Conveyor chain is one kind of chain which has been used worldwide to transport or carry an object from one place to anywhere on the production line. In fact, a key factor of conveyor chain design is tension on chain link plate which the traditional static design method has not precise and accurate enough for production line has complex and large size. MBD (multi-body dynamic) is a new way to analyze system which static analysis method cannot investigate any problem. This paper aims to apply commercial code software to find tension on chain link plate of conveyor chain by using multi-body dynamics (MBD) simulation method which simple model of chain alignment such as vertical, horizontal and incline alignment is fundamental of complex alignment that apply in rubber gloves industry. Finally, the results obtained from numerical formula and multi-body dynamics (MBD) simulation have an average error less than 7, 5 and 7 percent in horizontal, vertical and incline layout, respectively. Percent error disregards the oscillation effect from increasing the velocity of the conveyor chain while the mathematical formula is not.
Managing traffic in developing countries has become topical in recent years because of the externalities of transport-traffic congestion, air and noise pollution as well as RTCs (Road Traffic Crashes). This paper considers how these externalities are managed in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The study adopts a desktop review of transport related externalities in the metropolis. In an attempt to address these externalities, traffic management measures have been adapted in Cape Coast Metropolis such as one-way system, pedestrian safety measures, provision of on-street parking, improved junction control measures, and pedestrainisation, with minimal impacts. Therefore, it is recommended in this paper that Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly in conjunction with the Department of Urban Roads of the Ministry of Roads and Highways adopt an integrated approach to managing traffic placing emphasis on the behavior of road users.
Railway vehicle stability is an important factor affecting operational safety and ride quality. This study applies D3DCG (Detection of Three-Dimensional Center of Gravity) to evaluate the running stability of passenger railway vehicles without requiring prior knowledge of vehicle mass or spring stiffness. Field measurements were conducted on two commuter railway lines in the Greater Tokyo area, Japan using a motion sensor installed inside operating vehicles. After vertical acceleration and roll angular velocity measurements were taken during service operation, data were analyzed using FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) to extract dominant vibration frequencies. The obtained natural frequencies were substituted into the D3DCG equations to estimate the vehicle center of gravity height and the corresponding critical center of gravity position (𝐿𝑚𝑎𝑥), which were used as rollover stability indicators. The estimated center-of-gravity positions were generally distributed within a physically reasonable range relative to the vehicle structure. Furthermore, an interesting tendency was observed in the calculated 𝐿𝑚𝑎𝑥 values: the values initially decreased and subsequently increased along the measured sections. This tendency suggests that the stability margin of railway vehicles might vary depending on running conditions and vibration characteristics. The findings indicate that D3DCG-based analysis can provide a practical approach for evaluating railway vehicle stability using operational vibration data without requiring direct structural measurements.
The purpose of this study is to deepen the understanding of the economic impact of transitioning from outsourced to insourced public bus transportation operations within a Swedish context. The research scrutinized an uncommon occurrence in Sweden where a regional PTA (public transport authority) transitioned their public bus services to an in-house operation after previously contracting them out to a private provider, a move that goes against the growing trend of competitive tendering in bus transportation services. Data were collected through document analysis and interviews with industry experts and managers from public and private bus operators. The study concludes that public transportation costs would have been lower if the services had been procured through a competitive tendering process, with estimated potential savings in the range of 3.5% to 6.4%. Additionally, the study finds that the purchaser’s specifications and demands contributed to increased costs for public transportation by enforcing strict age requirements for buses and specifying bus sizes for each departure.
Fatigue failure of asphalt pavement roads is getting increasingly rampant with the increasing climate impacts resulting in cracks and potholes. This is supported by many researchers on the subject matter. The specified asphalt mixtures intended for road construction are tested using various methods to quantify fatigue resistance. However, the advent of several reinforcing agents in asphalt mixtures calls for new testing approaches to quantify the fatigue resistance coming from these reinforcing agents. This study explores use of recycled waste plastics that are fabricated into stranded plastic beads as a reinforcing medium to enhance the asphalt layer’s fatigue strength. In this study SMA (Stone Mastic Asphalt) with a nominal aggregate size of 20 was selected as it provides a higher Voids in Mineral Aggregate for the plastic bead incorporation and interlocking as compared with the traditional dense graded asphalt mixtures. It is envisioned that the dual end beads with a link enhance the lateral resistance as the end beads get interlocked between compacted aggregates, allowing for better load distribution under heavy axle loads. A four-point dynamic bending testing jig was developed and integrated with a Universal Testing Machine to evaluate the ability of the bead system to resist flexural deformation through the interlocking SPB (Stranded Plastic Bead) system under variousloading conditions. The results showed that the SMA (Stone Mastic Asphalt) mixturesreinforced with SPB were able to resist flexural deformation under higher axle loads with longer rest durations with increased resistance from 11 to 22%. SMA20 with SPB effectively mitigated deflection and delayed crack propagation until it’s maximum load-bearing capacity. These findings make it a promising solution for sustainable road construction while simultaneously addressing the plastic waste crisis.
