Construction Vehicles Research Articles

Exploration of Equivalent Design Approaches for Tanks Transporting Flammable Liquids

Tank vehicles are widely used for the road transportation of dangerous goods and especially flammable liquid fuels. Existing gross weight limitations, in such transportations, render the self-weight of the tank structure a crucial parameter of the design. For the design and the construction of metallic tank vehicles carrying dangerous goods, the European Standard EN13094:2015 is applied. This Standard poses a minimum thickness for the shell thickness for the tank construction according to the mechanical properties of the construction material. In the present paper, primarily, the proposed design was investigated and a weight minimization of such a tank vehicle with respect to its structural integrity was performed. As test case, a tank vehicle with a box-shaped cross-section and low gross weight was considered. For the evaluation of the structural integrity of the tank construction, the mechanical analysis software ANSYS ® 2019R1 was used. The boundary values and the suitable computation for structural integrity were applied, as they are defined in the corresponding Standards. The thickness of the construction material was decreased to a minimum, lower than that posed by the standards, indicating that the limit posed by them was by no means boundary in terms of structural integrity.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-Responsive PEGylated Lipid Nanoparticles for Controlled Drug Delivery in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder. It causes inflammation, swelling, and pain in the joints of the human body. Overexpressed matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) at the inflammatory sites of RA are a target in the construction of inflammation-responsive drug delivery vehicles for enhancing the therapeutic effect of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of RA. In this paper, we report MMP-responsive PEGylated lipid nanoparticles through the co-assembly of triglycerol monostearate (TGMS) and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine-poly(ethyleneglycol) (DSPE-PEG2000) in which the ester bond of TGMS is cleavable by MMPs and the PEG chain provides a stealth layer. The lipid nanoparticles show high biocompatibility, extended blood circulation, and preferential distribution in the inflammatory joints of RA. The loaded dexamethasone (Dex) can be rapidly released from the lipid nanoparticles in response to MMPs. After being intravenously administered to arthritic rats, Dex-loaded MMP-responsive PEGylated lipid nanoparticles significantly reduce the degree of joint swelling and inhibit the production of TNF-α and IL-1β in joint tissues. These results demonstrate that MMP-responsive PEGylated lipid nanoparticles are a smart drug vehicle for the treatment of RA with improved therapeutic efficacy.

ORGANISATION OF THE TRANSPORTATION PROCESS OF OVERSIZED CARGO BY MODES OF TRANSPORT. ROLE AND POSITION OF MARITIME TRANSPORT IN THIS PROCESS

The article deals with comparison of modes of transportation concerning oversized and heavylift cargo carriage. The peculiarities of each mode of transport directed to determine the rational spheres of its use, but at the same time the development of the geography of maritime trade and intercontinental mainline freight flows has had a significant impact on the increase in the volume of transportation of industrial cargoes, raw materials and high-tech equipment and served as an impetus for the realization of the competitive advantages of the water transport over the other modes of transportation. Assistance in the development of external economic relations and provision of international trade relations as priority components in the list of advantages of which marine transport has in the world economy. Therefore, it becomes obvious that one of the most difficult types of transportation is the carriage of oversized and heavylift cargoes. It is reasonable to note that this concept has differences depending on the type of transport used. There are also various rules of transportation by rail, sea, air and road. Advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of the transportation process of oversized cargo using a particular mode of transport are not very apparent and depend primarily on factors such as indication of dimensions, information on weight, type of cargo, route requirements and time required for transportation, volume of transportation, specific conditions and requirements for carriage. Oversized cargoes in their turn include the cargo units of construction vehicles (excavators, bulldozers, graders, trucks), drilling rigs, earthmoving machines, various machinery and mechanisms for mining industry, steel structures and bridge supports, wind generators, transformers, as well as extra-length equipment, parts and components of plants. Keywords: Oversized and heavylift cargo transportation, water transport, mode of transportation

