study the affect

  19. Axisymmetric, Ventilated Supercavitation in Unsteady, Horizontal Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawakami, Ellison; Lee, Seung-Jae; Arndt, Roger

    2012-11-01

    Drag reduction and/or speed augmentation of marine vehicles by means of supercavitation is a topic of great interest. During the initial launch of a supercavitating vehicle, an artificial supercavity is required until the vehicle can reach conditions at which a natural supercavity can be sustained. Previous studies at Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) focused on the behavior of ventilated supercavities in steady horizontal flows. In open waters, vehicles can encounter unsteady flows, especially when traveling under waves. A study has been carried out at SAFL to investigate the effects of unsteady flow on axisymmetric supercavities. An attempt is made to duplicate sea states seen in open waters. In an effort to track cavity dimensions throughout a wave cycle, an automated cavity tracking script has been developed. Using a high speed camera and the proper software, it is possible to synchronize cavity dimensions with pressure measurements taken inside the cavity. Results regarding supercavity shape, ventilation demand, cavitation parameters and closure methods are presented. It was found that flow unsteadiness caused a decrease in the overall length of the supercavity while having only a minimal effect on the maximum diameter. The supercavity volume varied with cavitation number and a possible relationship between the two is being explored. (Supported by ONR)

  20. Categorization of flow conditions using Integral quantities for characterizing stagnation and recirculation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, M.H.; Hwang, W.T.; Jeong, H.J.; Kim, E.H.

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes a method for categorizing an atmospheric flow condition of a site by using integral quantities for characterizing stagnation and recirculation. Authors have devised a method for categorizing flow conditions using distribution curves which represent the flow condition of the whole of Korea. It was found that the flow conditions for four nuclear power plant sites were good enough from a meteorological aspect. Among the four sites, Kori nuclear power plant site which is located at the south-eastern part of the Korean peninsular shows the best condition. Meteorological condition is the key factor for estimating the environmental effects of a nuclear facility. The devised method can be used for assessing the relative environmental risk of a nuclear facility with only meteorological data. And the devised categorization method can be used for choosing a suitable site for an industrial facility such as a nuclear power plant and a chemical complex. (author)

  1. Mechanism analysis and evaluation methodology of regenerative braking contribution to energy efficiency improvement of electrified vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lv, Chen; Zhang, Junzhi; Li, Yutong; Yuan, Ye

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The energy flow of an electric vehicle with regenerative brake is analyzed. • Methodology for measuring the regen brake contribution is discussed. • Evaluation parameters of regen brake contribution are proposed. • Vehicle tests are carried out on chassis dynamometer. • Test results verify the evaluation method and parameters proposed. - Abstract: This article discusses the mechanism and evaluation methods of contribution brought by regenerative braking to electric vehicle’s energy efficiency improvement. The energy flow of an electric vehicle considering the braking energy regeneration was analyzed. Then, methodologies for measuring the contribution made by regenerative brake to vehicle energy efficiency improvement were introduced. Based on the energy flow analyzed, two different evaluation parameters were proposed. Vehicle tests were carried out on chassis dynamometer under typical driving cycles with three different control strategies. The experimental results the difference between the proposed two evaluation parameters, and demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the evaluation methodologies proposed

  2. Investigation of Roadway Geometric and Traffic Flow Factors for Vehicle Crashes Using Spatiotemporal Interaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gill, G.; Sakrani, T.; Cheng, W.; Zhou, J.

    2017-09-01

    Traffic safety is a major concern in the transportation industry due to immense monetary and emotional burden caused by crashes of various severity levels, especially the injury and fatality ones. To reduce such crashes on all public roads, the safety management processes are commonly implemented which include network screening, problem diagnosis, countermeasure identification, and project prioritization. The selection of countermeasures for potential mitigation of crashes is governed by the influential factors which impact roadway crashes. Crash prediction model is the tool widely adopted by safety practitioners or researchers to link various influential factors to crash occurrences. Many different approaches have been used in the past studies to develop better fitting models which also exhibit prediction accuracy. In this study, a crash prediction model is developed to investigate the vehicular crashes occurring at roadway segments. The spatial and temporal nature of crash data is exploited to form a spatiotemporal model which accounts for the different types of heterogeneities among crash data and geometric or traffic flow variables. This study utilizes the Poisson lognormal model with random effects, which can accommodate the yearly variations in explanatory variables and the spatial correlations among segments. The dependency of different factors linked with roadway geometric, traffic flow, and road surface type on vehicular crashes occurring at segments was established as the width of lanes, posted speed limit, nature of pavement, and AADT were found to be correlated with vehicle crashes.

  3. INVESTIGATION OF ROADWAY GEOMETRIC AND TRAFFIC FLOW FACTORS FOR VEHICLE CRASHES USING SPATIOTEMPORAL INTERACTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Gill

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Traffic safety is a major concern in the transportation industry due to immense monetary and emotional burden caused by crashes of various severity levels, especially the injury and fatality ones. To reduce such crashes on all public roads, the safety management processes are commonly implemented which include network screening, problem diagnosis, countermeasure identification, and project prioritization. The selection of countermeasures for potential mitigation of crashes is governed by the influential factors which impact roadway crashes. Crash prediction model is the tool widely adopted by safety practitioners or researchers to link various influential factors to crash occurrences. Many different approaches have been used in the past studies to develop better fitting models which also exhibit prediction accuracy. In this study, a crash prediction model is developed to investigate the vehicular crashes occurring at roadway segments. The spatial and temporal nature of crash data is exploited to form a spatiotemporal model which accounts for the different types of heterogeneities among crash data and geometric or traffic flow variables. This study utilizes the Poisson lognormal model with random effects, which can accommodate the yearly variations in explanatory variables and the spatial correlations among segments. The dependency of different factors linked with roadway geometric, traffic flow, and road surface type on vehicular crashes occurring at segments was established as the width of lanes, posted speed limit, nature of pavement, and AADT were found to be correlated with vehicle crashes.

  4. Measurement and Characterization of Apoptosis by Flow Cytometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telford, William; Tamul, Karen; Bradford, Jolene

    2016-07-01

    Apoptosis is an important mechanism in cell biology, playing a critical regulatory role in virtually every organ system. It has been particularly well characterized in the immune system, with roles ranging from immature immune cell development and selection to down-regulation of the mature immune response. Apoptosis is also the primary mechanism of action of anti-cancer drugs. Flow cytometry has been the method of choice for analyzing apoptosis in suspension cells for more than 25 years. Numerous assays have been devised to measure both the earliest and latest steps in the apoptotic process, from the earliest signal-transduction events to the late morphological changes in cell shape and granularity, proteolysis, and chromatin condensation. These assays are particularly powerful when combined into multicolor assays determining several apoptotic characteristics simultaneously. The multiparametric nature of flow cytometry makes this technology particularly suited to measuring apoptosis. In this unit, we will describe the four main techniques for analyzing caspase activity in apoptotic cells, combined with annexin V and cell permeability analysis. These relatively simple multiparametric assays are powerful techniques for assessing cell death. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  5. Optimal strategies for the control of autonomous vehicles in data assimilation

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDougall, D.; Moore, R. O.

    2017-08-01

    We propose a method to compute optimal control paths for autonomous vehicles deployed for the purpose of inferring a velocity field. In addition to being advected by the flow, the vehicles are able to effect a fixed relative speed with arbitrary control over direction. It is this direction that is used as the basis for the locally optimal control algorithm presented here, with objective formed from the variance trace of the expected posterior distribution. We present results for linear flows near hyperbolic fixed points.

  6. Uncertainty Propagation in Hypersonic Vehicle Aerothermoelastic Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamorte, Nicolas Etienne

    Hypersonic vehicles face a challenging flight environment. The aerothermoelastic analysis of its components requires numerous simplifying approximations. Identifying and quantifying the effect of uncertainties pushes the limits of the existing deterministic models, and is pursued in this work. An uncertainty quantification framework is used to propagate the effects of identified uncertainties on the stability margins and performance of the different systems considered. First, the aeroelastic stability of a typical section representative of a control surface on a hypersonic vehicle is examined. Variability in the uncoupled natural frequencies of the system is modeled to mimic the effect of aerodynamic heating. Next, the stability of an aerodynamically heated panel representing a component of the skin of a generic hypersonic vehicle is considered. Uncertainty in the location of transition from laminar to turbulent flow and the heat flux prediction is quantified using CFD. In both cases significant reductions of the stability margins are observed. A loosely coupled airframe--integrated scramjet engine is considered next. The elongated body and cowl of the engine flow path are subject to harsh aerothermodynamic loading which causes it to deform. Uncertainty associated with deformation prediction is propagated to the engine performance analysis. The cowl deformation is the main contributor to the sensitivity of the propulsion system performance. Finally, a framework for aerothermoelastic stability boundary calculation for hypersonic vehicles using CFD is developed. The usage of CFD enables one to consider different turbulence conditions, laminar or turbulent, and different models of the air mixture, in particular real gas model which accounts for dissociation of molecules at high temperature. The system is found to be sensitive to turbulence modeling as well as the location of the transition from laminar to turbulent flow. Real gas effects play a minor role in the

  7. Vehicle test report: South Coast technology electric conversion of a Volkswagen Rabbit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, T. W.; Shain, T. W.; Bryant, J. A.

    1981-01-01

    The South Coast Technology Volkswagen Rabbit, was tested at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) dynamometer facility and at JPL's Edwards Test Station (ETS). The tests were performed to characterize certain parameters of the South Coast Rabbit and to provide baseline data that will be used for the comparison of near term batteries that are to be incorporated into the vehicle. The vehicle tests were concentrated on the electrical drive system; i.e., the batteries, controller, and motor. The tests included coastdowns to characterize the road load, maximum effort acceleration, and range evaluation for both cyclic and constant speed conditions. A qualitative evaluation of the vehicle was made by comparing its constant speed range performance with those vehicles described in the document 'state of the Art assessment of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles'. The Rabbit performance was near to the best of the 1977 vehicles.

  8. Characterization of Passive Flow-Actuated Microflaps Inspired by Shark Skin for Separation Control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Jackson; Devey, Sean; Lang, Amy; Hubner, Paul

    2017-11-01

    Thanks to millions of years of natural selection, sharks have evolved into quick apex predators. Previous research has proven shark skin to reduce flow separation, which would result in lower pressure drag. Mako shark skin is made up of microscopic scales on the order of 0.2 mm in size. These scales are hypothesized to be a flow control mechanism, capable of being passively actuated by reversed flow. We believe shark scales are strategically sized to interact with the lower 5 percent of the boundary layer, where reversed flow occurs near the wall. Previous wind tunnel research has shown that it is possible to passively actuate 2D flaps in the lower regions of the boundary layer. This research aims to identify reverse flow conditions that will cause small 3D flaps to actuate. Several sets of microflaps (about 4 mm in length) geometrically similar to shark scales were 3D printed. These microflaps were tested in a low-speed wind tunnel in various reverse flow conditions. Microflaps were observed to be actuated by the reversing flow and flow conditions were characterized using a hot-wire probe. These microflaps have the potential to mimic the mako shark type of flow control in air, passively actuated by reverse flow conditions. This research was supported by Boeing, the US Army, and the National Science Foundation REU program.

  9. Characterization and quantification of preferential flow in fractured rock systems, using resistivity tomography

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    May, F

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available , N Jovanovic2 and A Rozanov1 University of Stellenbosch1 and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)2 Characterization and quantification of preferential flow in fractured rock systems, using resistivity tomography Introduction... of slow and fast flowing pathways. Materials and Methods TABLE 1 DATE, TIME AND WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING RESISTIVITY TOMOGRAPHY SURVEY Survey No. Date Start time End time Precipitation (mm) Description KB001 8/27/2010 12H00 13H40 0.0 Sunny KB002 8...

  10. A chemistry and material perspective on lithium redox flow batteries towards high-density electrical energy storage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yu; Ding, Yu; Li, Yutao; Peng, Lele; Byon, Hye Ryung; Goodenough, John B; Yu, Guihua

    2015-11-21

    Electrical energy storage system such as secondary batteries is the principle power source for portable electronics, electric vehicles and stationary energy storage. As an emerging battery technology, Li-redox flow batteries inherit the advantageous features of modular design of conventional redox flow batteries and high voltage and energy efficiency of Li-ion batteries, showing great promise as efficient electrical energy storage system in transportation, commercial, and residential applications. The chemistry of lithium redox flow batteries with aqueous or non-aqueous electrolyte enables widened electrochemical potential window thus may provide much greater energy density and efficiency than conventional redox flow batteries based on proton chemistry. This Review summarizes the design rationale, fundamentals and characterization of Li-redox flow batteries from a chemistry and material perspective, with particular emphasis on the new chemistries and materials. The latest advances and associated challenges/opportunities are comprehensively discussed.

  11. Heavy-Duty Vehicle Port Drayage Drive Cycle Characterization and Development: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prohaska, Robert; Konan, Arnaud; Kelly, Kenneth; Lammert, Michael

    2016-08-01

    In an effort to better understand the operational requirements of port drayage vehicles and their potential for adoption of advanced technologies, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers collected over 36,000 miles of in-use duty cycle data from 30 Class 8 drayage trucks operating at the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles in Southern California. These data include 1-Hz global positioning system location and SAE J1939 high-speed controller area network information. Researchers processed the data through NREL's Drive-Cycle Rapid Investigation, Visualization, and Evaluation tool to examine vehicle kinematic and dynamic patterns across the spectrum of operations. Using the k-medoids clustering method, a repeatable and quantitative process for multi-mode drive cycle segmentation, the analysis led to the creation of multiple drive cycles representing four distinct modes of operation that can be used independently or in combination. These drive cycles are statistically representative of real-world operation of port drayage vehicles. When combined with modeling and simulation tools, these representative test cycles allow advanced vehicle or systems developers to efficiently and accurately evaluate vehicle technology performance requirements to reduce cost and development time while ultimately leading to the commercialization of advanced technologies that meet the performance requirements of the port drayage vocation. The drive cycles, which are suitable for chassis dynamometer testing, were compared to several existing test cycles. This paper presents the clustering methodology, accompanying results of the port drayage duty cycle analysis and custom drive cycle creation.

  12. Aerodynamic drag reduction of a simplified squareback vehicle using steady blowing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Littlewood, R.P. [LaVisionUK Ltd, Grove, Oxon (United Kingdom); Passmore, M.A. [Loughborough University, Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, Loughborough (United Kingdom)

    2012-08-15

    A large contribution to the aerodynamic drag of a vehicle arises from the failure to fully recover pressure in the wake region, especially on squareback configurations. A degree of base pressure recovery can be achieved through careful shape optimisation, but the freedom of an automotive aerodynamicist to implement significant shape changes is limited by a variety of additional factors such styling, ergonomics and loading capacity. Active flow control technologies present the potential to create flow field modifications without the need for external shape changes and have received much attention in previous years within the aeronautical industry and, more recently, within the automotive industry. In this work the influence of steady blowing applied at a variety of angles on the roof trailing edge of a simplified 1/4 scale squareback style vehicle has been investigated. Hot-wire anemometry, force balance measurements, surface pressure measurements and PIV have been used to investigate the effects of the steady blowing on the vehicle wake structures and the resulting body forces. The energy consumption of the steady jet is calculated and is used to deduce an aerodynamic drag power change. Results show that overall gains can be achieved; however, the large mass flow rate required restricts the applicability of the technique to road vehicles. Means by which the mass flow rate requirements of the jet may be reduced are discussed and suggestions for further work put forward. (orig.)

  13. PASSIVE DETECTION OF VEHICLE LOADING

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garrett, A.

    2012-01-03

    The Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Laboratory (DIRS) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, along with the Savannah River National Laboratory is investigating passive methods to quantify vehicle loading. The research described in this paper investigates multiple vehicle indicators including brake temperature, tire temperature, engine temperature, acceleration and deceleration rates, engine acoustics, suspension response, tire deformation and vibrational response. Our investigation into these variables includes building and implementing a sensing system for data collection as well as multiple full-scale vehicle tests. The sensing system includes; infrared video cameras, triaxial accelerometers, microphones, video cameras and thermocouples. The full scale testing includes both a medium size dump truck and a tractor-trailer truck on closed courses with loads spanning the full range of the vehicle's capacity. Statistical analysis of the collected data is used to determine the effectiveness of each of the indicators for characterizing the weight of a vehicle. The final sensing system will monitor multiple load indicators and combine the results to achieve a more accurate measurement than any of the indicators could provide alone.

  14. Passive detection of vehicle loading

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, Troy R.; Salvaggio, Carl; Faulring, Jason W.; Salvaggio, Philip S.; McKeown, Donald M.; Garrett, Alfred J.; Coleman, David H.; Koffman, Larry D.

    2012-01-01

    The Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Laboratory (DIRS) at the Rochester Institute of Technology, along with the Savannah River National Laboratory is investigating passive methods to quantify vehicle loading. The research described in this paper investigates multiple vehicle indicators including brake temperature, tire temperature, engine temperature, acceleration and deceleration rates, engine acoustics, suspension response, tire deformation and vibrational response. Our investigation into these variables includes building and implementing a sensing system for data collection as well as multiple full-scale vehicle tests. The sensing system includes; infrared video cameras, triaxial accelerometers, microphones, video cameras and thermocouples. The full scale testing includes both a medium size dump truck and a tractor-trailer truck on closed courses with loads spanning the full range of the vehicle's capacity. Statistical analysis of the collected data is used to determine the effectiveness of each of the indicators for characterizing the weight of a vehicle. The final sensing system will monitor multiple load indicators and combine the results to achieve a more accurate measurement than any of the indicators could provide alone.

  15. Connect & Drive - On the use of vehicle-to-vehicle communications to increase Traffic Stability and Efficiency

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijenk, Geert

    2009-01-01

    At moderate to high traffic densities, road traffic exhibits an unstable behavior, resulting in decrease traffic efficiency. One of the phenomena that can be observed at these densities is the propagation of shock waves against the flow of traffic, which seriously reduce the speed of vehicles. The

  16. Hybrid electric vehicles energy management strategies

    CERN Document Server

    Onori, Simona; Rizzoni, Giorgio

    2016-01-01

    This SpringerBrief deals with the control and optimization problem in hybrid electric vehicles. Given that there are two (or more) energy sources (i.e., battery and fuel) in hybrid vehicles, it shows the reader how to implement an energy-management strategy that decides how much of the vehicle’s power is provided by each source instant by instant. Hybrid Electric Vehicles: •introduces methods for modeling energy flow in hybrid electric vehicles; •presents a standard mathematical formulation of the optimal control problem; •discusses different optimization and control strategies for energy management, integrating the most recent research results; and •carries out an overall comparison of the different control strategies presented. Chapter by chapter, a case study is thoroughly developed, providing illustrative numerical examples that show the basic principles applied to real-world situations. In addition to the examples, simulation code is provided via a website, so that readers can work on the actua...

  17. Distance and velocity estimation using optical flow from a monocular camera

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ho, H.W.; de Croon, G.C.H.E.; Chu, Q.

    2017-01-01

    Monocular vision is increasingly used in micro air vehicles for navigation. In particular, optical flow, inspired by flying insects, is used to perceive vehicle movement with respect to the surroundings or sense changes in the environment. However, optical flow does not directly provide us the

  18. String Stability of Heterogeneous Platoons with Non-connected Automated Vehicles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, M.; Li, Honghai; GAO, Jian; Huang, Zichao; li, Bin; van Arem, B.

    2017-01-01

    It is expected that automated vehicles will gradually penetrate on public roads, resulting in mixed traffic in the next decades. This can impact traffic flow operations, especially the roadway capacity and flow stability. It is of paramount
    importance to understand and predict the implications

  19. Membrane wing aerodynamics for micro air vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lian, Yongsheng; Shyy, Wei; Viieru, Dragos; Zhang, Baoning

    2003-10-01

    The aerodynamic performance of a wing deteriorates considerably as the Reynolds number decreases from 10 6 to 10 4. In particular, flow separation can result in substantial change in effective airfoil shape and cause reduced aerodynamic performance. Lately, there has been growing interest in developing suitable techniques for sustained and robust flight of micro air vehicles (MAVs) with a wingspan of 15 cm or smaller, flight speed around 10 m/ s, and a corresponding Reynolds number of 10 4-10 5. This paper reviews the aerodynamics of membrane and corresponding rigid wings under the MAV flight conditions. The membrane wing is observed to yield desirable characteristics in delaying stall as well as adapting to the unsteady flight environment, which is intrinsic to the designated flight speed. Flow structures associated with the low Reynolds number and low aspect ratio wing, such as pressure distribution, separation bubble and tip vortex are reviewed. Structural dynamics in response to the surrounding flow field is presented to highlight the multiple time-scale phenomena. Based on the computational capabilities for treating moving boundary problems, wing shape optimization can be conducted in automated manners. To enhance the lift, the effect of endplates is evaluated. The proper orthogonal decomposition method is also discussed as an economic tool to describe the flow structure around a wing and to facilitate flow and vehicle control.

  20. Modifying intake flow to increase EGR tolerance in an Internal Combustion Engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubio, Daniel; Drabo, Mebougna; Puzinauskas, Paul

    2010-11-01

    The worldwide effort to reduce vehicle emissions and increase fuel efficiencies has continuously intensified as the need to improve air quality and reduce fuel consumption becomes more acute. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is a method that has long been employed to reduce combustion temperatures and therefore reduce thermal NOx formation and accommodate higher compression ratios and more optimum combustion phasing for improved efficiency. Generally the effective EGR level as a percent of trapped charge is limited by its affect on combustion stability. Inducing flow structures such as swirl, squish and tumble in the trapped charge have proven to extend this EGR limit in homogeneous charge spark-ignited engines at part load, but this enhancement has not been significantly studied at full loads in such engines. This research explored modifying the intake flow into an engine to create tumble and evaluate its effect at high loads in such engines. This exploration included characterizing the flow on a steady flow bench and quantifying the results using engine dynamometer tests.

  1. Hypersonic Air Flow with Finite Rate Chemistry

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Boyd, Ian

    1997-01-01

    ... describe the effects of non-equilibrium flow chemistry, shock interaction, and turbulent mixing and combustion on the performance of vehicles and air breathing engines designed to fly in the hypersonic flow...

  2. Cellular automata model for traffic flow with safe driving conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lárraga María Elena; Alvarez-Icaza Luis

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, a recently introduced cellular automata (CA) model is used for a statistical analysis of the inner microscopic structure of synchronized traffic flow. The analysis focuses on the formation and dissolution of clusters or platoons of vehicles, as the mechanism that causes the presence of this synchronized traffic state with a high flow. This platoon formation is one of the most interesting phenomena observed in traffic flows and plays an important role both in manual and automated highway systems (AHS). Simulation results, obtained from a single-lane system under periodic boundary conditions indicate that in the density region where the synchronized state is observed, most vehicles travel together in platoons with approximately the same speed and small spatial distances. The examination of velocity variations and individual vehicle gaps shows that the flow corresponding to the synchronized state is stable, safe and highly correlated. Moreover, results indicate that the observed platoon formation in real traffic is reproduced in simulations by the relation between vehicle headway and velocity that is embedded in the dynamics definition of the CA model. (general)

  3. Accumulation patterns of proper point defects in thermo-regulating coatings based on ZnO for space vehicles under electron irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikhajlov, M.M.; Sharafutdinova, V.V.

    1998-01-01

    The expansion of the band of the induced absorption of zinc oxide powders and thermo-regulating coatings based on ZnO for space vehicles is carried out after the 30 keV electron irradiation. Singularities of the growth of the intensity of individual components as a function of the accelerated electron flow are studied. It is found that power and exponential dependences with one or two components are characteristic for different color centers and different thermo-regulating coatings. The kinetics of the accumulation of free electrons is characterized by the maximum value of the electron flows at which the generation of color centers on pre-radiation defects is realized by the radiolysis of the pigment lattice

  4. Near-roadway monitoring of vehicle emissions as a function of mode of operation for light-duty vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Dongqi; Zhai, Wenjuan; Xiang, Sheng; Hu, Zhice; Wei, Tongchuan; Noll, Kenneth E

    2017-11-01

    Determination of the effect of vehicle emissions on air quality near roadways is important because vehicles are a major source of air pollution. A near-roadway monitoring program was undertaken in Chicago between August 4 and October 30, 2014, to measure ultrafine particles, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, traffic volume and speed, and wind direction and speed. The objective of this study was to develop a method to relate short-term changes in traffic mode of operation to air quality near roadways using data averaged over 5-min intervals to provide a better understanding of the processes controlling air pollution concentrations near roadways. Three different types of data analysis are provided to demonstrate the type of results that can be obtained from a near-roadway sampling program based on 5-min measurements: (1) development of vehicle emission factors (EFs) for ultrafine particles as a function of vehicle mode of operation, (2) comparison of measured and modeled CO 2 concentrations, and (3) application of dispersion models to determine concentrations near roadways. EFs for ultrafine particles are developed that are a function of traffic volume and mode of operation (free flow and congestion) for light-duty vehicles (LDVs) under real-world conditions. Two air quality models-CALINE4 (California Line Source Dispersion Model, version 4) and AERMOD (American Meteorological Society/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model)-are used to predict the ultrafine particulate concentrations near roadways for comparison with measured concentrations. When using CALINE4 to predict air quality levels in the mixing cell, changes in surface roughness and stability class have no effect on the predicted concentrations. However, when using AERMOD to predict air quality in the mixing cell, changes in surface roughness have a significant impact on the predicted concentrations. The paper provides emission factors (EFs) that are a function of traffic volume and mode of

  5. Characterization of Rare Reverse Flow Events in Adverse Pressure Gradient Turbulent Boundary Layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaehler, Christian J.; Bross, Matthew; Fuchs, Thomas

    2017-11-01

    Time-resolved tomographic flow fields measured in the viscous sublayer region of a turbulent boundary layer subjected to an adverse pressure gradient (APG) are examined with the aim to resolve and characterize reverse flow events at Reτ = 5000. The fields were measured using a novel high resolution tomographic particle tracking technique. It is shown that this technique is able to fully resolve mean and time dependent features of the complex three-dimensional flow with high accuracy down to very near-wall distances ( 10 μm). From time resolved Lagrangian particle trajectories, statistical information as well as instantaneous topological features of near-wall flow events are deduced. Similar to the zero pressure gradient case (ZPG), it was found that individual events with reverse flow components still occur relatively rarely under the action of the pressure gradient investigated here. However, reverse flow events comprised of many individual events, are shown to appear in relatively organized groupings in both spanwise and streamise directions. Furthermore, instantaneous measurements of reverse flow events show that these events are associated with the motion of low-momentum streaks in the near-wall region. This work is supported by the Priority Programme SPP 1881 Turbulent Superstructures and the individual project Grant KA1808/8-2 of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

  6. Hydraulic regenerative system for a light vehicle

    OpenAIRE

    Orpella Aceret, Jordi; Guinart Trayter, Xavier

    2009-01-01

    The thesis is based in a constructed light vehicle that must be improved by adding a hydraulic energy recovery system. This vehicle named as TrecoLiTH, participated in the Formula Electric and Hybrid competition (Formula EHI) 2009 in Italy -Rome- and won several awards. This system consists in two hydraulic motors hub mounted which are used to store fluid at high pressure in an accumulator when braking. Through a valve the pressure will flow from the high pressure accumulator to the low press...

  7. Fluid dynamics characterization of riser in a FCC cold flow model using gas radiotracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santos, Valdemir A. dos; Lima, Emerson A.O.

    2013-01-01

    Was carried out the characterization of a diameter small riser of a cold flow model of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB), with aid of a radioactive tracer. Compressed air and catalytic cracking of petroleum flow through solids pneumatic transport regime, made of transparent material (glass, acrylic, PVC, polycarbonate) for study of problems in Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit and development of methods of measurement of fluid dynamic parameters. The CFB model consisted of a mixer component solid-gas (compressed air at 25 deg C and 200 kN/m 2 ; cracking catalyst with an average diameter of 72μm and specific mass of 1,500 kg/m 3 ), comprising a riser pipe glass 0.02m internal diameter and 1.8m height, a gas solid separation vessel by flash effect, with the filter in the gas outlet, and a return column (a glass tube with an internal diameter of 0.0254m) to redirect the catalyst for the riser base. Recorded data allowed studies on residence time distribution of the gaseous phase in the riser, with the identification and characterization of the flow of gas-solid components in the CFB riser of small diameter. A plug flow type with deviations due to back mixing of catalyst close to the walls, associated with the density difference between this component was observed. (author)

  8. Characterization of the paleo-hydrothermal fluids flow in the geothermal province of Limagne. (French Massif Central).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fréville, K.; Sizaret, S.

    2017-12-01

    Exploitation of the geothermal energy is a prime target to future energy supply. Understanding the nature and the flow of geothermal fluids is a key objective for describe the functioning of current hydrothermal systems. Located in the French Massif Central, the Limagne basin is a tertiary hemi-graben characterized by a high thermal gradient with numerous occurrences of CO2-rich thermo-mineral waters. This basin has potential for high-temperature geothermal energy, expressed by numerous natural high temperature water sources, as well as at Royat and Vichy were the surface temperature of the water can reach 33°C and 27°C, respectively. In order to better localize this potential, the geological evolution has to be deciphered. In this aim we study the flow processes of the paleo-fluids and estimate the direction and the velocity of the hydrothermal flow from the studies of the growth bands of comb quartz grain localized in vein. In a second time, the studies fluids inclusions within the quartz grain are used to characterize the nature of the fluids involved. Preliminary results show that the flow is discontinuous over the time with changes in velocities and directions during the growth of a single quartz grain. Two main flows were identified, i) a relatively fast upward flow at 10-6,-5 m.s-1; ii) a downward flow at about 10-5,-4 m.s-1. The results allow: (i) to discuss the processes controlling the fluids flow in the Limagne basin; and (ii) to suggest to delimitate the areas with high geothermal potential which integrate the flow variation in time.

  9. An integrated methodology for characterizing flow and transport processes in fractured rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Yu-Shu

    2007-01-01

    To investigate the coupled processes involved in fluid and heat flow and chemical transport in the highly heterogeneous, unsaturated-zone (UZ) fractured rock of Yucca Mountain, we present an integrated modeling methodology. This approach integrates a wide variety of moisture, pneumatic, thermal, and geochemical isotopic field data into a comprehensive three-dimensional numerical model for modeling analyses. The results of field applications of the methodology show that moisture data, such as water potential and liquid saturation, are not sufficient to determine in situ percolation flux, whereas temperature and geochemical isotopic data provide better constraints to net infiltration rates and flow patterns. In addition, pneumatic data are found to be extremely valuable in estimating large-scale fracture permeability. The integration of hydrologic, pneumatic, temperature, and geochemical data into modeling analyses is thereby demonstrated to provide a practical modeling approach for characterizing flow and transport processes in complex fractured formations

  10. Cellular automata model for urban road traffic flow considering pedestrian crossing street

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Han-Tao; Yang, Shuo; Chen, Xiao-Xu

    2016-11-01

    In order to analyze the effect of pedestrians' crossing street on vehicle flows, we investigated traffic characteristics of vehicles and pedestrians. Based on that, rules of lane changing, acceleration, deceleration, randomization and update are modified. Then we established two urban two-lane cellular automata models of traffic flow, one of which is about sections with non-signalized crosswalk and the other is on uncontrolled sections with pedestrians crossing street at random. MATLAB is used for numerical simulation of the different traffic conditions; meanwhile space-time diagram and relational graphs of traffic flow parameters are generated and then comparatively analyzed. Simulation results indicate that when vehicle density is lower than around 25 vehs/(km lane), pedestrians have modest impact on traffic flow, whereas when vehicle density is higher than about 60 vehs/(km lane), traffic speed and volume will decrease significantly especially on sections with non-signal-controlled crosswalk. The results illustrate that the proposed models reconstruct the traffic flow's characteristic with the situation where there are pedestrians crossing and can provide some practical reference for urban traffic management.

  11. Vehicle efficiency and agriculture transport in Ghana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delaquis, M.R.

    1993-01-01

    The vehicle operating cost (VOC) associated with the transportation of agricultural commodities in Ghana is studied, using the Kumasi and Ashanti region as a case study. The present state of the agriculture sector is described in terms of three interactive systems: the transport system, the agriculture system, and the flow pattern of vehicles and commodities. A survey is used as an information base to construct a total operating cost (TOC) model based on average actual operating conditions. The TOC model is expanded to include costs under three theoretical operating conditions: enforced loading, maximum vehicle utilization, and increased fuel efficiency. Three options identified as potentially beneficial to the transport industry and the Ghanian economy are presented and evaluated: using larger vehicles, maximizing vehicle utilization, and increasing fuel economy. The effects of implementation on the parties involved (producers, transport owners and operators, transport organizations and government) are taken into account. It is recommended that the Ghanian government institute the following programs and policies: enforce registered loading allowance; encourage higher vehicle utilization by controlling the number of vehicles registered and ensuring adequate service; and encourage use of larger vehicles. The benefits of using foreign aid to effect fleet and operational changes rather than focusing on capital-intensive infrastructure improvements to improve transport efficiency are recommended. 30 refs., 28 figs., 23 tabs

  12. Characterization of buoyant fluorescent particles for field observations of water flows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tauro, Flavia; Aureli, Matteo; Porfiri, Maurizio; Grimaldi, Salvatore

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, the feasibility of off-the-shelf buoyant fluorescent microspheres as particle tracers in turbid water flows is investigated. Microspheres' fluorescence intensity is experimentally measured and detected in placid aqueous suspensions of increasing concentrations of clay to simulate typical conditions occurring in natural drainage networks. Experiments are conducted in a broad range of clay concentrations and particle immersion depths by using photoconductive cells and image-based sensing technologies. Results obtained with both methodologies exhibit comparable trends and show that the considered particles are fairly detectable in critically turbid water flows. Further information on performance and integration of the studied microspheres in low-cost measurement instrumentation for field observations is obtained through experiments conducted in a custom built miniature water channel. This experimental characterization provides a first assessment of the feasibility of commercially available buoyant fluorescent beads in the analysis of high turbidity surface water flows. The proposed technology may serve as a minimally invasive sensing system for hazardous events, such as pollutant diffusion in natural streams and flash flooding due to extreme rainfall.

  13. Characterization of Buoyant Fluorescent Particles for Field Observations of Water Flows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flavia Tauro

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the feasibility of off-the-shelf buoyant fluorescent microspheres as particle tracers in turbid water flows is investigated. Microspheres’ fluorescence intensity is experimentally measured and detected in placid aqueous suspensions of increasing concentrations of clay to simulate typical conditions occurring in natural drainage networks. Experiments are conducted in a broad range of clay concentrations and particle immersion depths by using photoconductive cells and image-based sensing technologies. Results obtained with both methodologies exhibit comparable trends and show that the considered particles are fairly detectable in critically turbid water flows. Further information on performance and integration of the studied microspheres in low-cost measurement instrumentation for field observations is obtained through experiments conducted in a custom built miniature water channel. This experimental characterization provides a first assessment of the feasibility of commercially available buoyant fluorescent beads in the analysis of high turbidity surface water flows. The proposed technology may serve as a minimally invasive sensing system for hazardous events, such as pollutant diffusion in natural streams and flash flooding due to extreme rainfall.

  14. Dynamic Characterization of a Low Cost Microwave Water-Cut Sensor in a Flow Loop

    KAUST Repository

    Karimi, Muhammad Akram

    2017-03-31

    Inline precise measurement of water fraction in oil (i.e. water-cut [WC]) finds numerous applications in oil and gas industry. This paper presents the characterization of an extremely low cost, completely non-intrusive and full range microwave water-cut sensor based upon pipe conformable microwave T-resonator. A 10″ microwave stub based T-resonator has been implemented directly on the pipe surface whose resonance frequency changes in the frequency band of 90MHz–190MHz (111%) with changing water fraction in oil. The designed sensor is capable of detecting even small changes in WC with a resolution of 0.07% at low WC and 0.5% WC at high WC. The performance of the microwave WC sensor has been tested in an in-house flow loop. The proposed WC sensor has been characterized over full water-cut range (0%–100%) not only in vertical but also in horizontal orientation. The sensor has shown predictable response in both orientations with huge frequency shift. Moreover, flow rate effect has also been investigated on the proposed WC sensor’s performance and it has been found that the sensor’s repeatability is within 2.5% WC for variable flow rates.

  15. Prediction of flow and drawdown for the site characterization and validation site in the Stripa Mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long, J.C.S.; Mauldon, A.D.; Nelson, K.; Martel, S.; Fuller, P.; and Karasaki, K.

    1992-01-01

    Geophysical and hydrologic data from a location in the Stripa Mine in Sweden, called the Site Characterization and Validation (SCV) block, has been used to create a series of models for flow through the fracture network. The models can be characterized as ''equivalent discontinuum'' models. Equivalent discontinuum models are derived starting from a specified lattice or 6 ''template''. An inverse analysis called ''Simulated Annealing'' is used to make a random search through the elements of the lattice to find a configuration that can reproduce the measured responses. Evidence at Stripa points to hydrology which is dominated by fracture zones. These have been identified and located through extensive characterization efforts. Lattice templates were arranged to lie on the fracture zones identified by Black and Olsson. The fundamental goal of this project was to build a fracture flow model based an initial data set, and use this model to make predictions of the flow behavior during a new test. Then given data from the new test, predict a second test, etc. The first data set was an interference test called C1-2. Both a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional model were annealed to the C1-2 data and use this model to predict the behavior of the Simulated Drift Experiment (SDE). The SDE measured the flow into, and drawdown due to reducing the pressure in a group of 6 parallel boreholes. Then both the C1-2 and SDE data were used to predict the flow into and drawdown due to an excavation, the Validation Drift (VD), made through the boreholes. Finally, all the data was used to predict the hydrologic response to opening another hole, T1

  16. Characterizing Ion Flows Across a Dipolarization Front

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnold, H.; Drake, J. F.; Swisdak, M.

    2017-12-01

    In light of the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) moving to study predominately symmetric magnetic reconnection in the Earth's magnetotail, it is of interest to investigate various methods for determining the relative location of the satellites with respect to the x line or a dipolarization front. We use a 2.5 dimensional PIC simulation to explore the dependence of various characteristics of a front, or flux bundle, on the width of the front in the dawn-dusk direction. In particular, we characterize the ion flow in the x-GSM direction across the front. We find a linear relationship between the width of a front, w, and the maximum velocity of the ion flow in the x-GSM direction, Vxi, for small widths: Vxi/VA=w/di*1/2*(mVA2)/Ti*Bz/Bxwhere m, VA, di, Ti, Bz, and Bx are the ion mass, upstream Alfven speed, ion inertial length, ion temperature, and magnetic fields in the z-GSM and x-GSM directions respectively. However, once the width reaches around 5 di, the relationship gradually approaches the well-known theoretical limit for ion flows, the upstream Alfven speed. Furthermore, we note that there is a reversal in the Hall magnetic field near the current sheet on the positive y-GSM side of the front. This reversal is most likely due to conservation of momentum in the y-GSM direction as the ions accelerate towards the x-GSM direction. This indicates that while the ions are primarily energized in the x-GSM direction by the front, they transfer energy to the electromagnetic fields in the y-GSM direction. The former energy transfer is greater than the latter, but the reversal of the Hall magnetic field drags the frozen-in electrons along with it outside of the front. These simulations should better able researchers to determine the relative location of a satellite crossing a dipolarization front.

  17. Nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of the stationary dynamics of partially saturated media during steady-state infiltration flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rassi, Erik M.; Codd, Sarah L.; Seymour, Joseph D.

