Automatic exchange unit for control rod drive device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nasu, Seiji; Sasaki, Masayoshi.

1982-01-01

Purpose: To enable automatic reoperation and continuation without external power interruption remedy device at the time of recovering the interrupted power soruce during automatic positioning operation. Constitution: In case of an automatic exchange unit for a control rod drive device of the control type for setting the deviation between the positioning target position and the present position of the device to zero, the position data of the drive device of the positioning target value of the device is automatically read, and an interlock of operation inhibit is applied to a control system until the data reading is completed and automatic operation start or restart conditions are sequentially confirmed. After the confirmation, the interlock is released to start the automatic operation or reoperation. Accordingly, the automatic operation can be safely restarted and continued. (Yoshihara, H.)

Drunk driving among novice drivers, possible prevention with additional psychological module in driving school curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Eensoo, Diva; Paaver, Marika; Harro, Jaanus

2011-01-01

Road traffic collisions caused by drunk driving pose a significant public health problem all over the world. Therefore additional preventive activities against drunk driving should be worked out. The aim of the study was to assess drunk driving in novice drivers after a psychological intervention taking into account also impulsivity, law obedience, and alcohol-related measures. An intervention study was started with 1889 car driver's license attempters during their driving school studies. Subjects were classified as intervention group (n=1083, mean age 23.1 (SD=7.4) years), control group (n=517, mean age 22.8 (SD=7.1) years) and "lost" group (n=289, mean age 23.0 (SD=6.9) years). "Lost" group subjects had been assigned into the intervention group, but they did not participate in the intervention. Subjects of the intervention group participated in a psychological intervention on the dangers of impulsive behavior in traffic. After a three year follow-up period it appeared that in the control group and in the lost group there was a significantly higher proportion of drunk drivers than in the intervention group, 3.3% (n=17), 3.5% (n=10) and 1.5% (n=10) (p=0.026), respectively. Survival analysis confirmed that psychological intervention had a significant impact on drunk driving (p=0.015), and the impact of the intervention was persistent also in the case of higher scores in Mild social deviance. In subjects with higher scores in impulsivity measures and alcohol-related problems the impact of short psychological intervention was not sufficient for preventing drunk driving. It can be concluded that psychological intervention used during the driving school studies is an effective primary prevention activity against drunk driving. However, for drivers with high scores in impulsivity measures and alcohol-related problems, the short psychological intervention is not sufficient in reducing drunk driving behavior.

Measurement of starting characteristics of a remote area Darrieus wind turbine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freere, P. [Monash University, Clayton (Australia). Dept. of Electrical Engineering; Moller, C.; Jespersen, R. [Danish Technical University, Copenhagen (Denmark). Dept. of Electrical Engineering

1999-07-01

A 17 kW Darrieus was constructed as a remote area power supply for an independent community outside Melbourne, Australia. After languishing for several years it was reconditioned, but found not to start at wind speeds up to 12 m/s. Therefore, the turbine was modelled by driving it with an electric motor at various rotational speeds over a range of wind speeds. Thus it was possible to measure the turbine starting characteristics, thereby indicating reasons for the turbine's lack of performance. (author)

A look at one of the world`s largest apron feeder drives - Alberta Oil Sands Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Persson, O. [Hagglunds Drives Canada Inc., Vancouver, BC (Canada)

1999-10-01

Various types of equipment to transport tar sands to processing plants are discussed, with special attention to the advantages of hydraulic direct drives over conventional electro-mechanical drives. A hydraulic direct drive such as the Hagglund Drive has exceptional starting torque capacity due to the high torque capability of the hydraulic motor. As such, it can be particularly useful in applications where shock loads occur with some frequency, or where many starts and stops are needed. Application of the Hagglund drive to power one of the world`s largest apron feeders in the Alberta Oil Sands is described as an illustration of the exceptional reliability, productivity and performance of this equipment. It has about one five-hundredth of the inertia of an equivalent high speed drive with gear reducer, a feature which is particularly significant in the case of feeders which are known to suffer much downtime due to chain related problems. These types of drives have also been used to great advantage in the process industries like pulp and paper, chemical, rubber and plastics, recycling and steel. 1 tab., 1 fig.

School start times for adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes insufficient sleep in adolescents as an important public health issue that significantly affects the health and safety, as well as the academic success, of our nation's middle and high school students. Although a number of factors, including biological changes in sleep associated with puberty, lifestyle choices, and academic demands, negatively affect middle and high school students' ability to obtain sufficient sleep, the evidence strongly implicates earlier school start times (ie, before 8:30 am) as a key modifiable contributor to insufficient sleep, as well as circadian rhythm disruption, in this population. Furthermore, a substantial body of research has now demonstrated that delaying school start times is an effective countermeasure to chronic sleep loss and has a wide range of potential benefits to students with regard to physical and mental health, safety, and academic achievement. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly supports the efforts of school districts to optimize sleep in students and urges high schools and middle schools to aim for start times that allow students the opportunity to achieve optimal levels of sleep (8.5-9.5 hours) and to improve physical (eg, reduced obesity risk) and mental (eg, lower rates of depression) health, safety (eg, drowsy driving crashes), academic performance, and quality of life. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Alternating-Current Motor Drive for Electric Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Krauthamer, S.; Rippel, W. E.

1982-01-01

New electric drive controls speed of a polyphase as motor by varying frequency of inverter output. Closed-loop current-sensing circuit automatically adjusts frequency of voltage-controlled oscillator that controls inverter frequency, to limit starting and accelerating surges. Efficient inverter and ac motor would give electric vehicles extra miles per battery charge.

Large belt conveyors: starting them and keeping them going

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-03-15

Although heavy-duty conveyor drives are subjected to some of the most severe operating conditions, it is still possible to achieve reliability and low maintenance. Some areas where choices in design and construction can make a difference include thermal capacity, sealing, lubrication and strength. Dodge recently brought out its redesigned Global Series 750 CST - controlled start transmission - a multi-stage gear reducer with an internal clutch designed for smooth starting of high inertia loads on long-distance conveyors. The Antelope Mine in Wyoming's Powder River Basin first installed Dodge CST units in 1984 and has added more units over the years. CSTs have also been successfully employed in Australian coal mines. 1 fig., 1 photo.

A look at one of the world's largest apron feeder drives - Alberta Oil Sands Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Persson, O. (Hagglunds Drives Canada Inc., Vancouver, BC (Canada))

1999-01-01

Various types of equipment to transport tar sands to processing plants are discussed, with special attention to the advantages of hydraulic direct drives over conventional electro-mechanical drives. A hydraulic direct drive such as the Hagglund Drive has exceptional starting torque capacity due to the high torque capability of the hydraulic motor. As such, it can be particularly useful in applications where shock loads occur with some frequency, or where many starts and stops are needed. Application of the Hagglund drive to power one of the world's largest apron feeders in the Alberta Oil Sands is described as an illustration of the exceptional reliability, productivity and performance of this equipment. It has about one five-hundredth of the inertia of an equivalent high speed drive with gear reducer, a feature which is particularly significant in the case of feeders which are known to suffer much downtime due to chain related problems. These types of drives have also been used to great advantage in the process industries like pulp and paper, chemical, rubber and plastics, recycling and steel. 1 tab., 1 fig.

Begeleid rijden: wie doet mee met 2toDrive en waarom? : een vragenlijstonderzoek onder 16- en 17-jarigen in Nederland.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schagen, I.N.L.G. van Wijlhuizen, G.J. & Craen, S. de

2013-01-01

Accompanied driving: who participate in 2toDrive and why? : a questionnaire study among 16 and 17-year-olds in the Netherlands. On 1 November 2011, 2toDrive, a six-year pilot of accompanied driving, commenced in the Netherlands. In 2toDrive youths can start their driver training and take the theory

Low frequency RF current drive. Final report, January 1, 1988 - May 31, 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hershkowitz, N.

1999-01-01

This report starts with a summary of research done on the Phaedrus Tandom Mirror concept and how this research led to the design and construction of the Phaedrus-T Tokamak. Next it gives a more detailed description of the results from the last four years of research, which include the following areas: (1) first experimental demonstration of AWCD (Alfven Wave Current Drive); (2) current drive location and loop voltage response; (3) trapping and current drive efficiency; and (4) reflectometry

Noninductive current drive for INTOR: A comparison of four driver options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehst, D.A.; Evans, K. Jr.; Mikkelsen, D.R.; Ignat, D.W.; Mau, T.K.

1987-01-01

The current drive power and normalized efficiency are calculated for the INTOR tokamak, including spatial profiles of the plasma and current density. Current drive requirements are computed for purely steady state operation with no electromotive force and also in the presence of a reversed emf typical of start-up or transformer recharging. Results are obtained for lower-hybrid-waves, high frequency fast waves, low frequency fast waves and neutral beam injection

Delaying Middle School and High School Start Times Promotes Student Health and Performance: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Nathaniel F; Martin, Jennifer L; Wise, Merrill S; Carden, Kelly A; Kirsch, Douglas B; Kristo, David A; Malhotra, Raman K; Olson, Eric J; Ramar, Kannan; Rosen, Ilene M; Rowley, James A; Weaver, Terri E; Chervin, Ronald D

2017-04-15

During adolescence, internal circadian rhythms and biological sleep drive change to result in later sleep and wake times. As a result of these changes, early middle school and high school start times curtail sleep, hamper a student's preparedness to learn, negatively impact physical and mental health, and impair driving safety. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence shows that delaying school start times positively impacts student achievement, health, and safety. Public awareness of the hazards of early school start times and the benefits of later start times are largely unappreciated. As a result, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine is calling on communities, school boards, and educational institutions to implement start times of 8:30 AM or later for middle schools and high schools to ensure that every student arrives at school healthy, awake, alert, and ready to learn. © 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Vertical axis wind turbine drive train transient dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Clauss, D. B.; Carne, T. G.

1982-01-01

Start up of a vertical axis wind turbine causes transient torque oscillations in the drive train with peak torques which may be over two and one half times the rated torque of the turbine. A computer code, based on a lumped parameter model of the drive train, was developed and tested for the low cost 17 meter turbine; the results show excellent agreement with field data. The code was used to predict the effect of a slip clutch on transient torque oscillations. It was demonstrated that a slip clutch located between the motor and brake can reduce peak torques by thirty eight percent.

FRAMEWORK OF TAILORMADE DRIVING SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND NEURAL NETWORK DRIVER MODEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshiya HIROSE, M.S.

2004-01-01

Nowadays, tailormade medical treatment is receiving much attention in the field of medical care. It is also desirable for driving support systems to reflect the driving characteristics of individuals as much as possible, begin monitoring the driver when a driver starts driving and calculates the driver model, and supports them with a model that makes the driver feel quite normal. That is the construction of Tailormade Driving Support Systems (TDSS. This research proposes a concept and a framework of TDSS, and presents a driver model that uses a neural network to build the system. As for the feasibility of this system, the research selects braking as a typical constituent element, and illustrates and reviews the results of experiments and simulations.

Converter topologies and dynamical properties of an SR-motor drive

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silventoinen, P.; Tolsa, K.; Salo, J.; Pyrhoenen, J. [Department of Energy Technology, Laboratory of Electrical Engineering Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta (Finland)

1997-12-31

Starting and reversing times of less than 40 A, torque ripple below 10 % and operational speeds over 5000 rpm can be achieved with 6/4 prototype switched reluctance motor drive. The drive efficiency approaches 80 percent but it is currently limited by high switching frequency. Peak currents of 50 A are needed in a 4.2 kW machine. An introduction to switched reluctance machines and their control is presented and experimental results of the prototype switched reluctance machine are shown. (orig.) 4 refs.

The drive revisited: Mastery and satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Denis, Paul

2016-06-01

Starting from the theory of the libido and the notions of the experience of satisfaction and the drive for mastery introduced by Freud, the author revisits the notion of the drive by proposing the following model: the drive takes shape in the combination of two currents of libidinal cathexis, one which takes the paths of the 'apparatus for obtaining mastery' (the sense-organs, motricity, etc.) and strives to appropriate the object, and the other which cathects the erotogenic zones and the experience of satisfaction that is experienced through stimulation in contact with the object. The result of this combination of cathexes constitutes a 'representation', the subsequent evocation of which makes it possible to tolerate for a certain period of time the absence of a satisfying object. On the basis of this conception, the author distinguishes the representations proper, vehicles of satisfaction, from imagos and traumatic images which give rise to excitation that does not link up with the paths taken by the drives. This model makes it possible to conciliate the points of view of the advocates of 'object-seeking' and of those who give precedence to the search for pleasure, and, further, to renew our understanding of object-relations, which can then be approached from the angle of their relations to infantile sexuality. Destructiveness is considered in terms of "mastery madness" and not in terms of the late Freudian hypothesis of the death drive. Copyright © 2015 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Analysis of the repeatability of the exhaust pollutants emission research results for cold and hot starts under controlled driving cycle conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaworski, Artur; Kuszewski, Hubert; Ustrzycki, Adam; Balawender, Krzysztof; Lejda, Kazimierz; Woś, Paweł

2018-04-20

Measurement of car engines exhaust pollutants emissions is very important because of their harmful effects on the environment. This article presents the assessment of repeatability of the passenger car engine exhaust pollutants emission research results obtained in the conditions of a chassis dynamometer. The research was conducted in a climate chamber, enabling the temperature conditions to be determined from - 20 to + 30 °C. The emission of CO, CH 4 , CO 2 , NO X , THC, and NMHC was subjected to the analysis. The aim of the research is to draw attention to the accuracy of the pollutant emission research results in driving cycles, and the comparison of pollutant emission results and their repeatability obtained in successive NEDC cycles under cold and hot start conditions. The results of the analysis show that, in the case of a small number of measurements, the results repeatability analysis is necessary for a proper interpretation of the pollutant emission results on the basis of the mean value. According to the authors' judgment, it is beneficial to determine the coefficient of variation for a more complete assessment of exhaust emission result repeatability obtained from a small number of measurements. This parameter is rarely presented by the authors of papers on exhaust components emission research.

Accompanied driving in The Netherlands : who do participate and why?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schagen, I.N.L.G. van Wijlhuizen, G.J. & Craen, S. de

2015-01-01

In 2011, a six year accompanied driving experiment started in the Netherlands. This questionnaire study investigated which youngsters (intend to) participate and why, with the purpose of assessing whether there is a potential self-selection bias that can be relevant for the oncoming evaluation of

Driving in Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease: An Integrative Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Rebecca L; Ohman, Jennifer M

2017-03-01

One of the most difficult decisions for individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is when to stop driving. Because driving is a fundamental activity linked to socialization, independent functioning, and well-being, making the decision to stop driving is not easy. Cognitive decline in older adults can lead to getting lost while driving, difficulty detecting and avoiding hazards, as well as increased errors while driving due to compromised judgment and difficulty in making decisions. The purpose of the current literature review was to synthesize evidence regarding how individuals with early-stage AD, their families, and providers make determinations about driving safety, interventions to increase driving safety, and methods to assist cessation and coping for individuals with early-stage AD. The evidence shows that changes in driving ability start early and progress throughout the trajectory of AD. Some individuals with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage AD may be safe to drive for a period of time. Support groups aimed at helping with the transition have been shown to be helpful for individuals who stop driving. Research and practice must support interventions to help individuals maintain safety while driving, as well as cope with driving cessation. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2017; 10(2):86-100.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

The ARTEMIS European driving cycles for measuring car pollutant emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

André, Michel

2004-12-01

In the past 10 years, various work has been undertaken to collect data on the actual driving of European cars and to derive representative real-world driving cycles. A compilation and synthesis of this work is provided in this paper. In the frame of the European research project: ARTEMIS, this work has been considered to derive a set of reference driving cycles. The main objectives were as follows: to derive a common set of reference real-world driving cycles to be used in the frame of the ARTEMIS project but also in the frame of on-going national campaigns of pollutant emission measurements, to ensure the compatibility and integration of all the resulting emission data in the European systems of emission inventory; to ensure and validate the representativity of the database and driving cycles by comparing and taking into account all the available data regarding driving conditions; to include in three real-world driving cycles (urban, rural road and motorway) the diversity of the observed driving conditions, within sub-cycles allowing a disaggregation of the emissions according to more specific driving conditions (congested and free-flow urban). Such driving cycles present a real advantage as they are derived from a large database, using a methodology that was widely discussed and approved. In the main, these ARTEMIS driving cycles were designed using the available data, and the method of analysis was based to some extent on previous work. Specific steps were implemented. The study includes characterisation of driving conditions and vehicle uses. Starting conditions and gearbox use are also taken into account.

Wind generator with electronic variable-speed drives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David, A.; Buchheit, N.; Jakobsen, H.

1996-12-31

Variable speed drives have been inserted between the network and the generator on certain recent wind power facilities. They have the following advantages: the drive allows the wind generator to operate at low speed with a significant reduction in acoustic noise, an important point if the facilities are sited near populated areas; the drive optimizes energy transfer, providing a gain of 4 to 10 %; the drive can possibly replace certain mechanical parts (the starting system and it in some cases, the reduction gear); the drive not only provides better transient management in relation to the network for less mechanical stress on the wind generator, it is also able to control reactive power. One commercial drive design sold by several manufacturers has already been installed on several wind generators with outputs of between 150 and 600 kw. In addition, such a solution is extremely well suited to mixed renewable energy systems. This design uses two inverse rectifier type converters and can therefore exchange energy in both directions. The equivalent drive with a single IGBT converter on the motor side and a diode converter on the network side is the solution most widely adopted throughout industry (with more than 50, 000 units installed in France per year). It still remains to be seen whether such a solution could be profitable in wind generator application (since the cost of the drive is quite high). This technical analysis is more destined for the converter-machine assembly specialists and is presented in this document, paying particular attention as it does to the modelling of the `wind energy - generator - drive - network` assembly, the associated drive command and control strategies and the simulations obtained during various transients. A 7.5 kW test bed has been installed in the Laboratoire d`Electronique de Puissance de Clamart, enabling tests to be carried out which emulate the operation of a wind generator.

Joint Czechoslovak-Soviet workshop on current drive in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-10-01

At the Joint Czechoslovak-Soviet Workshop on Current Drive in Tokamaks, five papers dealing with issues of general interest were presented. In a theoretical paper by Klima and Pavlo a one-dimensional model of the lower-hybrid current drive is described and the results of its analysis are used in a numerical simulation using T-7 tokamak parameters. In the second theoretical paper by Vojtsekhovich, Parail and Pereverzev the influence of the LH wave spectrum on the efficiency of the current drive is studied. Two papers deal with a new microwave system designed for experiments on LHCD in the T-7 tokamak. In particular, the power spectra of new four-waveguide grills are computed. In the last paper the non-inductive start-up of the discharge in the T-7 tokamak by means of electron cyclotron waves is investigated. (J.U.)

Real Driving Emissions in Congested Traffic: A Comparison of Cold and Hot Start

OpenAIRE

Khalfan, A; Andrews, GE; Li, H

2016-01-01

Air quality NO₂ and PM exceedances in cities are common, where congested traffic occurs and the monitoring station is at the roadside. This work investigated real world emissions for a Euro 4 SI vehicle on a congested road by a roadside air quality monitoring station that exceeds European air quality standards for NOx and PM. The PEMS used was the Temet FTIR with Horiba OBS pitot tube exhaust mass flow sensor and gas sampler. Twenty nine hot start repeat journeys were made at different times ...

Start-up and control method and apparatus for resonant free piston Stirling engine

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Michael M.

1984-01-01

A resonant free-piston Stirling engine having a new and improved start-up and control method and system. A displacer linear electrodynamic machine is provided having an armature secured to and movable with the displacer and having a stator supported by the Stirling engine housing in juxtaposition to the armature. A control excitation circuit is provided for electrically exciting the displacer linear electrodynamic machine with electrical excitation signals having substantially the same frequency as the desired frequency of operation of the Stirling engine. The excitation control circuit is designed so that it selectively and controllably causes the displacer electrodynamic machine to function either as a generator load to extract power from the displacer or the control circuit selectively can be operated to cause the displacer electrodynamic machine to operate as an electric drive motor to apply additional input power to the displacer in addition to the thermodynamic power feedback to the displacer whereby the displacer linear electrodynamic machine also is used in the electric drive motor mode as a means for initially starting the resonant free-piston Stirling engine.

submitter Starting Manufacture of the ITER Central Solenoid

CERN Document Server

Libeyre, P; Dolgetta, N; Gaxiola, E; Jong, C; Lyraud, C; Mitchell, N; Journeaux, J Y; Vollmann, T; Evans, D; Sgobba, S; Langeslag, S; Reiersen, W; Martovetsky, N; Everitt, D; Hatfield, D; Rosenblad, P; Litherland, S; Freudenberg, K; Myatt, L; Smith, J; Brazelton, C; Abbott, R; Daubert, J; Rackers, K; Nentwich, T

2016-01-01

The central solenoid (CS) is a key component of the ITER magnet system to provide the magnetic flux swing required to drive induced plasma current up to 15 MA. The manufacture of its different subcomponents has now started, following completion of the design analyses and achievement of the qualification of the manufacturing procedures. A comprehensive set of analyses has been produced to demonstrate that the CS final design meets all requirements. This includes in particular structural analyses carried out with different finite-element models and addressing normal and fault conditions. Following the Final Design Review, held in November 2013, and the subsequent design modifications, the analyses were updated for consistency with the final design details and provide evidence that the Magnet Structural Design Criteria are fully met. Before starting any manufacturing activity of a CS component, a corresponding dedicated qualification program has been carried out. This includes manufacture of mockups using the re...

Extended driving impairs nocturnal driving performances.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Sagaspe

Full Text Available Though fatigue and sleepiness at the wheel are well-known risk factors for traffic accidents, many drivers combine extended driving and sleep deprivation. Fatigue-related accidents occur mainly at night but there is no experimental data available to determine if the duration of prior driving affects driving performance at night. Participants drove in 3 nocturnal driving sessions (3-5 am, 1-5 am and 9 pm-5 am on open highway. Fourteen young healthy men (mean age [+/-SD] = 23.4 [+/-1.7] years participated Inappropriate line crossings (ILC in the last hour of driving of each session, sleep variables, self-perceived fatigue and sleepiness were measured. Compared to the short (3-5 am driving session, the incidence rate ratio of inappropriate line crossings increased by 2.6 (95% CI, 1.1 to 6.0; P<.05 for the intermediate (1-5 am driving session and by 4.0 (CI, 1.7 to 9.4; P<.001 for the long (9 pm-5 am driving session. Compared to the reference session (9-10 pm, the incidence rate ratio of inappropriate line crossings were 6.0 (95% CI, 2.3 to 15.5; P<.001, 15.4 (CI, 4.6 to 51.5; P<.001 and 24.3 (CI, 7.4 to 79.5; P<.001, respectively, for the three different durations of driving. Self-rated fatigue and sleepiness scores were both positively correlated to driving impairment in the intermediate and long duration sessions (P<.05 and increased significantly during the nocturnal driving sessions compared to the reference session (P<.01. At night, extended driving impairs driving performances and therefore should be limited.

Review of experiments on current drive in tokamaks by means of RF waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooke, W.

1984-01-01

Experimental results on lower hybrid current drive in tokamak plasmas are reviewed. Pulse lengths of 3.5 seconds and currents above 400 kA have been generated at plasma densities such that the wave frequency is greater than about twice the lower hybrid frequency. Current drive ceases above a critical density, nsub(c). However, nsub(c) increases with wave frequency. So that for f = 4.6 GHz current drive has been seen at n-barsub(e) approx.= 10 14 cm -3 and a density limit has yet to be established. Evidence for a collisional scaling law for current-drive efficiency is summarized. Detailed measurements of bremsstrahlung x-rays show a distribution which is qualitatively similar to that predicted by quasilinear theory. Microwave emission at frequencies less than the plasma frequency may shed light on the current-drive mechanism. Applications of current drive including plasma and current start-up and transformer recharging are discussed. (author)

Long Pulse EBW Start-up Experiments in MAST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shevchenko V.F.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Start-up technique reported here relies on a double mode conversion (MC for electron Bernstein wave (EBW excitation. It consists of MC of the ordinary (O mode, entering the plasma from the low field side of the tokamak, into the extraordinary (X mode at a mirror-polarizer located at the high field side. The X mode propagates back to the plasma, passes through electron cyclotron resonance (ECR and experiences a subsequent X to EBW MC near the upper hybrid resonance (UHR. Finally the excited EBW mode is totally absorbed at the Doppler shifted ECR. The absorption of EBW remains high even in cold rarefied plasmas. Furthermore, EBW can generate significant plasma current giving the prospect of a fully solenoid-free plasma start-up. First experiments using this scheme were carried out on MAST [1]. Plasma currents up to 33 kA have been achieved using 28 GHz 100kW 90ms RF pulses. Recently experimental results were extended to longer RF pulses showing further increase of plasma currents generated by RF power alone. A record current of 73kA has been achieved with 450ms RF pulse of similar power. The current drive enhancement was mainly achieved due to RF pulse extension and further optimisation of the start-up scenario.

Estimation of the Driving Style Based on the Users’ Activity and Environment Influence

Science.gov (United States)

Sysoev, Mikhail; Kos, Andrej; Guna, Jože; Pogačnik, Matevž

2017-01-01

New models and methods have been designed to predict the influence of the user’s environment and activity information to the driving style in standard automotive environments. For these purposes, an experiment was conducted providing two types of analysis: (i) the evaluation of a self-assessment of the driving style; (ii) the prediction of aggressive driving style based on drivers’ activity and environment parameters. Sixty seven h of driving data from 10 drivers were collected for analysis in this study. The new parameters used in the experiment are the car door opening and closing manner, which were applied to improve the prediction accuracy. An Android application called Sensoric was developed to collect low-level smartphone data about the users’ activity. The driving style was predicted from the user’s environment and activity data collected before driving. The prediction was tested against the actual driving style, calculated from objective driving data. The prediction has shown encouraging results, with precision values ranging from 0.727 up to 0.909 for aggressive driving recognition rate. The obtained results lend support to the hypothesis that user’s environment and activity data could be used for the prediction of the aggressive driving style in advance, before the driving starts. PMID:29065476

Estimation of the Driving Style Based on the Users' Activity and Environment Influence.

Science.gov (United States)

Sysoev, Mikhail; Kos, Andrej; Guna, Jože; Pogačnik, Matevž

2017-10-21

New models and methods have been designed to predict the influence of the user's environment and activity information to the driving style in standard automotive environments. For these purposes, an experiment was conducted providing two types of analysis: (i) the evaluation of a self-assessment of the driving style; (ii) the prediction of aggressive driving style based on drivers' activity and environment parameters. Sixty seven h of driving data from 10 drivers were collected for analysis in this study. The new parameters used in the experiment are the car door opening and closing manner, which were applied to improve the prediction accuracy. An Android application called Sensoric was developed to collect low-level smartphone data about the users' activity. The driving style was predicted from the user's environment and activity data collected before driving. The prediction was tested against the actual driving style, calculated from objective driving data. The prediction has shown encouraging results, with precision values ranging from 0.727 up to 0.909 for aggressive driving recognition rate. The obtained results lend support to the hypothesis that user's environment and activity data could be used for the prediction of the aggressive driving style in advance, before the driving starts.

Plasma auxiliary heating and current drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Heating and current drive systems must fulfil several roles in ITER operating scenarios: heating through the H-mode transition and to ignition; plasma burn control; current drive and current profile control in steady state scenarios; and control of MHD instabilities. They must also perform ancillary functions, such as assisting plasma start-up and wall conditioning. It is recognized that no one system can satisfy all of these requirements with the degree of flexibility that ITER will require. Four heating and current drive systems are therefore under consideration for ITER: electron cyclotron waves at a principal frequency of 170 GHz; fast waves operating in the range 40-70 MHz (ion cyclotron waves); lower hybrid waves at 5 GHz; and neutral beam injection using negative ion beam technology for operation at 1 MeV energy. It is likely that several of these systems will be employed in parallel. The systems have been chosen on the basis of the maturity of physics understanding and operating experience in current experiments and on the feasibility of applying the relevant technology to ITER. Here, the fundamental physics describing the interaction of these heating systems with the plasma is reviewed, the relevant experimental results in the exploitation of the heating and current drive capabilities of each system are discussed, key aspects of their application to ITER are outlined, and the major technological developments required in each area are summarized. (author)

Position statement: start middle and high schools at 8:30 am or later to promote student health and learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevorrow, Tracy; Zhou, Eric S; Dietch, Jessica R; Gonzalez, Brian D

2018-03-13

The Society of Behavioral Medicine recommends school officials start middle and high school classes at 8:30 am or later. Such a schedule promotes students' sleep health, resulting in improvements in physical health, psychological well-being, attention and concentration, academic performance, and driving safety. In this position statement, we propose a four-tiered approach to promote later school start times for middle and high schools.

Glaucoma and Driving: On-Road Driving Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Joanne M.; Black, Alex A.; Mallon, Kerry; Thomas, Ravi; Owsley, Cynthia

2016-01-01

Purpose To comprehensively investigate the types of driving errors and locations that are most problematic for older drivers with glaucoma compared to those without glaucoma using a standardized on-road assessment. Methods Participants included 75 drivers with glaucoma (mean = 73.2±6.0 years) with mild to moderate field loss (better-eye MD = -1.21 dB; worse-eye MD = -7.75 dB) and 70 age-matched controls without glaucoma (mean = 72.6 ± 5.0 years). On-road driving performance was assessed in a dual-brake vehicle by an occupational therapist using a standardized scoring system which assessed the types of driving errors and the locations where they were made and the number of critical errors that required an instructor intervention. Driving safety was rated on a 10-point scale. Self-reported driving ability and difficulties were recorded using the Driving Habits Questionnaire. Results Drivers with glaucoma were rated as significantly less safe, made more driving errors, and had almost double the rate of critical errors than those without glaucoma. Driving errors involved lane positioning and planning/approach, and were significantly more likely to occur at traffic lights and yield/give-way intersections. There were few between group differences in self-reported driving ability. Conclusions Older drivers with glaucoma with even mild to moderate field loss exhibit impairments in driving ability, particularly during complex driving situations that involve tactical problems with lane-position, planning ahead and observation. These results, together with the fact that these drivers self-report their driving to be relatively good, reinforce the need for evidence-based on-road assessments for evaluating driving fitness. PMID:27472221

Glaucoma and Driving: On-Road Driving Characteristics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanne M Wood

Full Text Available To comprehensively investigate the types of driving errors and locations that are most problematic for older drivers with glaucoma compared to those without glaucoma using a standardized on-road assessment.Participants included 75 drivers with glaucoma (mean = 73.2±6.0 years with mild to moderate field loss (better-eye MD = -1.21 dB; worse-eye MD = -7.75 dB and 70 age-matched controls without glaucoma (mean = 72.6 ± 5.0 years. On-road driving performance was assessed in a dual-brake vehicle by an occupational therapist using a standardized scoring system which assessed the types of driving errors and the locations where they were made and the number of critical errors that required an instructor intervention. Driving safety was rated on a 10-point scale. Self-reported driving ability and difficulties were recorded using the Driving Habits Questionnaire.Drivers with glaucoma were rated as significantly less safe, made more driving errors, and had almost double the rate of critical errors than those without glaucoma. Driving errors involved lane positioning and planning/approach, and were significantly more likely to occur at traffic lights and yield/give-way intersections. There were few between group differences in self-reported driving ability.Older drivers with glaucoma with even mild to moderate field loss exhibit impairments in driving ability, particularly during complex driving situations that involve tactical problems with lane-position, planning ahead and observation. These results, together with the fact that these drivers self-report their driving to be relatively good, reinforce the need for evidence-based on-road assessments for evaluating driving fitness.

Glaucoma and Driving: On-Road Driving Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Joanne M; Black, Alex A; Mallon, Kerry; Thomas, Ravi; Owsley, Cynthia

2016-01-01

To comprehensively investigate the types of driving errors and locations that are most problematic for older drivers with glaucoma compared to those without glaucoma using a standardized on-road assessment. Participants included 75 drivers with glaucoma (mean = 73.2±6.0 years) with mild to moderate field loss (better-eye MD = -1.21 dB; worse-eye MD = -7.75 dB) and 70 age-matched controls without glaucoma (mean = 72.6 ± 5.0 years). On-road driving performance was assessed in a dual-brake vehicle by an occupational therapist using a standardized scoring system which assessed the types of driving errors and the locations where they were made and the number of critical errors that required an instructor intervention. Driving safety was rated on a 10-point scale. Self-reported driving ability and difficulties were recorded using the Driving Habits Questionnaire. Drivers with glaucoma were rated as significantly less safe, made more driving errors, and had almost double the rate of critical errors than those without glaucoma. Driving errors involved lane positioning and planning/approach, and were significantly more likely to occur at traffic lights and yield/give-way intersections. There were few between group differences in self-reported driving ability. Older drivers with glaucoma with even mild to moderate field loss exhibit impairments in driving ability, particularly during complex driving situations that involve tactical problems with lane-position, planning ahead and observation. These results, together with the fact that these drivers self-report their driving to be relatively good, reinforce the need for evidence-based on-road assessments for evaluating driving fitness.

The Relationship of Neuropsychological Variables to Driving Status Following Holistic Neurorehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramaswamy Kavitha ePerumparaichallai

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: The main objectives of the present study were to evaluate the cognitive and driving outcomes of a holistic neurorehabilitation program and to examine the relationship between the neuropsychological variables of attention, speed of information processing, and visuospatial functioning and driving outcomes. Methods: One hundred and twenty eight individuals with heterogeneous neurological etiologies who participated in a holistic neurorehabilitation program. Holistic neurorehabilitation consisted of therapies focusing on physical, cognitive, language, emotional, and interpersonal functioning, including training in compensatory strategies. Neuropsychological testing was administered at admission and prior to starting driving or program discharge. Subtests of processing speed, working memory, and perceptual reasoning from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III and Trail Making Test were included. Results: At the time of discharge, 54% of the individuals returned to driving. Statistical analyses revealed that at the time of discharge: the sample as a group made significant improvements on cognitive measures included in the study; the driving and non-driving groups differed significantly on aspects of processing speed, attention, abstract reasoning, working memory, and visuospatial functions. Further, at the time of admission, the driving group performed significantly better than the non-driving group on several neuropsychological measures. Conclusions: Cognitive functions of attention, working memory, visual-motor coordination, motor and mental speed, and visual scanning significantly contribute to predicting driving status of individuals after neurorehabilitation. Holistic neurorehabilitation facilitates recovery and helps individuals gain functional independence after brain injury.

Synchronous motor with soft start element formed between the motor rotor and motor output shaft to successfully synchronize loads that have high inertia and/or high torque

Science.gov (United States)

Umans, Stephen D; Nisley, Donald L; Melfi, Michael J

2014-10-28

A line-start synchronous motor has a housing, a rotor shaft, and an output shaft. A soft-start coupling portion is operatively coupled to the output shaft and the rotor shaft. The soft-start coupling portion is configurable to enable the synchronous motor to obtain synchronous operation and to drive, at least near synchronous speed during normal steady state operation of the motor, a load having characteristics sufficient to prevent obtaining normal synchronous operation of the motor when the motor is operatively connected to the load in the absence of the soft-start coupling. The synchronous motor is sufficiently rated to obtain synchronous operation and to drive, at least near synchronous speed during normal steady state operation of the motor, a load having characteristics sufficient to prevent obtaining normal synchronous operation of the motor when the motor is operatively connected to the load in the absence of the soft-start coupling.

11. Fuel cell drive and infrastructure; 11. Brennstoffzelle Antriebsstrang und Infrastruktur

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noreikat, Karl E.

2013-04-15

Approximately in the year 1990, the automotive industry started to spend time on fuel cell based vehicle drive motors. Beside the large and heavy fuel cell stacks, the 300-bar hydrogen tanks, the air supply, the electric drive as well as the monitoring electronics do not meet the requirements in regard to a mobile drive. Specification sheets, instructions, qualification descriptions, technical regulations, standards and norms were forwarded in parallel with the technical developments. Universities, research institutes and technology companies increasingly spend time on fuel cells for the mobile sector. In the business cooperation, activities were bundled, and cooperation projects support the automotive industry. Here the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the Clean Energy Partnership are to be mentioned. The standardization was driven by organizations such as SAE and ISO.

Identifying Method of Drunk Driving Based on Driving Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaohua Zhao

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Drunk driving is one of the leading causes contributing to traffic crashes. There are numerous issues that need to be resolved with the current method of identifying drunk driving. Driving behavior, with the characteristic of real-time, was extensively researched to identify impaired driving behaviors. In this paper, the drives with BACs above 0.05% were defined as drunk driving state. A detailed comparison was made between normal driving and drunk driving. The experiment in driving simulator was designed to collect the driving performance data of the groups. According to the characteristics analysis for the effect of alcohol on driving performance, seven significant indicators were extracted and the drunk driving was identified by the Fisher Discriminant Method. The discriminant function demonstrated a high accuracy of classification. The optimal critical score to differentiate normal from drinking state was found to be 0. The evaluation result verifies the accuracy of classification method.

Factors That Drive Youth Specialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Padaki, Ajay S; Popkin, Charles A; Hodgins, Justin L; Kovacevic, David; Lynch, Thomas Sean; Ahmad, Christopher S

Specialization in young athletes has been linked to overuse injuries, burnout, and decreased satisfaction. Despite continued opposition from the medical community, epidemiological studies suggest the frequency is increasing. Extrinsic pressures in addition to individual aspirations drive this national trend in sports specialization. Descriptive epidemiology study. Level 3. A novel instrument assessing the driving factors behind youth specialization was generated by an interdisciplinary team of medical professionals. Surveys were administered to patients and athletes in the department's sports medicine clinic. The survey was completed by 235 athletes between 7 and 18 years of age, with a mean age of 13.8 ± 3.0 years. Athletes specialized at a mean age of 8.1 years, and 31% of athletes played a single sport while 58% played multiple sports but had a preferred sport. More than 70% of athletes had collegiate or professional ambitions, and 60% played their primary sport for 9 or more months per year, with players who had an injury history more likely to play year-round ( P specialized athletes reporting this significantly more often ( P = 0.04). Half of the athletes reported that sports interfered with their academic performance, with older players stating this more frequently ( P specializing in a single sport before starting high school. While intrinsic drive may identify healthy aspirations, extrinsic influences are prevalent in specialized athletes. Extrinsic factors contributing to youth specialization were identified and compounded the deleterious sequelae of youth athlete specialization.

Self-rated driving and driving safety in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Lesley A; Dodson, Joan E; Edwards, Jerri D; Ackerman, Michelle L; Ball, Karlene

2012-09-01

Many U.S. states rely on older adults to self-regulate their driving and determine when driving is no longer a safe option. However, the relationship of older adults' self-rated driving in terms of actual driving competency outcomes is unclear. The current study investigates self-rated driving in terms of (1) systematic differences between older adults with high (good/excellent) versus low (poor/fair/average) self-ratings, and (2) the predictive nature of self-rated driving to adverse driving outcomes in older adults (n=350; mean age 73.9, SD=5.25, range 65-91). Adverse driving outcomes included self-reported incidences of (1) being pulled over by the police, (2) receiving a citation, (3) receiving a recommendation to cease or limit driving, (4) crashes, and (5) state-reported crashes. Results found that older drivers with low self-ratings reported more medical conditions, less driving frequency, and had been given more suggestions to stop/limit their driving; there were no other significant differences between low and high self-raters. Logistic regression revealed older drivers were more likely to have a state-reported crash and receive a suggestion to stop or limit driving. Men were more likely to report all adverse driving outcomes except for receiving a suggestion to stop or limit driving. Regarding self-rated driving, older adults with high ratings were 66% less likely (OR=0.34, 95% CI=0.14-0.85) to have received suggestions to limit or stop driving after accounting for demographics, health and driving frequency. Self-ratings were not predictive of other driving outcomes (being pulled over by the police, receiving a citation, self-reported crashes, or state-reported crashes, ps>0.05). Most older drivers (85.14%) rated themselves as either good or excellent drivers regardless of their actual previous citation or crash rates. Self-rated driving is likely not related to actual driving proficiency as indicated by previous crash involvement in older adults

The Drive-Wise Project: Driving Simulator Training increases real driving performance in healthy older drivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianclaudio eCasutt

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Age-related cognitive decline is often associated with unsafe driving behavior. We hypothesized that 10 active training sessions in a driving simulator increase cognitive and on-road driving performance. In addition, driving simulator training should outperform cognitive training.Methods: Ninety-one healthy active drivers (62 – 87 years were randomly assigned to either (1 a driving simulator training group, (2 an attention training group (vigilance and selective attention, or (3 a control group. The main outcome variables were on-road driving and cognitive performance. Seventy-seven participants (85% completed the training and were included in the analyses. Training gains were analyzed using a multiple regression analysis with planned comparisons.Results: The driving simulator training group showed an improvement in on-road driving performance compared to the attention training group. In addition, both training groups increased cognitive performance compared to the control group. Conclusion: Driving simulator training offers the potential to enhance driving skills in older drivers. Compared to the attention training, the simulator training seems to be a more powerful program for increasing older drivers’ safety on the road.

Electrical drives for direct drive renewable energy systems

CERN Document Server

Mueller, Markus

2013-01-01

Wind turbine gearboxes present major reliability issues, leading to great interest in the current development of gearless direct-drive wind energy systems. Offering high reliability, high efficiency and low maintenance, developments in these direct-drive systems point the way to the next generation of wind power, and Electrical drives for direct drive renewable energy systems is an authoritative guide to their design, development and operation. Part one outlines electrical drive technology, beginning with an overview of electrical generators for direct drive systems. Principles of electrical design for permanent magnet generators are discussed, followed by electrical, thermal and structural generator design and systems integration. A review of power electronic converter technology and power electronic converter systems for direct drive renewable energy applications is then conducted. Part two then focuses on wind and marine applications, beginning with a commercial overview of wind turbine drive systems and a...

Self-rated Driving and Driving Safety in Older Adults

OpenAIRE

Ross, Lesley A.; Dodson, Joan; Edwards, Jerri D.; Ackerman, Michelle L.; Ball, Karlene

2012-01-01

Many U.S. states rely on older adults to self-regulate their driving and determine when driving is no longer a safe option. However, the relationship of older adults’ self-rated driving in terms of actual driving competency outcomes is unclear. The current study investigates self-rated driving in terms of (1) systematic differences between older adults with high (good/excellent) versus low (poor/fair/average) self-ratings, and (2) the predictive nature of self-rated driving to adverse driving...

Investigating Car Users’ Driving Behaviour through Speed Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Eboli

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Speed has been identified for a long time as a key risk factor in road traffic: inappropriate speeds contribute to a relevant part of traffic accidents. Many literature studies have focused on the relationship between speed and accident risk. Starting from this consideration this paper investigates traffic accident risk by analysing the travelling speeds recorded by real tests on the road. A survey was conducted to collect experimental speed values in a real context. A specific road segment, belonging to an Italian rural two-lane road, was repeatedly run by 27 drivers in order to collect the instantaneous speed values for each trajectory. Smartphone-equipped vehicles were used to record continuous speed data. The recorded data were used to calculate: the average speed, 50th and 85th percentile speed for each geometric element of the analysed road segment. The main result of the research is the classification of car users’ driving behaviour based on the speed values. By using the above mentioned ranges of speed, the classification provides three types of driving behaviour: safe, unsafe, and safe but potentially dangerous. It was found that only four drivers feature “safe” behaviour, driving in a safe manner on most of the road elements. However, the major part of drivers, even if they feature safe behaviour, could be dangerous for other drivers because they drive at very low speeds.

Onset of a declining trend in fatal motor vehicle crashes involving drunk-driving in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakahara, Shinji; Katanoda, Kota; Ichikawa, Masao

2013-01-01

In Japan, introduction of severe drunk-driving penalties and a lower blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit in June 2002 was followed by a substantial reduction in fatal alcohol-related crashes. However, previous research suggests that this reduction started before the legal amendments. The causes of the decrease have not been studied in detail. Monthly police data on fatal road traffic crashes from January 1995 to August 2006 were analyzed using a joinpoint regression model to identify change-points in the trends of the proportion of drunk-driving among drivers primarily responsible for fatal crashes. We analyzed the data by BAC level (≥0.5 or drunk-driving behavior.

Psychometrics of the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Classen, Sherrilene; Velozo, Craig A; Winter, Sandra M; Bédard, Michel; Wang, Yanning

2015-01-01

We employed item response theory (IRT), specifically using Rasch modeling, to determine the measurement precision of the Fitness-to-Drive Screening Measure (FTDS), a tool that can be used by caregivers and occupational therapists to help detect at-risk drivers. We examined unidimensionality through the factor structure (how items contribute to the central construct of fitness to drive), rating scale (use of the categories of the rating scale), item/person-level separation (distinguishing between items with different difficulty levels or persons with different ability levels) and reliability, item hierarchy (easier driving items advancing to more difficult driving items), rater reliability, rater effects (severity vs. leniency of a rater), and criterion validity of the FTDS to an on-road assessment, via three rater groups (n = 200 older drivers; n = 200 caregivers; n = 2 evaluators). The FTDS is unidimensional, the rating scale performed well, has good person (> 3.07) and item (> 5.43) separation, good person (> 0.90) and item reliability (> 0.97), with < 10% misfitting items for two rater groups (caregivers and drivers). The intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficient among the three rater groups was significant (.253, p < .001) and the evaluators were the most severe raters. When comparing the caregivers' FTDS rating with the drivers' on-road assessment, the areas under the curve (index of discriminability; caregivers .726, p < .001) suggested concurrent validity between the FTDS and the on-road assessment. Despite limitations, the FTDS is a reliable and accurate screening measure for caregivers to help identify at-risk older drivers and for occupational therapy practitioners to start conversations about driving.

Cold Start Emissions of Spark-Ignition Engines at Low Ambient Temperatures as an Air Quality Risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bielaczyc Piotr

2014-12-01

Full Text Available SI engines are highly susceptible to excess emissions when started at low ambient temperatures. This phenomenon has multiple air quality and climate forcing implications. Direct injection petrol engines feature a markedly different fuelling strategy, and so their emissions behaviour is somewhat different from indirect injection petrol engines. The excess emissions of direct injection engines at low ambient temperatures should also differ. Additionally, the direct injection fuel delivery process leads to the formation of PM, and DISI engines should show greater PM emissions at low ambient temperatures. This study reports on laboratory experiments quantifying excess emissions of gaseous and solid pollutants over a legislative driving cycle following cold start at a low ambient temperature for both engine types. Over the legislative cycle for testing at -7°C (the UDC, emissions of HC, CO, NOx and CO2 were higher when tested at -7°C than at 24°C. Massive increases in emissions of HC and CO were observed, together with more modest increases in NOx and CO2 emissions. Results from the entire driving cycle showed excess emissions in both phases (though they were much larger for the UDC. The DISI vehicle showed lower increases in fuel consumption than the port injected vehicles, but greater increases in emission of HC and CO. DISI particle number emissions increased by around 50%; DISI particle mass by over 600%. The observed emissions deteriorations varied somewhat by engine type and from vehicle to vehicle. Excesses were greatest following start-up, but persisted, even after several hundred seconds’ driving. The temperature of the intake air appeared to have a limited but significant effect on emissions after the engine has been running for some time. All vehicles tested here comfortably met the relevant EU limits, providing further evidence that these limits are no longer challenging and need updating.

Networks of entrepreneurs driving the Triple Helix: two cases of the Dutch energy system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werker, C.; Ubacht, J.; Ligtvoet, A.