Effect of Adhesion on Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Glass Fiber Composites, Based on Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Powders with Various Initial Particle Sizes.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of adhesion between the non-polar, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) matrix and the glass fiber fillers of various lengths treated with the commercially available “KH-550” agent, on the mechanical and tribological properties of the UHMWPE-based composites. The motivation was to find the optimal compositions of the polymer composite, for the compression sintering manufacturing of lining plates for the protection of marine venders and construction vehicles, as well as transport equipment. It was shown that the initial powder size at equal molecular weight determined the distribution patterns of the glass fibers in the matrix, and, as a consequence, the mechanical and tribological properties of the composites. Based on the obtained experimental data and the results of the calculation by a developed computer algorithm, control parameters were determined to give practical recommendations (polymer powder size and glass fiber length), for the production of the UHMWPE-composites having specified mechanical and tribological characteristics. The “GUR4022 + 10% LGF” composite, loaded with the chopped 3 mm glass fibers treated with the “KH-550”, was recommended for severe operating conditions (high loads, including impact and abrasive wear). For mild operating conditions (including cases when the silane coupling agent could not be used), the “GUR2122 + 10% MGF” and “GUR2122 + 10% LGF” composites, based on the fine UHMWPE powder, were recommended. However, the cost and technological efficiency of the filler (flowability, dispersibility) and polymer powder processing should be taken into account, in addition to the specified mechanical and tribological properties.

Study of steel hardness effect on the abrasive wear resistance

In the course of developing the territories of the shelf of the Northern seas, the Far East and Siberia, the problem of cold-breaking materials was particularly acute. More than half of the territory of the Russian Federation is located North of the January isotherm, which has a temperature of - 20 °C. In such areas, the performance of equipment, especially in winter, falls sharply. Breakdowns of tractor and bulldozer parts in winter, compared to summer, occur more often up to 6 times, and excavator parts - up to 7 times. At the same time, it was revealed that the most dangerous period of starting machines after stops. To prevent major breakdowns at temperatures less than - 35 °C, excavators, drilling rigs, and construction vehicles are stopped. And this is despite the fact that in accordance with the operating regulations, they must be operated throughout the year. The performance of mining equipment is greatly affected by wear. Unsatisfactory resistance of cast parts at low temperatures leads to large downtime and large economic losses. The relationship between hardness and resistance to abrasive wear is considered. Abrasive with different particle sizes was used for the tests. It is shown that there is no linear relationship between hardness and resistance to abrasive wear, that in conditions of low abrasive rocks it is enough to have average hardness values of the order of 47-50 HRS, and when working in highly abrasive rocks it is necessary to strive to obtain high hardness values of about 50-55 HRS.

Availability of the agricultural, municipal and road construction vehicle market with Russian diesel engines

The paper describes the enterprises that produce or produced diesel internal combustion engines for agricultural, municipal and road construction vehicles in the Russian Federation. The main emphasis is made on engines with a capacity of up to 4400 cc and a power of up to 150 kW as the most demanded for the country. The main consumers of such combustion engines are presented. It is shown that one of the main drawbacks is the impossibility of manufacturing the component base of the required quality for the organization of production of diesel engines in Russia.

Acrylic spherical pressure hull for Manned Submersible

Materials used for construction of ocean exploration vehicles require excellent resistance to corrosion in marine environment and higher strength to weight ratio. Acrylic is one of such material which has added benefit of having transparency to be used as material for construction of human occupied pressure hull for Manned Submersible. This paper describes approaches for the design of acrylic pressure hull for sea water depth by utilizing the empirical procedures of ASME PVHO-1. It also presents finite element analysis for the comparison with results of analytical calculations. Based on finite element analysis model, stress and deformation characteristics have been accomplished and then collapse pressure has been analyzed through non-linear buckling analysis considering imperfection during manufacturing. Finite element analysis shows that the acrylic spherical pressure hull is safe for designed sea water depth for an application of human occupied pressure rated cabin in Manned Submersible.

Multi-Vehicle Trajectory Design During Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Platoon Formation

Cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) organizes connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) in platoons to improve traffic flow and reduce fuel consumption. Platoon formation involves a very complex process, however, because lateral and longitudinal misbehavior of CAVs results in greater fuel consumption and risk of collision. This study aims to design optimal vehicle trajectories of CAVs during CACC platoon formation. First, a basic scenario and a destination-based protocol are described to determine vehicle sequence in the platoon. A space-time lattice based model is then formulated to construct vehicle trajectories considering boundary conditions of kinematic limits, vehicle-following safety, and lane-changing rules. The objective is to optimize the vehicle sequence and fuel consumption simultaneously. A two-phase algorithm is proposed to solve this model, where the first phase is a heuristic algorithm that determines vehicle sequence and in the second phase dynamic programming is adapted to optimize fuel consumption based on the determined sequence. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model in designing CAV trajectories, extensive experimental tests have been conducted in this study. Results show that the proposed model and algorithm can effectively optimize CAV sequence in the platoon based on their destinations. After optimization, CAV fuel consumption was reduced by 42%, 46%, and 43%, respectively, in three different tested scenarios.