    2011-01-01

    Flow in porous media and the resultant hydrodynamics are important in fields including but not limited to the hydrology, chemical, medical and petroleum industries. The observation and understanding of the hydrodynamics in porous media are critical to the design and optimal utilization of porous media, such as those seen in trickle-bed reactors, medical filters, subsurface flows and carbon sequestration. Magnetic resonance (MR) provides for a non-invasive technique that can probe the hydrodynamics on pore and bulk scale lengths; many previous works have characterized fully saturated porous media, while rapid MR imaging (MRI) methods in particular have previously been applied to partially saturated flows. We present time- and ensemble-averaged MR measurements to observe the effects on a bead pack partially saturated with air under flowing water conditions. The 10 mm internal diameter bead pack was filled with 100 μm borosilicate glass beads. Air was injected into the bead pack as water flowed simultaneously through the sample at 25 ml h-1. The initial partially saturated state was characterized with MRI density maps, free induction decay (FID) experiments, propagators and velocity maps before the water flow rate was increased incrementally from 25 to 500 ml h-1. After the maximum flow rate of 500 ml h-1, the MRI density maps, FID experiments, propagators and velocity maps were repeated and compared to the data taken before the maximum flow rate. This work shows that a partially saturated single-phase flow has global flow dynamics that return to characteristic flow statistics once a steady-state high flow rate has been reached. This high flow rate pushed out a significant amount of the air in the bead pack and caused the return of a preferential flow pattern. Velocity maps indicated that local flow statistics were not the same for the before and after blow out conditions. It has been suggested and shown previously that a flow pattern can return to

  18. Nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of the stationary dynamics of partially saturated media during steady-state infiltration flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rassi, Erik M; Codd, Sarah L; Seymour, Joseph D

    2011-01-01

    Flow in porous media and the resultant hydrodynamics are important in fields including but not limited to the hydrology, chemical, medical and petroleum industries. The observation and understanding of the hydrodynamics in porous media are critical to the design and optimal utilization of porous media, such as those seen in trickle-bed reactors, medical filters, subsurface flows and carbon sequestration. Magnetic resonance (MR) provides for a non-invasive technique that can probe the hydrodynamics on pore and bulk scale lengths; many previous works have characterized fully saturated porous media, while rapid MR imaging (MRI) methods in particular have previously been applied to partially saturated flows. We present time- and ensemble-averaged MR measurements to observe the effects on a bead pack partially saturated with air under flowing water conditions. The 10 mm internal diameter bead pack was filled with 100 μm borosilicate glass beads. Air was injected into the bead pack as water flowed simultaneously through the sample at 25 ml h -1 . The initial partially saturated state was characterized with MRI density maps, free induction decay (FID) experiments, propagators and velocity maps before the water flow rate was increased incrementally from 25 to 500 ml h -1 . After the maximum flow rate of 500 ml h -1 , the MRI density maps, FID experiments, propagators and velocity maps were repeated and compared to the data taken before the maximum flow rate. This work shows that a partially saturated single-phase flow has global flow dynamics that return to characteristic flow statistics once a steady-state high flow rate has been reached. This high flow rate pushed out a significant amount of the air in the bead pack and caused the return of a preferential flow pattern. Velocity maps indicated that local flow statistics were not the same for the before and after blow out conditions. It has been suggested and shown previously that a flow pattern can return to similar

  19. Characterization of local fluid flow in 3D porous construct characterized by Fourier domain Doppler optical coherence tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bagnaninchi, P. O.; Yang, Y.; El Haj, A.; Hinds, M. T.; Wang, R. K.

    2007-02-01

    In order to achieve functional tissue with the correct biomechanical properties it is critical to stimulate mechanically the cells. Perfusion bioreactor induces fluid shear stress that has been well characterized for two-dimensional culture where both simulation and experimental data are available. However these results can't be directly translated to tissue engineering that makes use of complex three-dimensional porous scaffold. Moreover, stimulated cells produce extensive extra-cellular matrix (ECM) that alter dramatically the micro-architecture of the constructs, changing the local flow dynamic. In this study a Fourier domain Doppler optical coherent tomography (FD-DOCT) system working at 1300nm with a bandwidth of 50nm has been used to determine the local flow rate inside different types of porous scaffolds used in tissue engineering. Local flow rates can then be linearly related, for Newtonian fluid, to the fluid shear stress occurring on the pores wall. Porous chitosan scaffolds (\\fgr 1.5mm x 3mm) with and without a central 250 μm microchannel have been produced by a freeze-drying technique. This techniques allow us to determine the actual shear stress applied to the cells and to optimise the input flow rate consequently, but also to relate the change of the flow distribution to the amount of ECM production allowing the monitoring of tissue formation.

  20. Structural Weight Estimation for Launch Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerro, Jeff; Martinovic, Zoran; Su, Philip; Eldred, Lloyd

    2002-01-01

    This paper describes some of the work in progress to develop automated structural weight estimation procedures within the Vehicle Analysis Branch (VAB) of the NASA Langley Research Center. One task of the VAB is to perform system studies at the conceptual and early preliminary design stages on launch vehicles and in-space transportation systems. Some examples of these studies for Earth to Orbit (ETO) systems are the Future Space Transportation System [1], Orbit On Demand Vehicle [2], Venture Star [3], and the Personnel Rescue Vehicle[4]. Structural weight calculation for launch vehicle studies can exist on several levels of fidelity. Typically historically based weight equations are used in a vehicle sizing program. Many of the studies in the vehicle analysis branch have been enhanced in terms of structural weight fraction prediction by utilizing some level of off-line structural analysis to incorporate material property, load intensity, and configuration effects which may not be captured by the historical weight equations. Modification of Mass Estimating Relationships (MER's) to assess design and technology impacts on vehicle performance are necessary to prioritize design and technology development decisions. Modern CAD/CAE software, ever increasing computational power and platform independent computer programming languages such as JAVA provide new means to create greater depth of analysis tools which can be included into the conceptual design phase of launch vehicle development. Commercial framework computing environments provide easy to program techniques which coordinate and implement the flow of data in a distributed heterogeneous computing environment. It is the intent of this paper to present a process in development at NASA LaRC for enhanced structural weight estimation using this state of the art computational power.

  1. Aerothermodynamics of Blunt Body Entry Vehicles. Chapter 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollis, Brian R.; Borrelli, Salvatore

    2011-01-01

    In this chapter, the aerothermodynamic phenomena of blunt body entry vehicles are discussed. Four topics will be considered that present challenges to current computational modeling techniques for blunt body environments: turbulent flow, non-equilibrium flow, rarefied flow, and radiation transport. Examples of comparisons between computational tools to ground and flight-test data will be presented in order to illustrate the challenges existing in the numerical modeling of each of these phenomena and to provide test cases for evaluation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code predictions.

  2. Computed tomography for the quantitative characterization of flow through a porous medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Auzerais, F.M.; Dussan, E.B.; Reischer, A.J.

    1991-01-01

    X-ray computer tomography (CT) has become an increasingly popular research tool in petroleum engineering for characterizing porous media. Its highly detailed images have been used to construct maps of porosity, saturation and atomic composition, and to visualize the displacement of fluids. However, extracting data necessary to characterize flow through porous media is both time consuming and dependent on the availability of extensive computational resources - - a consequence of the large size of the image files. The authors of this paper applied to known technique, based upon the ability to recognize regions with similar features, which avoids these difficulties. It allows the authors to substitute for the image, the pixel location of the boundaries of the recognized regions, reducing considerably the computer storage requirements. The authors this technique to study the dynamics of two miscible liquids of different densities flowing through a porous medium where buoyancy plays an important role. The authors' specific concern is the movement of mud filtrate as it penetrates a permeable formation in the vicinity of a recently drilled wellbore. The authors quantify the manner in which impermeable horizontal barriers influence the movement of the filtrate

  3. Characterization of two-phase flow regimes in horizontal tubes using 81mKr tracer experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oriol, Jean; Leclerc, Jean Pierre; Berne, Philippe; Gousseau, Georges; Jallut, Christian; Tochon, Patrice; Clement, Patrice

    2008-10-01

    The diagnosis of heat exchangers on duty with respect to flow mal-distributions needs the development of non-intrusive inlet-outlet experimental techniques in order to perform an online fault diagnosis. Tracer experiments are an example of such techniques. They can be applied to mono-phase heat exchangers but also to multi-phase ones. In this case, the tracer experiments are more difficult to perform. In order to check for the capabilities of tracer experiments to be used for the flow mal-distribution diagnosis in the case of multi-phase heat exchangers, we present here a preliminary study on the simplest possible system: two-phase flows in a horizontal tube. (81m)Kr is used as gas tracer and properly collimated NaI (TI) crystal scintillators as detectors. The specific shape of the tracer response allows two-phase flow regimes to be characterized. Signal analysis allows the estimation of the gas phase real average velocity and consequently of the liquid phase real average velocity as well as of the volumetric void fraction. These results are compared successfully to those obtained with liquid phase tracer experiments previously presented by Oriol et al. 2007. Characterization of the two-phase flow regimes and liquid dispersion in horizontal and vertical tubes using coloured tracer and no intrusive optical detector. Chem. Eng. Sci. 63(1), 24-34, as well as to those given by correlations from literature.

  4. Characterization of two-phase flow regimes in horizontal tubes using 81mKr tracer experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oriol, Jean; Leclerc, Jean Pierre; Berne, Philippe; Gousseau, Georges; Jallut, Christian; Tochon, Patrice; Clement, Patrice

    2008-01-01

    The diagnosis of heat exchangers on duty with respect to flow mal-distributions needs the development of non-intrusive inlet-outlet experimental techniques in order to perform an online fault diagnosis. Tracer experiments are an example of such techniques. They can be applied to mono-phase heat exchangers but also to multi-phase ones. In this case, the tracer experiments are more difficult to perform. In order to check for the capabilities of tracer experiments to be used for the flow mal-distribution diagnosis in the case of multi-phase heat exchangers, we present here a preliminary study on the simplest possible system: two-phase flows in a horizontal tube. 81m Kr is used as gas tracer and properly collimated NaI (TI) crystal scintillators as detectors. The specific shape of the tracer response allows two-phase flow regimes to be characterized. Signal analysis allows the estimation of the gas phase real average velocity and consequently of the liquid phase real average velocity as well as of the volumetric void fraction. These results are compared successfully to those obtained with liquid phase tracer experiments previously presented by Oriol et al. 2007. Characterization of the two-phase flow regimes and liquid dispersion in horizontal and vertical tubes using coloured tracer and no intrusive optical detector. Chem. Eng. Sci. 63(1), 24-34, as well as to those given by correlations from literature

  5. Protected Turning Movements of Noncooperative Automated Vehicles: Geometrics, Trajectories, and Saturation Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaobo Liu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This study is the first to quantify throughput (saturation flow of noncooperative automated vehicles when performing turning maneuvers, which are critical bottlenecks in arterial road networks. We first develop a constrained optimization problem based on AVs’ kinematic behavior during a protected signal phase which considers both ABS-enabled and wheels-locked braking, as well as avoiding encroaching into oncoming traffic or past the edge-of-receiving-lane. We analyze noncooperative (“defensive” behavior, in keeping with the Assured Clear Distance Ahead legal standard to which human drivers are held and AVs will likely also be for the foreseeable future. We demonstrate that, under plausible behavioral parameters, AVs appear likely to have positive impacts on throughput of turning traffic streams at intersections, in the range of +0.2% (under the most conservative circumstances to +43% for a typical turning maneuver. We demonstrate that the primary mechanism of impact of turning radius is its effect on speed, which is likely to be constrained by passenger comfort. We show heterogeneous per-lane throughput in the case of “double turn lanes.” Finally, we demonstrate limited sensitivity to crash-risk criterion, with a 4% difference arising from a change from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000,000. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of policy implications and future research needs.

  6. The influence of aerodynamic forces on the vehicle bodywork of railway traction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sorin ARSENE

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The increase of the driving speed in railway system requires a comprehensive analysis on the vehicle aerodynamics, on the manner in which the performance is affected or related to the additional loads on various components. The aerodynamic forces have a greater impact in the case of medium and high values of the relative velocity of the air flow near the vehicle. This paper aims to analyze the loads caused by the aerodynamic forces on the bodywork of the electric locomotive, of 5100 kW LE 060 EA type. In this respect, the bodywork and the chassis of locomotive were modelled in a 3D format; then a series of air flow simulations were performed for different values of the vehicle velocity ranging between 0 km/h and 200 km/h.

  7. Online energy management for hybrid electric vehicles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kessels, J.T.B.A.; Koot, M.W.T.; Bosch, P.P.J. van den; Kok, D.B.

    2008-01-01

    Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are equipped with multiple power sources for improving the efficiency and performance of their power supply system. An energy management (EM) strategy is needed to optimize the internal power flows and satisfy the driver's power demand. To achieve maximum fuel profits

  8. Marine vehicle path following using inner-outer loop control.

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Maurya, P.K.; Agular, A.P.; Pascoal, A.M.

    constraints are imposed on the motion of the vehicle. This is in striking contrast with trajectory tracking, where the reference for the vehicle motion is given explicitly in terms of ”space versus time” coordinates. This strategy is seldom pursued in practice... that its output variables can be tracked infinitely fast by the inner dynamic loop. In practice, this does not hold true. Furthermore, many vehicle suppliers equip their platforms with inner dynamic control loops for which only a general characterization...

  9. Traffic Control Models Based on Cellular Automata for At-Grade Intersections in Autonomous Vehicle Environment

    OpenAIRE

    Wei Wu; Yang Liu; Yue Xu; Quanlun Wei; Yi Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Autonomous vehicle is able to facilitate road safety and traffic efficiency and has become a promising trend of future development. With a focus on highways, existing literatures studied the feasibility of autonomous vehicle in continuous traffic flows and the controllability of cooperative driving. However, rare efforts have been made to investigate the traffic control strategies in autonomous vehicle environment on urban roads, especially in urban intersections. In autonomous vehicle enviro...

  10. Intelligent behaviors through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Richard D.; Sturgeon, Purser; Brown, Mike

    2012-06-01

    The last decade has seen a significant increase in intelligent safety devices on private automobiles. These devices have both increased and augmented the situational awareness of the driver and in some cases provided automated vehicle responses. To date almost all intelligent safety devices have relied on data directly perceived by the vehicle. This constraint has a direct impact on the types of solutions available to the vehicle. In an effort to improve the safety options available to a vehicle, numerous research laboratories and government agencies are investing time and resources into connecting vehicles to each other and to infrastructure-based devices. This work details several efforts in both the commercial vehicle and the private auto industries to increase vehicle safety and driver situational awareness through vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. It will specifically discuss intelligent behaviors being designed to automatically disable non-compliant vehicles, warn tractor trailer vehicles of unsafe lane maneuvers such as lane changes, passing, and merging, and alert drivers to non-line-of-sight emergencies.

  11. Computational Flow Modeling of a Simplified Integrated Tractor-Trailer Geometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salari, K.; McWherter-Payne, M.

    2003-01-01

    For several years, Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have been part of a consortium funded by the Department of Energy to improve fuel efficiency of heavy vehicles such as Class 8 trucks through aerodynamic drag reduction. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of using the steady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach to predict the flow field around heavy vehicles, with special emphasis on the base region of the trailer, and to compute the aerodynamic forces. In particular, Sandia's computational fluid dynamics code, SACCARA, was used to simulate the flow on a simplified model of a tractor-trailer vehicle. The results are presented and compared with NASA Ames experimental data to assess the predictive capability of RANS to model the flow field and predict the aerodynamic forces

  12. Electric Vehicle Preparedness: Task 1, Assessment of Fleet Inventory for Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schey, Stephen [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Francfort, Jim [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Several U.S. Department of Defense-based studies were conducted to identify potential U.S. Department of Defense transportation systems that are strong candidates for introduction or expansion of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). Task 1 included a survey of the inventory of non-tactical fleet vehicles at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (MCBCL) to characterize the fleet. This information and characterization will be used to select vehicles for monitoring that takes place during Task 2. This monitoring involves data logging of vehicle operation in order to identify the vehicle’s mission and travel requirements. Individual observations of these selected vehicles provide the basis for recommendations related to PEV adoption. It also identifies whether a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (collectively referred to as PEVs) can fulfill the mission requirements and provides observations related to placement of PEV charging infrastructure.

  13. Vehicle Detection and Classification Using Passive Infrared Sensing

    KAUST Repository

    Odat, Enas M.; Mousa, Mustafa; Claudel, Christian

    2015-01-01

    or multiple remote temperature sensors. We show an implementation of this device, and illustrate its performance in both traffic flow sensing. Field data shows that the sensor can detect vehicles with a 99% accuracy, in addition to estimating their speed

  14. Experimental evaluation of a co-operative driving setup based on inter-vehicle communication.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hallouzi, R.; Verdult, V.; Hellendoorn, H.; Ploeg, J.

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents the design and evaluation of a co-operative longitudinal controller for a cluster of vehicles with inter-vehicle communication (IVC). By applying IVC a smooth traffic flow can be realized. The proposed controller can actively control the throttle, the brake and the gears of the

  15. Characterization of flow in a scroll duct

    Science.gov (United States)

    Begg, E. K.; Bennett, J. C.

    1985-01-01

    A quantitative, flow visualization study was made of a partially elliptic cross section, inward curving duct (scroll duct), with an axial outflow through a vaneless annular cutlet. The working fluid was water, with a Re(d) of 40,000 at the inlet to the scroll duct, this Reynolds number being representative of the conditions in an actual gas turbine scroll. Both still and high speed moving pictures of fluorescein dye injected into the flow and illuminated by an argon ion laser were used to document the flow. Strong secondary flow, similar to the secondary flow in a pipe bend, was found in the bottom half of the scroll within the first 180 degs of turning. The pressure field set up by the turning duct was strong enough to affect the inlet flow condition. At 90 degs downstream, the large scale secondary flow was found to be oscillatory in nature. The exit flow was nonuniform in the annular exit. By 270 degs downstream, the flow appeared unorganized with no distinctive secondary flow pattern. Large scale structures from the upstream core region appeared by 90 degs and continued through the duct to reenter at the inlet section.

  16. Characterization of vanadium flow battery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bindner, H.; Ekman, C.; Gehrke, O.; Isleifsson, F.

    2010-10-15

    This report summarizes the work done at Risoe DTU testing a vanadium flow battery as part of the project 'Characterisation of Vanadium Batteries' (ForskEl project 6555) with the partners PA Energy A/S and OI Electric A/S under the Danish PSO energy research program. A 15kW/120kWh vanadium battery has been installed as part of the distributed energy systems experimental facility, SYSLAB, at Risoe DTU. A test programme has been carried out to get hands-on experience with the technology, to characterize the battery from a power system point of view and to assess it with respect to integration of wind energy in the Danish power system. The battery has been in operation for 18 months. During time of operation the battery has not shown signs of degradation of performance. It has a round-trip efficiency at full load of approximately 60% (depending on temperature and SOC). The sources of the losses are power conversion in cell stacks/electrolyte, power converter, and auxiliary power consumption from pumps and controller. The response time for the battery is limited at 20kW/s by the ramp rate of the power converter. The battery can thus provide power and frequency support for the power system. Vanadium battery is a potential technology for storage based services to the power system provided investment and O and M cost are low enough and long term operation is documented. (Author)

  17. Baseline tests of the C. H. Waterman DAF electric passenger vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sargent, N. B.; Maslowski, E. A.; Soltis, R. F.; Schuh, R. M.

    1977-01-01

    An electric vehicle was tested as part of an Energy Research Development Administration (ERDA) project to characterize the state-of-the-art of electric vehicles. The Waterman vehicle performance test results are presented in this report. The vehicle is a converted four-passenger DAF 46 sedan. It is powered by sixteen 6-volt traction batteries through a three-step contactor controller actuated by a foot throttle to change the voltage applied to the 6.7 kW motor. The braking system is a conventional hydraulic braking system.

  18. Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles under Environmentally Relevant Conditions Using Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min-Hee Jang

    Full Text Available The development of methods to monitor manufactured nanomaterials in the environment is one of the crucial areas for the assessment of their risk. More specifically, particle size analysis is a key element, because many properties of nanomaterial are size dependent. The sizing of nanomaterials in real environments is challenging due to their heterogeneity and reactivity with other environmental components. In this study, the fractionation and characterization of a mixture of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles (PVP-AgNPs of three different sizes were investigated using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4 coupled with UV-Vis spectrophotometry. In particular, the effects of electrolyte composition and natural organic matter (NOM on the particle size and stability were evaluated. The fractogram peaks (i.e., stability of three different AgNPs decreased in the presence of both 10 mM NaCl and 10 mM CaCl2, while increased with increasing concentration of humic acid (HA. In addition, the hydrodynamic diameters of AgNPs in both electrolytes slightly increased with an increase of HA concentration, suggesting the adsorption (coating of HA onto the particle surface. It is also interesting to note that an increase in the particle size depended on the types of electrolyte, which could be explained by the conformational characteristics of the adsorbed HA layers. Consistent these results, AgNPs suspended in lake water containing relatively high concentration of organic carbon (TOC showed higher particle stability and larger particle size (i.e., by approximately 4 nm than those in river water. In conclusion, the application of AF4 coupled with highly sensitive detectors could be a powerful method to characterize nanoparticles in natural waters.

  19. Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles under Environmentally Relevant Conditions Using Asymmetrical Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AF4)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Min-Hee; Lee, Seungho; Hwang, Yu Sik

    2015-01-01

    The development of methods to monitor manufactured nanomaterials in the environment is one of the crucial areas for the assessment of their risk. More specifically, particle size analysis is a key element, because many properties of nanomaterial are size dependent. The sizing of nanomaterials in real environments is challenging due to their heterogeneity and reactivity with other environmental components. In this study, the fractionation and characterization of a mixture of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles (PVP-AgNPs) of three different sizes were investigated using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled with UV-Vis spectrophotometry. In particular, the effects of electrolyte composition and natural organic matter (NOM) on the particle size and stability were evaluated. The fractogram peaks (i.e., stability) of three different AgNPs decreased in the presence of both 10 mM NaCl and 10mM CaCl2, while increased with increasing concentration of humic acid (HA). In addition, the hydrodynamic diameters of AgNPs in both electrolytes slightly increased with an increase of HA concentration, suggesting the adsorption (coating) of HA onto the particle surface. It is also interesting to note that an increase in the particle size depended on the types of electrolyte, which could be explained by the conformational characteristics of the adsorbed HA layers. Consistent these results, AgNPs suspended in lake water containing relatively high concentration of organic carbon (TOC) showed higher particle stability and larger particle size (i.e., by approximately 4nm) than those in river water. In conclusion, the application of AF4 coupled with highly sensitive detectors could be a powerful method to characterize nanoparticles in natural waters. PMID:26575993

  20. Harnessing Wind Power in Moving Reference Frames with Application to Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goushcha, Oleg; Felicissimo, Robert; Danesh-Yazdi, Amir; Andreopoulos, Yiannis

    2017-11-01

    The extraction of wind power from unique configurations embedded in moving vehicles by using micro-turbine devices has been investigated. In such moving environments, the specific power of the air motion is much greater and less intermittent than in stationary wind turbines anchored to the ground in open atmospheric conditions. In a translational frame of reference, the rate of work done by the drag force acting on the wind harnessing device due the relative motion of air should be taken into account in the overall performance evaluation through an energy balance. A device with a venting tube has been tested that connects a high-pressure stagnating flow region in the front of the vehicle with a low-pressure region at its rear. Our analysis identified two key areas to focus on for potentially significant rewards: (1) Vehicles with high energy conversion efficiency which require a high mass flow rate through the venting duct, and (2) low efficiency vehicles with wakes, which will be globally affected by the introduction of the venting duct device in a manner that reduces their drag so that there is a net gain in power generation.

  1. Downstream Effects on Orbiter Leeside Flow Separation for Hypersonic Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buck, Gregory M.; Pulsonetti, Maria V.; Weilmuenster, K. James

    2005-01-01

    Discrepancies between experiment and computation for shuttle leeside flow separation, which came to light in the Columbia accident investigation, are resolved. Tests were run in the Langley Research Center 20-Inch Hypersonic CF4 Tunnel with a baseline orbiter model and two extended trailing edge models. The extended trailing edges altered the wing leeside separation lines, moving the lines toward the fuselage, proving that wing trailing edge modeling does affect the orbiter leeside flow. Computations were then made with a wake grid. These calculations more closely matched baseline experiments. Thus, the present findings demonstrate that it is imperative to include the wake flow domain in CFD calculations in order to accurately predict leeside flow separation for hypersonic vehicles at high angles of attack.

  2. Unsaturated flow characterization utilizing water content data collected within the capillary fringe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baehr, Arthur; Reilly, Timothy J.

    2014-01-01

    An analysis is presented to determine unsaturated zone hydraulic parameters based on detailed water content profiles, which can be readily acquired during hydrological investigations. Core samples taken through the unsaturated zone allow for the acquisition of gravimetrically determined water content data as a function of elevation at 3 inch intervals. This dense spacing of data provides several measurements of the water content within the capillary fringe, which are utilized to determine capillary pressure function parameters via least-squares calibration. The water content data collected above the capillary fringe are used to calculate dimensionless flow as a function of elevation providing a snapshot characterization of flow through the unsaturated zone. The water content at a flow stagnation point provides an in situ estimate of specific yield. In situ determinations of capillary pressure function parameters utilizing this method, together with particle-size distributions, can provide a valuable supplement to data libraries of unsaturated zone hydraulic parameters. The method is illustrated using data collected from plots within an agricultural research facility in Wisconsin.

  3. Fatigue Performance Assessment of Composite Arch Bridge Suspenders Based on Actual Vehicle Loads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Chen

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the through arch bridges, the suspenders are the key components connecting the arch rib and the bridge deck in the middle, and their safety is an increasing focus in the field of bridge engineering. In this study, various vehicle traffic flow parameters are investigated based on the actual vehicle data acquired from the long-term structural health monitoring system of a composite arch bridge. The representative vehicle types and the probability density functions of several parameters are determined, including the gross vehicle weight, axle weight, time headway, and speed. A finite element model of the bridge structure is constructed to determine the influence line of the cable force for various suspenders. A simulated vehicle flow, generated using the Monte Carlo method, is applied on the influence lines of the target suspender to determine the stress process, and then the stress amplitude spectrum is obtained based on the statistical analysis of the stress process using the rainflow counting method. The fatigue performance levels of various suspenders are analyzed according to the Palmgren-Miner linear cumulative damage theory, which helps to manage the safety of the suspenders.

  4. A sustainability assessment of electric vehicles as a personal mobility system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Faria, Ricardo; Moura, Pedro; Delgado, Joaquim; Almeida, Anibal T. de

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Ownership cost and CO 2 emissions for electric and internal combustion engine vehicles. ► Well-to-Wheel energy assessment in electric vehicles. ► Main factors that contribute to overall energy consumption. ► Real world experiments to characterize electric vehicles energy consumption. - Abstract: This paper presents a study of the economic and environmental balances for Electric Vehicles (EVs) versus Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle (ICEV). The analyses were based on the Well-to-Wheel (WTW) methodology, a specific type of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). WTW balances were carried out taking into account different scenarios for the primary energy supply and different vehicle technologies. The primary energy supply includes non-renewable sources (fossil fuels and nuclear) and Renewable Energy Source (RES). Vehicle technologies include Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). The generation scenarios considered in the study include the present European Union (EU) average mix and a planned increasing contribution from RESs. For the BEV, several real world driving cycle scenarios were investigated, using a custom built data acquisition system, in order to characterize the main factors that contribute to the overall energy consumption, associated cost and emissions. In terms of environmental impact, for the average EU electricity mix, BEVs have less than a half of the emissions than an ICEV. However, the ownership costs during its life cycle (about 10 y) are similar to an equivalent ICEV, despite the lower operational costs for BEVs. The likely battery price reduction, leading to a lower investment cost, will gradually tip the balance in favour of EVs.

  5. Characterization of two-phase flow regimes in horizontal tubes using {sup 81m}Kr tracer experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oriol, Jean [LPAC, CEA Grenoble, 17, rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Leclerc, Jean Pierre [Laboratoire des Sciences du Genie Chimique (LSGC), Nancy-Universite, CNRS, BP 20451, F-54001 Nancy (France)], E-mail: leclerc@ensic.inpl-nancy.fr; Berne, Philippe; Gousseau, Georges [L2T, CEA Grenoble, 17, rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Jallut, Christian [Universite de Lyon, Universite Lyon 1, LAGEP, UMR CNRS 5007, ESCPE, 43 Bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex (France); Tochon, Patrice; Clement, Patrice [GRETh, CEA Grenoble, 17, rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

    2008-10-15

    The diagnosis of heat exchangers on duty with respect to flow mal-distributions needs the development of non-intrusive inlet-outlet experimental techniques in order to perform an online fault diagnosis. Tracer experiments are an example of such techniques. They can be applied to mono-phase heat exchangers but also to multi-phase ones. In this case, the tracer experiments are more difficult to perform. In order to check for the capabilities of tracer experiments to be used for the flow mal-distribution diagnosis in the case of multi-phase heat exchangers, we present here a preliminary study on the simplest possible system: two-phase flows in a horizontal tube. {sup 81m}Kr is used as gas tracer and properly collimated NaI (TI) crystal scintillators as detectors. The specific shape of the tracer response allows two-phase flow regimes to be characterized. Signal analysis allows the estimation of the gas phase real average velocity and consequently of the liquid phase real average velocity as well as of the volumetric void fraction. These results are compared successfully to those obtained with liquid phase tracer experiments previously presented by Oriol et al. 2007. Characterization of the two-phase flow regimes and liquid dispersion in horizontal and vertical tubes using coloured tracer and no intrusive optical detector. Chem. Eng. Sci. 63(1), 24-34, as well as to those given by correlations from literature.

  6. Characterization of platelet adhesion under flow using microscopic image sequence analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machin, M; Santomaso, A; Cozzi, M R; Battiston, M; Mazzuccato, M; De Marco, L; Canu, P

    2005-07-01

    A method for quantitative analysis of platelet deposition under flow is discussed here. The model system is based upon perfusion of blood platelets over an adhesive substrate immobilized on a glass coverslip acting as the lower surface of a rectangular flow chamber. The perfusion apparatus is mounted onto an inverted microscope equipped with epifluorescent illumination and intensified CCD video camera. Characterization is based on information obtained from a specific image analysis method applied to continuous sequences of microscopical images. Platelet recognition across the sequence of images is based on a time-dependent, bidimensional, gaussian-like pdf. Once a platelet is located,the variation of its position and shape as a function of time (i.e., the platelet history) can be determined. Analyzing the history we can establish if the platelet is moving on the surface, the frequency of this movement and the distance traveled before its resumes the velocity of a non-interacting cell. Therefore, we can determine how long the adhesion would last which is correlated to the resistance of the platelet-substrate bond. This algorithm enables the dynamic quantification of trajectories, as well as residence times, arrest and release frequencies for a high numbers of platelets at the same time. Statistically significant conclusions on platelet-surface interactions can then be obtained. An image analysis tool of this kind can dramatically help the investigation and characterization of the thrombogenic properties of artificial surfaces such as those used in artificial organs and biomedical devices.

  7. Numerical simulations of separated flows at moderate Reynolds numbers appropriate for turbine blades and unmanned aero vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castiglioni, G.; Domaradzki, J.A.; Pasquariello, V.; Hickel, S.; Grilli, M.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The present study evaluate LES techniques and IB method to simulate separated flows. • Simulations have been performed with an IB code and a commercial code. • The benchmark flow is a laminar separation bubble around an airfoil. • It is concluded that IB methods are appropriate only for high resolution DNS and LES. • High fidelity LES with 1% of DNS resolution can be performed. - Abstract: Flows over airfoils and blades in rotating machinery, for unmanned and micro-aerial vehicles, wind turbines, and propellers consist of a laminar boundary layer near the leading edge that is often followed by a laminar separation bubble and transition to turbulence further downstream. Typical RANS turbulence models are inadequate for such flows. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) is the most reliable, but is also the most computationally expensive alternative. This work assesses the capability of Immersed Boundary (IB) methods and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) to reduce the computational requirements for such flows and still provide high quality results. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulations of a laminar separation bubble on a NACA-0012 airfoil at Re c =5×10 4 at 5° of incidence have been performed with an IB code and a commercial code using body fitted grids. Several Subgrid Scale (SGS) models have been implemented in both codes and their performance evaluated. For the two-dimensional simulations with the IB method the results show good agreement with DNS benchmark data for the pressure coefficient C p and the friction coefficient C f but only when using dissipative numerical schemes. There is evidence that this behavior can be attributed to the ability of dissipative schemes to damp numerical noise coming from the IB. For the three-dimensional simulations the results show a good prediction of the separation point, but inaccurate prediction of the reattachment point unless full DNS resolution is used. The commercial code shows good agreement

  8. A two-step method for rapid characterization of electroosmotic flows in capillary electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenjing; He, Muyi; Yuan, Tao; Xu, Wei

    2017-12-01

    The measurement of electroosmotic flow (EOF) is important in a capillary electrophoresis (CE) experiment in terms of performance optimization and stability improvement. Although several methods exist, there are demanding needs to accurately characterize ultra-low electroosmotic flow rates (EOF rates), such as in coated capillaries used in protein separations. In this work, a new method, called the two-step method, was developed to accurately and rapidly measure EOF rates in a capillary, especially for measuring the ultra-low EOF rates in coated capillaries. In this two-step method, the EOF rates were calculated by measuring the migration time difference of a neutral marker in two consecutive experiments, in which a pressure driven was introduced to accelerate the migration and the DC voltage was reversed to switch the EOF direction. Uncoated capillaries were first characterized by both this two-step method and a conventional method to confirm the validity of this new method. Then this new method was applied in the study of coated capillaries. Results show that this new method is not only fast in speed, but also better in accuracy. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. An Experimental Characterization of Tip Leakage Flows and Corresponding Effects on Multistage Compressor Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berdanier, Reid Adam

    The effect of rotor tip clearances in turbomachinery applications has been a primary research interest for nearly 80 years. Over that time, studies have shown increased tip clearance in axial flow compressors typically has a detrimental effect on overall pressure rise capability, isentropic efficiency, and stall margin. With modern engine designs trending toward decreased core sizes to increase propulsive efficiency (by increasing bypass ratio) or additional compression stages to increase thermal efficiency by increasing the overall pressure ratio, blade heights in the rear stages of the high pressure compressor are expected to decrease. These rear stages typically feature smaller blade aspect ratios, for which endwall flows are more important, and the rotor tip clearance height represents a larger fraction of blade span. As a result, data sets collected with large relative rotor tip clearance heights are necessary to facilitate these future small core design goals. This research seeks to characterize rotor tip leakage flows for three tip clearance heights in the Purdue three-stage axial compressor facility (1.5%, 3.0%, and 4.0% as a percentage of overall annulus height). The multistage environment of this compressor provides the unique opportunity to examine tip leakage flow effects due to stage matching, stator-rotor interactions, and rotor-rotor interactions. The important tip leakage flow effects which develop as a result of these interactions are absent for previous studies which have been conducted using single-stage machines or isolated rotors. A series of compressor performance maps comprise points at four corrected speeds for each of the three rotor tip clearance heights. Steady total pressure and total temperature measurements highlight the effects of tip leakage flows on radial profiles and wake shapes throughout the compressor. These data also evaluate tip clearance effects on efficiency, stall margin, and peak pressure rise capability. An emphasis of

  10. Near-term hybrid vehicle program, phase 1. Appendix A: Mission analysis and performance specification studies report

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-01-01

    Results of a study leading to the preliminary design of a five passenger hybrid vehicle utilizing two energy sources (electricity and gasoline/diesel fuel) to minimize petroleum usage on a fleet basis are presented. The study methodology is described. Vehicle characterizations, the mission description, characterization, and impact on potential sales, and the rationale for the selection of the reference internal combustion engine vehicle are presented. Conclusions and recommendations of the mission analysis and performance specification report are included.

  11. Manitoba plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) demonstration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoemsen, R. [Red River College, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Parsons, R. [Government of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB (Canada). Centre for Emerging Renewable Energy

    2010-07-01

    Manitoba has low electricity rates, the highest proportion of renewables, and a legislated commitment to reduce greenhouse gases. However, the province still relies heavily on oil as everyone else. The mix of energy opportunities in Manitoba were highlighted in this presentation, with particular reference to the commercialization of electric vehicles. Several photographs were presented of the Toyota plug-in hybrid vehicle and a plug-in hybrid electric demonstration vehicle. A demonstration project overview was offered that used technology from A123 Systems Inc. The conversion module and vehicle users were profiled. Topics that were presented related to the demonstration project included monitoring; gasoline fuel economy results; fuel economy variability; cold weather operation; cold weather issues; battery upgrade solutions; and highly qualified personnel. It was concluded that in terms of follow-up, there is a need to combine findings of current plug-in hybrid electric vehicle demonstration with those for the new Toyota production plug-in hybrid vehicles. Key next steps for the demonstration are to address cabin heating requirements; better characterizing winter performance; and implementation of IPLC units on all plug-in hybrid electric vehicles for electricity consumption. figs.

  12. Efficient Numerical Simulation of Aerothermoelastic Hypersonic Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klock, Ryan J.

    Hypersonic vehicles operate in a high-energy flight environment characterized by high dynamic pressures, high thermal loads, and non-equilibrium flow dynamics. This environment induces strong fluid, thermal, and structural dynamics interactions that are unique to this flight regime. If these vehicles are to be effectively designed and controlled, then a robust and intuitive understanding of each of these disciplines must be developed not only in isolation, but also when coupled. Limitations on scaling and the availability of adequate test facilities mean that physical investigation is infeasible. Ever growing computational power offers the ability to perform elaborate numerical simulations, but also has its own limitations. The state of the art in numerical simulation is either to create ever more high-fidelity physics models that do not couple well and require too much processing power to consider more than a few seconds of flight, or to use low-fidelity analytical models that can be tightly coupled and processed quickly, but do not represent realistic systems due to their simplifying assumptions. Reduced-order models offer a middle ground by distilling the dominant trends of high-fidelity training solutions into a form that can be quickly processed and more tightly coupled. This thesis presents a variably coupled, variable-fidelity, aerothermoelastic framework for the simulation and analysis of high-speed vehicle systems using analytical, reduced-order, and surrogate modeling techniques. Full launch-to-landing flights of complete vehicles are considered and used to define flight envelopes with aeroelastic, aerothermal, and thermoelastic limits, tune in-the-loop flight controllers, and inform future design considerations. A partitioned approach to vehicle simulation is considered in which regions dominated by particular combinations of processes are made separate from the overall solution and simulated by a specialized set of models to improve overall processing

  13. Optical characterization of bubbly flows with a near-critical-angle scattering technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Onofri, Fabrice R.A.; Krzysiek, Mariusz [IUSTI, UMR, CNRS, University of Provence, Polytech' DME, Technopole Chateau-Gombert, Marseille (France); Mroczka, Janusz [CEPM, Technical University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw (Poland); Ren, Kuan-Fang [CORIA, UMR, CNRS, University of Rouen, Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray (France); Radev, Stefan [IMECH, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia (Bulgaria); Bonnet, Jean-Philippe [M2P2, UMR, CNRS, University Paul Cezanne, Aix-en-Provence (France)

    2009-10-15

    The newly developed critical angle refractometry and sizing technique (CARS) allows simultaneous and instantaneous characterization of the local size distribution and the relative refractive index (i.e. composition) of a cloud of bubbles. The paper presents the recent improvement of this technique by comparison of different light scattering models and inversion procedures. Experimental results carried in various air/water and air/water-ethanol bubbly flows clearly demonstrate the efficiency and the potential of this technique. (orig.)

  14. Guidelines on CV networking information flow optimization for Texas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-03-01

    Recognizing the fundamental role of information flow in future transportation applications, the research team investigated the quality and security of information flow in the connected vehicle (CV) environment. The research team identified key challe...

