Construction Vehicles Research Articles

Ways of reduction of environmental risks of slag heaps of metallurgical enterprises, Ukraine

The purpose of this work is a quantitative assessment of the level of reduction of environmental risks of slag heaps of metallurgical enterprises with the use of metallurgical slag as an alternative road construction material.Methods. Quantitative analysis of the emergence of the risk of environmental hazard is carried out in accordance with the "Methodology for determining the risks and their adopted levels for the declaration of safety of objects of high danger", which determines the procedure for conducting a hazard analysis and risk assessment of high-risk objects, which is carried out through the definition of the probability of undesirable consequences of accidents on based scripts for their emergence and development. For the risk assessment, a logical-probabilistic hazard response scheme in the form of a "failure tree" is constructed and analyzed, which is a form of an ordered graphical representation of the logical-probabilistic connection of random events that results in an undesirable result. The calculation of road surface design with alternative road-building materials is carried out in accordance with the VBN V.2.3-218-186-2004 "Construction of vehicles. Non-rigid type of road clothes" taking into account the requirements of the GBN V.2.3-218-007: 2012 "Environmental requirements for highways Designing".Results. To determine the main causes of environmental hazards in the dumps of metallurgical combines and the nature of their impact on the environment, a tree of problems has been constructed that allows us to determine the main causes of a high level of environmental hazard and the emergence of hazardous situations, namely, the large volumes of metallurgical waste stored on the territory of dumps. For the dumps around the steel mills in Mariupol a "tree of failure" was built and the probability of occurrence of an ecologically dangerous situation or an accident which is connected with places of storage of metallurgical deposits of PJSC "Azovstal Iron and Steel Works" and PJSC "Mariupol Iron and Steel Works named after Ilyich" is calculated. The risk of the risk of storing slags in the dumps of metallurgical combines of the occurrence of the main event is 0.636. The main environmental hazards are the amount of slag and slag dust in the dump area. Design of road clothing with the use of metallurgical slags. The content of metallurgical slag in the proposed designs of the DO reaches 25 ... 32%. The use of metallurgical slags, which are low-toxic waste, that is, waste of Class IV hazard, in road construction will reduce the level of existing environmental risk, provided the metallurgical slags of consumer properties.Scientific novelty. As a result of the performed research, an effective approach to reduce the environmental risks of slag heats of steel mills was identified through the use of large volumes of slag as an alternative road construction material. The design of road clothing for the construction of roads of different categories and the level of reduction of the ecological risk of the dump impact on the environment and health of the population of the region are determined.Practical significance. The practical application of the proposed approach was made for slag heaps of the metallurgical combines of Mariupol (Ukraine). The level of ecological safety of the region by reducing the amount of metallurgical slags can be increased by 27-30%, which will allow the company to obtain a total ecological and economic effect in the amount of 1.22 million UAH.

A Comparative Study on Structural Evaluation of Road Pavement Performance in an Apartment Complex Considering a Construction Vehicle

A Comparative Study on Structural Evaluation of Road Pavement Performance in an Apartment Complex Considering a Construction Vehicle

Lung Cancer Mortality in the Swiss Working Population: The Effect of Occupational and Non-Occupational Factors.

Objective:To assess the effect of occupational exposures on lung cancer mortality in Switzerland after adjustment for non-occupational lung carcinogens.Methods:Using data on 4,351,383 Swiss residents, we used negative binomial regression to assess the effect occupation on lung cancer mortality between 1990 and 2014, accounting for socio-demographic factors, predicted probabilities of smoking and measured environmental radon exposure.Results:After adjustment, male machine operators and workers in mining, stone working and building materials manufacturing showed the highest risk. Women working in electrical engineering, electronics, watchmaking, vehicle construction and toolmaking, and transport occupations also remained at high risk. Radon exposure had no effect on lung cancer mortality, while smoking demonstrated a significant effect in both sexes.Conclusions:The results suggest the presence of occupational exposures to lung carcinogens in addition to non-occupational factors.

