Collective Transport Research Articles

Cycling tourism in Italy: Multimodal transport behaviours in a latent class analysis

In the last years, sustainability has become an important issue in tourism debate, and more, cycling tourism as an alternative and green way of travel during holidays has gained popularity. However, the choice of other transport means, complementary to bikes, is of key importance to address the sustainability of cycling experiences. In this paper, we used primary data collected from an on-line survey on bike tourism in Italy in 2020. Besides sociodemographic and bike-related questions, 858 individuals were asked about their own transport modes to move across destinations during cycling holidays. A latent class analysis has been used to identify three groups of people with segmented preferences for bike tourism experiences, including destinations, accommodation, and multimodal behaviours. We found that the largest latent class in Italy is composed by bike tourists with the highest share of females compared to the other two classes, under 60 years old, and with a strong preference for collective transport means. Both from a management and policy perspective, our results support the claim for investments to improve the transport connection among tourism destinations, and to stimulate the creation of bike-friendly environments and tourism facilities.

Analysis of the possibilities of improving public transport in Wrocław with the use of a water tram

water tram in Wrocław as a new means of transport that can improve traffic in the city. Examples of the functioning water tram networks in Krakow, Geneva and Hamburg are presented. The existing condition of the Wrocław Water Junction was also analyzed, including the limitations related to the measles channeling in the area of the entire junction. The possible route of the routes was presented, taking into account possible limitations. The whole thing ended with a summary and conclusions. Keywords: Water tram; Wrocław Water Junction; Collective transport

Low-profile heat pipe consisting of wick-lined and non-adiabatic wickless wettability-patterned surfaces

Heat pipes are metal-wick equipped systems that circulate a phase-changing liquid and transfer heat more effectively than solid-metal compact heat spreaders. Metal wicks are effective fluid transporters, but they can face capillary limits due to significant pressure drops and pore clogging. Wettability-patterned (WP) surfaces, on the other hand, are not limited by these constraints and, as demonstrated in this work, may offer a viable supplement for metal wicks in heat pipes, which come in many shapes and sizes. The use of WP surfaces facilitates the collection and efficient transport of condensate, thus improving heat transfer from the hot (evaporator) to the cold (condenser) side of the device. Most commonly, flat heat pipes consisting of a fully wick-lined plate opposed to a wickless surface, are evaluated considering a uniform adiabatic condition on the wickless plate, which does not promote condensation. However, in a practical scenario, the heat pipe portions in contact with an external heat sink could induce condensation on the wickless side, thus affecting the heat pipe’s operation and thermal resistance. To explore this scenario, a flat heat pipe of 10 cm operating length with axially graded copper-wick evaporator and non-adiabatic wickless WP surface is designed, fabricated and tested. A wettability pattern is imparted on the wickless surface to control the maximum droplet size of the condensate and condensation mode via spatially designed superhydrophilic/hydrophobic juxtaposed areas to regulate both Dropwise Condensation (DwC) and Filmwise Condensation (FwC) towards enhanced heat transfer with reduced overall system thermal resistance. Low capillary pressure domains are allocated in this design to collect condensate on the wickless plate and return it to the evaporator’s wick. On the evaporator side of the system, variable-porosity copper wicks are being used to improve liquid conveyance from the cold to the hot domains. Four heat-transfer fluid charging ratios are examined with the best thermal resistance 0.27 K/W achieved at 105 W. The effect of wettability patterning on the wickless surface and the wick characteristics of the wick-lined evaporator are investigated. • Low-profile hybrid heat pipe comprised of wick-lined and wickless components. • Three distinct wick structures and wettability patterns investigated and compared. • Axially-graded wick structure outperforms uniform wicks. • Wettability-patterned wickless plate lowers thermal resistance. • Highest-performing system’s thermal resistance below 0.3 K/W.

Numerical Simulation and Analytical Evaluation of the Collection Efficiency of the Particles in a Gas by the Wire-Plate Electrostatic Precipitators

In this study, a numerical simulation model and an analytical method are introduced to evaluate the particle collection efficiency and transport phenomena in an electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Several complicated physical processes are involved in an ESP, including the turbulent flow, the ionization of gas by corona discharge, particles’ movement, and the displacement of electric charge. The attachment of ions charges suspended particles in the gas media. Then, charged particles in the fluid move towards the collection plate and stick on it. The numerical model comprises the gas flow, electrostatic field, and particle motions. The collection efficiency of the wire-plate type ESP is investigated for the particle diameter range of 0.02 to 10 µm. It is observed that electric field strengths and current densities show considerable variation in the solution domain. Meanwhile, changing supply voltage and charging wire diameters significantly affect the acquired charges on the electrostatic field and particle collecting efficiencies. Simultaneously, the distance between the charging and collecting electrodes and the main fluid inlet velocity has an important effect on the particle collection efficiency. The influence of the different ESP working conditions and particle dimensions on the performance of ESP are investigated and discussed.

