Evaluation of Vehicle-Based Crash Severity Metrics

Objective: Vehicle change in velocity (delta-v) is a widely used crash severity metric used to estimate occupant injury risk. Despite its widespread use, delta-v has several limitations. Of most concern, delta-v is a vehicle-based metric which does not consider the crash pulse or the performance of occupant restraints, e.g. seatbelts and airbags. Such criticisms have prompted the search for alternative impact severity metrics based upon vehicle kinematics. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of the occupant impact velocity (OIV), acceleration severity index (ASI), vehicle pulse index (VPI), and maximum delta-v (delta-v) to predict serious injury in real world crashes.

Methods: The study was based on the analysis of event data recorders (EDRs) downloaded from the National Automotive Sampling System / Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) 2000–2013 cases. All vehicles in the sample were GM passenger cars and light trucks involved in a frontal collision. Rollover crashes were excluded. Vehicles were restricted to single-event crashes that caused an airbag deployment. All EDR data were checked for a successful, completed recording of the event and that the crash pulse was complete. The maximum abbreviated injury scale (MAIS) was used to describe occupant injury outcome. Drivers were categorized into either non-seriously injured group (MAIS2?) or seriously injured group (MAIS3+), based on the severity of any injuries to the thorax, abdomen, and spine. ASI and OIV were calculated according to the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware. VPI was calculated according to ISO/TR 12353-3, with vehicle-specific parameters determined from U.S. New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Using binary logistic regression, the cumulative probability of injury risk was determined for each metric and assessed for statistical significance, goodness-of-fit, and prediction accuracy.

Results: The dataset included 102,744 vehicles. A Wald chi-square test showed each vehicle-based crash severity metric estimate to be a significant predictor in the model (p < 0.05). For the belted drivers, both OIV and VPI were significantly better predictors of serious injury than delta-v (p < 0.05). For the unbelted drivers, there was no statistically significant difference between delta-v, OIV, VPI, and ASI.

Conclusions: The broad findings of this study suggest it is feasible to improve injury prediction if we consider adding restraint performance to classic measures, e.g. delta-v. Applications, such as advanced automatic crash notification, should consider the use of different metrics for belted versus unbelted occupants.     

Toluene decomposition performance and NOx by-product formation during a DBD-catalyst process

Characteristics of toluene decomposition and formation of nitrogen oxide(NOx) by-products were investigated in a dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) reactor with/without catalyst at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Four kinds of metal oxides, i.e., manganese oxide(Mn Ox), iron oxide(Fe Ox), cobalt oxide(Co Ox) and copper oxide(Cu O), supported on Al2O3/nickel foam, were used as catalysts. It was found that introducing catalysts could improve toluene removal efficiency, promote decomposition of by-product ozone and enhance CO2 selectivity. In addition, NOx was suppressed with the decrease of specific energy density(SED) and the increase of humidity, gas flow rate and toluene concentration, or catalyst introduction. Among the four kinds of catalysts, the Cu O catalyst showed the best performance in NOx suppression. The Mn Ox catalyst exhibited the lowest concentration of O3 and highest CO2 selectivity but the highest concentration of NOx. A possible pathway for NOx production in DBD was discussed. The contributions of oxygen active species and hydroxyl radicals are dominant in NOx suppression.     

雷电电磁脉冲对便携计算机终端的损伤分析

目的使用电磁仿真软件XFDTD,研究雷电磁脉冲(LEMP)对便携计算机的电磁危害。方法给出腔体内部采样点处的电场时域波形图和截面的电场分布图,计算腔体内不同位置处的屏蔽效能和瞬时坡印廷矢量的大小,分析雷电电磁脉冲与腔体正面孔阵和侧面孔洞的耦合以及孔洞的互耦合。结果雷电电磁脉冲会与入射正面和侧面上的小孔发生不同程度的耦合。雷电电磁脉冲对腔体内部的电磁危害很小,电磁能量主要被限制在开孔附近,腔体中心处受到的影响最小。开孔面积越大,耦合进的电磁能量越多。相邻孔洞之间的互耦合效应使得腔体的屏蔽性变差。结论雷电电磁脉冲对便携计算机的危害一般很小。     

大数据技术在环境执法工作中的应用研究

随着大数据技术在各领域的逐步应用,已经有不少成功的案例来证明其确实可以解决之前通过常规信息化手段无法解决的问题;特别是在将大数据与人工智能结合以后,基于底层海量数据的"智能"分析,对于实时性要求比较高的业务的决策辅助,有非常好的应用效果.而环境保护管理工作复杂、专业、涉及面广、信息量大的特点,非常适合采用大数据技术;特别对于排污企业的执法检查工作,通过打造"环境大数据平台"为环境执法者提供第二个大脑,将真正为环境执法工作对精细化、精准化发展的目标服务.     