  15. Effects of improved spatial and temporal modeling of on-road vehicle emissions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindhjem, Christian E; Pollack, Alison K; DenBleyker, Allison; Shaw, Stephanie L

    2012-04-01

    Numerous emission and air quality modeling studies have suggested the need to accurately characterize the spatial and temporal variations in on-road vehicle emissions. The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact that using detailed traffic activity data has on emission estimates used to model air quality impacts. The on-road vehicle emissions are estimated by multiplying the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by the fleet-average emission factors determined by road link and hour of day. Changes in the fraction of VMT from heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) can have a significant impact on estimated fleet-average emissions because the emission factors for HDDV nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) are much higher than those for light-duty gas vehicles (LDGVs). Through detailed road link-level on-road vehicle emission modeling, this work investigated two scenarios for better characterizing mobile source emissions: (1) improved spatial and temporal variation of vehicle type fractions, and (2) use of Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES2010) instead of MOBILE6 exhaust emission factors. Emissions were estimated for the Detroit and Atlanta metropolitan areas for summer and winter episodes. The VMT mix scenario demonstrated the importance of better characterizing HDDV activity by time of day, day of week, and road type. More HDDV activity occurs on restricted access road types on weekdays and at nonpeak times, compared to light-duty vehicles, resulting in 5-15% higher NOx and PM emission rates during the weekdays and 15-40% lower rates on weekend days. Use of MOVES2010 exhaust emission factors resulted in increases of more than 50% in NOx and PM for both HDDVs and LDGVs, relative to MOBILE6. Because LDGV PM emissions have been shown to increase with lower temperatures, the most dramatic increase from MOBILE6 to MOVES2010 emission rates occurred for PM2.5 from LDGVs that increased 500% during colder wintertime conditions found in Detroit, the northernmost

  16. Characterizing water surface elevation under different flow conditions for the upcoming SWOT mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domeneghetti, A.; Schumann, G. J.-P.; Frasson, R. P. M.; Wei, R.; Pavelsky, T. M.; Castellarin, A.; Brath, A.; Durand, M. T.

    2018-06-01

    The Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite mission (SWOT), scheduled for launch in 2021, will deliver two-dimensional observations of water surface heights for lakes, rivers wider than 100 m and oceans. Even though the scientific literature has highlighted several fields of application for the expected products, detailed simulations of the SWOT radar performance for a realistic river scenario have not been presented in the literature. Understanding the error of the most fundamental "raw" SWOT hydrology product is important in order to have a greater awareness about strengths and limits of the forthcoming satellite observations. This study focuses on a reach (∼140 km in length) of the middle-lower portion of the Po River, in Northern Italy, and, to date, represents one of the few real-case analyses of the spatial patterns in water surface elevation accuracy expected from SWOT. The river stretch is characterized by a main channel varying from 100 to 500 m in width and a large floodplain (up to 5 km) delimited by a system of major embankments. The simulation of the water surface along the Po River for different flow conditions (high, low and mean annual flows) is performed with inputs from a quasi-2D model implemented using detailed topographic and bathymetric information (LiDAR, 2 m resolution). By employing a simulator that mimics many SWOT satellite sensor characteristics and generates proxies of the remotely sensed hydrometric data, this study characterizes the spatial observations potentially provided by SWOT. We evaluate SWOT performance under different hydraulic conditions and assess possible effects of river embankments, river width, river topography and distance from the satellite ground track. Despite analyzing errors from the raw radar pixel cloud, which receives minimal processing, the present study highlights the promising potential of this Ka-band interferometer for measuring water surface elevations, with mean elevation errors of 0.1 cm and 21

  17. A PEMFC hybrid electric vehicle real time control system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Hongqiao

    In recent years, environmental friendly technologies and alternative energy solutions have drawn a lot of public attentions due to global energy crisis and pollution issues. Fuel cell (FC), a technology invented almost at the same time as the internal combustion (IC) engine, is now the focus of the automotive industry again. The fuel cell vehicle (FCV) has zero emission and its efficiency is significantly higher than the conventional IC engine power vehicles. Among a variety of FCV technologies, proton exchange membrane (PEM) FC vehicle appears to be far more attractive and mature. The prototype PEMFC vehicle has been developed and demonstrated to the public by nearly all the major automotive manufacturers in recent years. However, to the interest of the public research, publications and documentations on the PEMFC vehicle technology are rarely available due to its proprietary nature, which essentially makes it a secured technology. This dissertation demonstrates a real world application of a PEMFC hybrid electric vehicle. Through presenting the vehicle design concept, developing the real time control system and generating generic operation principles, this dissertation targets at establishing the public knowledge base on this new technology. A complete PEMFC hybrid electric vehicle design, including vehicle components layout, process flow diagram, real time control system architecture, subsystem structures and control algorithms, is presented in order to help understand the whole vehicle system. The design concept is validated through the vehicle demonstration. Generic operating principles are established along with the validation process, which helps populate this emerging technology. Thereafter, further improvements and future research directions are discussed.

  18. Characterizing dynamic hysteresis and fractal statistics of chaotic two-phase flow and application to fuel cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burkholder, Michael B.; Litster, Shawn

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we analyze the stability of two-phase flow regimes and their transitions using chaotic and fractal statistics, and we report new measurements of dynamic two-phase pressure drop hysteresis that is related to flow regime stability and channel water content. Two-phase flow dynamics are relevant to a variety of real-world systems, and quantifying transient two-phase flow phenomena is important for efficient design. We recorded two-phase (air and water) pressure drops and flow images in a microchannel under both steady and transient conditions. Using Lyapunov exponents and Hurst exponents to characterize the steady-state pressure fluctuations, we develop a new, measurable regime identification criteria based on the dynamic stability of the two-phase pressure signal. We also applied a new experimental technique by continuously cycling the air flow rate to study dynamic hysteresis in two-phase pressure drops, which is separate from steady-state hysteresis and can be used to understand two-phase flow development time scales. Using recorded images of the two-phase flow, we show that the capacitive dynamic hysteresis is related to channel water content and flow regime stability. The mixed-wettability microchannel and in-channel water introduction used in this study simulate a polymer electrolyte fuel cell cathode air flow channel.

  19. Characterizing dynamic hysteresis and fractal statistics of chaotic two-phase flow and application to fuel cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burkholder, Michael B.; Litster, Shawn, E-mail: litster@andrew.cmu.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 (United States)

    2016-05-15

    In this study, we analyze the stability of two-phase flow regimes and their transitions using chaotic and fractal statistics, and we report new measurements of dynamic two-phase pressure drop hysteresis that is related to flow regime stability and channel water content. Two-phase flow dynamics are relevant to a variety of real-world systems, and quantifying transient two-phase flow phenomena is important for efficient design. We recorded two-phase (air and water) pressure drops and flow images in a microchannel under both steady and transient conditions. Using Lyapunov exponents and Hurst exponents to characterize the steady-state pressure fluctuations, we develop a new, measurable regime identification criteria based on the dynamic stability of the two-phase pressure signal. We also applied a new experimental technique by continuously cycling the air flow rate to study dynamic hysteresis in two-phase pressure drops, which is separate from steady-state hysteresis and can be used to understand two-phase flow development time scales. Using recorded images of the two-phase flow, we show that the capacitive dynamic hysteresis is related to channel water content and flow regime stability. The mixed-wettability microchannel and in-channel water introduction used in this study simulate a polymer electrolyte fuel cell cathode air flow channel.

  20. AVTA Federal Fleet PEV Readiness Data Logging and Characterization Study: Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schey, Stephen [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Francfort, Jim [Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-06-01

    Collect and evaluate data on federal fleet operations as part of the Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity’s Federal Fleet Vehicle Data Logging and Characterization Study. The Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity study seeks to collect and evaluate data to validate the utilization of advanced plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) transportation. This report summarizes the fleets studied to identify daily operational characteristics of select vehicles and report findings on vehicle and mission characterizations to support the successful introduction of PEVs into the agencies’ fleets. Individual observations of these selected vehicles provide the basis for recommendations related to electric vehicle adoption and whether a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (collectively referred to as PEVs) can fulfill the mission requirements.

  1. ELECTROMAGNETIC BIOSPHERE POLLUTION BY MOTOR TRANSPORT (VEHICLES, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, HYBRID VEHICLES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Selivanov

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The physics of the electromagnetic field is considered. The analysis of electromagnetic radiation on the human-being, the origin of which is the vehicle the electric vehicle, the hybrid vehicle is being considered. The monitoring of electromagnetic radiation of vehicles is carried out.

  2. Modelling for the Stripa site characterization and validation drift inflow: prediction of flow through fractured rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbert, A.; Gale, J.; MacLeod, R.; Lanyon, G.

    1991-12-01

    We present our approach to predicting flow through a fractured rock site; the site characterization and validation region in the Stripa mine. Our approach is based on discrete fracture network modelling using the NAPSAC computer code. We describe the conceptual models and assumptions that we have used to interpret the geometry and flow properties of the fracture networks, from measurements at the site. These are used to investigate large scale properties of the network and we show that for flows on scales larger than about 10 m, porous medium approximation should be used. The porous medium groundwater flow code CFEST is used to predict the large scale flows through the mine and the SCV region. This, in turn, is used to provide boundary conditions for more detailed models, which predict the details of flow, using a discrete fracture network model, on scales of less than 10 m. We conclude that a fracture network approach is feasible and that it provides a better understanding of details of flow than conventional porous medium approaches and a quantification of the uncertainty associated with predictive flow modelling characterised from field measurement in fractured rock. (au)

  3. Optimal Control of Connected and Automated Vehicles at Roundabouts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Liuhui [University of Delaware; Malikopoulos, Andreas [ORNL; Rios-Torres, Jackeline [ORNL

    2018-01-01

    Connectivity and automation in vehicles provide the most intriguing opportunity for enabling users to better monitor transportation network conditions and make better operating decisions to improve safety and reduce pollution, energy consumption, and travel delays. This study investigates the implications of optimally coordinating vehicles that are wirelessly connected to each other and to an infrastructure in roundabouts to achieve a smooth traffic flow without stop-and-go driving. We apply an optimization framework and an analytical solution that allows optimal coordination of vehicles for merging in such traffic scenario. The effectiveness of the efficiency of the proposed approach is validated through simulation and it is shown that coordination of vehicles can reduce total travel time by 3~49% and fuel consumption by 2~27% with respect to different traffic levels. In addition, network throughput is improved by up to 25% due to elimination of stop-and-go driving behavior.

  4. What do autonomous vehicles mean to traffic congestion and crash? : Network traffic flow modeling and simulation for autonomous vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Transportation infrastructure is quickly moving towards revolutionary changes to : accommodate the deployment of AVs. On the other hand, the transition to new : vehicle technologies will be shaped in large part by changes in performance of : roadway ...

  5. Fire simulation of the canister transfer and installation vehicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peltokorpi, L.

    2012-12-01

    A pyrolysis model of the canister transfer and installation vehicle was developed and vehicle fires in the final disposal tunnel and in the central tunnel were simulated using the fire simulation program FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator). For comparison, same vehicle fire was also simulated at conditions in which the fire remained as a fuel controlled during the whole simulation. The purpose of the fire simulations was to simulate the fire behaviour realistically taking into account for example the limitations coming from the lack of oxygen. The material parameters for the rubber were defined and the simulation models for the tyres developed by simulating the fire test of a front wheel loader rubber tyre done by SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden. In these simulations the most important phenomena were successfully brought out but the timing of the phenomena was difficult. The final values for the rubber material parameters were chosen so that the simulated fire behaviour was at least as intense as the measured one. In the vehicle fire simulations a hydraulic oil or diesel leak causing a pool fire size of 2 MW and 2 m 2 was assumed. The pool fire was assumed to be located under the tyres of the SPMT (Self Propelled Modular Transporters) transporter. In each of the vehicle fire simulations only the tyres of the SPMT transporter were observed to be burning whereas the tyres of the trailer remained untouched. In the fuel controlled fire the maximum power was slightly under 10 MW which was reached in about 18 minutes. In the final disposal tunnel the growth of the fire was limited due to the lack of oxygen and the relatively fast air flows existing in the tunnel. Fast air flows caused the flame spreading to be limited to the certain directions. In the final disposal tunnel fire the maximum power was slightly over 7 MW which was reached about 8 minutes after the ignition. In the central tunnel there was no shortage of oxygen but the spread of the fire was limited due

  6. A wind-tunnel study on exhaust gas dispersion from road vehicles. Part 1. Velocity and concentration fields behind single vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kanda, Isao; Uehara, Kiyoshi; Yamao, Yukio [National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, 305-8506 (Japan); Yoshikawa, Yasuo; Morikawa, Tazuko [Petroleum Energy Center, 4-3-9 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-0001 (Japan)

    2006-09-15

    By a reduced-scale model in a wind tunnel, we investigate the dispersion behavior of exhaust gas from automobiles. Two types of vehicles are considered, a passenger car and a small-size truck. Tracer gas experiments show that the exhaust gas dispersion is enhanced significantly by the vehicle wake compared to the case when the vehicle body is absent. The passenger car and the truck promote dispersion in the horizontal and the vertical direction, respectively. The wake field is analyzed by particle image velocimetry (PIV), and the distribution of the mean and the fluctuation fields is found to conform to the concentration field of the exhaust gas. The buoyancy of the exhaust gas has minor effect except on the vertical spread behind the truck whose wake flow amplifies the vertical displacement generated near the pipe exit. (author)

  7. Hypersonic vehicle control law development using H(infinity) and micron-synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gregory, Irene M.; Mcminn, John D.; Shaughnessy, John D.; Chowdhry, Rajiv S.

    1993-01-01

    Hypersonic vehicle control law development using H(infinity) and mu-synthesis is discussed. Airbreathing SSTO vehicles has a mutli-faceted mission that includes orbital operations, as well as re-entry and descent culminating in horizontal landing. However, the most challenging part of the operations is the ascent to orbit. The airbreathing propulsion requires lengthy atmospheric flight that may last as long as 30 minutes and take the vehicle half way around the globe. The vehicles's ascent is characterized by tight payload to orbit margins which translate into minimum fuel orbit as the performance criteria. Issues discussed include: SSTO airbreathing vehicle issues; control system performance requirements; robust control law framework; H(infinity) controller frequency analysis; and mu controller frequency analysis.

  8. Hot-Film and Hot-Wire Anemometry for a Boundary Layer Active Flow Control Test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenahan, Keven C.; Schatzman, David M.; Wilson, Jacob Samuel

    2013-01-01

    Unsteady active flow control (AFC) has been used experimentally for many years to minimize bluff-body drag. This technology could significantly improve performance of rotorcraft by cleaning up flow separation. It is important, then, that new actuator technologies be studied for application to future vehicles. A boundary layer wind tunnel was constructed with a 1ft-x-3ft test section and unsteady measurement instrumentation to study how AFC manipulates the boundary layer to overcome adverse pressure gradients and flow separation. This unsteady flow control research requires unsteady measurement methods. In order to measure the boundary layer characteristics, both hot-wire and hot-film Constant Temperature Anemometry is used. A hot-wire probe is mounted in the flow to measure velocity while a hot-film array lays on the test surface to measure skin friction. Hot-film sensors are connected to an anemometer, a Wheatstone bridge circuit with an output that corresponds to the dynamic flow response. From this output, the time varying flow field, turbulence, and flow reversal can be characterized. Tuning the anemometers requires a fan test on the hot-film sensors to adjust each output. This is a delicate process as several variables drastically affect the data, including control resistance, signal input, trim, and gain settings.

  9. The remote characterization of vegetation using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle photography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can fly in place of piloted aircraft to gather remote sensing information on vegetation characteristics. The type of sensors flown depends on the instrument payload capacity available, so that, depending on the specific UAV, it is possible to obtain video, aerial phot...

  10. Modeling Of In-Vehicle Human Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaozhen; Frey, H. Christopher

    2012-01-01

    A method for estimating in-vehicle PM2.5 exposure as part of a scenario-based population simulation model is developed and assessed. In existing models, such as the Stochastic Exposure and Dose Simulation model for Particulate Matter (SHEDS-PM), in-vehicle exposure is estimated using linear regression based on area-wide ambient PM2.5 concentration. An alternative modeling approach is explored based on estimation of near-road PM2.5 concentration and an in-vehicle mass balance. Near-road PM2.5 concentration is estimated using a dispersion model and fixed site monitor (FSM) data. In-vehicle concentration is estimated based on air exchange rate and filter efficiency. In-vehicle concentration varies with road type, traffic flow, windspeed, stability class, and ventilation. Average in-vehicle exposure is estimated to contribute 10 to 20 percent of average daily exposure. The contribution of in-vehicle exposure to total daily exposure can be higher for some individuals. Recommendations are made for updating exposure models and implementation of the alternative approach. PMID:23101000

  11. Optimization of hydrogen vehicle refueling via dynamic simulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rothuizen, Erasmus Damgaard; Mérida, W.; Rokni, Masoud

    2013-01-01

    loss in the vehicle's storage system is one of the main factors determining the mass flow and peak cooling requirements of the refueling process. The design of the refueling station does not influence the refueling of the vehicle when the requirements of the technical information report J2601 from...... Society of Automotive Engineers are met. However, by using multiple pressure stages in the tanks at the refueling station (instead of a single high-pressure tank), the total energy demand for cooling can be reduced by 12%, and the compressor power consumption can be reduced by 17%. The time between...

  12. Smart limbed vehicles for naval applications. Part II. Relevant technologies and performance evaluation. Interim report on research work on smart vehicle concepts for military use on the ocean surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weisberg, A.; Wood, L.

    1976-09-30

    Research work in smart, unmanned water-traversing limbed vehicles for naval warfare applications is reported. The areas covered include prime movers, power transformers and actuators, structural considerations, physical control, joint servo-control, motion control, visual data and the ocean surface, smartness, and vehicle characterization. (TFD)

  13. Investigation of Tractor Base Bleeding for Heavy Vehicle Aerodynamic Drag Reduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ortega, J; Salari, K; Storms, B

    2007-10-25

    One of the main contributors to the aerodynamic drag of a heavy vehicle is tractor-trailer gap drag, which arises when the vehicle operates within a crosswind. Under this operating condition, freestream flow is entrained into the tractor-trailer gap, imparting a momentum exchange to the vehicle and subsequently increasing the aerodynamic drag. While a number of add-on devices, including side extenders, splitter plates, vortex stabilizers, and gap sealers, have been previously tested to alleviate this source of drag, side extenders remain the primary add-on device of choice for reducing tractor-trailer gap drag. However, side extenders are not without maintenance and operational issues. When a heavy vehicle pivots sharply with respect to the trailer, as can occur during loading or unloading operations, the side extenders can become crushed against the trailer. Consequently, fleet operators are forced to incur additional costs to cover the repair or replacement of the damaged side extenders. This issue can be overcome by either shortening the side extenders or by devising an alternative drag reduction concept that can perform just as effectively as side extenders. To explore such a concept, we investigate tractor base bleeding as a means of reducing gap drag. Wind tunnel measurements are made on a 1:20 scale heavy vehicle model at a vehicle width-based Reynolds number of 420,000. The tractor bleeding flow, which is delivered through a porous material embedded within the tractor base, is introduced into the tractor-trailer gap at bleeding coefficients ranging from 0.0-0.018. To determine the performance of tractor base bleeding under more realistic operating conditions, computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed on a full-scale heavy vehicle within a crosswind for bleeding coefficients ranging from 0.0-0.13.

  14. A cellular automata model for traffic flow based on kinetics theory, vehicles capabilities and driver reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzmán, H. A.; Lárraga, M. E.; Alvarez-Icaza, L.; Carvajal, J.

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, a reliable cellular automata model oriented to faithfully reproduce deceleration and acceleration according to realistic reactions of drivers, when vehicles with different deceleration capabilities are considered is presented. The model focuses on describing complex traffic phenomena by coding in its rules the basic mechanisms of drivers behavior, vehicles capabilities and kinetics, while preserving simplicity. In particular, vehiclés kinetics is based on uniform accelerated motion, rather than in impulsive accelerated motion as in most existing CA models. Thus, the proposed model calculates in an analytic way three safe preserving distances to determine the best action a follower vehicle can take under a worst case scenario. Besides, the prediction analysis guarantees that under the proper assumptions, collision between vehicles may not happen at any future time. Simulations results indicate that all interactions of heterogeneous vehicles (i.e., car-truck, truck-car, car-car and truck-truck) are properly reproduced by the model. In addition, the model overcomes one of the major limitations of CA models for traffic modeling: the inability to perform smooth approach to slower or stopped vehicles. Moreover, the model is also capable of reproducing most empirical findings including the backward speed of the downstream front of the traffic jam, and different congested traffic patterns induced by a system with open boundary conditions with an on-ramp. Like most CA models, integer values are used to make the model run faster, which makes the proposed model suitable for real time traffic simulation of large networks.

  15. Near-surface geophysical characterization of Holocene faults conducive to geothermal flow near Pyramid Lake, Nevada

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dudley, Colton; Dorsey, Alison; Louie, John [UNR; Schwering, Paul; Pullammanappallil, Satish

    2016-08-01

    Colton Dudley, Alison Dorsey, Paul Opdyke, Dustin Naphan, Marlon Ramos, John Louie, Paul Schwering, and Satish Pullammanappallil, 2013, Near-surface geophysical characterization of Holocene faults conducive to geothermal flow near Pyramid Lake, Nevada: presented at Amer. Assoc. Petroleum Geologists, Pacific Section Annual Meeting, Monterey, Calif., April 19-25.

  16. Memory effects in microscopic traffic models and wide scattering in flow-density data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treiber, Martin; Helbing, Dirk

    2003-10-01

    By means of microscopic simulations we show that noninstantaneous adaptation of the driving behavior to the traffic situation together with the conventional method to measure flow-density data provides a possible explanation for the observed inverse-λ shape and the wide scattering of flow-density data in “synchronized” congested traffic. We model a memory effect in the response of drivers to the traffic situation for a wide class of car-following models by introducing an additional dynamical variable (the “subjective level of service”) describing the adaptation of drivers to the surrounding traffic situation during the past few minutes and couple this internal state to parameters of the underlying model that are related to the driving style. For illustration, we use the intelligent-driver model (IDM) as the underlying model, characterize the level of service solely by the velocity, and couple the internal variable to the IDM parameter “time gap” to model an increase of the time gap in congested traffic (“frustration effect”), which is supported by single-vehicle data. We simulate open systems with a bottleneck and obtain flow-density data by implementing “virtual detectors.” The shape, relative size, and apparent “stochasticity” of the region of the scattered data points agree nearly quantitatively with empirical data. Wide scattering is even observed for identical vehicles, although the proposed model is a time-continuous, deterministic, single-lane car-following model with a unique fundamental diagram.

  17. Connected variable speed limits control and car-following control with vehicle-infrastructure communication to resolve stop-and-go waves

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, M.; Daamen, W.; Hoogendoorn, S.P.; van Arem, B.

    2016-01-01

    The vision of intelligent vehicles traveling in road networks has prompted numerous concepts to control future traffic flow, one of which is the in-vehicle actuation of traffic control commands. The key of this concept is using intelligent vehicles as actuators for traffic control systems. Under

  18. Canadian Vehicle Protection Program (EO considerations)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-09

    Leopard 2 • Protection of the vehicle and their occupants was always considered on top of the priority list. • Currently, industry can provide...arge s 19 High Power Laser Characterization Laboratory 20 Conclusion • EO technologies are evolving extremely fast and cost/size/ weight is going down

  19. Analysis of the Effects of Connected–Automated Vehicle Technologies on Travel Demand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Auld, Joshua [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439; Sokolov, Vadim [Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research, Volgenau School of Engineering, George Mason University, MS 4A6, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030; Stephens, Thomas S. [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439

    2017-01-01

    Connected–automated vehicle (CAV) technologies are likely to have significant effects not only on how vehicles operate in the transportation system, but also on how individuals behave and use their vehicles. While many CAV technologies—such as connected adaptive cruise control and ecosignals—have the potential to increase network throughput and efficiency, many of these same technologies have a secondary effect of reducing driver burden, which can drive changes in travel behavior. Such changes in travel behavior—in effect, lowering the cost of driving—have the potential to increase greatly the utilization of the transportation system with concurrent negative externalities, such as congestion, energy use, and emissions, working against the positive effects on the transportation system resulting from increased capacity. To date, few studies have analyzed the potential effects on CAV technologies from a systems perspective; studies often focus on gains and losses to an individual vehicle, at a single intersection, or along a corridor. However, travel demand and traffic flow constitute a complex, adaptive, nonlinear system. Therefore, in this study, an advanced transportation systems simulation model—POLARIS—was used. POLARIS includes cosimulation of travel behavior and traffic flow to study the potential effects of several CAV technologies at the regional level. Various technology penetration levels and changes in travel time sensitivity have been analyzed to determine a potential range of effects on vehicle miles traveled from various CAV technologies.

  20. Comparative economics of natural gas vehicles and other vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biederman, R.T.; Blazek, C.F.

    1992-01-01

    The utilization of alternative fuels for transportation applications is now a certainty. The only real questions that remain to be answered involve the type of fuel (or fuels) to be adopted most extensively. While some alternative fuel advocates suggest that a niche will exist for all alternative fuels, the most likely scenario will involve widespread use of only a few major fuel types. Undoubtedly, reformulated gasoline will be a major force as an interim fuel, due to inertia and a predominant bias toward liquid fuels. The prospects for utilization of ethanol, methanol, MTBE, and ETBE appear to be most promising in the area of blending with gasoline to meet the needs of reformulated gasoline and flexible fueled vehicles (FFV's). Propane fueled vehicles will continue to grow in popularity, especially with fleets, but will never become a major force in the transportation market in the U.S. due to unresolvable supply limitations. The clear winner in the alternative fuels transportation market appears to be natural gas. Either in compressed or liquefied form, natural gas enjoys low costs, tremendous availability, and impressive environmental benefits. As shown in this analysis, natural gas competes favorably with gasoline in terms of economics. Natural gas is also preferential to other alternative fuels in terms of safety and heath issues as well as operational issues. Adoption of natural gas as a standard transportation fuel will probably require market segmentation characterized by compressed natural gas utilization in light-duty vehicles and liquefied natural gas utilization in heavy-duty vehicles. The most significant barrier to natural gas utilization will continue to be the creation of a refueling infrastructure. As these problems are resolved, however, natural gas will emerge as the transportation fuel of the future

  1. Characterization of impurities in biogas before and after upgrading to vehicle fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arrhenius, Karine; Johansson, Ulrika [SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Boraas (Sweden)

    2012-01-15

    Biogases produced by digesting organic wastes, residual sludge from waste water treatment, energy crops,byproducts from industry or in landfills contain impurities which can be harmful for components that will be in contact with the biogas during its utilization. In this project, the impurities present in biogases have been mapped out depending upon which feedstock is digested. P-cymene och D-limonene, two terpenes, have been found to be characteristics for biogases produced from the digestion of waste including household wastes while an 'oil' fraction containing alkanes with 9 to 13 carbon atoms is characteristic for biogases produced at waste water treatment plants. Ketones and sulfur compounds are found in biogases produced from the digestion of food industry wastes or energy crops. It was not possible to characterize impurities in biogases produced in farm plants digesting manure because not enough samples were analyzed from these plants. In order to understand the relation between the feedstock and the impurities present in the biogas, an extensive study on feedstock characterization must be conducted. One question to be answered is if these impurities only originate from the volatilization from the feedstock and in this case, why only these specific compounds are found at significant concentrations. In this study we have also studied how effective purification/upgrading techniques are to remove impurities that have been identified in biogases. En general comment is that the upgraded gas still contains a part of the characteristic impurities which have been identified for each feedstock at different levels of concentration depending on which technique has been used. The results show that activated carbon filters are more or less effective. Some of them can remove more than 90 % of the impurities while others remove less that 10 %. Results show also that the amine scrubber have very moderate effects on the impurities composition. In that case, the

  2. Simple cellular automaton model for traffic breakdown, highway capacity, and synchronized flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerner, Boris S.; Klenov, Sergey L.; Schreckenberg, Michael

    2011-10-01

    We present a simple cellular automaton (CA) model for two-lane roads explaining the physics of traffic breakdown, highway capacity, and synchronized flow. The model consists of the rules “acceleration,” “deceleration,” “randomization,” and “motion” of the Nagel-Schreckenberg CA model as well as “overacceleration through lane changing to the faster lane,” “comparison of vehicle gap with the synchronization gap,” and “speed adaptation within the synchronization gap” of Kerner's three-phase traffic theory. We show that these few rules of the CA model can appropriately simulate fundamental empirical features of traffic breakdown and highway capacity found in traffic data measured over years in different countries, like characteristics of synchronized flow, the existence of the spontaneous and induced breakdowns at the same bottleneck, and associated probabilistic features of traffic breakdown and highway capacity. Single-vehicle data derived in model simulations show that synchronized flow first occurs and then self-maintains due to a spatiotemporal competition between speed adaptation to a slower speed of the preceding vehicle and passing of this slower vehicle. We find that the application of simple dependences of randomization probability and synchronization gap on driving situation allows us to explain the physics of moving synchronized flow patterns and the pinch effect in synchronized flow as observed in real traffic data.

  3. On the use of nuclear magnetic resonance to characterize vertical two-phase bubbly flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lemonnier, H.; Jullien, P.

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → We provide a complete theory of the PGSE measurement in single and two-phase flow. → Friction velocity can be directly determinated from measured velocity distributions. → Fast determination of moments shorten PGSE process with small loss of accuracy. → Turbulent diffusion measurements agree well with known trends and existing models. → We think NMR can be a tool to benchmark thermal anemometry in two-phase flow. - Abstract: Since the pioneering work of who showed that NMR can be used to measure accurately the mean liquid velocity and void fraction in two-phase pipe flow, it has been shown that NMR signal can also characterize the turbulent eddy diffusivity and velocity fluctuations. In this paper we provide an in depth validation of these statements together with a clarification of the nature of the mean velocity that is actually measured by NMR PFGSE sequence. The analysis shows that the velocity gradient at the wall is finely space-resolved and allows the determination of the friction velocity in single-phase flows. Next turbulent diffusion measurements in two-phase flows are presented, analyzed and compared to existing data and models. It is believed that NMR velocity measurement is sufficiently understood that it can be utilized to benchmark thermal anemometry in two-phase flows. Theoretical results presented in this paper also show how this can be undertaken.

  4. Assessing the quality of digital elevation models obtained from mini unmanned aerial vehicles for overland flow modelling in urban areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leitão, João P.; Moy de Vitry, Matthew; Scheidegger, Andreas; Rieckermann, Jörg

    2016-04-01

    Precise and detailed digital elevation models (DEMs) are essential to accurately predict overland flow in urban areas. Unfortunately, traditional sources of DEM, such as airplane light detection and ranging (lidar) DEMs and point and contour maps, remain a bottleneck for detailed and reliable overland flow models, because the resulting DEMs are too coarse to provide DEMs of sufficient detail to inform urban overland flows. Interestingly, technological developments of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) suggest that they have matured enough to be a competitive alternative to satellites or airplanes. However, this has not been tested so far. In this study we therefore evaluated whether DEMs generated from UAV imagery are suitable for urban drainage overland flow modelling. Specifically, 14 UAV flights were conducted to assess the influence of four different flight parameters on the quality of generated DEMs: (i) flight altitude, (ii) image overlapping, (iii) camera pitch, and (iv) weather conditions. In addition, we compared the best-quality UAV DEM to a conventional lidar-based DEM. To evaluate both the quality of the UAV DEMs and the comparison to lidar-based DEMs, we performed regression analysis on several qualitative and quantitative metrics, such as elevation accuracy, quality of object representation (e.g. buildings, walls and trees) in the DEM, which were specifically tailored to assess overland flow modelling performance, using the flight parameters as explanatory variables. Our results suggested that, first, as expected, flight altitude influenced the DEM quality most, where lower flights produce better DEMs; in a similar fashion, overcast weather conditions are preferable, but weather conditions and other factors influence DEM quality much less. Second, we found that for urban overland flow modelling, the UAV DEMs performed competitively in comparison to a traditional lidar-based DEM. An important advantage of using UAVs to generate DEMs in urban areas is

  5. Polysaccharide characterization by hollow-fiber flow field-flow fractionation with on-line multi-angle static light scattering and differential refractometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitkänen, Leena; Striegel, André M

    2015-02-06

    Accurate characterization of the molar mass and size of polysaccharides is an ongoing challenge, oftentimes due to architectural diversity but also to the broad molar mass (M) range over which a single polysaccharide can exist and to the ultra-high M of many polysaccharides. Because of the latter, many of these biomacromolecules experience on-column, flow-induced degradation during analysis by size-exclusion and, even, hydrodynamic chromatography (SEC and HDC, respectively). The necessity for gentler fractionation methods has, to date, been addressed employing asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4). Here, we introduce the coupling of hollow-fiber flow field-flow fractionation (HF5) to multi-angle static light scattering (MALS) and differential refractometry (DRI) detection for the analysis of polysaccharides. In HF5, less stresses are placed on the macromolecules during separation than in SEC or HDC, and HF5 can offer a higher sensitivity, with less propensity for system overloading and analyte aggregation, than generally found in AF4. The coupling to MALS and DRI affords the determination of absolute, calibration-curve-independent molar mass averages and dispersities. Results from the present HF5/MALS/DRI experiments with dextrans, pullulans, and larch arabinogalactan were augmented with hydrodynamic radius (RH) measurements from off-line quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) and by RH distribution calculations and fractogram simulations obtained via a finite element analysis implementation of field-flow fractionation theory by commercially available software. As part of this study, we have investigated analyte recovery in HF5 and also possible reasons for discrepancies between calculated and simulated results vis-à-vis experimentally determined data. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Motif distributions in phase-space networks for characterizing experimental two-phase flow patterns with chaotic features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhong-Ke; Jin, Ning-De; Wang, Wen-Xu; Lai, Ying-Cheng

    2010-07-01

    The dynamics of two-phase flows have been a challenging problem in nonlinear dynamics and fluid mechanics. We propose a method to characterize and distinguish patterns from inclined water-oil flow experiments based on the concept of network motifs that have found great usage in network science and systems biology. In particular, we construct from measured time series phase-space complex networks and then calculate the distribution of a set of distinct network motifs. To gain insight, we first test the approach using time series from classical chaotic systems and find a universal feature: motif distributions from different chaotic systems are generally highly heterogeneous. Our main finding is that the distributions from experimental two-phase flows tend to be heterogeneous as well, suggesting the underlying chaotic nature of the flow patterns. Calculation of the maximal Lyapunov exponent provides further support for this. Motif distributions can thus be a feasible tool to understand the dynamics of realistic two-phase flow patterns.

  7. Vortex flow during early and late left ventricular filling in normal subjects: quantitative characterization using retrospectively-gated 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance and three-dimensional vortex core analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elbaz, Mohammed S M; Calkoen, Emmeline E; Westenberg, Jos J M; Lelieveldt, Boudewijn P F; Roest, Arno A W; van der Geest, Rob J

    2014-09-27

    LV diastolic vortex formation has been suggested to critically contribute to efficient blood pumping function, while altered vortex formation has been associated with LV pathologies. Therefore, quantitative characterization of vortex flow might provide a novel objective tool for evaluating LV function. The objectives of this study were 1) assess feasibility of vortex flow analysis during both early and late diastolic filling in vivo in normal subjects using 4D Flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) with retrospective cardiac gating and 3D vortex core analysis 2) establish normal quantitative parameters characterizing 3D LV vortex flow during both early and late ventricular filling in normal subjects. With full ethical approval, twenty-four healthy volunteers (mean age: 20±10 years) underwent whole-heart 4D Flow CMR. The Lambda2-method was used to extract 3D LV vortex ring cores from the blood flow velocity field during early (E) and late (A) diastolic filling. The 3D location of the center of vortex ring core was characterized using cylindrical cardiac coordinates (Circumferential, Longitudinal (L), Radial (R)). Comparison between E and A filling was done with a paired T-test. The orientation of the vortex ring core was measured and the ring shape was quantified by the circularity index (CI). Finally, the Spearman's correlation between the shapes of mitral inflow pattern and formed vortex ring cores was tested. Distinct E- and A-vortex ring cores were observed with centers of A-vortex rings significantly closer to the mitral valve annulus (E-vortex L=0.19±0.04 versus A-vortex L=0.15±0.05; p=0.0001), closer to the ventricle's long-axis (E-vortex: R=0.27±0.07, A-vortex: R=0.20±0.09, p=0.048) and more elliptical in shape (E-vortex: CI=0.79±0.09, A-vortex: CI=0.57±0.06; vortex. The circumferential location and orientation relative to LV long-axis for both E- and A-vortex ring cores were similar. Good to strong correlation was found between vortex shape and

  8. Error Estimate of the Ares I Vehicle Longitudinal Aerodynamic Characteristics Based on Turbulent Navier-Stokes Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdol-Hamid, Khaled S.; Ghaffari, Farhad

    2011-01-01

    Numerical predictions of the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics for the Ares I class of vehicles, along with the associated error estimate derived from an iterative convergence grid refinement, are presented. Computational results are based on the unstructured grid, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver USM3D, with an assumption that the flow is fully turbulent over the entire vehicle. This effort was designed to complement the prior computational activities conducted over the past five years in support of the Ares I Project with the emphasis on the vehicle s last design cycle designated as the A106 configuration. Due to a lack of flight data for this particular design s outer mold line, the initial vehicle s aerodynamic predictions and the associated error estimates were first assessed and validated against the available experimental data at representative wind tunnel flow conditions pertinent to the ascent phase of the trajectory without including any propulsion effects. Subsequently, the established procedures were then applied to obtain the longitudinal aerodynamic predictions at the selected flight flow conditions. Sample computed results and the correlations with the experimental measurements are presented. In addition, the present analysis includes the relevant data to highlight the balance between the prediction accuracy against the grid size and, thus, the corresponding computer resource requirements for the computations at both wind tunnel and flight flow conditions. NOTE: Some details have been removed from selected plots and figures in compliance with the sensitive but unclassified (SBU) restrictions. However, the content still conveys the merits of the technical approach and the relevant results.

  9. Vehicles' Sample Generation and Realization in Car-Following Mathematical Models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Algimantas Danilevičius

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The object of the article is the adjustment of car-following mathematical models according to collected traffic data. Here the problem of ineffectively burdened road section is solved by adjusting the speed of vehicles in order to reduce the distance between the cars to a safe distance. The paper analyzes the car-following models to measure the interaction between vehicles in the same lane. Experimental data processed in Matlab and traffic distribution histograms are created using the most appropriate distribution curve. Distribution curve is used to compile congestion scenario of road section. Applicable model uses fundamental diagrams, which are created from the kind of traffic flow measurements. The mathematical model allows to choose the optimal vehicle speed while maintaining safe distance between vehicles, and to make recommendations to improve the traffic as the process.

  10. Control strategy of hydraulic/electric synergy system in heavy hybrid vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun Hui; Yang Lifu; Junqing Jing; Yanling Luo [Jiangsu Xuzhou Construction Machinery Research Institute, Jiangsu (China)

    2011-01-15

    Energy consumption and exhaust emissions of hybrid vehicles strongly depend on the energy storage source and the applied control strategy. Heavy vehicles have the characteristics of frequent starts/stops and significant amounts of braking energy, which needs to find a more efficient way to store and use the high power flow. A novel parallel hybrid vehicles configuration consisting of hydraulic/electric synergy system is proposed to overcome the existing drawbacks of single energy storage source in heavy hybrid vehicles. A control strategy combining a logic threshold approach and key parameters optimization algorithm is developed to achieve acceptable vehicle performance while simultaneously maximizing engine fuel economy and maintaining the battery state of charge in its rational operation range at all times. The experimental and simulation results illustrate the potential of the proposed control strategy in terms of fuel economy and in keeping the deviations of SOC at high efficiency range. (author)

  11. Control strategy of hydraulic/electric synergy system in heavy hybrid vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Hui; Yang Lifu; Jing Junqing; Luo Yanling

    2011-01-01

    Energy consumption and exhaust emissions of hybrid vehicles strongly depend on the energy storage source and the applied control strategy. Heavy vehicles have the characteristics of frequent starts/stops and significant amounts of braking energy, which needs to find a more efficient way to store and use the high power flow. A novel parallel hybrid vehicles configuration consisting of hydraulic/electric synergy system is proposed to overcome the existing drawbacks of single energy storage source in heavy hybrid vehicles. A control strategy combining a logic threshold approach and key parameters optimization algorithm is developed to achieve acceptable vehicle performance while simultaneously maximizing engine fuel economy and maintaining the battery state of charge in its rational operation range at all times. The experimental and simulation results illustrate the potential of the proposed control strategy in terms of fuel economy and in keeping the deviations of SOC at high efficiency range.

