Theoretic model for the computer analysis of vehicle collisions

The complexity of the study and reconstruction of traffic accidents justifies the creation of tools which make easier the research in this area. That is the reason why the GIVET has developed a program called SINRAT III that lets, by means of dynamic simulation, reproduce the evolution of two vehicles in an accident in which a collision takes place, letting analyze the precollision and postcollision movements, as well as studying what happens during the contact and deformation of the vehicles in the collision stage. The simulation model is integrated by bodies developed using the bond-graph technique, that allows the simulation of the dynamic behaviour of the vehicles in any circumstance. At the end of this paper, an application example is presented, corresponding to an accident with collision between car and coach.     

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.     

Employee influence on decisions: An analysis

Attitude data from a national sample of 2300 working adults are reported. The data show that employees feel they should have more influence on a number of decisions. This feeling is stronger for decisions affecting how their job is done, than for matters of corporate policy and personnel decisions. However, it is in the policy and personnel areas that they perceive the greatest discrepancy between the amount of influence they presently have and the amount of influence they feel they should have. Older, better educated, and higher-paid respondents felt they should have more influence on all decisions. The implications of these findings for the Quality of Work Life movement were considered. The data suggest a favourable future climate for certain types of employee influence/Quality of Work Life projects.     

多层圆管夹芯结构的装甲车底板防爆设计

为提高轮式装甲车防护地雷的能力,寻找能够实现最佳防护效果的装甲结构形式,利用ANSYS/LS-DYNA软件平台,对不同的装甲结构在爆炸载荷作用下的响应进行仿真计算。首先探究多层圆管排列方式对冲击吸能的影响,得出密排圆管结构的抗冲击能力强于齐排和交叉排列的方式。然后在爆炸载荷下对由双层密排圆管组成的夹芯层防护结构进行数值计算,并对比试验结果,验证了所建立计算模型数值模拟结果的有效性。最后由数值计算结果确定了最佳的防护结构。数值模拟和试验结果表明,防护结构的面密度增大,防护效果明显改善;相同面密度的防护结构中圆管的直径越大,圆管的压缩行程越大,防护效果越好。     

生态驾驶行为对单个小汽车运行状态的综合影响分析

为了进一步明确我国实际道路交通条件下生态驾驶行为对车辆运行状态的综合影响,助力生态驾驶行为推广应用策略,结合驾驶模拟和实车驾驶试验,重点分析了生态驾驶行为对单个小汽车能耗、排放及运行效率的影响。结果表明:生态驾驶行为能有效降低机动车能耗和尾气排放;同时,相同条件下,生态驾驶行为降低车辆能耗的比例远大于车辆行驶时间增加的比例。因此,对单个小汽车而言,生态驾驶行为的节能效益大于其对车辆运行效率的影响。     

长隧道韵律型视觉环境设计研究

采用心理物理试验分析公路隧道内部视觉环境对驾驶员行车安全的影响,将E-prime 2.0软件与仿真驾驶模拟器相结合,对驾驶员在隧道内长时间行车中的速度判断准确率及反应时间两个指标进行分析,提出了利用标志标线构建公路隧道内韵律型标线系统的改善措施,以改善隧道内视觉环境,并利用数理统计方法及Logistics拟合分析对设计方案进行评价。结果表明:1)公路隧道内韵律型标线系统能提升隧道内驾驶员的速度判断准确率3.33%~11.66%;2)普通公路隧道场景中,被试者反应时间与隧道内行车时间存在显著关系,公路隧道内韵律型标线系统的场景中,反应时间与隧道内的行车时间没有显著关系,能有效缓解视觉疲劳现象;3)被试者反应时间的增加同时受隧道内视觉环境与行车时间的影响。公路隧道内韵律型标线系统能有效提高驾驶员的反应时间,适用于行驶速度为80 km/h、大于1 333 m的隧道。     