2017-01-01

Entrepreneurs are often envisioned as small private start-up firms operating against all odds. Here, we investigate how in the context of the Triple Helix various entrepreneurs form communities and drive institutional and technological change. To theoretically shape a socialized view of

Electric drive motors for industrial robots

Science.gov (United States)

Fichtner, K.

1985-04-01

In robotized industrial plants it is possible to use electric motors in the technological process and also for control, assembly, transport, testing, and measurements. Particularly suitable for these applications are permanent-magnet d.c. motors. A new special series was developed for industrial robots with hinge joints in kinematic pairs. The complete drive includes thyristors or transistor controls with regulators and, if necessary, a line transformer as well as a servomotor with tachometer and odometer for speed, current, and position control. The drive is coupled to a robot tong through mechanical torque and force converters. In addition to a 0 to 4000 rpm speed regulation, without wobble at low speeds, and a high torque-to-weight ratio for repetitive short-time heavy duty, these low-inertia motors develop high starting and accelerating torques over the entire speed range. They operate from a 1 to O 220 V a.c. line through a rectifier. The motors are totally enclosed, or of open construction for better ventilation. Their windings have class F insulation for operation at ambient temperatures up to 40 C.

Fast response Antiwindup PI speed controller of Brushless DC motor drive: Modeling, simulation and implementation on DSP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Tariq

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Most of the Brushless DC (BLDC motors drive adopts proportional, integral and derivative (PID controller and pulse width modulation (PWM scheme for speed control. Hence, BLDC motor drive has strong saturation characteristics. The saturation results in a typical windup phenomenon. The paper presents an Antiwindup drive for BLDC motor. An Antiwindup controller (AWC has been used in the paper. AWC has been modeled in MATLAB/Simulink and comparison has been done between conventional PI controller and AWC at different starting loads. Dynamic characteristics of the BLDC motor drive have been examined and results are presented and discussed in detail in this paper. Details of DSP based experimental validation of the simulated results are also presented here.

Dementia & Driving

Science.gov (United States)

... have to give up driving. Many people associate driving with self-reliance and freedom; the loss of driving privileges ... familiar roads and avoid long distances. Avoid heavy traffic and heavily traveled roads. Avoid driving at night and in bad weather. Reduce the ...

A qualitative exploration of driving stress and driving discourtesy.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott-Parker, B; Jones, C M; Rune, K; Tucker, J

2018-05-31

Driving courtesy, and conversely driving discourtesy, recently has been of great interest in the public domain. In addition, there has been increasing recognition of the negative impact of stress upon the individual's health and wellbeing, with a plethora of interventions aimed at minimising stress more generally. The research literature regarding driving dis/courtesy, in comparison, is scant, with a handful of studies examining the dis/courteous driving behaviour of road users, and the relationship between driving discourtesy and driving stress. To examine courteous and discourteous driving experiences, and to explore the impact of stress associated with such driving experiences. Thirty-eight drivers (20 females) from the Sunshine Coast region volunteered to participate in one of four 1-1.5 h focus groups. Content analysis used the verbatim utterances captured via an Mp3 device. Three themes pertaining to stressful and discourteous interactions were identified. Theme one pertained to the driving context: road infrastructure (eg, roundabouts, roadwork), vehicles (eg, features), location (eg, country vs city, unfamiliar areas), and temporal aspects (eg, holidays). Theme two pertained to other road users: their behaviour (eg, tailgating, merging), and unknown factors (eg, illicit and licit drug use). Theme three pertained to the self as road user: their own behaviours (eg, deliberate intimidation), and their emotions (eg, angry reaction to other drivers, being in control). Driving dis/courtesy and driving stress is a complex phenomenon, suggesting complex intervention efforts are required. Driving discourtesy was reported as being highly stressful, therefore intervention efforts which encourage driving courtesy and which foster emotional capacity to cope with stressful circumstances appear warranted. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Driving cycle characterization and generation, for design and control of fuel cell buses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tazelaar, E.; Bruinsma, J.; Veenhuizen, P.A.; Bosch, van den P.P.J.

2009-01-01

Optimization routines for battery, supercap and fuel cell stack in a fuel cell based propulsion system face two problems: the tendency to cycle beating and the necessity to maintain identical amounts of stored energy in battery and supercap at the start and end of the driving cycle used in the

Design aspects of harmonic drive gear and performance improvement of its by problems identification: A review

Science.gov (United States)

Routh, Bikash

2018-04-01

The present paper aims at review on different aspects of harmonic drive gear to identify literature gap for future research. The present article is started first making the comparative study of harmonic drive gear over conventional gear, highlighting its historical background, its application, limitation etc. and then describing working principle of each and every components of it with detail dimensioning and modelling. The present article is further extended to study the different design aspects i.e. synthesis of tooth profiles, lubrication, stress, strain, torque, load sharing, kinematics error and vibration in details etc., identifying problems and then suggesting future perspective for the performance improvement of harmonic drive gear.

Repeated-dose effects of mequitazine, cetirizine and dexchlorpheniramine on driving and psychomotor performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Theunissen, Eef L; Vermeeren, Annemiek; Ramaekers, Johannes G

2006-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that the antihistamines mequitazine, cetirizine and dexchlorpheniramine produce mild sedation after single doses. It is unknown, however, whether acute sedation persists after repeated dosing. Therefore, this study assessed the effects of repeated dosing of these antihistamines on driving and psychomotor performance. Sixteen healthy volunteers were treated with mequitazine 10 mg q.a.m., cetirizine 10 mg q.a.m., dexchlorpheniramine Repetab 6 mg b.i.d. and placebo for four separate 8-day periods. Drug effects were assessed on days 1 and 8 using on-the-road driving tests (highway driving and car following), psychomotor tests (tracking and divided attention) and subjective questionnaires. Dexchlorpheniramine and mequitazine significantly impaired driving performance on the highway driving test on the first day; dexchlorpheniramine increased Standard Deviation of Lateral Position by 2 cm [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5, 3.8] and mequitazine by 2.5 cm (CI 1.0, 4.3). These effects on driving performance disappeared after 8 days of treatment. No effect of treatment was found on car following, tracking and divided attention. Although subjective ratings confirmed that subjects knew their driving had been impaired in the mequitazine and dexchlorpheniramine condition after completion of the highway driving test on day 1, they did not expect their driving to be affected before the start of the test. Cetirizine did not impair performance on any of the tests. Single doses of mequitazine 10 mg and dexchlorpheniramine Repetab 6 mg cause mild driving impairment. However, when taken over several days, the impairing effect wears off, possibly as a result of tolerance.

Electric drives

CERN Document Server

Boldea, Ion

2005-01-01

ENERGY CONVERSION IN ELECTRIC DRIVESElectric Drives: A DefinitionApplication Range of Electric DrivesEnergy Savings Pay Off RapidlyGlobal Energy Savings Through PEC DrivesMotor/Mechanical Load MatchMotion/Time Profile MatchLoad Dynamics and StabilityMultiquadrant OperationPerformance IndexesProblemsELECTRIC MOTORS FOR DRIVESElectric Drives: A Typical ConfigurationElectric Motors for DrivesDC Brush MotorsConventional AC MotorsPower Electronic Converter Dependent MotorsEnergy Conversion in Electric Motors/GeneratorsPOWER ELECTRONIC CONVERTERS (PECs) FOR DRIVESPower Electronic Switches (PESs)The

EARLY ONSET OF DELINQUENCY AND THE TRAJECTORY OF ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING AMONG YOUNG MALES*

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lening; Wieczorek, William F.; Welte, John W.

2011-01-01

Building upon the literature in developmental and life-course criminology, the present study assesses the possible association of age onset of delinquency with the trajectory of alcohol-impaired driving using data collected from the three waves of the Buffalo Longitudinal Survey of Young Men (BLSYM). It is argued that as a unique form of delinquency, alcohol-impaired driving among adolescents may be better understood in a broad context of adolescent delinquency involvement. The study adopts the general approach for the analysis of early onset of delinquency and criminal careers in developmental and life-course criminology and hypothesizes that early onset of delinquency is associated with a higher growth of alcohol-impaired driving over time among adolescents when age onsets of alcohol-impaired driving, drinking, and drug use are controlled. Our analysis with the HLM growth modeling method provides support for the hypothesis. Respondents who had an early start in delinquency were likely to have a faster growth of alcohol-impaired driving over the three waves of BLSYM, which implies that these respondents were likely to have a longer path of alcohol-impaired driving in their transition to adulthood. The implication of this finding is discussed. PMID:21831528

Older drivers with cognitive impairment: Perceived changes in driving skills, driving-related discomfort and self-regulation of driving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meng, A.; Siren, A.; Teasdale, Thomas William

2013-01-01

The results of a previous study indicate that in general, older drivers who recognise cognitive problems show realistic self-assessment of changes in their driving skills and that driving-related discomfort may function as an indirect monitoring of driving ability, contributing to their safe...... drivers may recognise cognitive problems, they tend not to recognise changes to their driving, which may reflect reluctance to acknowledge the impact of cognitive impairment on their driving. Furthermore, the results suggest that driving-related discomfort plays an important role in the self......-regulation of driving among cognitively impaired older drivers. However, it is less clear what triggers driving-related discomfort among cognitively impaired older drivers indicating that it may be a less reliable aspect of their self-monitoring of driving ability....

Seeing Like a Tesla: How Can We Anticipate Self-Driving Worlds?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jack Stilgoe

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In the last five years, investment and innovation in self-driving cars has accelerated dramatically. Automotive autonomy, once seen as impossible, is now sold as inevitable. Much of the governance discussion has centred on risk: will the cars be safer than their human-controlled counterparts? As with conventional cars, harder long-term questions relate to the future worlds that self-driving technologies might enable or even demand. The vision of an autonomous vehicle – able to navigate the world’s complexity using only its sensors and processors – on offer from companies like Tesla is intentionally misleading. So-called “autonomous” vehicles will depend upon webs of social and technical connectivity. For their purported benefits to be realised, infrastructures that were designed around humans will need to be upgraded in order to become machine-readable. It is vital to anticipate the politics of self-driving worlds in order to avoid exacerbating the inequalities that have emerged around conventional cars. Rather than being dazzled by the Tesla view, policymakers should start seeing like a city, from multiple perspectives. Good governance for self-driving cars means democratising experimentation and creating genuine collaboration between companies and local governments.

Drive Stands

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Electrical Systems Laboratory (ESL)houses numerous electrically driven drive stands. A drive stand consists of an electric motor driving a gearbox and a mounting...

Comparing Expert and Novice Driving Behavior in a Driving Simulator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiran B. Ekanayake

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study focused on comparing driving behavior of expert and novice drivers in a mid-range driving simulator with the intention of evaluating the validity of driving simulators for driver training. For the investigation, measurements of performance, psychophysiological measurements, and self-reported user experience under different conditions of driving tracks and driving sessions were analyzed. We calculated correlations between quantitative and qualitative measures to enhance the reliability of the findings. The experiment was conducted involving 14 experienced drivers and 17 novice drivers. The results indicate that driving behaviors of expert and novice drivers differ from each other in several ways but it heavily depends on the characteristics of the task. Moreover, our belief is that the analytical framework proposed in this paper can be used as a tool for selecting appropriate driving tasks as well as for evaluating driving performance in driving simulators.

Modeling and analysis of friction clutch at a driveline for suppressing car starting judder

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Liping; Lu, Zhaijun; Liu, Xue-Lai; Sun, Tao; Jing, Xingjian; Shangguan, Wen-Bin

2018-06-01

Car judder is a kind of back-forth vibration during vehicle starting which caused by the torsional oscillation of the driveline. This paper presents a systematic study on the dynamic response characteristics of the clutch driven disc for suppression of the judder during vehicle starting. Self-excited vibration behavior of the clutch driven disc is analyzed based on the developed 4DOF non-linear multi-body dynamic model of the clutch driving process considering stick-slip characteristics and using Karnopp friction models. Physical parameters of a clutch determining the generations of the judder behaviors are discussed and the revised designs of the driven disc of a clutch for suppression of the judder are consequently investigated and validated with experiments for two real cars.

Flux Concentration and Pole Shaping in a Single Phase Hybrid Switched Reluctance Motor Drive

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Uffe; Lu, Kaiyuan

2010-01-01

The single phase hybrid switched reluctance motor (HSRM) may be a good candidate for low-cost drives used for pump applications. This paper presents a new design of the HSRM with improved starting torque achieved by stator pole shaping, and a better arrangement of the embedded stator permanent...

Fundamental study on thermo-hydraulics during start-up in natural circulation boiling water reactors, (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aritomi, Masanori; Chiang Jing-Hsien; Takahashi, Tohru; Wataru, Masumi; Mori, Michitsugu.

1992-01-01

Recently, many concepts, in which passive and simplified functions are actively adapted, have been proposed for the next generation LWRs. The natural circulation BWR is one such considered from the requirements for next generation LWRs as compared with current BWRs. It is pointed out from this consideration that a thermo-hydraulic instability, which may appear during start-up, greatly influences concept feasibility because its occurence makes operation for raising power output difficult. Thermo-hydraulic instabilities are investigated experimentally under conditions simulating normal and abnormal start-up processes. It is clarified that three kinds of thermo-hydraulic instabilities may occur during start-up in the natural circulation BWR according to its procedure and reactor configuration, which are (1) geysering induced by condensation, (2) natural circulation instability induced by hydrostatic head fluctuation in steam separators and (3) density wave instability. Driving mechanisms of the geysering and the natural circulation instability, which have never understood enough, are inferred from the results. Finally, the difference of thermo-hydraulic behavior during start-up processes between thermal natural circulation boilers and the Dodewaard reactor is discussed. (author)

Cognitive problems, self-rated changes in driving skills, driving-related discomfort and self-regulation of driving in old drivers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meng, Annette; Siren, Anu Kristiina

2012-01-01

Ageing in general is associated with functional decline that may have an adverse effect on driving. Nevertheless, older drivers have been found to show good judgement and to self-regulate their driving, which may enable them to continue driving safely despite functional decline. The process...... of the self-monitoring of driving ability and the awareness of functional decline, and its association with the self-regulation of driving is, however, not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the perceived changes in driving skills, the discomfort experienced in driving, and the self......-related discomfort is an important factor affecting the self-regulation of driving. Finally, the findings indicate that driving-related discomfort functions as an indirect self-monitoring of driving ability and may contribute to the safe driving performance of Danish older drivers....

Advancements, prospects, and impacts of automated driving systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Yao Chan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade, significant progress has been made in automated driving systems (ADS. Given the current momentum and progress, ADS can be expected to continue to advance and a variety of ADS products will become commercially available within a decade. It is envisioned that automated driving technology will lead to a paradigm shift in transportation systems in terms of user experience, mode choices, and business models. In this paper, we start with a review of the state-of-the-art in the field of ADS and their deployment paths. It is followed by a discussion of the future prospects of ADS and their effects on various aspects of the transportation field. We then identify two specific use cases of ADS where the impacts can be significant – personal mobility services and vehicle automation for aging society. A survey of impact assessment studies and the associated methodologies for evaluating ADS is given, which is followed by concluding remarks at the end of the paper.

Start-up and ramp-up of the PLT tokamak by lower hybrid waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jobes, F.C.; von Goeler, S.; Bernabei, S.

1985-01-01

Lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) is an inherently steady-state means of maintaining the poloidal field of a tokamak reactor. However, the energy losses of LHCD, which are proportional to density, are projected to be too great in a fusion reactor for LHCD to be economically feasible during the burn state of the reaction cycle. The authors maintain that LHCD could be extremely useful in restoring poloidal field energy between burns. In situations not requiring a rapid build up, LHCD appears, by extrapolation from present experiments, to be capable of supplying the full required poloidal field energy. In this paper, experiments have been performed on PLT and other tokamaks to examine the role of LHCD in start-up and ramp-up, as well as to examine the efficiency of stady-state current drice. Both the start-up and the ramp-up experiments were quite successful, with the start-up experiment obtaining currents up to 20% of full current for PLT, and the ramp-up experiments obtaining ramp-up efficiencies of approximately 20%

Superconducting cavity driving with FPGA controller

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Czarski, T.; Koprek, W.; Pozniak, K.T.; Romaniuk, R.S. [Warsaw Univ. of Technology (Poland); Simrock, S.; Brand, A. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Chase, B.; Carcagno, R.; Cancelo, G. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab., Batavia, IL (United States); Koeth, T.W. [Rutgers - the State Univ. of New Jersey, NJ (United States)

2006-07-01

The digital control of several superconducting cavities for a linear accelerator is presented. The laboratory setup of the CHECHIA cavity and ACC1 module of the VU-FEL TTF in DESY-Hamburg have both been driven by a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based system. Additionally, a single 9-cell TESLA Superconducting cavity of the FNPL Photo Injector at FERMILAB has been remotely controlled from WUT-ISE laboratory with the support of the DESY team using the same FPGA control system. These experiments focused attention on the general recognition of the cavity features and projected control methods. An electrical model of the resonator was taken as a starting point. Calibration of the signal path is considered key in preparation for the efficient driving of a cavity. Identification of the resonator parameters has been proven to be a successful approach in achieving required performance; i.e. driving on resonance during filling and field stabilization during flattop time while requiring reasonable levels of power consumption. Feed-forward and feedback modes were successfully applied in operating the cavities. Representative results of the experiments are presented for different levels of the cavity field gradient. (orig.)

Superconducting cavity driving with FPGA controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czarski, T.; Koprek, W.; Pozniak, K.T.; Romaniuk, R.S.; Simrock, S.; Brand, A.; Chase, B.; Carcagno, R.; Cancelo, G.; Koeth, T.W.

2006-01-01

The digital control of several superconducting cavities for a linear accelerator is presented. The laboratory setup of the CHECHIA cavity and ACC1 module of the VU-FEL TTF in DESY-Hamburg have both been driven by a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based system. Additionally, a single 9-cell TESLA Superconducting cavity of the FNPL Photo Injector at FERMILAB has been remotely controlled from WUT-ISE laboratory with the support of the DESY team using the same FPGA control system. These experiments focused attention on the general recognition of the cavity features and projected control methods. An electrical model of the resonator was taken as a starting point. Calibration of the signal path is considered key in preparation for the efficient driving of a cavity. Identification of the resonator parameters has been proven to be a successful approach in achieving required performance; i.e. driving on resonance during filling and field stabilization during flattop time while requiring reasonable levels of power consumption. Feed-forward and feedback modes were successfully applied in operating the cavities. Representative results of the experiments are presented for different levels of the cavity field gradient. (orig.)

Start To End Simulation for the SPARX Project

CERN Document Server

Vaccarezza, Cristina; Boscolo, Manuela; Ferrario, Massimo; Fusco, Valeria; Giannessi, Luca; Migliorati, Mauro; Palumbo, Luigi; Quattromini, Marcello; Ronsivalle, Concetta; Serafini, Luca; Spataro, Bruno; Vescovi, Mario

2005-01-01

The first phase of the SPARX project now funded by Government Agencies, is an R&D activity focused on developing techniques and critical components for future X-ray facilities. The aim is the generation of electron beams with the ultra-high peak brightness required to drive FEL experiments. The FEL source realization will develop along two lines: (a) the use of the SPARC high brightness photoinjector to test RF compression techniques and the emittance degradation in magnetic compressors due to CSR, (b) the production of radiation in the range of 3-5 nm, both in SASE and SEEDED FEL configurations, in the so called SPARXINO test facility, upgrading the existing Frascati 800 MeV LINAC. In this paper we present and discuss the preliminary start to end simulations results.

Hybrid power pack for sustainability and environmental friendliness in driving multiple units; Hybrid-Powerpack fuer nachhaltigen und umweltfreundlichen Triebwagenantrieb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehmann, Ingo; Schmalzing, Claus-Oliver [MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, Friedrichshafen (Germany); Werner, Claus [DB RegioNetz Verkehrs GmbH (Germany); Bold, Uwe [DB Systemtechnik Engineering, Kassel (Germany)

2011-07-01

With MTU's hybrid drive, it is possible to obtain a saving of up to 25% in fuel consumption and to operate in such a way as to avoid emissions in stations. MTU Friedrichshafen and Deutsche Bahn are testing a parallel hybrid drive on the line between Aschaffenburg und Miltenberg, starting in autumn 2011. This test is intended to produce evidence that this technology is ready for everyday use. (orig.)

DrivingSense: Dangerous Driving Behavior Identification Based on Smartphone Autocalibration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunmei Ma

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Since pervasive smartphones own advanced computing capability and are equipped with various sensors, they have been used for dangerous driving behaviors detection, such as drunk driving. However, sensory data gathered by smartphones are noisy, which results in inaccurate driving behaviors estimations. Some existing works try to filter noise from sensor readings, but usually only the outlier data are filtered. The noises caused by hardware of the smartphone cannot be removed from the sensor reading. In this paper, we propose DrivingSense, a reliable dangerous driving behavior identification scheme based on smartphone autocalibration. We first theoretically analyze the impact of the sensor error on the vehicle driving behavior estimation. Then, we propose a smartphone autocalibration algorithm based on sensor noise distribution determination when a vehicle is being driven. DrivingSense leverages the corrected sensor parameters to identify three kinds of dangerous behaviors: speeding, irregular driving direction change, and abnormal speed control. We evaluate the effectiveness of our scheme under realistic environments. The results show that DrivingSense, on average, is able to detect the driving direction change event and abnormal speed control event with 93.95% precision and 90.54% recall, respectively. In addition, the speed estimation error is less than 2.1 m/s, which is an acceptable range.

Driving Style Analysis Using Primitive Driving Patterns With Bayesian Nonparametric Approaches

OpenAIRE

Wang, Wenshuo; Xi, Junqiang; Zhao, Ding

2017-01-01

Analysis and recognition of driving styles are profoundly important to intelligent transportation and vehicle calibration. This paper presents a novel driving style analysis framework using the primitive driving patterns learned from naturalistic driving data. In order to achieve this, first, a Bayesian nonparametric learning method based on a hidden semi-Markov model (HSMM) is introduced to extract primitive driving patterns from time series driving data without prior knowledge of the number...

Steam temperature variation behind a turbine steam separator-superheater during NPP start-up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lejzerovich, A.Sh.; Melamed, A.D.

1979-01-01

To determine necessary parameters of the steam temperature automatic regulator behind the steam separator-rheater supe (SSS) of an NPP turbine the static and dynamic characteristics of the temperature change behind the SSS were studied experimentally. The measurements were carried out at the K-220-44 turbine of the Kolskaja NPP in the case of both varying turbine loads and the flow rate of the heating vapor. Disturbances caused by the opening of the regulating valve at the inlet of the heating vapor are investigated as well. It is found that due to a relatively high inertiality of the SSS a rather simple structure of the start-up steam temperature regulators behind the SSS in composition with automatated driving systems of the turbine start-up without regard for the change of the dynamic characteristics can be used

Control rod drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okutani, Tetsuro.

1988-01-01

Purpose: To provide a simple and economical control rod drive using a control circuit requiring no pulse circuit. Constitution: Control rods in a BWR type reactor are driven by hydraulic pressure and inserted or withdrawn in the direction of applying the hydraulic pressure. The direction of the hydraulic pressure is controlled by a direction control valve. Since the driving for the control rod is extremely important in view of the operation, a self diagnosis function is disposed for rapid inspection of possible abnormality. In the present invention, two driving contacts are disposed each by one between the both ends of a solenoid valve of the direction control valve for driving the control rod and the driving power source, and diagnosis is conducted by alternately operating them. Therefore, since it is only necessary that the control circuit issues a driving instruction only to one of the two driving contacts, the pulse circuit is no more required. Further, since the control rod driving is conducted upon alignment of the two driving instructions, the reliability of the control rod drive can be improved. (Horiuchi, T.)

Sensorless Sinusoidal Drives for Fan and Pump Motors by V/f Control

Science.gov (United States)

Kiuchi, Mitsuyuki; Ohnishi, Tokuo

This paper proposes sensorless sinusoidal driving methods of permanent magnet synchronous motors for fans and pumps by V/f control. The proposed methods are simple methods that control the motor peak current constant by voltage or frequency control, and are characterized by DC link current detection using a single shunt resistor at carrier wave signal bottom timing. As a result of the dumping factor from square torque load characteristics of fan and pump motors, it is possible to control stable starting and stable steady state by V/f control. In general, pressure losses as a result of the fluid pass of fan and pump systems are nearly constant; therefore, the flow rate and motor torque are determined by revolutions. Accordingly, high efficiency driving is possible by setting corresponding currents to q-axis currents (torque currents) at target revolutions. Because of the simple current detection and motor control methods, the proposed methods are optimum for fan and pump motor driving systems of home appliances.

Dimensions of driving anger and their relationships with aberrant driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tingru; Chan, Alan H S; Zhang, Wei

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between driving anger and aberrant driving behaviours. An internet-based questionnaire survey was administered to a sample of Chinese drivers, with driving anger measured by a 14-item short Driving Anger Scale (DAS) and the aberrant driving behaviours measured by a 23-item Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated that the three-factor model (hostile gesture, arrival-blocking and safety-blocking) of the DAS fitted the driving anger data well. The Exploratory Factor Analysis on DBQ data differentiated four types of aberrant driving, viz. emotional violation, error, deliberate violation and maintaining progress violation. For the anger-aberration relation, it was found that only "arrival-blocking" anger was a significant positive predictor for all four types of aberrant driving behaviours. The "safety-blocking" anger revealed a negative impact on deliberate violations, a finding different from previously established positive anger-aberration relation. These results suggest that drivers with different patterns of driving anger would show different behavioural tendencies and as a result intervention strategies may be differentially effective for drivers of different profiles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

X-ray measurements during plasma current start-up experiments using the lower hybrid wave on the TST-2 spherical tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakatsuki, Takuma; Ejiri, Akira; Kakuda, Hidetoshi

2012-01-01

Non-inductive plasma current start-up experiments using RF power in the lower hybrid frequency range is being conducted on the TST-2 spherical tokamak. Plasma currents of up to 15 kA have been achieved. The effect of direct current drive can be seen by comparing the cases with co-drive and counter-drive. X-rays in various energy ranges were measured to investigate the interaction between the wave and the electrons. Soft X-ray (SX) measurements revealed that the perpendicular SX emission increased significantly as the plasma current increased, and that the tangential SX emission in the direction of RF drive was enhanced more strongly in the co-drive case compared to the counter-drive case. These observations imply that the fast electrons accelerated by the lower hybrid wave contribute to the plasma current. However, RF amplitude modulation experiments showed that the confinement time of these fast electrons are very short (less than 0.05 ms), much shorter than the collisional slowing down time. Hard X-ray spectral measurements showed that the radiation temperature of fast electrons in the co-direction for current drive was higher than that in the counter-direction. These observations are consistent with the existence of RF-driven fast electrons. (author)

Why START?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendelsohn, J.

1991-01-01

Barring some major unexpected downturn in US-Soviet relations, it seems likely that the long-awaited Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) treaty will be signed sometime in 1991. Under negotiation for the past nine years, public acceptance and Senate approval of a START treaty will be facilitated by the generally less confrontational East-West relationship which has evolved over that time, by the growing constraints on the US defense budget, and by the obvious merits of the treaty itself. Not only will the nearly complete START treaty be an extremely useful and powerful arms control agreement, it is also decidedly advantageous to US security interests. First and foremost, a START treaty will cap and reduce the steady buildup of nuclear weapons that has characterized the last 30 years of the US-Soviet strategic relationship. As a result of the basic outline originally agreed to at the Reykjavik summit, START will take a 25 to 35 percent bite out of existing nuclear arsenals, impose approximately a 50 percent cut in overall Soviet ballistic missile warheads and throw-weight (lifting power or payload capacity), and produce an exact 50 percent cut in Soviet SS-18 missiles

From Head Start to Sure Start: Reflections on Policy Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Welshman, John

2010-01-01

This article uses the history of debates over the US Head Start programme (1965), Early Head Start (1994) and the UK Sure Start initiative (1998), as a window on to policy transfer. In all the three, the aim was that early intervention could offer a means of boosting children's educational attainment and of countering the wider effects of poverty…

Older driver fitness-to-drive evaluation using naturalistic driving data.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Feng; Fang, Youjia; Antin, Jonathan F

2015-09-01

As our driving population continues to age, it is becoming increasingly important to find a small set of easily administered fitness metrics that can meaningfully and reliably identify at-risk seniors requiring more in-depth evaluation of their driving skills and weaknesses. Sixty driver assessment metrics related to fitness-to-drive were examined for 20 seniors who were followed for a year using the naturalistic driving paradigm. Principal component analysis and negative binomial regression modeling approaches were used to develop parsimonious models relating the most highly predictive of the driver assessment metrics to the safety-related outcomes observed in the naturalistic driving data. This study provides important confirmation using naturalistic driving methods of the relationship between contrast sensitivity and crash-related events. The results of this study provide crucial information on the continuing journey to identify metrics and protocols that could be applied to determine seniors' fitness to drive. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Dynamic motion stabilization for front-wheel drive in-wheel motor electric vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jia-Sheng Hu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents a new dynamic motion stabilization approach to front-wheel drive in-wheel motor electric vehicles. The approach includes functions such as traction control system, electronic differential system, and electronic stability control. The presented electric vehicle was endowed with anti-skid performance in longitudinal accelerated start; smooth turning with less tire scrubbing; and safe driving experience in two-dimensional steering. The analysis of the presented system is given in numerical derivations. For practical verifications, this article employed a hands-on electric vehicle named Corsa-electric vehicle to carry out the tests. The presented approach contains an integrated scheme which can achieve the mentioned functions in a single microprocessor. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness and feasibility of the presented methodology.

Modelling and Design of Active Thermal Controls for Power Electronics of Motor Drive Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vernica, Ionut; Blaabjerg, Frede; Ma, Ke

2017-01-01

of active thermal control methods for the power devices of a motor drive application. The motor drive system together with the thermal cycling of the power devices have been modelled, and adverse temperature swings could be noticed during the start-up and deceleration periods of the motor. Based...... on the electrical response of the system, the junction temperature of the semiconductor devices is estimated, and consequently three active thermal control methods are proposed and practically designed with respect to the following parameters: switching frequency, deceleration slope and modulation technique....... Finally, experimental results are provided in order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control methods....

Automated driving safer and more efficient future driving

CERN Document Server

Horn, Martin

2017-01-01

The main topics of this book include advanced control, cognitive data processing, high performance computing, functional safety, and comprehensive validation. These topics are seen as technological bricks to drive forward automated driving. The current state of the art of automated vehicle research, development and innovation is given. The book also addresses industry-driven roadmaps for major new technology advances as well as collaborative European initiatives supporting the evolvement of automated driving. Various examples highlight the state of development of automated driving as well as the way forward. The book will be of interest to academics and researchers within engineering, graduate students, automotive engineers at OEMs and suppliers, ICT and software engineers, managers, and other decision-makers.

Physics of energetic particle-driven instabilities in the START spherical tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClements, K.G.; Gryaznevich, M.P.; Akers, R.J.; Appel, L.C.; Counsell, G.F.; Roach, C.M.; Sharapov, S.E.; Majeski, R.

1999-01-01

The recent use of neutral beam injection (NBI) in the UKAEA small tight aspect ratio tokamak (START) has provided the first opportunity to study experimentally the physics of energetic ions in spherical tokamak (ST) plasmas. In such devices the ratio of major radius to minor radius R 0 /a is of order unity. Several distinct classes of NBI-driven instability have been observed at frequencies up to 1 MHz during START discharges. These observations are described, and possible interpretations are given. Equilibrium data, corresponding to times of beam-driven wave activity, are used to compute continuous shear Alfven spectra: toroidicity and high plasma beta give rise to wide spectral gaps, extending up to frequencies of several times the Alfven gap frequency. In each of these gaps Alfvenic instabilities could, in principle, be driven by energetic ions. Chirping modes observed at high beta in this frequency range have bandwidths comparable to or greater than the gap widths. Instability drive in START is provided by beam ion pressure gradients (as in conventional tokamaks), and also by positive gradients in beam ion velocity distributions, which arise from velocity-dependent charge exchange losses. It is shown that fishbone-like bursts observed at a few tens of kHz can be attributed to internal kink mode excitation by passing beam ions, while narrow-band emission at several hundred kHz may be due to excitation of fast Alfven (magnetosonic) eigenmodes. In the light of our understanding of energetic particle-driven instabilities in START, the possible existence of such instabilities in larger STs is discussed. (author)

Pile Driving

Science.gov (United States)

1987-01-01

Machine-oriented structural engineering firm TERA, Inc. is engaged in a project to evaluate the reliability of offshore pile driving prediction methods to eventually predict the best pile driving technique for each new offshore oil platform. Phase I Pile driving records of 48 offshore platforms including such information as blow counts, soil composition and pertinent construction details were digitized. In Phase II, pile driving records were statistically compared with current methods of prediction. Result was development of modular software, the CRIPS80 Software Design Analyzer System, that companies can use to evaluate other prediction procedures or other data bases.

Driver headway choice : A comparison between driving simulator and real-road driving

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Risto, M.; Martens, M.H.

2014-01-01

Driving simulators have become an established tool in driver behaviour research by offering a controllable, safe and cost-effective alternative to real world driving. A challenge for using driving simulators as a research tool has been to elicit driving behaviour that equals real world driving. With

Driver headway choice: a comparison between driving simulator and real-road driving

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Risto, Malte; Martens, Marieke Hendrikje

2014-01-01

Driving simulators have become an established tool in driver behaviour research by offering a controllable, safe and cost-effective alternative to real world driving. A challenge for using driving simulators as a research tool has been to elicit driving behaviour that equals real world driving. With

Effect of the Modification of the Start-Up Sequence on the Thermal Stresses for a Microgas Turbine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oscar Tenango-Pirin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Microgas turbines (MGT are an alternative for small-scale energy production; however, their small size becomes a drawback since it enhances the heat transfer among their components. Moreover, heat transfer drives to temperature gradients which become higher during transient cycles like start-up. The influence of different start-up curves on temperature and thermal stresses of a microgas turbine was investigated. Stationary and rotational blades of the turbine were numerically simulated using CFD and FEM commercial codes. Conjugated heat transfer cases were solved for obtaining heat transfer from fluid toward the blades. Changes of temperature gradients within the blades during the start-ups were calculated under transient state with boundary conditions according to each curve to assess accurate thermal stresses calculations. Results showed that the modification of the start-up curves had an impact on the thermal stresses levels and on the time when highest stresses appeared on each component. Furthermore, zones highly stressed were located near the constraints of blades where thermal strains are restricted. It was also found that the curve that had a warming period at the beginning of the start-up allowed reducing the peaks of stresses making it more feasible and safer for the turbine start-up operation.

Driving Safety and Fitness to Drive in Sleep Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Tippin, Jon; Dyken, Mark Eric

2017-08-01

Driving an automobile while sleepy increases the risk of crash-related injury and death. Neurologists see patients with sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and a wide variety of neurologic disorders. When addressing fitness to drive, the physician must weigh patient and societal health risks and regional legal mandates. The Driver Fitness Medical Guidelines published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) provide assistance to clinicians. Drivers with obstructive sleep apnea may continue to drive if they have no excessive daytime sleepiness and their apnea-hypopnea index is less than 20 per hour. Those with excessive daytime sleepiness or an apnea-hypopnea index of 20 per hour or more may not drive until their condition is effectively treated. Drivers with sleep disorders amenable to pharmaceutical treatment (eg, narcolepsy) may resume driving as long as the therapy has eliminated excessive daytime sleepiness. Following these guidelines, documenting compliance to recommended therapy, and using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to assess subjective sleepiness can be helpful in determining patients' fitness to drive.

HARMONIC DRIVE SELECTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr FOLĘGA

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The variety of types and sizes currently in production harmonic drive is a problem in their rational choice. Properly selected harmonic drive must meet certain requirements during operation, and achieve the anticipated service life. The paper discusses the problems associated with the selection of the harmonic drive. It also presents the algorithm correct choice of harmonic drive. The main objective of this study was to develop a computer program that allows the correct choice of harmonic drive by developed algorithm.

Dynamic performances analysis of a real vehicle driving

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, M. A.; Jamil, J. F.; Salim, M. A.

2015-12-01

Vehicle dynamic is the effects of movement of a vehicle generated from the acceleration, braking, ride and handling activities. The dynamic behaviours are determined by the forces from tire, gravity and aerodynamic which acting on the vehicle. This paper emphasizes the analysis of vehicle dynamic performance of a real vehicle. Real driving experiment on the vehicle is conducted to determine the effect of vehicle based on roll, pitch, and yaw, longitudinal, lateral and vertical acceleration. The experiment is done using the accelerometer to record the reading of the vehicle dynamic performance when the vehicle is driven on the road. The experiment starts with weighing a car model to get the center of gravity (COG) to place the accelerometer sensor for data acquisition (DAQ). The COG of the vehicle is determined by using the weight of the vehicle. A rural route is set to launch the experiment and the road conditions are determined for the test. The dynamic performance of the vehicle are depends on the road conditions and driving maneuver. The stability of a vehicle can be controlled by the dynamic performance analysis.

Current ramp-up experiments in full current drive plasmas in TRIAM-1M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanada, K.; Nakamura, K.; Hasegawa, M.; Itoh, S.; Zushi, H.; Sakamoto, M.; Jotaki, E.; Iyomasa, A.; Kawasaki, S.; Nakashima, H.; Yoshida, N.; Tokunaga, K.; Fujiwara, T.; Kulkarni, S.V.; Mitarai, O.

2004-01-01

Four types of plasma current ramp-up experiments in full non-inductively lower hybrid current driven (LHCD) plasmas were executed in TRIAM-1M: (1) current start-up by a combination of electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and LHCD, (2) tail heating by additional LHCD, (3) bulk heating by ECRH and (4) spontaneous ramp-up by a transition to enhanced current drive (ECD) mode. The time evolutions of plasma current during four types of ramp-up phase were adjusted by a simple model with two different time constants, which are a time defined by the total current diffusion time and a time constant for improving the current drive efficiency. In the case of (1) and (4), the latter time constant is significant during the current ramp-up phase. The improvement in the current drive efficiency in the ECD mode is likely to be caused by the increase in the effective refractive index along the magnetic field of the lower hybrid wave. (author)

Enhanced stability of car-following model upon incorporation of short-term driving memory

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Da-Wei; Shi, Zhong-Ke; Ai, Wen-Huan

2017-06-01

Based on the full velocity difference model, a new car-following model is developed to investigate the effect of short-term driving memory on traffic flow in this paper. Short-term driving memory is introduced as the influence factor of driver's anticipation behavior. The stability condition of the newly developed model is derived and the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation is constructed to describe the traffic behavior near the critical point. Via numerical method, evolution of a small perturbation is investigated firstly. The results show that the improvement of this new car-following model over the previous ones lies in the fact that the new model can improve the traffic stability. Starting and breaking processes of vehicles in the signalized intersection are also investigated. The numerical simulations illustrate that the new model can successfully describe the driver's anticipation behavior, and that the efficiency and safety of the vehicles passing through the signalized intersection are improved by considering short-term driving memory.

Control rod drives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Futatsugi, Masao.

1980-01-01

Purpose: To secure the reactor operation safety by the provision of a fluid pressure detecting section for control rod driving fluid and a control rod interlock at the midway of the flow pass for supplying driving fluid to the control rod drives. Constitution: Between a driving line and a direction control valve are provided a pressure detecting portion, an alarm generating device, and a control rod inhibition interlock. The driving fluid from a driving fluid source is discharged by way of a pump and a manual valve into the reactor in which the control rods and reactor fuels are contained. In addition, when the direction control valve is switched and the control rods are inserted and extracted by the control rod drives, the pressure in the driving line is always detected by the pressure detection section, whereby if abnormal pressure is resulted, the alarm generating device is actuated to warn the abnormality and the control rod inhibition interlock is actuated to lock the direction control valve thereby secure the safety operation of the reactor. (Seki, T.)

Study on dynamic lifting characteristics of control rod drive mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Xiaoyao

2012-01-01

Based on the equations of the electric circuit and the magnetic circuit and analysis of the dynamic lifting process for the control rod drive mechanism (CRDM), coupled magnetic-electric-mechanical equations both for the static status and the dynamic status are derived. The analytical method is utilized to obtain the current and the time when the lift starts. The numerical simulation method of dynamic analysis recommended by ASME Code is utilized to simulate the dynamic lifting process of CRDM, and the dynamic features of the system with different design gaps are studied. Conclusions are drawn as: (1) the lifting-start time increases with the design gap, and the time for the lifting process is longer with larger gaps; (2) the lifting velocity increases with time; (3) the lifting acceleration increases with time, and with smaller gaps, the impact acceleration is larger. (author)

Drinking and Driving – What You Need to Know

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

This podcast is based on the October, 2011 CDC Vital Signs report. Drinking and driving is still a serious problem. Crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers kill nearly 11,000 people each year. If you’re drinking, designate a non-drinking driver before you start, call a cab, or get a ride home. Also, always wear your seat belt. Seat belts reduce the risk of serious injuries and death in a crash by 50 percent.

A new cellular automaton for signal controlled traffic flow based on driving behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yang; Chen, Yan-Yan

2015-03-01

The complexity of signal controlled traffic largely stems from the various driving behaviors developed in response to the traffic signal. However, the existing models take a few driving behaviors into account and consequently the traffic dynamics has not been completely explored. Therefore, a new cellular automaton model, which incorporates the driving behaviors typically manifesting during the different stages when the vehicles are moving toward a traffic light, is proposed in this paper. Numerical simulations have demonstrated that the proposed model can produce the spontaneous traffic breakdown and the dissolution of the over-saturated traffic phenomena. Furthermore, the simulation results indicate that the slow-to-start behavior and the inch-forward behavior can foster the traffic breakdown. Particularly, it has been discovered that the over-saturated traffic can be revised to be an under-saturated state when the slow-down behavior is activated after the spontaneous breakdown. Finally, the contributions of the driving behaviors on the traffic breakdown have been examined. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grand No. 2012CB723303) and the Beijing Committee of Science and Technology, China (Grand No. Z1211000003120100).

Electric motor drive unit, especially adjustment drive for vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Litterst, P

1980-05-29

An electric motor drive unit, particularly an adjustment drive for vehicles with at least two parallel drive shafts is described, which is compact and saves space, and whose manufacturing costs are low compared with those of well-known drive units of this type. The drive unit contains a suitable number of magnet systems, preferably permanent magnet systems, whose pole axes are spaced and run parallel. The two pole magnet systems have diametrically opposite shell-shaped segments, to which the poles are fixed. In at least one magnet system the two segments are connected by diametrically opposite flat walls parallel to the pole axes to form a single magnetic circuit pole housing. The segments of at least one other magnet system are arranged on this pole housing so that one of these flat walls is a magnetically conducting, connecting component of the magnetic circuit of the other magnet system.

Lean start-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Erik Stavnsager; Tanev, Stoyan

2016-01-01

The risk of launching new products and starting new firms is known to be extremely high. The Lean Start-up approach is a way of reducing these risks and enhancing the chances for success by validating the products and services in the market with customers before launching it in full scale. The ma...... and the final business model. In other words: The start-up must first nail the problem together with the customers, then develop the solution and test, and then in the end scale it to a full-grown business model.......The risk of launching new products and starting new firms is known to be extremely high. The Lean Start-up approach is a way of reducing these risks and enhancing the chances for success by validating the products and services in the market with customers before launching it in full scale. The main...

Drivers’ Age, Gender, Driving Experience, and Aggressiveness as Predictors of Aggressive Driving Behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perepjolkina Viktorija

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Recent years have seen a growing interest in the problem of aggressive driving. In the presentstudy two demographic variables (gender and age, two non-psychological driving-experiencerelated variables (annual mileage and legal driving experience in years and aggressiveness asa personality trait (including behavioural and affective components as psychological variableof individual differences were examined as potential predictors of aggressive driving. The aimof the study was to find out the best predictors of aggressive driving behaviour. The study wasbased on an online survey, and 228 vehicle drivers in Latvia participated in it. The questionnaireincluded eight-item Aggressive Driving Scale (Bone & Mowen, 2006, short Latvian versionof the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ; Buss & Perry, 1992, and questions gainingdemographic and driving experience information. Gender, age and annual mileage predictedaggressive driving: being male, young and with higher annual driving exposure were associatedwith higher scores on aggressive driving. Dispositional aggressiveness due to anger componentwas a significant predictor of aggressive diving score. Physical aggression and hostility wereunrelated to aggressive driving. Altogether, the predictors explained a total of 28% of thevariance in aggressive driving behaviour. Findings show that dispositional aggressiveness,especially the anger component, as well as male gender, young age and higher annual mileagehas a predictive validity in relation to aggressive driving. There is a need to extend the scope ofpotential dispositional predictors pertinent to driving aggression.

Key parameters of the swimming start and their relationship to start performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Tor, Elaine; Pease, David L; Ball, Kevin A

2015-01-01

The swimming start is typically broken into three sub-phases; on-block, flight, and underwater phases. While overall start performance is highly important to elite swimming, the contribution of each phase and important technical components within each phase, particularly with the new kick-start technique, has not been established. The aim of this study was to identify technical factors associated with overall start performance, with a particular focus on the underwater phase. A number of parameters were calculated from 52 starts performed by elite freestyle and butterfly swimmers. These parameters were split into above-water and underwater groupings, before factor analysis was used to reduce parameter numbers for multiple regression. For the above-water phases, 81% of variance in start performance was accounted for by take-off horizontal velocity. For the underwater water phase, 96% of variance was accounted for with time underwater in descent, time underwater in ascent and time to 10 m. Therefore, developing greater take-off horizontal velocity and focussing on the underwater phase by finding the ideal trajectory will lead to improved start performance.

From START to NEW START. The dilemma and future of nuclear disarmament; Von START zu NEW START. Das Dilemma und die Zukunft der Nuklearen Abruestung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plettenberg, Lars

2012-07-01

The report describes the existing four agreements on nuclear disarmament: START I (1991). START II (1993), SORT (2002) and NEW START (2010). The chapter on the dependence between nuclear disarmament and strategic stability covers the issues mutual assured destruction (MAD), credibility, overkill capacity; the role of nuclear weapons in the national strategies of the USA and NATO, Russia, Great Britain, France, China and the other nuclear states. Ways out of MAD include disarmament, de-alerting and mutual assured protection (MAP).

Educational Biofeedback Driving Simulator as a Drink-Driving Prevention Strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Howat, Peter; And Others

1991-01-01

Used experimental driving simulator as basis for strategy to encourage a reduction in drunk driving prevalence using adult male subjects (n=36) who participated in a study group and controls (n=36). Results indicated study group subjects significantly decreased their drunk driving compared to the control group. (ABL)

Hybrid I-f starting and observer-based Ssnsorless control of single-phase BLDC-PM motor drives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iepure, Liviu Ioan; Boldea, Ion; Blaabjerg, Frede

2012-01-01

A motion sensorless control for single-phase permanent magnet brushless dc motor based on an I-f starting sequence and a real-time permanent magnet flux estimation is proposed here. The special calculation for extracting the position and speed used here implies the generating of an orthogonal flux...... system, the atan2 trigonometric function, and a phase-locked loop observer. The influence of the permanent magnet flux harmonic content is presented by analytical expressions and digital simulations. The proposed sensorless control is validated by complete experimental results on a commercial small high......-speed blower-motor (40 W, 10 krpm, 12 Vdc)....

Do aggressive driving and negative emotional driving mediate the link between impulsiveness and risky driving among young Italian drivers?

