Evaluation of natural and tracer fluorescent emission methods for droplet size measurements in a diesel spray

Spray sizing that records fluorescent emission and scattered light has been widely applied to spray diagnostics over the last two decades. Different experimental strategies have been developed, but comparing the different solutions offered has remained of interest to experimentalists. In this work, a comparison of two fluorescence strategies for measuring droplet size in the liquid phase of a last-generation DI diesel spray is conducted. The natural fluorescent emission of a commercial diesel fuel and the fluorescence emitted by a tracer (Rhodamine B) are compared using theoretical and experimental approaches. The LIF/Mie ratio commonly called Planar Droplet Sizing (PDS) technique is applied in two different ways to elucidate the possible advantages of using a fluorescent dopant. The sprays were injected under non-evaporative conditions into a constant pressure vessel that simulates densities present at the moment of injection in currently used passenger car diesel engines. Characterization of the signal properties was performed by measuring the absorption coefficient, fluorescence emission spectrum, quantum yield and lifetime of both configurations. The scattered light and fluorescence intensities were calculated to verify the dependencies of the droplet surface and volume. When applying the two techniques to quantify droplet size in dense diesel sprays, the results show that signal weakness and lack of control over the properties of natural fluorescence produce distortion in the shape of the spray and cause measurements to be unreliable.     

The Concept and Practice of Treatment for Damage in Railway Tunnel Linings Caused by High-pressure Karst Water北大核心CSCD

In recent years, railway tunnels in karst areas have frequently suffered flooding after high-intensity rainfall, which seriously affects the safety of tunnel operation and the order of transportation, and even interrupts the traffic. Based on the water hazard case in the Yuanbaoshan Tunnel on the Zhijin-Bijie Railway Line, this paper explores the causes of lining damage in terms of geology, rainfall, and the design and construction of water hazard sections, and puts forward the treatment technology for tunnel water hazards with the core concept of "making full use of existing structures and employing open drainage methods in key sections". Besides, this paper simulates and analyzes the formation of hazards and the treatment effect through numerical simulation. The results show that the subjective causes for the damage in tunnel linings include an insufficient understanding of the water-bearing formations at the geological investigation stage, the underestimation of water hazard risks posed by high-intensity rainfall during construction, and the unimproved waterproof and drainage system in the design alteration, while the objective reasons include the development of karst near the tunnel section that passes through the stratum, the strong connectivity of water conduits, and the high-intensity rainfall in a certain period of time on the tunnel site. As for the simulation results, they show that the increase of external water pressure caused by the sudden rise in groundwater level after rainstorm significantly increases the internal force of linings, and eventually leads to a much lower safety factor of sidewall linings and large scale damage, which is in consistency with the characteristics of the actual on-site damage. After on-site emergency treatment, the tunnel structure has become stable and even encountering unprecedentedly heavy rainfall twice, the tunnel has still remained in a good condition. Since then, no water hazards and other disasters have occurred, which proves that the treatment plan is valid. © 2022, Editorial Office of "Modern Tunnelling Technology". All right reserved.     

The optimal location of a single ring road

Consider a radial road network such that a single ring road is the only connection between the radials. This paper shows that there is, for any fixed origin-destination distribution, a location of the ring road which minimises the impact of radial traffic flow, for almost any criterion used to assess that impact. An optimal ring road has as many relevant trip-ends inside as outside.     

Ekman transport along the Galician Coast (NW, Spain) calculated from QuikSCAT winds

Ekman transport is studied close to the Galician coast by means of wind data provided by the QuikSCAT satellite from November 1999 to October 2005. Three different coastal zones are identified, western coast from Miño River to Cape Finisterre, middle coast from Cape Finisterre to Cape Ortegal and northern coast, from Cape Ortegal to Cape Peñas. In addition to existence of long-term variations, the periodicity of the transport signal is characterized by an annual component (365 days), a seasonal fluctuation (50–80 days) and a time scale related to passing storms (15–20 days). Although the periodicity of the signal is similar at the three zones due to external meteorological forcing, the Ekman transport is modulated by the presence of the coast, in such a way that seasonal patterns vary in intensity and direction along the coast. Thus, the spring–summer pattern is characterized by high transport at the western coast, pointing seaward perpendicular to the shore-line. The same orientation is observed at the middle coast although with a lower magnitude. Finally, Ekman transport at the northern coast points landward and oblique to the shore-line. The different transport orientations are shown to be responsible for the upwelling probability variation along the coast. On the other hand, the autumn–winter pattern does not show a clear trend with important inter-annual differences showing the high variability of Ekman transport for this period.     

The impacts of inter-vehicle spacing on in-vehicle air pollution concentrations in idling urban traffic conditions

The influence of inter-vehicle spacing on the in-vehicle air pollution exposure of car commuters in heavy traffic conditions was investigated, both experimentally and numerically. An experimental investigation was carried out into the effect, on in-vehicle air pollution exposure, of maintaining a distance of approximately 2 m to the preceding vehicle in congested idling traffic conditions compared to that of an identical vehicle maintaining a distance of approximately 1 m. In-vehicle VOC and PM_2.5 concentrations revealed that a 19–31% reduction in exposure at the larger inter-vehicle spacing. A computational fluid dynamics model was calibrated using the experimental data and used to prediction car exposure under different conditions by varying certain key parameters. Agreement between the experimental and predicted data of 82% was achieved. The results show a significant drop in pollutant concentrations occurred within the first 2 m of their emission from the preceding vehicles exhaust.     