Boil-off gas emission from the fuel tank of a LNG powered truck

LNG fueled vehicles are growing in many countries as a convenient solution for heavy duty and collective passenger transport due to the development of a capillary refueling infrastructure. Due to the known pressure build-up phenomenon, long duration parking of vehicles could cause flammable gas emission and potential explosive atmospheres in closed environments like repair workshops. In this paper, a model of pressure build-up and discharge is applied to small LNG tanks to evaluate the consistency of the phenomenon when pure methane is taken as reference for the calculation rather than the natural gas mixture. Moreover, it is compared with flow and pressure measurements performed for the first time, through a specifically developed suitable test facility. The scope of this study is to improve the awareness about the flammable gas emission from LNG fueled trucks in the safety framework. The expected results can be used to design ventilation systems to lower the flammable gas concentration and mitigate the explosion risk in closed environments.

Modal split of passenger traffic: The Polish section of EU external borders

Abstract Despite the ongoing processes of territorial integration, especially in Europe, there are still borders that fulfil their original function, namely that of a barrier. In some cases, this function has even been strengthened. Such is the case with Poland’s eastern border, which is also the external border of the EU and of the Schengen Area. This article presents the modal split of passenger traffic under conditions of frequent changes in the functions and permeability of borders, against the background of the key drivers behind the volumes of border traffic, i.e. the geopolitical, socio-economic, and infrastructural factors, both in relation to road, rail and border infrastructure. All sections of the border display some marginalisation of railway transport. The Polish eastern border is characterised by a sustained high share of bus transport, which pertains to all sections under analysis. The long waiting times for clearance when travelling in private cars was probably one of the factors behind the creation of the market for collective transport. Private transport is most dominant on the Polish-Russian border, while the largest share of crossings by bus is recorded on the Belarusian border.

Statutory discounts as a barrier to the integration of bus and rail transport

Abstract: The subject of the article is the issue of statutory concessions applied in public collective transport. The level of their differentiation in relation to bus and rail transport is a serious barrier to the tariff integration of these two means of transport. Hence, in the course of works on the amendment to the act on public collective transport, it seems advisable to attempt to standardize statutory concessions, as well as to include provisions relating to them to the indicated normative act. In the current legal state, the provisions regulating this issue have been included in at least a few acts. The adoption of the assumption assuming their unification should lead to simplification of the currently applicable system, and thus accelerate the process of ticket integration. Keywords: Tariff integration; Ticket; Statutory discount

The Control of Metabolic CO2 in Public Transport as a Strategy to Reduce the Transmission of Respiratory Infectious Diseases.

The global acceptance of the SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission led to prevention measures based on quality control and air renewal. Among them, carbon dioxide (CO2) measurement has positioned itself as a cost-efficiency, reliable, and straightforward method to assess indoor air renewal indirectly. Through the control of CO2, it is possible to implement and validate the effectiveness of prevention measures to reduce the risk of contagion of respiratory diseases by aerosols. Thanks to the method scalability, CO2 measurement has become the gold standard for diagnosing air quality in shared spaces. Even though collective transport is considered one of the environments with the highest rate of COVID-19 propagation, little research has been done where the air inside vehicles is analyzed. This work explores the generation and accumulation of metabolic CO2 in a tramway (Zaragoza, Spain) operation. Importantly, we propose to use the indicator ppm/person as a basis for comparing environments under different conditions. Our study concludes with an experimental evaluation of the benefit of modifying some parameters of the Heating–Ventilation–Air conditioning (HVAC) system. The study of the particle retention efficiency of the implemented filters shows a poor air cleaning performance that, at present, can be counteracted by opening windows. Seeking a post-pandemic scenario, it will be crucial to seek strategies to improve air quality in public transport to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.