Science.gov (United States)

Smorti, Martina; Guarnieri, Silvia

2016-01-01

The present study examined the contribution of impulsiveness and aggressive and negative emotional driving to the prediction of traffic violations and accidents taking into account potential mediation effects. Three hundred and four young drivers completed self-report measures assessing impulsiveness, aggressive and negative emotional driving, driving violations, and accidents. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct and indirect effects of impulsiveness on violations and accidents among young drivers through aggressive and negative emotional driving. Impulsiveness only indirectly influenced drivers' violations on the road via both the behavioral and emotional states of the driver. On the contrary, impulsiveness was neither directly nor indirectly associated with traffic accidents. Therefore, impulsiveness modulates young drivers' behavioral and emotional states while driving, which in turn influences risky driving.

The drink driving situation in Vietnam.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngoc, Luu Bich; Thieng, Nguyen Thi; Huong, Nguyen Lan

2012-01-01

To identify the extent and nature of the problem and the main contributing factors to drink driving crashes; determine the current mechanisms in place, particularly in terms of legislation and its enforcement; and identify baseline data and relevant stakeholders. The situational assessment was based on the collection of secondary data from available reports and documents, in-depth interviews with key representatives at a central level, and field surveys in provinces. Vietnam has experienced phenomenal growth in motor vehicles, especially motorcycles, in the last decade (400%). This initially led to an increase in deaths from road crashes, but since 2006 the number has stayed fairly level according to police statistics. However, comparisons with health data suggest that the number of deaths is much higher and there are clearly a number of problems with the relevant data systems. Data on the percentage of drivers exceeding legal limits are not available, but police statistics indicated that drinking alcohol was a contributory factor in 7 percent of motor vehicle crashes. This is likely to be an underestimate, because the police and health services do not have the equipment to measure the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of all drivers in crashes. Motorcycle riders and young people are in the high-risk groups. There are strict BAC limits starting at over zero and severe punishments for drunk drivers involved in serious crashes. However, the police do not have adequate manpower or equipment to conduct regular and frequent roadside checking for drivers who have been drinking. There have also been a number of education programs on road safety including drinking and driving, but these have not included sustained and intensive campaigns targeting the high-risk groups. The National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) is responsible for coordinating the relevant agencies but there is still a problem with lack of information sharing between agencies. This study completed

Gear bearing drive

Science.gov (United States)

Mavroidis, Constantinos (Inventor); Vranish, John M. (Inventor); Weinberg, Brian (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A gear bearing drive provides a compact mechanism that operates as an actuator providing torque and as a joint providing support. The drive includes a gear arrangement integrating an external rotor DC motor within a sun gear. Locking surfaces maintain the components of the drive in alignment and provide support for axial loads and moments. The gear bearing drive has a variety of applications, including as a joint in robotic arms and prosthetic limbs.

Explanations of sustainable consumption. A search for new starting points for environmental policy; Verklaringen van duurzame consumptie. Een speurtocht naar nieuwe aanknopingspunten voor milieubeleid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beckers, T.; Ester, P.; Spaargaren, G. [eds.

1999-07-01

In two studies attention is paid to the impact of an immaterial consumption pattern on the desires, drives and preferences of human beings. In this study it was expected that a more immaterial interpretation of human needs would cause less burden of the environment. Based on the results of the title search the relation between drives and behavior can be explained. Also insight is given into conceptual models which can be a productive starting point for effective interventions aiming at stimulation of sustainable consumption. 61 refs.

Hostility, driving anger, and dangerous driving: the emerging role of hemispheric preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Gidron, Yori; Gaygısız, Esma; Lajunen, Timo

2014-12-01

Various studies have implicated psychosocial variables (e.g., hostility) in risk of dangerous driving and traffic accidents. However, whether these variables are related to more basic neurobiological factors, and whether such associations have implications for the modification of psychosocial risk factors in the context of driving, have not been examined in depth. This study examined the relationship between hemispheric preference (HP), hostility and self-reported dangerous driving, and the ability to affect driving anger via hemisphere activating cognitive exercises (HACE). In Study 1, 254 Turkish students completed questionnaires of hostility, HP and driving behavior. In Study 2, we conducted a "proof of concept" experimental study, and tested effects of left, right and neutral HACE on driving anger, by exposing N=650 Turkish students to written scenarios including either logical (left hemisphere), visuo-spatial (right hemisphere) or "mild doses" of both types of contents (control). In Study 1, left-HP was associated with higher hostility and with more dangerous driving, and hostility mediated the relationship between L-HP and reported driving behavior. In Study 2, only right-HACE led to immediate significant reductions in self-reported driving anger. Left-HP is related to hostility and to dangerous driving, and it may be possible to partly reduce driving anger by right-HACE. Future studies must replicate these findings with objective measures, more enduring interventions and longer follow-ups. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of Pile Driving on the Residency and Movement of Tagged Reef Fish.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph D Iafrate

Full Text Available The potential effects of pile driving on fish populations and commercial fisheries have received significant attention given the prevalence of pile driving occurring in coastal habitats throughout the world. Behavioral impacts of sound generated from these activities on fish typically have a greater area of influence than physical injury, and may therefore adversely affect a greater portion of the local population. This study used acoustic telemetry to assess the movement, residency, and survival of 15 sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus and 10 grey snapper (Lutjanus griseus in Port Canaveral, Florida, USA, in response to 35 days of pile driving at a wharf complex. No obvious signs of mortality or injury to tagged fish were evident from the data. Received sound pressure levels from pile strikes on the interior of the wharf, where reef fish primarily occur, were on average 152-157 dB re 1 μPa (peak. No significant decrease in sheepshead daytime residency was observed during pile driving within the central portion of the wharf and area of highest sound exposure, and no major indicators of displacement from the exposure wharf with the onset of pile driving were observed. There was evidence of potential displacement from the exposure wharf that coincided with the start of pile driving observed for 2 out of 4 grey snapper, along with a decrease in daytime residency for a subset of this species with high site fidelity prior to the event. Results indicate that snapper may be more likely to depart an area of pile driving disturbance more readily than sheepshead, but were less at risk for behavioral impact given the lower site fidelity of this species.

Long-duration planar direct-drive hydrodynamics experiments on the NIF

Science.gov (United States)

Casner, A.; Mailliet, C.; Khan, S. F.; Martinez, D.; Izumi, N.; Kalantar, D.; Di Nicola, P.; Di Nicola, J. M.; Le Bel, E.; Igumenshchev, I.; Tikhonchuk, V. T.; Remington, B. A.; Masse, L.; Smalyuk, V. A.

2018-01-01

The advent of high-power lasers facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and the laser megajoule provide unique platforms to study the physics of turbulent mixing flows in high energy density plasmas. We report here on the commissioning of a novel planar direct-drive platform on the NIF, which allows the acceleration of targets during 30 ns. Planar plastic samples were directly irradiated by 300-450 kJ of UV laser light (351 nm) and a very good planarity of the laser drive is demonstrated. No detrimental effect of imprint is observed in the case of these thick plastic targets (300 μm), which is beneficial for future academic experiments requesting similar irradiation conditions. The long-duration direct-drive (DD) platform is thereafter harnessed to study the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI) in DD. The growth of two-dimensional pre-imposed perturbations is quantified through time-resolved face-on x-ray radiography and used as a benchmark for radiative hydrocode simulations. The ablative RTI is then quantified in its highly nonlinear stage starting from intentionally large 3D imprinted broadband modulations. Two generations of bubble mergers is observed for the first time in DD, as a result of the unprecedented long laser acceleration.

Assessment of driving-related performance in chronic whiplash using an advanced driving simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Takasaki, Hiroshi; Treleaven, Julia; Johnston, Venerina; Rakotonirainy, Andry; Haines, Andrew; Jull, Gwendolen

2013-11-01

Driving is often nominated as problematic by individuals with chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD), yet driving-related performance has not been evaluated objectively. The purpose of this study was to test driving-related performance in persons with chronic WAD against healthy controls of similar age, gender and driving experience to determine if driving-related performance in the WAD group was sufficiently impaired to recommend fitness to drive assessment. Driving-related performance was assessed using an advanced driving simulator during three driving scenarios; freeway, residential and a central business district (CBD). Total driving duration was approximately 15min. Five driving tasks which could cause a collision (critical events) were included in the scenarios. In addition, the effect of divided attention (identify red dots projected onto side or rear view mirrors) was assessed three times in each scenario. Driving performance was measured using the simulator performance index (SPI) which is calculated from 12 measures. z-Scores for all SPI measures were calculated for each WAD subject based on mean values of the control subjects. The z-scores were then averaged for the WAD group. A z-score of ≤-2 indicated a driving failing grade in the simulator. The number of collisions over the five critical events was compared between the WAD and control groups as was reaction time and missed response ratio in identifying the red dots. Seventeen WAD and 26 control subjects commenced the driving assessment. Demographic data were comparable between the groups. All subjects completed the freeway scenario but four withdrew during the residential and eight during the CBD scenario because of motion sickness. All scenarios were completed by 14 WAD and 17 control subjects. Mean z-scores for the SPI over the three scenarios was statistically lower in the WAD group (-0.3±0.3; Pdriving. There were no differences in the reaction time and missed response ratio in divided

The modern instrumentation used for monitoring and controlling the main parameters of the regenerative electro-mechano-hydraulic drive systems

Science.gov (United States)

Cristescu, Corneliu; Drumea, Petrin; Krevey, Petrica

2009-01-01

In this work is presented the modern instrumentation used for monitoring and controlling the main parameters for one regenerative drive system, used to recovering the kinetic energy of motor vehicles, lost in the braking phase, storing and using this energy in the starting or accelerating phases. Is presented a Romanian technical solution for a regenerative driving system, based on a hybrid solution containing a hydro-mechanic module and an existing thermal motor drive, all conceived as a mechatronics system. In order to monitoring and controlling the evolution of the main parameters, the system contains a series of sensors and transducers that provide the moment, rotation, temperature, flow and pressure values. The main sensors and transducers of the regenerative drive system, their principal features and tehnical conecting solutions are presented in this paper, both with the menaging electronic and informational subsystems.

Automation of the driving using the dynamic programming; Automatisierung des Treibens mittels diskreter dynamischer Programmierung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zongru; Buerger, Sebastian; Lohmann, Boris [Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Regelungstechnik

2009-07-01

Driving is a metal forming process throughout hammering in cold state. It can create almost any 2D and 3D metal sheets using universal tools. During driving, many parameters of the tools and the sheets affect the forming process, which inhibits a complete automation. In this paper, a model based control for a 2D driving process is proposed. The process of stretching L-shaped metal sheets is analytically modelled. Three phases, namely hybrid deformations, material flow as well as springback and inverse bending, describe the deformation process at one stroke. This results in a nonlinear (non-affine), time-discrete state space model. A model predictive controller (MPC) is then designed to determine the optimal control inputs at every time step. Thereby, an objective function that describes the costs from a start angle to an end condition is minimized by means of discrete dynamic programming (DDP). (orig.)

Test-retest reliability of the driving habits questionnaire in older self-driving adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Chiang-Soon; Chun, Byung-Yoon; Chung, Hyun-Sook

2015-11-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of the Driving Habits Questionnaire in community-dwelling older self-drivers. [Subjects and Methods] Seventy-four participants were recruited by convenience sampling from local rehabilitation centers. This was a cross-sectional study design that used two clinical measures: the Driving Habits Questionnaire and Mini-mental State Examination. To examine the test-retest reliability of the Driving Habits Questionnaire, the clinical tool was measured twice, five days apart. [Results] The Driving Habits Questionnaire showed good reliability for older community-dwelling self-drivers. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the four domains of dependence (0.572), difficulty (0.871), crashes and citations (0.689), and driving space (0.961) of the Driving Habits Questionnaire indicated good or high internal consistency. Driving difficulty correlated significantly with self-reported crashes and citations and driving space. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that the Driving Habits Questionnaire is a reliable measure of self-reported interview-based driving behavior in the community-dwelling elderly.

Safe driving for teens

Science.gov (United States)

Driving and teenagers; Teens and safe driving; Automobile safety - teenage drivers ... months before taking friends as passengers. Teenage-related driving deaths occur more often in certain conditions. OTHER SAFETY TIPS FOR TEENS Reckless driving is still a ...

Distracted Driving

Science.gov (United States)

... and increased awareness of distracted driving using radio advertisements, news stories, and similar media. After the projects ... available at www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov . Distracted Driving Enforcement – TV Ads (Paid). For re-tagging, go to: www. ...

A study on the effects of fatigue driving and drunk driving on drivers' physical characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xingjian; Zhao, Xiaohua; Du, Hongji; Rong, Jian

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of fatigue driving and drunk driving on drivers' physical characteristics; to analyze the differences in drivers' physical characteristics affected by different kinds of fatigue; and to compare the differences in the effects of the 2 driving states, fatigue driving and drunk driving. Twenty-five participants' physical characteristics were collected under 5 controlled situations: normal, tired driving, drowsy driving, drowsiness + tired driving, and drunk driving. In this article, fatigue driving refers to tiredness and drowsiness and includes 3 situations: tired driving, drowsy driving, and drowsiness + tired driving. The drivers' physical characteristics were measured in terms of 9 parameters: systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), eyesight, dynamic visual acuity (DVA), time for dark adaption (TDA), reaction time to sound (RTS), reaction time to light (RTL), deviation of depth perception (DDP), and time deviation of speed anticipation (TDSA). They were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. Binary logistical regression analysis was used to explain the relationship between drivers' physical characteristics and the two driving states. Most of the drivers' physical characteristic parameters were found to be significantly different under the influence of different situations. Four indicators are significantly affected by fatigue driving during deep fatigue (in decreasing order of influence): HR, RTL, SBP and RTS. HR and RTL are significant in the logistical regression model of the drowsiness + tired driving situation and normal situations. Six indicators of the drivers' physical characteristics are significantly affected by drunk driving (in decreasing order of influence): SBP, RTL, DDP, eyesight, RTS, and TDSA. SBP and DDP have a significant effect in the logistical regression model of the drunk driving situation and the normal situation. Both fatigue driving and drunk driving

Chinese carless young drivers' self-reported driving behavior and simulated driving performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Jiang, Zuhua; Zheng, Dongpeng; Man, Dong; Xu, Xunnan

2013-01-01

Carless young drivers refers to those drivers aged between 18 and 25 years who have a driver's license but seldom have opportunities to practice their driving skills because they do not have their own cars. Due to China's lower private car ownership, many young drivers become carless young drivers after licensure, and the safety issue associated with them has raised great concern in China. This study aims to provide initial insight into the self-reported driving behaviors and simulated driving performance of Chinese carless young drivers. Thirty-three carless young drivers and 32 young drivers with their own cars (as a comparison group) participated in this study. A modified Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) with a 4-factor structure (errors, violations, attention lapses, and memory lapses) was used to study carless young drivers' self-reported driving behaviors. A simulated driving experiment using a low-cost, fixed-base driving simulator was conducted to measure their simulated driving performance (errors, violations, attention lapses, driving maintenance, reaction time, and accidents). Self-reported DBQ outcomes showed that carless young drivers reported similar errors, more attention lapses, fewer memory lapses, and significantly fewer violation behaviors relative to young drivers with their own cars, whereas simulated driving results revealed that they committed significantly more errors, attention lapses, and violation behaviors than the comparison group. Carless young drivers had a lower ability to maintain the stability of speed and lane position, drove more cautiously approaching and passing through red traffic lights, and committed more accidents during simulated driving. A tendency to speed was not found among carless young drivers; their average speed and speeding frequency were all much lower than that of the comparison group. Lifetime mileage was the only significant predictor of carless young drivers' self-reported violations, simulated violations

Distracted driving

Science.gov (United States)

... including maps) The Dangers of Talking on the Phone While Driving You are four times more likely to get ... of reach. If you are caught using a phone while driving, you may risk a ticket or fine. Most ...

Later Start, Longer Sleep: Implications of Middle School Start Times

Science.gov (United States)

Temkin, Deborah A.; Princiotta, Daniel; Ryberg, Renee; Lewin, Daniel S.

2018-01-01

Background: Although adolescents generally get less than the recommended 9 hours of sleep per night, research and effort to delay school start times have generally focused on high schools. This study assesses the relation between school start times and sleep in middle school students while accounting for potentially confounding demographic…

Control rod drives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Akira.

1984-01-01

Purpose: To enable to monitor the coupling state between a control rod and a control rod drive. Constitution: After the completion of a control rod withdrawal, a coolant pressure is applied to a control rod drive being adjusted so as to raise only the control rod drive and, in a case where the coupling between the control rod drive and the control rod is detached, the former is elevated till it contacts the control rod and then stopped. The actual stopping position is detected by an actual position detection circuit and compared with a predetermined position stored in a predetermined position detection circuit. If both of the positions are not aligned with each other, it is judged by a judging circuit that the control rod and the control rod drives are not combined. (Sekiya, K.)

Proactive vs. reactive car driving: EEG evidence for different driving strategies of older drivers

Science.gov (United States)

Wascher, Edmund; Getzmann, Stephan

2018-01-01

Aging is associated with a large heterogeneity in the extent of age-related changes in sensory, motor, and cognitive functions. All these functions can influence the performance in complex tasks like car driving. The present study aims to identify potential differences in underlying cognitive processes that may explain inter-individual variability in driving performance. Younger and older participants performed a one-hour monotonous driving task in a driving simulator under varying crosswind conditions, while behavioral and electrophysiological data were recorded. Overall, younger and older drivers showed comparable driving performance (lane keeping). However, there was a large difference in driving lane variability within the older group. Dividing the older group in two subgroups with low vs. high driving lane variability revealed differences between the two groups in electrophysiological correlates of mental workload, consumption of mental resources, and activation and sustaining of attention: Older drivers with high driving lane variability showed higher frontal Alpha and Theta activity than older drivers with low driving lane variability and—with increasing crosswind—a more pronounced decrease in Beta activity. These results suggest differences in driving strategies of older and younger drivers, with the older drivers using either a rather proactive and alert driving strategy (indicated by low driving lane variability and lower Alpha and Beta activity), or a rather reactive strategy (indicated by high driving lane variability and higher Alpha activity). PMID:29352314

A Multilevel Approach to Breastfeeding Promotion: Using Healthy Start to Deliver Individual Support and Drive Collective Impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Leruth, Chelsey; Goodman, Jacqueline; Bragg, Brian; Gray, Dara

2017-12-01

Purpose Breastfeeding has been linked to a host of positive health effects for women and children. However, disparities in breastfeeding initiation and duration prevent many low-income and African-American women from realizing these benefits. Existing breastfeeding promotion efforts often do not reach women who need support the most. In response, the Westside Healthy Start program (WHS), located in Chicago, Illinois, developed an ongoing multilevel approach to breastfeeding promotion. Description Key elements of our WHS breastfeeding model include individual education and counseling from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum and partnership with a local safety-net hospital to implement the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and provide lactation support to delivering patients. Assessment In the year our model was implemented, 44.6% (49/110) of prenatal WHS participants reported that they planned to breastfeed, and 67.0% (183/273) of delivered participants initiated. Among participants reaching 6 months postpartum, 10.5% (9/86) were breastfeeding. WHS also had 2667 encounters with women delivering at our partner hospital during breastfeeding rounds, with 65.1% of contacts initiating. Community data was not available to assess the efficacy of our model at the local level. However, WHS participants fared better than all delivering patients at our partner hospital, where 65.0% initiated in 2015. Conclusion Healthy Start programs are a promising vehicle to improve breastfeeding initiation at the individual and community level. Additional evaluation is necessary to understand barriers to duration and services needed for this population.

Simple Driving Techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosendahl, Mads

2002-01-01

-like language. Our aim is to extract a simple notion of driving and show that even in this tamed form it has much of the power of more general notions of driving. Our driving technique may be used to simplify functional programs which use function composition and will often be able to remove intermediate data...

EEG-based decoding of error-related brain activity in a real-world driving task

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, H.; Chavarriaga, R.; Khaliliardali, Z.; Gheorghe, L.; Iturrate, I.; Millán, J. d. R.

2015-12-01

Objectives. Recent studies have started to explore the implementation of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) as part of driving assistant systems. The current study presents an EEG-based BCI that decodes error-related brain activity. Such information can be used, e.g., to predict driver’s intended turning direction before reaching road intersections. Approach. We executed experiments in a car simulator (N = 22) and a real car (N = 8). While subject was driving, a directional cue was shown before reaching an intersection, and we classified the presence or not of an error-related potentials from EEG to infer whether the cued direction coincided with the subject’s intention. In this protocol, the directional cue can correspond to an estimation of the driving direction provided by a driving assistance system. We analyzed ERPs elicited during normal driving and evaluated the classification performance in both offline and online tests. Results. An average classification accuracy of 0.698 ± 0.065 was obtained in offline experiments in the car simulator, while tests in the real car yielded a performance of 0.682 ± 0.059. The results were significantly higher than chance level for all cases. Online experiments led to equivalent performances in both simulated and real car driving experiments. These results support the feasibility of decoding these signals to help estimating whether the driver’s intention coincides with the advice provided by the driving assistant in a real car. Significance. The study demonstrates a BCI system in real-world driving, extending the work from previous simulated studies. As far as we know, this is the first online study in real car decoding driver’s error-related brain activity. Given the encouraging results, the paradigm could be further improved by using more sophisticated machine learning approaches and possibly be combined with applications in intelligent vehicles.

Differential residual effects of zaleplon and zopiclone on actual driving: a comparison with a low dose of alcohol.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeeren, Annemiek; Riedel, Wim J; van Boxtel, Martin P J; Darwish, Mona; Paty, Isabelle; Patat, Alain

2002-03-15

To compare residual effects of zaleplon 10 mg, zopiclone 7.5 mg, and placebo, and a social dose of alcohol on car driving, memory, and psychomotor performance. Two-part placebo controlled, crossover study. Part 1 was single blind, Part 2 double blind. University research institute. Thirty healthy volunteers (15 men and 15 women, mean age 32 +/- 7 years) In Part 1 alcohol and alcohol-placebo drinks were administered around noon. In Part 2 single oral doses of zaleplon 10 mg, zopiclone 7.5 mg and placebo were administered at bedtime. A highway driving test, laboratory tests of word learning, critical tracking and divided attention, and subjective assessments of sleep, mood, and effects of treatments on driving. Driving started 40 minutes after a second alcohol dose in Part 1, and 10 hours after drug intake in Part 2. The results demonstrated that alcohol, at average plasma concentrations of approximately 0.030 g/dl, significantly impaired performance in all tests. Zaleplon's residual effects did not differ significantly from those of placebo in any test. In contrast, zopiclone had significant residual effects on driving, divided attention, and memory. The magnitude of impairment in the driving test observed the morning after zopiclone 7.5 mg was twice that observed with alcohol. Zaleplon 10 mg has no residual effects on driving when taken at bedtime, 10 hours before driving. In contrast, zopiclone 7.5 mg can cause marked residual impairment. Patients should be advised to avoid driving the morning after zopiclone administration.

76 FR 37174 - Capital Investment Program-New Starts and Small Starts Program Funds

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-24

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Program--New Starts... apportionment of the FY 2011 Capital Investment (New Starts and Small Starts) program funds. The funds will be... FY 2011, $1,596,800,000 was appropriated for the Capital Investments Grant Account, which includes...

Study of the Start-Up Ecosystem in Lima, Peru: Analysis of Interorganizational Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Hernandez

2017-04-01

Full Text Available According to the literature, In the context of changes at a global level the formation of new businesses drives the economy, being important start-ups, which are linked to a community of entrepreneurs, mentors, incubators, accelerators, providers of common services, angel investors, venture capitalists, universities and public support entities, which together configure an ecosystem that is linked to other ecosystems. In this way, this work focuses on the Lima, Peru ecosystem with the aim of providing an understanding of the interorganizational networks that are established based on the analysis of the interactions that occur in the LinkedIn social network. Definitions, methodology, results and conclusions are presented.

Driving and dementia: Efficient approach to driving safety concerns in family practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Linda; Molnar, Frank

2017-01-01

To provide primary care physicians with an approach to driving safety concerns when older persons present with memory difficulties. The approach is based on an accredited memory clinic training program developed by the Centre for Family Medicine Primary Care Collaborative Memory Clinic. One of the most challenging aspects of dementia care is the assessment of driving safety. Drivers with dementia are at higher risk of motor vehicle collisions, yet many drivers with mild dementia might be safely able to continue driving for several years. Because safe driving is dependent on multiple cognitive and functional skills, clinicians should carefully consider many factors when determining if cognitive concerns affect driving safety. Specific findings on corroborated history and office-based cognitive testing might aid in the physician's decisions to refer for comprehensive on-road driving evaluation and whether to notify transportation authorities in accordance with provincial reporting requirements. Sensitive communication and a person-centred approach are essential. Primary care physicians must consider many factors when determining if cognitive concerns might affect driving safety in older drivers. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

The relationship between impaired driving crashes and beliefs about impaired driving: do residents in high crash rate counties have greater concerns about impaired driving?

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Kenneth H; Yan, Alice F; Wang, Min Qi; Kerns, Timothy J; Burch, Cynthia A

2009-04-01

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between impaired driving crashes and public beliefs and concerns about impaired driving across each of Maryland's twenty-four counties (including Baltimore City). It was hypothesized that residents of counties that experience higher impaired driving crashes would express more concerns about impaired driving and perceive more risks about driving impaired than residents of counties that have lower rates of impaired driving. Data for alcohol impaired driving crashes were obtained for the years 2004-2006. These data were compared to public opinion data that was obtained annually by random-digit-dial telephone surveys from 2004 to 2007. Concerns about drunk driving as well as perceptions of the likelihood of being stopped by the police if one were to drive after having too much to drink were related to counties with higher serious impaired driving crash rates, as were perceptions that the police and the legal system were too lenient. Perceptions about the likelihood of being stopped by the police were higher in those counties with more impaired driving enforcement activity. Perceptions of concern appear to be shaped more by crash exposure than enforcement activity. Campaigns that address impaired driving prevention should substantially increase enforcement, strengthen the adjudication process of impaired drivers, and emphasize the potential seriousness of drinking-driving crashes in their promotional activities.

Nuclear refueling platform drive system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busch, F.R.; Faulstich, D.L.

1992-01-01

This patent describes a drive system. It comprises: a gantry including a bridge having longitudinal and transverse axes and supported by spaced first and second end frames joined to fist and second end frames joined to first and second drive trucks for moving the bridge along the transverse axis; first means for driving the first drive truck; second means for driving the second drive truck being independent from the first driving means; and means for controlling the first and second driving means for reducing differential transverse travel between the first and second drive trucks, due to a skewing torque acting on the bridge, to less than a predetermined maximum, the controlling means being in the form of an electrical central processing unit and including: a closed-loop first velocity control means for controlling velocity of the first drive truck by providing a first command signal to the first driver means; a close loop second velocity control means for controlling velocity of the second drive truck by providing a second command signal to the second driving means; and an auxiliary closed-loop travel control means

Dementia and driving.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, D; Neubauer, K; Boyle, M; Gerrard, J; Surmon, D; Wilcock, G K

1992-04-01

Many European countries test cars, but not their drivers, as they age. There is evidence to suggest that human factors are more important than vehicular factors as causes of motor crashes. The elderly also are involved in more accidents per distance travelled than middle-aged drivers. As the UK relies on self-certification of health by drivers over the age of 70 years, we examined the driving practices of patients with dementia attending a Memory Clinic. Nearly one-fifth of 329 patients with documented dementia continued to drive after the onset of dementia, and impaired driving ability was noted in two-thirds of these. Their families experienced great difficulty in persuading patients to stop driving, and had to invoke outside help in many cases. Neuropsychological tests did not help to identify those who drove badly while activity of daily living scores were related to driving ability. These findings suggest that many patients with dementia drive in an unsafe fashion after the onset of the illness. The present system of self-certification of health by the elderly for driver-licensing purposes needs to be reassessed.

Dialling and driving: factors influencing intentions to use a mobile phone while driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Shari P; White, Katherine M; Hyde, Melissa K; Watson, Barry

2008-11-01

Despite being identified as an unsafe (and, in some jurisdictions, illegal) driving practice, the psychological factors underlying people's decision to use their mobile phone while driving have received little attention. The present study utilised the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to examine the role of attitudes, norms, control factors, and risk perceptions, in predicting people's intentions to use their mobile phone while driving. We examined the predictors of intentions to use a mobile phone while driving in general, and for calling and text messaging in 4 scenarios differing in descriptions of vehicle speed and time pressure. There was some support for the TPB given that attitudes consistently predicted intentions to drive while using a mobile phone and that pressure from significant others (norms) determined some phone use while driving intentions, although less support was found for the role of perceptions of control. Risk was not generally predictive of safer driving intentions. These findings indicate that different factors influence each form of mobile phone use while driving and, hence, a multi-strategy approach is likely to be required to address the issue.

Relationships between frequency of driving under the influence of cannabis, self-reported reckless driving and risk-taking behavior observed in a driving simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergeron, Jacques; Paquette, Martin

2014-06-01

The role of cannabis consumption in traffic crashes is unclear and the causal link between cannabis and collisions is still to be demonstrated. While cannabis use is very likely to impair driving ability, there is as yet no overwhelming evidence that cannabis use in isolation contributes more to collisions than other characteristics inherent to cannabis users. As noted in a growing body of literature, individuals driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) seem to exhibit a general reckless driving style putting them at higher risk to be involved in traffic crashes. This study aims at investigating the relationship between self-reported DUIC and reckless driving by means of self-reported measures and direct observations made in a driving simulator. Participants (n=72) were required to be between 18 and 25 years of age, to hold a valid driver's license, and to drive at least twice a week. They completed standard driving simulation tasks recreating everyday on-road trivial conditions. Results show that people admitting that they commit more real-life dangerous driving behaviors reached higher maximum speed and demonstrated more reckless driving behaviors on the driving simulation tasks. Self-reported DUIC is associated with a risky driving style including a broad range of reckless on-road behaviors and support the problem driving behavior theory. Moreover, beyond confounding factors, both self-report DUIC and observed dangerous behaviors are associated with real-life traffic violations. Since DUIC appears to be related to an overall reckless style of driving, it is proposed that public safety policies should be more holistic, simultaneously targeting multiple on-road dangerous behaviors for intervention. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced lower hybrid current drive experiments on HT-7 tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Weici; Kuang Guangli; Liu Yuexiu; Ding Bojiang; Shi Yaojiang

2003-01-01

Effective Lower Hybrid Current Driving (LHCD) and improved confinement experiments in higher plasma parameters (I p >200 kA, n e >2 x 10 13 cm -3 , T e ≥1 keV) have been curried out in optimized LH wave spectrum and plasma parameters in HT-7 superconducting tokamak. The dependence of current driving efficiency on LH power spectrum, plasma density (anti n e ) and toroidal magnetic field B T has been obtained under optimal conditions. A good CD efficiency was obtained at higher plasma current and higher electron density. The improvement of the energy confinement time is accompanied with the increase in line averaged electron density, and in ion and electron temperatures. The highest current driving efficiency reached η CD =I p (anti n e )R/P RF ≅1.05 x 10 19 Am -2 /W. Wave-plasma coupling was sustained in a good state and the reflective coefficient was less than 5%. The experiments have also demonstrated the ability of LH wave in the start-up and ramp-up of the plasma current. The measurement of the temporal distribution of plasma parameter shows that lower hybrid leads to a broader profile in plasma parameter. The LH power deposition profile and the plasma current density profile were modeled with a 2D Fokker-Planck code corresponding to the evolution process of the hard x-ray detector array

Cognitive impairment and driving safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Eby, David W; Molnar, Lisa J

2012-11-01

As the populations of many countries continue to age, cognitive impairment will likely become more common. Individuals with cognitive impairment pose special challenges for families, health professionals, driving safety professionals, and the larger community, particularly if these older adults depend on driving as their primary means of community mobility. It is vital that we continue to extend our knowledge about the driving behavior of individuals' with cognitive impairment, as well as try to develop effective means of screening and assessing these individuals for fitness to drive and help facilitate their transition to non-driving when appropriate. This special issue is intended to provide researchers and practitioners an opportunity to present the most recent research findings on driving-related issues among older adults with cognitive impairment. The issue contains 11 original contributions from seven countries. The topics covered by these papers are: crash risks; screening, assessment, and fitness to drive; driving performance using a driving simulator; and driving behaviors and driving-related decisions of people with cognitive impairments. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Drinking and Driving – What You Need to Know PSA (:60)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

This 60 second PSA is based on the October, 2011 CDC Vital Signs report. Drinking and driving is still a serious problem. Crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers kill nearly 11,000 people each year. If you’re drinking, designate a non-drinking driver before you start, call a cab, or get a ride home. Also, always wear your seat belt. Seat belts reduce the risk of serious injuries and death in a crash by 50 percent.

State all-driver distracted driving laws and high school students'  texting while driving behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Nan; Bell, Teresa Maria

2016-01-01

Texting while driving is highly prevalent among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Texting while driving can significantly increase the risk of road crashes and is associated with other risky driving behaviors. Most states have enacted distracted driving laws to prohibit texting while driving. This study examines effects of different all-driver distracted driving laws on texting while driving among high school students. High school student data were extracted from the 2013 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Distracted driving law information was collected from the National Conference of State Legislatures. The final sample included 6,168 high school students above the restricted driving age in their states and with access to a vehicle. Logistic regression was applied to estimate odds ratios of laws on texting while driving. All-driver text messaging bans with primary enforcement were associated with a significant reduction in odds of texting while driving among high school students (odds ratio = 0.703; 95% confidence interval, 0.513-0.964), whereas all-driver phone use bans with primary enforcement did not have a significant association with texting while driving (odds ratio = 0.846; 95% confidence interval, 0.501-1.429). The findings indicate that all-driver distracted driving laws that specifically target texting while driving as opposed to all types of phone use are effective in reducing the behavior among high school students.

Using driving simulators to assess driving safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyle, Linda Ng; Lee, John D

2010-05-01

Changes in drivers, vehicles, and roadways pose substantial challenges to the transportation safety community. Crash records and naturalistic driving data are useful for examining the influence of past or existing technology on drivers, and the associations between risk factors and crashes. However, they are limited because causation cannot be established and technology not yet installed in production vehicles cannot be assessed. Driving simulators have become an increasingly widespread tool to understand evolving and novel technologies. The ability to manipulate independent variables in a randomized, controlled setting also provides the added benefit of identifying causal links. This paper introduces a special issue on simulator-based safety studies. The special issue comprises 25 papers that demonstrate the use of driving simulators to address pressing transportation safety problems and includes topics as diverse as neurological dysfunction, work zone design, and driver distraction. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current ramp-up experiments in full current drive plasmas on TRIAM-1M

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanada, K.; Nakamura, K.; Hasegawa, M.

2003-01-01

Four types of plasma current ramp-up experiments were executed on TRIAM-1M in full lower hybrid current drive plasmas (LHCD: 8.2GHz, up to 0.4 MW, 8 x 2 grill antenna); 1) the current start up by the combination between electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECH: 170GHz, up to 0.2 MW, O-mode launching) and LHCD at the density of ∼2x10 19 m -3 at B t =6.7T, 2) the tail heating by the additional LHCD, 3) the bulk heating by ECH, 4) the spontaneous ramp up by the transition to enhanced current drive (ECD) mode. The time evolutions of plasma current during four types of ramp-up phase were investigated and an exponential type and a tangent-hyperbolic one were observed. The time evolutions of plasma current during the tail and the bulk heating show the exponential type except the tail heating with high n parallel and it has a tangent-hyperbolic one during the ECD mode and the current start-up. A simple model with two different time constants, which are a time defined by L/R, τ L/R , and a time caused by change of the effective refractive index along the magnetic field, τ, is proposed to explain two types of the time evolution of the plasma current. The estimated τ L/R is consistent with the calculated one from the plasma parameter. It is found that τ are less than τ L/R in the cases of the tail and the bulk heating, and comparable in the cases of the ECD mode, and more than τ L/R in the cases of the plasma start-up. This indicates that the value of the effective refractive index along the magnetic field, parallel >, develops during the ECD mode and the current start-up. The value of τ depends on the RF power. The estimated is close to the expected up-shifted n parallel due to the toroidal effect and the magnetic shear. (author)

The Technique of Changing the Drive Method of Micro Step Drive and Sensorless Drive for Hybrid Stepping Motor

Science.gov (United States)

Yoneda, Makoto; Dohmeki, Hideo

The position control system with the advantage large torque, low vibration, and high resolution can be obtained by the constant current micro step drive applied to hybrid stepping motor. However loss is large, in order not to be concerned with load torque but to control current uniformly. As the one technique of a position control system in which high efficiency is realizable, the same sensorless control as a permanent magnet motor is effective. But, it was the purpose that the control method proposed until now controls speed. Then, this paper proposed changing the drive method of micro step drive and sensorless drive. The change of the drive method was verified from the simulation and the experiment. On no load, it was checked not producing change of a large speed at the time of a change by making electrical angle and carrying out zero reset of the integrator. On load, it was checked that a large speed change arose. The proposed system could change drive method by setting up the initial value of an integrator using the estimated result, without producing speed change. With this technique, the low loss position control system, which employed the advantage of the hybrid stepping motor, has been built.

Careers at Biotech Start-Ups and in Entrepreneurship.

Science.gov (United States)

Froshauer, Susan

2017-11-01

The world of biotechnology "start-ups" and entrepreneurship offers exciting new avenues for driving state-of-the-art research using an arsenal of multidisciplinary skills, whether your role is as part of a team or as a leader. Although traditionally these positions may not be as secure as those offered by some of the larger companies, the small start-up culture provides opportunities for contributing at many levels to a wide range of responsibilities: from scientific discovery to delivery of proof of concept and intellectual property; from analysis of market opportunities and competitive intelligence to creation of time lines and business plans for a first product. Often, if you get in on the ground level, you get to validate your own concept, pitch to potential investors, argue value, build a team, engage advisors, and then, with funding in hand, launch an entirely new research and development (R&D) enterprise. Many of the skills and much of the experience gained while pursuing a graduate degree can be put to good use in these arenas as well. This path, however, is not for the faint of heart; it requires not only a strong scientific background and organizational skills, but also the ability to work well on a team, excellent communication skills, and persistence when faced with delays or disappointment. With increasing responsibilities in the small company come the requirements for aptitudes for leadership, strategic and financial planning, networking, negotiating, and managing both projects and personnel. Copyright © 2017 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

STARTing Again: What Happens After START I Expires?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mladineo, Stephen V.; Durbin, Karyn R.; Eastman, Christina M.

2007-01-01

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), a seminal arms control agreement that substantially reduced the levels of deployed strategic nuclear arms in the United States and Russia, will expire in December 2009. At this time, it is unclear what - if anything - will replace it. While the treaty remains relevant, more than a simple extension is appropriate. Instead the authors advocate for a successor regime that builds on the START I legacy but does not rely on the traditional tools of arms control. This paper examines the strategic context in which a successor regime would be developed and proposes several recommendations for future action

Investigation and demonstration of a rich combustor cold-start device for alcohol-fueled engines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hodgson, J W; Irick, D K [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

1998-04-01

The authors have completed a study in which they investigated the use of a rich combustor to aid in cold starting spark-ignition engines fueled with either neat ethanol or neat methanol. The rich combustor burns the alcohol fuel outside the engine under fuel-rich conditions to produce a combustible product stream that is fed to the engine for cold starting. The rich combustor approach significantly extends the cold starting capability of alcohol-fueled engines. A design tool was developed that simulates the operation of the combustor and couples it to an engine/vehicle model. This tool allows the user to determine the fuel requirements of the rich combustor as the vehicle executes a given driving mission. The design tool was used to design and fabricate a rich combustor for use on a 2.8 L automotive engine. The system was tested using a unique cold room that allows the engine to be coupled to an electric dynamometer. The engine was fitted with an aftermarket engine control system that permitted the fuel flow to the rich combustor to be programmed as a function of engine speed and intake manifold pressure. Testing indicated that reliable cold starts were achieved on both neat methanol and neat ethanol at temperatures as low as {minus}20 C. Although starts were experienced at temperatures as low as {minus}30 C, these were erratic. They believe that an important factor at the very low temperatures is the balance between the high mechanical friction of the engine and the low energy density of the combustible mixture fed to the engine from the rich combustor.

High-risk driving attitudes and everyday driving violations of car and racing enthusiasts in Ontario, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Yildirim-Yenier, Zümrüt; Vingilis, Evelyn; Wiesenthal, David L; Mann, Robert E; Seeley, Jane

2015-01-01

Attitudes and individual difference variables of car and racing enthusiasts regarding high-risk behaviors of street racing and stunt driving have recently been investigated. Positive attitudes toward high-risk driving, personality variables such as driver thrill seeking, and other self-reported risky driving acts were associated with these behaviors. However, probable relationships among high-risk driving tendencies, everyday driving behaviors, and negative road safety outcomes have remained largely unexamined. This study aimed to investigate the associations among car and racing enthusiasts' high-risk driving attitudes, self-reported everyday driving violations (i.e., ordinary and aggressive violations), and self-reported negative outcomes (i.e., collisions and driving offense citations). A web-based survey was conducted with members and visitors of car club and racing websites in Ontario, Canada. Data were obtained from 366 participants. The questionnaire included 4 attitude measures-(1) attitudes toward new penalties for Ontario's Street Racers, Stunt and Aggressive Drivers Legislation; (2) attitudes toward new offenses of stunt driving under the same legislation; (3) general attitudes toward street racing and stunt driving; (4) comparison of street racing with other risky driving behaviors-self-reported driving violations (i.e., ordinary and aggressive violations); self-reported collisions and offense citations; and background and driving questions (e.g., age, driving frequency). Results revealed that attitudes toward stunt driving offenses negatively and general attitudes toward street racing and stunt driving positively predicted ordinary violations, which, in turn, predicted offense citations. Moreover, general attitudes toward street racing and stunt driving positively predicted aggressive violations, which, in turn, predicted offense citations. The findings indicate that positive high-risk driving attitudes may be transferring to driving violations in

Parkinson's disease and driving ability

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rajiv; Pentland, Brian; Hunter, John; Provan, Frances

2007-01-01

Objectives To explore the driving problems associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) and to ascertain whether any clinical features or tests predict driver safety. Methods The driving ability of 154 individuals with PD referred to a driving assessment centre was determined by a combination of clinical tests, reaction times on a test rig and an in‐car driving test. Results The majority of cases (104, 66%) were able to continue driving although 46 individuals required an automatic transmission and 10 others needed car modifications. Ability to drive was predicted by the severity of physical disease, age, presence of other associated medical conditions, particularly dementia, duration of disease, brake reaction, time on a test rig and score on a driving test (all pautomatic transmission. A combination of clinical tests and in‐car driving assessment will establish safety to drive, and a number of clinical correlates can be shown to predict the likely outcome and may assist in the decision process. This is the largest series of consecutive patients seen at a driving assessment centre reported to date, and the first to devise a scoring system for on‐road driving assessment. PMID:17178820

The Impact of Drive Cycles and Auxiliary Power on Passenger Car Fuel Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Grube

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In view of the advancement of zero emission transportation and current discussions on the reliability of nominal passenger car fuel economy, this article considers the procedure for assessing the potential for reducing the fuel consumption of passenger cars by using electric power to operate them. The analysis compares internal combustion engines, hybrid and fully electric concepts utilizing batteries and fuel cells. The starting point for the newly developed, simulation-based fuel consumption analysis is a longitudinal vehicle model. Mechanical power requirements on the drive side incorporate a large variety of standardized drive cycles to simulate typical patterns of car usage. The power requirements of electric heating and air conditioning are also included in the simulation, as these are especially relevant to electric powertrains. Moreover, on-board grid-load profiles are considered in the assessment. Fuel consumption is optimized by applying concept-specific operating strategies. The results show that the combination of low average driving speed and elevated onboard power requirements have severe impacts on the fuel efficiency of all powertrain configurations analyzed. In particular, the operational range of battery-electric vehicles is strongly affected by this due to the limited storage capacity of today’s batteries. The analysis confirms the significance of considering different load patterns of vehicle usage related to driving profiles and onboard electrical and thermal loads.

Rod drive and latching mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veronesi, L.; Sherwood, D.G.

1982-01-01

Hydraulic drive and latching mechanisms for driving reactivity control mechanisms in nuclear reactors are described. Preferably, the pressurized reactor coolant is utilized to raise the drive rod into contact with and to pivot the latching mechanism so as to allow the drive rod to pass the latching mechanism. The pressure in the housing may then be equalized which allows the drive rod to move downwardly into contact with the latching mechanism but to hold the shaft in a raised position with respect to the reactor core. Once again, the reactor coolant pressure may be utilized to raise the drive rod and thus pivot the latching mechanism so that the drive rod passes above the latching mechanism. Again, the mechanism pressure can be equalized which allows the drive rod to fall and pass by the latching mechanism so that the drive rod approaches the reactor core. (author)

Driving range estimation for electric vehicles based on driving condition identification and forecast

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Chaofeng; Dai, Wei; Chen, Liao; Chen, Long; Wang, Limei

2017-10-01

With the impact of serious environmental pollution in our cities combined with the ongoing depletion of oil resources, electric vehicles are becoming highly favored as means of transport. Not only for the advantage of low noise, but for their high energy efficiency and zero pollution. The Power battery is used as the energy source of electric vehicles. However, it does currently still have a few shortcomings, noticeably the low energy density, with high costs and short cycle life results in limited mileage compared with conventional passenger vehicles. There is great difference in vehicle energy consumption rate under different environment and driving conditions. Estimation error of current driving range is relatively large due to without considering the effects of environmental temperature and driving conditions. The development of a driving range estimation method will have a great impact on the electric vehicles. A new driving range estimation model based on the combination of driving cycle identification and prediction is proposed and investigated. This model can effectively eliminate mileage errors and has good convergence with added robustness. Initially the identification of the driving cycle is based on Kernel Principal Component feature parameters and fuzzy C referring to clustering algorithm. Secondly, a fuzzy rule between the characteristic parameters and energy consumption is established under MATLAB/Simulink environment. Furthermore the Markov algorithm and BP(Back Propagation) neural network method is utilized to predict the future driving conditions to improve the accuracy of the remaining range estimation. Finally, driving range estimation method is carried out under the ECE 15 condition by using the rotary drum test bench, and the experimental results are compared with the estimation results. Results now show that the proposed driving range estimation method can not only estimate the remaining mileage, but also eliminate the fluctuation of the

From START to NEW START. The dilemma and future of nuclear disarmament

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plettenberg, Lars

2012-01-01

The report describes the existing four agreements on nuclear disarmament: START I (1991). START II (1993), SORT (2002) and NEW START (2010). The chapter on the dependence between nuclear disarmament and strategic stability covers the issues mutual assured destruction (MAD), credibility, overkill capacity; the role of nuclear weapons in the national strategies of the USA and NATO, Russia, Great Britain, France, China and the other nuclear states. Ways out of MAD include disarmament, de-alerting and mutual assured protection (MAP).

Medications and impaired driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Hetland, Amanda; Carr, David B

2014-04-01

To describe the association of specific medication classes with driving outcomes and provide clinical recommendations. The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published from January 1973 to June 2013 on classes of medications associated with driving impairment. The search included outcome terms such as automobile driving, motor vehicle crash, driving simulator, and road tests. Only English-language articles that contained findings from observational or interventional designs with ≥ 10 participants were included in this review. Cross-sectional studies, case series, and case reports were excluded. Driving is an important task and activity for the majority of adults. Some commonly prescribed medications have been associated with driving impairment measured by road performance, driving simulation, and/or motor vehicle crashes. This review of 30 studies identified findings with barbiturates, benzodiazepines, hypnotics, antidepressants, opioid and nonsteroidal analgesics, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, antiparkinsonian agents, skeletal muscle relaxants, antihistamines, anticholinergic medications, and hypoglycemic agents. Additional studies of medication impact on sedation, sleep latency, and psychomotor function, as well as the role of alcohol, are also discussed. Psychotropic agents and those with central nervous system side effects were associated with measures of impaired driving performance. It is difficult to determine if such associations are actually a result of medication use or the medical diagnosis itself. Regardless, clinicians should be aware of the increased risk of impaired driving with specific classes of medications, educate their patients, and/or consider safer alternatives.