Hierarchical predictive control-based economic energy management for fuel cell hybrid construction vehicles

Fuel cell hybrid construction vehicles are attractive for future fuel cell applications. Model predictive control as an energy management strategy has been applied to various hybrid electric vehicles. In this paper, a hierarchical model predictive control-based energy management strategy for fuel cell hybrid construction vehicles is explored. The hierarchical model predictive control framework consists of economic and control levels. The economic level considers economic costs, including of hydrogen consumption and components use cost. Real-time optimization is implemented at the economic level to identify the optimal reference trajectory. The control layer is a model predictive control that controls the system to follow the reference trajectory. A prediction methodology-based on wavelet transformation and Levenberg-Marquardt optimised neural network is proposed for the complex load prediction of fuel cell hybrid construction vehicle. The simulations performed with cyclic loading show that the accuracy of the proposed prediction methodology is satisfactory, and demonstrate the superiority of the proposed energy management strategy. The proposed hierarchical model predictive control-based energy management strategy considering economy and controllability is important for commercial application in hybrid electric vehicles.

TRACTOR GEARBOX: RESEARCH OF SHIFTING GEARS’ PROCESSES

Introduction. The process of shifting gears under load is one of the most complex types of dynamic process in the transmissions of transport, road and construction vehicles. Currently, the existing calculation methods do not fully reflect the features of the engine and automated gearbox interaction by switching stages under load using more than two friction clutches at the same time. The paper discusses the method of calculating the dynamic characteristics of the gearbox with the simultaneous use of both two and four friction clutches by shifting gears under load with forward and reverse switching. The authors present the results of the dynamic characteristics of the theoretical study of the automated gearbox with frictional stages’ switching under load and without breaking the power flow.Materials and methods. The main method was based on a system approach to the dynamic processes study and on the modeling of the gearbox operation together with the internal combustion engine. The authors took into account the regulatory, speed and load engine characteristics, resistive torque variation, rate of pressure rise in clutches by shifting to higher and lower gears. The paper performed theoretical modeling of processes using the MATLab package and the Simulink application. Using the main blocks of this application, the authors created models of physical components: an internal combustion engine, friction clutches, gear reducers, elastic shafts, damping devices and tractor power transmission control systems.Results. As a result, the authors obtained calculated data of the dynamic processes, variations in speed and rotational torque on the gearbox shafts; the load on the engine by shifting gears at different values of the start and finish time in switching on and off the gearbox friction controls. The paper presented the relevant graphs of the processes.Discussion and conclusions. The developed method of calculating the dynamic characteristics of the gearbox allows simulating workflows by shifting to higher and lower gears. This method takes into account both the parameters of the gearbox design and of the control actions: the rate of switching on the friction clutches; the time intervals of overlapping the “on and off” clutches. Therefore, in relation to the considered gearbox, the authors determine the values of the optimal time control commands of the friction by shifting.Financial transparency: the authors have no financial interest in the presented materials or methods. There is no conflict of interest.

Assessing the impacts of log extraction by typical small shovel logging system on soil physical and hydrological properties in the Republic of Korea.

Typical small shovel logging system, using manual felling and extraction by small crawler excavator with grapple and crawler carriers, is the predominant logging method in the Republic of Korea, due to the associated high productivity. The trails with ground pressure and one more passes of the shovel and carriers may lead to soil compaction. However, impacts of these bunching-extraction technologies on physical and hydrological properties of soils are not well known. The main objectives of this study were to: (1) determine the bulk density, porosity, and saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils in logging operation areas with three different disturbance types (i.e., undisturbed areas [UAs], bladed trails [BTs], and skid trails [STs]), and (2) compare soil compaction between these disturbance types. The most intense compaction occurred within BTs and STs, with increased bulk density and reduced porosity and hydraulic conductivity. Soil bulk density increased by 27–53% at all depths in BTs and STs compared to UAs, while porosity decreased by 23–49%. On average, saturated hydraulic conductivity at depths of 0–20 cm decreased from 337.5 mm h−1 to 30.5 mm h−1 in the most compacted sections of BTs and STs. Skid trails, which are characterized by trail construction and frequent vehicle movement, also caused greater impacts on soil compaction than BTs. This study provides useful insights to aid forest consultants and field managers in planning more environmentally sound mechanized logging operations.