  12. A mountain-scale model for characterizing unsaturated flow and transport in fractured tuffs of Yucca Mountain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Yu-Shu; Lu, Guoping; Zhang, Keni; Bodvarsson, G.S.

    2003-01-01

    This paper presents a large-scale modeling study characterizing fluid flow and tracer transport in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the proposed underground repository site for storing high-level radioactive waste. The modeling study is conducted using a three-dimensional numerical model, which incorporates a wide variety of field data and takes into account the coupled processes of flow and transport in Yucca Mountain's highly heterogeneous, unsaturated, fractured porous rock. The modeling approach is based on a dual-continuum formulation. Using different conceptual models of unsaturated flow, various scenarios of current and future climate conditions and their effects on the unsaturated zone are evaluated to aid in the assessment of the repository's system performance. These models are calibrated against field-measured data. Model-predicted flow and transport processes under current and future climates are discussed

  13. Three-dimensional attached viscous flow basic principles and theoretical foundations

    CERN Document Server

    Hirschel, Ernst Heinrich; Kordulla, Wilhelm

    2014-01-01

    Viscous flow is usually treated in the frame of boundary-layer theory and as a two-dimensional flow. At best, books on boundary layers provide the describing equations for three-dimensional boundary layers, and solutions only for certain special cases.   This book presents the basic principles and theoretical foundations of three-dimensional attached viscous flows as they apply to aircraft of all kinds. Though the primary flight speed range is that of civil air transport vehicles, flows past other flying vehicles up to hypersonic speeds are also considered. Emphasis is put on general three-dimensional attached viscous flows and not on three-dimensional boundary layers, as this wider scope is necessary in view of the theoretical and practical problems that have to be overcome in practice.   The specific topics covered include weak, strong, and global interaction; the locality principle; properties of three-dimensional viscous flows; thermal surface effects; characteristic properties; wall compatibility con...

  14. Characterizing 3-D flow velocity in evolving pore networks driven by CaCO3 precipitation and dissolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chojnicki, K. N.; Yoon, H.; Martinez, M. J.

    2015-12-01

    Understanding reactive flow in geomaterials is important for optimizing geologic carbon storage practices, such as using pore space efficiently. Flow paths can be complex in large degrees of geologic heterogeneities across scales. In addition, local heterogeneity can evolve as reactive transport processes alter the pore-scale morphology. For example, dissolved carbon dioxide may react with minerals in fractured rocks, confined aquifers, or faults, resulting in heterogeneous cementation (and/or dissolution) and evolving flow conditions. Both path and flow complexities are important and poorly characterized, making it difficult to determine their evolution with traditional 2-D transport models. Here we characterize the development of 3-D pore-scale flow with an evolving pore configuration due to calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation and dissolution. A simple pattern of a microfluidic pore network is used initially and pore structures will become more complex due to precipitation and dissolution processes. At several stages of precipitation and dissolution, we directly visualize 3-D velocity vectors using micro particle image velocimetry and a laser scanning confocal microscope. Measured 3-D velocity vectors are then compared to 3-D simulated flow fields which will be used to simulate reactive transport. Our findings will highlight the importance of the 3-D flow dynamics and its impact on estimating reactive surface area over time. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. This material is based upon work supported as part of the Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0001114.

  15. Characterization of the Inlet Port Flow under Steady-State Conditions Using PIV and POD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed El-Adawy

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The current study demonstrates an experimental investigation of the tumble flow structures using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV under steady-state conditions considering the central vertical tumble plane. The experiments were carried out on a four-valve, pent-roof Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI engine head at different valve lifts and with a pressure difference of 150 mmH2O across the intake valves. Furthermore, the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD analytical technique was applied to PIV-measured velocity vector maps to characterize the flow structures at various valve lifts, and hence the different rig tumble values. The results show that at low valve lifts (1 to 5 mm, 48.9 to 46.6% of the flow energy is concentrated in the large (mode 1 eddies with only 8.4 to 11.46% in mode 2 and 7.2 to 7.5 in mode 3. At high valve lifts, it can be clearly seen that some of the energy in the large eddies of mode 1 is transferred to the smaller flow structures of modes 2 and 3. This can be clearly seen at valve lift 10 mm where the values of the flow energy were 40.6%, 17.3%, and 8.0% for modes 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

  16. Flow cytometric characterization of cerebrospinal fluid cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Graaf, Marieke T; de Jongste, Arjen H C; Kraan, Jaco; Boonstra, Joke G; Sillevis Smitt, Peter A E; Gratama, Jan W

    2011-09-01

    Flow cytometry facilitates the detection of a large spectrum of cellular characteristics on a per cell basis, determination of absolute cell numbers and detection of rare events with high sensitivity and specificity. White blood cell (WBC) counts in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are important for the diagnosis of many neurological disorders. WBC counting and differential can be performed by microscopy, hematology analyzers, or flow cytometry. Flow cytometry of CSF is increasingly being considered as the method of choice in patients suspected of leptomeningeal localization of hematological malignancies. Additionally, in several neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and paraneoplastic neurological syndromes, flow cytometry is commonly performed to obtain insight into the immunopathogenesis of these diseases. Technically, the low cellularity of CSF samples, combined with the rapidly declining WBC viability, makes CSF flow cytometry challenging. Comparison of flow cytometry with microscopic and molecular techniques shows that each technique has its own advantages and is ideally combined. We expect that increasing the number of flow cytometric parameters that can be simultaneously studied within one sample, will further refine the information on CSF cell subsets in low-cellular CSF samples and enable to define cell populations more accurately. Copyright © 2011 International Clinical Cytometry Society.

  17. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MAIZE POLLEN TRANSCRIPTOME

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pollen is a primary vehicle for transgene flow from engineered plants to their non-transgenic, native or weedy relatives. Hence, gene flow will be affected by pollen fitness (e.g., how well a particular pollen grain can outcompete other pollen present on the stigma and complete ...

  18. Accelerated Lane-Changing Trajectory Planning of Automated Vehicles with Vehicle-to-Vehicle Collaboration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haijian Bai

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Considering the complexity of lane changing using automated vehicles and the frequency of turning lanes in city settings, this paper aims to generate an accelerated lane-changing trajectory using vehicle-to-vehicle collaboration (V2VC. Based on the characteristics of accelerated lane changing, we used a polynomial method and cooperative strategies for trajectory planning to establish a lane-changing model under different degrees of collaboration with the following vehicle in the target lane by considering vehicle kinematics and comfort requirements. Furthermore, considering the shortcomings of the traditional elliptical vehicle and round vehicle models, we established a rectangular vehicle model with collision boundary conditions by analysing the relationships between the possible collision points and the outline of the vehicle. Then, we established a simulation model for the accelerated lane-changing process in different environments under different degrees of collaboration. The results show that, by using V2VC, we can achieve safe accelerated lane-changing trajectories and simultaneously satisfy the requirements of vehicle kinematics and comfort control.

  19. A Simple Approach to Characterize Gas-Aqueous Liquid Two-phase Flow Configuration Based on Discrete Solid-Liquid Contact Electrification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Dongwhi; Lee, Donghyeon; Kim, Dong Sung

    2015-10-14

    In this study, we first suggest a simple approach to characterize configuration of gas-aqueous liquid two-phase flow based on discrete solid-liquid contact electrification, which is a newly defined concept as a sequential process of solid-liquid contact and successive detachment of the contact liquid from the solid surface. This approach exhibits several advantages such as simple operation, precise measurement, and cost-effectiveness. By using electric potential that is spontaneously generated by discrete solid-liquid contact electrification, the configurations of the gas-aqueous liquid two-phase flow such as size of a gas slug and flow rate are precisely characterized. According to the experimental and numerical analyses on parameters that affect electric potential, gas slugs have been verified to behave similarly to point electric charges when the measuring point of the electric potential is far enough from the gas slug. In addition, the configuration of the gas-aqueous liquid two-phase microfluidic system with multiple gas slugs is also characterized by using the presented approach. For a proof-of-concept demonstration of using the proposed approach in a self-triggered sensor, a gas slug detector with a counter system is developed to show its practicality and applicability.

  20. Characterization of 3D PET systems for accurate quantification of myocardial blood flow

    OpenAIRE

    Renaud, Jennifer M.; Yip, Kathy; Guimond, Jean; Trottier, Mikaël; Pibarot, Philippe; Turcotte, Éric; Maguire, Conor; Lalonde, Lucille; Gulenchyn, Karen; Farncombe, Troy; Wisenberg, Gerald; Moody, Jonathan; Lee, Benjamin; Port, Steven C.; Turkington, Timothy G

    2016-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) mode imaging is the current standard for positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) systems. Dynamic imaging for quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) with short-lived tracers, such as Rb-82- chloride (Rb-82), requires accuracy to be maintained over a wide range of isotope activities and scanner count-rates. We propose new performance standard measurements to characterize the dynamic range of PET systems for accurate quantitative...

  1. 混有协同自适应巡航控制车辆的异质交通流稳定性解析与基本图模型%Stability analysis and fundamental diagram of heterogeneous traffic flow mixed with cooperative adaptive cruise control vehicles

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    秦严严; 王昊; 王炜; 万千

    2017-01-01

    This paper is aimed at building a framework for string stability analysis of traffic flow mixed with different coop-erative adaptive cruise control (CACC) market penetration rates. In addition to the string stability, the fundamental diagram of the mixed flow is also taken into consideration for evaluating the effect of CACC vehicles on capacity. In order to describe the car-following dynamics of real CACC vehicles, the CACC model proposed by PATH is employed, which is validated by real experimental data. The intelligent driver model (IDM) is used as a surrogate car-following model for traditional manual driven vehicles. Based on the guidelines proposed by Ward [Ward J A 2009 P h. D. Dissertation (Bristol: University of Bristol)], a framework is developed for the analytical investigation of het-erogeneous traffic flow string stability. The framework presented considers the instability condition of traffic flow as a linear function of CACC market penetration rate. Following the framework, the string stabilities of the mixed traffic flow under different CACC market penetration rates and equilibrium velocities are analyzed. For fundamental diagram of the heterogeneous traffic flow, the equilibrium velocity-spacing functions of manual vehicles and CACC vehicles are obtained respectively based on car-following model. Then, the fundamental diagram of the density-velocity relationship of the heterogeneous traffic flow is derived based on the definition of trac flow density. In addition, the theoretical fundamental diagram is plotted to show the property of traffic throughput. The numerical simulations are also carried out in order to investigate the effect of CACC vehicle on the characteristics of fundamental diagram. Besides, sensitivity analyses on CACC desired time gap are conducted for both string stability and fundamental diagram. Analytical studies and simulation results are as follows. 1) The heterogeneous traffic flow is stable for different equilibrium velocities

  2. Super-resolved calibration-free flow cytometric characterization of platelets and cell-derived microparticles in platelet-rich plasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konokhova, Anastasiya I; Chernova, Darya N; Moskalensky, Alexander E; Strokotov, Dmitry I; Yurkin, Maxim A; Chernyshev, Andrei V; Maltsev, Valeri P

    2016-02-01

    Importance of microparticles (MPs), also regarded as extracellular vesicles, in many physiological processes and clinical conditions motivates one to use the most informative and precise methods for their characterization. Methods based on individual particle analysis provide statistically reliable distributions of MP population over characteristics. Although flow cytometry is one of the most powerful technologies of this type, the standard forward-versus-side-scattering plots of MPs and platelets (PLTs) overlap considerably because of similarity of their morphological characteristics. Moreover, ordinary flow cytometry is not capable of measurement of size and refractive index (RI) of MPs. In this study, we 1) employed the potential of the scanning flow cytometer (SFC) for identification and characterization of MPs from light scattering; 2) suggested the reference method to characterize MP morphology (size and RI) with high precision; and 3) determined the lowest size of a MP that can be characterized from light scattering with the SFC. We equipped the SFC with 405 and 488 nm lasers to measure the light-scattering profiles and side scattering from MPs, respectively. The developed two-stage method allowed accurate separation of PLTs and MPs in platelet-rich plasma. We used two optical models for MPs, a sphere and a bisphere, in the solution of the inverse light-scattering problem. This solution provides unprecedented precision in determination of size and RI of individual spherical MPs-median uncertainties (standard deviations) were 6 nm and 0.003, respectively. The developed method provides instrument-independent quantitative information on MPs, which can be used in studies of various factors affecting MP population. © 2015 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

  3. Parametric Study of Cantilever Plates Exposed to Supersonic and Hypersonic Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sri Harsha, A.; Rizwan, M.; Kuldeep, S.; Giridhara Prasad, A.; Akhil, J.; Nagaraja, S. R.

    2017-08-01

    Analysis of hypersonic flows associated with re-entry vehicles has gained a lot of significance due to the advancements in Aerospace Engineering. An area that is studied extensively by researchers is the simultaneous reduction aerodynamic drag and aero heating in re-entry vehicles. Out of the many strategies being studied, the use of aerospikes at the stagnation point of the vehicle is found to give favourable results. The structural stability of the aerospike becomes important as it is exposed to very high pressures and temperatures. Keeping this in view, the deflection and vibration of an inclined cantilever plate in hypersonic flow is carried out using ANSYS. Steady state pressure distribution obtained from Fluent is applied as load to the transient structural module for analysis. After due validation of the methods, the effects of parameters like flow Mach number, plate inclination and plate thickness on the deflection and vibration are studied.

  4. Prediction equation for vehicle-pedestrian crash and safety analysis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The occurrences of vehicle-pedestrian crashes at signalized intersections were investigated using a 3 year (2004-2006) crash records of 82 signalized intersections in Accra, Kumasi, Tema, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tamale. The data were analyzed using Micro-computer Accident Analysis Package. Traffic flow characteristics ...

  5. Stirling engine electric hybrid vehicle propulsion system conceptual design study. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dochat, G; Artiles, A; Killough, J; Ray, A; Chen, H S

    1978-08-01

    Results of a six-month study to characterize a series Stirling engine electric hybrid vehicle propulsion system are presented. The Stirling engine was selected as the heat conversion element to exploit the high efficiency (> .36), low pollution, multi-fuel and quiet operation of this machine. A free-piston Stirling engine driving a linear alternator in a hermatically sealed enclosure was chosen to gain the reliability, long life, and maintenance free characteristics of a sealed unit. The study performs trade off evaluations, selection of engine, battery, motor and inverter size, optimization of components, and develops a conceptual design and characterization of the total propulsion system. The conclusion of the study is that a Stirling engine electric hybrid propulsion system can be used successfully to augment the battery storage of a passenger vehicle and will result in significant savings of petroleum energy over present passenger vehicles. The performance and range augmentation of the hybrid design results in significant improvements over an all electric vehicle. The hybrid will be capable of performing 99% of the passenger vehicle annual trip distribution requirements with extremely low fuel usage. (TFD)

  6. A new rechargeable intelligent vehicle detection sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, L; Han, X B; Ding, R; Li, G; Lu, Steven C-Y; Hong, Q

    2005-01-01

    Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is a valid approach to solve the increasing transportation issue in cities. Vehicle detection is one of the key technologies in ITS. The ITS collects and processes traffic data (vehicle flow, vehicular speed, vehicle density and occupancy ratios) from vehicle detection sensors buried under the road or installed along the road. Inductive loop detector as one type of the vehicle detector is applied extensively, with the characters of stability, high value to cost ratio and feasibility. On the other hand, most of the existing inductive loop vehicle detection sensors have some weak points such as friability of detective loop, huge engineering for setting and traffic interruption during installing the sensor. The design and reality of a new rechargeable intelligent vehicle detection sensor is presented in this paper against these weak points existing now. The sensor consists of the inductive loop detector, the rechargeable batteries, the MCU (microcontroller) and the transmitter. In order to reduce the installing project amount, make the loop durable and easily maintained, the volume of the detective loop is reduced as much as we can. Communication in RF (radio frequency) brings on the advantages of getting rid of the feeder cable completely and reducing the installing project amount enormously. For saving the cable installation, the sensor is supplied by the rechargeable batteries. The purpose of the intelligent management of the energy and transmitter by means of MCU is to minimize the power consumption and prolong the working period of the sensor. In a word, the new sensor is more feasible with smaller volume, wireless communication, rechargeable batteries, low power consumption, low cost, high detector precision and easy maintenance and installation

  7. A new rechargeable intelligent vehicle detection sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, L [Inspiring Technology Research Laboratory, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Han, X B [Inspiring Technology Research Laboratory, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Ding, R [Tianjin University of Technology and Education, Tianjin 300222 (China); Li, G [Inspiring Technology Research Laboratory, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Lu, Steven C-Y [Inspiring Technology Research Laboratory, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China); Hong, Q [Inspiring Technology Research Laboratory, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072 (China)

    2005-01-01

    Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is a valid approach to solve the increasing transportation issue in cities. Vehicle detection is one of the key technologies in ITS. The ITS collects and processes traffic data (vehicle flow, vehicular speed, vehicle density and occupancy ratios) from vehicle detection sensors buried under the road or installed along the road. Inductive loop detector as one type of the vehicle detector is applied extensively, with the characters of stability, high value to cost ratio and feasibility. On the other hand, most of the existing inductive loop vehicle detection sensors have some weak points such as friability of detective loop, huge engineering for setting and traffic interruption during installing the sensor. The design and reality of a new rechargeable intelligent vehicle detection sensor is presented in this paper against these weak points existing now. The sensor consists of the inductive loop detector, the rechargeable batteries, the MCU (microcontroller) and the transmitter. In order to reduce the installing project amount, make the loop durable and easily maintained, the volume of the detective loop is reduced as much as we can. Communication in RF (radio frequency) brings on the advantages of getting rid of the feeder cable completely and reducing the installing project amount enormously. For saving the cable installation, the sensor is supplied by the rechargeable batteries. The purpose of the intelligent management of the energy and transmitter by means of MCU is to minimize the power consumption and prolong the working period of the sensor. In a word, the new sensor is more feasible with smaller volume, wireless communication, rechargeable batteries, low power consumption, low cost, high detector precision and easy maintenance and installation.

  8. Physiological demands of off-road vehicle riding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burr, Jamie F; Jamnik, Veronica K; Shaw, Jim A; Gledhill, Norman

    2010-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to characterize the physiological demands of recreational off-road vehicle riding under typical riding conditions using habitual recreational off-road vehicle riders (n = 128). Comparisons of the physical demands of off-road vehicle riding were made between vehicle types (all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and off-road motorcycle (ORM)) to the demands of common recreational activities. Habitual riders (ATV = 56, ORM = 72) performed strength assessments before and after a representative trail ride (48 +/- 24.2 min), and ambulatory oxygen consumption was measured during one lap (24.2 +/- 11.8 min) of the ride. The mean VO2 requirement (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)) while riding an off-road vehicle was 12.1 +/- 4.9 for ATV and 21.3 +/- 7.1 for ORM (P = 0.002), which is comparable to the VO2 required of many common recreational activities. Temporal analysis of activity intensity revealed approximately 14% of an ATV ride and 38% of an ORM ride are within the intensity range (940% VO2 reserve) required to achieve changes in aerobic fitness. Riding on a representative course also led to muscular fatigue, particularly in the upper body. On the basis of the measured metabolic demands, evidence of muscular strength requirements, and the associated caloric expenditures with off-road vehicle riding, this alternative form of activity conforms to the recommended physical activity guidelines and can be effective for achieving beneficial changes in health and fitness.

  9. Hybrid Video Stabilization for Mobile Vehicle Detection on SURF in Aerial Surveillance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gao Chunxian

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Detection of moving vehicles in aerial video sequences is of great importance with many promising applications in surveillance, intelligence transportation, or public service applications such as emergency evacuation and policy security. However, vehicle detection is a challenging task due to global camera motion, low resolution of vehicles, and low contrast between vehicles and background. In this paper, we present a hybrid method to efficiently detect moving vehicle in aerial videos. Firstly, local feature extraction and matching were performed to estimate the global motion. It was demonstrated that the Speeded Up Robust Feature (SURF key points were more suitable for the stabilization task. Then, a list of dynamic pixels was obtained and grouped for different moving vehicles by comparing the different optical flow normal. To enhance the precision of detection, some preprocessing methods were applied to the surveillance system, such as road extraction and other features. A quantitative evaluation on real video sequences indicated that the proposed method improved the detection performance significantly.

  10. Optimization of the Upper Surface of Hypersonic Vehicle Based on CFD Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, T. Y.; Cui, K.; Hu, S. C.; Wang, X. P.; Yang, G. W.

    2011-09-01

    For the hypersonic vehicle, the aerodynamic performance becomes more intensive. Therefore, it is a significant event to optimize the shape of the hypersonic vehicle to achieve the project demands. It is a key technology to promote the performance of the hypersonic vehicle with the method of shape optimization. Based on the existing vehicle, the optimization to the upper surface of the Simplified hypersonic vehicle was done to obtain a shape which suits the project demand. At the cruising condition, the upper surface was parameterized with the B-Spline curve method. The incremental parametric method and the reconstruction technology of the local mesh were applied here. The whole flow field was been calculated and the aerodynamic performance of the craft were obtained by the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technology. Then the vehicle shape was optimized to achieve the maximum lift-drag ratio at attack angle 3°, 4° and 5°. The results will provide the reference for the practical design.

  11. Characterization of coherent structures in three-dimensional turbulent flows using the finite-size Lyapunov exponent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bettencourt, João H; López, Cristóbal; Hernández-García, Emilio

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we use the finite-size Lyapunov exponent (FSLE) to characterize Lagrangian coherent structures in three-dimensional (3D) turbulent flows. Lagrangian coherent structures act as the organizers of transport in fluid flows and are crucial to understand their stirring and mixing properties. Generalized maxima (ridges) of the FSLE fields are used to locate these coherent structures. 3D FSLE fields are calculated in two phenomenologically distinct turbulent flows: a wall-bounded flow (channel flow) and a regional oceanic flow obtained by the numerical solution of the primitive equations where two-dimensional (2D) turbulence dominates. In the channel flow, autocorrelations of the FSLE field show that the structure is substantially different from the near wall to the mid-channel region and relates well to the more widely studied Eulerian coherent structure of the turbulent channel flow. The ridges of the FSLE field have complex shapes due to the 3D character of the turbulent fluctuations. In the oceanic flow, strong horizontal stirring is present and the flow regime is similar to that of 2D turbulence where the domain is populated by coherent eddies that interact strongly. This in turn results in the presence of high FSLE lines throughout the domain leading to strong non-local mixing. The ridges of the FSLE field are quasi-vertical surfaces, indicating that the horizontal dynamics dominates the flow. Indeed, due to rotation and stratification, vertical motions in the ocean are much less intense than horizontal ones. This suppression is absent in the channel flow, as the 3D character of the FSLE ridges shows. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to ‘Lyapunov analysis: from dynamical systems theory to applications’. (paper)

  12. The systems of automatic weight control of vehicles in the road and rail transport in Poland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available . Condition of roads in Poland, despite the on-going modernisation works is still unsatisfactory. One reason is the excessive wear caused by overloaded vehicles. This problem also applies to rail transport, although to a much lesser extent. One solution may be the system of automatic weight control of road and rail vehicles. The article describes the legal and organizational conditions of oversize vehicles inspection in Poland. Characterized current practices weighing road vehicles, based on measurements of static technology. The article includes the description of the existing applications of the automatic dynamic weighing technology, known as systems WIM (Weigh in Motion. Additionally, the weighing technology and construction of weighing stands in road and rail are characterized. The article ends with authors' conclusions indicating the direction and ways of improving the weighing control systems for vehicles.

  13. Reducing Traffic Congestions by Introducing CACC-Vehicles on a Multi-Lane Highway Using Agent-Based Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnaout, Georges M.; Bowling, Shannon R.

    2011-01-01

    Traffic congestion is an ongoing problem of great interest to researchers from different areas in academia. With the emerging technology for inter-vehicle communication, vehicles have the ability to exchange information with predecessors by wireless communication. In this paper, we present an agent-based model of traffic congestion and examine the impact of having CACC (Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control) embedded vehicle(s) on a highway system consisting of 4 traffic lanes without overtaking. In our model, CACC vehicles adapt their acceleration/deceleration according to vehicle-to-vehicle inter-communication. We analyze the average speed of the cars, the shockwaves, and the evolution of traffic congestion throughout the lifecycle of the model. The study identifies how CACC vehicles affect the dynamics of traffic flow on a complex network and reduce the oscillatory behavior (stop and go) resulting from the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicles.

  14. Autonomous terrain characterization and modelling for dynamic control of unmanned vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talukder, A.; Manduchi, R.; Castano, R.; Owens, K.; Matthies, L.; Castano, A.; Hogg, R.

    2002-01-01

    This end-to-end obstacle negotiation system is envisioned to be useful in optimized path planning and vehicle navigation in terrain conditions cluttered with vegetation, bushes, rocks, etc. Results on natural terrain with various natural materials are presented.

  15. Travel Time Model for Right-Turning Vehicles of Secondary Street at Unsignalized Intersections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Yu-Qin

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The travel time of right-turning vehicles on secondary street at unsignalized intersection is discussed in this paper. Under the assumption that the major-street through vehicles’ headway follows Erlang distribution and secondary-street right-turning vehicles’ headway follows Poisson distribution. The right-turning vehicles travel time model is established on the basis of gap theory and M/G/1 queue theory. Comparison is done with the common model based on the assumption that the major-street vehicles’ headway follows Poisson distribution. An intersection is selected to verify each model. The results show that the model established in this paper has stronger applicability, and its most relative error is less than 15%. In addition, the sensitivity analysis has been done. The results show that right-turning flow rate and major-street flow rate have a significant impact on the travel time. Hence, the methodology for travel time of right-turning vehicles at unsignalized intersection proposed in this paper is effective and applicable.

  16. Identification and Characterization of Plasma Cells in Normal Human Bone Marrow by High-Resolution Flow Cytometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Terstappen, Leonardus Wendelinus Mathias Marie; Johnsen, Steen; Segers-Nolten, Gezina M.J.; Loken, Michael R.

    1990-01-01

    The low frequency of plasma cells and the lack of specific cell surface markers has been a major obstacle for a detailed characterization of plasma cells in normal human bone marrow. Multiparameter flow cytometry enabled the identification of plasma cells in normal bone marrow aspirates. The plasma

  17. Preliminary characterization of an expanding flow of siloxane vapor MDM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spinelli, A.; Cozzi, F.; Cammi, G.; Zocca, M.; Gaetani, P.; Dossena, V.; Guardone, A.

    2017-03-01

    The early experimental results on the characterization of expanding flows of siloxane vapor MDM (C8H24O2Si3, octamethyltrisiloxane) are presented. The measurements were performed on the Test Rig for Organic VApors (TROVA) at the CREA Laboratory of Politecnico di Milano. The TROVA test-rig was built in order to investigate the non-ideal compressible-fluid behavior of typical expanding flows occurring within organic Rankine cycles (ORC) turbine passages. The test rig implements a batch Rankine cycle where a planar converging-diverging nozzle replaces the turbine and represents a test section. Investigations related to both fields of non-ideal compressible-fluid dynamics fundamentals and turbomachinery are allowed. The nozzle can be operated with different working fluids and operating conditions aiming at measuring independently the pressure, the temperature and the velocity field and thus providing data to verify the thermo-fluid dynamic models adopted to predict the behavior of these flows. The limiting values of pressure and temperature are 50 bar and 400 °C respectively. The early measurements are performed along the nozzle axis, where an isentropic process is expected to occur. In particular, the results reported here refer to the nozzle operated in adapted conditions using the siloxane vapor MDM as working fluid in thermodynamic regions where mild to medium non-ideal compressible-fluid effects are present. Both total temperature and total pressure of the nozzle are measured upstream of the test section, while static pressure are measured along the nozzle axis. Schlieren visualizations are also carried out in order to complement the pressure measurement with information about the 2D density gradient field. The Laser Doppler Velocimetry technique is planned to be used in the future for velocity measurements. The measured flow field has also been interpreted by resorting to the quasi-one-dimensional theory and two dimensional CFD viscous calculation. In both cases

  18. Characterization of the cavitating flow in converging-diverging nozzle based on experimental investigations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rudolf Pavel

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Cavitation phenomena occuring in converging-diverging nozzle (Venturi tube are described in the paper. A closed test circuit with possibility to control both flow rate and static pressure level were used. Loss coefficient was evaluated for different sigma numbers resulting in full „static“ characterization of the nozzle. Visualizations of the cavitation pattern development were acquired and matched with evolution of the loss coefficient. Three cavitation regimes are described: partial cavitation, fully developed cavitation, supercavitation.

  19. Effects of vehicle power on passenger vehicle speeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCartt, Anne T; Hu, Wen

    2017-07-04

    During the past 2 decades, there have been large increases in mean horsepower and the mean horsepower-to-vehicle weight ratio for all types of new passenger vehicles in the United States. This study examined the relationship between travel speeds and vehicle power, defined as horsepower per 100 pounds of vehicle weight. Speed cameras measured travel speeds and photographed license plates and drivers of passenger vehicles traveling on roadways in Northern Virginia during daytime off-peak hours in spring 2013. The driver licensing agencies in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia provided vehicle information numbers (VINs) by matching license plate numbers with vehicle registration records and provided the age, gender, and ZIP code of the registered owner(s). VINs were decoded to obtain the curb weight and horsepower of vehicles. The study focused on 26,659 observed vehicles for which information on horsepower was available and the observed age and gender of drivers matched vehicle registration records. Log-linear regression estimated the effects of vehicle power on mean travel speeds, and logistic regression estimated the effects of vehicle power on the likelihood of a vehicle traveling over the speed limit and more than 10 mph over the limit. After controlling for driver characteristics, speed limit, vehicle type, and traffic volume, a 1-unit increase in vehicle power was associated with a 0.7% increase in mean speed, a 2.7% increase in the likelihood of a vehicle exceeding the speed limit by any amount, and an 11.6% increase in the likelihood of a vehicle exceeding the limit by 10 mph. All of these increases were highly significant. Speeding persists as a major factor in crashes in the United States. There are indications that travel speeds have increased in recent years. The current findings suggest the trend toward substantially more powerful vehicles may be contributing to higher speeds. Given the strong association between travel speed and crash

  20. Design of a stable fuzzy controller for an articulated vehicle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, K; Kosaki, T

    1997-01-01

    This paper presents a backward movement control of an articulated vehicle via a model-based fuzzy control technique. A nonlinear dynamic model of the articulated vehicle is represented by a Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model. The concept of parallel distributed compensation is employed to design a fuzzy controller from the Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model of the articulated vehicle. Stability of the designed fuzzy control system is guaranteed via Lyapunov approach. The stability conditions are characterized in terms of linear matrix inequalities since the stability analysis is reduced to a problem of finding a common Lyapunov function for a set of Lyapunov inequalities. Simulation results and experimental results show that the designed fuzzy controller effectively achieves the backward movement control of the articulated vehicle.

  1. An overview of experimental results and dispersion modelling of nanoparticles in the wake of moving vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carpentieri, Matteo; Kumar, Prashant; Robins, Alan

    2011-01-01

    Understanding the transformation of nanoparticles emitted from vehicles is essential for developing appropriate methods for treating fine scale particle dynamics in dispersion models. This article provides an overview of significant research work relevant to modelling the dispersion of pollutants, especially nanoparticles, in the wake of vehicles. Literature on vehicle wakes and nanoparticle dispersion is reviewed, taking into account field measurements, wind tunnel experiments and mathematical approaches. Field measurements and modelling studies highlighted the very short time scales associated with nanoparticle transformations in the first stages after the emission. These transformations strongly interact with the flow and turbulence fields immediately behind the vehicle, hence the need of characterising in detail the mixing processes in the vehicle wake. Very few studies have analysed this interaction and more research is needed to build a basis for model development. A possible approach is proposed and areas of further investigation identified. - Research highlights: → Nanoparticle emissions experience very short transformation time scales. → Vehicle wakes need to be characterised to analyse nanoparticle dispersion. → Fast response measurements of nanoparticle evolution in vehicle wakes are very rare. → Wind tunnel methodologies can be further improved to include nanoparticle dynamics. → A simple mathematical approach has been proposed for future development. - The transformation of nanoparticles and the flow characteristics in both the near and far wake regions must be understood in order to develop mathematical models.

  2. Heterogeneous traffic flow modelling using second-order macroscopic continuum model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, Ranju; Ramadurai, Gitakrishnan

    2017-01-01

    Modelling heterogeneous traffic flow lacking in lane discipline is one of the emerging research areas in the past few years. The two main challenges in modelling are: capturing the effect of varying size of vehicles, and the lack in lane discipline, both of which together lead to the 'gap filling' behaviour of vehicles. The same section length of the road can be occupied by different types of vehicles at the same time, and the conventional measure of traffic concentration, density (vehicles per lane per unit length), is not a good measure for heterogeneous traffic modelling. First aim of this paper is to have a parsimonious model of heterogeneous traffic that can capture the unique phenomena of gap filling. Second aim is to emphasize the suitability of higher-order models for modelling heterogeneous traffic. Third, the paper aims to suggest area occupancy as concentration measure of heterogeneous traffic lacking in lane discipline. The above mentioned two main challenges of heterogeneous traffic flow are addressed by extending an existing second-order continuum model of traffic flow, using area occupancy for traffic concentration instead of density. The extended model is calibrated and validated with field data from an arterial road in Chennai city, and the results are compared with those from few existing generalized multi-class models.

  3. Flapping and flexible wings for biological and micro air vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shyy, Wei; Berg, Mats; Ljungqvist, Daniel

    1999-07-01

    Micro air vehicles (MAVs) with wing spans of 15 cm or less, and flight speed of 30-60 kph are of interest for military and civilian applications. There are two prominent features of MAV flight: (i) low Reynolds number (10 4-10 5), resulting in unfavorable aerodynamic conditions to support controlled flight, and (ii) small physical dimensions, resulting in certain favorable scaling characteristics including structural strength, reduced stall speed, and low inertia. Based on observations of biological flight vehicles, it appears that wing motion and flexible airfoils are two key attributes for flight at low Reynolds number. The small size of MAVs corresponds in nature to small birds, which do not glide like large birds, but instead flap with considerable change of wing shape during a single flapping cycle. With flapping and flexible wings, birds overcome the deteriorating aerodynamic performance under steady flow conditions by employing unsteady mechanisms. In this article, we review both biological and aeronautical literatures to present salient features relevant to MAVs. We first summarize scaling laws of biological and micro air vehicles involving wing span, wing loading, vehicle mass, cruising speed, flapping frequency, and power. Next we discuss kinematics of flapping wings and aerodynamic models for analyzing lift, drag and power. Then we present issues related to low Reynolds number flows and airfoil shape selection. Recent work on flexible structures capable of adjusting the airfoil shape in response to freestream variations is also discussed.

  4. Experimental and numerical study of the flow field around a small car

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dobrev Ivan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the aerodynamic study of a small car, which participated in Shell Ecomarathon Europe competition in the Urban Concept Hydrogen class. The goal is to understand the flow field around the vehicle. First, the flow is studied numerically using computational aerodynamics. The numerical simulation is carried out by means of CFD Fluent in order to obtain the drag force experienced by the vehicle and also the flow field. Then the flow field around the car is studied in a wind tunnel by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV. The comparison of the flow fields obtained numerically and experimentally shows good correspondence. The obtained results are very helpful for future car development and permit to improve the drag and to obtain a good stability.

  5. Structuring of Road Traffic Flows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Planko Rožić

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Systemic traffic count on the Croatian road network hasbeen carried out for more than three decades in different ways.During this period a large number of automatic traffic countershave been installed, and they operate on different principles.The traffic count has been analyzed from the aspect of vehicleclassification. The count results can be only partly comparedsince they yield different structures of traffic flows. Special analysisrefers to the classification of vehicles by automatic trafficcounters.During the research, a database has been formed with physicalelements of vehicles of over five thousand vehicle types. Theresearch results prove that the vehicle length only is not sufficientfor the classification of vehicles, the way it is used in thepresent automatic traffic counts, but rather the number of axles,the wheelbase as well as the front and rear overhangs needto be considered as well. Therefore, the detector system shouldapply also the detector of axles.The results have been presented that were obtained as partof the program TEST- Technological, research, developmentproject supported by the Minist1y of Science, Education andSport.

  6. Investigation of CO2 emission reduction strategy from in-use gasoline vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhary, Arti; Gokhale, Sharad

    2016-04-01

    On road transport emissions is kicking off in Indian cities due to high levels of urbanization and economic growth during the last decade in Indian subcontinent. In 1951, about 17% of India's population were living in urban areas that increased to 32% in 2011. Currently, India is fourth largest Green House Gas (GHG) emitter in the world, with its transport sector being the second largest contributor of CO2 emissions. For achieving prospective carbon reduction targets, substantial opportunity among in-use vehicle is necessary to quantify. Since, urban traffic flow and operating condition has significant impact on exhaust emission (Choudhary and Gokhale, 2016). This study examined the influence of vehicular operating kinetics on CO2 emission from predominant private transportation vehicles of Indian metropolitan city, Guwahati. On-board instantaneous data were used to quantify the impact of CO2 emission on different mileage passenger cars and auto-rickshaws at different times of the day. Further study investigates CO2 emission reduction strategies by using International Vehicle Emission (IVE) model to improve co-benefit in private transportation by integrated effort such as gradual phase-out of inefficient vehicle and low carbon fuel. The analysis suggests that fuel type, vehicles maintenance and traffic flow management have potential for reduction of urban sector GHG emissions. Keywords: private transportation, CO2, instantaneous emission, IVE model Reference Choudhary, A., Gokhale, S. (2016). Urban real-world driving traffic emissions during interruption and congestion. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 43: 59-70.

  7. Remote Underwater Characterization System - Innovative Technology Summary Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willis, W.D.

    1999-01-01

    Characterization and inspection of water-cooled and moderated nuclear reactors and fuel storage pools requires equipment capable of operating underwater. Similarly, the deactivation and decommissioning of older nuclear facilities often requires the facility owner to accurately characterize underwater structures and equipment which may have been sitting idle for years. The Remote Underwater Characterization System (RUCS) is a small, remotely operated submersible vehicle intended to serve multiple purposes in underwater nuclear operations. It is based on the commercially-available Scallop vehicle 1 , but has been modified by the Department of Energys Robotics Technology Development Program to add auto-depth control, and vehicle orientation and depth monitoring at the operator control panel. The RUCS is designed to provide visual and gamma radiation characterization, even in confined or limited access areas. It was demonstrated in August 1998 at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) as part of the INEEL Large Scale Demonstration and Deployment Project. During the demonstration it was compared in a ''head-to-head fashion with the baseline characterization technology. This paper summarizes the results of the demonstration and lessons learned; comparing and contrasting both technologies in the areas of cost, visual characterization, radiological characterization, and overall operations

  8. The impact of traffic-flow patterns on air quality in urban street canyons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thaker, Prashant; Gokhale, Sharad

    2016-01-01

    We investigated the effect of different urban traffic-flow patterns on pollutant dispersion in different winds in a real asymmetric street canyon. Free-flow traffic causes more turbulence in the canyon facilitating more dispersion and a reduction in pedestrian level concentration. The comparison of with and without a vehicle-induced-turbulence revealed that when winds were perpendicular, the free-flow traffic reduced the concentration by 73% on the windward side with a minor increase of 17% on the leeward side, whereas for parallel winds, it reduced the concentration by 51% and 29%. The congested-flow traffic increased the concentrations on the leeward side by 47% when winds were perpendicular posing a higher risk to health, whereas reduced it by 17–42% for parallel winds. The urban air quality and public health can, therefore, be improved by improving the traffic-flow patterns in street canyons as vehicle-induced turbulence has been shown to contribute significantly to dispersion. - Highlights: • CFD is used to study impact of traffic-flow patterns on urban air quality. • Facilitating free-flow patterns induce more turbulence in street canyons. • Traffic-generated turbulence alters pollutant levels in urban street canyons. - This study investigates the effect of vehicle-induced-turbulence generated during free-flow traffic pattern in reduction of air pollutant concentrations in urban street canyons.