施工现场建筑废弃物减量化管理及效果的实证分析

从现场管理角度出发,以调动项目管理者的积极性为落脚点,探讨了影响建筑废弃物减量化效果的管理方法.基于行业调查,识别现有施工现场建筑废弃物减量化的管理方法.运用因子分析法,按照评价指标体系提取人员管理、物流管理、现场分类与回收利用以及合同管理4个建筑废弃物减量化管理主因子,并在此基础上进行Logistic回归分析.结果表明:4个主因子对施工现场建筑废弃物减量化管理皆有显著影响.此外,建立废弃物管理绩效考核机制、制定建筑废弃物控制计划、重复使用现场可回收材料、组织减量化知识技能培训以及制定采购计划5个措施能够有效调动工作人员的减排积极性.为提升国内施工现场建筑废弃物减量化管理效果提出具体措施与建议,为项目利益相关方进行现场管理方法的优选提供理论依据与支持.     

Inherently safer design based on rapid risk analysis

The importance of inherently safer design (ISD) as a strategy to minimize risk of accidents in chemical process industries is being repeatedly stressed in recent years. The increasing number, frequency, and extents of damage caused by such accidents across the world have contributed to this thinking. However even as the need for ISD is being underscored, there are very few reports on precise methods to implement this concept. Significant recent reports are by Berge (1993Berge, 1995)who has suggested a scenariobased design procedure in which construction of accident scenarios in a structured manner is made the basis of ISD. We have been developing and applying the concept of rapid risk analysis ( [Khan & Abbasi, 1995] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1996] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1997a] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1997b] , [Khan & Abbasi, 1998a] and Khan &; Abbasi, 1998b). In this paper we present an approach to ISD utilizing this concept. We believe, as detailed in this paper, that this approach is a significant improvement upon Berge's procedure in terms of ease, speed, and effectiveness.     

浅议风险观对风险评价方法论的影响

风险观对安全科学的发展具有重要的指导意义。本文从风险本体论、风险认识论和风险方法论三个方面论述了风险观的发展变迁。简述了风险本体论从一维、二维到三维或多维的发展历程,总结了风险认识论从技术导向到社会文化导向的变化,给出了风险方法论的分类。总结了风险方法论的重要组成部分即风险评价的发展过程,探讨了确定性风险评价、概率性风险评价和定量风险评价等评价方法在风险本体论和认识论发展背景下的继承性等问题,探讨风险本体论和认识论对风险评价方法论的影响,提出风险沟通研究的必要性。     

使用车载导航系统下驾驶员脑力负荷影响因素分析

基于试验数据,分析使用车载导航系统对驾驶员脑力负荷的影响,以及任务难度、时间压力、驾驶经验、性别差异等因素在该任务中的实际影响效果.通过编程模拟驾驶员使用车载导航系统进行驾驶的任务,采取主任务评价法作为脑力负荷的评价方法.选取偏离正确路线的次数、偏离的水平位移、到达预定目标所用时间、偏离方向的次数、根据导航系统提示完成相应动作的反应时间5个参数作为评价指标,选取40名大学生作为被试完成主任务(追踪)和辅任务(使用车载导航系统的脑力工作).对试验数据进行比较分析,结果表明,车载导航系统的使用在一定程度上加大了驾驶员的脑力负荷,并随驾驶难度的增加而加剧.任务难度、工作时间及驾驶经验等因素都对使用车载导航系统的驾驶员的脑力负荷产生影响,而性别差异的影响并不明显.     