In Patients With Cirrhosis, Driving Simulator Performance Is Associated With Real-life Driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauridsen, Mette M; Thacker, Leroy R; White, Melanie B; Unser, Ariel; Sterling, Richard K; Stravitz, Richard T; Matherly, Scott; Puri, Puneet; Sanyal, Arun J; Gavis, Edith A; Luketic, Velimir; Siddiqui, Muhammad S; Heuman, Douglas M; Fuchs, Michael; Bajaj, Jasmohan S

2016-05-01

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has been linked to higher real-life rates of automobile crashes and poor performance in driving simulation studies, but the link between driving simulator performance and real-life automobile crashes has not been clearly established. Furthermore, not all patients with MHE are unsafe drivers, but it is unclear how to distinguish them from unsafe drivers. We investigated the link between performance on driving simulators and real-life automobile accidents and traffic violations. We also aimed to identify features of unsafe drivers with cirrhosis and evaluated changes in simulated driving skills and MHE status after 1 year. We performed a study of outpatients with cirrhosis (n = 205; median 55 years old; median model for end-stage liver disease score, 9.5; none with overt hepatic encephalopathy or alcohol or illicit drug use within previous 6 months) seen at the Virginia Commonwealth University and McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center, from November 2008 through April 2014. All participants were given paper-pencil tests to diagnose MHE (98 had MHE; 48%), and 163 patients completed a standardized driving simulation. Data were collected on traffic violations and automobile accidents from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and from participants' self-assessments when they entered the study, and from 73 participants 1 year later. Participants also completed a questionnaire about alcohol use and cessation patterns. The driving simulator measured crashes, run-time, road center and edge excursions, and illegal turns during navigation; before and after each driving simulation session, patients were asked to rate their overall driving skills. Drivers were classified as safe or unsafe based on crashes and violations reported on official driving records; simulation results were compared with real-life driving records. Multivariable regression analyses of real-life crashes and violations was performed using data on

Correspondence between Simulator and On-Road Drive Performance: Implications for Assessment of Driving Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Aksan, Nazan; Hacker, Sarah D; Sager, Lauren; Dawson, Jeffrey; Anderson, Steven; Rizzo, Matthew

2016-03-01

Forty-two younger (Mean age = 35) and 37 older drivers (Mean age = 77) completed four similar simulated drives. In addition, 32 younger and 30 older drivers completed a standard on-road drive in an instrumented vehicle. Performance in the simulated drives was evaluated using both electronic drive data and video-review of errors. Safety errors during the on-road drive were evaluated by a certified driving instructor blind to simulator performance, using state Department of Transportation criteria. We examined the degree of convergence in performance across the two platforms on various driving tasks including lane change, lane keeping, speed control, stopping, turns, and overall performance. Differences based on age group indicated a pattern of strong relative validity for simulator measures. However, relative rank-order in specific metrics of performance suggested a pattern of moderate relative validity. The findings have implications for the use of simulators in assessments of driving safety as well as its use in training and/or rehabilitation settings.

Superluminal warp drive

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez-Diaz, Pedro F. [Colina de los Chopos, Centro de Fisica ' Miguel A. Catalan' , Instituto de Matematicas y Fisica Fundamental, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: p.gonzalezdiaz@imaff.cfmac.csic.es

2007-09-20

In this Letter we consider a warp drive spacetime resulting from that suggested by Alcubierre when the spaceship can only travel faster than light. Restricting to the two dimensions that retains most of the physics, we derive the thermodynamic properties of the warp drive and show that the temperature of the spaceship rises up as its apparent velocity increases. We also find that the warp drive spacetime can be exhibited in a manifestly cosmological form.

The impact of continuous driving time and rest time on commercial drivers' driving performance and recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lianzhen; Pei, Yulong

2014-09-01

This real road driving study was conducted to investigate the effects of driving time and rest time on the driving performance and recovery of commercial coach drivers. Thirty-three commercial coach drivers participated in the study, and were divided into three groups according to driving time: (a) 2 h, (b) 3 h, and (c) 4 h. The Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) was used to assess the subjective fatigue level of the drivers. One-way ANOVA was employed to analyze the variation in driving performance. The statistical analysis revealed that driving time had a significant effect on the subjective fatigue and driving performance measures among the three groups. After 2 h of driving, both the subjective fatigue and driving performance measures began to deteriorate. After 4 h of driving, all of the driving performance indicators changed significantly except for depth perception. A certain amount of rest time eliminated the negative effects of fatigue. A 15-minute rest allowed drivers to recover from a two-hour driving task. This needed to be prolonged to 30 min for driving tasks of 3 to 4 h of continuous driving. Drivers' attention, reactions, operating ability, and perceptions are all affected in turn after over 2 h of continuous driving. Drivers should take a certain amount of rest to recover from the fatigue effects before they continue driving. Copyright © 2014 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Older drivers' self-assessed driving skills, driving-related stress and self-regulation in traffic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siren, Anu Kristiina; Meng, Annette

2013-01-01

Previous research on older drivers has indicated connections between self-rated driving ability, confidence in their own driving, driving-related stress, and self-regulatory behaviour. However, more systematic associations between older drivers' perceptions on their own driving and self......-regulation or driver stress and self-regulation behaviour, and possible gender differences in these, have not been obtained in previous studies. The aim of the present study was to gain a better understanding of older drivers' self-regulatory driving and the motivators behind this behaviour, by placing this behaviour...... and avoidance than situations related to infrastructure, and women were more likely to report discomfort and avoidance of driving situations. The results suggest that older drivers generally show good self-judgement of changes in their driving skills and acknowledge the different types of skills comprised...

The impact of dry-land sprint start training on the short track speed skating start.

Science.gov (United States)

Haug, William B; Drinkwater, Eric J; Cicero, Nicholas J; Barthell, J Anthony; Chapman, Dale W

2017-05-05

This investigation sought to determine the effects of dry-land sprint start training on short track speed skating (STSS) start performance. Nine highly trained short track athletes completed a control period of normal STSS training followed by a four-week training intervention. Before and after the control and intervention periods, athletes performed three electronically timed dry-land and on-ice 14.43 m maximal sprint start efforts. The intervention consisted of two sprint sessions per week consisting of nine electronically timed 14.43 m dry-land sprint starts in addition to normal STSS training. The control period resulted in no substantial change in on-ice start performance (Mean Δ: -0.01 s, 95% Confidence Limits (CL): -0.08 to 0.05 s; Effect Size (ES): -0.05; Trivial) however, a small change was observed in dry-land start performance (Mean Δ: -0.07 s, 95% CL: -0.13 to -0.02 s; ES: -0.49). Following brief specific dry-land sprint start training a small improvement was observed in both on-ice (Mean Δ: -0.07 s, 95% CL: -0.13 to -0.01 s; ES: -0.33) and dry-land (Mean Δ: -0.04 s, 95% CL: -0.09 to 0.00 s; ES: -0.29) start performance. This investigation suggests STSS start performance can be improved through a brief dry-land sprint start training program.

Effects of decades of physical driving on body movement and motion sickness during virtual driving.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas A Stoffregen

Full Text Available We investigated relations between experience driving physical automobiles and motion sickness during the driving of virtual automobiles. Middle-aged individuals drove a virtual automobile in a driving video game. Drivers were individuals who had possessed a driver's license for approximately 30 years, and who drove regularly, while non-drivers were individuals who had never held a driver's license, or who had not driven for more than 15 years. During virtual driving, we monitored movement of the head and torso. During virtual driving, drivers became motion sick more rapidly than non-drivers, but the incidence and severity of motion sickness did not differ as a function of driving experience. Patterns of movement during virtual driving differed as a function of driving experience. Separately, movement differed between participants who later became motion sick and those who did not. Most importantly, physical driving experience influenced patterns of postural activity that preceded motion sickness during virtual driving. The results are consistent with the postural instability theory of motion sickness, and help to illuminate relations between the control of physical and virtual vehicles.

Start of the construction of initial advanced BWRs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Yasuo; Furukawa, Hideyasu; Yoshida, Tomiharu

1992-01-01

The construction of first advanced BWRs (ABWR), No. 6 and No. 7 plants in Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc., was started, and the commercial operation is scheduled to begin in 1996 and 1997. The ABWR with the unit capacity of 1356 MW which is the largest class in the world has been developed aiming at the further improvement of safety, operation performance, economical efficiency and so on. Hitachi Limited carried out the detailed review on new parts design and expected the perfection so as to make the first machine into the plant maintaining high reliability. The course of development of the ABWR, the outline of No. 6 and No. 7 plants in Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, the review of the design of new parts, the establishment of the technology of manufacturing RCCVs, the verification of the maintenance and checkup of internal pumps and improved type control rod driving mechanism and so on are reported. The ABWR is Japanese third improved type standard plant, but also it is expected to be adopted worldwide. (K.I.)

Driving competences and neuropsychological factors associated to driving counseling in multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Badenes, Dolors; Garolera, Maite; Casas, Laura; Cejudo-Bolivar, Juan Carlos; de Francisco, Jorge; Zaragoza, Silvia; Calzado, Noemi; Aguilar, Miquel

2014-05-01

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) significantly impacts daily living activities, including car driving. To investigate driving difficulties experienced with MS, we compared 50 MS patients with minor or moderate disability and 50 healthy controls (HC) using computerized driving tests (the ASDE driver test and the Useful Field of View (UFOV) test) and neuropsychological tests. Inclusion criteria included being active drivers. We evaluated whether cognitive deterioration in MS is associated with the results of driving tests by comparing MS patients without cognitive deterioration with HC. The results indicated that the MS patients performed worse than the HCs in attention, information processing, working memory and visuomotor coordination tasks. Furthermore, MS patients with cognitive impairments experienced more difficulties in the driving tests than did the non-impaired MS patients. Motor dysfunction associated with MS also played an important role in this activity. The results of this study suggest that MS should be assessed carefully and that special emphasis should be placed on visuomotor coordination and executive functions because patients with minor motor disability and subtle cognitive impairments can pass measures predictive of driving safety.

Perception of the Risks Associated with Impaired Driving and Effects on Driving Behavior

OpenAIRE

Georges Dionne; Claude Fluet; Denise Desjardins

2006-01-01

This research studies the perception of the risks associated with impaired driving-probability of being apprehended or of having an accident-and the relation between the perception of risks and driving behavior. The most important determinants of perceptual biases are age, an accumulation of violations in the year preceding the survey, being a non-drinker, knowledge of the legal alcohol limit for driving, opinion about zero tolerance for impaired driving, and family income. Perceptual biases ...

Epilepsy and driving

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matej Mavrič

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Epilepsy poses a risk for all participants in road traffic; therefore people with epilepsy do not meet the criteria for an unlimited driving license. Their driving is affected not only by epileptic seizures causing impaired consciousness and involuntary movements, but also by antiepileptic drugs with their many unwanted affects. The experts have not yet agreed on whether people with epilepsy have an increased risk of experiencing a road traffic accident. However, recent data suggests that the overall risk is lower compared to other medical conditions. Scientific evidence forms the basis of legislation, which by limiting people with epilepsy, enables all participants in road traffic to drive in the safest possible environment. The legislation that governs epilepsy and driving in Slovenia has been recently thoroughly reformed and thus allows a less discriminatory management of people with epilepsy. Although people with epilepsy experience many issues in their daily life, including their personal relationships and employment, they often list the need for driving as a top concern in surveys. General physicians play an important role in managing the issues of people with epilepsy.

Control rod drives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayakawa, Hiroyasu.

1979-01-01

Purpose: To enable rapid control in a simple circuit by providing a motor control device having an electric capacity capable of simultaneously driving all of the control rods rapidly only in the inserting direction as well as a motor controlling device capable of fine control for the insertion and extraction at usual operation. Constitution: The control rod drives comprise a first motor control device capable of finely controlling the control rods both in inserting and extracting directions, a second motor control device capable of rapidly driving the control rods only in the inserting direction, and a first motor switching circuit and a second motor switching circuit switched by switches. Upon issue of a rapid insertion instruction for the control rods, the second motor switching circuit is closed by the switch and the second motor control circuit and driving motors are connected. Thus, each of the control rod driving motors is driven at a high speed in the inserting direction to rapidly insert all of the control rods. (Yoshino, Y.)

Drive reinforcement neural networks for reactor control. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.G.; Jouse, W.C.

1995-01-01

In view of the loss of the third year funding, the scope of the project goals has been revised. The revision in project scope no longer allows for the detailed modeling of the EBR-11 start-up task that was originally envisaged. The authors are continuing, however, to model the control of the rapid power ascent of the University of Arizona TRIGA reactor using a model-based controller and using a drive reinforcement neural network. These will be combined during the concluding period of the project into a hierarchical control architecture. In addition, the modeling of a PWR feedwater heater has continued, and an autonomous fault-tolerant software architecture for its control has been proposed

Control rod drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawke, B.C.

1986-01-01

A reactor core, one or more control rods, and a control rod drive are described for selectively inserting and withdrawing the one or more control rods into and from the reactor core, which consists of: a support structure secured beneath the reactor core; control rod positioning means supported by the support structure for movably supporting the control rod for movement between a lower position wherein the control rod is located substantially beneath the reactor core and an upper position wherein at least an upper portion of the control rod extends into the reactor core; transmission means; primary drive means connected with the control rod positioning means by the transmission means for positioning the control rod under normal operating conditions; emergency drive means for moving the control rod from the lower position to the upper position under emergency conditions, the emergency drive means including a weight movable between an upper and a lower position, means for movably supporting the weight, and means for transmitting gravitational force exerted on the weight to the control rod positioning means to move the control rod upwardly when the weight is pulled downwardly by gravity; the transmission means connecting the control rod positioning means with the emergency drive means so that the primary drive means effects movement of the weight and the control rod in opposite directions under normal conditions, thus providing counterbalancing to reduce the force required for upward movement of the control rod under normal conditions; and restraint means for restraining the fall of the weight under normal operating conditions and disengaging the primary drive means to release the weight under emergency conditions

School Starting Age and Crime

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Landersø, Rasmus; Nielsen, Helena Skyt; Simonsen, Marianne

This paper investigates the effects of school starting age on crime while relying on variation in school starting age induced by administrative rules; we exploit that Danish children typically start first grade in the calendar year they turn seven, which gives rise to a discontinuity in children......’s school starting age. Analyses are carried out using register-based Danish data. We find that higher age at school start lowers the propensity to commit crime, but that this reduction is caused by incapacitation while human capital accumulation is unaffected. Importantly, we also find that the individuals...

Noninductive current drive in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uckan, N.A.

1985-01-01

Various current drive mechanisms may be grouped into four classes: (1) injection of energetic particle beams; (2) launching of rf waves; (3) hybrid schemes, which are combinations of various rf schemes (rf plus beams, rf and/or beam plus ohmic heating, etc.); and (4) other schemes, some of which are specific to reactor plasma conditions requiring the presence of alpha particle or intense synchrotron radiation. Particle injection schemes include current drive by neutral beams and relativistic electron beams. The rf schemes include current drive by the lower hybrid (LH) waves, the electron waves, the waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies, etc. Only a few of these approaches, however, have been tested experimentally, with the broadest data base available for LH waves. Included in this report are (1) efficiency criteria for current drive, (2) current drive by neutral beam injection, (3) LH current drive, (4) electron cyclotron current drive, (5) current drive by ion cyclotron waves - minority species heating, and (6) current drive by other schemes (such as hybrids and low frequency waves)

Drinking and Driving – What You Need to Know

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2011-10-04

This podcast is based on the October, 2011 CDC Vital Signs report. Drinking and driving is still a serious problem. Crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers kill nearly 11,000 people each year. If you’re drinking, designate a non-drinking driver before you start, call a cab, or get a ride home. Also, always wear your seat belt. Seat belts reduce the risk of serious injuries and death in a crash by 50 percent.  Created: 10/4/2011 by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   Date Released: 10/4/2011.

Teen Driving Risk and Prevention: Naturalistic Driving Research Contributions and Challenges

OpenAIRE

Simons-Morton, Bruce G.; Ehsani, Johnathon P.; Gershon, Pnina; Klauer, Sheila G.; Dingus, Thomas A.

2017-01-01

Naturalistic driving (ND) methods may be particularly useful for research on young driver crash risk. Novices are not safe drivers initially, but tend to improve rapidly, although the pace of learning is highly variable. However, knowledge is lacking about how best to reduce the learning curve and the variability in the development of safe driving judgment. A great deal has been learned from recent naturalistic driving (ND) studies that have included young drivers, providing objective informa...

Modeling Driving Performance Using In-Vehicle Speech Data From a Naturalistic Driving Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Jonny; Charlton, Judith L; Koppel, Sjaan; Rudin-Brown, Christina M; Cross, Suzanne

2016-09-01

We aimed to (a) describe the development and application of an automated approach for processing in-vehicle speech data from a naturalistic driving study (NDS), (b) examine the influence of child passenger presence on driving performance, and (c) model this relationship using in-vehicle speech data. Parent drivers frequently engage in child-related secondary behaviors, but the impact on driving performance is unknown. Applying automated speech-processing techniques to NDS audio data would facilitate the analysis of in-vehicle driver-child interactions and their influence on driving performance. Speech activity detection and speaker diarization algorithms were applied to audio data from a Melbourne-based NDS involving 42 families. Multilevel models were developed to evaluate the effect of speech activity and the presence of child passengers on driving performance. Speech activity was significantly associated with velocity and steering angle variability. Child passenger presence alone was not associated with changes in driving performance. However, speech activity in the presence of two child passengers was associated with the most variability in driving performance. The effects of in-vehicle speech on driving performance in the presence of child passengers appear to be heterogeneous, and multiple factors may need to be considered in evaluating their impact. This goal can potentially be achieved within large-scale NDS through the automated processing of observational data, including speech. Speech-processing algorithms enable new perspectives on driving performance to be gained from existing NDS data, and variables that were once labor-intensive to process can be readily utilized in future research. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Dementia and driving

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000028.htm Dementia and driving To use the sharing features on ... please enable JavaScript. If your loved one has dementia , deciding when they can no longer drive may ...

UPAYA PENINGKATAN EXPORT DRIVE INDUSTRI FASHION DI ERA GLOBALISASI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Idah Hadijah

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The Efforts to Increase Export Drives of Fashion Industy in the Globali­sation Era. The fashion industry is inseparable from the development of fashion, cultural element/national culture, and the influence of fashion in many aspects of human life. Thus, fashion industry is a positive business opportunities in globalization era. Fashion industry involves various parties such as the resource of fabric thread, fabric manufacturers, designer, producers to distributors, starts from small business to large business, and also involves a lot of workers with various skills and talents. In order to support fashion industry producers having positive export drives, it is necessary to to pay attention to many components, such as production, supplier, and the final products that are distributed to the retailers. These components are also related to the quality of human resources, material resources, fashion forecasting, and the multimedia of fashion industry. : Industri fashion, tidak terlepas dari perkembangan busana, unsur budaya/ kultur suatu bangsa, serta pengaruh busana dalam berbagai aspek kehidupan manusia. Dengan demikian industri fashion merupakan peluang bisnis yang positif di era globalisasi. Industri fashion melibatkan berbagai pihak mulai dari asal serat, pem­buatan kain, desainer, produsen sampai distributor, mulai dari bisnis kecil sampai bisnis besar, juga melibatkan banyak pekerja dengan berbagai keahlian dan bakat. Upaya produsen industri fashion agar memiliki export drive yang positif, perlu memperhatikan komponen produksi, komponen supplier, produk akhir yang didistri­busikan pada retailer. Komponen-komponen tersebut terkait dengan kualitas: sumber daya manusia, sumber daya material, fashion forecasting, dan multimedia industri fashion.

Driving After a Stroke

Science.gov (United States)

... 23,2015 Can I drive after a stroke? Driving is often a major concern after someone has a stroke. It’s not unusual for stroke survivors to want to drive. Being able to get around after a stroke is important. Safety behind the wheel is even more important after ...

Random and systematic errors in case–control studies calculating the injury risk of driving under the influence of psychoactive substances

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Houwing, Sjoerd; Hagenzieker, Marjan; Mathijssen, René P.M.

2013-01-01

Between 2006 and 2010, six population based case-control studies were conducted as part of the European research-project DRUID (DRiving Under the Influence of Drugs, alcohol and medicines). The aim of these case-control studies was to calculate odds ratios indicating the relative risk of serious....... The list of indicators that was identified in this study is useful both as guidance for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and for future epidemiological studies in the field of driving under the influence to minimize sources of errors already at the start of the study. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd....

THE IMPACT OF TEXT DRIVING ON DRIVING SAFETY

OpenAIRE

Sanaz Motamedi; Jyh-Hone Wang

2016-01-01

In an increasingly mobile era, the wide availability of technology for texting and the prevalence of hands-free form have introduced a new safety concern for drivers. To assess this concern, a questionnaire was first deployed online to gain an understanding of drivers’ text driving experiences as well as their demographic information. The results from 232 people revealed that the majority of drivers are aware of the associated risks with texting while driving. However, more than one-fourth of...

i3Drive, a 3D interactive driving simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Ambroz, Miha; Prebil, Ivan

2010-01-01

i3Drive, a wheeled-vehicle simulator, can accurately simulate vehicles of various configurations with up to eight wheels in real time on a desktop PC. It presents the vehicle dynamics as an interactive animation in a virtual 3D environment. The application is fully GUI-controlled, giving users an easy overview of the simulation parameters and letting them adjust those parameters interactively. It models all relevant vehicle systems, including the mechanical models of the suspension, power train, and braking and steering systems. The simulation results generally correspond well with actual measurements, making the system useful for studying vehicle performance in various driving scenarios. i3Drive is thus a worthy complement to other, more complex tools for vehicle-dynamics simulation and analysis.

A current profile model for magnetic analysis of the start-up phase of toroidal plasmas driven by electron cyclotron heating and current drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshinaga, T.; Uchida, M.; Tanaka, H.; Maekawa, T.

2007-01-01

An estimation model of plasma current density distribution for the start-up phase of toroidal plasmas generated by electron cyclotron heating (ECH) in the low aspect ratio torus experiment device is presented. The model assumes a power law parabolic current profile having seven fitting parameters. Its position, extent and broadness (or steepness) are fitted by adjusting these parameters to the observed magnetic flux signals. The adequacy of the model has been examined and confirmed by comparisons of the reconstructed current profiles and the resultant poloidal flux surfaces with the plasma images at visible light range at various stages of start-up discharges, including both the initial open field phase, the subsequent closed field phase, the current decay phase after ECH is turned off and also by a current-profile limiting experiment. This method may be useful for the study of non-inductive start-up experiments by ECH, where there is no appropriate MHD constraint on the current distribution as that in the full tokamak discharge plasmas

A drive through Web 2.0: an exploration of driving safety promotion on Facebook™.

Science.gov (United States)

Apatu, Emma J I; Alperin, Melissa; Miner, Kathleen R; Wiljer, David

2013-01-01

This study explored Facebook™ to capture the prevalence of driving safety promotion user groups, obtain user demographic information, to understand if Facebook™ user groups influence reported driving behaviors, and to gather a sense of perceived effectiveness of Facebook™ for driving safety promotion targeted to young adults. In total, 96 driving safety Facebook™ groups (DSFGs) were identified with a total of 33,368 members, 168 administrators, 156 officers, 1,598 wall posts representing 12 countries. A total of 85 individuals participated in the survey. Demographic findings of this study suggest that driving safety promotion can be targeted to young and older adults. Respondents' ages ranged from 18 to 66 years. A total of 62% of respondents aged ≤ 24 years and 57.8% of respondents aged ≥ 25 years reported changing their driving-related behaviors as a result of reading information on the DSFGs to which they belonged. A higher proportion of respondents ≥ 25 years were significantly more likely to report Facebook™ and YouTube™ as an effective technology for driving safety promotion. This preliminary study indicates that DSFGs may be effective tools for driving safety promotion among young adults. More research is needed to understand the cognition of Facebook™ users as it relates to adopting safe driving behavior. The findings from this study present descriptive data to guide public health practitioners for future health promotion activities on Facebook™.

Self-driving carsickness.

Science.gov (United States)

Diels, Cyriel; Bos, Jelte E

2016-03-01

This paper discusses the predicted increase in the occurrence and severity of motion sickness in self-driving cars. Self-driving cars have the potential to lead to significant benefits. From the driver's perspective, the direct benefits of this technology are considered increased comfort and productivity. However, we here show that the envisaged scenarios all lead to an increased risk of motion sickness. As such, the benefits this technology is assumed to bring may not be capitalised on, in particular by those already susceptible to motion sickness. This can negatively affect user acceptance and uptake and, in turn, limit the potential socioeconomic benefits that this emerging technology may provide. Following a discussion on the causes of motion sickness in the context of self-driving cars, we present guidelines to steer the design and development of automated vehicle technologies. The aim is to limit or avoid the impact of motion sickness and ultimately promote the uptake of self-driving cars. Attention is also given to less well known consequences of motion sickness, in particular negative aftereffects such as postural instability, and detrimental effects on task performance and how this may impact the use and design of self-driving cars. We conclude that basic perceptual mechanisms need to be considered in the design process whereby self-driving cars cannot simply be thought of as living rooms, offices, or entertainment venues on wheels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Predicting psychopharmacological drug effects on actual driving performance (SDLP) from psychometric tests measuring driving-related skills

OpenAIRE

Verster, Joris C.; Roth, Thomas

2011-01-01

Rationale There are various methods to examine driving ability. Comparisons between these methods and their relationship with actual on-road driving is often not determined. Objective The objective of this study was to determine whether laboratory tests measuring driving-related skills could adequately predict on-the-road driving performance during normal traffic. Methods Ninety-six healthy volunteers performed a standardized on-the-road driving test. Subjects were instructed to drive with a ...

Sequential Dependencies in Driving

Science.gov (United States)

Doshi, Anup; Tran, Cuong; Wilder, Matthew H.; Mozer, Michael C.; Trivedi, Mohan M.

2012-01-01

The effect of recent experience on current behavior has been studied extensively in simple laboratory tasks. We explore the nature of sequential effects in the more naturalistic setting of automobile driving. Driving is a safety-critical task in which delayed response times may have severe consequences. Using a realistic driving simulator, we find…

Driving automation forward : human factors for limited-ability autonomous driving systems.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Over the past 100 years, there has been a : steady progression of innovations that : enhance the driving experience, in particular : the continuing trend toward automating more : driving tasks. Human Factors for Limited-Ability : Autonomous Drivin...

Linear step drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haniger, L.; Elger, R.; Kocandrle, L.; Zdebor, J.

1986-01-01

A linear step drive is described developed in Czechoslovak-Soviet cooperation and intended for driving WWER-1000 control rods. The functional principle is explained of the motor and the mechanical and electrical parts of the drive, power control, and the indicator of position are described. The motor has latches situated in the reactor at a distance of 3 m from magnetic armatures, it has a low structural height above the reactor cover, which suggests its suitability for seismic localities. Its magnetic circuits use counterpoles; the mechanical shocks at the completion of each step are damped using special design features. The position indicator is of a special design and evaluates motor position within ±1% of total travel. A drive diagram and the flow chart of both the control electronics and the position indicator are presented. (author) 4 figs

Sudden illness while driving a vehicle--a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hitosugi, Masahito; Gomei, Sayaka; Okubo, Takao; Tokudome, Shogo

2012-01-01

We performed a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers to clarify the background of incidents of sudden illness while driving. The analysis used reports submitted by employers to the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism regarding commercial drivers who had been ordered to stop driving owing to health problems. Of 211 cases with an average work history of 15.2 years, there were 88 bus drivers, 70 taxi drivers, and 53 truck drivers, 36.0% of who had died as a result of their disease. Among taxi and truck drivers, more than 70% of incidents were due to cardiac, aortic, and cerebrovascular disease. More than 80% of these were unable to avoid traffic accidents caused by sudden illness. However, among bus drivers, cardiac, aortic, and cerebrovascular disease accounted for only 23.5% of incidents, and accidents were avoided in more than half of the cases. The duration between starting work and the incident time was significantly shorter among bus drivers [mean 3.3 hours, standard deviation (SD) 3.1] than taxi (7.7 hours, SD 5.8) and truck (7.2 hours, SD 6.3) drivers (Pprevent disabling events while driving. As a precaution, physicians should advise commercial drivers to stop driving as soon as they detect slight discomfort. To prevent accidents, more assertive health promotion aimed at professional drivers is needed.

Hurried driving: Relationship to distress tolerance, driver anger, aggressive and risky driving in college students.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Kenneth H; Daughters, Stacey B; Ali, Bina

2013-03-01

Being a hurried driver is associated with a variety of risky driving behaviors, yet the mechanisms underlying this behavior remain unknown. Distress tolerance, defined as an individual's capability to experience and endure negative emotional states, was examined as a predictor of hurried driving among 769 college students. Results indicate that after controlling for age, gender, race, ethnicity, the student's year in school, their grade point average, driving frequency, angry driving, aggressive driving as well as other forms of self-reported risky driving; hurried driving was significantly associated with lower levels of distress tolerance. Hurried drivers also reported greater levels of frustration and impatience with other drivers, suggesting that they have difficulty in withstanding or coping with negative psychological states when driving. Traditional traffic safety campaigns that emphasize enforcement may be less successful with these drivers. The need to develop campaigns that address the affective coping abilities that contribute to this behavioral pattern is discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Driving performance at lateral system limits during partially automated driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Naujoks, Frederik; Purucker, Christian; Wiedemann, Katharina; Neukum, Alexandra; Wolter, Stefan; Steiger, Reid

2017-11-01

This study investigated driver performance during system limits of partially automated driving. Using a motion-based driving simulator, drivers encountered different situations in which a partially automated vehicle could no longer safely keep the lateral guidance. Drivers were distracted by a non-driving related task on a touch display or driving without an additional secondary task. While driving in partially automated mode drivers could either take their hands off the steering wheel for only a short period of time (10s, so-called 'Hands-on' variant) or for an extended period of time (120s, so-called 'Hands-off' variant). When the system limit was reached (e.g., when entering a work zone with temporary lines), the lateral vehicle control by the automation was suddenly discontinued and a take-over request was issued to the drivers. Regardless of the hands-off interval and the availability of a secondary task, all drivers managed the transition to manual driving safely. No lane exceedances were observed and the situations were rated as 'harmless' by the drivers. The lack of difference between the hands-off intervals can be partly attributed to the fact that most of the drivers kept contact to the steering wheel, even in the hands-off condition. Although all drivers were able to control the system limits, most of them could not explain why exactly the take-over request was issued. The average helpfulness of the take-over request was rated on an intermediate level. Consequently, providing drivers with information about the reason for a system limit can be recommended. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-power converters and AC drives

CERN Document Server

Wu, Bin

2017-01-01

This new edition reflects the recent technological advancements in the MV drive industry, such as advanced multilevel converters and drive configurations. It includes three new chapters, Control of Synchronous Motor Drives, Transformerless MV Drives, and Matrix Converter Fed Drives. In addition, there are extensively revised chapters on Multilevel Voltage Source Inverters and Voltage Source Inverter-Fed Drives. This book includes a systematic analysis on a variety of high-power multilevel converters, illustrates important concepts with simulations and experiments, introduces various megawatt drives produced by world leading drive manufacturers, and addresses practical problems and their mitigations methods.

A spectral power analysis of driving behavior changes during the transition from nondistraction to distraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuan; Bao, Shan; Du, Wenjun; Ye, Zhirui; Sayer, James R

2017-11-17

This article investigated and compared frequency domain and time domain characteristics of drivers' behaviors before and after the start of distracted driving. Data from an existing naturalistic driving study were used. Fast Fourier transform (FFT) was applied for the frequency domain analysis to explore drivers' behavior pattern changes between nondistracted (prestarting of visual-manual task) and distracted (poststarting of visual-manual task) driving periods. Average relative spectral power in a low frequency range (0-0.5 Hz) and the standard deviation in a 10-s time window of vehicle control variables (i.e., lane offset, yaw rate, and acceleration) were calculated and further compared. Sensitivity analyses were also applied to examine the reliability of the time and frequency domain analyses. Results of the mixed model analyses from the time and frequency domain analyses all showed significant degradation in lateral control performance after engaging in visual-manual tasks while driving. Results of the sensitivity analyses suggested that the frequency domain analysis was less sensitive to the frequency bandwidth, whereas the time domain analysis was more sensitive to the time intervals selected for variation calculations. Different time interval selections can result in significantly different standard deviation values, whereas average spectral power analysis on yaw rate in both low and high frequency bandwidths showed consistent results, that higher variation values were observed during distracted driving when compared to nondistracted driving. This study suggests that driver state detection needs to consider the behavior changes during the prestarting periods, instead of only focusing on periods with physical presence of distraction, such as cell phone use. Lateral control measures can be a better indicator of distraction detection than longitudinal controls. In addition, frequency domain analyses proved to be a more robust and consistent method in assessing

Driving pleasure and perceptions of the transition from no automation to full self-driving automation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørner, Thomas

2018-01-01

In this article, I offer a sociological user perspective on increased self-driving automation, which has evolved from a long history associated with automobility. This study explores complex, perceived a priori driving pleasures in different scenarios involving self-driving cars. The methods used...... consisted of 32 in-depth interviews with participants who were given eight video examples (two video examples within four different scenarios) to watch. A numerical rating scales formed parts of the interviews. The findings revealed that driving pleasure when using increasingly automated driving...... technologies is very complex and must be seen within various contexts, including, for example, different speeds, road conditions, purposes, driving distances, and numbers of people in the car. Self-driving cars are not just about technology, increased safety, and better traffic flow, but are also dependent...

Application of drive circuit based on L298N in direct current motor speed control system

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Liuliu; Wang, Fang; Han, Sen; Li, Yuchen; Sun, Hao; Lu, Qingjie; Yang, Cheng; Wang, Quanzhao

2016-10-01

In the experiment of researching the nanometer laser interferometer, our design of laser interferometer circuit system is up to the wireless communication technique of the 802.15.4 IEEE standard, and we use the RF TI provided by Basic to receive the data on speed control system software. The system's hardware is connected with control module and the DC motor. However, in the experiment, we found that single chip microcomputer control module is very difficult to drive the DC motor directly. The reason is that the DC motor's starting and braking current is larger than the causing current of the single chip microcomputer control module. In order to solve this problem, we add a driving module that control board can transmit PWM wave signal through I/O port to drive the DC motor, the driving circuit board can come true the function of the DC motor's positive and reversal rotation and speed adjustment. In many various driving module, the L298N module's integrated level is higher compared with other driver module. The L298N model is easy to control, it not only can control the DC motor, but also achieve motor speed control by modulating PWM wave that the control panel output. It also has the over-current protection function, when the motor lock, the L298N model can protect circuit and motor. So we use the driver module based on L298N to drive the DC motor. It is concluded that the L298N driver circuit module plays a very important role in the process of driving the DC motor in the DC motor speed control system.

A Difficult Journey: Reflections on Driving and Driving Cessation From a Team of Clinical Researchers.

Science.gov (United States)

Liddle, Jacki; Gustafsson, Louise; Mitchell, Geoffrey; Pachana, Nancy A

2017-02-01

Recognizing the clinical importance and safety and well-being implications for the population, a multidisciplinary team has been researching older drivers and driving cessation issues for more than 15 years. Using empirical approaches, the team has explored quality of life and participation outcomes related to driving and nondriving for older people and has developed interventions to improve outcomes after driving cessation. The team members represent occupational therapists, medical practitioners, and clinical and neuropsychologists. While building the evidence base for driving- and driving cessation-related clinical practice, the researchers have also had first-hand experiences of interruptions to their own or parents' driving; involvement of older family members in road crashes; and provision of support during family members' driving assessment and cessation. This has led to reflection on their understandings and re-evaluation and refocusing of their perspectives in driving cessation research. This work will share the narratives of the authors and note their developing perspectives and foci within research as well as their clinical practice. Personal reflections have indicated the far-reaching implications for older drivers and family members of involvement in road crashes: the potential for interruptions to driving as a time for support and future planning and the conflicting and difficult roles of family members within the driving cessation process. Overall the lived, personal experience of the authors has reinforced the complex nature of driving and changes to driving status for the driver and their support team and the need for further research and support. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Craxton, R. S.; Anderson, K. S.; Boehly, T. R.; Goncharov, V. N.; Harding, D. R.; Knauer, J. P.; McKenty, P. W.; Myatt, J. F.; Short, R. W.; Skupsky, S.; Theobald, W.; Collins, T. J. B.; Delettrez, J. A.; Hu, S. X.; Marozas, J. A.; Maximov, A. V.; Michel, D. T.; Radha, P. B.; Regan, S. P.; Sangster, T. C. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623-1299 (United States); and others

2015-11-15

The direct-drive, laser-based approach to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is reviewed from its inception following the demonstration of the first laser to its implementation on the present generation of high-power lasers. The review focuses on the evolution of scientific understanding gained from target-physics experiments in many areas, identifying problems that were demonstrated and the solutions implemented. The review starts with the basic understanding of laser–plasma interactions that was obtained before the declassification of laser-induced compression in the early 1970s and continues with the compression experiments using infrared lasers in the late 1970s that produced thermonuclear neutrons. The problem of suprathermal electrons and the target preheat that they caused, associated with the infrared laser wavelength, led to lasers being built after 1980 to operate at shorter wavelengths, especially 0.35 μm—the third harmonic of the Nd:glass laser—and 0.248 μm (the KrF gas laser). The main physics areas relevant to direct drive are reviewed. The primary absorption mechanism at short wavelengths is classical inverse bremsstrahlung. Nonuniformities imprinted on the target by laser irradiation have been addressed by the development of a number of beam-smoothing techniques and imprint-mitigation strategies. The effects of hydrodynamic instabilities are mitigated by a combination of imprint reduction and target designs that minimize the instability growth rates. Several coronal plasma physics processes are reviewed. The two-plasmon–decay instability, stimulated Brillouin scattering (together with cross-beam energy transfer), and (possibly) stimulated Raman scattering are identified as potential concerns, placing constraints on the laser intensities used in target designs, while other processes (self-focusing and filamentation, the parametric decay instability, and magnetic fields), once considered important, are now of lesser concern for mainline

Direct-drive inertial confinement fusion: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craxton, R. S.; Anderson, K. S.; Boehly, T. R.; Goncharov, V. N.; Harding, D. R.; Knauer, J. P.; McKenty, P. W.; Myatt, J. F.; Short, R. W.; Skupsky, S.; Theobald, W.; Collins, T. J. B.; Delettrez, J. A.; Hu, S. X.; Marozas, J. A.; Maximov, A. V.; Michel, D. T.; Radha, P. B.; Regan, S. P.; Sangster, T. C.

2015-01-01

The direct-drive, laser-based approach to inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is reviewed from its inception following the demonstration of the first laser to its implementation on the present generation of high-power lasers. The review focuses on the evolution of scientific understanding gained from target-physics experiments in many areas, identifying problems that were demonstrated and the solutions implemented. The review starts with the basic understanding of laser–plasma interactions that was obtained before the declassification of laser-induced compression in the early 1970s and continues with the compression experiments using infrared lasers in the late 1970s that produced thermonuclear neutrons. The problem of suprathermal electrons and the target preheat that they caused, associated with the infrared laser wavelength, led to lasers being built after 1980 to operate at shorter wavelengths, especially 0.35 μm—the third harmonic of the Nd:glass laser—and 0.248 μm (the KrF gas laser). The main physics areas relevant to direct drive are reviewed. The primary absorption mechanism at short wavelengths is classical inverse bremsstrahlung. Nonuniformities imprinted on the target by laser irradiation have been addressed by the development of a number of beam-smoothing techniques and imprint-mitigation strategies. The effects of hydrodynamic instabilities are mitigated by a combination of imprint reduction and target designs that minimize the instability growth rates. Several coronal plasma physics processes are reviewed. The two-plasmon–decay instability, stimulated Brillouin scattering (together with cross-beam energy transfer), and (possibly) stimulated Raman scattering are identified as potential concerns, placing constraints on the laser intensities used in target designs, while other processes (self-focusing and filamentation, the parametric decay instability, and magnetic fields), once considered important, are now of lesser concern for mainline

Efficient Driving of Piezoelectric Transducers Using a Biaxial Driving Technique.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel Pichardo

Full Text Available Efficient driving of piezoelectric materials is desirable when operating transducers for biomedical applications such as high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU or ultrasound imaging. More efficient operation reduces the electric power required to produce the desired bioeffect or contrast. Our preliminary work [Cole et al. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 2014;26(13:135901.] suggested that driving transducers by applying orthogonal electric fields can significantly reduce the coercivity that opposes ferroelectric switching. We present here the experimental validation of this biaxial driving technique using piezoelectric ceramics typically used in HIFU. A set of narrow-band transducers was fabricated with two sets of electrodes placed in an orthogonal configuration (following the propagation and the lateral mode. The geometry of the ceramic was chosen to have a resonance frequency similar for the propagation and the lateral mode. The average (± s.d. resonance frequency of the samples was 465.1 (± 1.5 kHz. Experiments were conducted in which each pair of electrodes was driven independently and measurements of effective acoustic power were obtained using the radiation force method. The efficiency (acoustic/electric power of the biaxial driving method was compared to the results obtained when driving the ceramic using electrodes placed only in the pole direction. Our results indicate that the biaxial method increases efficiency from 50% to 125% relative to the using a single electric field.

H1 antihistamines and driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Popescu, Florin Dan

2008-01-01

Driving performances depend on cognitive, psychomotor and perception functions. The CNS adverse effects of some H1 antihistamines can alter the patient ability to drive. Data from studies using standardized objective cognitive and psychomotor tests (Choice Reaction Time, Critical Flicker Fusion. Digital Symbol Substitution Test), functional brain imaging (Positron Emission Tomography, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), neurophysiological studies (Multiple Sleep Latency Test, auditory and visual evoked potentials), experimental simulated driving (driving simulators) and real driving studies (the Highway Driving Test, with the evaluation of the Standard Deviation Lateral Position, and the Car Following Test, with the measurement of the Brake Reaction Time) must be discussed in order to classify a H1 antihistamine as a true non-sedating one.

Smartphone Based Approach For Monitoring Inefficient And Unsafe Driving Behavior And Recognizing Drink And Drive Conditions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. V. Mane

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Many automobile drivers having knowledge of the driving behaviours and habits that can lead to inefficient and unsafe driving. However it is often the case that these same drivers unknowingly manifest these inefficient and unsafe driving behaviours in their everyday driving activity. The proposed system proposes a practical and economical way to capture measure and alert drives of inefficient and unsafe driving as well as highly efficient system aimed at early detection and alert of dangerous vehicle maneuvers typically related to drunk driving. The upcoming solution consists of a mobile application running on a modern smartphone device paired with a compatible OBDII On-board diagnostics II reader.

Driving Competence in Mild Dementia with Lewy Bodies: In Search of Cognitive Predictors Using Driving Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie Yamin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Driving is a multifactorial behaviour drawing on multiple cognitive, sensory, and physical systems. Dementia is a progressive and degenerative neurological condition that impacts the cognitive processes necessary for safe driving. While a number of studies have examined driving among individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, less is known about the impact of Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB on driving safety. The present study compared simulated driving performance of 15 older drivers with mild DLB with that of 21 neurologically healthy control drivers. DLB drivers showed poorer performance on all indicators of simulated driving including an increased number of collisions in the simulator and poorer composite indicators of overall driving performance. A measure of global cognitive function (i.e., the Mini Mental State Exam was found to be related to the overall driving performance. In addition, measures of attention (i.e., Useful Field of View, UFOV and space processing (Visual Object and Space Perception, VOSP, Test correlated significantly with a rater’s assessment of driving performance.

Starting an aphasia center?

Science.gov (United States)

Elman, Roberta J

2011-08-01

Starting an aphasia center can be an enormous challenge. This article provides initial issues to review and consider when deciding whether starting a new organization is right for you. Determining the need for the program in your community, the best size and possible affiliation for the organization, and available resources, as well as developing a business plan, marketing the program, and building awareness in the community, are some of the factors that are discussed. Specific examples related to starting the Aphasia Center of California are provided. © Thieme Medical Publishers.

Study of CMOS micromachined self-oscillating loop utilizing a phase-locked loop-driving circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hsin-Chih; Tseng, Sheng-Hsiang; Lu, Michael S.-C.; Huang, Po-Chiun

2012-01-01

This work describes the design and characterization of integrated CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) oscillators comprising a capacitively transduced micromechanical resonator and a phase-locked loop (PLL) driving circuit. Three oscillator schemes are studied and compared, including direct feedback, direct feedback containing a PLL and hybrid direct feedback plus a PLL. PLL is known for its capability in automatic tuning and tracking of a reference signal. Inclusion of a PLL is beneficial for sustaining oscillations at resonant frequencies within its capture range. The micromechanical resonator has a measured resonant frequency of 117.3 kHz. The CMOS PLL circuit has a closed-loop bandwidth of 1.8 kHz with a capture range between 111 kHz and 118.4 kHz. The start-up times for oscillation are shortened in the two schemes utilizing a PLL, since it provides an initial driving signal at its free-running frequency. The lock-in time is also reduced by increasing the proportion of PLL drive in the hybrid scheme. The measured noises for the three oscillator schemes are similar with a value of −75 dB below the resonant peak at a 10 Hz offset. (paper)

Drive transmission system between a driving organ and a receiver organ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillot, J.F.

1985-01-01

The present invention applies to the control rods of a water cooled nuclear reactor. The drive transmission system is disposed on the internal kinematic chain, between the control rod which is the receiver organ, and the driving organ. The control rod translation is obtained from a motion of rotation transformed in a motion of translation by means of a screw-nut system. The present invention prevents from control rod ejection in case of depressurization of the vessel containing the control rod drives or in case of reactor upsetting when it is embarked [fr

Driving things

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nevile, Maurice Richard

2015-01-01

I explore how participants organise involvement with objects brought into the car, relative to the demands of driving and social activity. Objects in cars commonly include phones or other technologies, food, body care products, texts, clothing, bags and carry items, toys, and even animals...... 2004, Haddington et al. 2012). I focus here especially on how the practical and interactional work of locating, seeing, placing, handling, hearing, and relinquishing, is ordered and accomplished relative to the emerging and contingent demands of both driving and social participation......, such that involvement with objects is constituted as secondary to driving in a multiactivity setting (e.g. Haddington et al. 2014). We see how events with, for, of, and even by objects can occur as predictable, planned and even designed for (e.g. changing glasses, applying body lotion), or might be unexpected...

Spreading continents kick-started plate tectonics.

