Comparing the Sustainability of Different Powertrains for Urban Use

The real environment impacts the fuel and energy consumption of any vehicle: technology, physical and social phenomena, traffic, drivers’ behaviour, and so on; many of them are difficult to quantify. The authors’ methodology was used to test the real impact of vehicles in “standard” urban conditions, and many generations of hybrid powertrains are compared. One of the latest performance indexes is the percentage of time the vehicle runs with zero emissions (ZEV). For example, the hybrid vehicle tested ran up to 80% with no emissions and fuel consumption below 3 L per 100 km. A few energy performance indicators were compared between five vehicles: one battery electric vehicle (BEV), two hybrid gasoline–electric vehicles (HEVs), and two traditional vehicles (one diesel and one gasoline). Their potential to use only renewable energy is unrivalled, but today’s vehicles’ performances favour hybrid power trains. This paper summarises the most sustainable powertrain for urban use by comparing experimental data from on-road testing. It also evaluates the benefits of reducing emissions by forecasting the Italian car fleet of 2025 and three use cases of the evolution of car fleets, with a focus on Rome

Experimental Analysis of an Electric Minibus with Small Battery and Fast Charge Policy

The lead-acid battery of an electric minibus has been replaced with a smaller size lithium-ion battery system consisting of standard 12 V modules and a hierarchical battery management system. The minibus has experimentally been tested to show that the reduced battery capacity, which also cuts costs, does not affect the daily operational mission. This is assuming that the driving phases are alternated with fast charging periods. Experiments show that fast charging of 8 min guarantees up to 1 h of operation

Pelvic arterial embolization for postpartum hemorrhage: long term results of a single center experience in 29,091 deliveries

Purpose of investigation: To evaluate the rate of all postpartum hemorrhages (PPHs) treated with uterine embolization in a third level delivery center. Materials and Methods: Since January 2008 to March 2014, 29,091 deliveries were registered in the present hospital in Bergamo, Italy. Among these deliveries, 2,002 cases (6.8%) of PPHs occurred. Seventy-three patients with severe obstetric hemorrhage underwent uterine artery embolization (UAE) (47 cases, 1.61/1,000 deliveries) or hysterectomy (26 cases, 0.89/1,000 deliveries). All identified cases were followed up by telephone on January 2015 in order to evaluate long term results. Results: Embolization was performed successfully in 45 patients (95.7%). Two women underwent total abdominal hysterectomy: one patient for uterine atony and one for adherent placenta. In the follow up all the women interviewed reported the return of their menstrual cycle and 95.2% of women reported regular cycles. Conclusions: Embolization showed a success rate of 95.7%. For this reason, in the authors’ opinion, it is the best choice as second line treatment of PPH, when patient is hemodynamically stable

HETEROGENEOUS EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN YBA2CU3O7-DELTA AND OXYGEN GAS STUDIED BY A KINETIC APPROACH

The kinetic behaviour of the YBa2CU3O7-delta system has been investigated via a 'T-jump' experiment. This is realized by a displacement of the thermodynamic system from equilibrium by a temperature jump. The subsequent relaxation process is followed via resistivity measurements. Kinetic models have been formulated by assuming the formation of singly and doubly charged oxygen vacancies and according to the kinetic law of mass action. A good agreement between the theoretical model and the experimental data has been achieved in the case of singly charged oxygen vacancies in the temperature range 400-800-degrees-C. At equilibrium the YBa2Cu3O7-delta conductivity is found to be a function of the oxygen partial pressure, P, according to sigma is-proportional-to P(n) with 1/4 < n < 1/2

Determining ARTS speed profiles on the basis of infrastructures

Implementing Automated Road Transport Systems in Urban Settings provides valuable, objective, often difficult-to-obtain data, gleaned from the largest demonstration project on automated road transport systems (ARTS) in the world to date. The book features chapters authored by those deeply involved in CityMobil2—providing an easily accessible, cross-referenced resource for data and information on each aspect of the project. Chapters cover vehicle technical specifications, infrastructure analysis, operating systems, future scenario analysis, automated and conventional vehicle comparisons, and legal frameworks for system implementation. The book examines project field tests, showing the technology’s adaptability and different requirements based on geographic location. Government officials, researchers, and transportation practitioners require real-world data and analysis in their efforts to bring automated and intelligent transport systems into the mainstream. The CityMobil2 demonstration transported more than 60,000 passengers in seven European cities, providing immense amounts of feedback and data to be analyzed. The book provides international expert opinion on this real-world data, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the project, as well as providing comparisons to both past and planned ARTS demonstration initiatives. The technical specifications developed from the project will help cities considering similar ARTS initiatives