企业生产活动对场地地下水环境质量的影响及分析

企业对所在场地地下水定期开展监测,能够及时发现异常,预防地下水污染。本文结合飞机制造企业生产活动及污染物排放特点,对场地地下水进行监测布点,并分析地下水可能的污染途径,发现良好的管理手段和环境特性能保证场地地下水环境质量,而企业生产活动直接影响着场地地下水环境质量。     

Effects of vehicle impact velocity, vehicle front-end shapes on pedestrian injury risk

Objective: This study aimed at investigating the effects of vehicle impact velocity, vehicle front-end shape, and pedestrian size on injury risk to pedestrians in collisions with passenger vehicles with various frontal shapes. Method: A series of parametric studies was carried out using 2 total human model for safety (THUMS) pedestrian models (177 and 165?cm) and 4 vehicle finite element (FE) models with different front-end shapes (medium-size sedan, minicar, one-box vehicle, and sport utility vehicle [SUV]). The effects of the impact velocity on pedestrian injury risk were analyzed at velocities of 20, 30, 40, and 50?km/h. The dynamic response of the pedestrian was investigated, and the injury risk to the head, chest, pelvis, and lower extremities was compared in terms of the injury parameters head injury criteria (HIC), chest deflection, and von Mises stress distribution of the rib cage, pelvis force, and bending moment diagram of the lower extremities. Result: Vehicle impact velocity has the most significant influence on injury severity for adult pedestrians. All injury parameters can be reduced in severity by decreasing vehicle impact velocities. The head and lower extremities are at greater risk of injury in medium-size sedan and SUV collisions. The chest injury risk was particularly high in one-box vehicle impacts. The fracture risk of the pelvis was also high in one-box vehicle and SUV collisions. In minicar collisions, the injury risk was the smallest if the head did not make contact with the A-pillar. Conclusion: The vehicle impact velocity and vehicle front-end shape are 2 dominant factors that influence the pedestrian kinematics and injury severity. A significant reduction of all injuries can be achieved for all vehicle types when the vehicle impact velocity is less than 30?km/h. Vehicle designs consisting of a short front-end and a wide windshield area can protect pedestrians from fatalities. The results also could be valuable in the design of a pedestrian-friendly vehicle front-end shape. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention for the following free supplemental resource: Head impact conditions and injury parameters in four-type vehicle collisions and validation result of the finite element model of one-box vehicle and minicar. ].     

Parametric study of the explosivity of graphite-metals mixtures

The explosivity of dust clouds is greatly influenced by several parameters which depend on the operating conditions, such as the initial turbulence, temperature or ignition energy, but obviously also on the materials composition. In the peculiar case of a mixture of two combustible powders, the physical and chemical properties of both dusts have an impact on the cloud flammability and on its explosivity. Nevertheless, no satisfactory ‘mixing laws’ predicting the mixture behavior are currently available and the composition variable to be considered for such models greatly depend on the safety parameters which have to be determined: from volume ratios for some thermal exchanges and ignition phenomena, to surface proportions for some heterogeneous reactions and molar contents for chemical reactions. This study is mainly focused on graphite/magnesium mixtures as they are encountered during the decommissioning activities of UNGG reactors (Natural Uranium Graphite Gas). Due to the different nature and reactivity of both powders, these mixtures offer a wide range of interests. Firstly, the rate-limiting steps for the combustion of graphite are distinct from those of metals (oxygen diffusion or metal vaporization). Secondly, the flame can be thickened by the presence of radiation during metal combustion, whereas this phenomenon is negligible for pure graphite. Finally, the turbulence of the initial dust cloud is modified by the addition of a second powder. In order to assess the explosivity of graphite/magnesium clouds, a parametric study of the effects of storage humidity, particle size distribution, ignition energy, and initial turbulence has been carried out. In particular, it was clearly demonstrated that the turbulence significantly influences the explosion severity by speeding up the rate of heat release on the one hand and the oxygen diffusion through the boundary layer surrounding particles on the other hand. Moreover, it modifies the mean particle size and the spatial dust distribution in the test vessel, impacting the uniformity of the dust cloud. Thus, the present work demonstrates that the procedures developed for standard tests are not sufficient to assess the dust explosivity in industrial conditions and that an extensive parametric study is relevant to figure out the explosive behavior of solid/solid mixtures subjected to variations of operating conditions.     