  9. Computational fluid dynamics incompressible turbulent flows

    CERN Document Server

    Kajishima, Takeo

    2017-01-01

    This textbook presents numerical solution techniques for incompressible turbulent flows that occur in a variety of scientific and engineering settings including aerodynamics of ground-based vehicles and low-speed aircraft, fluid flows in energy systems, atmospheric flows, and biological flows. This book encompasses fluid mechanics, partial differential equations, numerical methods, and turbulence models, and emphasizes the foundation on how the governing partial differential equations for incompressible fluid flow can be solved numerically in an accurate and efficient manner. Extensive discussions on incompressible flow solvers and turbulence modeling are also offered. This text is an ideal instructional resource and reference for students, research scientists, and professional engineers interested in analyzing fluid flows using numerical simulations for fundamental research and industrial applications. • Introduces CFD techniques for incompressible flow and turbulence with a comprehensive approach; • Enr...

  10. Characterizing saccular aortic arch aneurysms from the geometry-flow dynamics relationship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natsume, Kayoko; Shiiya, Norihiko; Takehara, Yasuo; Sugiyama, Masataka; Satoh, Hiroshi; Yamashita, Katsushi; Washiyama, Naoki

    2017-06-01

    Low wall shear stress (WSS) has been reported to be associated with accelerated atherosclerosis, aneurysm growth, or rupture. We evaluated the geometry of aortic arch aneurysms and their relationship with WSS by using the 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging to better characterize the saccular aneurysms. We analyzed the geometry in 100 patients using multiplanar reconstruction of computed tomography. We evaluated WSS and vortex flow using 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging in 16 of them, which were compared with 8 age-matched control subjects and eight healthy young volunteers. Eighty-two patients had a saccular aneurysm, and 18 had a fusiform aneurysm. External diameter/aneurysm length ratio and sac depth/neck width ratio of the fusiform aneurysms were constant at 0.76 ± 0.18 and 0.23 ± 0.09, whereas those of saccular aneurysms, especially those involving the outer curvature, were higher and more variable. Vortex flow was always present in the aneurysms, resulting in low WSS. When the sac depth/neck width ratio was less than 0.8, peak WSS correlated inversely with luminal diameter even in the saccular aneurysms. When this ratio exceeded 0.8, which was the case only with the saccular aneurysms, such correlation no longer existed and WSS was invariably low. Fusiform aneurysms elongate as they dilate, and WSS is lower as the diameter is larger. Saccular aneurysms dilate without proportionate elongation, and they, especially those occupying the inner curvature, have higher and variable sac depth/neck width ratio. When this ratio exceeds 0.8, WSS is low regardless of diameter, which may explain their malignant clinical behavior. Copyright © 2016 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Road traffic flow and impact on environment in Hyderabad city

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Memon, Zaheer-ud-Din; Ansari, A.K.; Memon, S.A.

    2000-01-01

    In Hyderabad city due to dramatic increase in traffic intensity on the roads, traffic flow have been much beyond the comfortable limits. High values of traffic flow density have been recorded on Court Road (34.05%), Tilak Road (19.87%), Risala Road (22.91%) and Cafe George (23.14%) of Hyderabad city. Above 80% people are found to be annoyed due to traffic congestion, noise and smoke resulting in health ailments. Slow Moving Vehicles (SMVs) comprising of animal and hand drawn vehicles (rehras) cause serious disruption in the traffic stream on city roads, which are ultimately causing traffic-jam condition resulting a serious impact on environment. No definite parking places exist for public vehicles because of encroachment on roads. Proper foot paths are not available for pedestrian, which results in increase in accidents. (author)

  12. Poster Abstract: Automatic Calibration of Device Attitude in Inertial Measurement Unit Based Traffic Probe Vehicles

    KAUST Repository

    Mousa, Mustafa

    2016-04-28

    Probe vehicles consist in mobile traffic sensor networks that evolve with the flow of vehicles, transmitting velocity and position measurements along their path, generated using GPSs. To address the urban positioning issues of GPSs, we propose to replace them with inertial measurement units onboard vehicles, to estimate vehicle location and attitude using inertial data only. While promising, this technology requires one to carefully calibrate the orientation of the device inside the vehicle to be able to process the acceleration and rate gyro data. In this article, we propose a scheme that can perform this calibration automatically by leveraging the kinematic constraints of ground vehicles, and that can be implemented on low-end computational platforms. Preliminary testing shows that the proposed scheme enables one to accurately estimate the actual accelerations and rotation rates in the vehicle coordinates. © 2016 IEEE.

  13. Effects of the partially movable control fin with end plate of underwater vehicle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chul-Min Jung

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Underwater torpedo has control fin with very low aspect ratio due to launching from limited size of cylindrical torpedo tube. If the aspect ratio of control fin of underwater vehicle is very low three-dimensional flow around control fin largely reduces control forces. In this study, the end plate was applied to reduce the three-dimensional flow effects of partially movable control fin of underwater vehicle. Through numerical simulations the flow field around control fin was examined with and without end plate for different flap angles. The pressure, vorticity, lift and torque on the control fin were analyzed and compared to experiments. The comparison have shown a reasonable agreement between numerical and experimental results and the effect of end plate on a low aspect ratio control fin. When the end plate was attached to the movable control fin, the lift increased and the actuator shaft torque did not significantly change. As this means less consumption of the actuator shaft torque compared to the control fin that has the same control force, the inner actuator capacity can be reduced and energy consumption can be saved. Considering this, it is expected to be effectively applied to the control fin design of underwater vehicles such as torpedoes.

  14. SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF MAJOR TRENDS IN DEVELOPMENT OF ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENT METHODS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. N. Klimovich

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Adaptive algorithms, which current traffic systems are based on, exist for many decades. Information technologies have developed significantly over this period and it makes more relevant their application in the field of transport. This paper analyses modern trends in the development of adaptive traffic flow control methods. Reviewed the most perspective directions in the field of intelligent transport systems, such as high-speed wireless communication between vehicles and road infrastructure based on such technologies as DSRC and WAVE, traffic jams prediction having such features as traffic flow information, congestion, velocity of vehicles using machine learning, fuzzy logic rules and genetic algorithms, application of driver assistance systems to increase vehicle’s autonomy. Advantages of such technologies in safety, efficiency and usability of transport are shown. Described multi-agent approach, which uses V2I-communication between vehicles and intersection controller to improve efficiency of control due to more complete traffic flow information and possibility to give orders to separate vehicles. Presented number of algorithms which use such approach to create new generation of adaptive transport systems.

  15. Automated mixed traffic transit vehicle microprocessor controller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marks, R. A.; Cassell, P.; Johnston, A. R.

    1981-01-01

    An improved Automated Mixed Traffic Vehicle (AMTV) speed control system employing a microprocessor and transistor chopper motor current controller is described and its performance is presented in terms of velocity versus time curves. The on board computer hardware and software systems are described as is the software development system. All of the programming used in this controller was implemented using FORTRAN. This microprocessor controller made possible a number of safety features and improved the comfort associated with starting and shopping. In addition, most of the vehicle's performance characteristics can be altered by simple program parameter changes. A failure analysis of the microprocessor controller was generated and the results are included. Flow diagrams for the speed control algorithms and complete FORTRAN code listings are also included.

  16. Overview of the Capstone Depleted Uranium Study of Aerosols from Impact with Armored Vehicles: Test Setup and Aerosol Generation, Characterization, and Application in Assessing Dose and Risk

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parkhurst, MaryAnn; Guilmette, Raymond A.

    2009-01-01

    The Capstone Depleted Uranium (DU) Aerosol Characterization and Risk Assessment Study was conducted to generate data about DU aerosols generated during the perforation of armored combat vehicles with large-caliber DU penetrators, and to apply the data in assessments of human health risks to personnel exposed to these aerosols, primarily through inhalation, during the 1991 Gulf War or in future military operations. The Capstone study consisted of two components: (1) generating, sampling and characterizing DU aerosols by firing at and perforating combat vehicles and (2) applying the source-term quantities and characteristics of the aerosols to the evaluation of doses and risks. This paper reviews the background of the study including the bases for the study, previous reviews of DU particles and health assessments from DU used by the U.S. military, the objectives of the study components, the participants and oversight teams, and the types of exposures it was intended to evaluate. It then discusses exposure scenarios used in the dose and risk assessment and provides an overview of how the field tests and dose and risk assessments were conducted

  17. Refueling availability for alternative fuel vehicle markets: Sufficient urban station coverage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melaina, Marc; Bremson, Joel

    2008-01-01

    Alternative fuel vehicles can play an important role in addressing the challenges of climate change, energy security, urban air pollution and the continued growth in demand for transportation services. The successful commercialization of alternative fuels for vehicles is contingent upon a number of factors, including vehicle cost and performance. Among fuel infrastructure issues, adequate refueling availability is one of the most fundamental to successful commercialization. A commonly cited source reports 164,300 refueling stations in operation nationwide. However, from the perspective of refueling availability, this nationwide count tends to overstate the number of stations required to support the widespread deployment of alternative fuel vehicles. In terms of spatial distribution, the existing gasoline station networks in many urban areas are more than sufficient. We characterize a sufficient level of urban coverage based upon a subset of cities served by relatively low-density station networks, and estimate that some 51,000 urban stations would be required to provide this sufficient level of coverage to all major urban areas, 33 percent less than our estimate of total urban stations. This improved characterization will be useful for engineering, economic and policy analyses. (author)

  18. Mouse monoclonal antibodies against human c-Mpl and characterization for flow cytometry applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbott, Christina; Huang, Guo; Ellison, Aaron R; Chen, Ching; Arora, Taruna; Szilvassy, Stephen J; Wei, Ping

    2010-04-01

    Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against human c-Mpl, the cognate receptor for thrombopoietin (TPO), were generated using hybridoma technology and characterized by various assays to demonstrate their specificity and affinity. Two such MAbs, 1.6 and 1.75, were determined to be superior for flow cytometry studies and exhibited double-digit picomolar (pM) affinities to soluble human c-Mpl protein. Both MAbs specifically bound to cells engineered to overexpress human c-Mpl protein, immortalized human hematopoietic cell lines that express endogenous c-Mpl, primary human bone marrow and peripheral blood-derived CD34(+) cells, and purified human platelets. No binding was detected on cell lines that did not express c-Mpl. Receptor competition and siRNA knock-down studies further confirmed the specificity of antibodies 1.6 and 1.75 for human c-Mpl. In contrast to these newly generated MAbs, none of eight commercially available anti-c-Mpl antibodies tested were found to bind specifically to human c-Mpl and were thus shown to be unsuitable for flow cytometry studies. Monoclonal antibodies 1.6 and 1.75 will therefore be useful flow cytometry reagents to detect cell surface c-Mpl expression.

  19. 40 CFR 86.313-79 - Air flow measurement specifications; diesel engines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Air flow measurement specifications... Procedures § 86.313-79 Air flow measurement specifications; diesel engines. (a) The air flow measurement... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES...

  20. 3-D flow characterization and shear stress in a stenosed carotid artery bifurcation model using stereoscopic PIV technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kefayati, Sarah; Poepping, Tamie L

    2010-01-01

    The carotid artery bifurcation is a common site of atherosclerosis which is a major leading cause of ischemic stroke. The impact of stenosis in the atherosclerotic carotid artery is to disturb the flow pattern and produce regions with high shear rate, turbulence, and recirculation, which are key hemodynamic factors associated with plaque rupture, clot formation, and embolism. In order to characterize the disturbed flow in the stenosed carotid artery, stereoscopic PIV measurements were performed in a transparent model with 50% stenosis under pulsatile flow conditions. Simulated ECG gating of the flowrate waveform provides external triggering required for volumetric reconstruction of the complex flow patterns. Based on the three-component velocity data in the lumen region, volumetric shear-stress patterns were derived.

  1. Parametric study of fluid flow manipulation with piezoelectric macrofiber composite flaps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadeghi, O.; Tarazaga, P.; Stremler, M.; Shahab, S.

    2017-04-01

    Active Fluid Flow Control (AFFC) has received great research attention due to its significant potential in engineering applications. It is known that drag reduction, turbulence management, flow separation delay and noise suppression through active control can result in significantly increased efficiency of future commercial transport vehicles and gas turbine engines. In microfluidics systems, AFFC has mainly been used to manipulate fluid passing through the microfluidic device. We put forward a conceptual approach for fluid flow manipulation by coupling multiple vibrating structures through flow interactions in an otherwise quiescent fluid. Previous investigations of piezoelectric flaps interacting with a fluid have focused on a single flap. In this work, arrays of closely-spaced, free-standing piezoelectric flaps are attached perpendicular to the bottom surface of a tank. The coupling of vibrating flaps due to their interacting with the surrounding fluid is investigated in air (for calibration) and under water. Actuated flaps are driven with a harmonic input voltage, which results in bending vibration of the flaps that can work with or against the flow-induced bending. The size and spatial distribution of the attached flaps, and the phase and frequency of the input actuation voltage are the key parameters to be investigated in this work. Our analysis will characterize the electrohydroelastic dynamics of active, interacting flaps and the fluid motion induced by the system.

  2. The impact of electric vehicles on CO2 emissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bentley, J.M.; Teagan, P.; Walls, D.; Balles, E.; Parish, T.

    1992-05-01

    A number of recent studies have examined the greenhouse gas emissions of various light duty vehicle alternatives in some detail. These studies have highlighted the extreme range of predicted net greenhouse gas emissions depending on scenarios for fuel types, vehicle and power generation efficiencies, the relative greenhouse contributions of emitted gases and a number of uncertainties in fuel chain efficiencies. Despite the potential range of results, most studies have confirmed that electric vehicles generally have significant potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions relative to gasoline and most alternative fuels under consideration. This report summarizes the results of a study which builds on previous efforts with a particular emphasis on: (1) A detailed analysis of ICEV, FCV, and EV vehicle technology and electric power generation technology. Most previous transportation greenhouse studies have focused on characterization of fuel chains that have relatively high efficiency (65--85%) when compared with power generation (30--40%) and vehicle driveline (13--16%) efficiencies. (2) A direct comparison of EVs, FCVs with gasoline and dedicated alternative fuel, ICEVs using equivalent vehicle technology assumptions with careful attention to likely technology improvements in both types of vehicles. (3) Consideration of fuel cell vehicles and associated hydrogen infrastructure. (4) Extension of analyses for several decades to assess the prospects for EVs with a longer term prospective

  3. Observation and characterization of flow in critical sections of a horizontal pressurized gating system using water models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaiganesh Venkataramani

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available This work is concerned with the hydraulics and flow characterization in a pressurized, horizontal gating system with multiple ingates attached to a plate mold, using transparent water models. Runners with two different aspect ratios (w/h = 0.5 and 2 and four different types of ingates (rectangular, convergent, divergent and venturi were examined for their influence on flow behavior. Flow behavior was visualized using a high speed camera capable of capturing images up to 10,000 frames per second. Real time experimentation with a few runner – ingate combinations were carried out to validate the usefulness of water models in predicting the filling behavior. Comparison of the approaches provided useful insights into the filling behavior in critical sections of the flow passages as well as the utility of water models towards understanding of the filling behavior during real time casting.

  4. Spatial distribution of vehicle emission inventories in the Federal District, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Réquia, Weeberb João; Koutrakis, Petros; Roig, Henrique Llacer

    2015-07-01

    Air pollution poses an important public health risk, especially in large urban areas. Information about the spatial distribution of air pollutants can be used as a tool for developing public policies to reduce source emissions. Air pollution monitoring networks provide information about pollutant concentrations; however, they are not available in every urban area. Among the 5570 cities in Brazil, for example, only 1.7% of them have air pollution monitoring networks. In this study we assess vehicle emissions for main traffic routes of the Federal District (state of Brazil) and characterize their spatial patterns. Toward this end, we used a bottom-up method to predict emissions and to characterize their spatial patterns using Global Moran's (Spatial autocorrelation analysis) and Getis-Ord General G (High/Low cluster analysis). Our findings suggested that light duty vehicles are primarily responsible for the vehicular emissions of CO (68.9%), CH4 (93.6%), and CO2 (57.9%), whereas heavy duty vehicles are primarily responsible for the vehicular emissions of NMHC (92.9%), NOx (90.7%), and PM (97.4%). Furthermore, CO2 is the pollutant with the highest emissions, over 30 million tons/year. In the spatial autocorrelation analysis was identified cluster (p < 0.01) for all types of vehicles and for all pollutants. However, we identified high cluster only for the light vehicles.

  5. Interval linear programming model for long-term planning of vehicle recycling in the Republic of Serbia under uncertainty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simic, Vladimir; Dimitrijevic, Branka

    2015-02-01

    An interval linear programming approach is used to formulate and comprehensively test a model for optimal long-term planning of vehicle recycling in the Republic of Serbia. The proposed model is applied to a numerical case study: a 4-year planning horizon (2013-2016) is considered, three legislative cases and three scrap metal price trends are analysed, availability of final destinations for sorted waste flows is explored. Potential and applicability of the developed model are fully illustrated. Detailed insights on profitability and eco-efficiency of the projected contemporary equipped vehicle recycling factory are presented. The influences of the ordinance on the management of end-of-life vehicles in the Republic of Serbia on the vehicle hulks procuring, sorting generated material fractions, sorted waste allocation and sorted metals allocation decisions are thoroughly examined. The validity of the waste management strategy for the period 2010-2019 is tested. The formulated model can create optimal plans for procuring vehicle hulks, sorting generated material fractions, allocating sorted waste flows and allocating sorted metals. Obtained results are valuable for supporting the construction and/or modernisation process of a vehicle recycling system in the Republic of Serbia. © The Author(s) 2015.

  6. Two-wheeled motor vehicle technology in India: Evolution, prospects and issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iyer, Narayan V.; Badami, Madhav G.

    2007-01-01

    By providing affordable mobility to millions of people, two-wheeled motor (M2W) vehicles play a vital role in urban transport in India and other low-income Asian countries. At the same time, these vehicles contribute significantly to urban transport impacts and energy consumption, and are characterized by high emissions and traffic mortalities per passenger-kilometre. Given the importance of technology in the popularity of these vehicles and their transport impacts, this paper discusses the evolution of M2W vehicle technology in India, and contributory factors including market forces, environmental regulation, and industry R and D efforts. It then discusses technologies that we expect to be implemented for M2W vehicles in India over the next two or three decades, the likely implications of these technologies in terms of vehicle price, emissions, fuel economy and service life, and issues related to vehicle technology development and implementation. The paper shows that while the Indian M2W vehicle industry has achieved a transformation in innovation, product development and quality in response to market demands and environmental concerns, various technological and institutional challenges need to be addressed by this and the oil and vehicle servicing industries, and government agencies at all levels, to successfully deploy advanced vehicle technologies

  7. Form and function in hillslope hydrology: in situ imaging and characterization of flow-relevant structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Jackisch

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The study deals with the identification and characterization of rapid subsurface flow structures through pedo- and geo-physical measurements and irrigation experiments at the point, plot and hillslope scale. Our investigation of flow-relevant structures and hydrological responses refers to the general interplay of form and function, respectively. To obtain a holistic picture of the subsurface, a large set of different laboratory, exploratory and experimental methods was used at the different scales. For exploration these methods included drilled soil core profiles, in situ measurements of infiltration capacity and saturated hydraulic conductivity, and laboratory analyses of soil water retention and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The irrigation experiments at the plot scale were monitored through a combination of dye tracer, salt tracer, soil moisture dynamics, and 3-D time-lapse ground penetrating radar (GPR methods. At the hillslope scale the subsurface was explored by a 3-D GPR survey. A natural storm event and an irrigation experiment were monitored by a dense network of soil moisture observations and a cascade of 2-D time-lapse GPR trenches. We show that the shift between activated and non-activated state of the flow paths is needed to distinguish structures from overall heterogeneity. Pedo-physical analyses of point-scale samples are the basis for sub-scale structure inference. At the plot and hillslope scale 3-D and 2-D time-lapse GPR applications are successfully employed as non-invasive means to image subsurface response patterns and to identify flow-relevant paths. Tracer recovery and soil water responses from irrigation experiments deliver a consistent estimate of response velocities. The combined observation of form and function under active conditions provides the means to localize and characterize the structures (this study and the hydrological processes (companion study Angermann et al., 2017, this issue.

  8. Form and function in hillslope hydrology: in situ imaging and characterization of flow-relevant structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackisch, Conrad; Angermann, Lisa; Allroggen, Niklas; Sprenger, Matthias; Blume, Theresa; Tronicke, Jens; Zehe, Erwin

    2017-07-01

    The study deals with the identification and characterization of rapid subsurface flow structures through pedo- and geo-physical measurements and irrigation experiments at the point, plot and hillslope scale. Our investigation of flow-relevant structures and hydrological responses refers to the general interplay of form and function, respectively. To obtain a holistic picture of the subsurface, a large set of different laboratory, exploratory and experimental methods was used at the different scales. For exploration these methods included drilled soil core profiles, in situ measurements of infiltration capacity and saturated hydraulic conductivity, and laboratory analyses of soil water retention and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The irrigation experiments at the plot scale were monitored through a combination of dye tracer, salt tracer, soil moisture dynamics, and 3-D time-lapse ground penetrating radar (GPR) methods. At the hillslope scale the subsurface was explored by a 3-D GPR survey. A natural storm event and an irrigation experiment were monitored by a dense network of soil moisture observations and a cascade of 2-D time-lapse GPR trenches. We show that the shift between activated and non-activated state of the flow paths is needed to distinguish structures from overall heterogeneity. Pedo-physical analyses of point-scale samples are the basis for sub-scale structure inference. At the plot and hillslope scale 3-D and 2-D time-lapse GPR applications are successfully employed as non-invasive means to image subsurface response patterns and to identify flow-relevant paths. Tracer recovery and soil water responses from irrigation experiments deliver a consistent estimate of response velocities. The combined observation of form and function under active conditions provides the means to localize and characterize the structures (this study) and the hydrological processes (companion study Angermann et al., 2017, this issue).

  9. High performance modeling of atmospheric re-entry vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Alexandre; Scalabrin, Leonardo C; Boyd, Iain D

    2012-01-01

    Re-entry vehicles designed for space exploration are usually equipped with thermal protection systems made of ablative material. In order to properly model and predict the aerothermal environment of the vehicle, it is imperative to account for the gases produced by ablation processes. In the case of charring ablators, where an inner resin is pyrolyzed at a relatively low temperature, the composition of the gas expelled into the boundary layer is complex and may lead to thermal chemical reactions that cannot be captured with simple flow chemistry models. In order to obtain better predictions, an appropriate gas flow chemistry model needs to be included in the CFD calculations. Using a recently developed chemistry model for ablating carbon-phenolic-in-air species, a CFD calculation of the Stardust re-entry at 71 km is presented. The code used for that purpose has been designed to take advantage of the nature of the problem and therefore remains very efficient when a high number of chemical species are involved. The CFD result demonstrates the need for such chemistry model when modeling the flow field around an ablative material. Modeling of the nonequilibrium radiation spectra is also presented, and compared to the experimental data obtained during Stardust re-entry by the Echelle instrument. The predicted emission from the CN lines compares quite well with the experimental results, demonstrating the validity of the current approach.

  10. The Research of Vehicle Acceleration at Signalized Intersections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vuk Bogdanović

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Vehicle acceleration is an important parameter used in planning various road elements, traffic signalization, geometric elements of an intersection, signal plans of traffic lights, etc. The knowledge of vehicle acceleration values is also necessary in using simulation softwares for more accurate analysis of the total situation at an intersection, on a road section or in a traffic network. In a lot of earlier studies, acceleration values were analysed and defined, mostly in optimal conditions for traffic functioning. However, values of almost all traffic flow parameters have been changed over time, due to changes in driving-dynamic vehicle characteristics, pneumatic tyres, material used for building road surface, etc. Besides, local environment influence and changes in drivers’ behaviour also significantly affect values of this parameter. According to HCM, it is advisable to perform local research for all values of the parameters recommended within the framework of this handbook, and to adapt their values to local conditions as well. The results of measuring the values of vehicles acceleration at signalized intersections in Novi Sad, Serbia, have been shown in this paper, using the procedure based on video recording processing.

  11. Real-time black carbon emission factor measurements from light duty vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forestieri, Sara D; Collier, Sonya; Kuwayama, Toshihiro; Zhang, Qi; Kleeman, Michael J; Cappa, Christopher D

    2013-11-19

    Eight light-duty gasoline low emission vehicles (LEV I) were tested on a Chassis dynamometer using the California Unified Cycle (UC) at the Haagen-Smit vehicle test facility at the California Air Resources Board in El Monte, CA during September 2011. The UC includes a cold start phase followed by a hot stabilized running phase. In addition, a light-duty gasoline LEV vehicle and ultralow emission vehicle (ULEV), and a light-duty diesel passenger vehicle and gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicle were tested on a constant velocity driving cycle. A variety of instruments with response times ≥0.1 Hz were used to characterize how the emissions of the major particulate matter components varied for the LEVs during a typical driving cycle. This study focuses primarily on emissions of black carbon (BC). These measurements allowed for the determination of BC emission factors throughout the driving cycle, providing insights into the temporal variability of BC emission factors during different phases of a typical driving cycle.

  12. Automated vehicle counting using image processing and machine learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meany, Sean; Eskew, Edward; Martinez-Castro, Rosana; Jang, Shinae

    2017-04-01

    Vehicle counting is used by the government to improve roadways and the flow of traffic, and by private businesses for purposes such as determining the value of locating a new store in an area. A vehicle count can be performed manually or automatically. Manual counting requires an individual to be on-site and tally the traffic electronically or by hand. However, this can lead to miscounts due to factors such as human error A common form of automatic counting involves pneumatic tubes, but pneumatic tubes disrupt traffic during installation and removal, and can be damaged by passing vehicles. Vehicle counting can also be performed via the use of a camera at the count site recording video of the traffic, with counting being performed manually post-recording or using automatic algorithms. This paper presents a low-cost procedure to perform automatic vehicle counting using remote video cameras with an automatic counting algorithm. The procedure would utilize a Raspberry Pi micro-computer to detect when a car is in a lane, and generate an accurate count of vehicle movements. The method utilized in this paper would use background subtraction to process the images and a machine learning algorithm to provide the count. This method avoids fatigue issues that are encountered in manual video counting and prevents the disruption of roadways that occurs when installing pneumatic tubes

  13. Power analysis and simulation of a vehicle under combined loads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khayyam, H.; Kouzani, A.Z.; Khoshmanesh, K.; Hu, E.

    2008-01-01

    Reducing fuel consumption in vehicles offers many obvious economic benefits, and also helps reduce air pollution emission levels. Mechanical engineers and automotive researches have continuously searched for ways to optimize fuel consumption in vehicles. This paper presented an analytical model of fuel consumption (AMFC) in an effort to coordinate the driving power and manage the overall fuel consumption for an internal combustion engine vehicle. The model calculated the different loads applied on the vehicle, such as road-slope, road-friction, wind-drag, accessories, and mechanical losses. It also solved the combustion equation of the engine under different working conditions including various fuel compositions, excess airs and air inlet temperatures. The model then determined the contribution of each load to signify the energy distribution and power flows of the vehicle. In order to assess the model's sensitivity to different loads, the following four simulations were conducted: flat-windless, flat-windy, sloppy-windless, sloppy-windy. The average fuel consumption for the four simulations was presented. The paper outlined the specification of the vehicle and environment as well as the simulation methodology. The model, algorithm, slope simulation, and drive strategy were presented. It was concluded that the power consumption significantly increased where the slope friction came into play and that the model has the potential to assist in vehicle energy management. 16 refs., 4 tabs., 14 figs

  14. Chemical characterization of milk after treatment with thermal (HTST and UHT) and nonthermal (turbulent flow ultraviolet) processing technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cappozzo, Jack C; Koutchma, Tatiana; Barnes, Gail

    2015-08-01

    As a result of growing interest to nonthermal processing of milk, the purpose of this study was to characterize the chemical changes in raw milk composition after exposure to a new nonthermal turbulent flow UV process, conventional thermal pasteurization process (high-temperature, short-time; HTST), and their combinations, and compare those changes with commercially UHT-treated milk. Raw milk was exposed to UV light in turbulent flow at a flow rate of 4,000L/h and applied doses of 1,045 and 2,090 J/L, HTST pasteurization, and HTST in combination with UV (before or after the UV). Unprocessed raw milk, HTST-treated milk, and UHT-treated milk were the control to the milk processed with the continuous turbulent flow UV treatment. The chemical characterization included component analysis and fatty acid composition (with emphasis on conjugated linoleic acid) and analysis for vitamin D and A and volatile components. Lipid oxidation, which is an indicator to oxidative rancidity, was evaluated by free fatty acid analysis, and the volatile components (extracted organic fraction) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to obtain mass spectral profile. These analyses were done over a 14-d period (initially after treatment and at 7 and 14 d) because of the extended shelf-life requirement for milk. The effect of UV light on proteins (i.e., casein or lactalbumin) was evaluated qualitatively by sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE. The milk or liquid soluble fraction was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE for changes in the protein profile. From this study, it appears that continuous turbulent flow UV processing, whether used as a single process or in combination with HTST did not cause any statistically significant chemical changes when compared with raw milk with regard to the proximate analysis (total fat, protein, moisture, or ash), the fatty acid profile, lipid oxidation with respect to volatile analysis, or protein profile. A 56% loss of vitamin D and a 95% loss of vitamin A

  15. Research on Statistical Flow of the Complex Background Based on Image Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang Huanhai

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Along with our country city changes a process continues to accelerate, city road traffic system pressure increasing. Therefore, the importance of intelligent transportation system based on computer vision technology is becoming more and more significant. Using the image processing technology for the vehicle detection has become a hot topic in the research field of. Only accurately segmented from the background of vehicle can recognize and track vehicles. Therefore, the application of video vehicle detection technology and image processing technology, identify a number of the same sight many car can, types and moving characteristics, can provide real-time basis for intelligent traffic control. This paper first introduces the concept of intelligent transportation system, the importance and the image processing technology in vehicle recognition in statistics, overview of video vehicle detection method, and the video detection technology and other detection technology, puts forward the superiority of video detection technology. Finally we design a real-time and reliable background subtraction method and the area of the vehicle recognition method based on information fusion algorithm, which is implemented with the MATLAB/GUI development tool in Windows operating system platform. In this paper, the application of the algorithm to study the frame traffic flow image. The experimental results show that, the algorithm of recognition of vehicle flow statistics, the effect is very good.

  16. Electric vehicle test report Cutler-Hammer Corvette

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-01-01

    Vehicles were characterized for the state of the art assessment of electric vehicles. The vehicle evaluated was a Chevrolet Corvette converted to electric operation. The original internal combustion engine was replaced by an electric traction motor. Eighteen batteries supplied the electrical energy. A controller, an onboard battery charger, and several dashboard instruments completed the conversion. The emphasis was on the electrical portion of the drive train, although some analysis and discussion of the mechanical elements are included. Tests were conducted both on the road (actually a mile long runway) and in a chassis dynamometer equipped laboratory. The majority of the tests performed were according to SAE Procedure J227a and included maximum effort accelerations, constant speed range, and cyclic range. Some tests that are not a part of the SAE Procedure J227a are described and the analysis of the data from all tests is discussed.

  17. Studies on the development of mossy zinc electrodeposits from flowing alkaline electrolytes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mc Vay, L.

    1991-07-01

    The initiation and characteristics of mossy zinc electrodeposits have been investigated. Batteries with zinc electrodes are candidates for electric vehicle applications; however, this electrode is prone to form non-compact deposits that contribute to capacity loss and battery failure. Moss is deposited when the current density is far from the limiting current. This morphology first appears only after the bulk deposit is approximately 1 {mu}m thick. In this investigation, the effects of flow rate (Re=0--4000), current density (0--50 mA/cm{sup 2}), concentration of the electroactive species (0.25 and 0.5 M), and the concentration of supporting electrolyte (3, 6, and 12 M) on the initiation of moss were examined. The rotating concentric cylinder electrode was employed for most of the experiments; and a flow channel was used to study the development of morphology. After the experiment, the deposit was characterized using microscopic, x-ray diffraction, and profilometric techniques. 94 refs., 72 figs.

  18. Separation and Characterization of DNA Molecules and Intermolecular Interactions in Pressure-Driven Micro Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedrich, Sarah; Wang, Tza-Huei

    Pressure-driven flow in micron-sized diameter capillaries can be used to separate DNA molecules by size in a technique called Free Solution Hydrodynamic Separation. By coupling this technique with Cylindrical Illumination Confocal Spectroscopy, we have developed a highly sensitive and quantitative platform capable of separating DNA molecules by length over a large dynamic range (25 bp to 48 kbp) in a single run using only picoliters or femtograms of a DNA sample. The optical detection volume completely spans the capillary cross section, enabling highly efficient single molecule detection for enhanced sensitivity and quantification accuracy via single molecule counting. Because each DNA molecule generates its own fluorescent burst, these burst profiles can be further analyzed to individually characterize each DNA molecule's shape as it passes through the detection region. We exploit these burst profiles to visualize fluctuations in conformation under shear flow in microcapillaries, and utilizing combined mobility shift analysis, explore the complex relationship between molecular properties including length and conformation, hydrodynamic mobility, solution conditions including ion species and concentrations, and separation conditions including flow rate and capillary diameter.

  19. Demonstration of robust micromachined jet technology and its application to realistic flow control problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Sung Pil

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes the demonstration of successful fabrication and initial characterization of micromachined pressure sensors and micromachined jets (microjets) fabricated for use in macro flow control and other applications. In this work, the microfabrication technology was investigated to create a micromachined fluidic control system with a goal of application in practical fluids problems, such as UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-scale aerodynamic control. Approaches of this work include : (1) the development of suitable micromachined synthetic jets (microjets) as actuators, which obviate the need to physically extend micromachined structures into an external flow ; and (2) a non-silicon alternative micromachining fabrication technology based on metallic substrates and lamination (in addition to traditional MEMS technologies) which will allow the realization of larger scale, more robust structures and larger array active areas for fluidic systems. As an initial study, an array of MEMS pressure sensors and an array of MEMS modulators for orifice-based control of microjets have been fabricated, and characterized. Both pressure sensors and modulators have been built using stainless steel as a substrate and a combination of lamination and traditional micromachining processes as fabrication technologies

  20. Demonstration of robust micromachined jet technology and its application to realistic flow control problems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Sung Pil [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-04-15

    This paper describes the demonstration of successful fabrication and initial characterization of micromachined pressure sensors and micromachined jets (microjets) fabricated for use in macro flow control and other applications. In this work, the microfabrication technology was investigated to create a micromachined fluidic control system with a goal of application in practical fluids problems, such as UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-scale aerodynamic control. Approaches of this work include : (1) the development of suitable micromachined synthetic jets (microjets) as actuators, which obviate the need to physically extend micromachined structures into an external flow ; and (2) a non-silicon alternative micromachining fabrication technology based on metallic substrates and lamination (in addition to traditional MEMS technologies) which will allow the realization of larger scale, more robust structures and larger array active areas for fluidic systems. As an initial study, an array of MEMS pressure sensors and an array of MEMS modulators for orifice-based control of microjets have been fabricated, and characterized. Both pressure sensors and modulators have been built using stainless steel as a substrate and a combination of lamination and traditional micromachining processes as fabrication technologies.

  1. Control of a Quadcopter Aerial Robot Using Optic Flow Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hurd, Michael Brandon

    This thesis focuses on the motion control of a custom-built quadcopter aerial robot using optic flow sensing. Optic flow sensing is a vision-based approach that can provide a robot the ability to fly in global positioning system (GPS) denied environments, such as indoor environments. In this work, optic flow sensors are used to stabilize the motion of quadcopter robot, where an optic flow algorithm is applied to provide odometry measurements to the quadcopter's central processing unit to monitor the flight heading. The optic-flow sensor and algorithm are capable of gathering and processing the images at 250 frames/sec, and the sensor package weighs 2.5 g and has a footprint of 6 cm2 in area. The odometry value from the optic flow sensor is then used a feedback information in a simple proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller on the quadcopter. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of using optic flow for controlling the motion of the quadcopter aerial robot. The technique presented herein can be applied to different types of aerial robotic systems or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as unmanned ground vehicles (UGV).

  2. Characterization of In-Use Medium Duty Electric Vehicle Driving and Charging Behavior: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duran, A.; Ragatz, A.; Prohaska, R.; Kelly, K.; Walkowicz, K.

    2014-11-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) deployment and demonstration projects are helping to commercialize technologies for all-electric vehicles (EVs). Under the ARRA program, data from Smith Electric and Navistar medium duty EVs have been collected, compiled, and analyzed in an effort to quantify the impacts of these new technologies. Over a period of three years, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has compiled data from over 250 Smith Newton EVs for a total of over 100,000 days of in-use operation. Similarly, data have been collected from over 100 Navistar eStar vehicles, with over 15,000 operating days having been analyzed. NREL has analyzed a combined total of over 4 million kilometers of driving and 1 million hours of charging data for commercial operating medium duty EVs. In this paper, the authors present an overview of medium duty EV operating and charging behavior based on in-use data collected from both Smith and Navistar vehicles operating in the United States. Specifically, this paper provides an introduction to the specifications and configurations of the vehicles examined; discusses the approach and methodology of data collection and analysis, and presents detailed results regarding daily driving and charging behavior. In addition, trends observed over the course of multiple years of data collection are examined, and conclusions are drawn about early deployment behavior and ongoing adjustments due to new and improving technology. Results and metrics such as average daily driving distance, route aggressiveness, charging frequency, and liter per kilometer diesel equivalent fuel consumption are documented and discussed.

  3. Cold Temperature Effects on Speciated VOC Emissions from Modern GDI Light-Duty Vehicles 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    In this study, speciated VOC emissions were characterized from three modern GDI light-duty vehicles. The vehicles were tested on a chassis dynamometer housed in a climate-controlled chamber at two temperatures (20 and 72 °F) using the EPA Federal Test Procedure (FTP) and a portio...

  4. Cooperative Intelligence in Roundabout Intersections Using Hierarchical Fuzzy Behavior Calculation of Vehicle Speed Profile

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bosankić Ivan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a new fuzzy-behavior-based algorithm for roundabout intersection management is presented. The algorithm employs cooperative intelligence and includes intelligent vehicles and infrastructure to calculate speed profiles for different vehicles, in order to achieve more comfortable driving profiles, as well to reduce congestion and CO2 emissions. The algorithm uses adaptive spatio-temporal reservation technique and was tested in MATLAB/Simulink environment. The algorithm is designed to function in different scenarios with both cooperative and non-cooperative vehicles, as well as optional intersection infrastructure. Results have show that using the proposed algorithm different vehicle communication types can be successfully combined in order to increase traffic flow through roundabout intersections.

  5. A Vehicle Steering Recognition System Based on Low-Cost Smartphone Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinhua Liu

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Recognizing how a vehicle is steered and then alerting drivers in real time is of utmost importance to the vehicle and driver’s safety, since fatal accidents are often caused by dangerous vehicle maneuvers, such as rapid turns, fast lane-changes, etc. Existing solutions using video or in-vehicle sensors have been employed to identify dangerous vehicle maneuvers, but these methods are subject to the effects of the environmental elements or the hardware is very costly. In the mobile computing era, smartphones have become key tools to develop innovative mobile context-aware systems. In this paper, we present a recognition system for dangerous vehicle steering based on the low-cost sensors found in a smartphone: i.e., the gyroscope and the accelerometer. To identify vehicle steering maneuvers, we focus on the vehicle’s angular velocity, which is characterized by gyroscope data from a smartphone mounted in the vehicle. Three steering maneuvers including turns, lane-changes and U-turns are defined, and a vehicle angular velocity matching algorithm based on Fast Dynamic Time Warping (FastDTW is adopted to recognize the vehicle steering. The results of extensive experiments show that the average accuracy rate of the presented recognition reaches 95%, which implies that the proposed smartphone-based method is suitable for recognizing dangerous vehicle steering maneuvers.