Low Pressure Tube Transport—An Alternative to Ground Road Transport—Aerodynamic and Other Problems and Possible Solutions

This paper presents the concept of one possible but unconventional implementation of a Low Pressure Tube Transport (LPTT) system for a network with station-to-station distances of 300 km, based on the use of circular tunnels in which modular vehicles consisting of three interconnected functional segments move on wheels with airless tires. The physical limitations associated with high-speed vehicle travel in tunnels are presented. The reasons for the expected inconvenience in the travel system, compensated by short travel times, are justified. Assumptions for the use of locomotion, safety, and passenger segments in the construction of a vacuum modular vehicle are presented, as well as systems to ensure the efficient conversion of serial traffic in tunnels to parallel traffic in station areas. Schemes of station construction and traffic organization in the station area are presented, as well as assumptions for a number of systems increasing the safety of vehicle traffic used in emergency situations. Visualizations of some solutions are presented. Details of the construction of a locomotive segment based on a multi-wheel system of airless wheels with the use of a system of linear motors for acceleration and an inertial drive system between them to reduce its weight are presented. Some conclusions from tests conducted on built simulators, mechanical and virtual, of the passenger segment of a vacuum vehicle are discussed.

A Flow Analysis Using a Water Tunnel of an Innovative Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The purpose of this article is to present and discuss the results of a non-standard unnamed aerial vehicle construction with a constant cross-section square-shaped avionic profile. Based on the model’s in-air observed maneuverability, the research of avionic construction behavior was carried out in a water tunnel. The results show the model’s specific lift capabilities in comparison to classical avionic constructions. The characteristic results of the lift coefficient showed that the unmanned aerial vehicle presents favorable features than classic avionic constructions. The model was created with the prospect of using it in the future for dual-use purposes, where unmanned aerial vehicles are currently experiencing very rapid development. When creating the prototype, the focus was on low production cost, as well as convenience in operation. The development of this type of breakthrough avionic solution, which shows extraordinary maneuverability, may contribute to increasing the popularity and, above all, the availability of unmanned aerial vehicles for the largest possible group of recipients because of high avionic properties in relation to the technical construction complexity.

Electrification Opportunities in the Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Segment in Canada

The medium- and heavy-duty (MD/HD) vehicle sector is a large emitter of greenhouse gases. It will require drastic emissions reductions to realize a net-zero carbon future. This study conducts fourteen short feasibility investigations in the Canadian context to evaluate the merits of battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell alternatives to conventional city buses, inter-city buses, school buses, courier vehicles (step vans), refuse trucks, long-haul trucks and construction vehicles. These “clean transportation alternatives” were evaluated for practicality, economics, and emission reductions in comparison to their conventional counterparts. Conclusions were drawn on which use cases would be best suited for accelerating the transformation of the MD/HD sector.

Present situation and prospect of new energy vehicle industry in China

As the global energy and ecological environment are facing severe challenges, the promotion of new energy vehicles is becoming more and more extensive. This paper introduces the concept and development history of new energy vehicles, summarizes the development status of pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles in China, further analyzes the development opportunities of new energy vehicle industry, and looks forward to its development prospect based on GM (1,1) grayscale prediction model. Finally, the development suggestions are put forward according to the problems existing in power battery technology, safety, market competition and infrastructure construction of new energy vehicles.

Aerodynamic Phenomena Caused by the Passage of a Train. Part 1: Pressure Interaction With Objects

The series of articles describing aerodynamic phenomena caused by train passage characterise the interaction of a train travelling at high speed with the moving train itself, on other trains, on trackside objects and on people. This interaction can be of two types – generated pressure and slipstream. Apart from the literature analysis, the author’s research was also taken into account. The first part presents the general classification of aerodynamic phenomena, the pressure change wave-form in open space caused by the passage of a train and the pressure interaction with trackside objects. Conclusions are presented on the construction of a high-speed rail vehicle and the strength and location of structures on high-speed lines. Keywords: rolling stock, high-speed railways, aerodynamic phenomena

Motor shifting and torque distribution control of a multi-motor driving system in electric construction vehicles

With the rapid development of the world economic construction and the shortage of energy, it has become a hot research issue to realize the electrification of the vehicle driving system and improve energy efficiency. Most of the electric construction machinery power systems are characterized by low speed and high load. The coordinated driving of multiple motors can increase the output torque and improve the transmission efficiency of the machine on the basis of a compact layout. A novel configuration of electric construction vehicles based on multi-motor and single-speed and its driving torque distribution control method is presented in this paper. The detailed mathematical model is established and the simulation analysis is carried out based on it. The results show that the proposed multi-motor driving system with the control strategy can improve the overall efficiency in the condition of ensuring the driving force when the parameter matching and motors choosing reasonably.