The influence of subordinate age on managerial actions: An attributional analysis

The present research examined the effects of employee age on managers attributions and actions toward subordinates. The major prediction was that managers attributions would mediate the effects of age on managerial actions. One-hundred and twenty-four undergraduate management students participated in a laboratory experiment in which subordinate age (30 versus 60 years) and performance (high versus low) were manipulated. A laboratory study was conducted so that subordinate credentials and performance levels could be controlled. Analyses indicated that poor performance by older subordinates was attributed more to stable factors than similar performance by younger subordinates. In addition, job simplification was rated as more appropriate and training was recommended as less appropriate for older subordinates. A series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the differences in managerial actions were a function of subjects' attributional patterns. Implications of the findings for practice and future research are discussed.     

Laboratory scale analysis of the influence of different heat transfer mechanisms on liquid nitrogen vaporization rate

The prediction of the potential hazards associated to accidental liquefied natural gas (LNG) spills has motivated a number of different studies including experimental and numerical approaches. Most of these studies focus on dispersion predictions, however there is limited information regarding source term of it: liquid spill and vaporization. There is a need of further improvements on the understanding of these phenomena and the quantification of the most important parameters that can affect them.The vaporization of cryogenic liquids is governed by the heat transfer phenomena including conduction, convection and thermal radiation mechanisms. The present work investigates the contribution of each of these heat transfer modes to the vaporization rate of cryogenic liquid nitrogen (LN₂) contained in a Dewar flask using well controlled and instrumented laboratory scale experiments. LN₂ vaporization rate was measured with individually controllable contributions from convective (generated by an electric fan) and thermal radiative (generated by light bulb) heat transfer in the presence of a baseline conductive heat transfer rate.In both cases of convection and radiation analysis the experimental study showed that they can play a significant role in the vaporization rate of LN₂. It was observed that the radiative heat absorbed by the LN₂ during the vaporization experiment represents only 50%–65% of the incident radiation that would reach the LN₂ pool surface if no vapour was present. Convective heat transfer generated by the fan was shown to have had the most significant contribution to the total heat transfer. As expected, this contribution was significantly higher than the one from bulb radiation. The experimental data also showed that the liquid level in the Dewar play a key role in the resulting amount of convective heat transfer. This could be attributed to the fact that lower liquid level the side walls of the Dewar were high enough to hold a layer of vapour and limit air motion directly above the liquid surface, thus limiting the heat transfer by convection.     

火灾外部性研究及其对策分析

火灾外部性是指火灾不仅对火灾直接承受者产生伤害,还对社会公共利益造成损害,不认清火灾的外部性就难以作出正确的消防决策.对理想、实际和引入保险3种状态下火灾外部性的火灾边际成本、边际私人成本和社会福利进行了分析和比较.结果表明,企业不合理地减少消防投入降低了边际私人成本,但增加了火灾边际成本和火灾边际外部成本,导致社会福利减少,这便产生火灾外部不经济.火灾保险能有效减少火灾边际成本,增加社会福利,实现外部不经济的内部化,以达到减少火灾外部不经济.火灾保险在消除火灾外部不经济方面具有高效、成本低廉等优点,建议尽快研究火灾保险实施细则并立法强制实施火灾保险.     

基于GIS的矿井瓦斯赋存规律多影响因素智能分析技术

为了提高矿井瓦斯赋存规律分析的准确性和智能化程度,提出了多因素共同作用下瓦斯原始数据筛选和瓦斯赋存规律分析的一种智能化技术。介绍了如何利用地理信息（GIS）技术建立瓦斯地质空间数据模型,结合计算机编程实现了对大量复杂的原始数据的智能分析、处理和筛选。并实现了瓦斯赋存规律多种主控因素情况下多元回归的自动智能化分析,进而使得瓦斯赋存规律模型可以在取得新的原始数据后进行动态、智能的更新。为煤矿工作人员快速、准确的掌握地矿井瓦斯赋存规律提供了先进的手段和工具。