  6. Characterization of Flow Dynamics and Reduced-Order Description of Experimental Two-Phase Pipe Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viggiano, Bianca; SkjæRaasen, Olaf; Tutkun, Murat; Cal, Raul Bayoan

    2017-11-01

    Multiphase pipe flow is investigated using proper orthogonal decomposition for tomographic X-ray data, where holdup, cross sectional phase distributions and phase interface characteristics are obtained. Instantaneous phase fractions of dispersed flow and slug flow are analyzed and a reduced order dynamical description is generated. The dispersed flow displays coherent structures in the first few modes near the horizontal center of the pipe, representing the liquid-liquid interface location while the slug flow case shows coherent structures that correspond to the cyclical formation and breakup of the slug in the first 10 modes. The reconstruction of the fields indicate that main features are observed in the low order dynamical descriptions utilizing less than 1 % of the full order model. POD temporal coefficients a1, a2 and a3 show interdependence for the slug flow case. The coefficients also describe the phase fraction holdup as a function of time for both dispersed and slug flow. These flows are highly applicable to petroleum transport pipelines, hydroelectric power and heat exchanger tubes to name a few. The mathematical representations obtained via proper orthogonal decomposition will deepen the understanding of fundamental multiphase flow characteristics.

  7. Flow Simulation of Modified Duct System Wind Turbines Installed on Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosly, N.; Mohd, S.; Zulkafli, M. F.; Ghafir, M. F. Abdul; Shamsudin, S. S.; Muhammad, W. N. A. Wan

    2017-10-01

    This study investigates the characteristics of airflow with a flow guide installed and output power generated by wind turbine system being installed on a pickup truck. The wind turbine models were modelled by using SolidWorks 2015 software. In order to investigate the characteristic of air flow inside the wind turbine system, a computer simulation (by using ANSYS Fluent software) is used. There were few models being designed and simulated, one without the rotor installed and another two with rotor installed in the wind turbine system. Three velocities being used for the simulation which are 16.7 m/s (60 km/h), 25 m/s (90 km/h) and 33.33 m/s (120 km/h). The study proved that the flow guide did give an impact to the output power produced by the wind turbine system. The predicted result from this study is the velocity of the air inside the ducting system of the present model is better that reference model. Besides, the flow guide implemented in the ducting system gives a big impact on the characteristics of the air flow.

  8. EVALUATION OF A CONCEPTUAL VEHICLE STEERING SYSTEM FOR INDEPENDENT WHEEL CONTROL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryszard BUCHALIK

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a brief description of an unconventional steering system involving electronic stability control and its influence on vehicle motion. The proposed configuration enables individual changes in steering angle for each single wheel, in contrast to the mechanical linkage solution. An analysis of vehicle behaviour during emergency braking on a heterogeneous surface is conducted, especially with regard to the undesirable rotation of the vehicle body. The benefits of using this active steering system, implemented in the steer-by-wire mode, are characterized, while the problems for further consideration and the potential benefits of such a solution are described.

  9. SOA formation from gasoline vehicles: from the tailpipe to the atmosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, A. L.; Zhao, Y.; Lambe, A. T.; Saleh, R.; Saliba, G.; Tkacik, D. S.

    2017-12-01

    Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from gasoline vehicles has been indicated as an important source of atmospheric SOA, but its contribution to atmospheric SOA is loosely constrained due to the lack of measurements to link SOA formation from the tailpipe to atmospheric SOA. In this study, we determine the contribution of SOA formation based on measurements made with a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) oxidation flow reactor by oxidizing vehicular exhaust and ambient air. We first investigate SOA formation from dilute gasoline-vehicle exhaust during chassis dynamometer testing. The test fleet consists of both vehicles equipped with gasoline direct injection engines (GDI vehicles) and those equipped with port fuel injection engines (PFI vehicles). These vehicles span a wide range of emissions standards from Tier0 to Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (SULEV). Then, we combine our measurements of SOA formation from gasoline vehicles during dynamometer testing with measurements of SOA formation using a PAM reactor conducted in a highway tunnel and in the unban atmosphere. Comparisons of SOA formation between these datasets enable us to quantitatively connect SOA formation from individual vehicles, to a large on-road fleet, and to the atmosphere. To facilitate the comparisons, we account for the effects of both the photochemical age and dilution on SOA formation. Our results show that SOA formation from gasoline vehicles can contribute over 50% of fossil fuel-related atmospheric SOA in the Los Angeles area. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the tightening of emissions standards effectively reduces SOA formation from gasoline vehicles, including both PFI and GDI vehicles, if the atmospheric chemistry regime remains the same.

  10. Continuum-Kinetic Hybrid Framework for Chemically Reacting Flows

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Predictive modeling of chemically reacting flows is essential for the design and optimization of future hypersonic vehicles. During atmospheric re-entry, complex...

  11. Electric vehicle station equipment for grid-integrated vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempton, Willett; Kiamilev, Fouad; McGee, Rodney; Waite, Nick

    2017-09-05

    Methods, systems, and apparatus transferring power between the grid and an electric vehicle are disclosed. The apparatus may include at least one vehicle communication port for interfacing with electric vehicle equipment (EVE) and a processor coupled to the at least one vehicle communication port to establish communication with the EVE, receive EVE attributes from the EVE, and transmit electric vehicle station equipment (EVSE) attributes to the EVE. Power may be transferred between the grid and the electric vehicle by maintaining EVSE attributes, establishing communication with the EVE, and transmitting the EVSE maintained attributes to the EVE.

  12. Method and System for Weakening Shock Wave Strength at Leading Edge Surfaces of Vehicle in Supersonic Atmospheric Flight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daso, Endwell O. (Inventor); Pritchett, Victor E., II (Inventor); Wang, Ten-See (Inventor); Farr, Rebecca Ann (Inventor); Auslender, Aaron Howard (Inventor); Blankson, Isaiah M. (Inventor); Plotkin, Kenneth J. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A method and system are provided to weaken shock wave strength at leading edge surfaces of a vehicle in atmospheric flight. One or more flight-related attribute sensed along a vehicle's outer mold line are used to control the injection of a non-heated, non-plasma-producing gas into a local external flowfield of the vehicle from at least one leading-edge surface location along the vehicle's outer mold line. Pressure and/or mass flow rate of the gas so-injected is adjusted in order to cause a Rankine-Hugoniot Jump Condition along the vehicle's outer mold line to be violated.

  13. Multi-Agent Based Microscopic Simulation Modeling for Urban Traffic Flow

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianyan Kuang

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Traffic simulation plays an important role in the evaluation of traffic decisions. The movement of vehicles essentially is the operating process of drivers, in order to reproduce the urban traffic flow from the micro-aspect on computer, this paper establishes an urban traffic flow microscopic simulation system (UTFSim based on multi-agent. The system is seen as an intelligent virtual environment system (IVES, and the four-layer structure of it is built. The road agent, vehicle agent and signal agent are modeled. The concept of driving trajectory which is divided into LDT (Lane Driving Trajectory and VDDT (Vehicle Dynamic Driving Trajectory is introduced. The “Link-Node” road network model is improved. The driving behaviors including free driving, following driving, lane changing, slowing down, vehicle stop, etc. are analyzed. The results of the signal control experiments utilizing the UTFSim developed in the platform of Visual Studio. NET indicates that it plays a good performance and can be used in the evaluation of traffic management and control.

  14. Vehicles instability criteria for flood risk assessment of a street network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Arrighi

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The mutual interaction between floods and human activity is a process, which has been evolving over history and has shaped flood risk pathways. In developed countries, many events have illustrated that the majority of the fatalities during a flood occurs in a vehicle, which is considered as a safe shelter but it may turn into a trap for several combinations of water depth and velocity. Thus, driving a car in floodwaters is recognized as the most crucial aggravating factor for people safety. On the other hand, the entrainment of vehicles may locally cause obstructions to the flow and induce the collapse of infrastructures. Flood risk to vehicles can be defined as the combination of the probability of a vehicle of being swept away (i.e. the hazard and the actual traffic/parking density, i.e. the vulnerability. Hazard for vehicles can be assessed through the spatial identification and mapping of the critical conditions for vehicles incipient motion. This analysis requires a flood map with information on water depth and velocity and consistent instability criteria accounting for flood and vehicles characteristics. Vulnerability is evaluated thanks to the road network and traffic data. Therefore, vehicles flood risk mapping can support people's education and management practices in order to reduce the casualties. In this work, a flood hazard classification for vehicles is introduced and an application to a real case study is presented and discussed.

  15. Vehicles instability criteria for flood risk assessment of a street network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrighi, Chiara; Huybrechts, Nicolas; Ouahsine, Abdellatif; Chassé, Patrick; Oumeraci, Hocine; Castelli, Fabio

    2016-05-01

    The mutual interaction between floods and human activity is a process, which has been evolving over history and has shaped flood risk pathways. In developed countries, many events have illustrated that the majority of the fatalities during a flood occurs in a vehicle, which is considered as a safe shelter but it may turn into a trap for several combinations of water depth and velocity. Thus, driving a car in floodwaters is recognized as the most crucial aggravating factor for people safety. On the other hand, the entrainment of vehicles may locally cause obstructions to the flow and induce the collapse of infrastructures. Flood risk to vehicles can be defined as the combination of the probability of a vehicle of being swept away (i.e. the hazard) and the actual traffic/parking density, i.e. the vulnerability. Hazard for vehicles can be assessed through the spatial identification and mapping of the critical conditions for vehicles incipient motion. This analysis requires a flood map with information on water depth and velocity and consistent instability criteria accounting for flood and vehicles characteristics. Vulnerability is evaluated thanks to the road network and traffic data. Therefore, vehicles flood risk mapping can support people's education and management practices in order to reduce the casualties. In this work, a flood hazard classification for vehicles is introduced and an application to a real case study is presented and discussed.

  16. Structural characterization and numerical simulations of flow properties of standard and reservoir carbonate rocks using micro-tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, Amina; Chevalier, Sylvie; Sassi, Mohamed

    2018-04-01

    With advances in imaging techniques and computational power, Digital Rock Physics (DRP) is becoming an increasingly popular tool to characterize reservoir samples and determine their internal structure and flow properties. In this work, we present the details for imaging, segmentation, as well as numerical simulation of single-phase flow through a standard homogenous Silurian dolomite core plug sample as well as a heterogeneous sample from a carbonate reservoir. We develop a procedure that integrates experimental results into the segmentation step to calibrate the porosity. We also look into using two different numerical tools for the simulation; namely Avizo Fire Xlab Hydro that solves the Stokes' equations via the finite volume method and Palabos that solves the same equations using the Lattice Boltzmann Method. Representative Elementary Volume (REV) and isotropy studies are conducted on the two samples and we show how DRP can be a useful tool to characterize rock properties that are time consuming and costly to obtain experimentally.

  17. Mitigation of Autoignition Due to Premixing in a Hypervelocity Flow Using Active Wall Cooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Axdahl, Erik; Kumar, Ajay; Wilhite, Alan

    2013-01-01

    Preinjection of fuel on the forebody of an airbreathing vehicle is a proposed method to gain access to hypervelocity flight Mach numbers. However, this creates the possibility of autoignition either near the wall or in the core of the flow, thereby consuming fuel prematurely as well as increasing the amount of pressure drag on the vehicle. The computational fluid dynamics code VULCAN was used to conduct three dimensional simulations of the reacting flow in the vicinity of hydrogen injectors on a flat plate at conditions relevant to a Mach 12 notional flight vehicle forebody to determine the location where autoignition occurs. Active wall cooling strategies were formulated and simulated in response to regions of autoignition. It was found that tangential film cooling using hydrogen or helium were both able to nearly or completely eliminate wall autoignition in the flow domain of interest.

  18. Developments in batteries and fuel cells for electric and hybrid electric vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, R.

    2013-01-01

    Due to ever increasing threats of climate change, urban air pollution and costly and depleting oil and gas sources a lot of work is being done for the development of electric vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and all electric vehicles are powered by batteries or by hydrogen and fuel cells are the main types of vehicles being developed. Main types of batteries which can be used for electric vehicles are lead-acid, Ni-Cd, Nickel-Metal-Hybrid ( NiMH) and Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries which are discussed and compared. Lithium ion battery is the mostly used battery. Developments in the lithium ion batteries are discussed and reviewed. Redox flow batteries are also potential candidates for electric vehicles and are described. Hybrid electric vehicles can reduce fuel consumption considerably and is a good midterm solution. Electric and hybrid electric vehicles are discussed. Electric vehicles are necessary to mitigate the effects of pollution and dependence on oil. For all the electric vehicles there are two options: batteries and fuel Cells. Batteries are useful for small vehicles and shorter distances but for vehicle range greater than 150 km fuel cells are superior to batteries in terms of cost, efficiency and durability even using natural gas and other fuels in addition to hydrogen. Ultimate solution for electric vehicles are hydrogen and fuel cells and this opinion is also shared by most of the automobile manufacturers. Developments in fuel cells and their applications for automobiles are described and reviewed. Comparisons have been done in the literature between batteries and fuel cells and are described. (author)

  19. Wind-Tunnel Balance Characterization for Hypersonic Research Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynn, Keith C.; Commo, Sean A.; Parker, Peter A.

    2012-01-01

    Wind-tunnel research was recently conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center s 31-Inch Mach 10 Hypersonic Facility in support of the Mars Science Laboratory s aerodynamic program. Researchers were interested in understanding the interaction between the freestream flow and the reaction control system onboard the entry vehicle. A five-component balance, designed for hypersonic testing with pressurized flow-through capability, was used. In addition to the aerodynamic forces, the balance was exposed to both thermal gradients and varying internal cavity pressures. Historically, the effect of these environmental conditions on the response of the balance have not been fully characterized due to the limitations in the calibration facilities. Through statistical design of experiments, thermal and pressure effects were strategically and efficiently integrated into the calibration of the balance. As a result of this new approach, researchers were able to use the balance continuously throughout the wide range of temperatures and pressures and obtain real-time results. Although this work focused on a specific application, the methodology shown can be applied more generally to any force measurement system calibration.

  20. Budgets and chemical characterization of groundwater for the Diamond Valley flow system, central Nevada, 2011–12

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, David L.; Mayers, C. Justin; Garcia, C. Amanda; Buto, Susan G.; Huntington, Jena M.

    2016-07-29

    The Diamond Valley flow system consists of six hydraulically connected hydrographic areas in central Nevada. The general down-gradient order of the areas are southern and northern Monitor Valleys, Antelope Valley, Kobeh Valley, Stevens Basin, and Diamond Valley. Groundwater flow in the Diamond Valley flow system terminates at a large playa in the northern part of Diamond Valley. Concerns relating to continued water-resources development of the flow system resulted in a phased hydrologic investigation that began in 2005 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Eureka County. This report presents the culmination of the phased investigation to increase understanding of the groundwater resources of the basin-fill aquifers in the Diamond Valley flow system through evaluations of groundwater chemistry and budgets. Groundwater chemistry was characterized using major ions and stable isotopes from groundwater and precipitation samples. Groundwater budgets accounted for all inflows, outflows, and changes in storage, and were developed for pre-development (pre-1950) and recent (average annual 2011–12) conditions. Major budget components include groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration and groundwater withdrawals; groundwater recharge by precipitation, and interbasin flow; and storage change.

  1. In-situ characterization of symmetric dual-pass architecture of microfluidic co-laminar flow cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ibrahim, Omar A.; Goulet, Marc-Antoni; Kjeang, Erik

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • An analytical cell design is proposed for characterization of dual-pass flow cells • High power density up to 0.75 W cm −2 is demonstrated • The performance contributions of the inlet and outlet passes are of the same order • Downstream crossover is analyzed as a function of cell current and flow rate - Abstract: Microfluidic co-laminar flow cells with dual-pass architecture enable fuel recirculation and in-situ regeneration, and offer improvements in performance characteristics. In this work, a unique analytical cell design is proposed, with two split portions having flow-through porous electrodes. Each cell portion is first tested individually with vanadium redox species and the results are used to quantify the previously unknown crossover losses at the downstream portion of the cell, shown here to be a strong function of the flow rate. Moreover, the upstream cell portion demonstrates impressive room-temperature power density up to 0.75 W cm −2 at 1.0 A cm −2 , which is the highest performance reported to date for a microfluidic vanadium redox battery. Next, the two cell portions are connected in parallel to resemble a complete cell with dual-pass architecture, thereby enabling novel in-situ diagnostics of the inlet and outlet passes of the cell. For instance, the reactant utilization efficiency of the downstream cell portion is shown to be on the same order as that of the upstream portion at both low and high flow rates. Furthermore, in-situ regeneration is also demonstrated. Overall, the present results provide a deeper understanding of dual-pass reactant conversion and crossover which will be useful for future device optimization.

  2. Technique applied in electrical power distribution for Satellite Launch Vehicle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Maurício Rosário

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available The Satellite Launch Vehicle electrical network, which is currently being developed in Brazil, is sub-divided for analysis in the following parts: Service Electrical Network, Controlling Electrical Network, Safety Electrical Network and Telemetry Electrical Network. During the pre-launching and launching phases, these electrical networks are associated electrically and mechanically to the structure of the vehicle. In order to succeed in the integration of these electrical networks it is necessary to employ techniques of electrical power distribution, which are proper to Launch Vehicle systems. This work presents the most important techniques to be considered in the characterization of the electrical power supply applied to Launch Vehicle systems. Such techniques are primarily designed to allow the electrical networks, when submitted to the single-phase fault to ground, to be able of keeping the power supply to the loads.

  3. CMOS gate array characterization procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spratt, James P.

    1993-09-01

    Present procedures are inadequate for characterizing the radiation hardness of gate array product lines prior to personalization because the selection of circuits to be used, from among all those available in the manufacturer's circuit library, is usually uncontrolled. (Some circuits are fundamentally more radiation resistant than others.) In such cases, differences in hardness can result between different designs of the same logic function. Hardness also varies because many gate arrays feature large custom-designed megacells (e.g., microprocessors and random access memories-MicroP's and RAM's). As a result, different product lines cannot be compared equally. A characterization strategy is needed, along with standardized test vehicle(s), methodology, and conditions, so that users can make informed judgments on which gate arrays are best suited for their needs. The program described developed preferred procedures for the radiation characterization of gate arrays, including a gate array evaluation test vehicle, featuring a canary circuit, designed to define the speed versus hardness envelope of the gate array. A multiplier was chosen for this role, and a baseline multiplier architecture is suggested that could be incorporated into an existing standard evaluation circuit chip.

  4. Research on three-phase traffic flow modeling based on interaction range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Jun-Wei; Yang, Xu-Gang; Qian, Yong-Sheng; Wei, Xu-Ting

    2017-12-01

    On the basis of the multiple velocity difference effect (MVDE) model and under short-range interaction, a new three-phase traffic flow model (S-MVDE) is proposed through careful consideration of the influence of the relationship between the speeds of the two adjacent cars on the running state of the rear car. The random slowing rule in the MVDE model is modified in order to emphasize the influence of vehicle interaction between two vehicles on the probability of vehicles’ deceleration. A single-lane model which without bottleneck structure under periodic boundary conditions is simulated, and it is proved that the traffic flow simulated by S-MVDE model will generate the synchronous flow of three-phase traffic theory. Under the open boundary, the model is expanded by adding an on-ramp, the congestion pattern caused by the bottleneck is simulated at different main road flow rates and on-ramp flow rates, which is compared with the traffic congestion pattern observed by Kerner et al. and it is found that the results are consistent with the congestion characteristics in the three-phase traffic flow theory.

  5. Alkyl polyglucoside vs. ethoxylated surfactant-based microemulsions as vehicles for two poorly water-soluble drugs: physicochemical characterization and in vivo skin performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pajić Nataša Z. Bubić

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Two types of biocompatible surfactants were evaluated for their capability to formulate skin-friendly/non-irritant microemulsions as vehicles for two poorly water-soluble model drugs differing in properties and concentrations: alkyl polyglucosides (decyl glucoside and caprylyl/capryl glucoside and ethoxylated surfactants (glycereth-7-caprylate/ caprate and polysorbate 80. Phase behavior, structural inversion and microemulsion solubilization potential for sertaconazole nitrate and adapalene were found to be highly dependent on the surfactants structure and HLB value. Performed characterization (polarized light microscopy, pH, electrical conductivity, rheological, FTIR and DSC measurements indicated a formulation containing glycereth- 7-caprylate/caprate as suitable for incorporation of both drugs, whereas alkyl polyglucoside-based systems did not exhibit satisfying solubilization capacity for sertaconazole nitrate. Further, monitored parameters were strongly affected by sertaconazole nitrate incorporation, while they remained almost unchanged in adapalene-loaded vehicles. In addition, results of the in vivo skin performance study supported acceptable tolerability for all investigated formulations, suggesting selected microemulsions as promising carriers worth exploring further for effective skin delivery of model drugs.

  6. Alkyl polyglucoside vs. ethoxylated surfactant-based microemulsions as vehicles for two poorly water-soluble drugs: physicochemical characterization and in vivo skin performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pajić, Nataša Z Bubić; Todosijević, Marija N; Vuleta, Gordana M; Cekić, Nebojša D; Dobričić, Vladimir D; Vučen, Sonja R; Čalija, Bojan R; Lukić, Milica Ž; Ilić, Tanja M; Savić, Snežana D

    2017-12-20

    Two types of biocompatible surfactants were evaluated for their capability to formulate skin-friendly/non-irritant microemulsions as vehicles for two poorly water-soluble model drugs differing in properties and concentrations: alkyl polyglucosides (decyl glucoside and caprylyl/capryl glucoside) and ethoxylated surfactants (glycereth-7-caprylate/ caprate and polysorbate 80). Phase behavior, structural inversion and microemulsion solubilization potential for sertaconazole nitrate and adapalene were found to be highly dependent on the surfactants structure and HLB value. Performed characterization (polarized light microscopy, pH, electrical conductivity, rheological, FTIR and DSC measurements) indicated a formulation containing glycereth- 7-caprylate/caprate as suitable for incorporation of both drugs, whereas alkyl polyglucoside-based systems did not exhibit satisfying solubilization capacity for sertaconazole nitrate. Further, monitored parameters were strongly affected by sertaconazole nitrate incorporation, while they remained almost unchanged in adapalene-loaded vehicles. In addition, results of the in vivo skin performance study supported acceptable tolerability for all investigated formulations, suggesting selected microemulsions as promising carriers worth exploring further for effective skin delivery of model drugs.

  7. Optimal charging schedule of an electric vehicle fleet

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hu, Junjie; You, Shi; Østergaard, Jacob

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we propose an approach to optimize the charging schedule of an Electric Vehicle (EV) fleet both taking into account spot price and individual EV driving requirement with the goal of minimizing charging costs. A flexible and suitable mathematic model is introduced to characterize...

  8. Experimental characterization of extreme events of inertial dissipation in a turbulent swirling flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saw, E. -W.; Kuzzay, D.; Faranda, D.; Guittonneau, A.; Daviaud, F.; Wiertel-Gasquet, C.; Padilla, V.; Dubrulle, B.

    2016-01-01

    The three-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, which describe the motion of many fluids, are the cornerstones of many physical and engineering sciences. However, it is still unclear whether they are mathematically well posed, that is, whether their solutions remain regular over time or develop singularities. Even though it was shown that singularities, if exist, could only be rare events, they may induce additional energy dissipation by inertial means. Here, using measurements at the dissipative scale of an axisymmetric turbulent flow, we report estimates of such inertial energy dissipation and identify local events of extreme values. We characterize the topology of these extreme events and identify several main types. Most of them appear as fronts separating regions of distinct velocities, whereas events corresponding to focusing spirals, jets and cusps are also found. Our results highlight the non-triviality of turbulent flows at sub-Kolmogorov scales as possible footprints of singularities of the Navier–Stokes equation. PMID:27578459

  9. Disorder structure of free-flow and global jams in the extended BML model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Xiaomei; Xie Dongfan; Jia Bin; Jiang Rui; Gao Ziyou

    2011-01-01

    The original BML model is extended by introducing extended sites, which can hold several vehicles at each time-step. Unexpectedly, the flow in the extended model sharply transits from free-flow to global jams, but the transition is not one-order in original BML model. And congestion in the extended model appears more easily. This can ascribe to the mixture of vehicles from different directions in one site, leading to the drop-off of the capacity of the site. Furthermore, the typical configuration of free flowing and global jams in the extended models is disorder, different from the regular structure in the original model.

  10. The Role of Interaction Patterns with Hybrid Electric Vehicle Eco-Features for Drivers' Eco-Driving Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arend, Matthias G; Franke, Thomas

    2017-03-01

    The objective of the present research was to understand drivers' interaction patterns with hybrid electric vehicles' (HEV) eco-features (electric propulsion, regenerative braking, neutral mode) and their relationship to fuel efficiency and driver characteristics (technical system knowledge, eco-driving motivation). Eco-driving (driving behaviors performed to achieve higher fuel efficiency) has the potential to reduce CO 2 emissions caused by road vehicles. Eco-driving in HEVs is particularly challenging due to the systems' dynamic energy flows. As a result, drivers are likely to show diverse eco-driving behaviors, depending on factors like knowledge and motivation. The eco-features represent an interface for the control of the systems' energy flows. A sample of 121 HEV drivers who had constantly logged their fuel consumption prior to the study participated in an online questionnaire. Drivers' interaction patterns with the eco-features were related to fuel efficiency. A common factor was identified in an exploratory factor analysis, characterizing the intensity of actively dealing with electric energy, which was also related to fuel efficiency. Driver characteristics were not related to this factor, yet they were significant predictors of fuel efficiency. From the perspective of user-energy interaction, the relationship of the aggregated factor to fuel efficiency emphasizes the central role of drivers' perception of and interaction with energy conversions in determining HEV eco-driving success. To arrive at an in-depth understanding of drivers' eco-driving behaviors that can guide interface design, authors of future research should be concerned with the psychological processes that underlie drivers' interaction patterns with eco-features.

  11. Challenges in the Tracking and Prediction of Scheduled-Vehicle Journeys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Christian Søndergaard; Tiesyte, Dalia

    2007-01-01

    this type of knowledge with minimal cost. This paper characterizes the problem of real-time vehicle tracking using wireless communication, and of predicting the future status of the vehicles when their movements are restricted to given routes and when they follow schedules with a best effort. The paper...... discusses challenges related to tracking, to the prediction of future travel times, and to historical data analysis. It also suggests approaches to addressing the challenges.......A number of applications in areas such as logistics, cargo delivery, and collective transport involve the management of fleets of vehicles that are expected to travel along known routes according to fixed schedules. Due to road construction, accidents, and other unanticipated conditions...

  12. Scaling model for a speed-dependent vehicle noise spectrum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Zambon

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Considering the well-known features of the noise emitted by moving sources, a number of vehicle characteristics such as speed, unladen mass, engine size, year of registration, power and fuel were recorded in a dedicated monitoring campaign performed in three different places, each characterized by different number of lanes and the presence of nearby reflective surfaces. A full database of 144 vehicles (cars was used to identify statistically relevant features. In order to compare the vehicle transit noise in different environmental condition, all 1/3-octave band spectra were normalized and analysed. Unsupervised clustering algorithms were employed to group together spectrum levels with similar profiles. Our results corroborate the well-known fact that speed is the most relevant characteristic to discriminate between different vehicle noise spectrum. In keeping with this fact, we present a new approach to predict analytically noise spectra for a given vehicle speed. A set of speed-dependent analytical functions are suggested in order to fit the normalized average spectrum profile at different speeds. This approach can be useful for predicting vehicle speed based purely on its noise spectrum pattern. The present work is complementary to the accurate analysis of noise sources based on the beamforming technique.

  13. Development of a hybrid pneumatic-power vehicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, K. David; Tzeng, S.-C.

    2005-01-01

    Many complex technologies have been developed and applied to improve the energy efficiency and exhaust emission of an engine under different driving conditions. The overall thermal efficiency of an internal-combustion engine, however, can be maintained at only about 20-30%, with aggravated problems in the design and development, such as overall difficulty, excessive time consumption or excessively high cost. For electric cars, there is still no major technological breakthrough for the rapid recharging of a large capacity battery and detection of remaining power in it. Although all currently available hybrid-power engines are able to lower the amount of exhaust emissions and the fuel consumption of the engine, they are still unable to achieve a stable and optimal running condition immediately after ignition; hence the engine's thermal-efficiency remains low. To solve the aforementioned problems, an innovative concept - a hybrid pneumatic power-system (HPPS), which stores 'flow work' instead of storing electrochemical energy of the battery - is introduced. This innovative power system not only ensures that the internal-combustion ensures optimally but also recycles the exhaust flow to propel the vehicle. The optimization of the internal-combustion and recycling of the exhaust energy can increase the vehicle's efficiency from an original 15% to 33%, an overall increase of 18%

  14. The Apache Longbow-Hellfire Missile Test at Yuma Proving Ground: Ecological Risk Assessment for Tracked Vehicle Movement across Desert Pavement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peterson, Mark J; Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Hargrove, William Walter

    2008-01-01

    A multiple stressor risk assessment was conducted at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, as a demonstration of the Military Ecological Risk Assessment Framework. The focus was a testing program at Cibola Range, which involved an Apache Longbow helicopter firing Hellfire missiles at moving targets, M60-A1 tanks. This paper describes the ecological risk assessment for the tracked vehicle movement component of the testing program. The principal stressor associated with tracked vehicle movement was soil disturbance, and a resulting, secondary stressor was hydrological change. Water loss to washes and wash vegetation was expected to result from increased infiltration and/or evaporation associated with disturbances to desert pavement. The simulated exposure of wash vegetation to water loss was quantified using estimates of exposed land area from a digital ortho quarter quad aerial photo and field observations, a 30 30 m digital elevation model, the flow accumulation feature of ESRI ArcInfo, and a two-step process in which runoff was estimated from direct precipitation to a land area and from water that flowed from upgradient to a land area. In all simulated scenarios, absolute water loss decreased with distance from the disturbance, downgradient in the washes; however, percentage water loss was greatest in land areas immediately downgradient of a disturbance. Potential effects on growth and survival of wash trees were quantified by using an empirical relationship derived from a local unpublished study of water infiltration rates. The risk characterization concluded that neither risk to wash vegetation growth or survival nor risk to mule deer abundance and reproduction was expected. The risk characterization was negative for both the incremental risk of the test program and the combination of the test and pretest disturbances

  15. Conceptual Design and Cost Estimate of a Subsonic NASA Testbed Vehicle (NTV) for Aeronautics Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nickol, Craig L.; Frederic, Peter

    2013-01-01

    A conceptual design and cost estimate for a subsonic flight research vehicle designed to support NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project goals is presented. To investigate the technical and economic feasibility of modifying an existing aircraft, a highly modified Boeing 717 was developed for maturation of technologies supporting the three ERA project goals of reduced fuel burn, noise, and emissions. This modified 717 utilizes midfuselage mounted modern high bypass ratio engines in conjunction with engine exhaust shielding structures to provide a low noise testbed. The testbed also integrates a natural laminar flow wing section and active flow control for the vertical tail. An eight year program plan was created to incrementally modify and test the vehicle, enabling the suite of technology benefits to be isolated and quantified. Based on the conceptual design and programmatic plan for this testbed vehicle, a full cost estimate of $526M was developed, representing then-year dollars at a 50% confidence level.

  16. Fish and chips: implementation of a neural network model into computer chips to maximize swimming efficiency in autonomous underwater vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blake, R W; Ng, H; Chan, K H S; Li, J

    2008-09-01

    Recent developments in the design and propulsion of biomimetic autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have focused on boxfish as models (e.g. Deng and Avadhanula 2005 Biomimetic micro underwater vehicle with oscillating fin propulsion: system design and force measurement Proc. 2005 IEEE Int. Conf. Robot. Auto. (Barcelona, Spain) pp 3312-7). Whilst such vehicles have many potential advantages in operating in complex environments (e.g. high manoeuvrability and stability), limited battery life and payload capacity are likely functional disadvantages. Boxfish employ undulatory median and paired fins during routine swimming which are characterized by high hydromechanical Froude efficiencies (approximately 0.9) at low forward speeds. Current boxfish-inspired vehicles are propelled by a low aspect ratio, 'plate-like' caudal fin (ostraciiform tail) which can be shown to operate at a relatively low maximum Froude efficiency (approximately 0.5) and is mainly employed as a rudder for steering and in rapid swimming bouts (e.g. escape responses). Given this and the fact that bioinspired engineering designs are not obligated to wholly duplicate a biological model, computer chips were developed using a multilayer perception neural network model of undulatory fin propulsion in the knifefish Xenomystus nigri that would potentially allow an AUV to achieve high optimum values of propulsive efficiency at any given forward velocity, giving a minimum energy drain on the battery. We envisage that externally monitored information on flow velocity (sensory system) would be conveyed to the chips residing in the vehicle's control unit, which in turn would signal the locomotor unit to adopt kinematics (e.g. fin frequency, amplitude) associated with optimal propulsion efficiency. Power savings could protract vehicle operational life and/or provide more power to other functions (e.g. communications).

  17. Evaluation of ring shear testing as a characterization method for powder flow in small-scale powder processing equipment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søgaard, Søren Vinter; Pedersen, Troels; Allesø, Morten

    2014-01-01

    Powder flow in small-scale equipment is challenging to predict. To meet this need, the impact of consolidation during powder flow characterization, the level of consolidation existing during discharge of powders from a tablet press hopper and the uncertainty of shear and wall friction measurements...... normal stress were approximately 200Pa and 114Pa, respectively, in the critical transition from the converging to the lower vertical section of the hopper. The lower limit of consolidation for the shear and wall friction test was approximately 500Pa and 200Pa, respectively. At this consolidation level......, the wall and shear stress resolution influences the precision of the measured powder flow properties. This study highlights the need for an improved experimental setup which would be capable of measuring the flow properties of powders under very small consolidation stresses with a high shear stress...

  18. Two models of the capacitated vehicle routing problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zuzana Borčinova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP is to find a set of minimum total cost routes for a fleet of capacitated vehicles based at a single depot, to serve a set of customers. There exist various integer linear programming models of the CVRP. One of the main differences lies in the way to eliminate sub-tours, i.e. cycles that do not go through the depot. In this paper, we describe a well-known flow formulation of CVRP, where sub-tour elimination constraints have a cardinality exponentially growing with the number of customers. Then we present a mixed linear programming formulation with polynomial cardinality of sub-tour elimination constraints. Both of the models were implemented and compared on several benchmarks.

  19. A Radiological Characterization of the KIWI-I Vehicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riedhauser, S.R.

    1999-01-01

    A review was conducted of the previous Kiwi characterization to understand apparent differences in measured contamination levels observed during recent field work between Kiwi-reported activities and values from another system. The review assessed how the data were processed as well as the assumptions behind the measurement techniques employed. The review included a reassessment of how calculations of conversion factors were preformed. The review also checked for errors in the measurements or calculations of the data collected at these sites. In addition, new characterization measurements were made and new characterization techniques investigated for the Kiwi detector array. These measurements and techniques led to new calculations of conversion factions for the array, which are compared to the previous conversion factors. The new measurements confirmed that the Kiwi detectors are very reproducible in measuring the photopeak count rate from a surface distribution of activity (±3%). Finally, a review was conducted of the various parameters which describe the exponential distribution of activity with depth in the soil. New values have been assigned to the relaxation length and the averaging depth. When combined with the new characterization measurements, they produce a 75% increase over the previous conversion factor

  20. Application-specific electrical characterization of high power batteries with lithium titanate anodes for electric vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farmann, Alexander; Waag, Wladislaw; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

    2016-01-01

    This study shows results of extensive experimental measurements performed on high power lithium titanate based batteries. Characterization tests are performed over a wide temperature range (−20 °C – +40 °C) by employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and modified hybrid pulse power characterization tests. Furthermore, the behavior of battery impedance parameters over the battery lifetime with regard to temperature, State-of-Charge and their influence on available battery power in an example of electric vehicles is discussed. Based on extracted parameters, a reduced order equivalent circuit model considering the nonlinearity of the charge transfer resistance is parametrized. The obtained results indicate that ohmic resistance increases with decreasing State-of-Charge while the shape of the curve remains almost constant over the battery lifetime. The total impedance determined at 1 mHz shows almost no dependence on State-of-Charge and remains constant over the whole State-of-Charge range. The necessity of considering the impact of the current dependence of the direct current resistance at least at low temperatures (i.e., below 0 °C) is confirmed. Moreover, by investigating the Butler-Volmer equation the behavior of exchange current density and symmetry factor is analyzed for various temperatures and State-of-Charges over the battery lifetime. - Highlights: • Impedance characteristic over the battery lifetime is investigated. • Batteries at different aging states using lithium titanate anodes are investigated. • The influence of temperature on impedance characteristic is investigated. • Butler-Volmer behavior is comprehensively investigated under various conditions.

  1. Characterization of the solid, airborne materials created when UF6 reacts with moist air flowing in single-pass mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pickrell, P.W.

    1985-10-01

    A series of experiments has been performed in which UF 6 was released into flowing air in order to characterize the solid particulate material produced under non-static conditions. In two of the experiments, the aerosol was allowed to stagnate in a static chamber after release and examined further but in the other experiments characterization was done only on material collected a few seconds after release. Transmission electron microscopy and mass measurement by cascaded impactor were used to characterize the aerosol particles which were usually single spheroids with little agglomeration in evidence. The goal of the work is to determine the chemistry and physics of the UF 6 -atmospheric moisture reaction under a variety of conditions so that information about resulting species and product morphologies is available for containment and removal (knockdown) studies as well as for dispersion plume modeling and toxicology studies. This report completes the milestone for reporting the information obtained from releases of UF 6 into flowing rather than static air. 26 figs., 3 tabs

  2. Electric-Drive Vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Septon, Kendall K [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-09-11

    Electric-drive vehicles use electricity as their primary fuel or to improve the efficiency of conventional vehicle designs. These vehicles can be divided into three categories: Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), All-electric vehicles (EVs). Together, PHEVs and EVs can also be referred to as plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).

  3. Electric-Drive Vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2017-09-01

    Electric-drive vehicles use electricity as their primary fuel or to improve the efficiency of conventional vehicle designs. These vehicles can be divided into three categories: Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), All-electric vehicles (EVs). Together, PHEVs and EVs can also be referred to as plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).

  4. Environmental Evaluation of New Generation Vehicles and Vehicle Components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schexnayder, S.M.

    2002-02-06

    This report documents assessments that address waste issues and life cycle impacts associated with the vehicle materials and vehicle technologies being developed under the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) program. We refer to these vehicles as 3XVs, referring to the PNGV goal that their fuel mileage be three times better than the baseline vehicle. To meet the program's fuel consumption goals, these vehicles substitute lightweight materials for heavier materials such as steel and iron that currently dominate the composition of vehicles, and use engineering and power system changes. Alternative power systems being developed through the PNGV program include batteries for hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cells. With respect to all these developments, it is imperative to learn what effects they will have on the environment before adopting these designs and technologies on a large-scale basis.

