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.     

长江中游城市群经济-城市-社会-环境耦合度空间差异分析

以长江中游城市群的36个城市为例,构建了经济发展、城市化、社会保障、生态环境综合评价指标体系,运用耦合度模型评估了36个城市2011~2013年的耦合度,并利用GIS技术分析系统的得分与耦合度的空间分布特征。结果表明:长江中游城市群的36个城市的经济发展、城市化和社会保障水平的空间分布比较相似,三者间存在显著的正相关关系。但是,存在显著性的地区差异。36个城市生态环境得分均值很高,城市之间差异很小。从耦合度的空间分布来看,长江中游城市群明显存在3个高耦合度的聚集区域,即长株潭城市圈,武汉-南昌(含鄂州、黄石和九江)城市带和鄂北4市,即十堰、襄阳、宜昌和荆门。最后,36个城市之间耦合度的差异呈现逐年缩小的趋势。     

我国城镇居民环保事务参与的性别差异分析

从行为参与、管理参与和环境意识三个方面阐述了当前环保事务参与中存在的性别差异问题;从社会结构的视角分析了性别化对环保参与现状的影响。针对存在的问题和制约因素,从社会系统、社会资源和环境意识三个方面提出发展建议。     

GB4943与UL94的水平燃烧试验的区别

就GB4943-2001《信息技术设备的安全》的附录A8与UL94中关于50W水平燃烧试验的区别,说明了水平燃烧试验过程中应注意的几个问题,以及确定材料燃烧等级试验的重要性。通过分析,加深对标准中水平燃烧试验要求的理解。     

基于GIS的县域经济差异与协调发展研究——以陕北地区为例

改革开放以来,陕北地区经济有了突飞猛进的发展,尤其是矿产资源的开发创造了巨大的经济效益。但近几年来,县域经济发展水平的空间差异逐渐扩大,已成为制约该区域经济发展的一大障碍。选取了人均GDP、地均GDP、人均地方财政收入、人均社会消费品零售总额、城镇化水平、在岗职工平均工资和农民人均纯收入7项指标,采用ArcGIS的IDW法模拟和分析了陕北地区经济空间格局,再采用量图分析法将陕北地区25个县级行政区分为先进、中等和落后3种类型,从县域的角度进一步分析经济水平的空间差异,最后对缩小县域经济空间差异和实现县域经济协调发展提出几点建议。     

厌氧折流板式微生物燃料电池堆影响因素研究

微生物燃料电池(MFC)中输出电压/电流的提升,以及反应器体积的扩展放大是其工程化应用的关键。本文构建了一个总体积为6.4 L的新型厌氧折流板式微生物燃料电池堆(ABSMFC)。以葡萄糖作为底物,探讨了阳极材料、液面高程差和水力停留时间(HRT)等因素对ABSMFC性能的影响。结果表明,碳纤维毡作为阳极时,电池单体外电路平均分压(R_(ex)=1 000Ω)为210 mV,填充石墨颗粒后增加到319.8 mV。格室间存在液面高程差时,电池单体、串联和并联的功率密度分别为207.1、181.1和215.7 mW/m~2,当无液面高程差(即水力相连)时为205.8、69.5和151.5 mW/m~2。4个电池单体串联和并联连接时,HRT对ABSMFC的产电稳定性无影响,溶解性COD的去除率和库仑效率均随HRT的增加而升高,且并联效果优于串联。     

中国城镇建设用地经济密度的区位差异及影响因素——基于273个地级及以上城市的分析

以全国地级及以上城市中的273个样本城市为研究对象,分别从全国、沿海地区、内陆地区三个层次考察了样本城市城镇建设用地经济密度的区位差异。根据柯布-道格拉斯生产函数的理论与分析方法建立模型,分析了资本、劳动力、土地三大投入要素和城市全要素生产率等对城镇建设用地的影响,并在控制以上变量的条件下侧重考察了城市区位差异的影响。发现我国城镇建设用地经济密度的区位差异明显,具有区位优势的城市土地效益平均高于缺乏区位优势的城市;沿海水陆口岸的区位优势十分显著,建设用地经济密度相对较高,而内陆地区水陆口岸的区位优势有待发掘;航空口岸对提高城镇建设用地经济密度未发挥积极作用。分析结果表明,生产要素投入、科技水平、市场环境和城市发展阶段是影响土地效益的主要因素,但不同区位条件下城镇建设用地经济密度的影响因素有所不同,为提高城镇建设用地经济密度,不同区位条件的城市着力点应各有侧重。     

水下公路隧道纵向疏散通道加压送风系统研究

为研究水下公路隧道纵向疏散通道加压送风系统的关键设计参数,结合纵向疏散通道的特点,借鉴一般建筑加压送风系统的设计要求,提出了纵向疏散通道内加压送风量的计算方法,并通过数值模拟方法对纵向疏散通道加压送风系统进行了研究。结果表明,利用风速法计算得到的送风量比压差法计算得到的结果大20倍左右,并且压差法计算送风量时受疏散口缝隙宽度影响较大,工程适用性差。通过数值模拟可知,疏散通道内的送风风速达到1.5m/s时即能够满足人员安全疏散要求,这与风速法计算的结果一致。研究结果可供采用纵向疏散模式的隧道疏散通道加压送风系统设计参考。     

The Grain-population Relationship and the Effect of Main Food Producing Areas in China

With the increase of global population, grain-popula- tion relationship has attracted great attention worldwide. In China, grain-population relationship has become an increasingly impor- tant economic ...     

西南山区某气井井场地基稳定性模拟分析

中国西南山区蕴藏着丰富的天然气资源,但随着开发规模的日益扩大,天然气井逐步转向山区这类地质环境恶劣的地区。本文以西南山区某气井为原型,在详细阐明井场区地质环境背景特征的基础上,首先对井场出现的典型地质问题——地下采空区进行定性判断和分析;之后选用F lac-2D有限差分软件,对井场加载前/后地下采空区可能造成的井场地基应力和变形特征,采用双洞和采空区这2种计算模型,进行数值模拟分析。模拟结果表明,井场加载前/后地基最大位移量为2 mm,地基局部地段出现拉应力区,但总体上地基稳定。研究结论将为后期建设中井场建筑物的优化布局及基础的选型提供依据。