ESTUDO SOBRE A APLICABILIDADE DA METODOLOGIA DMAIC NO SETOR DE PROTÓTIPOS DE UMA EMPRESA AUTOMOBILÍSTICA

O presente trabalho buscou analisar a aplicabilidade da metodologia DMAIC no processo de aquisição de matéria prima para a construção de peças protótipos para resolução do problema de atraso na entrega das mesmas. A abordagem metodológica utilizada tem base descritiva, qualitativa e exploratória. A aplicação foi realizada na forma de estudo de caso no setor de protótipos de uma montadora de veículos da região metropolitana de Belo Horizonte. O setor de protótipos é responsável pela construção de veículos que são um produto de trabalho na fase de testes e/ou planejamento de um projeto. Os resultados indicaram que a aplicação do método DMAIC a partir da utilização de ferramentas da qualidade, permitirá uma possível redução no atraso de entrega das peças do setor de protótipos.

Preventive maintenance for heterogeneous industrial vehicles with incomplete usage data

Large fleets of industrial and construction vehicles require periodic maintenance activities. Scheduling these operations is potentially challenging because the optimal timeline depends on the vehicle characteristics and usage. This paper studies a real industrial case study, where a company providing telematics services supports fleet managers in scheduling maintenance operations of about 2000 construction vehicles of various types. The heterogeneity of the fleet and the availability of historical data fosters the use of data-driven solutions based on machine learning techniques. The paper addresses the learning of per-vehicle predictors aimed at forecasting the next-day utilisation level and the remaining time until the next maintenance. We explore the performance of both linear and non-liner models, showing that machine learning models are able to capture the underlying trends describing non-stationary vehicle usage patterns. We also explicitly consider the lack of data for vehicles that have been recently added to the fleet. Results show that the availability of even a limited portion of past utilisation levels enables the identification of vehicles with similar usage trends and the opportunistic reuse of their historical data.

Study of the antivibration suspended seat oscillations with quasi-zero stiffness effect under sinusoidal excitation

The relevant task of reducing the vibrations transmitted to a human operator of a construction or road vehicle during operating process is accomplished, among other things, by conducting the research on mathematical models. Oscillations simulation of the human operator’s seat antivibration suspension by means of the numerical solution of the ordinary differential equations system remains one of the main methods of the study, used in particular for the discrete mathematical models verification. Therefore, the problem of determining the rational value of the maximum integration step by using the numerical method in solving the systems of the ordinary differential equations describing the operator’s anti-vibration suspended seat oscillations is relevant. A discrete mathematical model of a human operator’s seat performing the forced vertical oscillations during kinematic excitation of base movements was developed through the use of the differential equation of the translational oscillations of mass on a movable base. The prescribed displacements of the seat base are described by the harmonic oscillation equation. The numerical solution of the ordinary differential equations system is carried out via the built-in ode45 function of the MATLAB mathematical modeling system. Moreover, the parameters of the developed mathematical model are described, the calculation scheme and an example of a static force characteristic including the quasi-zero stiffness region in the middle section of the characteristic are given. The determination accuracy of the maximum acceleration of the seat in the steady-state oscillation mode is shown to decrease when the value of the maximum allowable integration step increases. It is recommended to limit the value of the maximum allowable integration step to one hundredth of a second. Besides, the effect of the values duality of the maximum acceleration and maximum internal movement of the seat relative to its own base with small changes in the base displacement amplitude, which must be taken into account in modeling, is also revealed.

