Variability in vehicle and dummy responses in rear-end collisions

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to quantify the occupant response variability due to differences in vehicle and seat design in low-speed rear-end collisions. METHODS: Occupant response variability was quantified using a BioRID dummy exposed to rear-end collisions in 20 different vehicles. Vehicles were rolled rearward into a rigid barrier at 8 km/h and the dynamic responses of the vehicle and dummy were measured with the head restraint adjusted to the up most position. In vehicles not damaged by this collision, additional tests were conducted with the head restraint down and at different impact speeds. RESULTS: Despite a coefficient of variation (COV) of less than 2% for the impact speed of the initial 8 km/h tests, the vehicle response parameters (speed change, acceleration, restitution, bumper force) had COVs of 7 to 23% and the dummy response parameters (head and T1 kinematics, neck loads, NIC, N(ij) and N(km)) had COVs of 14 to 52%. In five vehicles tested multiple times, a head restraint in the down position significantly increased the peak magnitude of many dummy kinematic and kinetic response parameters. Peak head kinematics and neck kinetics generally varied linearly with head restraint back set and height, although the neck reaction moment reversed and increased considerably if the dummy's head wrapped onto the top of the head restraint. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the proposition that the vehicle, seat, and head restraint are a safety system and that the design of vehicle bumpers and seats/head restraint should be considered together to maximize the potential reduction in whiplash injuries.     

Economic impact of the integration of alternative vehicle technologies into the New Zealand vehicle fleet

A multi-regional integrated energy systems model is developed to assess the economic impact of hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen internal combustion, and battery electric technologies on the economy of New Zealand. Base case results suggest that a hydrogen fuel dominant vehicle fleet offers economic savings over a conventional fleet but requires the largest sequestration capacity as 75% of hydrogen fuel production is derived from fossil fuel. When the oil price is varied from US$120 to US$240 per barrel in 2030, and the carbon tax varied from US$30 to US$90 per tonne of CO₂ equivalent, the change in savings ranges from ?65% to +25%.     

Geochemical evaluation of metals in groundwater at long‐term monitoring sites and active remediation sites

At many sites, long‐term monitoring (LTM) programs include metals as chemicals of concern, although they may not be site‐related contaminants and their detected concentrations may be natural. At other sites, active remediation of organic contaminants in groundwater results in changes to local geochemical conditions that affect metal concentrations. Metals should be carefully considered at both types of sites, even if they are not primary contaminants of concern. Geochemical evaluation can be performed at LTM sites to determine if the monitored metals reflect naturally high background and, hence, can be removed from the analytical program. Geochemical evaluation can also be performed pre‐ and post‐treatment at active remediation sites to document the effects of organics remediation on metals and identify the processes controlling metal concentrations. Examples from both types of sites are presented in this article. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Soluble Mineral Content in Surficial Alluvium and Associated Mancos Shale1

ABSTRACT: The Mancos Shale area of the Upper Colorado River basin produces large quantities of solutes. In order to develop an understanding of the mechanism of salt production and to determine the source of salinity, a study of the soluble mineral content (SMC) of Mancos Shale and associated alluvium was undertaken. SMC is highly variable in alluvium and associated surficial Mancos Shale. However, lithomorphological units can be identified in terms of their SMC. Results from this study demonstrate that crusts are leached in deep alluvial fills and they contain somewhat less soluble minerals than underlying Mancos Shale on hillslopes. The crusts are saline, sometimes efflorescent, in shale bedrock channels or where channels abutt against the shale. SMC increases in alluvium with decrease in depth of alluvial fill, does not vary significantly with depth in deep of alluvial fills, and increases with depth in shallow ones.     

Chemicals in Household Products: Problems with Solutions

The success of a regulatory regime in decreasing point-source emissions of some harmful chemicals has highlighted the significance of other sources. A growing number of potentially harmful chemicals have been incorporated into an expanding range of domestic household products and are sold worldwide. Tighter regulation has been proposed, and the European Commission has introduced the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals to address this concern. However, it is clear that in addition to the regulation, there is a potential to effect change through retailer and consumer attitudes and behaviours. Interviews were conducted with 7 key stakeholder groups to identify critical issues, which were then explored using a public survey questionnaire (1,008 respondents) and 8 subsequent focus groups. The findings demonstrated that the issue of chemicals in products is of concern to consumers for reasons of personal health rather than environmental protection. Key obstacles to the wider purchase of “green-alternative” products included perceived high cost and poor performance, lack of availability of products, and poor information concerning such products. Although improved regulation was seen as part of the solution, consumers must also play a role. It was clear from this study that consumers are not currently able to make informed choices about the chemicals they use but that they would be receptive to moving toward a more sustainable use of chemicals in the future if empowered to do so.     

Relative Importance of Intrinsic,Extrinsic, and Anthropic Factors in the Geomorphic Zonation of the Trinity River,Texas1

Phillips, Jonathan D., 2010. Relative Importance of Intrinsic, Extrinsic, and Anthropic Factors in the Geomorphic Zonation of the Trinity River, Texas. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(4): 807-823. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2010.00457.x Abstract: The Trinity River, Texas, was characterized according to its geologic framework, valley width and confinement, slope, sinuosity, channel-floodplain connectivity, and flow regime, leading to the identification of 18 hinge points along the 638 km study area where major transitions in two or more criteria occur. These, and effects of human agency, avulsions, and sea level rise, delineate 21 river styles or zones. Each zone was evaluated with respect to dominant factors determining its geomorphological characteristics: geology/lithology, tectonics, Holocene sea level rise, meandering, cutoffs and other lateral channel changes, avulsions, valley constrictions by alluvial terraces, and paleomeander depressions. Direct human influences (a large impoundment and water withdrawals) are also evident. Entropy of the relationships between these controls and the geomorphological zones shows that all the controls are significant, and each accounts for 4-15% of the total entropy. Geologic controls, lateral channel changes, and constriction by terraces are the three most influential controls, illustrating that controls on river morphology include extrinsic boundary conditions, active process-form interrelationships, and inherited features. Extrinsic and intrinsic controls each account for about a third of the entropy, but the latter includes antecedent features as well as active channel dynamics, underscoring the importance of historical contingency even in alluvial rivers.     

Model for predicting hydroxylamine nitrate stability in plutonium process solutions

A mathematical model is described that may be used to determine the safety of hydroxylamine nitrate (HAN) solutions used in solvent extraction purification of plutonium. The most significant hazard associated with hydroxylamine use in processing plutonium is its rapid, autocatalytic reaction with nitric acid which can result in an explosion or pressurization of process vessels with radiological consequences to humans. In addition, heat is produced by the reaction that could potentially ignite process solvents. The HAN decomposition reaction can occur only under specific process conditions (temperature; HAN, plutonium and nitric acid concentrations) and the model is used to identify these conditions so that they can be avoided. A kinetics model has been developed using all of the known significant reactions that could occur in process solutions containing HAN and nitric acid as well as plutonium and iron. The reaction kinetics data (rate laws, rate constants, activation energies) used in the model were obtained from chemical literature sources. The model shows that the autocatalytic HAN reaction with nitric acid is very rapid and is catalyzed by Pu(III) and Fe(II) in process solutions. High temperatures and nitric acid concentrations also promote the reaction.