  5. A multiclass vehicular dynamic traffic flow model for main roads and dedicated lanes/roads of multimodal transport network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sossoe, K.S., E-mail: kwami.sossoe@irt-systemx.fr [TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE SYSTEMX (France); Lebacque, J-P., E-mail: jean-patrick.lebacque@ifsttar.fr [UPE/IFSTTAR-COSYS-GRETTIA (France)

    2015-03-10

    We present in this paper a model of vehicular traffic flow for a multimodal transportation road network. We introduce the notion of class of vehicles to refer to vehicles of different transport modes. Our model describes the traffic on highways (which may contain several lanes) and network transit for pubic transportation. The model is drafted with Eulerian and Lagrangian coordinates and uses a Logit model to describe the traffic assignment of our multiclass vehicular flow description on shared roads. The paper also discusses traffic streams on dedicated lanes for specific class of vehicles with event-based traffic laws. An Euler-Lagrangian-remap scheme is introduced to numerically approximate the model’s flow equations.

  6. Aerodynamic Interaction between Delta Wing and Hemisphere-Cylinder in Supersonic Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishino, Atsuhiro; Ishikawa, Takahumi; Nakamura, Yoshiaki

    As future space vehicles, Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) needs to be developed, where there are two kinds of RLV: Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) and Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO). In the latter case, the shock/shock interaction and shock/boundary layer interaction play a key role. In the present study, we focus on the supersonic flow field with aerodynamic interaction between a delta wing and a hemisphere-cylinder, which imitate a TSTO, where the clearance, h, between the delta wing and hemisphere-cylinder is a key parameter. As a result, complicated flow patterns were made clear, including separation bubbles.

  7. Vortex flow during early and late left ventricular filling in normal subjects : Quantitative characterization using retrospectively-gated 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance and three-dimensional vortex core analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Elbaz, M.S.M.; Calkoen, E.E.; Westenberg, J.J.M.; Lelieveldt, B.P.F.; Roest, A.A.W.; Van der Geest, R.J.

    2014-01-01

    Background LV diastolic vortex formation has been suggested to critically contribute to efficient blood pumping function, while altered vortex formation has been associated with LV pathologies. Therefore, quantitative characterization of vortex flow might provide a novel objective tool for

  8. Characterization Modeling of the Flow Through Ion Gun: Applications to Nitride Processing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dennis, Darcie [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

    2003-07-01

    The objective of this work was to characterize the flow through ion gun and verify the results with optimal production of cubic boron nitride thin film coatings. The experimental method involved characterizing the plasma produced by the ion source, calculating the operational capabilities of the ion source, correlating the ion source processing conditions to known deposition conditions for BN films, depositing BN films and characterizing the materials produced. In this manner, an understanding of the source operation and capabilities can be discerned as well as an observation of the unique features of this ion source. The plasma characterization was conducted with the use of a Hiden® Analytical electrostatic quadrupole plasma (EQP) analyzer. The resulting energy spectrum of the selected masses provided information about the population of ionic species present in the plasma during deposition under controlled conditions. Total ion flux was measured using a Faraday cup to correlate the two parameters. Measurements of the total ion flux combined with the information from the EQP were used to calculate the total ion flux of the individual species incident on the substrate during deposition. An oscillating quartz crystal monitor measured the deposition rate which was correlated to the atomic arrival rate at the substrate. Using the combination of this information, a momentum transfer parameter was calculated for optimal processing conditions of BN films using the FTIG. Characterization of the resulting films was challenging due to a number of difficulties with most common analytical techniques. However, XTEM revealed that the FTIG actually oscillates in and out of the necessary conditions for cBN deposition. The films also show non-uniformities, indicating the plasma was not continuously stable during the deposition. The cBN films formed consisted of 10-20 nm grain sizes. Electron diffraction was used to identify cBN crystallites and verify the processing parameters.

  9. High-Fidelity Computational Aerodynamics of Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ventura Diaz, Patricia; Yoon, Seokkwan

    2018-01-01

    High-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations have been carried out for several multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Three vehicles have been studied: the classic quadcopter DJI Phantom 3, an unconventional quadcopter specialized for forward flight, the SUI Endurance, and an innovative concept for Urban Air Mobility (UAM), the Elytron 4S UAV. The three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes equations are solved on overset grids using high-order accurate schemes, dual-time stepping, and a hybrid turbulence model. The DJI Phantom 3 is simulated with different rotors and with both a simplified airframe and the real airframe including landing gear and a camera. The effects of weather are studied for the DJI Phantom 3 quadcopter in hover. The SUI En- durance original design is compared in forward flight to a new configuration conceived by the authors, the hybrid configuration, which gives a large improvement in forward thrust. The Elytron 4S UAV is simulated in helicopter mode and in airplane mode. Understanding the complex flows in multi-rotor vehicles will help design quieter, safer, and more efficient future drones and UAM vehicles.

  10. Assessment of the use of vanadium redox flow batteries for energy storage and fast charging of electric vehicles in gas stations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cunha, Álvaro; Brito, F.P.; Martins, Jorge; Rodrigues, Nuno; Monteiro, Vitor; Afonso, João L.; Ferreira, Paula

    2016-01-01

    A network of conveniently located fast charging stations is one of the possibilities to facilitate the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs). This paper assesses the use of fast charging stations for EVs in conjunction with VRFBs (Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries). These batteries are charged during low electricity demand periods and then supply electricity for the fast charging of EVs during day, thus implementing a power peak shaving process. Flow batteries have unique characteristics which make them especially attractive when compared with conventional batteries, such as their ability to decouple rated power from rated capacity, as well as their greater design flexibility and nearly unlimited life. Moreover, their liquid nature allows their installation inside deactivated underground gas tanks located at gas stations, enabling a smooth transition of gas stations' business model towards the emerging electric mobility paradigm. A project of a VRFB system to fast charge EVs taking advantage of existing gas stations infrastructures is presented. An energy and cost analysis of this concept is performed, which shows that, for the conditions tested, the project is technologically and economically viable, although being highly sensitive to the investment costs and to the electricity market conditions. - Highlights: • Assessment of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery use for EV fast charge in gas stations. • This novel system proposal allows power peak shaving and use of deactivated gas tanks. • Philosophy allows seamless business transition towards the Electric Mobility paradigm. • Project is technologically and economically viable, although with long payback times. • Future Cost cuts due to technology maturation will consolidate project attractiveness.

  11. Characterization of linear interfacial waves in a turbulent gas-liquid pipe flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayati, A. A.; Farias, P. S. C.; Azevedo, L. F. A.; de Paula, I. B.

    2017-06-01

    The evolution of interfacial waves on a stratified flow was investigated experimentally for air-water flow in a horizontal pipe. Waves were introduced in the liquid level of stratified flow near the pipe entrance using an oscillating plate. The mean height of liquid layer and the fluctuations superimposed on this mean level were captured using high speed cameras. Digital image processing techniques were used to detect instantaneous interfaces along the pipe. The driving signal of the oscillating plate was controlled by a D/A board that was synchronized with acquisitions. This enabled to perform phase-locked acquisitions and to use ensemble average procedures. Thereby, it was possible to measure the temporal and spatial evolution of the disturbances introduced in the flow. In addition, phase-locked measurements of the velocity field in the liquid layer were performed using standard planar Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The velocity fields were extracted at a fixed streamwise location, whereas the measurements of the liquid level were performed at several locations along the pipe. The assessment of the setup was important for validation of the methodology proposed in this work, since it aimed at providing results for further comparisons with theoretical models and numerical simulations. Therefore, the work focuses on validation and characterization of interfacial waves within the linear regime. Results show that under controlled conditions, the wave development can be well captured and reproduced. In addition, linear waves were observed for liquid level oscillations lower than about 1.5% of the pipe diameter. It was not possible to accurately define an amplitude threshold for the appearance of nonlinear effects because it strongly depended on the wave frequency. According to the experimental findings, longer waves display characteristics similar to linear waves, while short ones exhibit a more complex evolution, even for low amplitudes.

  12. Assessing rear-end crash potential in urban locations based on vehicle-by-vehicle interactions, geometric characteristics and operational conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimitriou, Loukas; Stylianou, Katerina; Abdel-Aty, Mohamed A

    2018-03-01

    Rear-end crashes are one of the most frequently occurring crash types, especially in urban networks. An understanding of the contributing factors and their significant association with rear-end crashes is of practical importance and will help in the development of effective countermeasures. The objective of this study is to assess rear-end crash potential at a microscopic level in an urban environment, by investigating vehicle-by-vehicle interactions. To do so, several traffic parameters at the individual vehicle level have been taken into consideration, for capturing car-following characteristics and vehicle interactions, and to investigate their effect on potential rear-end crashes. In this study rear-end crash potential was estimated based on stopping distance between two consecutive vehicles, and four rear-end crash potential cases were developed. The results indicated that 66.4% of the observations were estimated as rear-end crash potentials. It was also shown that rear-end crash potential was presented when traffic flow and speed standard deviation were higher. Also, locational characteristics such as lane of travel and location in the network were found to affect drivers' car following decisions and additionally, it was shown that speeds were lower and headways higher when Heavy Goods Vehicles lead. Finally, a model-based behavioral analysis based on Multinomial Logit regression was conducted to systematically identify the statistically significant variables in explaining rear-end risk potential. The modeling results highlighted the significance of the explanatory variables associated with rear-end crash potential, however it was shown that their effect varied among different model configurations. The outcome of the results can be of significant value for several purposes, such as real-time monitoring of risk potential, allocating enforcement units in urban networks and designing targeted proactive safety policies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  13. A new oxidation flow reactor for measuring secondary aerosol formation of rapidly changing emission sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simonen, Pauli; Saukko, Erkka; Karjalainen, Panu; Timonen, Hilkka; Bloss, Matthew; Aakko-Saksa, Päivi; Rönkkö, Topi; Keskinen, Jorma; Dal Maso, Miikka

    2017-04-01

    Oxidation flow reactors (OFRs) or environmental chambers can be used to estimate secondary aerosol formation potential of different emission sources. Emissions from anthropogenic sources, such as vehicles, often vary on short timescales. For example, to identify the vehicle driving conditions that lead to high potential secondary aerosol emissions, rapid oxidation of exhaust is needed. However, the residence times in environmental chambers and in most oxidation flow reactors are too long to study these transient effects ( ˜ 100 s in flow reactors and several hours in environmental chambers). Here, we present a new oxidation flow reactor, TSAR (TUT Secondary Aerosol Reactor), which has a short residence time ( ˜ 40 s) and near-laminar flow conditions. These improvements are achieved by reducing the reactor radius and volume. This allows studying, for example, the effect of vehicle driving conditions on the secondary aerosol formation potential of the exhaust. We show that the flow pattern in TSAR is nearly laminar and particle losses are negligible. The secondary organic aerosol (SOA) produced in TSAR has a similar mass spectrum to the SOA produced in the state-of-the-art reactor, PAM (potential aerosol mass). Both reactors produce the same amount of mass, but TSAR has a higher time resolution. We also show that TSAR is capable of measuring the secondary aerosol formation potential of a vehicle during a transient driving cycle and that the fast response of TSAR reveals how different driving conditions affect the amount of formed secondary aerosol. Thus, TSAR can be used to study rapidly changing emission sources, especially the vehicular emissions during transient driving.

  14. Wind Tunnel and Hover Performance Test Results for Multicopter UAS Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russell, Carl R.; Jung, Jaewoo; Willink, Gina; Glasner, Brett

    2016-01-01

    There is currently a lack of published data for the performance of multicopter unmanned aircraft system (UAS) vehicles, such as quadcopters and octocopters, often referred to collectively as drones. With the rapidly increasing popularity of multicopter UAS, there is interest in better characterizing the performance of this type of aircraft. By studying the performance of currently available vehicles, it will be possible to develop models for vehicles at this scale that can accurately predict performance and model trajectories. This paper describes a wind tunnel test that was recently performed in the U.S. Army's 7- by 10-ft Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. During this wind tunnel entry, five multicopter UAS vehicles were tested to determine forces and moments as well as electrical power as a function of wind speed, rotor speed, and vehicle attitude. The test is described here in detail, and a selection of the key results from the test is presented.

  15. Characterizing Traffic Conditions from the Perspective of Spatial-Temporal Heterogeneity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peichao Gao

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Traffic conditions are usually characterized from the perspective of travel time or the average vehicle speed in the field of transportation, reflecting the congestion degree of a road network. This article provides a method from a new perspective to characterize traffic conditions; the perspective is based on the heterogeneity of vehicle speeds. A novel measurement, the ratio of areas (RA in a rank-size plot, is included in the proposed method to capture the heterogeneity. The proposed method can be performed from the perspective of both spatial heterogeneity and temporal heterogeneity, being able to characterize traffic conditions of not only a road network but also a single road. Compared with methods from the perspective of travel time, the proposed method can characterize traffic conditions at a higher frequency. Compared to methods from the perspective of the average vehicle speed, the proposed method takes account of the heterogeneity of vehicle speeds. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been demonstrated with real-life traffic data of Shenzhen (a coastal urban city in China, and the advantage of the proposed RA has been verified by comparisons to similar measurements such as the ht-index and the CRG index.

  16. Performance evaluation of thermally treated graphite felt electrodes for vanadium redox flow battery and their four-point single cell characterization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazúr, P.; Mrlík, J.; Beneš, J.; Pocedič, J.; Vrána, J.; Dundálek, J.; Kosek, J.

    2018-03-01

    In our contribution we study the electrocatalytic effect of oxygen functionalization of thermally treated graphite felt on kinetics of electrode reactions of vanadium redox flow battery. Chemical and morphological changes of the felts are analysed by standard physico-chemical characterization techniques. A complex method four-point method is developed and employed for characterization of the felts in a laboratory single-cell. The method is based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and load curves measurements of positive and negative half-cells using platinum wire pseudo-reference electrodes. The distribution of ohmic and faradaic losses within a single-cell is evaluated for both symmetric and asymmetric electrode set-up with respect to the treatment conditions. Positive effect of oxygen functionalization is observed only for negative electrode, whereas kinetics of positive electrode reaction is almost unaffected by the treatment. This is in a contradiction to the results of typically employed cyclovoltammetric characterization which indicate that both electrodes are enhanced by the treatment to a similar extent. The developed four-point characterization method can be further used e.g., for the component screening and in-situ durability studies on single-cell scale redox flow batteries of various chemistries.

  17. Comparison of Vibrational Relaxation Modeling for Strongly Non-Equilibrium Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    important pro- cess in a wide range of high speed flows. High temperature shock layers that form in front of hypersonic vehicles can lead to significant...continuum flows for use in traditional Computational Fluid Dynamics ( CFD ) and non-continuum flows for use with rarefied flow de- scriptions, such as the...145 .98 4396 V. Summary and Conclusions The form of two vibrational relaxation models that are commonly used in DSMC and CFD simula- tions have been

  18. Euler Calculations at Off-Design Conditions for an Inlet of Inward Turning RBCC-SSTO Vehicle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takashima, N.; Kothari, A. P.

    1998-01-01

    The inviscid performance of an inward turning inlet design is calculated computationally for the first time. Hypersonic vehicle designs based on the inward turning inlets have been shown analytically to have increased effective specific impulse and lower heat load than comparably designed vehicles with two-dimensional inlets. The inward turning inlets are designed inversely from inviscid stream surfaces of known flow fields. The computational study is performed on a Mach 12 inlet design to validate the performance predicted by the design code (HAVDAC) and calculate its off-design Mach number performance. The three-dimensional Euler equations are solved for Mach 4, 8, and 12 using a software package called SAM, which consists of an unstructured mesh generator (SAMmesh), a three-dimensional unstructured mesh flow solver (SAMcfd), and a CAD-based software (SAMcad). The computed momentum averaged inlet throat pressure is within 6% of the design inlet throat pressure. The mass-flux at the inlet throat is also within 7 % of the value predicted by the design code thereby validating the accuracy of the design code. The off-design Mach number results show that flow spillage is minimal, and the variation in the mass capture ratio with Mach number is comparable to an ideal 2-D inlet. The results from the inviscid flow calculations of a Mach 12 inward turning inlet indicate that the inlet design has very good on and off-design performance which makes it a promising design candidate for future air-breathing hypersonic vehicles.

  19. Description of light-vehicle pre-crash scenarios for safety applications based on vehicle-to-vehicle communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-31

    This report describes pre-crash scenarios that might be addressed by vehicle-to-vehicle communications. The focus is on crashes involving at least 1 light vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less. The 2004-2008 General Esti...

  20. A cellular automata model of traffic flow with variable probability of randomization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Wei-Fan; Zhang Ji-Ye

    2015-01-01

    Research on the stochastic behavior of traffic flow is important to understand the intrinsic evolution rules of a traffic system. By introducing an interactional potential of vehicles into the randomization step, an improved cellular automata traffic flow model with variable probability of randomization is proposed in this paper. In the proposed model, the driver is affected by the interactional potential of vehicles before him, and his decision-making process is related to the interactional potential. Compared with the traditional cellular automata model, the modeling is more suitable for the driver’s random decision-making process based on the vehicle and traffic situations in front of him in actual traffic. From the improved model, the fundamental diagram (flow–density relationship) is obtained, and the detailed high-density traffic phenomenon is reproduced through numerical simulation. (paper)

  1. Characterization and Modeling of Atmospheric Flow Within and Above Plant Canopies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza Freire Grion, Livia

    The turbulent flow within and above plant canopies is responsible for the exchange of momentum, heat, gases and particles between vegetation and the atmosphere. Turbulence is also responsible for the mixing of air inside the canopy, playing an important role in chemical and biophysical processes occurring in the plants' environment. In the last fifty years, research has significantly advanced the understanding of and ability to model the flow field within and above the canopy, but important issues remain unsolved. In this work, we focus on (i) the estimation of turbulent mixing timescales within the canopy from field data; and (ii) the development of new computationally efficient modeling approaches for the coupled canopy-atmosphere flow field. The turbulent mixing timescale represents how quickly turbulence creates a well-mixed environment within the canopy. When the mixing timescale is much smaller than the timescale of other relevant processes (e.g. chemical reactions, deposition), the system can be assumed to be well-mixed and detailed modeling of turbulence is not critical to predict the system evolution. Conversely, if the mixing timescale is comparable or larger than the other timescales, turbulence becomes a controlling factor for the concentration of the variables involved; hence, turbulence needs to be taken into account when studying and modeling such processes. In this work, we used a combination of ozone concentration and high-frequency velocity data measured within and above the canopy in the Amazon rainforest to characterize turbulent mixing. The eddy diffusivity parameter (used as a proxy for mixing efficiency) was applied in a simple theoretical model of one-dimensional diffusion, providing an estimate of turbulent mixing timescales as a function of height within the canopy and time-of-day. Results showed that, during the day, the Amazon rainforest is characterized by well-mixed conditions with mixing timescales smaller than thirty minutes in the

  2. Distance and velocity estimation using optical flow from a monocular camera

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ho, H.W.; de Croon, G.C.H.E.; Chu, Q.

    2016-01-01

    Monocular vision is increasingly used in Micro Air Vehicles for navigation. In particular, optical flow, inspired by flying insects, is used to perceive vehicles’ movement with respect to the surroundings or sense changes in the environment. However, optical flow does not directly provide us the

  3. Solving Minimum Cost Multi-Commodity Network Flow Problem ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ADOWIE PERE

    2018-03-23

    Mar 23, 2018 ... network-based modeling framework for integrated fixed and mobile ... Minimum Cost Network Flow Problem (MCNFP) and some ..... Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Routing in Traffic. Incident ... Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Surveying &.

  4. Electric vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-03-01

    Quiet, clean, and efficient, electric vehicles (EVs) may someday become a practical mode of transportation for the general public. Electric vehicles can provide many advantages for the nation's environment and energy supply because they run on electricity, which can be produced from many sources of energy such as coal, natural gas, uranium, and hydropower. These vehicles offer fuel versatility to the transportation sector, which depends almost solely on oil for its energy needs. Electric vehicles are any mode of transportation operated by a motor that receives electricity from a battery or fuel cell. EVs come in all shapes and sizes and may be used for different tasks. Some EVs are small and simple, such as golf carts and electric wheel chairs. Others are larger and more complex, such as automobile and vans. Some EVs, such as fork lifts, are used in industries. In this fact sheet, we will discuss mostly automobiles and vans. There are also variations on electric vehicles, such as hybrid vehicles and solar-powered vehicles. Hybrid vehicles use electricity as their primary source of energy, however, they also use a backup source of energy, such as gasoline, methanol or ethanol. Solar-powered vehicles are electric vehicles that use photovoltaic cells (cells that convert solar energy to electricity) rather than utility-supplied electricity to recharge the batteries. These concepts are discussed.

  5. Influence of short rear end tapers on the wake of a simplified square-back vehicle: wake topology and rear drag

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Anna-Kristina; Pavia, Giancarlo; Passmore, Martin

    2016-11-01

    As vehicle manufacturers work to reduce energy consumption of all types of vehicles, external vehicle aerodynamics has become increasingly important. Whilst production vehicle shape optimisation methods are well developed, the need to make further advances requires deeper understanding of the highly three-dimensional flow around bluff bodies. In this paper, the wake flow of a generic bluff body, the Windsor body, based on a square-back car geometry, was investigated by means of balance measurements, surface pressure measurements and 2D particle image velocimetry planes. Changes in the wake topology are triggered by the application of short tapers (4 % of the model length) to the top and bottom edges of the base, representing a shape optimisation that is realistic for many modern production vehicles. The base drag is calculated and correlated with the aerodynamic drag data. The results not only show the effectiveness of such small devices in modifying the time average topology of the wake but also shed some light on the effects produced by different levels of upwash and downwash on the bi-stable nature of the wake itself.

  6. An investigation on the fuel savings potential of hybrid hydraulic refuse collection vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bender, Frank A., E-mail: bender@isys.uni-stuttgart.de; Bosse, Thomas; Sawodny, Oliver

    2014-09-15

    Highlights: • Driving cycle acquisition in a refuse collection vehicle. • Vehicle modeling and validation for numerical simulations based on the measured driving cycle. • Fuel consumption analysis for a conventional diesel vehicle and a hybrid hydraulic vehicle. - Abstract: Refuse trucks play an important role in the waste collection process. Due to their typical driving cycle, these vehicles are characterized by large fuel consumption, which strongly affects the overall waste disposal costs. Hybrid hydraulic refuse vehicles offer an interesting alternative to conventional diesel trucks, because they are able to recuperate, store and reuse braking energy. However, the expected fuel savings can vary strongly depending on the driving cycle and the operational mode. Therefore, in order to assess the possible fuel savings, a typical driving cycle was measured in a conventional vehicle run by the waste authority of the City of Stuttgart, and a dynamical model of the considered vehicle was built up. Based on the measured driving cycle and the vehicle model including the hybrid powertrain components, simulations for both the conventional and the hybrid vehicle were performed. Fuel consumption results that indicate savings of about 20% are presented and analyzed in order to evaluate the benefit of hybrid hydraulic vehicles used for refuse collection.

  7. An investigation on the fuel savings potential of hybrid hydraulic refuse collection vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bender, Frank A.; Bosse, Thomas; Sawodny, Oliver

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Driving cycle acquisition in a refuse collection vehicle. • Vehicle modeling and validation for numerical simulations based on the measured driving cycle. • Fuel consumption analysis for a conventional diesel vehicle and a hybrid hydraulic vehicle. - Abstract: Refuse trucks play an important role in the waste collection process. Due to their typical driving cycle, these vehicles are characterized by large fuel consumption, which strongly affects the overall waste disposal costs. Hybrid hydraulic refuse vehicles offer an interesting alternative to conventional diesel trucks, because they are able to recuperate, store and reuse braking energy. However, the expected fuel savings can vary strongly depending on the driving cycle and the operational mode. Therefore, in order to assess the possible fuel savings, a typical driving cycle was measured in a conventional vehicle run by the waste authority of the City of Stuttgart, and a dynamical model of the considered vehicle was built up. Based on the measured driving cycle and the vehicle model including the hybrid powertrain components, simulations for both the conventional and the hybrid vehicle were performed. Fuel consumption results that indicate savings of about 20% are presented and analyzed in order to evaluate the benefit of hybrid hydraulic vehicles used for refuse collection

  8. Battery Test Manual For 48 Volt Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Walker, Lee Kenneth [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2017-03-01

    This manual details the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium and U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Program goals, test methods, and analysis techniques for a 48 Volt Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle system. The test methods are outlined stating with characterization tests, followed by life tests. The final section details standardized analysis techniques for 48 V systems that allow for the comparison of different programs that use this manual. An example test plan is included, along with guidance to filling in gap table numbers.

  9. Battery Test Manual For 48 Volt Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, Lee Kenneth

    2017-01-01

    This manual details the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium and U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Program goals, test methods, and analysis techniques for a 48 Volt Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle system. The test methods are outlined stating with characterization tests, followed by life tests. The final section details standardized analysis techniques for 48 V systems that allow for the comparison of different programs that use this manual. An example test plan is included, along with guidance to filling in gap table numbers.

  10. A Remote Characterization System for subsurface mapping of buried waste sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandness, G.A.; Bennett, D.W.; Martinson, L.

    1992-06-01

    This paper describes a development project that will provide new technology for characterizing hazardous waste burial sites. The project is a collaborative effort by five of the national laboratories, involving the development and demonstration of a remotely controlled site characterization system. The Remote Characterization System (RCS) includes a unique low-signature survey vehicle, a base station, radio telemetry data links, satellite-based vehicle tracking, stereo vision, and sensors for non-invasive inspection of the surface and subsurface

  11. EDITORIAL: Measurement techniques for multiphase flows Measurement techniques for multiphase flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamoto, Koji; Murai, Yuichi

    2009-11-01

    Research on multiphase flows is very important for industrial applications, including power stations, vehicles, engines, food processing and so on. Multiphase flows originally have nonlinear features because of multiphase systems. The interaction between the phases plays a very interesting role in the flows. The nonlinear interaction causes the multiphase flows to be very complicated. Therefore techniques for measuring multiphase flows are very useful in helping to understand the nonlinear phenomena. The state-of-the-art measurement techniques were presented and discussed at the sixth International Symposium on Measurement Techniques for Multiphase Flows (ISMTMF2008) held in Okinawa, Japan, on 15-17 December 2008. This special feature of Measurement Science and Technology includes selected papers from ISMTMF2008. Okinawa has a long history as the Ryukyus Kingdom. China, Japan and many western Pacific countries have had cultural and economic exchanges through Okinawa for over 1000 years. Much technical and scientific information was exchanged at the symposium in Okinawa. The proceedings of ISMTMF2008 apart from these special featured papers were published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series vol. 147 (2009). We would like to express special thanks to all the contributors to the symposium and this special feature. This special feature will be a milestone in measurement techniques for multiphase flows.

  12. Exosomes as Novel microRNA-Delivery Vehicles to Modulate Prostate Cancer Progression

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0548 TITLE: Exosomes as Novel microRNA-Delivery Vehicles to Modulate Prostate Cancer Progression PRINCIPAL...Sep 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Exosomes as Novel microRNA-Delivery Vehicles to Modulate Prostate Cancer Progression 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT...In this exploratory award, we are investigating the functional significance of exosomal miRNAs in prostate cancer . We are characterizing the miRNA

  13. Modification of Flow Structure Over a Van Model By Suction Flow Control to Reduce Aerodynamics Drag

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harinaldi Harinaldi

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Automobile aerodynamic studies are typically undertaken to improve safety and increase fuel efficiency as well as to  find new innovation in automobile technology to deal with the problem of energy crisis and global warming. Some car companies have the objective to develop control solutions that enable to reduce the aerodynamic drag of vehicle and  significant modification progress is still possible by reducing the mass, rolling friction or aerodynamic drag. Some flow  control method provides the possibility to modify the flow separation to reduce the development of the swirling structures around the vehicle. In this study, a family van is modeled with a modified form of Ahmed's body by changing the orientation of the flow from its original form (modified/reversed Ahmed body. This model is equipped with a suction on the rear side to comprehensively examine the pressure field modifications that occur. The investigation combines computational and experimental work. Computational approach used  a commercial software with standard k-epsilon flow turbulence model, and the objectives was  to determine the characteristics of the flow field and aerodynamic drag reduction that occurred in the test model. Experimental approach used load cell in order to validate the aerodynamic drag reduction obtained by computational approach. The results show that the application of a suction in the rear part of the van model give the effect of reducing the wake and the vortex formation. Futhermore, aerodynamic drag reduction close to 13.86% for the computational approach and 16.32% for the experimental have been obtained.

  14. PARTICLE FILTER BASED VEHICLE TRACKING APPROACH WITH IMPROVED RESAMPLING STAGE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Leong Khong

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Optical sensors based vehicle tracking can be widely implemented in traffic surveillance and flow control. The vast development of video surveillance infrastructure in recent years has drawn the current research focus towards vehicle tracking using high-end and low cost optical sensors. However, tracking vehicles via such sensors could be challenging due to the high probability of changing vehicle appearance and illumination, besides the occlusion and overlapping incidents. Particle filter has been proven as an approach which can overcome nonlinear and non-Gaussian situations caused by cluttered background and occlusion incidents. Unfortunately, conventional particle filter approach encounters particle degeneracy especially during and after the occlusion. Particle filter with sampling important resampling (SIR is an important step to overcome the drawback of particle filter, but SIR faced the problem of sample impoverishment when heavy particles are statistically selected many times. In this work, genetic algorithm has been proposed to be implemented in the particle filter resampling stage, where the estimated position can converge faster to hit the real position of target vehicle under various occlusion incidents. The experimental results show that the improved particle filter with genetic algorithm resampling method manages to increase the tracking accuracy and meanwhile reduce the particle sample size in the resampling stage.

  15. Dynamic Vehicle Detection via the Use of Magnetic Field Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vytautas Markevicius

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The vehicle detection process plays the key role in determining the success of intelligent transport management system solutions. The measurement of distortions of the Earth’s magnetic field using magnetic field sensors served as the basis for designing a solution aimed at vehicle detection. In accordance with the results obtained from research into process modeling and experimentally testing all the relevant hypotheses an algorithm for vehicle detection using the state criteria was proposed. Aiming to evaluate all of the possibilities, as well as pros and cons of the use of anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR sensors in the transport flow control process, we have performed a series of experiments with various vehicles (or different series from several car manufacturers. A comparison of 12 selected methods, based on either the process of determining the peak signal values and their concurrence in time whilst calculating the delay, or by measuring the cross-correlation of these signals, was carried out. It was established that the relative error can be minimized via the Z component cross-correlation and Kz criterion cross-correlation methods. The average relative error of vehicle speed determination in the best case did not exceed 1.5% when the distance between sensors was set to 2 m.

  16. Inspection vehicle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahashi, Masaki; Omote, Tatsuyuki; Yoneya, Yutaka; Tanaka, Keiji; Waki, Tetsuro; Yoshida, Tomiji; Kido, Tsuyoshi.

    1993-01-01

    An inspection vehicle comprises a small-sized battery directly connected with a power motor or a direct power source from trolly lines and a switching circuit operated by external signals. The switch judges advance or retreat by two kinds of signals and the inspection vehicle is recovered by self-running. In order to recover the abnormally stopped inspection vehicle to the targeted place, the inspection vehicle is made in a free-running state by using a clutch mechanism and is pushed by an other vehicle. (T.M.)

  17. High definition graphics application in fluid flow simulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bancroft, G.; Merritt, F.; Buning, P.; Watson, V.

    1987-01-01

    NASA Ames is using high spatial/color-resolution computer graphics to interactively visualize flow fields generated by supercomputer solutions for the flow about such vehicles as the Space Shuttle. The scientist's viewing position in three-dimensional space can be interactively changed while the fluid flow is either frozen or moving in time. Animated sequences can then be made for workstation viewing with the aid of specialized software that allows easy editing and automatic tweening of the sequences. Attention is presently given to the software generating the three-dimensional flow field displays, as well as that for creating the animation sequences

  18. Automation of a T-intersection using virtual platoons of cooperative autonomous vehicles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Morales Medina, Alejandro; van de Wouw, N.; Nijmeijer, H.

    2015-01-01

    Both traffic throughput and the vehicle passenger safety can be increased by automating road intersections. We propose the virtual platooning concept to ensure a smooth, efficient and safe traffic flow through an automated intersection. The virtual platoon is formed by defining a virtual

  19. Scenario generation for electric vehicles' uncertain behavior in a smart city environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soares, João; Borges, Nuno; Fotouhi Ghazvini, Mohammad Ali; Vale, Zita; Moura Oliveira, P.B. de

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a framework and methods to estimate electric vehicles' possible states, regarding their demand, location and grid connection periods. The proposed methods use the Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the probability of occurrence for each state and a fuzzy logic probabilistic approach to characterize the uncertainty of electric vehicles' demand. Day-ahead and hour-ahead methodologies are proposed to support the smart grids' operational decisions. A numerical example is presented using an electric vehicles fleet in a smart city environment to obtain each electric vehicle possible states regarding their grid location. - Highlights: • New concept/framework in smart cities context to estimate the states of electric vehicles and energy demand. • Monte Carlo Simulation and fuzzy logic probabilistic approach to support the envisaged concept. • A day-ahead and an hour-ahead stochastic scenarios generation to support the smart grid's operational decisions.

  20. Traffic Information Unit, Traffic Information System, Vehicle Management System, Vehicle, and Method of Controlling a Vehicle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Papp, Z.; Doodeman, G.J.N.; Nelisse, M.W.; Sijs, J.; Theeuwes, J.A.C.; Driessen, B.J.F.

    2010-01-01

    A traffic information unit (MD1, MD2, MD3) according to the invention comprises a facility (MI) for tracking vehicle state information of individual vehicles present at a traffic infrastructure and a facility (T) for transmitting said vehicle state information to a vehicle (70B, 70E). A traffic

  1. Numerical study on flow and pollutant dispersion inside street canyons

    OpenAIRE

    Yunkai, Yang

    2013-01-01

    This thesis analyzes the characteristics of flow pattern and vehicle-emitted pollutant dispersion in roughness surface layer. In an urban environment, wind flow and transported-pollutant source interfere strongly with buildings and other roughness elements on the surface ground, which results in complex characteristics of flow pattern and pollutant dispersion in 3D circumstances. The present study intends to simplify the research domain and investigate the fundamental modeling problems that e...

  2. Control Relevant Modeling and Design of Scramjet-Powered Hypersonic Vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickeson, Jeffrey James

    This report provides an overview of scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicle modeling and control challenges. Such vehicles are characterized by unstable non-minimum phase dynamics with significant coupling and low thrust margins. Recent trends in hypersonic vehicle research are summarized. To illustrate control relevant design issues and tradeoffs, a generic nonlinear 3DOF longitudinal dynamics model capturing aero-elastic-propulsive interactions for wedge-shaped vehicle is used. Limitations of the model are discussed and numerous modifications have been made to address control relevant needs. Two different baseline configurations are examined over a two-stage to orbit ascent trajectory. The report highlights how vehicle level-flight static (trim) and dynamic properties change over the trajectory. Thermal choking constraints are imposed on control system design as a direct consequence of having a finite FER margin. The implication of this state-dependent nonlinear FER margin constraint, the right half plane (RHP) zero, and lightly damped flexible modes, on control system bandwidth (BW) and FPA tracking has been discussed. A control methodology has been proposed that addresses the above dynamics while providing some robustness to modeling uncertainty. Vehicle closure (the ability to fly a trajectory segment subject to constraints) is provided through a proposed vehicle design methodology. The design method attempts to use open loop metrics whenever possible to design the vehicle. The design method is applied to a vehicle/control law closed loop nonlinear simulation for validation. The 3DOF longitudinal modeling results are validated against a newly released NASA 6DOF code.

  3. Vehicle Tracking System, Vehicle Infrastructure Provided with Vehicle Tracking System and Method for Tracking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Papp, Z.; Doodeman, G.J.N.; Nelisse, M.W.; Sijs, J.; Theeuwes, J.A.C.; Driessen, B.J.F.

    2010-01-01

    A vehicle tracking system is described comprising - a plurality of sensor nodes (10) that each provide a message (D) indicative for an occupancy status of a detection area of an vehicle infrastructure monitored by said sensor node, said sensor nodes (10) being arranged in the vehicle infrastructure

  4. Unsteady supercritical/critical dual flowpath inlet flow and its control methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun LIU

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The characteristics of unsteady flow in a dual-flowpath inlet, which was designed for a Turbine Based Combined Cycle (TBCC propulsion system, and the control methods of unsteady flow were investigated experimentally and numerically. It was characterized by large-amplitude pressure oscillations and traveling shock waves. As the inlet operated in supercritical condition, namely the terminal shock located in the throat, the shock oscillated, and the period of oscillation was about 50 ms, while the amplitude was 6 mm. The shock oscillation was caused by separation in the diffuser. This shock oscillation can be controlled by extending the length of diffuser which reduces pressure gradient along the flowpath. As the inlet operated in critical condition, namely the terminal shock located at the shoulder of the third compression ramp, the shock oscillated, and the period of oscillation was about 7.5 ms, while the amplitude was 12 mm. At this condition, the shock oscillation was caused by an incompatible backpressure in the bleed region. It can be controlled by increasing the backpressure of the bleed region. Keywords: Airbreathing hypersonic vehicle, Dual flowpath inlet, Terminal shock oscillation, Turbine based combined cycle, Unsteady flow

  5. An investigation of the effects of pneumatic actuator design on slip control for heavy vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Jonathan I.; Cebon, David

    2013-01-01

    Progress in reducing actuator delays in pneumatic brake systems is opening the door for advanced anti-lock braking algorithms to be used on heavy goods vehicles. However, little has been published on slip controllers for air-braked heavy vehicles, or the effects of slow pneumatic actuation on their design and performance. This paper introduces a sliding mode slip controller for air-braked heavy vehicles. The effects of pneumatic actuator delays and flow rates on stopping performance and air (energy) consumption are presented through vehicle simulations. Finally, the simulations are validated with experiments using a hardware-in-the-loop rig. It is shown that for each wheel, pneumatic valves with delays smaller than 3 ms and orifice diameters around 8 mm provide the best performance.

  6. Characterization of vanadium flow battery. Revised

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bindner, H.; Ekman, C.; Gehrke, O.; Isleifsson, F.

    2011-02-15

    This report summarizes the work done at Risoe-DTU testing a vanadium flow battery as part of the project ''Characterisation of Vanadium Batteries'' (ForskEl project 6555) with the partners PA Energy A/S and OI Electric A/S under the Danish PSO energy research program. A 15kW/120kWh vanadium battery has been installed as part of the distributed energy systems experimental facility, SYSLAB, at Risoe DTU. A test programme has been carried out to get hands-on experience with the technology, to characterize the battery from a power system point of view and to assess it with respect to integration of wind energy in the Danish power system. The battery has been in operation for 18 months. During time of operation the battery has not shown signs of degradation of performance. It has a round-trip efficiency at full load of approximately 60% (depending on temperature and SOC). The sources of the losses are power conversion in cell stacks/electrolyte, power converter, and auxiliary power consumption from pumps and controller. The efficiency was not influenced by the cycling of the battery. The response time for the battery is limited at 20kW/s by the ramp rate of the power converter. The battery can thus provide power and frequency support for the power system. The battery was operated together with a 11kW stall-regulated Gaia wind turbine to smooth the output of the wind turbine and during the tests the battery proved capable of firming the output of the wind turbine. Vanadium battery is a potential technology for storage based services to the power system provided investment and O and M cost are low enough and long term operation is documented. (Author)

  7. Characterization of in-use light-duty gasoline vehicle emissions by remote sensing in Beijing: impact of recent control measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Yu; Fu, Lixin; Cheng, Linglin

    2007-09-01

    China's national government and Beijing city authorities have adopted additional control measures to reduce the negative impact of vehicle emissions on Beijing's air quality. An evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures may provide guidance for future vehicle emission control strategy development. In-use emissions from light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs) were investigated at five sites in Beijing with remote sensing instrumentation. Distance-based mass emission factors were derived with fuel consumption modeled on real world data. The results show that the recently implemented aggressive control strategies are significantly reducing the emissions of on-road vehicles. Older vehicles are contributing substantially to the total fleet emissions. An earlier program to retrofit pre-Euro cars with three-way catalysts produced little emission reduction. The impact of model year and driving conditions on the average mass emission factors indicates that the durability of vehicles emission controls may be inadequate in Beijing.