Design and Application of Intelligent Safety Monitoring System for Subway Construction Vehicle

Design and Application of Intelligent Safety Monitoring System for Subway Construction Vehicle

Novel Magnesium Based Materials: Are They Reliable Drone Construction Materials? A Mini Review

Novel magnesium-based materials are ideal candidates for use in future aviation vehicles because they are extremely light and can therefore significantly increase the range of these vehicles. They show very good castability, are easy to machine and can be shaped into profiles or forgings to be used as components for next generation aerial vehicle construction. In the case of a large number of identical components, high-pressure die casting of magnesium alloys is clearly superior to high-pressure die casting of aluminum alloys. This is due to the lower solubility of iron in magnesium and thus tool/casting life is significantly longer. In addition, the die filling times for magnesium high-pressure die casting are approximately 30% shorter. This is due to the lower density: aluminum alloys are approximately 50% heavier than magnesium alloys, which is a significant disadvantage for aluminum alloys especially in the aerospace industry. There are cost-effective novel die casting alloys, besides AZ91 or AM50/60 such as DieMag633 or MRI230D, which show very good specific strength at room and elevated temperatures. In the case of magnesium-based wrought alloys, the choice is smaller, a typical representative of these materials is AZ31, but some new alloys based on Mg-Zn-Ca are currently being developed which show improved formability. However, magnesium alloys are susceptible to environmental influences, which can be eliminated by suitable coatings. Novel corrosion protection concepts for classical aerial vehicles currently under development might suitable but may need adaption to the construction constraints or to vehicle dependent exposure scenarios. Within this mini-review a paradigm change due to utilization of new magnesium materials as drone construction material is briefly introduced and future fields of applications within next-generation aerial vehicles, manned or unmanned, are discussed. Possible research topics will be addressed.

Iterative Likelihood: A Unified Inference Tool

We propose a framework for inference based on an “iterative likelihood function,” which provides a unified representation for a number of iterative approaches, including the EM algorithm and the generalized estimating equations (GEEs). The parameters are decoupled to facilitate construction of the inference vehicle, to simplify computation, or to ensure robustness to model misspecification and then recoupled to retain their original interpretations. For simplicity, throughout the paper, we will refer to the log-likelihood as the “likelihood.” We define the global, local, and stationary estimates of an iterative likelihood and, correspondingly, the global, local, and stationary attraction points of the expected iterative likelihood. Asymptotic properties of the global, local, and stationary estimates are derived under certain assumptions. An iterative likelihood is usually constructed such that the true value of the parameter is a point of attraction of the expected log-likelihood. Often, one can only verify that the true value of the parameter is a local or stationary attraction, but not a global attraction. We show that when the true value of the parameter is a global attraction, any global estimate is consistent and asymptotically normal; when the true value is a local or stationary attraction, there exists a local or stationary estimate that is consistent and asymptotically normal, with a probability tending to 1. The behavior of the estimates under a misspecified model is also discussed. Our methodology is illustrated with three examples: (i) estimation of the treatment group difference in the level of censored HIV RNA viral load from an AIDS clinical trial; (ii) analysis of the relationship between forced expiratory volume and height in girls from a longitudinal pulmonary function study; and (iii) investigation of the impact of smoking on lung cancer in the presence of DNA adducts. Two additional examples are in the supplementary materials, GEEs with missing covariates and an unweighted estimator for big data with subsampling. Supplementary files for this article are available online.

Variability in real-world emissions and fuel consumption by diesel construction vehicles and policy implications

Strategically reducing the emission of non-road mobile source especially diesel construction vehicle (DCV) has a large potential in improving air quality and has attracted much scientific and public attention in recent years around the world. In this study, we explored real-world fuel consumption rate and gaseous emissions factors for multiple pollutants of three typical DCVs in China. The sampling campaign considered the operation mode, cumulative operation hour, emission standard stage and engine power. Results show that the accumulated fuel consumption per hour of vehicle weight for working, load-free moving and idling modes was 0.3, 0.2 and 0.1 kg/h·tons, respectively. The fuel-based NOx emission factor exhibited a bimodal distribution at 27 and 41 g/kg. The fuel-based emission factors for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were in the range of 0.8 to 2.6 g/kg, where alkene and alkane were the dominant components (>80%), i.e., ethylene, acetylene, propylene, and isobutane. We observed that the ratio of toluene and benzene concentration (T/B) (1.4 ± 1.3) differed from other key emission sources and may be used as the specific indicator of DCV emission exhaust. Our estimates suggest that in 2017 the fuel consumption and NOx emissions of DCV emission accounted for 22–28% of non-road mobile sources in China; NOX emissions were 2.7 times higher than those in 2006, and it is forecasted that NOx emissions would reduce by 23% between 2017 and 2025 with the implementation of stage IV and the strict supervision policy. The comprehensive dataset on DCV emissions will either guide the government to establish precise and effective policies to regulate the non-road mobile source or significantly improve our understanding of source apportionment of atmospheric NOx and VOCs, both of which are key precursors of haze and ozone pollution.