Planning Services for Sludge Treatment Installation (IPLT) Nganjuk Regency

Nganjuk Regency is one of the regencies in East Java Province with a fairly high population of 1,103,491 people. The high population affects the rate of wastewater production in a Regency/City. The purpose of this study is to plan the installation of a sewage treatment plant (IPLT) and the services that will be applied to the IPLT. This research method uses data analysis methods. Based on the septic tank users and the service distance of the 100% serviced area selected for the priority zone served by 5 sub-districts, namely Nganjuk District, Rejoso District, Sukomoro District, Loceret District, Bagor District, because these districts are the closest to the planning area. The toilet suction pattern that will be applied is the direct transportation pattern and the collective transportation pattern

The Impact of Transport Exclusion on the Local Development of Biała County

The issue of transport exclusion is an important social problem. It is of major interest to both central and local authorities. For the purposes of this study, a research questionnaire was conducted on the issue of transport exclusion. The area of the research carried out was Biała County, composed of seventeen communes and two cities. The data were collected based on an electronic questionnaire, i.e., using the CAWI method (Computer Assisted Web Interview). In total, 473 inhabitants of the studied area took part in the survey. Logistic regression, Spearman’s rank correlation method, and Pearson’s chi-square test of independence were all used in the data analysis. The research shows that local communities emphasise the problem of an insufficient number of connections or point out the complete lack of connections with respect to particular localities. Transport exclusion affects, in particular, people living in small towns, the elderly, the disadvantaged, and the disabled. The lack of basic means of transport hinders access to the labour market, especially for people starting their vocational careers, as well as for education, health care, and other spheres of human life. The lack of collective transport forces the inhabitants to use their own cars. As a consequence, the environment suffers from it (more and more exhaust fumes are getting into the air), road infrastructure is excessively being used and the number of accidents is increasing. Additionally, there are traffic jams at the entrances to cities (congestion). Limited access to public transport or its total absence results in the depopulation of localities and halting the development of selected communes.

Optimisation of sustainable urban recycling waste collection and routing with heterogeneous electric vehicles

Solid waste management faces increasing challenges due to rapid urbanisation and population growth. In addition, the different types of waste sources are scattered in different geographical regions within the city increases the transportation and collection costs, as well as increases emissions. Therefore, a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution can be found to optimise waste collection procedures and transportation operations. This study introduces the electric waste collection problem (EWCP) in which a heterogeneous fleet of electric vehicles has to be assigned to carry out a number of visits to the places where the waste bins are located. This problem is a generalisation of the well-known vehicle routing problem. We consider multiple types of wastes, time windows, multi-compartment, split deliveries, and waste bin-vehicle compatibility. This paper aims to optimise waste collection and transportation operations in a sustainable way. We mathematically formulate the problem as a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model and develop an adaptive variable neighbourhood search (AVNS) to solve the EWCP efficiently. We have generated a new instance set for the problem based on the real-life case study and conducted extensive computational experiments with our extended heuristic. The results indicate that the AVNS is highly effective compared to the MIP model with small-size instances. Our obtained results suggest that using an electric vehicle fleet in waste collection operations will help reduce the total travel costs and harmful gas emissions. • A new electric waste collection problem with multiple types of wastes is addressed. • Constraints such as split deliveries and bin-vehicle compatibility are considered. • An adaptive variable neighbourhood search heuristic is offered to solve the problem efficiently. • Extensive computational experiments are conducted for several insights. • The impact of the fleet mix and traffic congestion are also explored in the study.

An innovative framework for real-time monitoring of pollutant point sources in river networks

Simultaneous identification of the location and release history of pollutant sources in river networks is an ill-posed and complicated problem, particularly in the case of multiple sources with time-varying release patterns. This study presents an innovative method for solving this problem using minimum observational data. To do so, a procedure is proposed in which, the number and the suspected reaches to the existence of pollutant sources are determined. This is done by defining two different types of monitoring stations with an adaptive arrangement in addition to real-time data collection and reliable flow and transport mathematical models. In the next step, the sources’ location and their release history are identified by solving the inverse source problem employing a geostatistical approach. Different scenarios are discussed for different conditions of number, release history and location of pollutant sources in the river network. Results indicated the capability of the proposed method in identifying the characteristics of the sources in complicated cases. Hence, it can be effectively used for the comprehensive monitoring of river networks for different purposes.

Integrated Approach to Achieve a Sustainable Organic Waste Management System in Saudi Arabia.