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, Patrice F; Coltice, Nicolas; Flament, Nicolas

2014-09-18

Stresses acting on cold, thick and negatively buoyant oceanic lithosphere are thought to be crucial to the initiation of subduction and the operation of plate tectonics, which characterizes the present-day geodynamics of the Earth. Because the Earth's interior was hotter in the Archaean eon, the oceanic crust may have been thicker, thereby making the oceanic lithosphere more buoyant than at present, and whether subduction and plate tectonics occurred during this time is ambiguous, both in the geological record and in geodynamic models. Here we show that because the oceanic crust was thick and buoyant, early continents may have produced intra-lithospheric gravitational stresses large enough to drive their gravitational spreading, to initiate subduction at their margins and to trigger episodes of subduction. Our model predicts the co-occurrence of deep to progressively shallower mafic volcanics and arc magmatism within continents in a self-consistent geodynamic framework, explaining the enigmatic multimodal volcanism and tectonic record of Archaean cratons. Moreover, our model predicts a petrological stratification and tectonic structure of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle, two predictions that are consistent with xenolith and seismic studies, respectively, and consistent with the existence of a mid-lithospheric seismic discontinuity. The slow gravitational collapse of early continents could have kick-started transient episodes of plate tectonics until, as the Earth's interior cooled and oceanic lithosphere became heavier, plate tectonics became self-sustaining.

The impact of therapeutic opioid agonists on driving-related psychomotor skills assessed by a driving simulator or an on-road driving task: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Diana H; Boland, Jason W; Phillips, Jane L; Lam, Lawrence; Currow, David C

2018-04-01

Driving cessation is associated with poor health-related outcomes. People with chronic diseases are often prescribed long-term opioid agonists that have the potential to impair driving. Studies evaluating the impact of opioids on driving-related psychomotor skills report contradictory results likely due to heterogeneous designs, assessment tools and study populations. A better understanding of the effects of regular therapeutic opioid agonists on driving can help to inform the balance between individual's independence and community safety. To identify the literature assessing the impact of regular therapeutic opioid agonists on driving-related psychomotor skills for people with chronic pain or chronic breathlessness. Systematic review reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement; PROSPERO Registration CRD42017055909. Six electronic databases and grey literature were systematically searched up to January, 2017. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) empirical studies reporting data on driving simulation, on-the-road driving tasks or driving outcomes; (2) people with chronic pain or chronic breathlessness; and (3) taking regular therapeutic opioid agonists. Critical appraisal used the National Institutes of Health's quality assessment tools. From 3809 records screened, three studies matched the inclusion criteria. All reported data on people with chronic non-malignant pain. No significant impact of regular therapeutic opioid agonists on people's driving-related psychomotor skills was reported. One study reported more intense pain significantly worsened driving performance. This systematic review does not identify impaired simulated driving performance when people take regular therapeutic opioid agonists for symptom control, although more prospective studies are needed.

Effect of consecutive driving on accident risk: a comparison between passenger and freight train driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Hsin-Li; Ju, Lai-Shun

2008-11-01

This study combined driver-responsible accidents with on-board driving hours to examine the effect of consecutive driving on the accident risk of train operations. The data collected from the Taiwan Railway Administration for the period 1996-2006 was used to compute accident rates for varied accumulated driving hours for passenger and freight trains. The results showed that accident risk grew with increased consecutive driving hours for both passenger and freight trains, and doubled that of the first hour after four consecutive hours of driving. Additional accident risk was found for freight trains during the first hour due to required shunting in the marshalling yards where there are complex track layouts and semi-automatic traffic controls. Also, accident risk for train driving increased more quickly over consecutive driving hours than for automobile driving, and accumulated fatigue caused by high working pressure and monotony of the working environment are considered to be the part of the reason. To prevent human errors accidents, enhancing safety equipment, driver training programs, and establishing a sound auditing system are suggested and discussed.

Self-driving carsickness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diels, C.; Bos, J.E.

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the predicted increase in the occurrence and severity of motion sickness in self-driving cars. Self-driving cars have the potential to lead to significant benefits. From the driver's perspective, the direct benefits of this technology are considered increased comfort and

Self-driving carsickness.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Diels, C.; Bos, J.E.

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the predicted increase in the occurrence and severity of motion sickness in self-driving cars. Self-driving cars have the potential to lead to significant benefits. From the driver's perspective, the direct benefits of this technology are considered increased comfort and

Antihistamines and driving safety.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Hanlon, J F

1988-10-27

The results of two placebo-controlled driving performance studies confirm laboratory data showing that the nonsedating antihistamine terfenadine does not influence the driving performance of users. The amplitude of vehicle weaving calculated for drivers who received this agent did not differ from control values. Neither terfenadine nor loratadine, another nonsedating antihistamine, potentiated the adverse effects of alcohol on driving performance.

Differences between emissions measured in urban driving and certification testing of heavy-duty diesel engines

Science.gov (United States)

Dixit, Poornima; Miller, J. Wayne; Cocker, David R.; Oshinuga, Adewale; Jiang, Yu; Durbin, Thomas D.; Johnson, Kent C.

2017-10-01

Emissions from eight heavy-duty diesel trucks (HDDTs) equipped with three different exhaust aftertreatment systems (ATS) for controlling nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions were quantified on a chassis dynamometer using driving schedules representative of stop-and-go and free-flow driving in metropolitan areas. The three control technologies were: 1) cooled exhaust gas recirculation (CEGR) plus a diesel particulate filter (DPF); 2) CEGR and DPF plus advanced engine controls; and 3) CEGR and DPF plus selective catalytic reduction with ammonia (SCR). Results for all control technologies and driving conditions showed PM emission factors were less than the standard, while selected non-regulated emissions (ammonia, carbonyls, and C4-C12 hydrocarbons) and a greenhouse gas (nitrous oxide) were at measurement detection limits. However, NOx emission factors depended on the control technology, engine calibration, and driving mode. For example, emissions from engines with cooled-exhaust gas recirculation (CEGR) were 239% higher for stop-and-go driving as compared with free-flow. For CEGR plus selective catalytic reduction (SCR), the ratio was 450%. A deeper analysis was carried out with the assumption that emissions measured for a drive cycle on either the chassis or in-use driving would be similar. Applying the same NTE rules to the chassis data showed emissions during stop-and-go driving often exceeded the certification standard and >90% of the driving did not fall within the Not-To-Exceed (NTE) control area suggesting the NTE requirements do not provide sufficient emissions control under in-use conditions. On-road measurement of emissions using the same mobile lab while the vehicle followed a free-flow driving schedule verified the chassis results. These results have implications for scientists who build inventories using certification values instead of real world emission values and for metropolitan populations, who are exposed to elevated emissions. The differences in values

Discharge switch driving by Lorentz force and its characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Kunikazu; Hasegawa, Mitsuo; Ueno, Isao

1999-01-01

Our newly developed 'Rotary-Arc mode Discharge Switch' have featured longer life expectancy and lower inductance-wise by extremely minimizing the insulation deterioration and consumable main electrode through installation of permanent magnet, simplified construction and careful attention on the demagnetization. Resultantly, highly efficient and larger capacitive discharge switch have been available at such economical cost. In addition, by having derived an experimental formula for the driving speed of the arc, the required design parameters of the discharge switch have been determined, and then it has been well noted that any affections of electro-magnetic Lorentz force toward the starting characteristics have been negligible small. All these have made it possible to materialize such discharge switch which will satisfy the required conditions. (author)

Wrong-way driving.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2006-01-01

Wrong-way driving is a phenomenon that mainly happens on motorways. Although the number of wrong-way crashes is relatively limited, their consequences are much more severe than the consequences of other motorway injury crashes. The groups most often causing wrong-way driving accidents are young,

Older Drivers' Reasons for Reducing the Overall Amount of Their Driving and for Avoiding Selected Driving Situations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meng, Annette; Siren, Anu Kristiina

2015-01-01

that the reduction in driving and avoidance of driving situations are separate types of self-regulatory behavior; that self-regulation of driving is an automatic process, in which older drivers are not aware that they are compensating for functional loss; and that it is important to acknowledge gender differences......Structured telephone interviews were conducted with 840 older drivers to explore their reasons for self-regulating their driving. The main reason for reduced driving was having fewer activities to drive to, and for avoidance of driving situations, reasons also included not liking or feeling...

Automobile driving in older adults: factors affecting driving restriction in men and women.

Science.gov (United States)

Marie Dit Asse, Laetitia; Fabrigoule, Colette; Helmer, Catherine; Laumon, Bernard; Lafont, Sylviane

2014-11-01

To identify factors associated with driving restriction in elderly men and women. Prospective cohort study of French drivers from 2003 to 2009. The Three-City Cohort of Bordeaux, a prospective study of 2,104 people aged 65 and older. Five hundred twenty-three drivers with a mean age of 76 (273 male, 250 female). Sociodemographic characteristics, driving habits, health variables, cognitive evaluation and dementia diagnosis. Predementia was defined as no dementia at one follow-up and dementia at the next follow-up. Over the 6-year period, 54% of men and 63% of women stopped driving or reduced the distance they drove. Predementia, Parkinson's disease, older age, and a high number of kilometers previously driven were common restriction factors in both sexes. Prevalent dementia, depressive symptomatology, a decline in one or more instrumental activities of daily living, and poor visual working memory were specific factors in men. In women, low income, fear of falling, slow processing speed, and severe decline in global cognitive performance all affected driving restriction. Older women restricted their driving activity more than older men, regardless of the number of kilometers previously driven, physical health, and cognitive status. Factors affecting driving restriction differed according to sex, and women were more likely to stop driving than men in the period preceding a dementia diagnosis. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.

Identification and characterization of a cluster of transcription start sites located in the E6 ORF of human papillomavirus type 16

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenstierne, Maiken W; Vinther, Jeppe; Hansen, Christina N

2003-01-01

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is the prototype strain among the malignant types of HPV in the western world. The main promoter, P97, located in front of the E6 ORF, has been shown to control expression of the oncogenes E6 and E7. These oncogenes are expressed continuously in HPV-16......-transformed cells. In contrast to malignant HPV types, non-malignant HPV types have separate promoters driving the expression of E6 and E7. Experiments have shown that the translation of E7 is more efficient from monocistronic than bicistronic transcripts encoding both E6 and E7. Here, identification...... of a cluster of transcription start sites located in the E6 ORF of HPV-16 is presented. Transcripts from this region contain the E7 ORF as the first reading frame. The cluster consists of multiple transcription start sites located around nt 441. Additional transcription start sites were identified in a cluster...

Driving with the wandering mind: the effect that mind-wandering has on driving performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Yanko, Matthew R; Spalek, Thomas M

2014-03-01

The principal objective of the present work was to examine the effects of mind state (mind-wandering vs. on-task) on driving performance in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Mind-wandering is thought to interfere with goal-directed thought. It is likely, then, that when driving, mind-wandering might lead to impairments in critical aspects of driving performance. In two experiments, we assess the extent to which mind-wandering interferes with responsiveness to sudden events, mean velocity, and headway distance. Using a car-following procedure in a high-fidelity driving simulator, participants were probed at random times to indicate whether they were on-task at that moment or mind-wandering. The dependent measures were analyzed based on the participant's response to the probe. Compared to when on-task, when mind-wandering participants showed longer response times to sudden events, drove at a higher velocity, and maintained a shorter headway distance. Collectively, these findings indicate that mind-wandering affects a broad range of driving responses and may therefore lead to higher crash risk. The results suggest that situations that are likely associated with mind-wandering (e.g., route familiarity) can impair driving performance.

30 CFR 75.1913 - Starting aids.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Starting aids. 75.1913 Section 75.1913 Mineral... SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Diesel-Powered Equipment § 75.1913 Starting aids. (a) Volatile fuel starting aids shall be used in accordance with recommendations provided by the starting aid...

Press Start

Science.gov (United States)

Harteveld, Casper

This level sets the stage for the design philosophy called “Triadic Game Design” (TGD). This design philosophy can be summarized with the following sentence: it takes two to tango, but it takes three to design a meaningful game or a game with a purpose. Before the philosophy is further explained, this level will first delve into what is meant by a meaningful game or a game with a purpose. Many terms and definitions have seen the light and in this book I will specifically orient at digital games that aim to have an effect beyond the context of the game itself. Subsequently, a historical overview is given of the usage of games with a serious purpose which starts from the moment we human beings started to walk on our feet till our contemporary society. It turns out that we have been using games for all kinds of non-entertainment purposes for already quite a long time. With this introductory material in the back of our minds, I will explain the concept of TGD by means of a puzzle. After that, the protagonist of this book, the game Levee Patroller, is introduced. Based on the development of this game, the idea of TGD, which stresses to balance three different worlds, the worlds of Reality, Meaning, and Play, came into being. Interested? Then I suggest to quickly “press start!”

Harmonic Coupling Analysis of a Multi-Drive System with Slim DC-link Drive

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Feng; Kwon, Jun Bum; Blaabjerg, Frede

2017-01-01

One of the problems with slim dc-link adjustable speed drive is the difficulties to analyze the harmonic coupling when it is integrated into a multi-drive system. The traditional methods analyze this harmonic issue by neglecting the harmonic coupling, and base on the linear time-invariant methods....... Its disadvantages include the time consumption and large computer memory. This paper proposes to do harmonic analysis by using the harmonic state-space modeling method by using the linear time-periodic theory. By using the proposed model, the harmonic couplings, between dc-link and point of common...... coupling in different drives, are all analyzed in the multi-drive system. In the meantime, the effects of the small film dc-link capacitance and the nonlinear characteristic of the diode rectifier are considered. The detailed modeling procedure, the simulations and the lab experiment on a two-drive system...

Method for driving an actuator, actuator drive, and apparatus comprising an actuator

OpenAIRE

2010-01-01

An actuator driver circuit includes a drive signal source and an electrical damping element having a negative resistance connected in series with the drive signal source. A controllable switch is provided for selectively switching the electrical damping element into or put of a signal path from a drive signal source output to a driver circuit output, in order to selectively change the electrical damping of an actuator. For example, the electrical damping of a radial actuator or a focus actuat...

Jump Starting Entrepreneurship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, Ana; Smith, Pernille; Frederiksen, Lars

How do laid-off employees become entrepreneurs after receiving a dream start into self-employment? This question is relevant for policy makers and entrepreneurship researchers alike since it raises the possibility of a reverse entrepreneurial opportunity, in which the chance of becoming an entrep......How do laid-off employees become entrepreneurs after receiving a dream start into self-employment? This question is relevant for policy makers and entrepreneurship researchers alike since it raises the possibility of a reverse entrepreneurial opportunity, in which the chance of becoming...... an entrepreneur emerges before the discovery of a profitable opportunity. We empirically examine this question on the unique setting of a corporate entrepreneurship program. In the midst of a corporate crisis, Nokia supported laid-off employees to start their own ventures under favorable conditions. We...... persevered in their endeavors and eventually became comfortable with their new career prospects. We discuss the psychological factors that impact career transition after organizational closure and theorize weather they encourage or discourage entrepreneurship....

Modeling Driving Behavior at Roundabouts: Impact of Roundabout Layout and Surrounding Traffic on Driving Behavior

OpenAIRE

Zhao, Min; Käthner, David; Söffker, Dirk; Jipp, Meike; Lemmer, Karsten

2017-01-01

Driving behavior prediction at roundabouts is an important challenge to improve driving safety by supporting drivers with intelligent assistance systems. To predict the driving behavior effciently steering wheel status was proven to have robust predictability based on a Support Vector Machine algorithm. Previous research has not considered potential effects of roundabout layout and surrounding traffic on driving behavior, but that consideration can certainly improve the prediction results....

Studies of non-inductive current drive in the CDX-U tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Y.S.

1993-01-01

Two types of novel, non-inductive current drive concepts for starting-up and maintaining tokamak discharges, dc-helicity injection and internally-generated pressure-driven currents, have been developed on the CDX-U tokamak. To study the equilibrium and transport of these plasmas, a full set of magnetic diagnostics was installed. By applying a finite element method and a least squares error fitting technique, internal plasma current distributions are reconstructed from the measurements. Electron density distributions were obtained from 2 mm interferometer measurements by a similar least squares error technique utilizing magnetic flux configurations obtained by the magnetic analysis. Neoclassical pressure-driven currents in ECH plasmas are modeled with the reconstructed magnetic structure, using the electron density distribution and the electron temperature profile measured by a Langmuir probe. In the dc-helicity injection scheme, the need to increase injection current and maintain plasma equilibrium restricts possible arrangements. Several injection configurations were investigated, with the best found to be outside injection with a single divertor configuration, where the cathode is placed at the low field side of the x-point. Both pressure-driven and dc-helicity injected tokamaks show the importance of plasma equilibrium in obtaining high plasma current. Programmed vertical field operation has proven to be very important in achieving high plasma current. These non-inductive current drive techniques show great potential as efficient current drive methods for future steady-state and/or long-pulse fusion reactors

Can We Study Autonomous Driving Comfort in Moving-Base Driving Simulators? A Validation Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellem, Hanna; Klüver, Malte; Schrauf, Michael; Schöner, Hans-Peter; Hecht, Heiko; Krems, Josef F

2017-05-01

To lay the basis of studying autonomous driving comfort using driving simulators, we assessed the behavioral validity of two moving-base simulator configurations by contrasting them with a test-track setting. With increasing level of automation, driving comfort becomes increasingly important. Simulators provide a safe environment to study perceived comfort in autonomous driving. To date, however, no studies were conducted in relation to comfort in autonomous driving to determine the extent to which results from simulator studies can be transferred to on-road driving conditions. Participants ( N = 72) experienced six differently parameterized lane-change and deceleration maneuvers and subsequently rated the comfort of each scenario. One group of participants experienced the maneuvers on a test-track setting, whereas two other groups experienced them in one of two moving-base simulator configurations. We could demonstrate relative and absolute validity for one of the two simulator configurations. Subsequent analyses revealed that the validity of the simulator highly depends on the parameterization of the motion system. Moving-base simulation can be a useful research tool to study driving comfort in autonomous vehicles. However, our results point at a preference for subunity scaling factors for both lateral and longitudinal motion cues, which might be explained by an underestimation of speed in virtual environments. In line with previous studies, we recommend lateral- and longitudinal-motion scaling factors of approximately 50% to 60% in order to obtain valid results for both active and passive driving tasks.

Coupling of analytical and numerical methods for the analysis of line start permanent magnet synchronous motors; Kopplung numerischer und analytischer Verfahren zur Berechnung von permanenterregten Synchronmaschinen fuer Selbstanlauf

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brune, Eva; Stuebig, Cornelia; Tegeler, Sebastian; Wehner, Meike; Ponick, Bernd [Hannover Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Antriebssysteme und Leistungselektronik

2011-07-01

Due to stricter efficiency legislation for electrical machines, it becomes increasingly important to predict a motor's performance with regard to start and operational behaviour correctly. In consequence of the higher efficiency required for electrical machines, permanent magnet synchronous machines become an interesting alternative also for motors with direct on-line starting. This paper describes a method to calculate these motor's behaviour reliably and accurately based on a combined analytical and numerical approach developed at the Institute for Drive Systems and Power Electronics of Leibniz Universitaet Hannover. (orig.)

76 FR 50813 - Major Capital Investment Projects; Guidance on News Starts/Small Starts Policies and Procedures

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-16

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Major Capital Investment Projects; Guidance on News Starts/Small Starts Policies and Procedures AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA... Administration (FTA) to publish policy guidance on the New and Small Starts capital project review and evaluation...

Does assisted driving behavior lead to safety-critical encounters with unequipped vehicles' drivers?

Science.gov (United States)

Preuk, Katharina; Stemmler, Eric; Schießl, Caroline; Jipp, Meike

2016-10-01

With Intelligent Transport Systems (e.g., traffic light assistance systems) assisted drivers are able to show driving behavior in anticipation of upcoming traffic situations. In the years to come, the penetration rate of such systems will be low. Therefore, the majority of vehicles will not be equipped with these systems. Unequipped vehicles' drivers may not expect the driving behavior of assisted drivers. However, drivers' predictions and expectations can play a significant role in their reaction times. Thus, safety issues could arise when unequipped vehicles' drivers encounter driving behavior of assisted drivers. This is why we tested how unequipped vehicles' drivers (N=60) interpreted and reacted to the driving behavior of an assisted driver. We used a multi-driver simulator with three drivers. The three drivers were driving in a line. The lead driver in the line was a confederate who was followed by two unequipped vehicles' drivers. We varied the equipment of the confederate with an Intelligent Transport System: The confederate was equipped either with or without a traffic light assistance system. The traffic light assistance system provided a start-up maneuver before a light turned green. Therefore, the assisted confederate seemed to show unusual deceleration behavior by coming to a halt at an unusual distance from the stop line at the red traffic light. The unusual distance was varied as we tested a moderate (4m distance from the stop line) and an extreme (10m distance from the stop line) parameterization of the system. Our results showed that the extreme parametrization resulted in shorter minimal time-to-collision of the unequipped vehicles' drivers. One rear-end crash was observed. These results provided initial evidence that safety issues can arise when unequipped vehicles' drivers encounter assisted driving behavior. We recommend that future research identifies counteractions to prevent these safety issues. Moreover, we recommend that system developers

Driving styles among young novice drivers--the contribution of parental driving styles and personal characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Gila; Taubman-Ben-Ari, Orit

2010-03-01

As part of the effort to ascertain why young drivers are more at risk for car crashes, attention has recently turned to the effects of family, including the intergenerational transmission of driving styles from parents to offspring. The current study sought to further understanding of the nature and aspects of the family influence with the help of Bowen's family systems theory. In Phase 1 of the prospective study, 130 young driving students completed questionnaires tapping personal and personality measures, and their parents completed driving-related instruments. In Phase 2, a year after the young drivers had obtained their driver's license, they were administered the same questionnaires their parents had previously completed. The results show significant correlations between the parents' driving styles and those of their offspring a year after licensure. Furthermore, differentiation of self and self-efficacy in newly acquired driving skills were found to moderate or heighten the similarity between the driving styles of parents and their offspring. For young drivers reporting anxiety in Phase 1, this was associated with a reported anxious driving style a year later. Among young female drivers, anxiety was also associated with a reckless and careless style. Higher sensation seeking was related to higher reckless driving among young male drivers. The findings are discussed in the context of adolescence and the role of the study variables in the development and intergenerational transmission of driving styles. In addition to its theoretical contribution to the realms of intergenerational transmission in general, and young drivers in particular, the study may have practical implications for both family therapy and the design of driving interventions. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impaired-driving prevalence among US high school students: associations with substance use and risky driving behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kaigang; Simons-Morton, Bruce G; Hingson, Ralph

2013-11-01

We examined the prevalence of impaired driving among US high school students and associations with substance use and risky driving behavior. We assessed driving while alcohol or drug impaired (DWI) and riding with alcohol- or drug-impaired drivers (RWI) in a nationally representative sample of 11th-grade US high school students (n = 2431). We examined associations with drinking and binge drinking, illicit drug use, risky driving, and demographic factors using multivariate sequential logistic regression analysis. Thirteen percent of 11th-grade students reported DWI at least 1 of the past 30 days, and 24% reported RWI at least once in the past year. Risky driving was positively associated with DWI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.25; P phone calls (OR = 3.2) while driving. Our findings suggest the need for comprehensive approaches to the prevention of DWI, RWI, and other risky driving behavior.

45 CFR 1308.21 - Parent participation and transition of children into Head Start and from Head Start to public...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... into Head Start and from Head Start to public school. 1308.21 Section 1308.21 Public Welfare... AND HUMAN SERVICES THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, HEAD START PROGRAM HEAD START... Standards § 1308.21 Parent participation and transition of children into Head Start and from Head Start to...

Effects of chewing gum on driving performance as evaluated by the STISIM driving simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Ingyu; Kim, Eun-Joo; Lee, Joo-Hyun

2015-06-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of chewing gum on driving performance in a driving simulator. [Subjects] In total, 26 young licensed drivers participated. [Methods] The driving scenario was typical of an urban environment: a single-carriageway, two-way road consisting of a mix of curved and straight sections, with considerable levels of traffic, pedestrians, and parked cars. Mean distance driven above the speed limit, lane position, mean distance driven across the center line, and mean distance driven off the road were used as estimates of brake, accelerator, and steering control. The results were compared with those of a non-chewing gum control condition. [Results] The driving performance while chewing gum was significantly better: the mean distance driven above the speed limit was 26.61% shorter, and the mean distance driven off the road was 31.99% shorter. Lane position and mean distance driven across the center line did not differ significantly between the two conditions. [Conclusion] Chewing gum appears to enhance driving performance during a sustained attention driving task.

Exploring Forensic Implications of the Fusion Drive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shruti Gupta

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the forensic implications of Apple's Fusion Drive. The Fusion Drive is an example of auto-tiered storage. It uses a combination of a flash drive and a magnetic drive. Data is moved between the drives automatically to maximize system performance. This is different from traditional caches because data is moved and not simply copied. The research included understanding the drive structure, populating the drive, and then accessing data in a controlled setting to observe data migration strategies. It was observed that all the data is first written to the flash drive with 4 GB of free space always maintained. If data on the magnetic drive is frequently accessed, it is promoted to the flash drive while demoting other information. Data is moved at a block-level and not a file-level. The Fusion Drive didn't alter the timestamps of files with data migration.

Electric Vehicle - Economical driving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, VCE, Steen V.; Schøn, Henriette

1999-01-01

Instruct the reader in getting most satisfaction out of an EV, especially concerning driving and loading.......Instruct the reader in getting most satisfaction out of an EV, especially concerning driving and loading....

CLIC Drive Beam Phase Stabilisation

CERN Document Server

Gerbershagen, Alexander; Schulte, Daniel

The thesis presents phase stability studies for the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) and focuses in particular on CLIC Drive Beam longitudinal phase stabilisation. This topic constitutes one of the main feasibility challenges for CLIC construction and is an essential component of the current CLIC stabilisation campaign. The studies are divided into two large interrelated sections: the simulation studies for the CLIC Drive Beam stability, and measurements, data analysis and simulations of the CLIC Test Facility (CTF3) Drive Beam phase errors. A dedicated software tool has been developed for a step-by-step analysis of the error propagation through the CLIC Drive Beam. It uses realistic RF potential and beam loading amplitude functions for the Drive and Main Beam accelerating structures, complete models of the recombination scheme and compressor chicane as well as of further CLIC Drive Beam modules. The tool has been tested extensively and its functionality has been verified. The phase error propagation at CLIC h...

Two-Phase Induction Motor Drives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gholam Reza Arab Markadeh

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The lack of variable-speed drives for two (single induction motor is a reality. This article attempts mainly to investigate the reasons for this lack of variable – speed drives. This paper deals with literature survey of various existing converter topologies, which have been proposed for adjustable speed single phase induction motor drives. Various converter topologies have been compared in this paper. Among these converter topologies, the adjustable frequency PWM inverter is the best choice for single-phase induction motor drives. However, adjustable-frequency drives have not been widely used with single-phase Induction motors. The open-loop constant V/F control law cannot be used with the single-phase induction motor drives as it is used with three phase motors. The variation of the operating frequency at lower speed range with constant load torque causes variation in motor's slip. A constant V/F control is suitable only over the upper speed range.

Influence of unexpected events on driving behaviour at different hierarchical levels: a driving simulator experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaap, T.W.; Horst, A.R.A. van der; Arem, B. van

2008-01-01

Computer based simulation models of human driving behaviour can be used effectively to model driving and behavioural adaptation to Intelligent Transport System (ITS). This can be a useful step in human centered design of ITS. To construct a comprehensive model of driving behaviour, the interaction

Influence of unexpected events on driving behaviour at different hierarchical levels: A driving simulator experiment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaap, Nina; van der Horst, A.R.A.; van Arem, Bart; Brusque, Corinne

2008-01-01

Computer based simulation models of human driving behaviour can be used effectively to model driving behaviour and behavioural adaptation to Intelligent Transport System (ITS). This can be a useful step in human centered design of ITS. To construct a comprehensive model of driving behaviour, the

[Driving and health at work].

Science.gov (United States)

Giorgio, Marie-Thérèse

2015-09-01

The role of the occupational physician is to prevent occupational accidents and diseases. Therefore, he is the one to decide if a worker is fit to drive in the context of his professional activity, including in cases where no specific driving license is required (e.g. forklift truck, mobile crane). This decision is an important one, as two thirds of fatal occupational accidents occur on the road. The decision is made on the basis of both a medical examination and the regulation, which indicates all contraindications to driving. The physician's responsibility is involved, as is the employer's, as he must ensure that his employee is fit to drive and possesses a valid driving license at all times. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Start-up and ramp-up of the PLT tokamak by lower hybrid waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jobes, F.C.; Bernabei, S.; Chu, T.K.

1985-08-01

Lower hybrid waves have been used on the PLT tokamak both to start the plasma current and to ramp it up from pre-existing levels. The waves, at 800 MHz, were launched from a 6-waveguide grill. The phasing between adjacent guides could be selected electronically, and thus the launched spectrum could be set and changed at will. For start-up, the waveguide phase difference was initially set at 0 0 in order to create a plasma, then switched to 90 0 to drive the current. Over 100 kA of plasma current, at a density of 0.5 to 1 x 10 12 cm -3 , was generated in this manner. Ramp-up experiments were performed under a wide variety of conditions. The most efficient ramp-up was found at the lowest plasma densities and with the fastest launched spectrum (n/sub e/ approx. 2 x 10 12 cm -3 , N/sub parallel/ approx. 1.6 peak); approx.20% of the launched RF power was converted to (increased) poloidal field energy. All of the ramp-up results are in excellent agreement with a theory which determines the efficiency of ramp-up from the consideration of the relative energy losses of the superthermal current-carrying electrons to collisions and to the opposing inductive E-field

Pre-start timing information is used to set final linear speed in a C-start manoeuvre.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinel, Caroline; Schuster, Stefan

2014-08-15

In their unique hunting behaviour, archerfish use a complex motor decision to secure their prey: based solely on how dislodged prey initially falls, they select an adapted C-start manoeuvre that turns the fish right towards the point on the water surface where their prey will later land. Furthermore, they take off at a speed that is set so as to arrive in time. We show here that the C-start manoeuvre and not subsequent tail beating is necessary and sufficient for setting this adaptive level of speed. Furthermore, the C-start pattern is adjusted to independently determine both the turning angle and the take-off speed. The selection of both aspects requires no a priori information and is done based on information sampled from the onset of target motion until the C-start is launched. Fin strokes can occur right after the C-start manoeuvre but are not required to fine-tune take-off speed, but rather to maintain it. By probing the way in which the fish set their take-off speed in a wide range of conditions in which distance from the later catching point and time until impact varied widely and unpredictably, we found that the C-start manoeuvre is programmed based on pre-C-start estimates of distance and time until impact. Our study hence provides the first evidence for a C-start that is fine-tuned to produce an adaptive speed level. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Naturalistic driving observations of manual and visual-manual interactions with navigation systems and mobile phones while driving.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Christoph, M. Nes, N. van & Knapper, A.

2014-01-01

This paper discusses a naturalistic driving study on the use of mobile phones and navigation systems while driving. Manual interactions with these devices while driving can cause distraction from the driving task and reduce traffic safety. In this study 21 subjects were observed for 5 weeks. Their

Piezoelectric drive circuit

Science.gov (United States)

Treu, C.A. Jr.

1999-08-31

A piezoelectric motor drive circuit is provided which utilizes the piezoelectric elements as oscillators and a Meacham half-bridge approach to develop feedback from the motor ground circuit to produce a signal to drive amplifiers to power the motor. The circuit automatically compensates for shifts in harmonic frequency of the piezoelectric elements due to pressure and temperature changes. 7 figs.

Assessment of risks for elevated NOx emissions of diesel vehicles outside the boundaries of RDE. Identifying relevant driving and vehicle conditions and possible abatement measures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mensch, P. van; Cuelenaere, R.F.A.; Ligterink, N.E.

2017-01-01

With RDE (Real Driving Emissions) legislation a new chapter in emission testing has started for light-duty vehicles. RDE legislation poses new and more complex engineering targets for manufacturers. The expectation is that RDE will bring major improvements in the emission performance of LD vehicles

Commercial Truck Driver Health and Safety: Exploring Distracted Driving Performance and Self-Reported Driving Skill.

Science.gov (United States)

Stavrinos, Despina; Heaton, Karen; Welburn, Sharon C; McManus, Benjamin; Griffin, Russell; Fine, Philip R

2016-08-01

Reducing distracters detrimental to commercial truck driving is a critical component of improving the safety performance of commercial drivers, and makes the highways safer for all drivers. This study used a driving simulator to examine effects of cell phone, texting, and email distractions as well as self-reported driver optimism bias on the driving performance of commercial truck drivers. Results revealed that more visually demanding tasks were related to poorer driving performance. However, the cell phone task resulted in less off-the-road eye glances. Drivers reporting being "very skilled" displayed poorer driving performance than those reporting being "skilled." Onboard communication devices provide a practical, yet visually and manually demanding, solution for connecting drivers and dispatchers. Trucking company policies should minimize interaction between dispatchers and drivers when the truck is in motion. Training facilities should integrate driving simulators into the instruction of commercial drivers, targeting over-confident drivers. © 2016 The Author(s).

Introducing a multivariate model for predicting driving performance: the role of driving anger and personal characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Roidl, Ernst; Siebert, Felix Wilhelm; Oehl, Michael; Höger, Rainer

2013-12-01

Maladaptive driving is an important source of self-inflicted accidents and this driving style could include high speeds, speeding violations, and poor lateral control of the vehicle. The literature suggests that certain groups of drivers, such as novice drivers, males, highly motivated drivers, and those who frequently experience anger in traffic, tend to exhibit more maladaptive driving patterns compared to other drivers. Remarkably, no coherent framework is currently available to describe the relationships and distinct influences of these factors. We conducted two studies with the aim of creating a multivariate model that combines the aforementioned factors, describes their relationships, and predicts driving performance more precisely. The studies employed different techniques to elicit emotion and different tracks designed to explore the driving behaviors of participants in potentially anger-provoking situations. Study 1 induced emotions with short film clips. Study 2 confronted the participants with potentially anger-inducing traffic situations during the simulated drive. In both studies, participants who experienced high levels of anger drove faster and exhibited greater longitudinal and lateral acceleration. Furthermore, multiple linear regressions and path-models revealed that highly motivated male drivers displayed the same behavior independent of their emotional state. The results indicate that anger and specific risk characteristics lead to maladaptive changes in important driving parameters and that drivers with these specific risk factors are prone to experience more anger while driving, which further worsens their driving performance. Driver trainings and anger management courses will profit from these findings because they help to improve the validity of assessments of anger related driving behavior. © 2013.

Preschool Facilities - MDC_HeadStart

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC Local Govt | GIS Inventory — A label (point) feature class of Head Start / Early Head Start/ Delegate Agencies/ Child Care Partnership & Family Day Care Homes Programs location in Miami-Dade...

Fast wave current drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goree, J.; Ono, M.; Colestock, P.; Horton, R.; McNeill, D.; Park, H.

1985-07-01

Fast wave current drive is demonstrated in the Princeton ACT-I toroidal device. The fast Alfven wave, in the range of high ion-cyclotron harmonics, produced 40 A of current from 1 kW of rf power coupled into the plasma by fast wave loop antenna. This wave excites a steady current by damping on the energetic tail of the electron distribution function in the same way as lower-hybrid current drive, except that fast wave current drive is appropriate for higher plasma densities

Drinking and Driving – What You Need to Know PSA (:60)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2011-10-04

This 60 second PSA is based on the October, 2011 CDC Vital Signs report. Drinking and driving is still a serious problem. Crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers kill nearly 11,000 people each year. If you’re drinking, designate a non-drinking driver before you start, call a cab, or get a ride home. Also, always wear your seat belt. Seat belts reduce the risk of serious injuries and death in a crash by 50 percent.  Created: 10/4/2011 by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   Date Released: 10/4/2011.

Model of Coupled Drives Apparatus – Static and Dynamic Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chalupa Petr

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents an initial part of a modelling the Coupled Drives Apparatus CE108 developed by TecQuipment Ltd. The final model should be used in the process of control design for the apparatus. The model derived by the developers of the apparatus using first-principle modelling is used as a starting point for comparison of its properties with measured characteristics. The static and dynamic characteristics of the real-time apparatus are presented and discussed. Special attention is paid to principal differences between the model and the real-time apparatus. Real-time measurements are obtained using MATLAB / Simulink environment in connection with a Real-time Toolbox. Evaluation of the experiments is also performed in the MATLAB environment

Device for starting a steam generator by heating sodium in a reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakano, Hisao.

1975-01-01

Object: To enhance cooperation between ventilation and steam conditions of turbine and ventilation condition relative to a superheater at the time of starting a plant using a fast breeder, and to enhance safety with respect to failure of heat transmission tubes at the time of start. Structure: In a device in which steam generated in an evaporator is fed to a high pressure turbine through a super-heater and an outlet steam of high pressure turbine is reheated by means of a re-heater and fed into a turbine on the side of low pressure to drive the turbine for power generation, opening and closing valves are mounted on outlet and inlet pipes, respectively, of the heat transmission pipe in the super heater, said outlet and inlet pipes being connected by a bypass pipe. Upstream side of the opening and closing valve on the inlet pipe and the downstream side of the opening and closing valve on the outlet pipe and connected by a bypass pipe in the re-heater and said bypass pipe in the re-heater is provided with a steam heat exchanger to be heated by steam in the outlet of the superheater, and a steam line in an auxiliary boiler is connected to the side of re-heater from the opening and closing valve on the heat transmission pipe in the re-heater. (Hanada, M.)

Relationship of impaired-driving enforcement intensity to drinking and driving on the roads.

Science.gov (United States)

Fell, James C; Waehrer, Geetha; Voas, Robert B; Auld-Owens, Amy; Carr, Katherine; Pell, Karen

2015-01-01

It is principally the area of enforcement that offers the greatest opportunity for reducing alcohol-impaired driving in the near future. How much of a reduction in drinking and driving would be achieved by how much improvement in enforcement intensity? We developed logistic regression models to explore how enforcement intensity (6 different measures) related to the prevalence of weekend nighttime drivers in the 2007 National Roadside Survey who had been drinking (blood alcohol concentration [BAC] ≥ 0.00 g/dl), who had BACs ≥ 0.05 g/dl, and who were driving with an illegal BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dl. Drivers on the roads in our sample of 30 communities who were exposed to fewer than 228 traffic stops per 10,000 population aged 18 and older had 2.4 times the odds of being BAC positive, 3.6 times the odds of driving with a BAC ≥ 0.05, and 3.8 times the odds of driving with a BAC ≥ 0.08 compared to those drivers on the roads in communities with more than 1,275 traffic stops per 10,000 population. Drivers on the roads in communities with fewer than 3.7 driving under the influence (DUI) arrests per 10,000 population had 2.7 times the odds of BAC-positive drivers on the roads compared to communities with the highest intensity of DUI arrest activity (>38 DUI arrests per 10,000 population). The number of traffic stops and DUI arrests per capita were significantly associated with the odds of drinking and driving on the roads in these communities. This might reflect traffic enforcement visibility. The findings in this study may help law enforcement agencies around the country adjust their traffic enforcement intensity to reduce impaired driving in their community. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Method for driving an actuator, actuator drive, and apparatus comprising an actuator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2010-01-01

An actuator driver circuit includes a drive signal source and an electrical damping element having a negative resistance connected in series with the drive signal source. A controllable switch is provided for selectively switching the electrical damping element into or put of a signal path from a

Comparing a driving simulator to the real road regarding distracted driving speed

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knapper, Allert; Christoph, Michiel; Hagenzieker, Marjan; Brookhuis, Karel

2015-01-01

Relative and absolute validity of a driving simulator were assessed regarding effects on mean speed and speed variation during distracting secondary tasks, and normal driving. 16 participants drove the same route four times, twice in a simulator and twice in the real world. They performed way

Comparing a driving simulator to the real road regarding distracted driving speed.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knapper, A. Christoph, M. Hagenzieker, M. & Brookhuis, K.

2015-01-01

Relative and absolute validity of a driving simulator were assessed regarding effects on mean speed and speed variation during distracting secondary tasks, and normal driving. 16 participants drove the same route four times, twice in a simulator and twice in the real world. They performed way

Multi-Motor Drives for Crane Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MITROVIC, N.

2009-10-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the application of adjustable speed induction motor drives for gantry cranes. Modern solution considers application of frequency converters for all drives. Multi-motor drives are standard solutions in crane application and requirements of load sharing are present. Presented algorithm provides load sharing proportional to the rated motor power on the simple and practically applicable method on the basis of estimated torques by frequency converters, and controller realized in PLC. Special attention is devoted to wide span gantry drive and algorithm for skew elimination. Solutions for load distribution in multi-motor drive, as well as mode of gantry drive skew elimination, are described. Suggested solution concept is confirmed by the experimental results.

Driving Force Filtering and Driving Mechanism Analysis of Urban Agricultural Development in Weifang County, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUI Fei-fei

2016-03-01

Full Text Available As an agricultural nation, the agricultural landscape is the basic appearance and existence in China, but the common existence often be neglected and contempted. As a new type of design and ideology, the development of urban agricultural landscape will greatly affect the texture and structure of the urban space. According to the urban agricultural production data and the socio-economic data of Weifang County, a set of evaluation index system that could analyze quantitatively the driving force of urban agricultural production changes and the internal drive mechanism was built. The original driving force indicators of economy, society, resources and environment from the time-series were chosen, and then 15 driving forces from the original driving forces by correlation analysis and principal component analysis were selected. The degree of influence was analyzed and the driving forces model by means of partial least squares(PLS was built. The results demonstrated that the factors greatly influenced the increase of urban agricultural output value in Weifang County were per capita net income of rural residents, agricultural machinery total power, effective irrigation area, centralized treatment rate of urban sewage, with the driving exponents 0.2509, 0.1019, 0.1655, 0.1332, respectively. The negative influence factor was the use amount of agricultural plastic film and the driving exponent was-0.2146. The research provides a reference for the development of urban agriculture, as well as a reference for the related study.

ECO-DRIVING MODELING ENVIRONMENT

Science.gov (United States)

2015-11-01

This research project aims to examine the eco-driving modeling capabilities of different traffic modeling tools available and to develop a driver-simulator-based eco-driving modeling tool to evaluate driver behavior and to reliably estimate or measur...

Driving and Age-Related Macular Degeneration

OpenAIRE

Owsley, Cynthia; McGwin, Gerald

2008-01-01

This article reviews the research literature on driving and age-related macular degeneration, which is motivated by the link between driving and the quality of life of older adults and their increased collision rate. It addresses the risk of crashes, driving performance, driving difficulty, self-regulation, and interventions to enhance, safety, and considers directions for future research.

Risky driving and lifestyles in adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Bina, Manuela; Graziano, Federica; Bonino, Silvia

2006-05-01

Several studies have shown that risky driving is especially prevalent among young drivers and recent research has pointed out that driving in adolescence should be investigated in the more general context of adolescent development. The first aim of this contribution was to analyze involvement in risky driving in a normative sample of 645 Italian adolescents, boys and girls, aged 14-17, through a self-report questionnaire. A second aim was to evaluate the association between risky driving and lifestyle, defined as involvement in other health risk behaviors and leisure activities. The main results showed that many adolescents drove cars and motorcycles without the required driving license and the most frequent offences were speeding and failure to maintain a safe braking distance. Gender and age differences were also investigated. Results concerning the association between risky driving and lifestyle showed that risky driving was not an isolated behavior. Boys who displayed risky driving practices were more likely to adopt a lifestyle characterized by high involvement in antisocial behaviors, tobacco smoking, comfort eating and time spent in non-organized activities with friends. Girls involved in risky driving were more likely to be involved in other risk-taking behaviors, antisocial behaviors and drug use.

Getting started with Unity

CERN Document Server

Felicia, Patrick

2013-01-01

Getting Started with Unity is written in an easy-to-follow tutorial format.""Getting Started with Unity"" is for[ 3D game developers[/color] who would like to learn how to use Unity3D and become familiar with its core features. This book is also suitable for intermediate users who would like to improve their skills. No prior knowledge of Unity3D is required.

Driving, brain injury and assistive technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Amy K; Benoit, Dana

2011-01-01

Individuals with brain injury often present with cognitive, physical and emotional impairments which impact their ability to resume independence in activities of daily living. Of those activities, the resumption of driving privileges is cited as one of the greatest concerns by survivors of brain injury. The integration of driving fundamentals within the hierarchical model proposed by Keskinen represents the complexity of skills and behaviors necessary for driving. This paper provides a brief review of specific considerations concerning the driver with TBI and highlights current vehicle technology which has been developed by the automotive industry and by manufacturers of adaptive driving equipment that may facilitate the driving task. Adaptive equipment technology allows for compensation of a variety of operational deficits, whereas technological advances within the automotive industry provide drivers with improved safety and information systems. However, research has not yet supported the use of such intelligent transportation systems or advanced driving systems for drivers with brain injury. Although technologies are intended to improve the safety of drivers within the general population, the potential of negative consequences for drivers with brain injury must be considered. Ultimately, a comprehensive driving evaluation and training by a driving rehabilitation specialist is recommended for individuals with brain injury. An understanding of the potential impact of TBI on driving-related skills and knowledge of current adaptive equipment and technology is imperative to determine whether return-to-driving is a realistic and achievable goal for the individual with TBI.

Decoupling control of steering and driving system for in-wheel-motor-drive electric vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Han; Zhao, Wanzhong

2018-02-01

To improve the maneuverability and stability of in-wheel-motor-drive electric vehicle, a control strategy based on nonlinear decoupling control method is proposed in this paper, realizing the coordinated control of the steering and driving system. At first, the nonlinear models of the in-wheel-motor-drive electric vehicle and its sub-system are constructed. Then the inverse system decoupling theory is applied to decompose the nonlinear system into several independent subsystems, which makes it possible to realize the coordinated control of each subsystem. Next, the μ-Synthesis theory is applied to eliminate the influence of model uncertainty, improving the stability, robustness and tracking performance of in-wheel-motor-drive electric vehicle. Simulation and experiment results and numerical analyses, based on the electric vehicle actuated by in-wheel-motors, prove that the proposed control method is effective to accomplish the decoupling control of the steering and driving system in both simulation and real practice.

Visually impaired drivers who use bioptic telescopes: self-assessed driving skills and agreement with on-road driving evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Owsley, Cynthia; McGwin, Gerald; Elgin, Jennifer; Wood, Joanne M

2014-01-15

To compare self-assessed driving habits and skills of licensed drivers with central visual loss who use bioptic telescopes to those of age-matched normally sighted drivers, and to examine the association between bioptic drivers' impressions of the quality of their driving and ratings by a "backseat" evaluator. Participants were licensed bioptic drivers (n = 23) and age-matched normally sighted drivers (n = 23). A questionnaire was administered addressing driving difficulty, space, quality, exposure, and, for bioptic drivers, whether the telescope was helpful in on-road situations. Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were assessed. Information on ocular diagnosis, telescope characteristics, and bioptic driving experience was collected from the medical record or in interview. On-road driving performance in regular traffic conditions was rated independently by two evaluators. Like normally sighted drivers, bioptic drivers reported no or little difficulty in many driving situations (e.g., left turns, rush hour), but reported more difficulty under poor visibility conditions and in unfamiliar areas (P Driving exposure was reduced in bioptic drivers (driving 250 miles per week on average vs. 410 miles per week for normally sighted drivers, P = 0.02), but driving space was similar to that of normally sighted drivers (P = 0.29). All but one bioptic driver used the telescope in at least one driving task, and 56% used the telescope in three or more tasks. Bioptic drivers' judgments about the quality of their driving were very similar to backseat evaluators' ratings. Bioptic drivers show insight into the overall quality of their driving and areas in which they experience driving difficulty. They report using the bioptic telescope while driving, contrary to previous claims that it is primarily used to pass the vision screening test at licensure.

Neuropsychological assessment of driving ability and self-evaluation: a comparison between driving offenders and a control group.