Micro-simulation modelling for traffic safety: A review and potential application to heterogeneous traffic environment

This paper critically reviews micro-simulation modelling applications for traffic safety evaluation with respect to the use of different simulation tools, the application of surrogate safety indicators under different aspects of road environments and crash considerations. General input variables used to develop the models; key parameters for crash prediction; and calibration and validation approaches are explored in the paper. The strengths and weaknesses of used simulation packages for traffic safety evaluation are also pointed out. Moreover, recent advancements in the development and application of traffic safety micro-simulation model for safety assessment are also discussed.Despite having a number of studies, there is still a significant void in the development and application of simulation model to evaluate traffic safety of non-lane based heterogeneous traffic environments that predominate in many developing countries. The paper assessed the potential application of traffic safety micro-simulation model in heterogeneous traffic environments. Finally, a number of potentially fruitful future research directions are highlighted.     

The importance of new‐generation freight terminals for intermodal transport

Manufacturers have been promoting new terminal concepts for several years. They claim more efficient operations, shorter handling times and lower costs compared to conventional operations. However, so far no new‐generation terminals have been implemented, nor is there any intention yet to implement them. This is regrettable, because if new‐generation terminal concepts can achieve what their designers claim, these terminals could significantly improve the competitiveness of intermodal transport. It is expected that new‐generation terminals will perform particularly well in complex bundling networks such as hub and spoke, collection‐distribution and line networks. A static‐process analysis is used to evaluate the claimed terminal performances. The method incorporates the terminal function and the type of bundling network. Specific network situations have been defined for each type of bundling network. This study shows that the new concepts perform better than the reference terminal and shunting in complex bundling operations.     

Th-derived particulate organic carbon fluxes in the northern Barents Sea with comparison to drifting sediment trap fluxes

Large-volume sampling of ²³⁴Th was conducted to estimate particulate organic carbon (POC) export in conjunction with drifting sediment trap deployments in the northern Barents Sea in July 2003 and May 2005. ²³⁴Th-derived POC fluxes averaged 42.3 ± 39.7 mmol C m^− 2 d^− 1 in 2003 and 47.1 ± 30.6 mmol C m^− 2 d^− 1 in 2005. Sediment trap POC fluxes averaged 13.1 ± 8.2 mmol C m^− 2 d^− 1 in 2003 and 17.3 ± 11.4 mmol C m^− 2 d^− 1 in 2005, but better reflected the transient bloom conditions that were observed at each station within a season. Although ²³⁴Th fluxes agreed within a factor 2 at most stations and depths sampled, sediment trap POC fluxes were lower than large-volume POC flux estimates at almost every station. This may represent an under-collection of POC by the drifting sediment traps or, conversely, an over-collection of POC by the large-volume sampling of ²³⁴Th. It is hypothesized that the offset between the two methods is partly due to the presence of the prymnesiophyte Phaeocystis pouchetii, which potentially causes a large variation in > 53-μm POC/²³⁴Th ratios. Due to the large proportion of dissolved carbon or mucilage released by P. pouchetii, and because it is thought that P. pouchetii does not contribute significantly to the vertical export of biogenic matter in the Barents Sea, the application of large-volume sampling of ²³⁴Th may yield relatively high, and possibly inaccurate POC/²³⁴Th ratios. Hence, POC fluxes derived from ²³⁴Th sampling may be inappropriate and drifting sediment traps might be a more reliable method to measure the vertical export of biogenic matter in regions that have recurrent P. pouchetii blooms, such as the Barents Sea.     

Pourquoi les « effets » TGV sont-ils différents selon les territoires ? L’hétérogénéité au coeur du triptyque « Innovations, Territoires, Stratégies »

A lot of high-speed lines are planned all around the world. Economic and politic stakeholders of the served areas expect a lot of positive effects in terms of local economic development. If it is not always the case, some local economic dynamic indirectly linked to high-speed rail service (HSRS) can exist in some areas and in some conditions. The aim of this paper is to put in evidence the heterogeneity of the wider effects of a HSRS according to places. Using innovation theories, which underline the coproduction of services, we analyze the arrival of a HSRS in an area as a set of innovation services. We put forward that these innovations are different according to the countries and to the local areas. It is a first level of heterogeneity. Furthermore, potential use and appropriation of innovations linked to HSRS by local stakeholders which depend on the characteristics of the area are very different. This is a second level of heterogeneity. Finally, we put forward that the appropriation depends on the kind of strategies of the stakeholders. This is the third level of heterogeneity. Consequently, we underlined the necessity to go beyond the analysis of HSRS effects because the link between HSRS and local economic development is based on a coproduction.