A new baseline model for estimating willingness to pay from discrete choice models

We show a substantive problem exists with the widely-used ratio of coefficients approach to calculating willingness to pay (WTP) from discrete choice models. The correctly calculated standard error for WTP using this approach is shown to be undefined. This occurs because the cost parameter's standard error implies some possibility the true parameter value is arbitrarily close to zero. We propose a simple yet elegant way to overcome this problem by reparameterizing the (negative) cost variable's coefficient using an exponential transformation to enforce the theoretically correct positive coefficient. With it the confidence interval for WTP is now finite and well behaved.     

Autonomous emergency braking systems adapted to snowy road conditions improve drivers' perceived safety and trust

Objective: This study investigated drivers' evaluation of a conventional autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system on high and reduced tire–road friction and compared these results to those of an AEB system adaptive to the reduced tire–road friction by earlier braking. Current automated systems such as the AEB do not adapt the vehicle control strategy to the road friction; for example, on snowy roads. Because winter precipitation is associated with a 19% increase in traffic crashes and a 13% increase in injuries compared to dry conditions, the potential of conventional AEB to prevent collisions could be significantly improved by including friction in the control algorithm. Whereas adaption is not legally required for a conventional AEB system, higher automated functions will have to adapt to the current tire–road friction because human drivers will not be required to monitor the driving environment at all times. For automated driving functions to be used, high levels of perceived safety and trust of occupants have to be reached with new systems. The application case of an AEB is used to investigate drivers' evaluation depending on the road condition in order to gain knowledge for the design of future driving functions.

Methods: In a driving simulator, the conventional, nonadaptive AEB was evaluated on dry roads with high friction (μ = 1) and on snowy roads with reduced friction (μ = 0.3). In addition, an AEB system adapted to road friction was designed for this study and compared with the conventional AEB on snowy roads with reduced friction. Ninety-six drivers (48 males, 48 females) assigned to 5 age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, and 60–75 years) drove with AEB in the simulator. The drivers observed and evaluated the AEB's braking actions in response to an imminent rear-end collision at an intersection.

Results: The results show that drivers' safety and trust in the conventional AEB were significantly lower on snowy roads, and the nonadaptive autonomous braking strategy was considered less appropriate on snowy roads compared to dry roads. As expected, the adaptive AEB braking strategy was considered more appropriate for snowy roads than the nonadaptive strategy. In conditions of reduced friction, drivers' subjective safety and trust were significantly improved when driving with the adaptive AEB compared to the conventional AEB. Women felt less safe than men when AEB was braking. Differences between age groups were not of statistical significance.

Conclusions: Drivers notice the adaptation of the autonomous braking strategy on snowy roads with reduced friction. On snowy roads, they feel safer and trust the adaptive system more than the nonadaptive automation.     

济南市空气污染现状及控制对策

利用2013年1—12月济南市大气监测数据,分析该市空气质量现状及时空分布特征,结果表明:2013年济南市空气主要污染物质量浓度均超过《环境空气质量标准》(GB 3095—2012)二级标准限值,空气污染严重时段为冬季采暖期,颗粒物污染严重区域为该市西部和西北部地区,SO2、NO2污染严重区为中心城区,并从点源、面源和移动源3个方面提出相应的污染防治对策。在SO2、NOx和工业烟粉尘分别减排22.5%、18.2%和31.4%的条件下,运用Models-3/CMAQ模型模拟计算得出:2015年1月和7月,济南市空气中SO2、NO2、PM10和PM2.5的质量浓度与2010年同期相比将分别降低23.9%和29.7%、11.4%和15.9%、21.9%和32.6%、13.5%和26.9%,空气质量得到明显改善。     

非柔性连接石化储罐配管温差应力分析与对策

储罐配管在温差作用下产生热位移会导致管壁产生热应力，未采用柔性连接的配管由于热应力集中作用可能发生破漏。针对与石油化工储罐非柔性连接的配管的安全问题，应用ANSYS有限元分析软件模拟计算石化企业典型配管的热应力分布；根据不同类型配管的分析结果，提出了工程技术与管理方面的针对性安全措施。研究结果表明:温差效应对石化储罐配管热应力影响显著，随内外温差的增加，配管应力集中的区域增大，最大热应力值增大；补偿措施能够改善配管的柔性，降低配管应力；约束载荷限制配管热膨胀从而增大配管应力；三通管是多根配管接合的区域，这种复杂管道交汇处会形成明显应力集中。研究结果对于提高石油化工非柔性连接配管安全性有一定的指导意义。     