Science.gov (United States)

Zingg, Christina; Puelschen, Dietrich; Soyka, Michael

2009-12-01

The relationship between performance in neuropsychological tests and actual driving performance is unclear and results of studies on this topic differ. This makes it difficult to use neuropsychological tests to assess driving ability. The ability to compensate cognitive deficits plays a crucial role in this context. We compared neuropsychological test results and self-evaluation ratings between three groups: driving offenders with a psychiatric diagnosis relevant for driving ability (mainly alcohol dependence), driving offenders without such a diagnosis and a control group of non-offending drivers. Subjects were divided into two age categories (19-39 and 40-66 years). It was assumed that drivers with a psychiatric diagnosis relevant for driving ability and younger driving offenders without a psychiatric diagnosis would be less able to adequately assess their own capabilities than the control group. The driving offenders with a psychiatric diagnosis showed poorer concentration, reactivity, cognitive flexibility and problem solving, and tended to overassess their abilities in intelligence and attentional functions, compared to the other two groups. Conversely, younger drivers rather underassessed their performance.

Stakeholders' opinions on a future in-vehicle alcohol detection system for prevention of drunk driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Anund, Anna; Antonson, Hans; Ihlström, Jonas

2015-01-01

There is a common understanding that driving under the influence of alcohol is associated with higher risk of being involved in crashes with injuries and possible fatalities as the outcome. Various countermeasures have therefore from time to time been taken by the authorities to prevent drunk driving. One of them has been the alcohol interlock. Up to now, interlocks have mainly been used by previously convicted drunk drivers and in the commercial road transport sector, but not in private cars. New technology has today reached a level where broader implementation might be possible. To our knowledge, however, little is known about different stakeholders' opinions of a broader implementation of such systems. In order to increase that knowledge, we conducted a focus group study to collect in-depth thoughts from different stakeholders on this topic. Eight focus groups representing a broad societal span were recruited and conducted for the purpose. The results show that most stakeholders thought that an integrated system for alcohol detection in vehicles might be beneficial in lowering the number of drunk driving crashes. They said that the system would probably mainly prevent driving by people who unintentionally and unknowingly drive under the influence of alcohol. The groups did, however, not regard the system as a final solution to the drunk driving problem, and believed that certain groups, such as criminals and alcoholics, would most likely find a way around the system. Concerns were raised about the risk of increased sleepy driving and driving just under the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit. The results also indicate that stakeholders preferred a system that provides information on the BAC up to the legal limit, but not for levels above the limit; for those, the system should simply prevent the car from starting. Acceptance of the system depended on the reliability of the system, on its ability to perform fast sampling, and on the analytical process

Optimization and performance characteristics of servo-piston hydraulic control rod drive mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Mingrui; Han Weishi; Wang Ge

2014-01-01

This paper introduces the structure and working principles of the servo-piston hydraulic control rod drive mechanism (SHCM), which can be moved continuously and has self-lock capacity. The steady state characteristics of SHCM are simulated using FLUENT codes. Based on comparison with the experimental results, the simulation is proven to be credible as a tool to describe the steady state characteristics. Finally, the influence of structural parameters is analyzed to obtain an optimal design. The experimental results indicate that the traction of the servo-tube is larger in the starting and braking stages. The resistance coefficient of SHCM increases gradually in the starting and lifting stage, and then tends to be stable. This coefficient has a maximum value while the inlet pressure is low. Performance norms of SHCM, such as the anti-disturbance ability and positioning accuracy, are tested, the anti-disturbance ability of the actuator is strong while the inlet pressure is fluctuating. The positioning accuracy is high regardless of the action process (lifting or not). (author)

In Patients with Cirrhosis, Driving Simulator Performance is Associated With Real-life Driving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauridsen, Mette Enok Munk; Thacker, Leroy R; White, Melanie B

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has been linked to higher real-life rates of automobile crashes and poor performance in driving simulation studies, but the link between driving simulator performance and real-life automobile crashes has not been clearly established. Further......, not all patients with MHE are unsafe drivers, but it is unclear how to distinguish them from unsafe drivers. We investigated the link between performance on driving simulators and real-life automobile accidents and traffic violations. We also aimed to identify features of unsafe drivers with cirrhosis...... and evaluated changes in simulated driving skills and MHE status after 1 year. METHODS: We performed a study of outpatients with cirrhosis (n=205; median 55 years old; median model for end-stage liver disease score, 9.5; none with overt hepatic encephalopathy or alcohol or illicit drug use within previous 6...

Testing device for control rod drives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayakawa, Toshifumi.

1992-01-01

A testing device for control rod drives comprises a logic measuring means for measuring an output signal from a control rod drive logic generation circuit, a control means for judging the operation state of a control rod and a man machine interface means for outputting the result of the judgement. A driving instruction outputted from the control rod operation device is always monitored by the control means, and if the operation instruction is stopped, a testing signal is outputted to the control rod control device to simulate a control rod operation. In this case, the output signal of the control rod drive logic generation circuit is held in a control rod drive memory means and intaken into a logic analysis means for measurement and an abnormality is judged by the control means. The stopping of the control rod drive instruction is monitored and the operation abnormality of the control rod is judged, to mitigate the burden of an operator. Further, the operation of the control rod drive logic generation circuit can be confirmed even during a nuclear plant operation by holding the control rod drive instruction thereby enabling to improve maintenance efficiency. (N.H.)

Diplopia and driving: a problematic issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Righi, Stefano; Boffano, Paolo; Guglielmi, Valeria; Rossi, Paolo; Martorina, Massimo

2014-10-01

The aim of this article was to review the literature regarding diplopia and driving license and to review the West European legislations about this topic, in order to obtain appropriate indications for hospitals specialists and patients. A systematic review of articles published about diplopia and driving was performed. In addition a review of West European national legislations about driving license regulations for medical illnesses was performed, in addition to the European Union Directive on driving licenses. In the literature, the presence of diplopia has not been considered a reliable predictor of the safety of driving behavior, or it has not appeared to be a contraindication for driving according to some authors who were unable to demonstrate significant differences on driving simulator performance between subjects with chronic stable diplopia and control subjects. Nevertheless, in all western European legislations, acute diplopia constitutes an important limitation for driving, thus making the knowledge of current regulations fundamental for specialists involved in managing patients with diplopia. Ophthalmologists and maxillofacial/head and neck surgeons, may advise patients before hospital discharge about current legislations in their respective countries. Copyright © 2014 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risky driving behaviors in Tehran, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Shams, Mohsen; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa

2009-03-01

Iran has one of the highest fatality rates due to road traffic crashes (RTC) in the world. The disability adjusted life years (DALYs) for RTC in Iran is more than 1,300,000 years, which is more than that for any other disease such as cardiovascular or cancer. We evaluated risky driving behaviors in Tehran, the capital of Iran. A retrospective analysis was conducted based on the data obtained from the Tehran Police Safety Driving Department. Offenses and crashes were studied in different municipal districts in Tehran from March 2006 to March 2007. The inclusion criteria were risky driving behaviors fined by the police. Nonbehavioral offences were excluded. There were 3,821,798 offenses in Tehran. Not wearing a seat belt was the most common (59%) example of risky driving behavior, followed by tailgating, not wearing motorcycle helmets, talking on the cell phone while driving, overtaking from the wrong side, speeding, not driving between the lanes, weaving in and out of traffic, left deviation, and changing lanes without signals. The most common causes of RTC in Tehran are speeding, overtaking from the wrong side, and the rapid changing of driving lanes. The study factors effective in preventing risky driving behaviors in Tehran is recommended. The consideration of specific characteristics of the municipal districts is necessary to reduce risky driving behaviors.

Driving patterns in older adults with glaucoma.

Science.gov (United States)

van Landingham, Suzanne W; Hochberg, Chad; Massof, Robert W; Chan, Emilie; Friedman, David S; Ramulu, Pradeep Y

2013-02-21

The ability to drive is important for ensuring quality of life for many older adults. Glaucoma is prevalent in this age group and may affect driving. The purpose of this study is to determine if glaucoma and glaucomatous visual field (VF) loss are associated with driving cessation, limitations, and deference to another driver in older adults. Cross-sectional study. Eighty-one glaucoma subjects and 58 glaucoma suspect controls between age 60 and 80 reported if they had ceased driving, limited their driving in various ways, or preferred another to drive. Twenty-three percent of glaucoma subjects and 6.9% of suspects had ceased driving (p = 0.01). Glaucoma subjects also had more driving limitations than suspects (2.0 vs. 1.1, p = 0.007). In multivariable models, driving cessation was more likely for glaucoma subjects as compared to suspects (OR = 4.0; 95% CI = 1.1-14.7; p = 0.03). The odds of driving cessation doubled with each 5 decibel (dB) decrement in the better-eye VF mean deviation (MD) (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.4-2.9; p driving limitations (OR = 4.7; 95% CI = 1.3-16.8; p = 0.02). The likelihood of reporting more limitations increased with the VF loss severity (OR = 1.6 per 5 dB decrement in the better-eye VF MD; 95% CI = 1.1-2.4; p = 0.02). Neither glaucoma nor VF MD was associated with other driver preference (p > 0.1 for both). Glaucoma and glaucomatous VF loss are associated with greater likelihood of driving cessation and greater limitation of driving in the elderly. Further prospective study is merited to assess when and why people with glaucoma change their driving habits, and to determine if their observed self-regulation of driving is adequate to ensure safety.

Starting out

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ans Merens; Freek Bucx

2018-01-01

Original title: Werken aan de start Women in the Netherlands have been outperforming men in education for many years now. However, this superior educational achievement does not translate into a better position on the labour market. More women work today than in the past, but still fewer than men.

Perceptual and Cognitive Impairments and Driving

Science.gov (United States)

Korner-Bitensky, Nicol; Coopersmith, Henry; Mayo, Nancy; Leblanc, Ginette; Kaizer, Franceen

1990-01-01

Perceptual and cognitive disorders that frequently accompany stroke and head injury influence an individual's ability to drive a motor vehicle. Canadian physicians are legally responsible for identifying patients who are potentially unsafe to drive and, if they fail to do so, may be held liable in a civil action suit. The authors review the guidelines for physicians evaluating a patient's fitness to drive after brain injury. They also examine the actions a physician should take when a patient with perceptual and cognitive problems wants to drive. Ultimately, by taking these actions, physicians will help to prevent driving accidents. PMID:21234047

Analysis of Vehicle Steering and Driving Bifurcation Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianbin Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The typical method of vehicle steering bifurcation analysis is based on the nonlinear autonomous vehicle model deriving from the classic two degrees of freedom (2DOF linear vehicle model. This method usually neglects the driving effect on steering bifurcation characteristics. However, in the steering and driving combined conditions, the tyre under different driving conditions can provide different lateral force. The steering bifurcation mechanism without the driving effect is not able to fully reveal the vehicle steering and driving bifurcation characteristics. Aiming at the aforementioned problem, this paper analyzed the vehicle steering and driving bifurcation characteristics with the consideration of driving effect. Based on the 5DOF vehicle system dynamics model with the consideration of driving effect, the 7DOF autonomous system model was established. The vehicle steering and driving bifurcation dynamic characteristics were analyzed with different driving mode and driving torque. Taking the front-wheel-drive system as an example, the dynamic evolution process of steering and driving bifurcation was analyzed by phase space, system state variables, power spectral density, and Lyapunov index. The numerical recognition results of chaos were also provided. The research results show that the driving mode and driving torque have the obvious effect on steering and driving bifurcation characteristics.

Low backlash direct drive actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Kuklo, Thomas C.

1994-01-01

A low backlash direct drive actuator is described which comprises a motor such as a stepper motor having at least 200 steps per revolution; a two part hub assembly comprising a drive hub coaxially attached to the shaft of the motor and having a plurality of drive pins; a driven hub having a plurality of bores in one end thereof in alignment with the drive pins in the drive hub and a threaded shaft coaxially mounted in an opposite end of the driven hub; and a housing having a central bore therein into which are fitted the drive hub and driven hub, the housing having a motor mount on one end thereof to which is mounted the stepper motor, and a closed end portion with a threaded opening therein coaxial with the central bore in the housing and receiving therein the threaded shaft attached to the driven hub. Limit switches mounted to the housing cooperate with an enlarged lip on the driven hub to limit the lateral travel of the driven hub in the housing, which also acts to limit the lateral travel of the threaded shaft which functions as a lead screw.

Continuing to drive while sleepy: the influence of sleepiness countermeasures, motivation for driving sleepy, and risk perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Watling, Christopher N; Armstrong, Kerry A; Obst, Patricia L; Smith, Simon S

2014-12-01

Driver sleepiness is a major contributor to road crashes. The current study sought to examine the association between perceptions of effectiveness of six sleepiness countermeasures and their relationship with self-reports of continuing to drive while sleepy among 309 drivers after controlling for the influence of age, sex, motivation for driving sleepy, and risk perception of sleepy driving. The results demonstrate that the variables of age, sex, motivation, and risk perception were significantly associated with self-reports of continuing to drive while sleepy and only one countermeasure was associated with self-reports of continuing to drive while sleepy. Further, it was found that age differences in self-reports of continuing to drive while sleepy was mediated by participants' motivation and risk perception. These findings highlight modifiable factors that could be focused on with interventions that seek to modify drivers' attitudes and behaviours of driving while sleepy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Driving error and anxiety related to iPod mp3 player use in a simulated driving experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, Ashley R; Carden, Randy L

2009-08-01

Driver distraction due to cellular phone usage has repeatedly been shown to increase the risk of vehicular accidents; however, the literature regarding the use of other personal electronic devices while driving is relatively sparse. It was hypothesized that the usage of an mp3 player would result in an increase in not only driving error while operating a driving simulator, but driver anxiety scores as well. It was also hypothesized that anxiety scores would be positively related to driving errors when using an mp3 player. 32 participants drove through a set course in a driving simulator twice, once with and once without an iPod mp3 player, with the order counterbalanced. Number of driving errors per course, such as leaving the road, impacts with stationary objects, loss of vehicular control, etc., and anxiety were significantly higher when an iPod was in use. Anxiety scores were unrelated to number of driving errors.

Implicit attitudes towards risky and safe driving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinussen, Laila Marianne; Sømhovd, Mikael Julius; Møller, Mette

; further, self-reports of the intention to drive safely (or not) are socially sensitive. Therefore, we examined automatic preferences towards safe and risky driving with a Go/No-go Association Task (GNAT). The results suggest that (1) implicit attitudes towards driving behavior can be measured reliably...... with the GNAT; (2) implicit attitudes towards safe driving versus towards risky driving may be separable constructs. We propose that research on driving behavior may benefit from routinely including measures of implicit cognition. A practical advantage is a lesser susceptibility to social desirability biases......, compared to self-report methods. Pending replication in future research, the apparent dissociation between implicit attitudes towards safe versus risky driving that we observed may contribute to a greater theoretical understanding of the causes of unsafe and risky driving behavior....

Start 2: Thinking one move ahead

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaines, L.L.

1991-11-01

At their summit meeting in the spring of 1990, Presidents Bush and Gorbachev issued a joint statement expressing their intentions to continue the process of strategic arms control beyond the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which was eventually signed in July 1991, toward agreement on further reductions. They set general goals for negotiation of a follow-on treaty to START, which has been called START II. President Bush`s historic speech on September 27, 1991, reinforced those goals and specified several actions the US would take. It is the purpose of this report to examine possible provisions of START II and the implications of those provisions for achievement of the goals set at the 1990 summit, for verifiability, and for US force planning. This look ahead will contribute to advance planning of appropriate negotiating positions, verification research and development (R&D), and force modernization and restructuring. This report describes the goals for a START II treaty and possible means for achieving them. It postulates one set of provisions for such a treaty, while it examines force structures for the US that could result from adoption of a treaty with these provisions. The adequacy of methods for verifying START II are examined and the implications of a START II treaty are postulated.

Start 2: Thinking one move ahead

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaines, L.L.

1991-11-01

At their summit meeting in the spring of 1990, Presidents Bush and Gorbachev issued a joint statement expressing their intentions to continue the process of strategic arms control beyond the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which was eventually signed in July 1991, toward agreement on further reductions. They set general goals for negotiation of a follow-on treaty to START, which has been called START II. President Bush's historic speech on September 27, 1991, reinforced those goals and specified several actions the US would take. It is the purpose of this report to examine possible provisions of START II and the implications of those provisions for achievement of the goals set at the 1990 summit, for verifiability, and for US force planning. This look ahead will contribute to advance planning of appropriate negotiating positions, verification research and development (R D), and force modernization and restructuring. This report describes the goals for a START II treaty and possible means for achieving them. It postulates one set of provisions for such a treaty, while it examines force structures for the US that could result from adoption of a treaty with these provisions. The adequacy of methods for verifying START II are examined and the implications of a START II treaty are postulated.

Comparison of Unsafe Driving Across Medical Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Sanghee; Ranchet, Maud; Tant, Mark; Akinwuntan, Abiodun E; Devos, Hannes

2017-09-01

To compare risks of unsafe driving in patients with medical conditions. This large population-based study included all patients who were referred for a fitness-to-drive evaluation at an official driving evaluation center in 2013 and 2014. Risks of unsafe driving included physician's fitness-to-drive recommendation, comprehensive fitness-to-drive decision, motor vehicle crash history, and traffic violation history. A total of 6584 patients were included in the study. Risks of unsafe driving were significantly different across medical conditions (Pdriving. Patients with psychiatric conditions or substance abuse did worse on most driving safety outcomes, despite their low representation in the total sample (359 [6%] and 46 [1%], respectively). The risk of unsafe driving varied greatly across medical conditions. Sensitization campaigns, education, and medical guidelines for physicians and driver licensing authorities are warranted to identify patients at risk, especially for those with psychiatric conditions and substance abuse problems. Copyright © 2017 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of chewing gum on driving performance as evaluated by the STISIM driving simulator

OpenAIRE

Yoo, Ingyu; Kim, Eun-Joo; Lee, Joo-Hyun

2015-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of chewing gum on driving performance in a driving simulator. [Subjects] In total, 26 young licensed drivers participated. [Methods] The driving scenario was typical of an urban environment: a single-carriageway, two-way road consisting of a mix of curved and straight sections, with considerable levels of traffic, pedestrians, and parked cars. Mean distance driven above the speed limit, lane position, mean distance driven across...

Correlates of Marijuana Drugged Driving and Openness to Driving While High: Evidence from Colorado and Washington.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin C Davis

Full Text Available A potential unintended consequence of legalizing recreational marijuana is increased marijuana-related driving impairment. Some states where recreational marijuana is legal have begun implementing interventions to mitigate driving under the influence (DUI of marijuana, including media campaigns to increase knowledge about DUI laws. However, little is known about the associations between knowledge of DUI laws and marijuana DUI behavior. In this study, we provide new data from a survey of marijuana users in Colorado and Washington to examine associations between marijuana drugged driving and two potential behavioral precursors of marijuana DUI. We also explore other factors that may influence marijuana DUI.Data are from an online survey of marijuana users in Colorado and Washington. Respondents who reported any marijuana use in the past 30 days (n = 865 served as the analytic sample. We examined prevalence of two behavioral outcomes: (1 any driving of a motor vehicle while high in the past year and (2 driving a motor vehicle within 1 hour of using marijuana 5 or more times in the past month. Additional outcomes measuring willingness to drive while high were also assessed. Logistic regressions were used to estimate each outcome as a function of two multi-item scales measuring knowledge of the legal consequences of driving high and perceptions that driving while high is not safe. Additional covariates for potential confounders were included in each model.Prevalence of past-year driving while under the influence of marijuana was 43.6% among respondents. The prevalence of driving within 1 hour of using marijuana at least 5 times in the past month was 23.9%. Increased perception that driving high is unsafe was associated with lower odds of past-year marijuana DUI (OR = 0.31, P < 0.01 and lower past-month odds of driving 5 or more times within 1 hour of using marijuana (OR = 0.26, P < 0.01. Increased knowledge of marijuana DUI laws was also associated

FPGA implementation of adaptive ANN controller for speed regulation of permanent magnet stepper motor drives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasanien, Hany M., E-mail: Hanyhasanien@ieee.or [Dept. of Elec. Power and Machines, Faculty of Eng., Ain Shams Univ., Cairo (Egypt)

2011-02-15

This paper presents a novel adaptive artificial neural network (ANN) controller, which applies on permanent magnet stepper motor (PMSM) for regulating its speed. The dynamic response of the PMSM with the proposed controller is studied during the starting process under the full load torque and under load disturbance. The effectiveness of the proposed adaptive ANN controller is then compared with that of the conventional PI controller. The proposed methodology solves the problem of nonlinearities and load changes of PMSM drives. The proposed controller ensures fast and accurate dynamic response with an excellent steady state performance. Matlab/Simulink tool is used for this dynamic simulation study. The main contribution of this work is the implementation of the proposed controller on field programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware to drive the stepper motor. The driver is built on FPGA Spartan-3E Starter from Xilinx. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

FPGA implementation of adaptive ANN controller for speed regulation of permanent magnet stepper motor drives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasanien, Hany M.

2011-01-01

This paper presents a novel adaptive artificial neural network (ANN) controller, which applies on permanent magnet stepper motor (PMSM) for regulating its speed. The dynamic response of the PMSM with the proposed controller is studied during the starting process under the full load torque and under load disturbance. The effectiveness of the proposed adaptive ANN controller is then compared with that of the conventional PI controller. The proposed methodology solves the problem of nonlinearities and load changes of PMSM drives. The proposed controller ensures fast and accurate dynamic response with an excellent steady state performance. Matlab/Simulink tool is used for this dynamic simulation study. The main contribution of this work is the implementation of the proposed controller on field programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware to drive the stepper motor. The driver is built on FPGA Spartan-3E Starter from Xilinx. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.

German taxi drivers' experiences and expressions of driving anger: Are the driving anger scale and the driving anger expression inventory valid measures?

Science.gov (United States)

Brandenburg, Stefan; Oehl, Michael; Seigies, Kristin

2017-11-17

The objective of this article was 2-fold: firstly, we wanted to examine whether the original Driving Anger Scale (DAS) and the original Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX) apply to German professional taxi drivers because these scales have previously been given to professional and particularly to nonprofessional drivers in different countries. Secondly, we wanted to examine possible differences in driving anger experience and expression between professional German taxi drivers and nonprofessional German drivers. We applied German versions of the DAS, the DAX, and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) to a sample of 138 professional German taxi drivers. We then compared their ratings to the ratings of a sample of 1,136 nonprofessional German drivers (Oehl and Brandenburg n.d. ). Regarding our first objective, confirmatory factor analysis shows that the model fit of the DAS is better for nonprofessional drivers than for professional drivers. The DAX applies neither to professional nor to nonprofessional German drivers properly. Consequently, we suggest modified shorter versions of both scales for professional drivers. The STAXI applies to both professional and nonprofessional drivers. With respect to our second objective, we show that professional drivers experience significantly less driving anger than nonprofessional drivers, but they express more driving anger. We conclude that the STAXI can be applied to professional German taxi drivers. In contrast, for the DAS and the DAX we found particular shorter versions for professional taxi drivers. Especially for the DAX, most statements were too strong for German drivers to agree to. They do not show behaviors related to driving anger expression as they are described in the DAX. These problems with the original American DAX items are in line with several other studies in different countries. Future investigations should examine whether (professional) drivers from further countries express their anger

Hypnotics and driving safety: meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials applying the on-the-road driving test.

Science.gov (United States)

Verster, Joris C; Veldhuijzen, Dieuwke S; Patat, Alain; Olivier, Berend; Volkerts, Edmund R

2006-01-01

Many people who use hypnotics are outpatients and are likely to drive a car the day after drug intake. The purpose of these meta-analyses was to determine whether or not this is safe. Placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trials were selected if using the on-the-road driving test to determine driving ability the day following one or two nights of treatment administration. Primary outcome measure of the driving test was the Standard Deviation of Lateral Position (SDLP); i.e., the weaving of the car. Fixed effects model meta-analyses were performed. Effect size (ES) was computed using mean standardized (weighted) difference scores between treatment and corresponding placebo SDLP values. Ten studies, published from 1984 to 2002 (207 subjects), were included in the meta-analyses. The morning following bedtime administration, i.e. 10-11 hours after dosing, significant driving impairment was found for the recommended dose of various benzodiazepine hypnotics (ES=0.42; 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=0.14 to 0.71). Twice the recommended dose impaired driving both in the morning (ES=0.68; CI=0.39 to 0.97) and afternoon, i.e. 16-17 hours after dosing (ES=0.57; CI=0.26 to 0.88). Zopiclone 7.5 mg also impaired driving in the morning (ES=0.89; CI=0.54 to 1.23). Zaleplon (10 and 20 mg) and zolpidem (10 mg) did not affect driving performance the morning after dosing. Following middle-of-the-night administration, significantly impaired driving performance was found for zopiclone 7.5 mg (ES=1.51, CI=0.85 to 2.17), zolpidem 10 mg (ES=0.66, CI=0.13 to 1.19) and zolpidem 20 mg (ES=1.16, CI=0.60 to 1.72). Zaleplon (10 and 20 mg) did not affect driving performance. The analyses show that driving a car the morning following nocturnal treatment with benzodiazepines and zopiclone is unsafe, whereas the recommended dose of zolpidem (10 mg) and zaleplon (10 mg) do not affect driving ability.

Fundamentals of electrical drives

CERN Document Server

Veltman, André; De Doncker, Rik W

2007-01-01

Provides a comprehensive introduction to various aspects of electrical drive systems. This volume provides a presentation of dynamic generic models that cover all major electrical machine types and modulation/control components of a drive as well as dynamic and steady state analysis of transformers and electrical machines.

Pilot Efficacy of a DriveFocus™ Intervention on the Driving Performance of Young Drivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liliana Alvarez

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 15 and 29 around the world. A need remains for evidence-based interventions that can improve the underlying skills of young drivers, including hazard perception and anticipation. This pilot study investigated the preliminary impact of a six session DriveFocus™ intervention on the ability of young novice drivers (mean age = 18.6, SD = 2.12 to detect (visual scanning, and respond (adjustment to stimuli to critical roadway information. Using a CDS-200 DriveSafety™ simulator, drives were recorded and sent to a blinded evaluator (occupational therapist, who scored the recorded drives for number and type (visual scanning and adjustment to stimuli of errors. We observed a statistically significant decline in the number of visual scanning [t(34 = 2.853, p = 0.007], adjustment to stimuli [t(34 = 3.481, p = 0.001], and total driving errors [t(34 = 3.481, p = 0.002], among baseline and post-test 2.

The prosocial and aggressive driving inventory (PADI): a self-report measure of safe and unsafe driving behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Paul B; Houston, John M; Vazquez, Jose A; Smither, Janan A; Harms, Amanda; Dahlke, Jeffrey A; Sachau, Daniel A

2014-11-01

Surveys of 1217 undergraduate students supported the reliability (inter-item and test-retest) and validity of the Prosocial and Aggressive Driving Inventory (PADI). Principal component analyses on the PADI items yielded two scales: Prosocial Driving (17 items) and Aggressive Driving (12 items). Prosocial Driving was associated with fewer reported traffic accidents and violations, with participants who were older and female, and with lower Boredom Susceptibility and Hostility scores, and higher scores on Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness, and Neuroticism. Aggressive Driving was associated with more frequent traffic violations, with female participants, and with higher scores on Competitiveness, Sensation Seeking, Hostility, and Extraversion, and lower scores on Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness. The theoretical and practical implications of the PADI's dual focus on safe and unsafe driving are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Naturalistic drive cycle synthesis for pickup trucks.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zifan; Ivanco, Andrej; Filipi, Zoran

2015-09-01

Future pick-up trucks are meeting much stricter fuel economy and exhaust emission standards. Design tradeoffs will have to be carefully evaluated to satisfy consumer expectations within the regulatory and cost constraints. Boundary conditions will obviously be critical for decision making: thus, the understanding of how customers are driving in naturalistic settings is indispensable. Federal driving schedules, while critical for certification, do not capture the richness of naturalistic cycles, particularly the aggressive maneuvers that often shape consumer perception of performance. While there are databases with large number of drive cycles, applying all of them directly in the design process is impractical. Therefore, representative drive cycles that capture the essence of the naturalistic driving should be synthesized from naturalistic driving data. Naturalistic drive cycles are firstly categorized by investigating their micro-trip components, defined as driving activities between successive stops. Micro-trips are expected to characterize underlying local traffic conditions, and separate different driving patterns. Next, the transitions from one vehicle state to another vehicle state in each cycle category are captured with Transition Probability Matrix (TPM). Candidate drive cycles can subsequently be synthesized using Markov Chain based on TPMs for each category. Finally, representative synthetic drive cycles are selected through assessment of significant cycle metrics to identify the ones with smallest errors. This paper provides a framework for synthesis of representative drive cycles from naturalistic driving data, which can subsequently be used for efficient optimization of design or control of pick-up truck powertrains. Manufacturers will benefit from representative drive cycles in several aspects, including quick assessments of vehicle performance and energy consumption in simulations, component sizing and design, optimization of control strategies, and

Predictions of fast wave heating, current drive, and current drive antenna arrays for advanced tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batchelor, D.B.; Baity, F.W.; Carter, M.D.

1994-01-01

The objective of the advanced tokamak program is to optimize plasma performance leading to a compact tokamak reactor through active, steady state control of the current profile using non-inductive current drive and profile control. To achieve these objectives requires compatibility and flexibility in the use of available heating and current drive systems--ion cyclotron radio frequency (ICRF), neutral beams, and lower hybrid. For any advanced tokamak, the following are important challenges to effective use of fast waves in various roles of direct electron heating, minority ion heating, and current drive: (1) to employ the heating and current drive systems to give self-consistent pressure and current profiles leading to the desired advanced tokamak operating modes; (2) to minimize absorption of the fast waves by parasitic resonances, which limit current drive; (3) to optimize and control the spectrum of fast waves launched by the antenna array for the required mix of simultaneous heating and current drive. The authors have addressed these issues using theoretical and computational tools developed at a number of institutions by benchmarking the computations against available experimental data and applying them to the specific case of TPX

Soft-Starting Power-Factor Motor Controller

Science.gov (United States)

Nola, F. J.

1983-01-01

Three-phase power-factor controller with soft start is based on earlier version that does not control starting transients. Additional components serve to turn off "run" command signal and substitute gradual startup command signal during preset startup interval. Improved controller reduces large current surge that usually accompanies starting. Controller applies power smoothly, without causing motor vibrations.

What Happens at the Lesson Start?

Science.gov (United States)

Saloviita, Timo

2016-01-01

Transitional periods, such as lesson starts, are necessary steps from one activity to another, but they also compete with time for actual learning. The aim of the present study was to replicate a previous pilot study on lesson starts and explore possible disturbances. In total, 130 lesson starts in Finnish basic education in grades 1-9 were…

Electrohydraulic drive system with planetary superposed gears

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graetz, A.; Klimek, K.H.; Welz, H.

1989-01-01

To prevent drive problems in ploughs the drives must be designed in such a way as to compensate for asymmetries. If electromechanical drives are replaced by an electrohydraulic drive system with superposed planetary gears and hydrostatic torque reaction supports the following advantages occur: load-free acceleration, load equalisation between main and auxiliary drive, overload protection, and reduction of systems vibrations. 2 figs., 2 tabs.

46 CFR 112.50-3 - Hydraulic starting.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... POWER SYSTEMS Emergency Diesel and Gas Turbine Engine Driven Generator Sets § 112.50-3 Hydraulic starting. A hydraulic starting system must meet the following: (a) The hydraulic starting system must be a... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hydraulic starting. 112.50-3 Section 112.50-3 Shipping...

Real-world driving behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijkeboer, R.C.; Hendriksen, P.; Gense, N.L.J.

2001-01-01

With increasing complexity of engine management system there is a tendency for traditional driving cyles to become further and further removed from reality. So for a sensible evaluation of emissions and fuel consumption of road vehicles in the field there is an urgent need for 'real-world' driving

Creating a driving profile for older adults using GPS devices and naturalistic driving methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Babulal, Ganesh M; Traub, Cindy M; Webb, Mollie; Stout, Sarah H; Addison, Aaron; Carr, David B; Ott, Brian R; Morris, John C; Roe, Catherine M

2016-01-01

Background/Objectives : Road tests and driving simulators are most commonly used in research studies and clinical evaluations of older drivers. Our objective was to describe the process and associated challenges in adapting an existing, commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS), in-vehicle device for naturalistic, longitudinal research to better understand daily driving behavior in older drivers. Design : The Azuga G2 Tracking Device TM was installed in each participant's vehicle, and we collected data over 5 months (speed, latitude/longitude) every 30-seconds when the vehicle was driven.  Setting : The Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine. Participants : Five individuals enrolled in a larger, longitudinal study assessing preclinical Alzheimer disease and driving performance.  Participants were aged 65+ years and had normal cognition. Measurements :  Spatial components included Primary Location(s), Driving Areas, Mean Centers and Unique Destinations.  Temporal components included number of trips taken during different times of the day.  Behavioral components included number of hard braking, speeding and sudden acceleration events. Methods :  Individual 30-second observations, each comprising one breadcrumb, and trip-level data were collected and analyzed in R and ArcGIS.  Results : Primary locations were confirmed to be 100% accurate when compared to known addresses.  Based on the locations of the breadcrumbs, we were able to successfully identify frequently visited locations and general travel patterns.  Based on the reported time from the breadcrumbs, we could assess number of trips driven in daylight vs. night.  Data on additional events while driving allowed us to compute the number of adverse driving alerts over the course of the 5-month period. Conclusions : Compared to cameras and highly instrumented vehicle in other naturalistic studies, the compact COTS device was quickly installed and transmitted high

Synthesis of Servo Pneumatic/Hydraulic Drive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K D. Efremova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Servo pneumatic and / or hydraulic drives are widely used in modern engineering and process control. The efficiency of using pneumatic / hydraulic drives depends on their parameters and characteristics. To select the optimal drive parameters, various methods are used, based on finding the minimum of the target (target or criteria function.The objective of this paper was to apply one crucial criterion (target function that provides determination of optimal parameters of the pneumatic / hydraulic drive with the translational motion of the end-effector as well as its use in the synthesis of the servo pneumatic cylinder. The article shows the form of the target function representing a set of drive parameters that do not have direct relationships with each other in a dimensionless form for the pneumatic / hydraulic drive with the translational motion of the end-effector. To calculate the parameters of the servo drive close to the optimal ones, a two-criteria LPτ search was used. As criteria, were used the decisive criterion - the proposed target function, and the power developed by the actuator of the pneumatic / hydraulic drive, which were presented in a dimensionless form. It is shown that the criterion for solution optimality is the minimum distance of the selected point in the space of the normalized criteria from the origin. This point was determined. In addition to the proposed criteria, non-formalised requirements were taken into account: actual and mass-produced components of drive, in terms of which its parameters close to the optimal ones were determined, and the maximum relative error of the obtained useful power value of the servo pneumatic drive was estimated. The paper presents design features of two types of the servo pneumatic drive created, taking into account the proposed target function, implemented according to the schemes "hidden" and "spaced apart". The experimental static characteristic of the servo pneumatic drive is

Turbulent current drive mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

McDevitt, Christopher J.; Tang, Xian-Zhu; Guo, Zehua

2017-08-01

Mechanisms through which plasma microturbulence can drive a mean electron plasma current are derived. The efficiency through which these turbulent contributions can drive deviations from neoclassical predictions of the electron current profile is computed by employing a linearized Coulomb collision operator. It is found that a non-diffusive contribution to the electron momentum flux as well as an anomalous electron-ion momentum exchange term provide the most efficient means through which turbulence can modify the mean electron current for the cases considered. Such turbulent contributions appear as an effective EMF within Ohm's law and hence provide an ideal means for driving deviations from neoclassical predictions.

Large-Scale Battery System Development and User-Specific Driving Behavior Analysis for Emerging Electric-Drive Vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yihe Sun

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Emerging green-energy transportation, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs and plug-in HEVs (PHEVs, has a great potential for reduction of fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions. The lithium-ion battery system used in these vehicles, however, is bulky, expensive and unreliable, and has been the primary roadblock for transportation electrification. Meanwhile, few studies have considered user-specific driving behavior and its significant impact on (PHEV fuel efficiency, battery system lifetime, and the environment. This paper presents a detailed investigation of battery system modeling and real-world user-specific driving behavior analysis for emerging electric-drive vehicles. The proposed model is fast to compute and accurate for analyzing battery system run-time and long-term cycle life with a focus on temperature dependent battery system capacity fading and variation. The proposed solution is validated against physical measurement using real-world user driving studies, and has been adopted to facilitate battery system design and optimization. Using the collected real-world hybrid vehicle and run-time driving data, we have also conducted detailed analytical studies of users’ specific driving patterns and their impacts on hybrid vehicle electric energy and fuel efficiency. This work provides a solid foundation for future energy control with emerging electric-drive applications.

X-ray system with coupled source drive and detector drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

An electronic coupling replacing the (more expensive) mechanical coupling which controls the speed of two sets of two electric motors, one driving an X-ray source and the other an X-ray detector, is described. Source and detector are kept rotating in parallel planes with a fairly constant velocity ratio. The drives are controlled by an electronic system comprising a comparator circuit comparing the position-indicative signals, a process control circuit and an inverter switch. The control system regulates the speed of the electric motors. The signal processing is described

Internal combustion engine cold-start efficiency: A review of the problem, causes and potential solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, Andrew; Brooks, Richard; Shipway, Philip

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The sources of I.C. engine cold start efficiency are reviewed and quantified. • Potential solutions are reviewed and the benefit quantified together. • Potential conflicts between different engine sub-systems are discussed. • Fuel consumption benefits of up to 7% are observed during cold start. • Emission reductions of up to 40% during cold start are observed. - Abstract: Legislation on vehicle emissions continues to become more stringent in an effort to minimise the impact of internal combustion engines on the environment. One area of significant concern in this respect is that of the cold-start; the thermal efficiency of the internal combustion engine is significantly lower at cold-start than when the vehicle reaches steady state temperatures owing to sub-optimal lubricant and component temperatures. The drive for thermal efficiency (of both the internal combustion engine and of the vehicle as a whole) has led to a variety of solutions being trialled to assess their merits and effects on other vehicle systems during this warm-up phase (and implemented where appropriate). The approaches have a common theme of attempting to reduce energy losses so that systems and components reach their intended operating temperature range as soon as possible after engine start. In the case of the engine, this is primarily focused on the lubricant system. Lubricant viscosity is highly sensitive to temperature and the increased viscosity at low temperatures results in higher frictional and pumping losses than would be observed at the target operating temperature. The approaches used to tackle the problem include the use of phase change materials (to reduce the cool-down rate during a period following engine running) [1,2] and the use of thermal barrier coatings in an attempt to insulate the cylinder bore and prevent heat loss (thus increasing the amount of energy utilised as brake work [3]). A range of system alterations have also been trialled including

Electric Vehicle - Economical driving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, VCE, Steen V.; Schøn, Henriette

1999-01-01

How do you reduce the energy-wast when driving and loading EV's - or rather: How do I get more km/l out of an EV......How do you reduce the energy-wast when driving and loading EV's - or rather: How do I get more km/l out of an EV...

Methodology for functional MRI of simulated driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Kan, Karen; Schweizer, Tom A; Tam, Fred; Graham, Simon J

2013-01-01

The developed world faces major socioeconomic and medical challenges associated with motor vehicle accidents caused by risky driving. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of individuals using virtual reality driving simulators may provide an important research tool to assess driving safety, based on brain activity and behavior. A fMRI-compatible driving simulator was developed and evaluated in the context of straight driving, turning, and stopping in 16 young healthy adults. Robust maps of brain activity were obtained, including activation of the primary motor cortex, cerebellum, visual cortex, and parietal lobe, with limited head motion (driving is a feasible undertaking.

High Time Resolution Measurements of VOCs from Vehicle Cold Starts: The Air Toxic Cold Start Pulse

Science.gov (United States)

Jobson, B. T.; Huangfu, Y.; Vanderschelden, G. S.

2017-12-01

Pollutants emitted during motor vehicle cold starts, especially in winter in some climates, is a significant source of winter time air pollution. While data exist for CO, NO, and total hydrocarbon emissions from federal testing procedures for vehicle emission certification, little is known about the emission rates of individual volatile organic compounds, in particular the air toxics benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde. Little is known about the VOC speciation and temperature dependence for cold starts. The US EPA vehicle emission model MOVES assumes that cold start emissions have the same speciation profile as running emissions. We examined this assumption by measuring cold start exhaust composition for 4 vehicles fueled with E10 gasoline over a temperature range of -4°C to 10°C in winter of 2015. The extra cold start emissions were determined by comparison with emissions during engine idling. In addition to CO and NOx measurements a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometer was used to measure formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and C2-alkylbenzenes at high time resolution to compare with the cold start emission speciation profiles used in the EPA MOVES2014 model. The results show that after the vehicle was started, CO mixing ratios can reach a few percent of the exhaust and then drop to several ppmv within 2 minutes of idling, while NOx showed different temporal behaviors among the four vehicles. VOCs displayed elevated levels during cold start and the peak mixing ratios can be two orders higher than idling phase levels. Molar emission ratios relative to toluene were used to compare with the emission ratio used in MOVES2014 and we found the formaldehyde-to-toluene emission ratio was about 0.19, which is 5 times higher than the emission ratio used in MOVES2014 and the acetaldehyde-to-toluene emission ratios were 0.86-0.89, which is 8 times higher than the ones in MOVES2014. The C2-alkylbenzene-to-toluene ratio agreed well with moves. Our results

Scheduling with target start times

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoogeveen, J.A.; Velde, van de S.L.; Klein Haneveld, W.K.; Vrieze, O.J.; Kallenberg, L.C.M.

1997-01-01

We address the single-machine problem of scheduling n independent jobs subject to target start times. Target start times are essentially release times that may be violated at a certain cost. The goal is to minimize an objective function that is composed of total completion time and maximum

A thermodynamic approach to compare the performance of rhombic-drive and crank-drive mechanisms for a beta-type Stirling engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aksoy, F.; Solmaz, H.; Karabulut, H.; Cinar, C.; Ozgoren, Y.O.; Polat, Seyfi

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Rhombic drive and crank drive mechanisms of a beta type engine were compared. • Nodal analysis method was used to compare engines having different drive mechanism. • Maximum specific power was 1410 W/L for rhombic-drive engine. • Heat transfer coefficient was determined as 475 W/m"2K for rhombic-drive engine. • Rhombic drive provided higher efficiency because of its better kinematic behaviours. - Abstract: In this study, the effect of rhombic drive and crank drive mechanisms on the performance of a beta-type Stirling engine was investigated by nodal analysis. Kinematic and thermodynamic relations for both drive mechanisms were introduced and a Fortran code was written for the solution. Piston strokes, cylinder and displacer diameters, hot and cold end temperatures, regenerator volumes and heat transfer surface areas were taken equal for both engines with two different drive mechanisms. In the analysis, air was used as the working gas. Engine power and efficiency were compared for different charge pressure values, working gas mass values, heat transfer coefficients and hot end temperatures. Maximum specific engine power was 1410 W/L for the engine with rhombic drive mechanism and 1200 W/L for the engine with crank drive mechanism at 4 bars of charge pressure and 500 W/m"2K heat transfer coefficient. Rhombic drive mechanism was relatively advantageous at low working gas mass values and high hot end temperatures. In comparison with the engine having rhombic drive mechanism, the relatively poor kinematic behaviour of the engine having crank drive mechanism caused lower engine efficiency and performance. Heat transfer coefficient was also predicted by using an experimental pressure trace.

Driving When You Have Parkinson's Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Driving When You Have Parkinson’s Disease DRIVEWELL You have been a safe driver for years. For you, driving means freedom and control. As you get ... mental health can affect how safely you drive. Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous ...

Cooperative driving in platooning scenario’s

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Linden, M.J.G.M.; Nijmeijer, H.

2011-01-01

Cooperative driving enables a more efficient use of existing infrastructure which reduces the expenditures and land use for new roads. Cooperative driving is based on intelligent communication between vehicles and between vehicles and their environment. Vehicles can drive closer to each other due to

ECO-DRIVING Europe - building the frame for a European market for eco-driving

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raimund, Willy; Fickl, Stephan

2003-01-01

Due to rapidly increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the transport sector is a key issue in any sustainability and climate strategy. Still, it is the one most difficult to deal with because of it's complexity and direct impact on everybody's life. Innovative transport technologies can significantly contribute to reducing emissions and energy use, but there is also a need for behavioural changes to turn down energy demand, especially in individual motorised transport. One of the most cost-effective measures in this field is Ecodriving, an energy efficient and road safety improving driving style. Nowadays, there are several stand-alone initiatives in Europe. But to strengthen Ecodriving and increase its market share it needs: - an overview of existing offers and facilities, - pilot projects with different target groups, - training courses (both for novice drivers and experienced road users), - quality standards, - scientific proof of the various benefits, - awareness raising and marketing. That's why ECO-DRIVING Europe has been initiated by the main stakeholders in Europe. It aims to change the behaviour of drivers by using technological developments, influencing legislation and supporting long term driving and mobility culture change. The Europe-wide ECO-DRIVING project (www.ecodrive.org ) tries to reach this goal by integrating Ecodriving into various policy fields such as energy, climate change, road safety, local environment, sustainable transport and legislation for driver licence procedures. By decreasing greenhouse gas emission by 10-20% compared to normal driving, Ecodriving can considerably contribute to reduce energy demand in transport and fight climate change. Keywords ECO-DRIVING, sustainable transport, energy efficiency, behavioural change, market penetration, environmental and economic benefits, road safety

On the Drive Specificity of Freudian Drives for the Generation of SEEKING Activities: The Importance of the Underestimated Imperative Motor Factor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Kirsch

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Doubters of Freud’s theory of drives frequently mentioned that his approach is outdated and therefore cannot be useful for solving current problems in patients with mental disorders. At present, many scientists believe that affects rather than drives are of utmost importance for the emotional life and the theoretical framework of affective neuroscience, developed by Panksepp, strongly underpinned this view. Panksepp evaluated seven so-called command systems and the SEEKING system is therein of central importance. Panksepp used Pankseppian drives as inputs for the SEEKING system but noted the missing explanation of drive-specific generation of SEEKING activities in his description. Drive specificity requires dual action of the drive: the activation of a drive-specific brain area and the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Noticeably, as Freud claimed drive specificity too, it was here analyzed whether a Freudian drive can evoke the generation of drive-specific SEEKING activities. Special importance was addressed to the imperative motor factor in Freud’s drive theory because Panksepp’s formulations focused on neural pathways without specifying underlying neurotransmitter/endocrine factors impelling motor activity. As Panksepp claimed sleep as a Pankseppian drive, we firstly had to classified sleep as a Freudian drive by using three evaluated criteria for a Freudian drive. After that it was possible to identify the imperative motor factors of hunger, thirst, sex, and sleep. Most importantly, all of these imperative motor factors can both activate a drive-specific brain area and release dopamine from dopaminergic neurons, i.e., they can achieve the so-called drive specificity. Surprisingly, an impaired Freudian drive can alter via endocrinological pathways the concentration of the imperative motor factor of a second Freudian drive, obviously in some independence to the level of the metabolic deficit, thereby offering the possibility to

Modernizing the Professional Capabilities of Driving Instructors and Traffic Safety Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolarov Ivan

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The effective traffic safety training is a long process; it starts from very young age and continues throughout life. This is not only a process of acquiring knowledge and skills, but also a matter of social importance. Pedagogical forms of education depend on the position of a man in society, respectively, on abilities to percept the environment. The recent investigations of traffic accidents show, that the young drivers generally have poorer than average self-reflection skills. It is therefore important to foster self-reflection skills and attitudes from an early age, especially in matters that relate to road and driving safety. All of staff that have career in traffic safety training (mainly instructors for driving and traffic safety teachers in Europe have their responsibility for decreasing the traffic accidents and incidents by polishing their skills. They work under variety conditions, specific National Lows and Regulations, but the features of their target groups are one and the same. In order to meet the new challenges put by EU Commission they need to have common vision about traffic safety training in Europe, to know what traffic safety means for different age groups, to know what is the best practice of their colleagues, including curricula, methods, training materials, and to be aware their work is very important for traffic safety. Aim of this paper is to present an approach for non-formal instructors for driving and traffic safety teachers training for modernizing their professional capabilities with students form 0 to 30 years old. The investigations and main results are based on the theoretical investigation for hierarchical level of behavior, made by Hatakka for instructors for driving training. The students are divided in four age groups: pre-school children (0-6 years, schoolchildren (7-12 years, teenagers (13-17 years and young adults (18-30 years. For each age group a curriculum is developed according to common EU rules and

Potential determinants of drink driving in young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Iglesias, Beatriz; Gómez-Fraguela, José António; Sobral, Jorge

2015-01-01

The main purposes of this study were to examine the usefulness of the variables of the theory of planned behavior (viz. attitudes, social norms, and self-efficacy) and to explore the relationship between optimism bias and drink driving in young adults. In addition, we explored gender differences in drink driving with provision for the effect of variables such as driving frequency and alcohol consumption. Data were collected via a questionnaire administered to 274 drivers (59.9% females) aged 18-30 years (24.36 ± 2.96). The results obtained with provision for driving frequency revealed substantial differences in driving behaviors between genders. Thus, males were more prone to drink driving, perceived less disapproval by their significant others (parents and peers), and felt less able to avoid drinking-and-driving situations. In addition, they self-reported more frequent alcohol consumption and driving under the influence. The results also confirm the significance of peers' subjective norms and attitudes to drink driving in males. Overconfidence in their own driving skills for driving drunk and perceived behavioral control were found to be significant predictors for drink driving in females. Optimism bias also played a slightly significant role in predicting drink driving but only in females. The important practical implications of these results with a view to designing effective interventions to prevent the risks associated with drink driving in the young population are discussed. Interventions should focus on young people's perceptions of group norms and promoting cautionary driving choices and alternatives to drink driving.