Practical Aspects of Design and Testing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract A design of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) construction, intended for autonomous flights in a group, was presented in this article. The design assumptions, practical implementation and results of the experiments were given. Some of the frame parts were made using 3D printing technology. It not only reduces the costs but also allows for better fitting of the covers to the electronics, which additionally protects them against shocks and dirt. The most difficult task was to develop the proper navigation system. Owing to high costs of precision positioning systems, common global positioning system (GPS) receivers were used. Their disadvantage is the floating position error. The original software was also described. It controls the device, allows performing autonomous flight along a pre-determined route, analyses all parameters of the drone and sends them in a real time to the operator. The tests of the system were carried out and presented in the article, as well.

Research on Self-adaption Model of Cooling Intensity for Construction Vehicle Based on CFD and ε-NTU

To improve the stability of power take-off and energy conservation of cooling system, it is essential to investigate a control model of cooling system for the working engine under varied ambient temperature. A Double-drum roller from a manufacturer in China was employed as the research basis for a self-adaption model of cooling intensity. At first, a numerical investigation was performed on its engine cabin, and the results were experimentally validated. Secondly, a self-adaption model based on ε-NTU method was solved with the combination of Ferrari and Shengjin methods, and finally presented in terms of heat transfer rate, fan rotation speed and ambient temperature. At last, under a constant heat flux of the radiator, the numerical results and predicted outcomes were compared at −30°C and 20°C to confirm the accuracy of that model. The results stated that the maximum error between experimental data and simulation results is 7.89%, which validates the correctness of the implemented numerical analysis. The Ferrari and Shengjin methods are eligible to solve the derived model, which is shown with heat transfer rate, fan rotation speed and ambient temperature. The deviation between numerical results and estimated values are 0.8°C at 20°C and 0.75°C at −30°C, respectively. The conclusions of this work could provide a theory basis and reference for the relative research on the self-adaption model of cooling intensity for construction vehicles.

The use of various types of circulation in the design of excavator hydraulic drive

This article is devoted to the review, study and analysis of the existing types of circulation used in the design of hydraulic drives of construction machines. Three main types of circulation are distinguished: closed, open, and semi-closed. A comparison is given and the characteristic features of each of them are described. Particular attention is paid to semi-closed circulation because it is under investigated. The sequence of movements of the equipment elements during the work cycle is shown. The results are presented, in the form of a diagram of flow rates in the actuators of an excavator planner, made by semi-closed circulation. This work will be of interest to specialists in the field of designing volumetric hydraulic drives of construction vehicles.

Parameters Affecting the Specific Energy Absorption of Circular Side Impact Beam

In vehicle design, safety of occupants is one of the most important criteria. During side collisions, space between vehicle body and occupants is very less as compared to frontal collision. Hence, scope for energy absorption due to deformation of vehicle body in side collisions is less. The strength of side door plays important role in the framework of vehicle side body. The strength of side doors during side collision depends upon the impact beam, vehicle construction, layout of doors etc. Among the mentioned parameters, strength of impact beam is a crucial parameter. The impact beam absorbs notable amount of impact energy by deforming during side collision. Design of side impact beam should be optimum as it is limited by weight of vehicle. Parameters like material, dimensions, shape and mountings of beam inside the door are affecting the strength of side impact beam. In this work parameters of circular cross-section impact beam like diameter of beam, thickness of beam and angle of mounting inside the door are studied. Finite element simulation of side impact beam is done in ABAQUS software and its relative effects on Specific Energy Absorption (SEA) capacity of beam is studied. The simulation results are validated with available literatures. The ANOVA analysis followed by Design of Experiments is used to determine contribution of each parameter on SEA. Further various parameters of circular impact beam are studied by examining the result analysis for crashworthiness of side door.