Organic waste management (OWM) has always been a fundamental aspect of human populations. Approaches to OWM must be matched to the characteristics of a certain population. In this consideration, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is no exception. Organizations are being aligned to focus on sustainability matters sharing significant features with universal trends, especially the integration of 3Rs (reducing waste, reusing, and recycling resources). However, the degree and nature of advancement in the direction of sustainability vary depending on the economic level of a state. High-income economies can afford to pay a higher price to integrate 3Rs technologies. Most recent endeavors have focused on achieving ‘Zero Waste’, which is costly for low-income developing countries. The expectations of OWM systems in KSA must be estimated. In this work, the situations in KSA and other countries are analyzed, and pertinent aspects are explored. Matters relating to the sustainability of OWM are conceptually assessed. This study proposes an integrated method for an organic waste management system to achieve sustainable OWM in the context of state policy and appropriate frameworks, suitable technology, institutional order, operational and monetary administration, and people consciousness and involvement. A genetic-based waste collection transportation algorithm that enhances the efficiency of waste collection truck management is presented in line with this technology. The selected routes based on the Rfs and IPv are the most efficient among those available for the examined smart bin destinations. The minimum Rfs of selected routes is less than the maximum Rfs of available routes by 2.63%. Also, the minimum IPv of selected routes is less than the maximum IPv of available routes by 27.08%. The proposed integrated approach, including the waste collection transportation algorithm, would be beneficial across a variety of country-specific layouts.

Standards for Collection, Preservation, and Transportation of Fecal Samples in TCM Clinical Trials.

BackgroundUnlike chemical drugs with a single or a few kinds of active compounds, traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs)uses herbal formulas composed of numerous kinds of chemical constituents. Therefore, TCM clinical trials require unique and stricter standards for collecting, preserving, and transporting fecal samples than those used for chemical drugs. Unfortunately, there are no special standards for processing fecal samples in TCM clinical trials.MethodsWe invited interdisciplinary experts within TCM clinical trials and gut microbiome research to help formulate this standard. After more than a year’s in-depth discussion and amendments, we achieved a standard via expert interviews, literature research, questionnaire surveys, and public opinion solicitation. This standard has been reviewed and approved by the Standards Office of China of the Association of Chinese medicine.ResultsWe established a sample information processing method prior to TCM clinical sample collection, which is adapted to the unique features of TCM. The method formulates detailed processing requirements for TCM information in addition to the factors that may disturb the gut microbiome. We also constructed a set of methods for collecting, preserving, and transporting fecal samples that meet the characteristics of TCM. These methods formulate detailed operating specifications on the collection approaches, storage conditions, transportation requirements, and management of fecal samples.ConclusionsThis standard guides the information processing prior to sample collection and the standard operating procedures for the collection, preservation, and transportation of fecal samples in TCM clinical trials, which also can be used as a reference by clinicians and researchers in modern medicines.

Unidirectional collective transport of microspheres in nematic liquid crystal by electrically tunable reorientation

Manipulation of microparticles in dispersion medium has attracted a widespread attention, with applications ranging from microfluidic physics to engineering. At present, manipulating microparticles unidirectionally along the direction perpendicular to the electric field remains a challenge. In this work, we designed a liquid crystal cell with an opposite pretilt orientation to transport the silica spheres with diameters of several microns. We investigated the effect of field parameters on the transport velocity of microspheres, mechanism of the unidirectional collective transport, and motion behaviors in the case of collision. The results show that, depending on the field intensity and modulation frequency, the transport velocity varies from a few to more than 100 μm/s. The microspheres move to the opposite side of rubbing direction, and it can be adjusted by changing the alignment layer’s orientation direction. The proposed cell structure is simple, and the microspheres do not require surface modifications. Both these factors facilitate the high-throughput transport of micro-cargoes.

Best Practices for the Pre-Analytic Phase of Anaerobic Bacteriology

Anaerobic bacteria that cause infections contribute to patient morbidity and mortality, especially among patients with underlying conditions or who are immunocompromised. While once largely grouped together without specific differentiation, anaerobic bacteria, defined as organisms that utilize terminal electron acceptors other than oxygen, are of increasing importance in clinical microbiology. In this review, we discuss pre-analytical-phase best practices for anaerobic recovery in the clinical microbiology laboratory. The suspected infection, and in turn the type of specimen to be cultured, helps determine which sample container, specimen collection method, transport conditions, and culture media are needed for optimal recovery of anaerobic bacteria.