Application of intelligent soft start in asynchronous motor

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Xue; Ye, Ying; Wang, Yuelong; Peng, Lei; Zhang, Suying

2018-05-01

The starting way of three phase asynchronous motor has full voltage start and step-down start. Direct starting brings large current impact, causing excessive local temperature to the power grid and larger starting torque will also impact the motor equipment and affect the service life of the motor. Aim at the problem of large current and torque caused by start-up, an intelligent soft starter is proposed. Through the application of intelligent soft start on asynchronous motor, highlights its application advantage in motor control.

BP's driving safety strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herman, B. [BP Canada Energy Company, Calgary, AB (Canada)

2006-07-01

This presentation focused on why it is important to drive safely. It addressed driver fatigue as well as BP's global driving standard. The Standard applies to all BP employees and contractors that drive any vehicle on BP business and consists of 10 mandatory elements focusing on safety of the driver, the safety of the journey, and the safety of the vehicle. The driving standards focus on several themes, including skill and competency of the driver, safety of the journey, and safety of the vehicle. Fatigue causes more than 20 per cent of motorway accidents and is the most frequent cause of accidental death of truck drivers. The presentation also discussed vehicle data recorders, driving immersion, and Driving Safety Program results. Journey management, driver training, vehicle inspections and policies, and statistics on vehicle incidents were also provided. The presentation revealed that a lack of pre-trip journey management, inadequate training or recall of training, and not following safe driving practices were major contributors to incident occurrences. It also revealed that traveling on gravel or ice and avoiding wildlife were factors in many vehicle incidents. 1 tab., 1 fig.

Greater Sudbury fuel efficient driving handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-12-15

Reducing the amount of fuel that people use for personal driving saves money, improves local air quality, and reduces personal contributions to climate change. This handbook was developed to be used as a tool for a fuel efficient driving pilot program in Greater Sudbury in 2009-2010. Specifically, the purpose of the handbook was to provide greater Sudbury drivers with information on how to drive and maintain their personal vehicles in order to maximize fuel efficiency. The handbook also provides tips for purchasing fuel efficient vehicles. It outlines the benefits of fuel maximization, with particular reference to reducing contributions to climate change; reducing emissions of air pollutants; safe driving; and money savings. Some tips for efficient driving are to avoid aggressive driving; use cruise control; plan trips; and remove excess weight. Tips for efficient winter driving are to avoid idling to warm up the engine; use a block heater; remove snow and ice; use snow tires; and check tire pressure. The importance of car maintenance and tire pressure was emphasized. The handbook also explains how fuel consumption ratings are developed by vehicle manufacturers. refs., figs.

Configuring NIF for direct drive experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eimerl, D.; Rothenberg, J.; Key, M.

1995-01-01

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a proposed 1.8 MJ laser facility for carrying out experiments in inertial confinement fusion, currently designed for indirect drive experiments. The direct drive approach is being pursued at the 30 kJ Omega facility at the University of Rochester. In this paper we discuss the modifications to the NIF laser that would be required for both indirect and direct drive experiments. A primary concern is the additional cost of adding direct drive capability to the facility

Distracted Driving, A Major Preventable Cause of Motor Vehicle Collisions: "Just Hang Up and Drive".

Science.gov (United States)

Kahn, Christopher A; Cisneros, Victor; Lotfipour, Shahram; Imani, Ghasem; Chakravarthy, Bharath

2015-12-01

For years, public health experts have been concerned about the effect of cell phone use on motor vehicle collisions, part of a phenomenon known as "distracted driving." The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) article "Mobile Device Use While Driving - United States and Seven European Countries 2011" highlights the international nature of these concerns. Recent (2011) estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are that 10% of fatal crashes and 17% of injury crashes were reported as distraction-affected. Of 3,331 people killed in 2011 on roadways in the U.S. as a result of driver distraction, 385 died in a crash where at least one driver was using a cell phone. For drivers 15-19 years old involved in a fatal crash, 21% of the distracted drivers were distracted by the use of cell phones. Efforts to reduce cell phone use while driving could reduce the prevalence of automobile crashes related to distracted driving. The MMWR report shows that there is much ground to cover with distracted driving. Emergency physicians frequently see the devastating effects of distracted driving on a daily basis and should take a more active role on sharing the information with patients, administrators, legislators, friends and family.

Comparing the self-assessed and examiner-assessed driving skills of Japanese driving school students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroshi Nakai

2012-03-01

A sample of Japanese driving test candidates (n=2021 completed a self-assessment using a 5-point scale applied to 19 items. The candidates completed the assessment shortly after passing their practical driving test conducted at a driving school. Their performance was also assessed by an examiner who used the same scale. The comparison between self-assessment and examiner-assessment revealed that around 40% of Japanese driving school students made a realistic assessment of their skills. With regard to the gender differences, although males displayed higher levels of overconfidence than females did, the differences were not as large as earlier studies with questionnaires had suggested. Furthermore, the effect of age on the accuracy of novice drivers' skill assessment was found to be relatively small. Our findings, which are based on a comparison of subjective assessments of driving skills between examiners and novices, instead of a questionable method which relies on a comparison with a hypothetical average driver, suggest that the majority of candidates in fact do not overrate their own skills. These results were discussed from the viewpoint of the driver education system and compared to other European research using the same framework.

Full drive-by-wire dynamic control for four-wheel-steer all-wheel-drive vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Fahimi, Farbod

2013-03-01

Most of the controllers introduced for four-wheel-steer (4WS) vehicles are derived with the assumption that the longitudinal speed of the vehicle is constant. However, in real applications, the longitudinal speed varies, and the longitudinal, lateral, and yaw dynamics are coupled. In this paper, the longitudinal dynamics of the vehicle as well as its lateral and yaw motions are controlled simultaneously. This way, the effect of driving/braking forces of the tires on the lateral and yaw motions of the vehicle are automatically included in the control laws. To address the dynamic parameter uncertainty of the vehicle, a chatter-free variable structure controller is introduced. Elimination of chatter is achieved by introducing a dynamically adaptive boundary layer thickness. It is shown via simulations that the proposed control approach performs more robustly than the controllers developed based on dynamic models, in which longitudinal speed is assumed to be constant, and only lateral speed and yaw rate are used as system states. Furthermore, this approach supports all-wheel-drive vehicles. Front-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive vehicles are also supported as special cases of an all-wheel-drive vehicle.

The role of personality traits and driving experience in self-reported risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese drivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Da; Zhang, Rui; Qu, Xingda

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of personality traits and driving experience in the prediction of risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese population. A convenience sample of drivers (n=511; mean (SD) age=34.2 (8.8) years) completed a self-report questionnaire that was designed based on validated scales for measuring personality traits, risky driving behaviors and self-reported accident risk. Results from structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that the data fit well with our theoretical model. While showing no direct effects on accident risk, personality traits had direct effects on risky driving behaviors, and yielded indirect effects on accident risk mediated by risky driving behaviors. Both driving experience and risky driving behaviors directly predicted accident risk and accounted for 15% of its variance. There was little gender difference in personality traits, risky driving behaviors and accident risk. The findings emphasized the importance of personality traits and driving experience in the understanding of risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese drivers and provided new insight into the design of evidence-based driving education and accident prevention interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

De-escalatory confidence-building measures after START

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stockton, P.N.

1992-01-01

The very notion of examining de-escalatory CBMs in the context of the START negotiations appears odd. Given the immense progress in US-Soviet relations, of which the proposed START agreement is emblematic, the risk of the two nations stumbling to the brink of war seems increasingly remote. Why bother analyzing CBMs designed to help resolve such an improbable event? The obvious answer is that relations between the US and the Soviet Union - or whatever array of nations succeed it - could take an unforeseeable turn for the worse. Once ratified, the START agreement is supposed to remain in force for seven years, more than enough time for political tensions to return with a vengeance. This suggests a more prudent question: if our two nations do stumble to the brink of war, will the START agreement affect the prospect of de-escalatory CBMs? And if the US and Soviet Union pursue deeper force-reductions in a follow-on START II agreement, could that agreement be designed to facilitate more effective de-escalatory measures? This paper sets the stage for addressing such questions by outlining the START agreement and offering a brief overview of how START might affect the prospects for CBMs. Then, after examining some specific CBM proposals in light of START, an analysis will be made of the de-escalatory problems and opportunities that a Start II treaty might create

Switched reluctance motor drives

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Davis RM, Ray WF, Blake RJ 1981 Inverter drive for switched reluctance: circuits and component ratings. Inst. Elec. Eng. Proc. B128: 126-136. Ehsani M. 1991 Position Sensor elimination technique for the switched reluctance motor drive. US Patent No. 5,072,166. Ehsani M, Ramani K R 1993 Direct control strategies based ...

Adolescence, Attention Allocation, and Driving Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Romer, Daniel; Lee, Yi-Ching; McDonald, Catherine C.; Winston, Flaura K.

2014-01-01

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading source of morbidity and mortality in adolescents in the United States and the developed world. Inadequate allocation of attention to the driving task and to driving hazards are important sources of adolescent crashes. We review major explanations for these attention failures with particular focus on the roles that brain immaturity and lack of driving experience play in causing attention problems. The review suggests that the potential for overcoming inexperience and immaturity with training to improve attention to both the driving task and hazards is substantial. Nevertheless, there are large individual differences in both attentional abilities and risky driving tendencies that pose challenges to novice driver policies. Research that can provide evidence-based direction for such policies is urgently needed. PMID:24759442

Predicting psychopharmacological drug effects on actual driving performance (SDLP) from psychometric tests measuring driving-related skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Verster, Joris C; Roth, Thomas

2012-03-01

There are various methods to examine driving ability. Comparisons between these methods and their relationship with actual on-road driving is often not determined. The objective of this study was to determine whether laboratory tests measuring driving-related skills could adequately predict on-the-road driving performance during normal traffic. Ninety-six healthy volunteers performed a standardized on-the-road driving test. Subjects were instructed to drive with a constant speed and steady lateral position within the right traffic lane. Standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), i.e., the weaving of the car, was determined. The subjects also performed a psychometric test battery including the DSST, Sternberg memory scanning test, a tracking test, and a divided attention test. Difference scores from placebo for parameters of the psychometric tests and SDLP were computed and correlated with each other. A stepwise linear regression analysis determined the predictive validity of the laboratory test battery to SDLP. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that the combination of five parameters, hard tracking, tracking and reaction time of the divided attention test, and reaction time and percentage of errors of the Sternberg memory scanning test, together had a predictive validity of 33.4%. The psychometric tests in this test battery showed insufficient predictive validity to replace the on-the-road driving test during normal traffic.

Driving reconnection in sheared magnetic configurations with forced fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Pongkitiwanichakul, Peera; Makwana, Kirit D.; Ruffolo, David

2018-02-01

We investigate reconnection of magnetic field lines in sheared magnetic field configurations due to fluctuations driven by random forcing by means of numerical simulations. The simulations are performed with an incompressible, pseudo-spectral magnetohydrodynamics code in 2D where we take thick, resistively decaying, current-sheet like sheared magnetic configurations which do not reconnect spontaneously. We describe and test the forcing that is introduced in the momentum equation to drive fluctuations. It is found that the forcing does not change the rate of decay; however, it adds and removes energy faster in the presence of the magnetic shear structure compared to when it has decayed away. We observe that such a forcing can induce magnetic reconnection due to field line wandering leading to the formation of magnetic islands and O-points. These reconnecting field lines spread out as the current sheet decays with time. A semi-empirical formula is derived which reasonably explains the formation and spread of O-points. We find that reconnection spreads faster with stronger forcing and longer correlation time of forcing, while the wavenumber of forcing does not have a significant effect. When the field line wandering becomes large enough, the neighboring current sheets with opposite polarity start interacting, and then the magnetic field is rapidly annihilated. This work is useful to understand how forced fluctuations can drive reconnection in large scale current structures in space and astrophysical plasmas that are not susceptible to reconnection.

46 CFR 112.50-7 - Compressed air starting.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Compressed air starting. 112.50-7 Section 112.50-7... air starting. A compressed air starting system must meet the following: (a) The starting, charging... air compressors addressed in paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section. (b) The compressed air starting...

Measuring device for control rod driving time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Kazuhiko; Hanabusa, Masatoshi.

1993-01-01

The present invention concerns a measuring device for control driving time having a function capable of measuring a selected control rod driving time and measuring an entire control rod driving time simultaneously. A calculation means and a store means for the selected rod control rod driving time, and a calculation means and a store means for the entire control rod driving time are disposed individually. Each of them measures the driving time and stores the data independent of each other based on a selected control rod insert ion signal and an entire control rod insertion signal. Even if insertion of selected and entire control rods overlaps, each of the control rod driving times can be measured reliably to provide an advantageous effect capable of more accurately conducting safety evaluation for the nuclear reactor based on the result of the measurement. (N.H.)

Comparison of electric drives for road vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bader, C; Stephan, W [Deutsche Automobilgesellschaft m.b.H., Esslingen (Germany, F.R.)

1977-01-01

The low energy-storage capacity of the electrolytic energy-storage apparatus available at the moment limits the practical use of electric vehicles to meeting the requirements for restricted areas. But in this field of application, conversion from drive with internal combustion engine to electric drive can be considered only if a reduction of costs is achieved with electric drive. From the wide range of possible drive units the most suitable is found to be the dc squirrelcage motor the speed of which is controlled by field weakening. In the case of a motor with conventional design, the controllable drive range is limited to about 1 : 3, so that generally additional measures are required for extending the drive range. But if the motor is fitted with a compensation winding, field weakening to give a controlled speed range of 1 : 8 can be obtained. To evaluate the different drive units under consideration use is made of the acceleration when, according to the drive system, advantages are obtained from the point of view of energy consumption with disadvantages in acceleration time, and vice versa. By using vehicles proven in practice with different drive systems, either with hydrodynamic transducer and battery switchover, or else with changeover gear and mechanical clutch, the overall construction of the different control and protective arrangements are demonstrated. It is then found that the extra cost of regulation in the case of automatic drive operation is partly compensated by the additional protective devices which are required to limit the effects of any incorrect operations with a manually-operated drive.

Technological start of T-15 tokamak. The start-up diagnostic complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Notkin, G.E.

1989-01-01

The T-15 tokamak with superconducting toroidal winding reached the technological start-up phase. The results of the first operating tests of the main tokamak components are reported. Due to improper function of both the vacuum and the cryogenic system, the nominal parameters of the vacuum and of the toroidal magnetic field have not been achieved. The non-optimum vacuum conditions made the discharge start-up difficult even when a pre-ionizing electron beam and a gyrotron generator were used. The pre-discharge plasma parametes were studied by means of a limited set of plasma diagnostic apparatus. Due to substantially deteriorated vacuum conditions, it was not possible to repeat the only one successful discharge with a current of 100 kA, lasting for 50 ms. (J.U.)

Recognizing driving in haste

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rendón-Vélez, E.

2014-01-01

One can often hear people discussing the reasons why a road accident has happened: “She had to pick up her kids in the school before four o’clock and she was driving in haste and careless”, “He was stressed, he wanted to reach the beginning of the football match, tried to drive faster and didn't

The relationship of dangerous driving with traffic offenses: A study on an adapted measure of dangerous driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Iliescu, Dragoş; Sârbescu, Paul

2013-03-01

Using data from three different samples and more than 1000 participants, the current study examines differences in dangerous driving in terms of age, gender, professional driving, as well as the relationship of dangerous driving with behavioral indicators (mileage) and criteria (traffic offenses). The study uses an adapted (Romanian) version of the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI, Dula and Ballard, 2003) and also reports data on the psychometric characteristics of this measure. Findings suggest that the Romanian version of the DDDI has sound psychometric properties. Dangerous driving is higher in males and occasional drivers, is not correlated with mileage and is significantly related with speeding as a traffic offense, both self-reported and objectively measured. The utility of predictive models including dangerous driving is not very large: logistic regression models have a significant fit to the data, but their misclassification rate (especially in terms of sensitivity) is unacceptable high. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Failure Prediction for Autonomous Driving

OpenAIRE

Hecker, Simon; Dai, Dengxin; Van Gool, Luc

2018-01-01

The primary focus of autonomous driving research is to improve driving accuracy. While great progress has been made, state-of-the-art algorithms still fail at times. Such failures may have catastrophic consequences. It therefore is important that automated cars foresee problems ahead as early as possible. This is also of paramount importance if the driver will be asked to take over. We conjecture that failures do not occur randomly. For instance, driving models may fail more likely at places ...

Texting while driving: A study of 1211 U.S. adults with the Distracted Driving Survey

OpenAIRE

Gliklich, Emily; Guo, Rong; Bergmark, Regan W.

2016-01-01

Texting and other cell-phone related distracted driving is estimated to account for thousands of motor vehicle collisions each year but studies examining the specific cell phone reading and writing activities of drivers are limited. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of cell-phone related distracted driving behaviors. A national, representative, anonymous panel of 1211 United States drivers was recruited in 2015 to complete the Distracted Driving Survey (DDS), an 11-ite...

Multidisciplinary design of electrical drives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blaabjerg, F.; Rasmussen, P.O.; Pedersen, J.K.

1999-07-01

Traditionally, simulation tools for drives can simulate electrical parameters, torque and different loads. Those parameters are in many cases appropriate. However, power electronics in drives will also influence on torque ripple, temperature, vibration and acoustical noise from the motor and it is necessary to include those phenomena in the next generation of simulation tools for electrical drives. This paper describes a new design program where acoustic noise of electromagnetic origin can be simulated and even be heard by the motor and drives designer. The design program is based on a simple vibrational/acoustic model where the parameters can be calculated based on the geometry of the motor. Examples of vibrational/acoustical modelling are included and verified in both time and frequency domain. Special emphasis is on the switched reluctance motor. (au)

TeenDrivingPlan effectiveness: the effect of quantity and diversity of supervised practice on teens' driving performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirman, Jessica H; Albert, W Dustin; Curry, Allison E; Winston, Flaura K; Fisher Thiel, Megan C; Durbin, Dennis R

2014-11-01

The large contribution of inexperience to the high crash rate of newly licensed teens suggests that they enter licensure with insufficient skills. In a prior analysis, we found moderate support for a direct effect of a web-based intervention, the TeenDrivingPlan (TDP), on teens' driving performance. The purpose of the present study was to identify the mechanisms by which TDP may be effective and to extend our understanding of how teens learn to drive. A randomized controlled trial conducted with teen permit holders and parent supervisors (N = 151 dyads) was used to determine if the effect of TDP on driver performance operated through five hypothesized mediators: (1) parent-perceived social support; (2) teen-perceived social support; (3) parent engagement; (4) practice quantity; and (5) practice diversity. Certified driving evaluators, blinded to teens' treatment allocation, assessed teens' driving performance 24 weeks after enrollment. Mediator variables were assessed on self-report surveys administered periodically over the study period. Exposure to TDP increased teen-perceived social support, parent engagement, and practice diversity. Both greater practice quantity and diversity were associated with better driving performance, but only practice diversity mediated the relationship between TDP and driver performance. Practice diversity is feasible to change and increases teens' likelihood of completing a rigorous on-road driving assessment just before licensure. Future research should continue to identify mechanisms that diversify practice driving, explore complementary ways to help families optimize the time they spend on practice driving, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of TDP. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictions of of fast wave heating, current drive, and current drive antenna arrays for advanced tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batchelor, D.B.; Baity, F.W.; Carter, M.D.

1995-01-01

The objective of the advanced tokamak program is to optimize plasma performance leading to a compact tokamak reactor through active, steady state control of the current profile using non-inductive current drive and profile control. To achieve this objective requires compatibility and flexibility in the use of available heating and current drive systems - ion cyclotron radio frequency (ICRF), neutral beams, and lower hybrid. For any advanced tokamak, the following are important challenges to effective use of fast waves in various role of direct electron heating, minority ion heating, and current drive: (1) to employ the heating and current drive systems to give self-consistent pressure and current profiles leading to the desired advanced tokamak operating modes; (2) to minimize absorption of the fast waves by parasitic resonances, which limit current drive; (3) to optimize and control the spectrum of fast waves launched by the antenna array for the required mix of simultaneous heating and current drive. The paper addresses these issues using theoretical and computational tools developed at a number of institutions by benchmarking the computations against available experimental data and applying them to the specific case of TPX. (author). 6 refs, 3 figs

Start Later, Sleep Later: School Start Times and Adolescent Sleep in Homeschool vs. Public/Private School Students

Science.gov (United States)

Meltzer, Lisa J.; Shaheed, Keisha; Ambler, Devon

2014-01-01

Homeschool students provide a naturalistic comparison group for later/flexible school start times. This study compared sleep patterns and sleep hygiene for homeschool students and public/private school students (grades 6-12). Public/private school students (n=245) and homeschool students (n=162) completed a survey about sleep patterns and sleep hygiene. Significant school group differences were found for weekday bedtime, wake time, and total sleep time, with homeschool students waking later and obtaining more sleep. Homeschool students had later school start times, waking at the same time that public/private school students were starting school. Public/private school students had poorer sleep hygiene practices, reporting more homework and use of technology in the hour before bed. Regardless of school type, technology in the bedroom was associated with shorter sleep duration. Later school start times may be a potential countermeasure for insufficient sleep in adolescents. Future studies should further examine the relationship between school start times and daytime outcomes, including academic performance, mood, and health. PMID:25315902

Multi-function magnetic jack control drive mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bollinger, L.R.; Crawford, D.C.

1986-01-01

A multi-function magnetic jack control drive mechanism is described for controlling a nuclear reactor comprising: an elongate pressure housing; closely-spaced drive rods located in the pressure housing, the drive rod being connected to a reactor rod which is insertable in a reactor core; electrochemical stationary latch means which are selectively actuatable for holding a respective one of the drive rods stationary with respect to the pressure housing, the plurality of stationary latch means including at least one coil located about the pressure housing; longitudinally spaced electromechanical movable latch means, individually associated with one of the drive rods and each including a base for the drive rod associated therewith, for, when actuated, holding the associated drive rod stationary with respect to the base associated therewith, the movable latch means including an associated coil located about the pressure housing; and longitudinally spaced electromechanical lift means, individually associated with the base, for, when actuated, moving an associated base longitudinally along the pressure housing from a first position to a second position to thereby enable movement of one or more of the other drive rods longitudinally independently of the other drive rods in response to sequential and repeated operation of the electromechanical means, the lift means including an associated coil located about the pressure housing

Changes in self-reported driving intentions and attitudes while learning to drive in Great Britain.

Science.gov (United States)

Helman, S; Kinnear, N A D; McKenna, F P; Allsop, R E; Horswill, M S

2013-10-01

Novice drivers are overrepresented in traffic collisions, especially in their first year of solo driving. It is widely accepted that some driving behaviours (such as speeding and thrill-seeking) increase risk in this group. Increasingly research is suggesting that attitudes and behavioural intentions held in the pre-driver and learning stage are important in determining later driver behaviour in solo driving. In this study we examine changes in several self-reported attitudes and behavioural intentions across the learning stage in a sample of learner drivers in Great Britain. A sample of 204 learner drivers completed a self-report questionnaire near the beginning of their learning, and then again shortly after they passed their practical driving test. Results showed that self-reported intentions regarding speed choice, perceptions regarding skill level, and intentions regarding thrill-seeking (through driving) became less safe over this time period, while self-reported intentions regarding following distance and overtaking tendency became safer. The results are discussed with reference to models of driver behaviour that focus on task difficulty; it is suggested that the manner in which behind-the-wheel experience relates to the risk measures of interest may be the key determining factor in how these change over the course of learning to drive. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adjustable speed drive study, part 1

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, A.

1989-08-01

Advances in speed control for motors in recent years, notably those in power electronics, have widened the range of application for several adjustable speed drive (ASD) types to include the smaller horsepower sizes. The dc motor drive, formerly in almost universal use for speed control, is being challenged by the high efficiency induction motor/pulse width modulation (PWM) drive; and for special small horsepower size applications, by the permanent magnet motor/PWM inverter drive or by the switched reluctance motor drive. The main characteristics of the several ASD types suitable for small horsepower size applications are discussed, as well as their unwanted side effects: poor power factor, harmonic distortion of the supply, acoustic noise, and electromagnetic interference. A procedure is recommended for determining which, if any, ASD to use.

Prevalence of texting while driving and other risky driving behaviors among young people in Ontario, Canada: Evidence from 2012 and 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Sean; Pek, Simon; Morrish, Jayne; Ruf, Megan

2015-11-01

This paper reports on the prevalence of texting while driving and other risky driving behaviors by age and gender in two large samples of youth aged 16-19 years in Ontario, Canada. In Study 1 (N=6133), we found that males reported more frequent texting while driving and speeding than females and, in terms of age, sixteen year olds reported frequent texting while driving than older participants. In Study 2 (N=4450), which was conducted two years later, males again reported more frequent texting while driving, however there was no difference in the rate of talking on the phone while driving among males and females. Participants also reported on experiences that led to a significant reduction in their texting while driving. The most common reasons were the perceived danger of texting while driving, laws and fines against texting while driving, and observing close-calls and accidents experienced by other people. The results of both studies suggest that driving-related risk-taking behaviors co-occur and that young passengers in vehicles, including 14 and 15 year olds, are bystanders to texting while driving. Finally, there was a substantial decline in the prevalence of texting while driving across the studies. In Study 1, 27% of participants reported "sometimes" to "almost always" texting while driving compared to 6% of participants in Study 2. Limitations and implications for public campaigns targeted youth distracted driving are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low Sex Drive in Women

Science.gov (United States)

Low sex drive in women Overview Women's sexual desires naturally fluctuate over the years. Highs and lows commonly coincide ... used for mood disorders also can cause low sex drive in women. If your lack of interest ...

Distracted Driving Raises Crash Risk

Science.gov (United States)

... this issue Health Capsule Distracted Driving Raises Crash Risk En español Send us your comments Video technology ... distracted driving, especially among new drivers, raises the risk for car crashes and near crashes. The study ...

On-the-road driving performance and driving-related skills in older untreated insomnia patients and chronic users of hypnotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Leufkens, T R M; Ramaekers, J G; de Weerd, A W; Riedel, W J; Vermeeren, A

2014-07-01

Many older adults report sleep problems and use of hypnotics. Several studies have shown that hypnotics can have acute adverse effects on driving the next morning. It is unclear however whether driving of chronic hypnotic users is impaired. Therapeutic effects on insomnia and development of tolerance may reduce the residual effects on driving. The present study aimed to compare actual driving performance and driving-related skills of chronic hypnotic users to good sleepers. To determine whether insomnia itself affects driving performance, driving and driving-related skills were compared between insomnia patients who do not or infrequently use hypnotics and good sleepers. Twenty-two frequent users of hypnotics (using hypnotics ≥ 4 nights per week for more than 3 months), 20 infrequent users (using hypnotics ≤ 3 nights per week), and 21 healthy, age-matched controls participated in this study. On the night before testing, all subjects were hospitalized for an 8-h sleep recorded by polysomnography. Frequent hypnotic users used their regular medication at bedtime (2330 hours), while infrequent users and controls received no medication. Cognitive performance (word learning, digit span, tracking, divided attention, vigilance, and inhibitory control) was assessed 8.5 h and driving performance between 10 and 11 h after bedtime and dosing. Polysomnographic recordings did not significantly differ between the groups, but the insomnia patients, treated or untreated, still reported subjective sleep complaints. Results show no differences in driving performance and driving-related skills between both groups of insomnia patients and controls. Driving performance in chronic users of hypnotics and untreated insomnia patients is not impaired. For chronic users, this may be due to prescription of relatively safe drugs and low doses. For untreated insomniacs, this corroborates previous findings showing an absence of neuropsychological deficits in this group of patients.

Teens' distracted driving behavior: Prevalence and predictors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gershon, Pnina; Zhu, Chunming; Klauer, Sheila G; Dingus, Tom; Simons-Morton, Bruce

2017-12-01

Teen drivers' over-involvement in crashes has been attributed to a variety of factors, including distracted driving. With the rapid development of in-vehicle systems and portable electronic devices, the burden associated with distracted driving is expected to increase. The current study identifies predictors of secondary task engagement among teenage drivers and provides basis for interventions to reduce distracted driving behavior. We described the prevalence of secondary tasks by type and driving conditions and evaluated the associations between the prevalence of secondary task engagement, driving conditions, and selected psychosocial factors. The private vehicles of 83 newly-licensed teenage drivers were equipped with Data Acquisition Systems (DAS), which documented driving performance measures, including secondary task engagement and driving environment characteristics. Surveys administered at licensure provided psychosocial measures. Overall, teens engaged in a potentially distracting secondary task in 58% of sampled road clips. The most prevalent types of secondary tasks were interaction with a passenger, talking/singing (no passenger), external distraction, and texting/dialing the cell phone. Secondary task engagement was more prevalent among those with primary vehicle access and when driving alone. Social norms, friends' risky driving behaviors, and parental limitations were significantly associated with secondary task prevalence. In contrast, environmental attributes, including lighting and road surface conditions, were not associated with teens' engagement in secondary tasks. Our findings indicated that teens engaged in secondary tasks frequently and poorly regulate their driving behavior relative to environmental conditions. Practical applications: Peer and parent influences on secondary task engagement provide valuable objectives for countermeasures to reduce distracted driving among teenage drivers. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and

Starting a business through a franchise

OpenAIRE

Dubravka Mahaček; Maja Martinko Lihtar

2013-01-01

A business can be launched by establishing a new entity, purchasing an existing entity or through a franc - hise. There are certain prerequisites for starting a business, the most important ones being a quality idea and start-up capital. Potential start-up difficulties are inadequate financing, existing competition as well as the process of building your own market position. By purchasing an existing business some risks may be avoided and the opportunity for gaining profit may ...

Supporting safe driving with arthritis: developing a driving toolkit for clinical practice and consumer use.

Science.gov (United States)

Vrkljan, Brenda H; Cranney, Ann; Worswick, Julia; O'Donnell, Siobhan; Li, Linda C; Gélinas, Isabelle; Byszewski, Anna; Man-Son-Hing, Malcolm; Marshall, Shawn

2010-01-01

We conducted a series of focus groups to explore the information needs of clinicians and consumers related to arthritis and driving. An open coding analysis identified common themes across both consumer and clinician-based focus groups that underscored the importance of addressing driving-related concerns and the challenges associated with assessing safety. The results revealed that although driving is critical for maintaining independence and community mobility, drivers with arthritis experience several problems that can affect safe operation of a motor vehicle. Findings from this study are part of a broader research initiative that will inform the development of the Arthritis and Driving toolkit. This toolkit outlines strategies to support safe mobility for people with arthritis and will be an important resource in the coming years given the aging population.

The combined contribution of personality, family traits, and reckless driving intentions to young men's risky driving: What role does anger play?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taubman – Ben-Ari, Orit; Kaplan, Sigal; Lotan, Tsippy

2016-01-01

of 163 young male drivers, who also completed self-report instruments tapping traits and perceptions. Personality traits were assessed near in time to receipt of the driving license, and actual risky driving and driving-related variables were measured 9–12 months after licensure to examine relatively......The study investigated the relation between the risky driving behavior of young male drivers and their personality traits, familial attitudes and conduct in respect to road safety, intentions to drive recklessly, and driving anger. In-vehicle data recorders were used to measure the actual driving...... stable driving behavior and attitudes. Findings indicate that (a) young male drivers’ personality traits and tendencies play a major role in predicting risky behavior; (b) intentions to drive recklessly are translated into actual behavior; and (c) the parental role is extremely relevant and counteracts...

Drive piston assembly for a valve actuator assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zongxuan

2010-02-23

A drive piston assembly is provided that is operable to selectively open a poppet valve. The drive piston assembly includes a cartridge defining a generally stepped bore. A drive piston is movable within the generally stepped bore and a boost sleeve is coaxially disposed with respect to the drive piston. A main fluid chamber is at least partially defined by the generally stepped bore, drive piston, and boost sleeve. First and second feedback chambers are at least partially defined by the drive piston and each are disposed at opposite ends of the drive piston. At least one of the drive piston and the boost sleeve is sufficiently configured to move within the generally stepped bore in response to fluid pressure within the main fluid chamber to selectively open the poppet valve. A valve actuator assembly and engine are also provided incorporating the disclosed drive piston assembly.

Hohlraums energy balance and x-ray drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilkenny, J.D.

1994-01-01

For many years there has been an active ICF program in the US concentrating on x-ray drive. X-ray drive is produced by focusing laser beams into a high Z hohlraum. Conceptually, the radiation field comes close to thermodynamic equilibrium, that is it becomes isotropic and Planckian. These properties lead to the benefits of x-ray drive--it is relatively easy to obtain drive symmetry on a capsule with no small scalelengths drive perturbations. Other advantages of x-ray drive is the higher mass ablation rate, leading to lower growth rates for hydrodynamic instabilities. X-ray drive has disadvantages, principally the loss of energy to the walls of the hohlraum. This report is divided into the following sections: (1) review of blackbody radiation; (2) laser absorption and conversion to x-rays; (3) x-ray absorption coefficient in matter and Rosseland mean free path; (4) Marshak waves in high Z material; (5) x-ray albedo; and (6) power balance and hohlraum temperature

Effectiveness of Variable Message Signs on Driving Behavior Based on a Driving Simulation Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuedong Yan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Variable message signs (VMSs, as one of the important ITS devices, provide real-time traffic information of road network to drivers in order to improve route choice and relieve the traffic congestion. In this study, the effectiveness of VMS on driving behavior was tested based on a driving simulation experiment. A road network with three levels of VMS location to route-diverging intersection and three types of VMS information format was designed in a high fidelity driving simulator platform. Fifty-two subjects who were classified by driver age, gender, and vocation successfully completed this experiment. The experimental results showed that driver characteristics, VMS location, and information format profoundly influence driving behaviors. Based on the research findings, it is suggested that VMS would be positioned between 150 m and 200 m upstream of the diverging point to balance the VMS effects on traffic safety and operation and the graphic information VMS format is better than the format with text massage only.

Driving Under the Influence (of Language).

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Daniel Paul; Bronikowski, Scott Alan; Yu, Haonan; Siskind, Jeffrey Mark

2017-06-09

We present a unified framework which supports grounding natural-language semantics in robotic driving. This framework supports acquisition (learning grounded meanings of nouns and prepositions from human sentential annotation of robotic driving paths), generation (using such acquired meanings to generate sentential description of new robotic driving paths), and comprehension (using such acquired meanings to support automated driving to accomplish navigational goals specified in natural language). We evaluate the performance of these three tasks by having independent human judges rate the semantic fidelity of the sentences associated with paths. Overall, machine performance is 74.9%, while the performance of human annotators is 83.8%.

The cell phone : a dangerous driving distraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kutlay, J. [Alberta Motor Association, Calgary, AB (Canada); Ure, D. [Shell Canada Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2005-07-01

Shell Canada demands that workers do not operate telecommunication systems while operating a motor vehicle for company business, with the exception of short acknowledgment conversations. This power point presentation advised of the dangers of using cell phones while driving. Cell phone use while driving is considered to be mentally demanding as well as contributing to slower reaction times to hazards and reducing driving field of view. Research has indicated that drivers visualize an image of the person being spoken to, in addition to thinking about issues being discussed. Statistics from the United Kingdom reveal that drivers engaged in cell phone conversations are 4 times more likely to crash than other drivers, and take risks comparable to alcohol impaired driving, as well as showing significantly poorer driving performance. Various types of driver distractions were presented. A comparison between radio and cell phones was presented. It was suggested that drivers should not take a phone call while driving alone, and in an emergency, should pull off the road to receive or send phone calls. It was also suggested that callers should ask if a person is driving, and end a conversation if they suspect the person is driving. tabs, figs.

Impaired Driving

Science.gov (United States)

... Get the Facts What Works: Strategies to Increase Car Seat and Booster Seat ... narcotics. 3 That’s one percent of the 111 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. ...

Adolescence, attention allocation, and driving safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Romer, Daniel; Lee, Yi-Ching; McDonald, Catherine C; Winston, Flaura K

2014-05-01

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading source of morbidity and mortality in adolescents in the United States and the developed world. Inadequate allocation of attention to the driving task and to driving hazards are important sources of adolescent crashes. We review major explanations for these attention failures with particular focus on the roles that brain immaturity and lack of driving experience play in causing attention problems. The review suggests that the potential for overcoming inexperience and immaturity with training to improve attention to both the driving task and hazards is substantial. Nevertheless, there are large individual differences in both attentional abilities and risky driving tendencies that pose challenges to novice driver policies. Research that can provide evidence-based direction for such policies is urgently needed. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Small Screen Use and Driving Safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Atchley, Paul; Strayer, David L

2017-11-01

The increased availability of "small screens," wireless devices with Internet-enabled connections, and their associated applications has almost overnight changed the way that we interact with our phones. The current work outlines some of the aspects of this problem as it relates to the influence of small screens on driving safety. Small screens are highly compelling to drivers, both for the information they convey and because the ability to ignore them while driving is impaired by cognitive resources used by the driving task itself. However, much is unknown about why people make choices to multitask while driving. Given the safety risks, it is recommended that parents, the public, and regulators take a stand against the use of Internet-enabled small screens unrelated to driving when the vehicle is in motion. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The physics basis for ignition using indirect-drive targets on the National Ignition Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindl, John D.; Amendt, Peter; Berger, Richard L.; Glendinning, S. Gail; Glenzer, Siegfried H.; Haan, Steven W.; Kauffman, Robert L.; Landen, Otto L.; Suter, Laurence J.

2004-01-01

drive temperature, drive symmetry, and hydrodynamic instability. This paper starts with a review of the NIF target designs that have formed the motivation for the goals of the target physics program. Following that are theoretical and experimental results from Nova and Omega relevant to the requirements of those targets. Some elements of this work were covered in a 1995 review of indirect-drive [J. D. Lindl, 'Development of the indirect-drive approach to inertial confinement fusion and the target physics basis for ignition and gain', Phys. Plasmas 2, 3933 (1995)]. In order to present as complete a picture as possible of the research that has been carried out on indirect drive, key elements of that earlier review are also covered here, along with a review of work carried out since 1995

Comparison of outcomes between emergent-start and planned-start peritoneal dialysis in incident ESRD patients: a prospective observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen-Yi; Wang, Yi-Cheng; Hwang, Shang-Jyh; Lin, Shih-Hua; Wu, Kwan-Dun; Chen, Yung-Ming

2017-12-11

The clinical consequences of starting chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) after emergent dialysis via a temporary hemodialysis (HD) catheter has rarely been evaluated within a full spectrum of treated end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We investigated the longer-term outcomes of patients undergoing emergent-start PD in comparison with that of other practices of PD or HD in a prospective cohort of new-onset ESRD. This was a 2-year prospective observational study. We enrolled 507 incident ESRD patients, among them 111 chose PD (43 planned-start, 68 emergent-start) and 396 chose HD (116 planned-start, 280 emergent-start) as the long-term dialysis modality. The logistic regression model was used to identify variables associated with emergent-start dialysis. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to determine patient survival and technique failure. The propensity score-adjusted Cox regression model was used to identify factors associated with patient outcomes. During the 2-year follow-up, we observed 5 (4.5%) deaths, 15 (13.5%) death-censored technique failures (transfer to HD) and 3 (2.7%) renal transplantations occurring in the PD population. Lack of predialysis education, lower predialysis estimated glomerular filtration rate and serum albumin were predictors of being assigned to emergent dialysis initiation. The emergent starters of PD displayed similar risks of patient survival, technique failure and overall hospitalization, compared with the planned-start counterparts. By contrast, the concurrent planned-start and emergent-start HD patients with an arteriovenous fistula or graft were protected from early overall death and access infection-related mortality, compared with the emergent HD starters using a central venous catheter. In late-referred chronic kidney disease patients who have initiated emergent dialysis via a temporary HD catheter, post-initiation PD can be a safe and effective long-term treatment option. Nevertheless, due to the potential complications

The influence of age-related health difficulties and attitudes toward driving on driving self-regulation in the baby boomer and older adult generations.

Science.gov (United States)

Conlon, Elizabeth G; Rahaley, Nicole; Davis, Jessica

2017-05-01

Our study aimed to determine how age- and disease-related difficulties were associated with attitudes and beliefs about driving self-regulation in men and women in the baby boomer and older generations. Three hundred and ninety-nine men (n=204) and women (n=195) aged between 48 and 91 years participated in a cross-sectional study of Australian drivers. Demographic characteristics and measures of driving confidence, driving difficulty and driving self-regulation; perceptions of visual, physical and cognitive capacity; and attitudes and beliefs about driving were obtained. Driving self-regulation in men and women was explained by different mechanisms. For men, self-report of visual and cognitive difficulties and poor driving confidence predicted driving self-regulation. For women, negative attitudes toward driving mediated the associations found between health-related difficulties and driving self-regulation. Barriers to driving self-regulation were not associated with the driving self-regulatory practices of men or women. Regardless of generation, women reported poorer driving confidence, greater driving difficulty and more driving self-regulation than men. We concluded that age- and disease-related difficulties are related to increasing driving self-regulation in mature men and women. These results indicate that different pathways are needed in models of driving self-regulation for men and women regardless of generational cohort. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marijuana and actual driving performance

Science.gov (United States)

1993-11-01

This report concerns the effects of marijuana smoking on actual driving performance. It presents the results of one pilot and three actual driving studies. The pilot study's major purpose was to establish the THC dose current marijuana users smoke to...

Control rod drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watando, Kosaku; Tanaka, Yuzo; Mizumura, Yasuhiro; Hosono, Kazuya.

1975-01-01

Object: To provide a simple and compact construction of an apparatus for driving a drive shaft inside with a magnetic force from the outside of the primary system water side. Structure: The weight of a plunger provided with an attraction plate is supported by a plunger lift spring means so as to provide a buffer action at the time of momentary movement while also permitting the load on lift coil to be constituted solely by the load on the drive shaft. In addition, by arranging the attraction plate and lift coil so that they face each other with a small gap there-between, it is made possible to reduce the size and permit efficient utilization of the attracting force. Because of the small size, cooling can be simply carried out. Further, since there is no mechanical penetration portion, there is no possibility of leakage of the primary system water. Furthermore, concentration of load on a latch pin is prevented by arranging so that with a structure the load of the control rod to be directly beared through the scrum latch. (Kamimura, M.)

Lean Start-up in Established Companies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Goduscheit, René Chester

2018-01-01

Lean start-up is an emergent perspective on how entrepreneurs can bring new products and services to the market. This approach challenges the dominant role of lengthy business plans, linear product development processes, and seeking complete overview of the potential of the new products....../services before market launch. Instead it suggests that start-ups could benefit from a ‘minimum-viable product’ approach where products and services are launched when they contain critical features. The emphasis in the lean start-up approach is on business models rather than the elaborate business plan...... at the companies (strategy meetings, development workshops etc.). The aim is to shed light on the implications for companies that seek to employ lean start-up. These implications will be aimed at aspects like innovation management, organizational structure, customer relations etc....

Belt drive construction improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.Yu. Khomenko

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The possibility of the traction capacity increase of the belt drive TRK is examined. This was done for the purpose of air conditioning system of passenger car with double-generator system energy supplying. Belts XPC (made by the German firm «Continental ContiTech» testing were conducted. The results confirmed the possibility of their usage in order to improve belt drive TRK characteristics.

Time travel and warp drives a scientific guide to shortcuts through time and space

CERN Document Server

Everett, Allen

2012-01-01

Sci-fi makes it look so easy. Receive a distress call from Alpha Centauri? No problem: punch the warp drive and you're there in minutes. Facing a catastrophe that can't be averted? Just pop back in the timestream and stop it before it starts. But for those of us not lucky enough to live in a science-fictional universe, are these ideas merely flights of fancy—or could it really be possible to travel through time or take shortcuts between stars?Cutting-edge physics may not be able to answer those questions yet, but it does offer up some tantalizing possibilities. In Time Travel and W

Fluctuating attentional demand in a simulated driving assessment: the roles of age and driving complexity.

Science.gov (United States)

Stinchcombe, Arne; Gagnon, Sylvain; Zhang, J Jane; Montembeault, Patricia; Bedard, Michel

2011-12-01

The purpose of the study was to explore age differences in attentional demand in response to driving situations of varying complexity within the context of a simulated assessment protocol. It was hypothesized that as road complexity increased, an indicator of attentional demand (i.e., latency to respond to a secondary task) would increase and, independent of the road complexity, older adults would exhibit greater attentional demand in comparison with younger and middle-aged drivers. Drivers from 3 age categories (i.e., young, middle-aged, and older) completed an assessment protocol in a STISIM driving simulator (Systems Technology, Inc., Hawthorne, CA) during which participants responded to a series of strategically placed secondary tasks (i.e., peripheral detection tasks, PDTs). Situations where secondary tasks occurred were grouped according to whether they were straight-road, crossing-path, or lane-change events. Two global indices of driving safety as well as several cognitive measures external to the driving simulator were also collected. The results supported the hypothesis in that complex driving situations elicited greater attentional demand among drivers of all ages. Older adults showed greater attentional demand in comparison to young and middle-aged adults even after controlling for baseline response time. Older drivers also scored poorer on a global measure of driving safety. The findings are highly consistent with the literature on road complexity and attention that show that increased driving complexity is associated with poorer performance on tasks designed to concurrently assess attention, an effect that is more pronounced for older drivers. The results point to intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) among older drivers. The relevance of these findings is discussed in relation to interventions and future research aimed at improving road safety.