A neural network–based approach for fill factor estimation and bucket detection on construction vehicles

AbstractBucket fill factor is of paramount importance in measuring the productivity of construction vehicles, which is the percentage of materials loaded in the bucket within one scooping. Additionally, the locational information of the bucket is also indispensable for scooping trajectory planning. Some research has been conducted to measure it via state‐of‐the‐art computer vision approaches, but their robustness against various environment conditions is not considered. The aim of this study is to fill this gap and six distinctive environment settings are included. Images captured by a stereo camera are used to generate point clouds before being structured into 3D maps. This novel preprocessing pipeline for deep learning is originally proposed and its feasibility has been validated through this study. Moreover, multitask learning is employed to exploit the positive relationship among two tasks: fill factor prediction and bucket detection. Therefore, after preprocessing, 3D maps are forwarded to a faster region with convolutional neural network incorporated with an improved residual neural network. The value of fill factor is acquired via a classification and probabilistic–based approach, which is novel, achieving an inspiring result (overall volume estimation accuracy: 95.23% and detection precision: 92.62%) at the same time.

NSGA-II Optimized Multiobjective Predictive Energy Management for Fuel Cell/Battery/Supercapacitor Hybrid Construction Vehicles

NSGA-II Optimized Multiobjective Predictive Energy Management for Fuel Cell/Battery/Supercapacitor Hybrid Construction Vehicles

“Let’s Go, Baby Forklift!”: Fandom Governance and the Political Power of Cuteness in China

This article describes how the Chinese state borrows from the culture of celebrity fandom to implement a novel strategy of governing that we term “fandom governance.” We illustrate how state-run social media employed fandom governance early in the COVID-19 pandemic when the country was convulsed with anxiety. As the state faced a crisis, state social media responded with a propagandistic display of state efficacy, broadcasting a round-the-clock livestream of a massive emergency hospital construction project. Chinese internet users playfully embellished imagery from the livestream. They unexpectedly transformed the construction vehicles into cute personified memes, with Baby Forklift and Baby Mud Barfer (a cement mixer) among the most popular. In turn, state social media strategically channeled this playful engagement in politically productive directions by resignifying the personified vehicles as celebrity idols. Combining social media studies with cultural and linguistic anthropology, we offer a processual account of the semiotic mediations involved in turning vehicles into memes, memes into idols, and citizens into fans. We show how, by embedding cute memes within modules of fandom management such as celebrity ranking lists, state social media rendered them artificially vulnerable to a fall in status. Fans, in turn, rallied around to “protect” these cute idols with small but significant acts of digital devotion and care, organizing themselves into fan circles and exhorting each other to vote. In elevating the memes to the status of celebrity idols, state social media thereby created a disposable pantheon of virtual avatars for the state, and consolidated state power around citizens’ voluntary response to vulnerability. We analyze fandom governance as a new development in the Chinese state’s long history of governing citizens through the management of emotion.

Car braking effectiveness after adaptation for drivers with motor dysfunctions

Abstract This article presents the results of measurements of the braking efficiency of vehicles adapted to be operated by drivers with motor dysfunctions. In such cars, the braking system is extended with an adaptive device that allows braking with the upper limb. This device applies pressure to the original brake in the car. The braking force and thus its efficiency depend on the mechanical ratio in the adapting device. In addition, braking performance depends on the sensitivity of the car’s original braking system and the maximum force that a disabled person can exert on the handbrake lever. Such a person may have limited power in the upper limbs. The force exerted by the driver can also be influenced by the position of the driver’s seat in relation to the handbrake lever. This article describes the research aimed at understanding the influence of the above-mentioned factors on the car braking performance. As a part of the analysis of the test results, a mathematical function was proposed that allows a parametric description of the braking efficiency index on the basis of data on the braking system, adaptation device, driver’s motor limitations, and the position of the driver’s seat. The information presented in this article can be used for the preliminary selection of adaptive devices to the needs of a given driver with a disability and to the vehicle construction.