Innovation, the diesel engine and vehicle markets: Evidence from OECD engine patents

This paper uses a patent data set to identify factors fostering innovation of diesel engines between 1974 and 2010 in the OECD region. The propensity of engine producers to innovate grew by 1.9 standard deviations after the expansion of the car market, by 0.7 standard deviations following a shift in the EU fuel economy standard, and by 0.23 standard deviations. The propensity to develop emissions control techniques was positively influenced by pollution control laws introduced in Japan, in the US, and in the EU, but not with the expansion of the car market. Furthermore, a decline in loan rates stimulated the propensity to develop emissions control techniques, which were simultaneously crowded out by increases in publicly-funded transport research and development. Innovation activities in engine efficiency are explained by market size, loan rates and by (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) diesel prices, inclusive of taxes. Price effects on innovation, outweigh that of the US corporate average fuel economy standards. Innovation is also positively influenced by past transport research and development. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Exact solution of the Schr\"{o}dinger equation for an hydrogen atom at the interface between the vacuum and a topologically insulating surface

When an hydrogen atom is brought near to the interface between $\theta$-media, the quantum-mechanical motion of the electron will be affected by the electromagnetic interaction between the atomic charges and the $\theta$-interface, which is described by an axionic extension of Maxwell electrodynamics in the presence of a boundary. In this paper we investigate the atom-surface interaction effects upon the energy levels and wave functions of an hydrogen atom placed at the interface between a $\theta$-medium and the vacuum. In the approximation considered, the Schr\"{o}dinger equation can be exactly solved by separation of variables in terms of hypergeometic functions for the angular part and hydrogenic functions for the radial part. In order to make such effects apparent we deal with unrealistic high values of the $\theta$-parameter. We also compute the energy shifts using perturbation theory for a particular small value of $\theta$ and we demonstrate that they are in a very good agreement with the ones obtained from the exact solution.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figures, 6 tables, Accepted for publication in the European Physics Journal

Chaos in resonant-tunneling superlattices

Spatio-temporal chaos is predicted to occur in n-doped semiconductor superlattices with sequential resonant tunneling as their main charge transport mechanism. Under dc voltage bias, undamped time-dependent oscillations of the current (due to the motion and recycling of electric field domain walls) have been observed in recent experiments. Chaos is the result of forcing this natural oscillation by means of an appropriate external microwave signal.Comment: 3 pages, LaTex, RevTex, 3 uuencoded figures (1.2M) are available upon request from [email protected], to appear in Phys.Rev.

Mobile Robot Path Planners with Memory for Mobility Diversity Algorithms

Mobile robots (MRs) using wireless communications often experience small-scale fading so that the wireless channel gain can be low. If the channel gain is poor (due to fading), the robot can move (a small distance) to another location to improve the channel gain and so compensate for fading. Techniques using this principle are called mobility diversity algorithms (MDAs). MDAs intelligently explore a number of points to find a location with high channel gain while using little mechanical energy during the exploration. Until now, the location of these points has been predetermined. In this paper, we show how we can adapt their positions by using channel predictors. Our results show that MDAs, which adapt the location of those points, can in fact outperform (in terms of the channel gain obtained and mechanical energy used) the MDAs that use predetermined locations for those points. These results will significantly improve the performance of the MDAs and consequently allow MRs to mitigate poor wireless channel conditions in an energy-efficient manner

High-frequency ground motion amplification during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake explained by soil dilatancy

Ground motions of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake recorded at Onahama port (Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture) rank among the highest accelerations ever observed, with the peak amplitude of the 3-D acceleration vector approaching 2g. The response of the site was distinctively non-linear, as indicated by the presence of horizontal acceleration spikes which have been linked to cyclic mobility during similar observations. Compared to records of weak ground motions, the response of the site during the Mw 9.1 earthquake was characterized by increased amplification at frequencies above 10 Hz and in peak ground acceleration. This behaviour contrasts with the more common non-linear response encountered at non-liquefiable sites, which results in deamplification at higher frequencies. We simulate propagation of SH waves through the dense sand deposit using a non-linear finite difference code that is capable of modelling the development of excess pore water pressure. Dynamic soil parameters are calibrated using a direct search method that minimizes the difference between observed and simulated acceleration envelopes and response spectra. The finite difference simulations yield surface acceleration time-series that are consistent with the observations in shape and amplitude, pointing towards soil dilatancy as a likely explanation for the high-frequency pulses recorded at Onahama port. The simulations also suggest that the occurrence of high-frequency spikes coincided with a rapid increase in pore water pressure in the upper part of the sand deposit between 145 and 170 s. This sudden increase is possibly linked to a burst of high-frequency energy from a large slip patch below the Iwaki regio

A moment based approach to the dynamical solution of the Kuramoto model

We examine the dynamics of the Kuramoto model with a new analytical approach. By defining an appropriate set of moments the dynamical equations can be exactly closed. We discuss some applications of the formalism like the existence of an effective Hamiltonian for the dynamics. We also show how this approach can be used to numerically investigate the dynamical behavior of the model without finite size effects.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, Revtex file, to appear in J. Phys.

Nonlinear stochastic discrete drift-diffusion theory of charge fluctuations and domain relocation times in semiconductor superlattices

A stochastic discrete drift-diffusion model is proposed to account for the effects of shot noise in weakly coupled, highly doped semiconductor superlattices. Their current-voltage characteristics consist of a number stable multistable branches corresponding to electric field profiles displaying two domains separated by a domain wall. If the initial state corresponds to a voltage on the middle of a stable branch and a sudden voltage is switched so that the final voltage corresponds to the next branch, the domains relocate after a certain delay time. Shot noise causes the distribution of delay times to change from a Gaussian to a first passage time distribution as the final voltage approaches that of the end of the first current branch. These results agree qualitatively with experiments by Rogozia {\it et al} (Phys. Rev. B {\bf 64}, 041308(R) (2001)).Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures, 2 column forma

Estimating the grid payments necessary to compensate additional costs to prospective electric vehicle owners who provide vehicle-to-grid ancillary services

The provision of ancillary services in the smart grid by electric vehicles is attractive to grid operators. Vehicles must be aggregated to meet the minimum power requirements of providing ancillary services to the grid. Likely aggregator revenues are insufficient to cover the additional battery degradation costs which would be borne by an existing electric vehicle owner. Moreover, aggregator revenues are insufficient to make electric vehicles competitive with conventional vehicles and encourage uptake by prospective consumers. Net annual costs and hourly compensation payments to electric vehicle owners were most sensitive to battery cost. The fleet provided firm fast reserve from 1900 h for 0.42 h, up to 2.7 h in the best cases. At best, likely aggregator revenue was 20 times less than the compensation required, up to 27,500 times at worst. The electric vehicle fleet may not be large enough to meet the firm fast reserve power and duration requirements until 2020. However, it may not be until 2030 that enough vehicles have been sold to provide this service cost-effectively. Even then, many more electric vehicles will be needed to meet the power level and duration requirements, both more often and for longer to enable participation in an all-day, everyday ancillary services market.The authors acknowledge the funding provided for this work by the Oxford Martin School