Community Drive

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnussen, Rikke

2018-01-01

Schools and educational institutions are challenged by not adequately educating students for independent knowledge collaboration and solving of complex societal challenges (Bundsgaard & Hansen, 2016; Slot et al., 2017). As an alternative strategy to formal learning has Community-driven research...... opportunity to break boundaries between research institutions and surrounding communities through the involvement of new types of actors, knowledge forms and institutions (OECD, 2011). This paper presents the project Community Drive a three year cross disciplinary community-driven game– and data-based project....... In the paper we present how the project Community Drive initiated in May 2018 is based on results from pilot projects conducted from 2014 – 2017. Overall these studies showed that it is a strong motivational factor for students to be given the task to change their living conditions through redesign...

Psychometrics of the AAN Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire and contributors to caregiver concern about driving safety in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Janessa O; Springate, Beth; Bernier, Rachel A; Davis, Jennifer

2018-03-01

ABSTRACTBackground:The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) updated their practice parameters in the evaluation of driving risk in dementia and developed a Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire, detailed in their original manuscript (Iverson Gronseth, Reger, Classen, Dubinsky, & Rizzo, 2010). They described four factors associated with decreased driving ability in dementia patients: history of crashes or citations, informant-reported concerns, reduced mileage, and aggressive driving. An informant-reported AAN Caregiver Driving Safety Questionnaire was designed with these elements, and the current study was the first to explore the factor structure of this questionnaire. Additionally, we examined associations between these factors and cognitive and behavioral measures in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's disease and their informants. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-component structure, consistent with the theory behind the AAN scale composition. These four factor scores also were significantly associated with performance on cognitive screening instruments and informant reported behavioral dysfunction. Regressions revealed that behavioral dysfunction predicted caregiver concerns about driving safety beyond objective patient cognitive dysfunction. In this first known quantitative exploration of the scale, our results support continued use of this scale in office driving safety assessments. Additionally, patient behavioral changes predicted caregiver concerns about driving safety over and above cognitive status, which suggests that caregivers may benefit from psychoeducation about cognitive factors that may negatively impact driving safety.

Characterizing on-road driving performance in individuals with traumatic brain injury who pass or fail an on-road driving assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Stolwyk, Renerus J; Charlton, Judith L; Ross, Pamela E; Bédard, Michel; Marshall, Shawn; Gagnon, Sylvain; Gooden, James R; Ponsford, Jennie L

2018-01-15

To characterise on-road driving performance in individuals with traumatic brain injury who fail on-road driving assessment, compared with both those who pass assessment and healthy controls, and the injury and cognitive factors associated with driving performance. Cross-sectional. Forty eight participants with traumatic brain injury (Age M = 40.50 SD = 14.62, 77% male, post-traumatic amnesia days M = 28.74 SD =27.68) and 48 healthy matched controls completed a standardised on-road driving assessment in addition to cognitive measures. Individuals with traumatic brain injury who passed on-road driving assessment performed no differently from controls while individuals with traumatic brain injury who failed the assessment demonstrated significantly worse driving performance relative to controls across a range of driving manoeuvres and error types including observation of on-road environment, speed control, gap selection, lane position, following distance and basic car control. Longer time post-injury and reduced visual perception were both significantly correlated with reduced driving skills. This exploratory study indicated that drivers with traumatic brain injury who failed on-road assessment demonstrated a heterogeneous pattern of impaired driving manoeuvres, characterised by skill deficits across both operational (e.g., basic car control and lane position) and tactical domains (e.g., following distance, gap selection, and observation) of driving. These preliminary findings can be used for implementation of future driving assessments and rehabilitation programs. Implications for rehabilitation Clinicians should be aware that the majority of individuals with traumatic brain injury were deemed fit to resume driving following formal on-road assessment, despite having moderate to very severe traumatic brain injuries. Drivers with traumatic brain injury who failed an on-road assessment demonstrated a heterogeneous pattern of impaired skills including errors

Control rod selecting and driving device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isobe, Hideo.

1981-01-01

Purpose: To simultaneously drive a predetermined number of control rods in a predetermined mode by the control of addresses for predetermined number of control rods and read or write of driving codified data to and from the memory by way of a memory controller. Constitution: The system comprises a control rod information selection device for selecting predetermined control rods from a plurality of control rods disposed in a reactor and outputting information for driving them in a predetermined mode, a control rod information output device for codifying the information outputted from the above device and outputting the addresses to the predetermined control rods and driving mode coded data, and a driving device for driving said predetermined control rods in a predetermined mode in accordance with the codified data outputted from the above device, said control rod infromation output device comprising a memory device capable of storing a predetermined number of the codified data and a memory control device for storing the predetermined number of data into the above memory device at a predetermined timing while successively outputting the thus stored predetermined number of data at a predetermined timing. (Seki, T.)

Glare disability and driving safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Babizhayev, M A

2003-01-01

Increasing investigation of the visual elements of safe driving environments may be of great benefit to society. Visual disability appears to be only one of many visual factors related to traffic accidents. The purpose of this article was to examine the type of visual impairment mediated by the increased glare sensitivity in adult drivers using the original halometer glare test. In this article, the visual sensory, cognitive and motor functions relevant to driving, their measurement, the epidemiology and prevention of age-associated functional impairments and the relationship of functional impairments to both self-reported driving and the imposition of legal restrictions are reviewed. The problem of night and tunnel driving is the most urgent in relation to the effects of glare from vehicle headlights on motion perception of drivers. The reduced mesopic vision and increased sensitivity to glare are accompanied by an increased risk of nighttime accidents. Elderly drivers and patients with beginning cataract cannot sufficiently fulfill the criteria for night driving ability because of contrast and glare sensitivity. It is indispensable for the parameters mentioned to be carefully measured and for drivers to be informed that night driving ability may be impaired, even if visual acuity is sufficient. It would be advisable for traffic safety if simple tests for contrast and glare sensitivity were implemented for vehicles and/or were regularly added to the requirements for a driver's licence, at least for older drivers. The age, functional status and test result limits should be defined to avoid a risk factor in traffic. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

Chronotype-dependent circadian rhythmicity of driving safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Rio-Bermudez, Carlos; Diaz-Piedra, Carolina; Catena, Andrés; Buela-Casal, Gualberto; Di Stasi, Leandro Luigi

2014-05-01

Among the factors associated with driving safety, sleep-related variables constitute a leading cause of road accidents. Circadian fluctuations of driver's somnolence has been previously linked to road safety. However, the role of chronotype in this relationship has been poorly investigated. Thus, the aim of the present work was to address whether driving performance is influenced by circadian patterns, in turn modulated by the driver's chronotype and the time of day (i.e. synchrony effect). We assessed 47 healthy young adults with specific chronotypes in several simulated driving sessions, both in the morning and in the evening. We collected driving performance data, along with self-reported levels of activation prior to each driving session and other sleep-related variables. Participants drove less safely when testing times took place outside their optimal time of day, as determined by their chronotype and confirmed by self-reported levels of activation. These differences were more pronounced in the morning, when morning types shown a better driving performance. Our results suggest that chronotype plays an important role as a modulator of the relationship between the time of day and driving safety. Therefore, it is necessary to acknowledge this variable in theoretical models of driving behavior, and for the improvement of occupational accidents prevention programs.

Factors affecting return to driving post-stroke.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Tan, K M

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: Stroke can affect a person\\'s ability to drive, an important means of transportation in the developed world. AIMS: To determine percentage of patients and factors associated with return to driving post-stroke in a service with emphasis on driver assessment. METHODS: Retrospective study of patients discharged from the Stroke Service of our 470-bed teaching hospital from 1998 to 2002. RESULTS: Of 72 drivers pre-stroke, 54% recalled a driving assessment and 68% returned to driving. Younger patients (58.6 +\\/- 12.0 vs. 66.5 +\\/- 10.5, p = 0.008) with lower Modified Rankin Score (median 1 vs. 2, p = 0.0001) and normal cognition (55 vs. 43%, p = 0.45) were more likely to resume driving. More patients who were assessed returned to driving than those who were not (74 vs. 61%, p = 0.31). CONCLUSIONS: A relatively high level of return to driving can be achieved post-stroke with a pro-active approach to driver assessment and rehabilitation. A structured assessment and referral programme should be offered where appropriate.

Drug Abuse Prevention Starts with Parents

Science.gov (United States)

... Stages Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Drug Abuse Prevention Starts with Parents Page Content Article Body ... for a time when drugs may be offered. Drug abuse prevention starts with parents learning how to talk ...

Training driving ability in a traumatic brain-injured individual using a driving simulator: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imhoff S

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Sarah Imhoff,1,2 Martin Lavallière,3,4 Mathieu Germain-Robitaille,5 Normand Teasdale,5–7 Philippe Fait,1,2,8 1Department of Human Kinetics, 2Research Group on Neuromusculoskeletal Dysfunctions (GRAN, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada; 3Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, Cambridge, MA, USA; 4Department of Health Sciences, Program of Kinesiology, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, 5Faculté de Médecine, Département de Kinésiologie, 6Groupe de recherche en analyse du mouvement et ergonomie, Université Laval, 7CHU de Québec – Université Laval, Centre d’excellence sur le vieillissement de Québec, 8Research Center in Neuropsychology and Cognition (CERNEC, Montréal, QC, Canada Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI causes functional deficits that may significantly interfere with numerous activities of daily living such as driving. We report the case of a 20-year-old woman having lost her driver’s license after sustaining a moderate TBI.Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an in-simulator training program with automated feedback on driving performance in a TBI individual.Methods: The participant underwent an initial and a final in-simulator driving assessment and 11 in-simulator training sessions with driving-specific automated feedbacks. Driving performance (simulation duration, speed regulation and lateral positioning was measured in the driving simulator.Results: Speeding duration decreased during training sessions from 1.50 ± 0.80 min (4.16 ± 2.22% to 0.45 ± 0.15 min (0.44 ± 0.42% but returned to initial duration after removal of feedbacks for the final assessment. Proper lateral positioning improved with training and was maintained at the final assessment. Time spent in an incorrect lateral position decreased from 18.85 min (53.61% in the initial assessment to 1.51 min (4.64% on the final assessment.Conclusion: Driving simulators represent an

Fundamental limitations on 'warp drive' spacetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobo, Francisco S N; Visser, Matt

2004-01-01

'Warp drive' spacetimes are useful as 'gedanken-experiments' that force us to confront the foundations of general relativity, and among other things, to precisely formulate the notion of 'superluminal' communication. After carefully formulating the Alcubierre and Natario warp drive spacetimes, and verifying their non-perturbative violation of the classical energy conditions, we consider a more modest question and apply linearized gravity to the weak-field warp drive, testing the energy conditions to first and second orders of the warp-bubble velocity, v. Since we take the warp-bubble velocity to be non-relativistic, v << c, we are not primarily interested in the 'superluminal' features of the warp drive. Instead we focus on a secondary feature of the warp drive that has not previously been remarked upon-the warp drive (if it could be built) would be an example of a 'reaction-less drive'. For both the Alcubierre and Natario warp drives we find that the occurrence of significant energy condition violations is not just a high-speed effect, but that the violations persist even at arbitrarily low speeds. A particularly interesting feature of this construction is that it is now meaningful to think of placing a finite mass spaceship at the centre of the warp bubble, and then see how the energy in the warp field compares with the mass-energy of the spaceship. There is no hope of doing this in Alcubierre's original version of the warp field, since by definition the point at the centre of the warp bubble moves on a geodesic and is 'massless'. That is, in Alcubierre's original formalism and in the Natario formalism the spaceship is always treated as a test particle, while in the linearized theory we can treat the spaceship as a finite mass object. For both the Alcubierre and Natario warp drives we find that even at low speeds the net (negative) energy stored in the warp fields must be a significant fraction of the mass of the spaceship

Control rod driving mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ooshima, Yoshio.

1983-01-01

Purpose: To perform reliable scram operation, even if abnormality should occur in a system instructing scram operation in FBR type reactors. Constitution: An aluminum alloy member to be melt at a predetermined temperature (about 600sup(o)C) is disposed to a connection part between a control rod and a driving mechanism, whereby the control rod is detached from the driving mechanism and gravitationally fallen to the reactor core. (Ikeda, J.)

Optimising homing endonuclease gene drive performance in a semi-refractory species: the Drosophila melanogaster experience.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuk-Sang Chan

Full Text Available Homing endonuclease gene (HEG drive is a promising insect population control technique that employs meganucleases to impair the fitness of pest populations. Our previous studies showed that HEG drive was more difficult to achieve in Drosophila melanogaster than Anopheles gambiae and we therefore investigated ways of improving homing performance in Drosophila. We show that homing in Drosophila responds to increased expression of HEGs specifically during the spermatogonia stage and this could be achieved through improved construct design. We found that 3'-UTR choice was important to maximise expression levels, with HEG activity increasing as we employed Hsp70, SV40, vasa and βTub56D derived UTRs. We also searched for spermatogonium-specific promoters and found that the Rcd-1r promoter was able to drive specific expression at this stage. Since Rcd-1 is a regulator of differentiation in other species, it suggests that Rcd-1r may serve a similar role during spermatogonial differentiation in Drosophila. Contrary to expectations, a fragment containing the entire region between the TBPH gene and the bgcn translational start drove strong HEG expression only during late spermatogenesis rather than in the germline stem cells and spermatogonia as expected. We also observed that the fraction of targets undergoing homing was temperature-sensitive, falling nearly four-fold when the temperature was lowered to 18°C. Taken together, this study demonstrates how a few simple measures can lead to substantial improvements in the HEG-based gene drive strategy and reinforce the idea that the HEG approach may be widely applicable to a variety of insect control programs.

Batu Pahat Driving Cycle for Light Duty Gasoline Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Zainul Abidin, Zainul Ameerul Ikhsan B.; Faisal Hushim, Mohd; Ahmad, Osman Bin

2017-08-01

Driving cycle is a series of data points that represents the vehicle speed versus time. Transient driving cycles involve many changes such as frequent speed changes during typical on-road driving condition [2]. Model driving cycles involve protracted periods at constant speeds. The Batu Pahat Driving Cycle (BPDC) developed to represent the driving pattern of people in a district of Batu Pahat. Based on this driving cycle, it will be a reference to other researchers to study about the gases emission release and fuel consumption by the vehicle on the dynamometer or automotive simulation based on this driving cycle. Existing driving cycles used such as the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the Federal Test Procedure (FTP-72/75, and Japan 10-15 Mode Cycle is not appropriate for Batu Pahat district because of different road conditions, driving habits and environmental of developed driving cycle countries are not same [2][14]. Batu Pahat drive cycle was developed for low-capacity gasoline engine under 150 cc and operating on urban roads, rural roads and road around Universiti Tun Hussein Onn. The importance of these driving cycle as the reference for other research to measure and do automotive simulation regarding fuel consumption and gas emission release from the motorcycle for these three type of driving cycle area. Another use for driving cycles is in vehicle simulations [3]. More specifically, they are used in propulsion system simulations to predict the performance of internal combustion engines, transmissions, electric drive systems, batteries, fuel cell systems, and similar components [18]. Data collection methods used in this study is the use of Global Positioning System (GPS). The results obtained are not similar to each other due to differences in congestion on data taken. From the driving cycle graph obtained, such as the average velocity, maximum velocity, the duration and Positive Acceleration Kinetic Energy (PKE) can be determined. In addition, the best

Simulation and Analysis of Roller Chain Drive Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Sine Leergaard

The subject of this thesis is simulation and analysis of large roller chain drive systems, such as e.g. used in marine diesel engines. The aim of developing a chain drive simulation program is to analyse dynamic phenomena of chain drive systems and investigate different design changes to the syst......The subject of this thesis is simulation and analysis of large roller chain drive systems, such as e.g. used in marine diesel engines. The aim of developing a chain drive simulation program is to analyse dynamic phenomena of chain drive systems and investigate different design changes...... mathematical models, and compare to the prior done research. Even though the model is developed at first for the use of analysing chain drive systems in marine engines, the methods can with small changes be used in general, as for e.g. chain drives in industrial machines, car engines and motorbikes. A novel...

Effect of the teen driving plan on the driving performance of teenagers before licensure: a randomized clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirman, Jessica H; Curry, Allison E; Winston, Flaura K; Wang, Wenli; Elliott, Michael R; Schultheis, Maria T; Fisher Thiel, Megan C; Durbin, Dennis R

2014-08-01

Many studies have failed to show an effect of parent-supervised practice driving on the driving performance of teenagers; nevertheless, most Graduated Driver Licensing programs have provisions that require supervised practice. To determine whether a web-based intervention, the Teen Driving Plan (TDP), can improve the driving performance of teenagers before licensure as measured by the Teen On-road Driving Assessment (tODA). Randomized, single-blind, clinical trial among 217 dyads (1 parent: 1 teenaged learner's-permit holder) to test TDP effectiveness on increasing the quantity and diversity of supervised practice and improving the teenagers' prelicensed driving performance. The study was conducted from December 2011 through January 2013 in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Dyads were randomized (3:2) to receive the TDP or the Pennsylvania driver's manual (control group). The TDP is a psychoeducational intervention designed to increase the quantity and diversity of parent-supervised practice. Materials are grouped by the following driving environments: empty parking lots, suburban residential streets, intermediate (1- or 2-lane) roads, highways, rural roads with curves and elevation changes, and commercial districts. The main outcomes were self-reported practice driving across 6 environments and 2 conditions and driving performance as measured by the teenagers' completion of the standardized and validated tODA 24 weeks after enrollment. Certified professional driving evaluators blinded to randomization status terminated the tODA if they determined that the teenager could not safely complete it. We examined mean differences in the quantity of supervised practice, differences in the overall proportion of teenagers in each group that had assessments terminated for unsafe driving, and the point of termination during the assessment. The TDP dyads reported more practice in 5 of the 6 environments and at night and in bad weather compared with the control dyads. Overall, 5 of 86

High-Risk Driving Behaviors among Adolescent Binge-Drinkers

Science.gov (United States)

Marcotte, Thomas D.; Bekman, Nicole M.; Meyer, Rachel A.; Brown, Sandra A.

2013-01-01

Background Binge drinking is common among adolescents. Alcohol use, and binge-drinking in particular, has been associated with neurocognitive deficits as well as risk-taking behaviors, which may contribute to negative driving outcomes among adolescents even while sober. Objectives To examine differences in self-reported driving behaviors between adolescent binge-drinkers and a matched sample of controls, including (a) compliance with graduated licensing laws, (b) high risk driving behaviors, and (c) driving outcomes (crashes, traffic tickets). Methods The present study examined driving behaviors and outcomes in adolescent recent binge drinkers (n=21) and demographically and driving history matched controls (n=17), ages 16-18. Results Binge drinkers more frequently violated graduated licensing laws (e.g., driving late at night), and engaged in more “high risk” driving behaviors, such as speeding and using a cell-phone while driving. Binge drinkers had more traffic tickets, crashes and “near crashes” than the control group. In a multivariate analysis, binge drinker status and speeding were the most robust predictors of a crash. Conclusion Binge drinking teens consistently engage in more dangerous driving behaviors and experience more frequent crashes and traffic tickets. They are also less compliant with preventative restrictions placed on youth while they are learning critical safe driving skills. Scientific Significance These findings highlight a need to examine the contribution of underlying traits (such as sensation seeking) and binge-related cognitive changes to these high-risk driving behaviors, which may assist researchers in establishing alternative prevention and policy efforts targeting this population. PMID:22324748

Dampak Mentoring Pada Keberhasilan Start-Up Business: Studi Kasus Pada Start-Up Business di Indonesia [Mentoring the Impact of Success of a Start-Up Business: A Case Study of a Start-Up Business in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Yanita Setyawati

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Entrepreneurship is a highly developed science today, as well as in the world of education in Indonesia. Teaching entrepreneurship at the university level, especially at some universities in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, shows the positive impact that there were 74.03% of start-up businesses that survived and thrived in 2014. Based on the previous observation, some business start-ups are accompanied by a mentor. Mentoring is a process of forming and maintaining lasting relationships that develop intensively among seniors with juniors. The mentoring function includes career and psychosocial functions. The main purpose of this research is to study the relationship between mentoring and the success of a start-up business. This study is a quantitative descriptive study using a random sampling method to obtain 100 samples. The tool used to collect data was a questionnaire. The methodology used to analyze the quantitative description to test the hypothesis. The results of this study indicate that mentoring influences the success of a start-up business that was owned by university students in Surabaya, Indonesia by 32% and 78% was influenced by other variables.

Impaired driving from medical conditions: A 70-year-old man trying to decide if he should continue driving

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzo, Matthew

2012-01-01

Some medical disorders can impair performance, increasing the risk of driving safety errors that can lead to vehicle crashes. The causal pathway often involves a concatenation of factors or events, some of which can be prevented or controlled. Effective interventions can operate before, during, or after a crash occurs at the levels of driver capacity, vehicle and road design, and public policy. A variety of systemic, neurological, psychiatric, and developmental disorders put drivers at potential increased risk of a car crash in the short or long term. Medical diagnosis and age alone are usually insufficient criteria for determining fitness to drive. Strategies are needed for determining what types and levels of reduced function provide a threshold for disqualification in drivers with medical disorders. Evidence of decreased mileage, self-restriction to driving in certain situations, collisions, moving violations, aggressive driving, sleepiness, alcohol abuse, metabolic disorders, and multiple medications may trigger considerations of driver safety. A general framework for evaluating driver fitness relies on a functional evaluation of multiple domains (cognitive, motor, perceptual, and psychiatric) that are important for safe driving and can be applied across many disorders, including conditions that have rarely been studied with respect to driving, and in patients with multiple conditions and medications. Neurocognitive tests, driving simulation, and road tests provide complementary sources of evidence to evaluate driver safety. No single test is sufficient to determine who should drive and who should not. PMID:21364126

Impaired driving from medical conditions: a 70-year-old man trying to decide if he should continue driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizzo, Matthew

2011-03-09

Some medical disorders can impair performance, increasing the risk of driving safety errors that can lead to vehicle crashes. The causal pathway often involves a concatenation of factors or events, some of which can be prevented or controlled. Effective interventions can operate before, during, or after a crash occurs at the levels of driver capacity, vehicle and road design, and public policy. A variety of systemic, neurological, psychiatric, and developmental disorders put drivers at potential increased risk of a car crash in the short or long term. Medical diagnosis and age alone are usually insufficient criteria for determining fitness to drive. Strategies are needed for determining what types and levels of reduced function provide a threshold for disqualification in drivers with medical disorders. Evidence of decreased mileage, self-restriction to driving in certain situations, collisions, moving violations, aggressive driving, sleepiness, alcohol abuse, metabolic disorders, and multiple medications may trigger considerations of driver safety. A general framework for evaluating driver fitness relies on a functional evaluation of multiple domains (cognitive, motor, perceptual, and psychiatric) that are important for safe driving and can be applied across many disorders, including conditions that have rarely been studied with respect to driving, and in patients with multiple conditions and medications. Neurocognitive tests, driving simulation, and road tests provide complementary sources of evidence to evaluate driver safety. No single test is sufficient to determine who should drive and who should not.

Progress toward ignition with direct-drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCrory, R.L. Jr.

1993-01-01

The goal of the direct-drive laser fusion program is to validate high-performance, direct-drive targets. A decision to construct a direct-drive capability on the proposed 1-to-2-MJ National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the USA will be based on target physics experiments conducted on the OMEGA Upgrade laser system now under construction at the LLE. The OMEGA Upgrade will provide up to 30 kJ of UV laser energy in precisely shaped pulses with irradiation nonuniformities in the range of 1 pc. to 2 pc. An understanding and predictive capability for direct-drive targets are required to assure reliable estimates of ignition and gain with 1-2 MJ of incident laser energy. This paper reviews the target physics efforts currently underway to assess the critical physics issues of direct-drive ICF; plans for the experimental program to be carried out on the OMEGA Upgrade laser are also presented. 14 figs., 15 refs

Research on linear driving of wave maker; Zoha sochi no linear drive ka kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamamoto, I; Taniguchi, S; Nohara, T [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-01

The water tank test of marine structures or submarine structures uses a wave maker to generate waves. A typical flap wave maker uses the wave making flap penetrating a water surface whose bottom is fixed on a tank bottom through a hinge, and the top is connected with a rod driven by rotating servomotor for reciprocating motion of the flap. However, this driving gear using a rotating servomotor and a bowl- screw has some defects such as noise caused by bowl rotation, backlash due to wear and limited driving speed. A linear motor with less friction mechanisms was thus applied to the driving gear. The performance test result of the prototype driving gear using a linear motor showed the possibility of the linear driven wave maker. The linear driven wave maker could also achieve low noise and simple mechanism. The sufficient durability and applicability of the linear driven wave maker mechanism were confirmed through strength calculation necessary for improving the prototype wave maker. 1 ref., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Driving skills after whiplash.

Science.gov (United States)

Gimse, R; Bjørgen, I A; Straume, A

1997-09-01

Previous studies have shown that some persons with longlasting problems after whiplash have changed eye movements. These changes have been related to disturbance of the posture control system. The question raised in the present study is whether such disturbances can influence daily life functions connected with balance, position and external movements, such as car driving. A group of 23 persons with disturbed eye movements due to whiplash injury, was tested in a driving simulator, together with a closely matched control group. The results revealed significant differences between the two groups with respect to response times to the traffic signs presented, identification of type of sign, as well as steering precision while the subjects' attention was directed to the process of identifying the signs. Alternative explanations such as driving experience, pain, medication or malingering are at least partly controlled for, but cannot completely be ruled out. A distorted posture control system leading to disturbance of eye movements seems to be the most likely primary causative factor, but these disturbances are most certainly complexly determined. Reduced attention capacity is considered to be a mediating secondary factor. Registration of eye movements may be a useful diagnostic tool to evaluate driving skill after whiplash.

Synergy in RF Current Drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumont, R.J.; Giruzzi, G.

2005-01-01

Auxiliary methods for efficient non-inductive current drive in tokamaks generally involve the interaction of externally driven waves with superthermal electrons. Among the possible schemes, Lower Hybrid (LH) and Electron Cyclotron (EC) current drive have been so far the most successful. An interesting aspect of their combined use is the fact that since they involve possibly overlapping domains in velocity and configuration spaces, a synergy between them is expected for appropriate parameters. The signature of this effect, significant improvement of the EC current drive efficiency, results from a favorable interplay of the quasilinear diffusions induced by both waves. Recently, improvements of the EC current drive efficiency in the range of 2-4 have been measured in fully non-inductive discharges in the Tore Supra tokamak, providing the first clear evidence of this effect in steady-state conditions. We present here the experimental aspects of these discharges. The associated kinetic modeling and current state of understanding of the LH-EC synergy phenomenon are also discussed. (authors)

Synergy in RF Current Drive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumont, R.J.; Giruzzi, G.

2005-01-01

Auxiliary methods for efficient non-inductive current drive in tokamaks generally involve the interaction of externally driven waves with superthermal electrons. Among the possible schemes, Lower Hybrid (LH) and Electron Cyclotron (EC) current drive have been so far the most successful. An interesting aspect of their combined use is the fact that since they involve possibly overlapping domains in velocity and configuration spaces, a synergy between them is expected for appropriate parameters. The signature of this effect, significant improvement of the EC current drive efficiency, results from a favorable interplay of the quasilinear diffusions induced by both waves. Recently, improvements of the EC current drive efficiency in the range of 2-4 have been measured in fully non-inductive discharges in the Tore Supra tokamak, providing the first clear evidence of this effect in steady-state conditions. We present here the experimental aspects of these discharges. The associated kinetic modeling and current state of understanding of the LH-EC synergy phenomenon are also discussed

Quantum effects in warp drives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Finazzi Stefano

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Warp drives are interesting configurations that, at least theoretically, provide a way to travel at superluminal speed. Unfortunately, several issues seem to forbid their realization. First, a huge amount of exotic matter is required to build them. Second, the presence of quantum fields propagating in superluminal warp-drive geometries makes them semiclassically unstable. Indeed, a Hawking-like high-temperature flux of particles is generated inside the warp-drive bubble, which causes an exponential growth of the energy density measured at the front wall of the bubble by freely falling observers. Moreover, superluminal warp drives remain unstable even if the Lorentz symmetry is broken by the introduction of regulating higher order terms in the Lagrangian of the quantum field. If the dispersion relation of the quantum field is subluminal, a black-hole laser phenomenon yields an exponential amplification of the emitted flux. If it is superluminal, infrared effects cause a linear growth of this flux.

Drivability Improvement Control for Vehicle Start-Up Applied to an Automated Manual Transmission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danna Jiang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Drivability is the key factor for the automated manual transmission. It includes fast response to the driver’s demand and the driving comfort. This paper deals with a control methodology applied to an automated manual transmission vehicle for drivability enhancement during vehicle start-up phase. Based on a piecewise model of powertrain, a multiple-model predictive controller (mMPC is designed with the engine speed, clutch disc speed, and wheel speed as the measurable input variables and the engine torque reference and clutch friction torque reference as the controller’s output variables. The model not only includes the clutch dynamic, the flexible shaft dynamic, but also includes the actuators’ delay character. Considering the driver’s intention, a slipping speed trajectory is generated based on the acceleration pedal dynamically. The designed control strategy is verified on a complete powertrain and longitudinal vehicle dynamic model with different driver’s torque demands.

Health Coordination Manual. Head Start Health Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (DHHS), Washington, DC. Head Start Bureau.

Part 1 of this manual on coordinating health care services for Head Start children provides an overview of what Head Start health staff should do to meet the medical, mental health, nutritional, and/or dental needs of Head Start children, staff, and family members. Offering examples, lists, action steps, and charts for clarification, part 2…

Experiences of facilitators or barriers in driving education from learner and novice drivers with ADHD or ASD and their driving instructors.

Science.gov (United States)

Almberg, Maria; Selander, Helena; Falkmer, Marita; Vaz, Sharmila; Ciccarelli, Marina; Falkmer, Torbjörn

2017-02-01

Little is known about whether individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) experience any specific facilitators or barriers to driving education. To explore the facilitators or barriers to driving education experienced by individuals with ASD or ADHD who obtained a learner's permit, from the perspective of the learner drivers and their driving instructors. Data were collected from 33 participants with ASD or ADHD, and nine of their driving instructors. Participants with ASD required twice as many driving lessons and more on-road tests than those with ADHD. Participants with ADHD repeated the written tests more than those with ASD. Driving license theory was more challenging for individuals with ADHD, whilst individuals with ASD found translating theory into practice and adjusting to "unfamiliar" driving situations to be the greatest challenges. Obtaining a driving license was associated with stressful training experience.

Design of driving control strategy of torque distribution for two - wheel independent drive electric vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chuanwei; Zhang, Dongsheng; Wen, Jianping

2018-02-01

In order to coordinately control the torque distribution of existing two-wheel independent drive electric vehicle, and improve the energy efficiency and control stability of the whole vehicle, the control strategies based on fuzzy control were designed which adopt the direct yaw moment control as the main line. For realizing the torque coordination simulation of the two-wheel independent drive vehicle, the vehicle model, motor model and tire model were built, including the vehicle 7 - DOF dynamics model, motion equation, torque equation. Finally, in the Carsim - Simulink joint simulation platform, the feasibility of the drive control strategy was verified.

Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study: Findings and Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Simons-Morton, Bruce G.; Klauer, Sheila G.; Ouimet, Marie Claude; Guo, Feng; Albert, Paul S.; Lee, Suzanne E.; Ehsani, Johnathon P.; Pradhan, Anuj K.; Dingus, Thomas A.

2015-01-01

Problem This paper summarizes the findings on novice teenage driving outcomes (e.g., crashes and risky driving behaviors) from the Naturalistic Teenage Driving Study. Method Survey and driving data from a data acquisition system (Global Positioning System, accelerometers, cameras) were collected from 42 newly-licensed teenage drivers and their parents during the first 18 months of teenage licensure; stress responsivity was also measured in teenagers. Result Overall teenage crash and near crash (CNC) rates declined over time, but were >4 times higher among teenagers than adults. Contributing factors to teenage CNC rates included secondary task engagement (e.g., distraction), kinematic risky driving, low stress responsivity, and risky social norms. Conclusion The data support the contention that the high novice teenage CNC risk is due both to inexperience and risky driving behavior, particularly kinematic risky driving and secondary task engagement. Practical Applications Graduated driver licensing policy and other prevention efforts should focus on kinematic risky driving, secondary task engagement, and risky social norms. PMID:26403899

Possession attachment predicts cell phone use while driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Weller, Joshua A; Shackleford, Crystal; Dieckmann, Nathan; Slovic, Paul

2013-04-01

Distracted driving has become an important public health concern. However, little is known about the predictors of this health-risking behavior. One overlooked risk factor for distracted driving is the perceived attachment that one feels toward his or her phone. Prior research has suggested that individuals develop bonds toward objects, and qualitative research suggests that the bond between young drivers and their phones can be strong. It follows that individuals who perceive a strong attachment to their phone would be more likely to use it, even when driving. In a nationally representative sample of young drivers (17-28 years), participants (n = 1,006) completed a survey about driving behaviors and phone use. Risk perception surrounding cell phone use while driving and perceived attachment to one's phone were assessed by administering factor-analytically derived scales that were created as part of a larger project. Attachment toward one's phone predicted the proportion of trips in which a participant reported using their cell phone while driving, beyond that accounted for by risk perception and overall phone use. Further, attachment predicted self-reported distracted driving behaviors, such as the use of social media while driving. Attachment to one's phone may be an important but overlooked risk factor for the engagement of potentially health-risking driving behaviors. Understanding that phone attachment may adversely affect driving behaviors has the potential to inform prevention and intervention efforts designed to reduce distracted driving behaviors, especially in young drivers. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Cognitive maps influence over driving strategies in Russia: analyzing Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX and Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chetverikova A.I.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article summarizes our investigation of drivers cognitive maps and its influence over their behavior. 182 subjects participated in our research, i.e. 97 professional drivers, 85 car enthusiasts, 156 men and 26 women, 20—66 years old, mileage about 3—150 thousands kilometers per year. Questionnaire “Dula Dangerous Driving Index” was used on Russian subjects for the first time ever. Our results show that subjects’ need for get their rocks off when they are angered (or suspicious, or failed to trust the world around and aggressive behavior during driving are correlated. Most drivers feel emotional tension during driving and use some self-regulation techniques to decrease the tension stabilize their emotional state. The following factors were found to correlate with one’s aggressive behavior on the road: feeling suspicious of world/self/others, low level of self-acceptance, external locus of control.

The physics of tokamak start-up

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, D.

2013-01-01

Tokamak start-up on present-day devices usually relies on inductively induced voltage from a central solenoid. In some cases, inductive startup is assisted with auxiliary power from electron cyclotron radio frequency heating. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade and JT60, now under construction, will make use of the understanding gained from present-day devices to ensure successful start-up. Design of a spherical tokamak (ST) with DT capability for nuclear component testing would require an alternative to a central solenoid because the small central column in an ST has insufficient space to provide shielding for the insulators in the solenoid. Alternative start-up techniques such as induction using outer poloidal field coils, electron Bernstein wave start-up, coaxial helicity injection, and point source helicity injection have been used with success, but require demonstration of scaling to higher plasma current

Modulated Current Drive Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petty, C.C.; Lohr, J.; Luce, T.C.; Prater, R.; Cox, W.A.; Forest, C.B.; Jayakumar, R.J.; Makowski, M.A.

2005-01-01

A new measurement approach is presented which directly determines the noninductive current profile from the periodic response of the motional Stark effect (MSE) signals to the slow modulation of the external current drive source. A Fourier transform of the poloidal magnetic flux diffusion equation is used to analyze the MSE data. An example of this measurement technique is shown using modulated electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) discharges from the DIII-D tokamak

Instant Google Drive starter

CERN Document Server

Procopio, Mike

2013-01-01

This book is a Starter which teaches you how to use Google Drive practically. This book is perfect for people of all skill levels who want to enjoy the benefits of using Google Drive to safely store their files online and in the cloud. It's also great for anyone looking to learn more about cloud computing in general. Readers are expected to have an Internet connection and basic knowledge of using the internet.

University Knowledge Spillovers & Regional Start-up Rates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hellerstedt, Karin; Wennberg, Karl; Frederiksen, Lars

2014-01-01

how characteristics of the economic and political milieu within each region influence the ratio of firm births. We find that knowledge spillovers from universities and firm-based R&D strongly affect the start-up rates for both high-tech firms and knowledge-intensive services firms. Further, the start......This chapter investigates how regional start-up rates in the knowledge-intensive services and high-tech industries are influenced by knowledge spillovers from both universities and firm-based R&D activities. Integrating insights from economic geography and organizational ecology into the literature......-up rate of knowledge-intensive service firms is tied more strongly to the supply of university educated individuals and the political regulatory regime within the municipality than start-ups in high-tech industries. This suggests that knowledge-intensive service-start-ups are more susceptible to both...

Testing advanced driver assistance systems with the interactive driving simulator; Erprobung von Fahrerassistenzsystemen mit dem Interactive Driving Simulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friedrichs, A.; Grosse-Kappenberg, S.; Happe, J. [Zentrum fuer Lern- und Wissensmanagement und Lehrstuhl Informatik im Maschinenbau ZLW/IMA der RWTH Aachen (Germany)

2005-07-01

The Centre for Learning and Knowledge Management and Department of Computer Science in Engineering of the Technical University Aachen has developed a truck driving simulator which combines a driving simulation as well as traffic flow calculations to the interactive Driving Simulator (InDriveS). In real-time the effects of the driver's behaviour on the surrounding traffic are considered and vice versa. The integrative part of InDriveS is a software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop development environment. By means of this tool, all phases of development (Analysis, Design, Modelling, Simulation, Implementation as well as Testing and Evaluation) of new vehicle technologies, e.g. Information and Assistance Systems, can be realised in consideration of the road traffic and the driver's behaviour. (orig.)

77 FR 51610 - Distracted Driving Grant Program

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-24

.... (2) Prohibition on youth cell phone use while driving. The State statute must-- (a) Prohibit a driver... of texting or using a cell phone while driving; (2) for traffic signs that notify drivers about the... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Distracted Driving...

Adjustable Speed Drives - Future Challenges and Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blaabjerg, Frede; Thoegersen, Paul

2004-01-01

The main trends within Adjustable Drives in industrial and appliance applications for the next decade are discussed based on the newest developments seen on the market and a few historical trends. Different drive configurations are presented and the general demands to adjustable speed drives...

[A retrospective analysis of 97 drunk driving cases].

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xiang-Wei; Chu, Yun; Zong, Xiong-Xin; Wang, Zi-Wei; Chu, Jian-Xin

2013-04-01

Based on a retrospective analysis of the drunk driving cases, to explore the drunk drivers' personnel composition, occurrence time and psychology. As a result of punishment of the drunk driving by criminal law for one year from May 1st, 2011 to April 30th, 2012, 91 drunk driving cases were statistically analyzed the easy-happening time of drunk driving, the drunk drivers' age, gender, occupational characteristics, domicile and psychological factors. In 97 drunk driving cases, 26-40 years old, non-local domiciled and non-professional male drivers were prone to drunk driving at night from 22:00 to 5:00. The behavior of drunk driving is relevant to time, age, genders and occupation. The psychological characteristics of most drivers are fluky, making-life-easy, competitive and peacockish.

Music Recommendation System for Human Attention Modulation by Facial Recognition on a driving task: A Proof of Concept

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avila-Vázquez Roberto

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The role of music on driving process had been discussed in the context of driver assistance as an element of security and comfort. Throughout this document, we present the development of an audio recommender system for the use by drivers, based on facial expression analysis. This recommendation system has the objective of increasing the attention of the driver by the election of specific music pieces. For this pilot study, we start presenting an introduction to audio recommender systems and a brief explanation of the function of our facial expression analysis system. During the driving course the subjects (seven participants between 19 and 25 years old are stimulated with a chosen group of audio compositions and their facial expressions are captured via a camera mounted in the car's dashboard. Once the videos were captured and recollected, we proceeded to analyse them using the FACET™ module of the biometric capture platform iMotions™. This software provides us with the expression analysis of the subjects. Analysed data is postprocessed and the data obtained were modelled on a quadratic surface that was optimized based on the known cestrum and tempo of the songs and the average evidence of emotion. The results showed very different optimal points for each subject, that indicates different type of music for optimizing driving attention. This work is a first step for obtaining a music recommendation system capable to modulate subject attention while driving.

Effect of tailored on-road driving lessons on driving safety in older adults: A randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Anstey, Kaarin J; Eramudugolla, Ranmalee; Kiely, Kim M; Price, Jasmine

2018-06-01

We evaluated the effectiveness of individually tailored driving lessons compared with a road rules refresher course for improving older driver safety. Two arm parallel randomised controlled trial, involving current drivers aged 65 and older (Mean age 72.0, 47.4% male) residing in Canberra, Australia. The intervention group (n = 28) received a two-hour class-based road rules refresher course, and two one-hour driving lessons tailored to improve poor driving skills and habits identified in a baseline on-road assessment. The control group (n = 29) received the road rules refresher course only. Tests of cognitive performance, and on-road driving were conducted at baseline and at 12-weeks. Main outcome measure was the Driver safety rating (DSR) on the on-road driving test. The number of Critical Errors made during the on-road was also recorded. 55 drivers completed the trial (intervention group: 27, control group: 28). Both groups showed reduction in dangerous/hazardous driver errors that required instructor intervention. From baseline to follow-up there was a greater reduction in the number of critical errors made by the intervention group relative to the control group (IRR = 0.53, SE = 0.1, p = .008). The intervention group improved on the DSR more than the control group (intervention mean change = 1.07 SD = 2.00, control group mean change = 0.32 SD = 1.61). The intervention group had 64% remediation of unsafe driving, where drivers who achieved a score of 'fail' at baseline, 'passed' at follow-up. The control group had 25% remediation. Tailored driving lessons reduced the critical driving errors made by older adults. Longer term follow-up and larger trials are required. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MEMS vibrating-beam accelerometer with piezoelectric drive

Science.gov (United States)

Strehlow, John; MacGugan, Doug

2017-09-12

A high-temperature drive component for a double-ended tuning fork (DETF). The drive component attaches to a surface of at least one of the tines. The drive component includes at least one piezoelectric trace sandwiched at least partially between two electrical traces. At least one of the tines includes a doped silicon base with drive component located thereon. One of the electrical traces is electrically connected to the doped silicon base and the other is electrically isolated from the doped silicon base.

Adolescence, Attention Allocation, and Driving Safety

OpenAIRE

Romer, Daniel; Lee, Yi-Ching; McDonald, Catherine C.; Winston, Flaura K.

2014-01-01

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading source of morbidity and mortality in adolescents in the United States and the developed world. Inadequate allocation of attention to the driving task and to driving hazards are important sources of adolescent crashes. We review major explanations for these attention failures with particular focus on the roles that brain immaturity and lack of driving experience play in causing attention problems. The review suggests that the potential for overcoming inexp...

Making a Simple Self-Starting Electric Motor

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Seok-In; Choi, Jung-In; Hong, Seok-Cheol

2009-01-01

A simple electric motor has a problem in that the current applied to the motor per se can rarely trigger its rotation. Usually such motors begin to rotate after the rotor is slightly turned by hand (i.e., manual starting). In a "self-starting" motor, the rotor starts to rotate spontaneously as soon as the current is applied. This paper describes…

Semiclassical instability of warp drives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barcelo, C [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomia s/n, 18008 Granada (Spain); Finazzi, S; Liberati, S, E-mail: carlos@iaa.e, E-mail: finazzi@sissa.i, E-mail: liberati@sissa.i

2010-05-01

Warp drives, at least theoretically, provide a way to travel at superluminal speeds. However, even if one succeeded in providing the necessary exotic matter to construct them, it would still be necessary to check whether they would survive to the switching on of quantum effects. In this contribution we will report on the behaviour of the Renormalized Stress-Energy Tensor (RSET) in the spacetimes associated with superluminal warp drives. We find that the RSET will exponentially grow in time close to the front wall of the superluminal bubble, hence strongly supporting the conclusion that the warp-drive geometries are unstable against semiclassical back-reaction.

Advanced health monitor for automated driving functions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mikovski Iotov, I.

2017-01-01

There is a trend in the automotive domain where driving functions are taken from the driver by automated driving functions. In order to guarantee the correct behavior of these auto-mated driving functions, the report introduces an Advanced Health Monitor that uses Tem-poral Logic and Probabilistic

Modeling human learning involved in car driving

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wewerinke, P.H.

1994-01-01

In this paper, car driving is considered at the level of human tracking and maneuvering in the context of other traffic. A model analysis revealed the most salient features determining driving performance and safety. Learning car driving is modelled based on a system theoretical approach and based

Modelling ohmic confinement experiments on the START tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roach, C.M.

1996-05-01

Ohmic confinement data from the tight aspect ratio tokamak START has been analysed using the ASTRA transport simulation code. Neoclassical expressions have been modified to describe tight aspect ratio configurations, and the comparison between START data and models of anomalous transport has been made quantitative using the standard χ 2 test from statistics. Four confinement models (T11, Rebut-Lallia-Watkins, Lackner-Gottardi, and Taroni et al's Bohm model) have been compared with the START data. Three of the models are found to simulate START's electron temperature data moderately well, while Taroni et al's Bohm model overestimates electron temperatures in START by an order of magnitude. Thus comparison with START data tends to discriminate against Bohm models; these models are pessimistic or ITER. (author)

Scrolling and driving: how an MP3 player and its aftermarket controller affect driving performance and visual behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, John D; Roberts, Shannon C; Hoffman, Joshua D; Angell, Linda S

2012-04-01

The aim of this study was to assess how scrolling through playlists on an MP3 player or its aftermarket controller affects driving performance and to examine how drivers adapt device use to driving demands. Drivers use increasingly complex infotainment devices that can undermine driving performance. The goal activation hypothesis suggests that drivers might fail to compensate for these demands, particularly with long tasks and large search set sizes. A total of 50 participants searched for songs in playlists of varying lengths using either an MP3 player or an aftermarket controller while negotiating road segments with traffic and construction in a medium-fidelity driving simulator. Searching through long playlists (580 songs) resulted in poor driving performance and required more long glances (longer than 2 s) to the device compared with other playlist lengths. The aftermarket controller also led to more long glances compared with the MP3 player. Drivers did not adequately adapt their behavior to roadway demand, as evident in their degraded driving performance. No significant performance differences were found between short playlists, the radio-tuning task, and the no-task condition. Selecting songs from long playlists undermined driving performance, and drivers did not sufficiently adapt their use of the device to the roadway demands, consistent with the goal activation hypothesis. The aftermarket controller degraded rather than enhanced performance. Infotainment systems should support drivers in managing distraction. Aftermarket controllers can have the unintended effect of making devices carried into the car less compatible with driving.These results can motivate development of new interfaces as alternatives to scrolling lists.

Electric-drive tractability indicator integrated in hybrid electric vehicle tachometer

Science.gov (United States)

Tamai, Goro; Zhou, Jing; Weslati, Feisel

2014-09-02

An indicator, system and method of indicating electric drive usability in a hybrid electric vehicle. A tachometer is used that includes a display having an all-electric drive portion and a hybrid drive portion. The all-electric drive portion and the hybrid drive portion share a first boundary which indicates a minimum electric drive usability and a beginning of hybrid drive operation of the vehicle. The indicated level of electric drive usability is derived from at least one of a percent battery discharge, a percent maximum torque provided by the electric drive, and a percent electric drive to hybrid drive operating cost for the hybrid electric vehicle.