RESERVOIR PRESSURE MAINTENANCE (RPM) ON OIL DEPOSITS

The article provides a brief analysis of the issue of improving oil recovery as a result of lower formation pressure in offshore oil wells. In the introductory part, the issues of lowering the formation pressure during the operation of oil and gas fields were considered. It is known that during the initial operation of wells, the wellhead pressure is high, so the wellhead is sufficient to transport pressure. However, after a period of operation, a sharp drop in formation pressure is observed, and when the wellhead pressure is less than the pressure in the in-house pipelines, it is not possible to transport the oil or gas obtained through these pipelines. In such conditions, in order to improve the development of oil storage, products from offshore oil and gas fields are transported to the shore through special tanks. The issue of increasing the wellhead pressure of such wells has been widely studied, as the occurrence of such transport leads to the consumption of additional funds. The decrease in formation pressure is observed differently in different wells. This situation mainly varies depending on the operating conditions and service life of the wells. In this case, in order to increase the service life of oil and gas fields, work is underway to artificially increase the formation pressure. Thus, in order to eliminate the problem of reducing the formation pressure, gas or liquid is injected into the well from the outside, which helps to increase the pressure. In wells where the pressure in the pipe mouth space is reduced, the process of applying additional pressure from the outside is carried out continuously during the next operation. Then the pumps used to inject liquid and gas into the reservoir were inspected. Their equipment and various parts are shown through graphs. It was noted that pumps and pumping equipment differ in their characteristics depending on the volume and conditions of liquids and gases injected from the outside as a result of the reduction of formation pressure. In addition, the collection system and transportation process of such wells have been reviewed and explained in detail using graphs and tables. Finally, the generalized results from the considered topic were noted. Keywords: fountain armature, reservoir pressure maintenance, injection pressure, pumping equip-ment, pump station, manifold block.

Flying less, mobility practices, and well-being: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway

This article uses a mixed-methods design to study flight-intensive practices in Norway. It explores how practices changed as a consequence of the travel restrictions implemented to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications for people’s well-being. Norway is one of the European countries where people take the most flights per capita and the expectation is for air traffic to increase by approximately 4% annually from pre-pandemic levels. Notwithstanding the industry’s goal of becoming fossil-free by 2050, the rapid reduction of emissions to keep global warming at 1.5°C below pre-industrial levels is unlikely to happen without restrictions in air travel. The article draws on social practice and well-being perspectives to investigate the possibility of flying less in post-pandemic times. Using survey data and regression analysis, the study analyzes the infrastructures, norms, values, resources, and competencies associated with reductions in pre-pandemic air travel. Engaging in walking and cycling and taking collective transport for short-distance travel were found to correlate with flying less for long distances. In-depth interviews with domestic travelers suggest that flying less for work might be a synergic satisfier as it contributes to more than one human need without hampering any others. This has implications for the well-being of people who engage in flight-intensive practices for work as it will likely be enhanced if work-related travel is significantly reduced when the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Collective hydrodynamic magnon transport study in magnetically ordered insulator based on Boltzmann approach

The magnon, an elementary excitation of an orderly magnetic system, has recently received a great deal of attention due to its excellent spin transmission properties. Many researchers have observed a strong correlation between magnon transport properties and temperature. Although existing theories already include the influence of temperature, they cannot clearly explain many phenomena. In this article, we introduce a new scattering process, inspired by the nature of the magnon itself and based on the Boltzmann method, which clearly impacts the transport properties of the magnon. This new scattering process is named Normal scattering, and makes the transport of the magnon exhibit a fluid-like property, which can be captured by a viscous fluid transport equation. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with experimental results and the proportion of Normal scattering in the overall scattering changes with temperature, which convincingly explains the temperature dependence of magnon transport.

Plasmon-Enhanced Exciton Delocalization in Squaraine-Type Molecular Aggregates.

Enlarging exciton coherence lengths in molecular aggregates is critical for enhancing the collective optical and transport properties of molecular thin film nanostructures or devices. We demonstrate that the exciton coherence length of squaraine aggregates can be increased from 10 to 24 molecular units at room temperature when preparing the aggregated thin film on a metallic rather than a dielectric substrate. Two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy measurements reveal a much lower degree of inhomogeneous line broadening for aggregates on a gold film, pointing to a reduced disorder. The result is corroborated by simulations based on a Frenkel exciton model including exciton-plasmon coupling effects. The simulation shows that localized, energetically nearly resonant excitons on spatially well separated segments can be radiatively coupled via delocalized surface plasmon polariton modes at a planar molecule-gold interface. Such plasmon-enhanced delocalization of the exciton wave function is of high importance for improving the coherent transport properties of molecular aggregates on the nanoscale. Additionally, it may help tailor the collective optical response of organic materials for quantum optical applications.