提高电捕焦油器安全生产运行的措施

简要叙述了电捕焦油器开工以来存在的问题,对电捕捕焦油器不能安全稳定运行的原因进行了分析,并采取改进措施。实践证明,改进工艺技术合理,方法可行,电捕焦油器运行效果达到指标要求。     

矿热炉炉壳安装作业危险性分析

为减少事故损失,必须对矿热炉安装施工危险源进行分析。基于此,对矿热炉安装工序中最重要工序炉壳安装应用作业危险性分析进行分析。将炉壳安装作业分成3大部分,用鱼刺图分析方法进行分析,总结出矿热炉炉壳安装中事故发生的主要原因并提出对策措施,以预防和减少事故的发生。     

洪涝灾害条件下疏散交通生成预测方法

为有助于有关部门更准确预测洪涝灾害受灾民众的疏散量,结合非集计数据和集计数据的优点,提出分区集计数据的概念,设计了受灾区域分区方法,并通过意向偏好(SP)调查法对我国居民在洪涝条件下疏散交通需求数据进行调查。在此基础上,引入BP神经网络建立基于分区集计数据的疏散交通生成预测模型。利用调查数据进行实证分析发现,所设计方法取得了较好的预测效果,鲁棒性较好,平均相对预测误差仅为1.8%,其预测效果明显优于现有的非集计和整集计模型。     

铁路沿线可燃重气储罐最小隔离区域划分探讨*

为保护铁路线，以某化工厂距离高铁路线最近的丙烯球罐为例，提出丙烯球罐泄漏最小隔离区域划分方法以及2种保护高铁线路方案，利用重气扩散模型和定量风险评价（QRA）软件分别进行丙烯扩散模拟、爆炸模拟，并进行危险与可操作性分析（HAZOP）和保护层分析（LOPA）。结果表明:球罐发生泄漏及火灾爆炸等事故，会给附近铁路线带来严重破坏；丙烯泄漏或球罐因周围其他设备设施或可燃物质着火而温度升高时，保护措施不足；隧道的安全可靠性要高于仅设1道防爆墙，隧道长度需覆盖最小隔离区域的可及范围，在扩散区域内也需设立普通挡墙，在极度危险情况下，需要实施高铁停开等保护措施。     

石油化工催化剂生产过程中的职业病防治及应急处理

石化企业使用了大量的催化剂,催化剂开发、生产过程复杂,有许多原料和生产工艺,存在许多潜在的安全隐患和职业病危害因素。为预防催化剂生产过程中的事故,通过分析催化剂生产过程中的职业病危害分析,提出了相应的职业病防范及应急处置措施,加强催化剂生产过程中的职业病防治和应急处置能力,创造良好的经济、生态和社会效益,有效防止催化剂生产过程中发生安全事故和职业病。     

应急救援物资车辆运输线路的选择

为了给紧急救援物资支持保障中心的物资调度人员提供科学的车辆路线调度决策方法,提高应急救援工作的响应能力,基于应急条件下物资运输调度的时效性、安全性和经济性特征,运用旅行商理论,对上述3个决策属性分量进行了数学描述,构造了它们的目标函数,并进行了无量纲和权重聚合处理,继而按照多属性决策理论建立了用来评价备选线路决策效用函数的数学模型.利用期望效用属性合并所搜集的信息,将多属性决策问题转化成单属性决策问题,确立了选择具有最高期望效用方案的方法,最后进行了实例分析.结果表明,应急救援条件下的运输调度与正常环境下的企业运输调度决策目标之间存在明显的差异,前者虽然本质上属于图论中最短路线问题的范畴,但由于多个决策目标的存在,不能直接运用最短路线模型和Dijkstra算法求解.运用多属性决策理论建立的评价备选线路决策效用函数,是有关人员进行车辆路线安排的有效方法,但其相对优越性尚需做进一步的研究和探讨.