Magnetic pulse welding: Interface of Al/Cu joint and investigation of intermetallic formation effect on the weld features

This paper attempts to highlight emerging issues when joining dissimilar metal pairs by magnetic pulse welding. For this purpose, joint of Al/Cu and Al/Al welded with the same parameters are compared. Al/Cu combination involves a formation of an interfacial intermetallic phase whereas Al/Al joint is bonded by metal continuity at the interface. The intermetallic is found to be amorphous, nanoporous, and damaged by a multi-directional cracks. The formation of such features is respectively explained by a melting confined at the interface followed by high rate cooling, cavitation phenomenon and solidification shrinkage. Mechanical characterizations of the Al/Cu joint show brittle fracture at the interface with fragmentation of the [0] intermetallics (glass type rupture). The intermetallic defects such as pores and cracks strongly reduce the breaking load level when compared to the Al/Al case. On the other hand, the Al/Al joint shows ductile fracture with plastic deformation of the interface.     

Soil humic acids may favour the persistence of hexavalent chromium in soil

The interaction between hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), as K₂CrO₄, and standard humic acids (HAs) in bulk solution was studied using three complementary analytical methods: UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and differential pulse stripping voltammetry. The observed UV-Vis and X-ray absorption spectra showed that, under our experimental conditions, HAs did not induce reduction of Cr(VI) to its trivalent chemical form. The interaction between Cr(VI) and HAs has rather led to the formation of Cr(VI)-HAs micelles via supramolecular chemical processes. The reported results could contribute towards explaining the relative persistence of ecotoxic hexavalent chromium in soils.     

Liquid discharges from patients undergoing I treatments

This work discusses the production and management of liquid radioactive wastes as excretas from patients undergoing therapy procedures with ¹³¹I radiopharmaceuticals in Spain. The activity in the sewage has been estimated with and without waste radioactive decay tanks. Two common therapy procedures have been considered, the thyroid cancer (4.14 GBq administered per treatment), and the hyperthyroidism (414 MBq administered per treatment). The calculations were based on measurements of external exposure around the 244 hyperthyroidism patients and 23 thyroid cancer patients. The estimated direct activity discharged to the sewage for two thyroid carcinomas and three hyperthyroidisms was 14.57 GBq and 1.27 GBq, respectively, per week; the annual doses received by the most exposed individual (sewage worker) were 164 μSv and 13 μSv, respectively. General equations to calculate the activity as a function of the number of patient treated each week were also obtained.     

不同供电方式ESP极板电流密度分布研究

介绍了电除尘器极板电泳密度测试方法和装置，测定了不同极距下脉冲供电和直流供电时，沿电晕极线垂直方向、水平方向及整个极板上电流密度的分布结果，得出在同等条件下，脉冲供电的极析电流密度分布比直流供电的更加均匀，有利于改善电除尘器运行。     

HBCOD-1在线监测仪表在监测石油化工外排污水中的应用

抚顺石化公司石油二厂外排污水水质波动较大，其主要污染物为COD、油，为准确的监测外排污水水质，2003年抚顺石化公司石油二厂与北京环科环保技术公司共同研制开发了HBCOD-1在线监测技术，并在监测石油化工污水中的应用获得成功，为石油炼制及石油化工企业外排污水的在线监测总结了一条成功经验，开发了一项炼化污水自动监测的新技术。     

中国小城镇有机废物生成、利用和排放状况分析

利用小城镇人口数据及农、牧、副、工等行业生产和环境特点，对中国小城镇有机废物的生成量、利用量和排放量进行了估算，并对它们的潜在资源价值和环境影响作出了评价。