Dense construction vehicle detection based on orientation-aware feature fusion convolutional neural network

During the construction process, many construction vehicles gather in a small area in a short period, thus the accurate identification of dense multiple vehicles is of great significance for ensuring the safety of construction sites. In this study, a novel end-to-end deep learning network, namely orientation-aware feature fusion single-stage detection (OAFF-SSD), is proposed for the precise detection of dense multiple construction vehicles using images from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The proposed OAFF-SSD consists of three main modules: (1) multi-level feature extraction, (2) novel feature fusion, and (3) new orientation-aware bounding box (OABB) proposal and regression. Meanwhile, specific strategies are designated for the fast convergence of training losses. The application of OAFF-SSD to real construction sites vehicle detection and comparison with the well-known SSD (a benchmark using traditional bounding box) and orientation-aware SSD (OA-SSD) demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.

Analysing oil and gas production facilities impact on atmospheric air of Potochnoye field

Environmental issues are always relevant. Nature is subject to constant human intervention. At the same time, associated institutions are being created to solve the tasks of reducing the level of harmful effects and the full restoration of environment. In this article, we assess the level of harmful emissions and wastes of oil and gas complex facilities during drilling, construction of facilities for field development and their operation, and present basic measures to reduce their impact on the air in Potochnoye field. We have examined the amount of emissions and waste from stationary and mobile sources. During wells drilling and facilities construction, the average annual evidence of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere caused by stationary sources will amount to 141.29 tons per year while the pollutant emissions caused by road and construction equipment and vehicles will be equal to 200.8 tons per year. Every year the amount of emissions into the atmosphere caused by the maintenance of the designed facilities will be 13730.9 tons per year, emissions from vehicles will be 47.1 tons per year. During field development, all work on the field should be carried out in compliance with the standards of the legislation of the Russian Federation. Having analyzed the amount of estimated emissions, a set of measures has been drawn up with the objective to reduce the impact of oil and gas complex on atmospheric air.

Can Exposure to Whole-body Vibration Affect the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Operators of Construction Vehicles? A Study in Construction Projects

Can Exposure to Whole-body Vibration Affect the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Operators of Construction Vehicles? A Study in Construction Projects

Development of a Real-Time Fuel Monitoring System for Construction Industry using Internet of Things

Construction companies are, today, beset by numerous challenging issues in trying to carry out civil engineering projects to support growing urban populations around the world. Construction companies and contractors in civil engineering domain rely on heavy construction vehicles and mobile equipment that rely on internal combustion engines that consume copious volumes of fossil fuels in the form of diesel fuel. The price of diesel fuel combined with humongous volumes required to keep heavy construction vehicles as well as transport vehicles in operation, therefore, puts a considerable strain on the resources of a construction firm engaged in construction project requiring extensive resources in the form of both human, equipment, vehicular and machinery. Without an appropriate tracking mechanism to monitor fuel consumption of vehicles such as transit mixers operating at construction site, a construction firm can quickly run up huge fuel bills leading to operational and financial losses in both short- and long-run. Using Internet-of-Things (IoT), collection of fuel monitoring data followed by real-time analyses at a centralized location, construction companies can easily track movements of construction vehicles embedded with sensor devices. In this paper, we propose a new system that is based on a capacitive sensor that is open source, coupled to a controller embedded in a construction equipment vehicle. The function of the controller would be to provide global positioning data over GPRS radio module for data transfer from almost any remote location.

Generic Supply Chain of Lean-Value Stream Mapping in Automotive Industry

Nowadays automobile industry, as manufacturers structure and construct vehicles all-inclusive, their supply chains become progressively perplexing with difficulties in the method of profitability and investor worth value such as excess inventory over the production network and absence of permeability of providers. So as to expand the aggressiveness of the automotive industry with store network, here lean administration idea is incorporated as lean supply chain management (LSCM).The Lean supply chain is utilized to streamline the business forms by wiping out waste and non-value added activities. The association between lean and SCM is one of the techniques for expense and time decrease to improve the viability. The lean supply chain is likewise centered around advancing the procedure of all production network and scanning for rearrangements. This research paper is proposed a lean supply chain managementvalue stream mapping (LSCM-VSM) is utilized to dispense with waste and improved operational methodology and efficiency. It is a procedure of envisioning mapping stream of information and producing the future-state map with better strategies and execution. The exploratory outcomes demonstrate the production lead time (PLT) by executing the proposed LVSM and future more assesses the total cycle time (TCT) and value-added ratio(VA%) of a value stream.