配置SCR的柴油货车道路运行NOx排放分析

为了研究重型柴油货车在不同道路运行工况下的NO_x排放特性,以一辆配置选择催化还原(Selective CatalyticReduction,SCR)净化系统的国V排放标准的重型柴油货车为研究对象,开展实际道路运行车载排放测试,通过车载排放测试系统实时采集车辆行驶速度、NO_x排放体积分数与排气温度等数据,分析车速、排气温度、路况等对NO_x排放的影响。结果表明,车速低于40 km/h,NO_x排放随车速增大稍有增加; 40～70 km/h,随车速增大NO_x排放降低;高于70 km/h,随车速增大NO_x排放显著降低。车速与排气温度呈线性正相关,排气温度高于150℃,SCR才能显示出对NO_x的净化效果。市区工况车速低,排温低于150℃,SCR不能有效工作;市郊、高速工况下排温高于150℃,SCR催化效率提高,车速增大,排温升高,NO_x排放降低,因此NO_x排放市郊工况低于市区工况,高速工况低于市郊工况。配置SCR的重型柴油货车NO_x高排放区主要集中在中低车速、加速区间内。     

Lower back pain and its association with whole-body vibration and manual materials handling among commercial drivers in Sabah

A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of lower back pain (LBP) and its association with whole-body vibration (WBV) and manual materials handling (MMH). We studied 110 commercial vehicle drivers using a self-administered questionnaire and the VI-400Pro human vibration monitor. Prevalence of LBP was 66.4%. The percentage of drivers who had frequent manual handling of heavy loads was 45.5% and those who handled heavy loads in awkward postures accounted for 86.4%. Daily vibration A(8) averaged on the z axis was 0.25 (0.06) m·s^?2 and at vector sum was 0.29 (0.07) m·s^?2. Daily vibration exposures on the z axis, frequent manual handling of heavy loads and awkward posture during MMH were significantly associated with LBP. Drivers who are exposed to WBV and frequently handle heavy loads manually and with awkward postures probably have more LBP than drivers who are exposed to only one of these risk factors.     

Driving self-regulation and ride service utilization in a multicommunity,multistate sample of U.S. older adults

Objectives: This study examined a multicommunity alternative transportation program available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for any purpose, offering door-through-door service in private automobiles to members who either do not drive or are transitioning away from driving. Specific aims were to describe the characteristics of members by driving status and ride service usage of these members.

Methods: Data came from administrative records maintained by a nonprofit ride service program and include 2,661 individuals aged 65+ residing in 14 states who joined the program between April 1, 2010, and November 8, 2013. Latent class analysis was used to group current drivers into 3 classes of driving status of low, medium, and high self-regulation, based on their self-reported avoidance of certain driving situations and weekly driving frequency. Demographics and ride service use rate for rides taken through March 31, 2014, by type of ride (e.g., medical, social, etc.) were calculated for nondrivers and drivers in each driving status class.

Results: The majority of ride service users were female (77%) and aged 65–74 years (82%). The primary method of getting around when enrolling for the transportation service was by riding with a friend or family member (60%). Among the 67,883 rides given, nondrivers took the majority (69%) of rides. Medical rides were the most common, accounting for 40% of all rides.

Conclusions: Reported ride usage suggests that older adults are willing to use such ride services for a variety of trips when these services are not limited to specific types (e.g., medical). Further research can help tailor strategies to encourage both nondrivers and drivers to make better use of alternative transportation that meets the special needs of older people.     

Effects of vehicle power on passenger vehicle speeds

Objectives: During the past 2 decades, there have been large increases in mean horsepower and the mean horsepower-to–vehicle weight ratio for all types of new passenger vehicles in the United States. This study examined the relationship between travel speeds and vehicle power, defined as horsepower per 100 pounds of vehicle weight.

Methods: Speed cameras measured travel speeds and photographed license plates and drivers of passenger vehicles traveling on roadways in Northern Virginia during daytime off-peak hours in spring 2013. The driver licensing agencies in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia provided vehicle information numbers (VINs) by matching license plate numbers with vehicle registration records and provided the age, gender, and ZIP code of the registered owner(s). VINs were decoded to obtain the curb weight and horsepower of vehicles. The study focused on 26,659 observed vehicles for which information on horsepower was available and the observed age and gender of drivers matched vehicle registration records. Log-linear regression estimated the effects of vehicle power on mean travel speeds, and logistic regression estimated the effects of vehicle power on the likelihood of a vehicle traveling over the speed limit and more than 10 mph over the limit.