  8. Calculation of vehicle delay at signal-controlled intersections with adaptive traffic control algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andronov Roman

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available By widely introducing information technology tools in the field of traffic control, it is possible to increase the capacity of hubs and reduce vehicle delays. Adaptive traffic light control is one of such tools. Its effectiveness can be assessed through traffic flow simulation. The aim of this study is to create a simulation model of a signal-controlled intersection that can be used to assess the effectiveness of adaptive control in various traffic situations, including the presence or absence of pedestrian traffic through an intersection. The model is based on a numerical experiment conducted using the Monte Carlo method. As a result of the study, vehicle delays, queue length and duration of traffic light cycles are calculated subject to different intensities of incoming traffic flows, and the presence or absence of pedestrian traffic.

  9. [Investigation of emission characteristics for light duty vehicles with a portable emission measurement system].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hai-Kun; Fu, Li-Xin; Zhou, Yu; Lin, Xin; Chen, Ai-Zhong; Ge, Wei-hu; Du, Xuan

    2008-10-01

    Emission from 7 typical light-duty vehicles under actual driving conditions was monitored using a portable emission measurement system to gather data for characterization of the real world vehicle emission in Shenzhen, including the effects of driving modes on vehicle emission, comparison of fuel consumption based emission factors (g x L(-1) with mileage based emission factors (g x km(-1)), and the average emission factors of the monitored vehicles. The acceleration and deceleration modes accounted for 66.7% of total travel time, 80.3% of traveling distance and 74.6%-79.2% of vehicle emission; the acceleration mode contributed more than other driving modes. The fuel based emission factors were less dependent on the driving speed; they may be utilized in building macro-scale vehicle emission inventory with smaller sensitivity to the vehicle driving conditions. The effect of vehicle technology on vehicle emission was significant; the emission factors of CO, HC and NO(x) of carbureted vehicles were 19.9-20.5, 5.6-26.1 and 1.8-2.0 times the more advanced vehicles of Euro II, respectively. Using the ECE + EUDC driving cycle would not produce the desired real-world emission rates of light duty vehicles in a typical Chinese city.

  10. Utilization Assessment of Target Electrification Vehicles at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island: Task 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schey, Steve [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-05-01

    Several U.S. Department of Defense based studies have been conducted to identify potential U.S. Department of Defense transportation systems that are strong candidates for introduction or expansion of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). Task 2 involved identifying daily operational characteristics of select vehicles and initiating data logging of vehicle movements in order to characterize the vehicle’s mission. Individual observations of these selected vehicles provide the basis for recommendations related to PEV adoption and whether a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (collectively referred to as PEVs) can fulfill the mission requirements and provide observations related to placement of PEV charging infrastructure. This report provides the results of the data analysis and observations related to replacement of current vehicles with PEVs. This fulfills part of the Task 3 requirements. Task 3 also includes an assessment of the charging infrastructure required to support this replacement, which is the subject of a separate report.

  11. Natural Gas Vehicles in Egypt Challenges and Prospects of A Growing industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badran, M.

    2004-01-01

    Growing industrialization, if not mere population growth, on the face of the Earth will induce organizations and nations world wide to reconsider the variety, priority, and efficiency of their energy sources. Natural gas has become the world's premier energy source because it is efficient, adaptable, and environmentally safer than other fossil fuels. The vehicular sector is a growing and major fuel consuming sector in any economy. Technological advancements and the flow of funds in that industry have allowed nations to target that sector as a priority in a plan to achieve maximum adaptation to natural gas consumption. The use of compressed natural gas vehicles dates back to the 1930 s in Italy. The late 70 however witnessed the launch of and commitment to a growing and developing industry. Today there are 3 million natural gas vehicles world wide with major concentrations in Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Pakistan, USA, and Egypt. The majority of these vehicles are converted gas vehicles adapted to use CNG in bi-fuel systems

  12. Experimental characterization of solid particle transport by slug flow using Particle Image Velocimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goharzadeh, A; Rodgers, P

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents an experimental study of gas-liquid slug flow on solid particle transport inside a horizontal pipe with two types of experiments conducted. The influence of slug length on solid particle transportation is characterized using high speed photography. Using combined Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) with Refractive Index Matching (RIM) and fluorescent tracers (two-phase oil-air loop) the velocity distribution inside the slug body is measured. Combining these experimental analyses, an insight is provided into the physical mechanism of solid particle transportation due to slug flow. It was observed that the slug body significantly influences solid particle mobility. The physical mechanism of solid particle transportation was found to be discontinuous. The inactive region (in terms of solid particle transport) upstream of the slug nose was quantified as a function of gas-liquid composition and solid particle size. Measured velocity distributions showed a significant drop in velocity magnitude immediately upstream of the slug nose and therefore the critical velocity for solid particle lifting is reached further upstream.

  13. Contrast-enhanced Harmonic power Doppler ultrasonography: Improved depiction of vascularity and characterization of flow pattern in hepatocellular carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baek, Hyung Chul; Yoon, Kwon Ha; Kim, Chang Guhn; Park, Ki Han; Won, Jong Jin

    2000-01-01

    To evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced harmonic power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) in depiction and characterization of tumoral vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirty-three patients with HCC were prospectively evaluated with harmonic PDUS before and after injection of the contrast agent SH U 508A (2.5g, 300 mg/ml ). Unenhanced and serial dynamic scans at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 240, 300 seconds after injection of contrast agents were obtained using a tissue harmonic technique with power Doppler imaging. The tumoral vascularity was expressed as percentage of power Doppler area, which was measured quantitatively by a computerized program (Ultrasonic Imaging Tool; Soongsil University, Seoul, Korea). The grade (0, no signal; 1, less than 5%; 2, 5-25%; 3, more than 25%) and flow pattern (intratumoral, detour, basket, and mixed) of tumoral vascularity were analyzed. Peak time of contrast-enhancement was measured on each tumor. After injection of contrast agent, tumoral flow signals increased in all lesions (100%). At unenhanced harmonic PDUS, flow signals were detected in 17 HCCs (52%); 15 tumors (46%) demonstrated grade 1 vascularity; and two (6%), grade 2. At contrast-enhanced harmonic PDUS, all tumors were detected vascularity; five (15%) were grade 1; eight (24%), grade 2; and 20 (61%), grade 3. Flow patterns were demonstated as follows at unenhanced harmonic PDUS; intratumoral pattern in 13 tumors (76%), detour in 2 (12%), and basket in 2 (12%). After injection of contrast agent, intratumoral pattern in 7 tumors (21%), detour 0 (0%), basket in 3 (9%) and mixed in 23 (70%) were demonstrated. Peak time of enhancement after injection of contrast agent was 30- 90 seconds in majority of the patients. Contrast-enhanced harmonic PDUS would be valuable in depiction of vascularity and characterization of flow pattern in HCC.

  14. Contrast-enhanced Harmonic power Doppler ultrasonography: Improved depiction of vascularity and characterization of flow pattern in hepatocellular carcinoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baek, Hyung Chul; Yoon, Kwon Ha; Kim, Chang Guhn; Park, Ki Han; Won, Jong Jin [Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksa (Korea, Republic of)

    2000-12-15

    To evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced harmonic power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) in depiction and characterization of tumoral vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirty-three patients with HCC were prospectively evaluated with harmonic PDUS before and after injection of the contrast agent SH U 508A (2.5g, 300 mg/ml ). Unenhanced and serial dynamic scans at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 240, 300 seconds after injection of contrast agents were obtained using a tissue harmonic technique with power Doppler imaging. The tumoral vascularity was expressed as percentage of power Doppler area, which was measured quantitatively by a computerized program (Ultrasonic Imaging Tool; Soongsil University, Seoul, Korea). The grade (0, no signal; 1, less than 5%; 2, 5-25%; 3, more than 25%) and flow pattern (intratumoral, detour, basket, and mixed) of tumoral vascularity were analyzed. Peak time of contrast-enhancement was measured on each tumor. After injection of contrast agent, tumoral flow signals increased in all lesions (100%). At unenhanced harmonic PDUS, flow signals were detected in 17 HCCs (52%); 15 tumors (46%) demonstrated grade 1 vascularity; and two (6%), grade 2. At contrast-enhanced harmonic PDUS, all tumors were detected vascularity; five (15%) were grade 1; eight (24%), grade 2; and 20 (61%), grade 3. Flow patterns were demonstated as follows at unenhanced harmonic PDUS; intratumoral pattern in 13 tumors (76%), detour in 2 (12%), and basket in 2 (12%). After injection of contrast agent, intratumoral pattern in 7 tumors (21%), detour 0 (0%), basket in 3 (9%) and mixed in 23 (70%) were demonstrated. Peak time of enhancement after injection of contrast agent was 30- 90 seconds in majority of the patients. Contrast-enhanced harmonic PDUS would be valuable in depiction of vascularity and characterization of flow pattern in HCC.

  15. Characterizing spatial variability of air pollution from vehicle traffic around the Houston Ship Channel area

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xueying; Craft, Elena; Zhang, Kai

    2017-07-01

    Mobile emissions are a major source of urban air pollution and have been associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes. The Houston Ship Channel area is the home of a large number of diesel-powered vehicles emitting fine particulate matter (PM2.5; ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). However, the spatial variability of traffic-related air pollutants in the Houston Ship Channel area has rarely been investigated. The objective of this study is to characterize spatial variability of PM2.5 and NOx concentrations attributable to on-road traffic in the Houston Ship Channel area in the year of 2011. We extracted the road network from the Texas Department of Transportation Road Inventory, and calculated emission rates using the Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator version 2014a (MOVES2014a). These parameters and preprocessed meteorological parameters were entered into a Research LINE-source Dispersion Model (RLINE) to conduct a simulation. Receptors were placed at 50 m resolution within 300 m to major roads and at 150 m resolution in the rest of the area. Our findings include that traffic-related PM2.5 were mainly emitted from trucks, while traffic-related NOx were emitted from both trucks and cars. The traffic contributed 0.90 μg/m3 PM2.5 and 29.23 μg/m3 NOx to the annual average mass concentrations of on-road air pollution, and the concentrations of the two pollutants decreased by nearly 40% within 500 m distance to major roads. The pollution level of traffic-related PM2.5 and NOx was higher in winter than those in the other three seasons. The Houston Ship Channel has earlier morning peak hours and relative late afternoon hours, which indicates the influence of goods movement from port activity. The varied near-road gradients illustrate that proximities to major roads are not an accurate surrogate of traffic-related air pollution.

  16. Effect of Pedestrians on the Saturation Flow Rate of Right Turn Movements at Signalized Intersection - Case Study from Rasht City

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roshani, Mostafa; Bargegol, Iraj

    2017-10-01

    Saturation flow rate is one of the important items in the analysis of the capacity of signalized intersections that are affected by some factors. Pedestrian crossing on signalized intersection is one of the factors which influence the vehicles flow. In addition, the released researches determined that the greatest impact of pedestrian on the saturation flow occurred in the Conflict zone where the highest chance of the encounter of pedestrians and vehicles has in turning movements. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the saturation flow rate considering the effect of a pedestrian on right turn movements of the signalized intersections in Rasht city. For this goal, 6 signalized intersections with 90 cycles of reviews were selected for the estimation of saturation flow rate by the microscopic method and also 3 right turn lanes containing radius differences with 70 cycles of reviews were collected for the investigation of the pedestrians’ effects. Each phase of right turn lanes cycle was divided in the pieces of 10-second period which was totally 476 sample volumes of considered pedestrians and vehicles at that period. Only 101 samples of those were ranged as saturated conditions. Finally, using different regression models, the best relationship between pedestrian’s volume and right turning vehicles flow parameters was evaluated. The results indicate that there is a primarily linear relationship between pedestrian volume and right turning vehicles flow with R2=0.6261. According to this regression model with the increase in pedestrians, saturation flow rate will be reduced. In addition, by comparing the adjustment factor obtained in the present study and other studies, it was found that the effect of pedestrians on the right-turn movements in Rasht city is less than the rest of the world.

  17. DSMC simulation of two-phase plume flow with UV radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Jie; Liu, Ying; Wang, Ning; Jin, Ling [College of Aerospace Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410073 (China)

    2014-12-09

    Rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume in which the phase of particles is liquid or solid flows from a solid propellant rocket of hypersonic vehicle flying at high altitudes, the aluminum oxide particulates not only impact the rarefied gas flow properties, but also make a great difference to plume radiation signature, so the radiation prediction of the rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume flow is very important for space target detection of hypersonic vehicles. Accordingly, this project aims to study the rarefied gas-particle two-phase flow and ultraviolet radiation (UV) characteristics. Considering a two-way interphase coupling of momentum and energy, the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is developed for particle phase change and the particle flow, including particulate collision, coalescence as well as separation, and a Monte Carlo ray trace model is implemented for the particulate UV radiation. A program for the numerical simulation of the gas-particle two-phase flow and radiation in which the gas flow nonequilibrium is strong is implemented as well. Ultraviolet radiation characteristics of the particle phase is studied based on the calculation of the flow field coupled with the radiation calculation, the radiation model for different size particles is analyzed, focusing on the effects of particle emission, absorption, scattering as well as the searchlight emission of the nozzle. A new approach may be proposed to describe the rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume flow and radiation transfer characteristics in this project.

  18. DSMC simulation of two-phase plume flow with UV radiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jie; Liu, Ying; Wang, Ning; Jin, Ling

    2014-12-01

    Rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume in which the phase of particles is liquid or solid flows from a solid propellant rocket of hypersonic vehicle flying at high altitudes, the aluminum oxide particulates not only impact the rarefied gas flow properties, but also make a great difference to plume radiation signature, so the radiation prediction of the rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume flow is very important for space target detection of hypersonic vehicles. Accordingly, this project aims to study the rarefied gas-particle two-phase flow and ultraviolet radiation (UV) characteristics. Considering a two-way interphase coupling of momentum and energy, the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is developed for particle phase change and the particle flow, including particulate collision, coalescence as well as separation, and a Monte Carlo ray trace model is implemented for the particulate UV radiation. A program for the numerical simulation of the gas-particle two-phase flow and radiation in which the gas flow nonequilibrium is strong is implemented as well. Ultraviolet radiation characteristics of the particle phase is studied based on the calculation of the flow field coupled with the radiation calculation, the radiation model for different size particles is analyzed, focusing on the effects of particle emission, absorption, scattering as well as the searchlight emission of the nozzle. A new approach may be proposed to describe the rarefied gas-particle two-phase plume flow and radiation transfer characteristics in this project.

  19. How important is vehicle safety in the new vehicle purchase process?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koppel, Sjaanie; Charlton, Judith; Fildes, Brian; Fitzharris, Michael

    2008-05-01

    Whilst there has been a significant increase in the amount of consumer interest in the safety performance of privately owned vehicles, the role that it plays in consumers' purchase decisions is poorly understood. The aims of the current study were to determine: how important vehicle safety is in the new vehicle purchase process; what importance consumers place on safety options/features relative to other convenience and comfort features, and how consumers conceptualise vehicle safety. In addition, the study aimed to investigate the key parameters associated with ranking 'vehicle safety' as the most important consideration in the new vehicle purchase. Participants recruited in Sweden and Spain completed a questionnaire about their new vehicle purchase. The findings from the questionnaire indicated that participants ranked safety-related factors (e.g., EuroNCAP (or other) safety ratings) as more important in the new vehicle purchase process than other vehicle factors (e.g., price, reliability etc.). Similarly, participants ranked safety-related features (e.g., advanced braking systems, front passenger airbags etc.) as more important than non-safety-related features (e.g., route navigation systems, air-conditioning etc.). Consistent with previous research, most participants equated vehicle safety with the presence of specific vehicle safety features or technologies rather than vehicle crash safety/test results or crashworthiness. The key parameters associated with ranking 'vehicle safety' as the most important consideration in the new vehicle purchase were: use of EuroNCAP, gender and education level, age, drivers' concern about crash involvement, first vehicle purchase, annual driving distance, person for whom the vehicle was purchased, and traffic infringement history. The findings from this study are important for policy makers, manufacturers and other stakeholders to assist in setting priorities with regard to the promotion and publicity of vehicle safety features

  20. 5th International Conference on Jets, Wakes and Separated Flows

    CERN Document Server

    2016-01-01

    This volume collects various contributions from the 5th International Conference on Jets, Wakes and Separated Flows (ICJWSF2015) that took place in Stockholm during June 2015. Researchers from all around the world presented their latest results concerning fundamental and applied aspects of fluid dynamics. With its general character, the conference embraced many aspects of fluid dynamics, such as shear flows, multiphase flows and vortex flows, for instance. The structure of the present book reflects the variety of topics treated within the conference i.e. Jets, Wakes, Separated flows, Vehicle aerodynamics, Wall-bounded and confined flows, Noise, Turbomachinery flows, Multiphase and reacting flows, Vortex dynamics, Energy-related flows and a section dedicated to Numerical analyses.

  1. DNS Studies of Transitional Hypersonic Reacting Flows Over 3-D Hypersonic Vehicles

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Zhong, Xiaolin

    2003-01-01

    The objectives of this research project are to develop CFD techniques and to conduct DNS studies of fundamental flow physics leading to boundary-layer instability and transition in hypersonic flows...

  2. Inlet Flow Control and Prediction Technologies for Embedded Propulsion Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMillan, Michelle L.; Mackie, Scott A.; Gissen, Abe; Vukasinovic, Bojan; Lakebrink, Matthew T.; Glezer, Ari; Mani, Mori; Mace, James L.

    2011-01-01

    Fail-safe, hybrid, flow control (HFC) is a promising technology for meeting high-speed cruise efficiency, low-noise signature, and reduced fuel-burn goals for future, Hybrid-Wing-Body (HWB) aircraft with embedded engines. This report details the development of HFC technology that enables improved inlet performance in HWB vehicles with highly integrated inlets and embedded engines without adversely affecting vehicle performance. In addition, new test techniques for evaluating Boundary-Layer-Ingesting (BLI)-inlet flow-control technologies developed and demonstrated through this program are documented, including the ability to generate a BLI-like inlet-entrance flow in a direct-connect, wind-tunnel facility, as well as, the use of D-optimal, statistically designed experiments to optimize test efficiency and enable interpretation of results. Validated improvements in numerical analysis tools and methods accomplished through this program are also documented, including Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes CFD simulations of steady-state flow physics for baseline, BLI-inlet diffuser flow, as well as, that created by flow-control devices. Finally, numerical methods were employed in a ground-breaking attempt to directly simulate dynamic distortion. The advances in inlet technologies and prediction tools will help to meet and exceed "N+2" project goals for future HWB aircraft.

  3. Qualitative thermal characterization and cooling of lithium batteries for electric vehicles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mariani, A.; D'Annibale, F.; Boccardi, G.; Celata, G. P.; Menale, C.; Bubbico, R.; Vellucci, F.

    2014-04-01

    The paper deals with the cooling of batteries. The first step was the thermal characterization of a single cell of the module, which consists in the detection of the thermal field by means of thermographic tests during electric charging and discharging. The purpose was to identify possible critical hot points and to evaluate the cooling demand during the normal operation of an electric car. After that, a study on the optimal configuration to obtain the flattening of the temperature profile and to avoid hot points was executed. An experimental plant for cooling capacity evaluation of the batteries, using air as cooling fluid, was realized in our laboratory in ENEA Casaccia. The plant is designed to allow testing at different flow rate and temperatures of the cooling air, useful for the assessment of operative thermal limits in different working conditions. Another experimental facility was built to evaluate the thermal behaviour changes with water as cooling fluid. Experimental tests were carried out on the LiFePO4 batteries, under different electric working conditions using the two loops. In the future, different type of batteries will be tested and the influence of various parameters on the heat transfer will be assessed for possible optimal operative solutions.

  4. Qualitative thermal characterization and cooling of lithium batteries for electric vehicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mariani, A; D'Annibale, F; Boccardi, G; Celata, G P; La Sapienza (Italy))" data-affiliation=" (University of Roma La Sapienza (Italy))" >Menale, C; La Sapienza (Italy))" data-affiliation=" (University of Roma La Sapienza (Italy))" >Bubbico, R; Vellucci, F

    2014-01-01

    The paper deals with the cooling of batteries. The first step was the thermal characterization of a single cell of the module, which consists in the detection of the thermal field by means of thermographic tests during electric charging and discharging. The purpose was to identify possible critical hot points and to evaluate the cooling demand during the normal operation of an electric car. After that, a study on the optimal configuration to obtain the flattening of the temperature profile and to avoid hot points was executed. An experimental plant for cooling capacity evaluation of the batteries, using air as cooling fluid, was realized in our laboratory in ENEA Casaccia. The plant is designed to allow testing at different flow rate and temperatures of the cooling air, useful for the assessment of operative thermal limits in different working conditions. Another experimental facility was built to evaluate the thermal behaviour changes with water as cooling fluid. Experimental tests were carried out on the LiFePO4 batteries, under different electric working conditions using the two loops. In the future, different type of batteries will be tested and the influence of various parameters on the heat transfer will be assessed for possible optimal operative solutions.

  5. Implementation Approach for Plug-in Electric Vehicles at Joint Base Lewis McChord. Task 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schey, Stephen [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Francfort, Jim [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2014-12-01

    This study focused on Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), which is located in Washington State. Task 1 consisted of a survey of the non-tactical fleet of vehicles at JBLM to begin the review of vehicle mission assignments and the types of vehicles in service. In Task 2, daily operational characteristics of select vehicles were identified and vehicle movements were recorded in data loggers in order to characterize the vehicles’ missions. In Task 3, the results of the data analysis and observations were provided. Individual observations of the selected vehicles provided the basis for recommendations related to PEV adoption (i.e., whether a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle [collectively referred to as PEVs] can fulfill the mission requirements0, as well as the basis for recommendations related to placement of PEV charging infrastructure. This report focuses on an implementation plan for the near-term adoption of PEVs into the JBLM fleet.

  6. Exposure to in-vehicle respirable particulate matter in passenger vehicles under different ventilation conditions and seasons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suresh Jain

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This study presents the in-vehicle particulate matter (PM concentration in a number of passenger vehicles under various ventilation modes, land use land cover (LULC in different seasons in megacity Delhi, India. In-vehicle monitoring was conducted in buses, cars and autos (three-wheeler using air-conditioned (AC and Non-AC during peak and off-peak hours. The site selected is a ∼15 km long stretch from Punjabi Bagh to Safdarjung Hospital, based on diversity in LULC, availability of vehicles and heavy traffic flow along the direction of travelling. In-vehicle PM was measured using GRIMM aerosol spectrometer and categorised in three classes (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10. The study found that concentration of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were significantly (p ≤ 0.05 higher in winters as compared to summers. It was observed that PM concentration was significantly (p ≤ 0.05 higher in Non-AC travel modes compared to AC modes. PM concentrations were high near industrial and commercial areas and during traffic congestion showing the influence of LULC. It is also important to highlight that PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were significantly (p ≤ 0.05 higher in case of taxis (cars compared to personal cars which varied from 2.5 to 3.5 times higher in case of AC mode and ∼1.5 times in case of Non-AC mode. Exposures to PM concentration were highest in case of Non-AC bus compared AC-Bus, Non-AC cars, autos and AC-cars. PM concentrations in case of autos and Non-AC cars were almost comparable without any significant (p > 0.05 difference. Regression analysis showed significant correlation between ambient and in-vehicle concentration for PM2.5. Regional deposition fractions were calculated using International Commission on Radiological Protection model to show the deposition in head air-pass, trachea-bronchial and alveolar regions. It was found that deposition of PM1 was highest in the alveolar region.

  7. An investigation on the fuel savings potential of hybrid hydraulic refuse collection vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bender, Frank A; Bosse, Thomas; Sawodny, Oliver

    2014-09-01

    Refuse trucks play an important role in the waste collection process. Due to their typical driving cycle, these vehicles are characterized by large fuel consumption, which strongly affects the overall waste disposal costs. Hybrid hydraulic refuse vehicles offer an interesting alternative to conventional diesel trucks, because they are able to recuperate, store and reuse braking energy. However, the expected fuel savings can vary strongly depending on the driving cycle and the operational mode. Therefore, in order to assess the possible fuel savings, a typical driving cycle was measured in a conventional vehicle run by the waste authority of the City of Stuttgart, and a dynamical model of the considered vehicle was built up. Based on the measured driving cycle and the vehicle model including the hybrid powertrain components, simulations for both the conventional and the hybrid vehicle were performed. Fuel consumption results that indicate savings of about 20% are presented and analyzed in order to evaluate the benefit of hybrid hydraulic vehicles used for refuse collection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The impact of traffic-flow patterns on air quality in urban street canyons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thaker, Prashant; Gokhale, Sharad

    2016-01-01

    We investigated the effect of different urban traffic-flow patterns on pollutant dispersion in different winds in a real asymmetric street canyon. Free-flow traffic causes more turbulence in the canyon facilitating more dispersion and a reduction in pedestrian level concentration. The comparison of with and without a vehicle-induced-turbulence revealed that when winds were perpendicular, the free-flow traffic reduced the concentration by 73% on the windward side with a minor increase of 17% on the leeward side, whereas for parallel winds, it reduced the concentration by 51% and 29%. The congested-flow traffic increased the concentrations on the leeward side by 47% when winds were perpendicular posing a higher risk to health, whereas reduced it by 17-42% for parallel winds. The urban air quality and public health can, therefore, be improved by improving the traffic-flow patterns in street canyons as vehicle-induced turbulence has been shown to contribute significantly to dispersion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Energy savings and increased electric vehicle range through improved battery thermal management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, Joshua; Hinterberger, Michael; Schneider, Christoph; Koehler, Juergen

    2016-01-01

    Lithium-ion cells are temperature sensitive: operation outside the optimal operating range causes premature aging and correspondingly reduces vehicle range and battery system lifetime. In order to meet consumer demands for electric and hybrid-electric vehicle performance, especially in adverse climates, a battery thermal management system (BTMS) is often required. This work presents a novel experimental method for analyzing BTMS using three sample cooling plate concepts. For each concept, the input parameters (ambient temperature, coolant temperature and coolant flow rate) are varied and the resulting effect on the average temperature and temperature distribution across and between cells is compared. Additionally, the pressure loss along the coolant path is utilized as an indicator of energy efficiency. Using the presented methodology, various cooling plate layouts optimized for production alternative techniques are compared to the state of the art. It is shown that these production-optimized cooling plates provide sufficient thermal performance with the additional benefit of mechanical integration within the battery and/or vehicle system. It is also shown that the coolant flow influences battery cell thermal behavior more than the solid material and that pressure drop is more sensitive to geometrical changes in the cooling plate than temperature changes at the module.

  10. Characterization of esophageal pressure-flow abnormalities in patients with non-obstructive dysphagia and normal manometry findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chien-Lin; Yi, Chih-Hsun; Liu, Tso-Tsai; Hsu, Ching-Sheng; Omari, Taher I

    2013-06-01

    Patients with non-obstructive dysphagia (NOD) report symptoms of impaired esophageal bolus transit without evidence of bolus stasis. In such patients, manometric investigation may diagnose esophageal motility disorders; however, many have normal motor patterns. We hypothesized that patients with NOD would demonstrate evidence of high flow-resistance during bolus passage which in turn would relate to the reporting of bolus hold up perception. Esophageal pressure-impedance recordings of 5 mL liquid and viscous swallows from 18 NOD patients (11 male; 19-71 years) and 17 control subjects (9 male; 25-60 years) were analyzed. The relationship between intrabolus pressure and bolus flow timing in the esophagus was assessed using the pressure flow index (PFI). Bolus perception was assessed swallow by swallow using standardized descriptors. NOD patients were characterized by a higher PFI than controls. The PFI defined a pressure-flow abnormality in all patients who appeared normal based on the assessment esophageal motor patterns and bolus clearance. The PFI was higher for individual swallows during which subjects reported perception of bolus passage. Bolus flow-resistance is higher in NOD patients compared with controls as well as higher in relation to perception of bolus transit, suggesting the presence of an esophageal motility disorder despite normal findings on conventional analysis. © 2013 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  11. Rational strategy for characterization of nanoscale particles by asymmetric-flow field flow fractionation: A tutorial

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gigault, Julien; Pettibone, John M.; Schmitt, Charlène; Hackley, Vincent A.

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Underlying theory and critical parameters are introduced. •A rational workflow is proposed to optimize and refine A4F methods. •Specific optimization steps and validation parameters are delineated. •Pedagogical examples are provided to demonstrate the process. •Use and relevance of different detection modalities is addressed. -- Abstract: This tutorial proposes a comprehensive and rational measurement strategy that provides specific guidance for the application of asymmetric-flow field flow fractionation (A4F) to the size-dependent separation and characterization of nanoscale particles (NPs) dispersed in aqueous media. A range of fractionation conditions are considered, and challenging applications, including industrially relevant materials (e.g., metal NPs, asymmetric NPs), are utilized in order to validate and illustrate this approach. We demonstrate that optimization is material dependent and that polystyrene NPs, widely used as a reference standard for retention calibration in A4F, in fact represent a class of materials with unique selectivity, recovery and optimal conditions for fractionation; thus use of these standards to calibrate retention for other materials must be validated a posteriori. We discuss the use and relevance of different detection modalities that can potentially yield multi-dimensional and complementary information on NP systems. We illustrate the fractionation of atomically precise nanoclusters, which are the lower limit of the nanoscale regime. Conversely, we address the upper size limit for normal mode elution in A4F. The protocol for A4F fractionation, including the methods described in the present work is proposed as a standardized strategy to realize interlaboratory comparability and to facilitate the selection and validation of material-specific measurement parameters and conditions. It is intended for both novice and advanced users of this measurement technology

  12. A geography of moral hazard: sources and sinks of motor-vehicle commuting externalities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yiannakoulias, Niko; Bland, Widmer; Scott, Darren M

    2014-09-01

    Motor-vehicles are responsible for harms to health that are not directly experienced by individual drivers - such as air pollution and risk of injury to pedestrians. In addition to their direct effects on health, these harms also represent a moral hazard since drivers are not required to consider their effects as part of their decision to drive. We describe an approach for estimating sources of motor-vehicle commuter externalities as a means of understanding the geography of moral hazard, and in particular, the spatial displacement of negative health externalities associated with motor-vehicle commuting. This approach models motor-vehicle commuter traffic flow by trip origin for small geographic areas within the City of Toronto, Ontario. We find that most health-related externalities associated with motor-vehicle commuters are not locally generated, with a large share coming from outside Toronto. Low income is associated with externalities originating outside the municipal boundary, but not with locally sourced externalities. We discuss the impact of geographical moral hazard on the agency of citizens as well as policy options aimed at addressing motor-vehicle externalities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Characterization of groundwater flow in the environment of the Boom Clay (Campine, Belgium)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gedeon, M.; Labat, S.; Wemaere, I.; Wouters, L.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. In Belgium, the Boom Clay formation is considered as reference host rock for the geological disposal of radioactive waste. Aquifers surrounding the Boom Clay play a passive role in the context of the disposal safety whereby the radionuclides are diluted by groundwater flow. The groundwater flow in these aquifers has been studied since decades. This research involves observations of groundwater levels in the regional and local piezo-metric networks, several site investigations including geophysics and core-drilled boreholes and groundwater modelling. In this context, groundwater modelling represents the integration of the site characterization efforts and provides a comprehensive tool for constraining the models used in the safety assessment of the geological disposal. Since 1985, groundwater levels are observed monthly in the regional piezo-metric network. It consists of 142 filters monitoring the groundwater levels at 45 sites. Along with the observed groundwater levels from the local piezo-metric network (concentrated around the Mol-Dessel site for surface disposal), these data provide an excellent insight into the evolution of the groundwater levels. Moreover, they represent a calibration (validation) dataset for groundwater flow modelling. The groundwater system forming the environment of the Boom Clay host rock was characterized during several site investigation campaigns, within which seven core-drilled boreholes were realized, whereby hydraulic parameters and hydro-stratigraphy of the groundwater system could be collected. The dataset obtained from the above mentioned campaigns was complemented by archived data on hydraulic testing in the aquifers in order to build a comprehensive groundwater model integrating these data into a single numerical representation of the groundwater system. Three regional groundwater models have been developed integrating the site characterization data collected in the north

  14. Exotic RG flows from holography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kiritsis, Elias [APC, Universite Paris 7, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/IRFU, Obs. de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cite (France); Crete Center for Theoretical Physics, Institute for Theoretical and Computational Physics, Department of Physics, University of Crete, Heraklion (Greece); Crete Center for Quantum Complexity and Nanotechnology, Department of Physics, University of Crete, Heraklion (Greece); Nitti, Francesco; Silva Pimenta, Leandro [APC, Universite Paris 7, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/IRFU, Obs. de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cite (France)

    2017-02-15

    Holographic RG flows are studied in an Einstein-dilaton theory with a general potential. The superpotential formalism is utilized in order to characterize and classify all solutions that are associated with asymptotically AdS space-times. Such solutions correspond to holographic RG flows and are characterized by their holographic β-functions. Novel solutions are found that have exotic properties from a RG point-of view. Some have β-functions that are defined patch-wise and lead to flows where the β-function changes sign without the flow stopping. Others describe flows that end in non-neighboring extrema in field space. Finally others describe regular flows between two minima of the potential and correspond holographically to flows driven by the VEV of an irrelevant operator in the UV CFT. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  15. Characterization of vertical mixing in oscillatory vegetated flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdolahpour, M.; Ghisalberti, M.; Lavery, P.; McMahon, K.

    2016-02-01

    Seagrass meadows are primary producers that provide important ecosystem services, such as improved water quality, sediment stabilisation and trapping and recycling of nutrients. Most of these ecological services are strongly influenced by the vertical exchange of water across the canopy-water interface. That is, vertical mixing is the main hydrodynamic process governing the large-scale ecological and environmental impact of seagrass meadows. The majority of studies into mixing in vegetated flows have focused on steady flow environments whereas many coastal canopies are subjected to oscillatory flows driven by surface waves. It is known that the rate of mass transfer will vary greatly between unidirectional and oscillatory flows, necessitating a specific investigation of mixing in oscillatory canopy flows. In this study, we conducted an extensive laboratory investigation to characterise the rate of vertical mixing through a vertical turbulent diffusivity (Dt,z). This has been done through gauging the evolution of vertical profiles of concentration (C) of a dye sheet injected into a wave-canopy flow. Instantaneous measurement of the variance of the vertical concentration distribution ( allowed the estimation of a vertical turbulent diffusivity (). Two types of model canopies, rigid and flexible, with identical heights and frontal areas, were subjected to a wide and realistic range of wave height and period. The results showed two important mechanisms that dominate vertical mixing under different conditions: a shear layer that forms at the top of the canopy and wake turbulence generated by the stems. By allowing a coupled contribution of wake and shear layer mixing, we present a relationship that can be used to predict the rate of vertical mixing in coastal canopies. The results further showed that the rate of vertical mixing within flexible vegetation was always lower than the corresponding rigid canopy, confirming the impact of plant flexibility on canopy-flow

  16. RIMAPS characterization of a surface in the variable aperture fracture model and determination of the main paths for water flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fuentes, Nestor O.

    2003-01-01

    To understand the real incidence of fracture geometry in the unsteady behavior of flowing water channels, the RIMAPS (Rotated Image with Maximum Average Power Spectrum) technique is used to determine the main directions of these channels. This new characterization technique works on digitized images obtained from the surfaces under study. The present work presents the results of a comparison between the flow directions predicted by RIMAPS and the real channels directions observed in a laboratory experiment. A perfect accordance was verified between the directions obtained in both cases. It can be concluded from these results that geometrical characteristics of a fracture surface determine the main path directions for water flow. (author)

  17. MOE-Analysis for Oversaturated Flow with Interrupted Facility and Heterogeneous Traffic for Urban Roads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hemant Kumar Sharma

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Speed-flow functions have been developed by several transportation experts to predict accurately the speed of urban road networks. HCM Speed-Flow Curve, BPR Curve, MTC Speed-Flow Curve, Akçelik Speed-Flow Curve are some extraordinary efforts to define the shape of speed-flow curves. However, the complexity of driver's behaviour, interactions among different type of vehicles, lateral clearance, co-relation of driver's psychology with vehicular characteristics and interdependence of various variables of traffic has led to continuous development and refinement of speed-flow curves. The problem gets more difficult in the case of urban roads with heterogeneous traffic, oversaturated flow and signalized network (which includes some unsignalized intersections as well. This paper presents analysis for various measures of effectiveness (MOE for urban roads with interrupted flow comprising heterogeneous traffic. Model has been developed for heterogeneous traffic under constraints of roadway geometry, vehicle characteristics, driving behaviour and traffic controls. The model developed in this paper predicts speed, delay, average queue and maximum queue estimates for urban roads and quantifies congestion for oversaturated conditions. The investigation details the oversaturated portion of flow in particular.

  18. Intelligent Network Flow Optimization (INFLO) prototype acceptance test summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-05-01

    This report summarizes the results of System Acceptance Testing for the implementation of the Intelligent Network : Flow Optimization (INFLO) Prototype bundle within the Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) portion of the Connected : Vehicle Program. ...

  19. Vision-Based Leader Vehicle Trajectory Tracking for Multiple Agricultural Vehicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Linhuan; Ahamed, Tofael; Zhang, Yan; Gao, Pengbo; Takigawa, Tomohiro

    2016-04-22

    The aim of this study was to design a navigation system composed of a human-controlled leader vehicle and a follower vehicle. The follower vehicle automatically tracks the leader vehicle. With such a system, a human driver can control two vehicles efficiently in agricultural operations. The tracking system was developed for the leader and the follower vehicle, and control of the follower was performed using a camera vision system. A stable and accurate monocular vision-based sensing system was designed, consisting of a camera and rectangular markers. Noise in the data acquisition was reduced by using the least-squares method. A feedback control algorithm was used to allow the follower vehicle to track the trajectory of the leader vehicle. A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller was introduced to maintain the required distance between the leader and the follower vehicle. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the sensing and tracking performances of the leader-follower system while the leader vehicle was driven at an average speed of 0.3 m/s. In the case of linear trajectory tracking, the RMS errors were 6.5 cm, 8.9 cm and 16.4 cm for straight, turning and zigzag paths, respectively. Again, for parallel trajectory tracking, the root mean square (RMS) errors were found to be 7.1 cm, 14.6 cm and 14.0 cm for straight, turning and zigzag paths, respectively. The navigation performances indicated that the autonomous follower vehicle was able to follow the leader vehicle, and the tracking accuracy was found to be satisfactory. Therefore, the developed leader-follower system can be implemented for the harvesting of grains, using a combine as the leader and an unloader as the autonomous follower vehicle.

  20. Analyzing Vehicle Fuel Saving Opportunities through Intelligent Driver Feedback

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonder, J.; Earleywine, M.; Sparks, W.

    2012-06-01

    Driving style changes, e.g., improving driver efficiency and motivating driver behavior changes, could deliver significant petroleum savings. This project examines eliminating stop-and-go driving and unnecessary idling, and also adjusting acceleration rates and cruising speeds to ideal levels to quantify fuel savings. Such extreme adjustments can result in dramatic fuel savings of over 30%, but would in reality only be achievable through automated control of vehicles and traffic flow. In real-world driving, efficient driving behaviors could reduce fuel use by 20% on aggressively driven cycles and by 5-10% on more moderately driven trips. A literature survey was conducted of driver behavior influences, and pertinent factors from on-road experiments with different driving styles were observed. This effort highlighted important driver influences such as surrounding vehicle behavior, anxiety over trying to get somewhere quickly, and the power/torque available from the vehicle. Existing feedback approaches often deliver efficiency information and instruction. Three recommendations for maximizing fuel savings from potential drive cycle improvement are: (1) leveraging applications with enhanced incentives, (2) using an approach that is easy and widely deployable to motivate drivers, and (3) utilizing connected vehicle and automation technologies to achieve large and widespread efficiency improvements.