Results: After controlling for driver characteristics, speed limit, vehicle type, and traffic volume, a 1-unit increase in vehicle power was associated with a 0.7% increase in mean speed, a 2.7% increase in the likelihood of a vehicle exceeding the speed limit by any amount, and an 11.6% increase in the likelihood of a vehicle exceeding the limit by 10 mph. All of these increases were highly significant.

Conclusions: Speeding persists as a major factor in crashes in the United States. There are indications that travel speeds have increased in recent years. The current findings suggest the trend toward substantially more powerful vehicles may be contributing to higher speeds. Given the strong association between travel speed and crash risk and crash severity, this is cause for concern.     

Assessment of patients' medical fitness to drive by primary care physicians: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are a significant health burden in Saudi Arabia. The literature has consistently indicated that chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obstructive sleep apnea, and neurodevelopmental disorders, increase the risk of MVCs. Therefore, assessment of driver fitness by primary care physicians (PCPs) remains a major health intervention that might reduce MVCs. We studied the practices of PCPs in assessing medical fitness to drive in at-risk patients.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of all 88 government-funded primary care centers in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We administered a self-reported questionnaire to PCPs that inquired about their driving risk assessment for specific medical conditions.

Results: Among all PCPs and centers, 189 PCPs (63%) from 74 centers (84%) participated in our survey. The mean age of the PCPs was 40 ± 10 years, and 108 (57%) were men. The average clinical experience of the group was 13 ± 9 years. Fewer than half of PCPs considered diabetes mellitus (45%) and obstructive sleep apnea (46%) as potential risks for MVCs. Approximately 45% of PCPs did not notify any authority or relatives of potential driving issues that they noticed in their patients. Only 15% of the participants believed that PCPs were responsible for alerting authorities about their fitness to drive.

Conclusions: PCPs did not adequately assess their patients' driving history and eligibility. Efforts are needed to improve awareness among PCPs regarding the effects of chronic medical conditions on driving.     

Quantified risk assessment on life and property loss from road collision vehicle fires with hydrogen-fueled tank

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles pose hazards different from conventional vehicles. This paper performs a risk assessment on road collision vehicle fires with hydrogen-fueled tank of 70 MPa. The high voltage battery fire caused by road collision can lead to onboard hydrogen release or explosion. Events progressions are analyzed and typical hydrogen consequences are evaluated quantitatively, including hydrogen jet fires and tank catastrophic rupture. Perimeters around the accident scene are proposed for the safety of general public and first responders, respectively. Risks of fatalities, injuries, and damages are all quantified in financial terms to make it possible to combine and compare.     

南宁市区交通环境空气颗粒物中碳组分的污染特征分析研究

含碳颗粒物是大气颗粒物的重要组成部分,对人体健康产生很大的威胁.分别于2012年夏季及2013年冬季在南宁市选取六条主要交通干道采集了PM10、PM2.5样品,分析测定了其中的碳组分.结果表明,碳组分浓度季节变化明显.碳组分在细颗粒物中占有比重比在可吸入颗粒物中大.存在二次有机碳污染.对8种碳组分丰度分析说明南宁市大气颗粒物中碳组分的主要来源是燃煤、机动车尾气及生物质样品燃烧.     

Deep chlorophyll maximum distribution in the central Tyrrhenian Sea described by a towed undulating vehicle

The towed undulating vehicle (TUV), named SARAGO, was used for two fine-scale surveys between the Italian and the Sardinian coasts during the Astraea 2 cruise (6-7 and 26-27 September 1995), studying the deep chlorophyll maximum distribution. SARAGO sections identify a sub-surface doming with higher chlorophyll a and primary production concentrations in the upwelling area of a cyclonic gyre region, detected by sea-surface temperature images. In the first section, the cyclone presents a double doming, in density and salinity, with shallower and concentrated patches of chlorophyll a for about 2 miles. Twenty days later, the second section shows that the gyre changes shape and extension, showing a single doming with higher primary production and chlorophyll a concentrations, distributed over a large area of about 40 nautical miles. SARAGO allows analysis of this high-variability phenomenon (cyclonic gyre) and allows concentrated patches (2 nm) to be identified, thus proving the importance of TUVs in the study of mesoscale processes.