Intelligent energy management in hybrid electric vehicles

The modelling and simulation approach is employed to develop an intelligent energy management system for hybrid electric vehicles. The aim is to optimize fuel consumption and reduce emissions. An analysis of the role of drivetrain, energy management control strategy and the associated impacts on the fuel consumption with combined wind/drag, slope, rolling, and accessories loads are included.

A study on plug-in hybrid electic vehicles

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which is a hybrid vehicle whose batteries can be recharged by plugging into an electric power source, is creating many interests due to its significant potential to improve fuel efficiency and reduce pollution. PHEVs would be the next generation of vehicles that are expected to replace conventional hybrid electric vehicles. This paper presents a study on PHEV. It gives a review of different drivetrain architectures associated with PHEVs. In addition, different control strategies that could bring about realization of advantages of PHEV capabilities are discussed and compared.

A study on look-ahead control and energy management strategies in hybrid electric vehicles

Fuel efficiency in a hybrid electric vehicle requires a fine balance between usage of combustion engine and battery power. Information about the geometry of the road and traffic ahead can have a great impact on optimized control and the power split between the main parts of a hybrid electric vehicle. This paper provides a survey on the existing methods of control and energy management emphasizing on those that consider the look-ahead road situation and trajectory information. Then it presents the future trends in the control and energy management of hybrid electric vehicles.

Drive cycle analysis of the performance of hybrid electric vehicles

 

Compounding factors and their effect on the design of long range battery electric vehicles

 It is well known that the one of the main problems concerning battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is their short range compared to conventional petrol and diesel vehicles. In this work the technical factors that will enable long range BEVs are investigated. The concept of Compounding Factors is presented and shows that if certain parameters can be met then BEV’s can have a comparable performance to conventional petrol cars. The development and initial testing of a long range BEW prototype is presented and discussed.

Police officers' note-taking of interviews with alleged child abuse victims

The field and experimental studies for this thesis revealed that: the quality of documentation of 'disclosure' (initial) interviews with child abuse witnesses was poor; under optimal note-taking conditions, verbatim records of interview were still not provided, and considerable variability was observed in the quality of notes and strategies employed to document content and structure. The portfolio presents four case studies to illustrate similarities and/or differences between offence behaviour in child sex offenders with impairment, and the offence behaviours that characterise Canter et al.'s intimate, criminal-opportunistic and aggressive type offenders.

Autonomous underwater vehicles in a hazardous non-deterministic environment

This research investigated the cooperation of multi underwater robots to perform a task. This combined engineering design, electronics and consensus control to create systems capable of achieving the task. Challenges such as underwater radio communications were researched and a simulation framework was created and tested on virtual and real systems.

Australian police responses to transnational crime and terrorism

This chapter outlines the Australian federal policing and allied agency responses to international drug trafficking activity and terrorism. The chapter is situated alongside a broader analysis of the structure of each key agency and the various interagency enforcement mechanisms established domestically and internationally to improve enforcement performance.

An analysis of police officers decisions about whether to refer cases of child abuse for prosecution

In many jurisdictions, police officers are responsible for deciding whether cases of child abuse are referred for potential prosecution. Such discretion justifies the need to scrutinise these professionals' decisions to determine if they are consistent with the scientific eyewitness memory literature. Prior research has shown that interviewer questioning is one of the most critical factors impacting the reliability of child witness statements. Hence, we asked: 'To what degree do officers' consider the quality of interviewer questions when making case authorisation decisions?'. In order to answer this question, we conducted a thematic analysis to identify issues referred to in a sample of documented police correspondence (n=33) about potential prosecution of child abuse cases. Two key themes emerged: the existence of corroborative evidence and whether the suspect denied the allegations. Questioning technique, however, was not considered. All but one decision that referred to interview process focused on the presentation of the witness, even though the witness interviews (as a whole) did not adhere to recommended best-practice guidelines. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Adaptive intelligent systems for energy management of vehicles

The thesis demonstrated the architecture of adaptive intelligent systems for energy management that is capable of interacting with complex systems including the vehicle, environment, and driver components, as well as the interrelationships between these variables, to deliver fuel consumption improvements.

Psychological profiling of Tasmanian police officers using the COPS

This thesis examined selection processes for police candidates, and the impact of police work on well-being. Results revealed that policing impacts negatively on psychological well-being over time, and that many aspects of the stereotypic 'police personality' are not a result of selection processes, but develop over time in the role.

Power-cycle-library-based control strategy for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

It has been demonstrated that considering the knowledge of drive cycle as a priori in the PHEV control strategy can improve its performance. The concept of power cycle instead of drive cycle is introduced to consider the effect of noise factors in the prediction of future drivetrain power demand. To minimize the effect of noise factors, a practical solution for developing a power-cycle library is introduced. A control strategy is developed using the predicted power cycle which inherently improves the optimal operation of engine and consequently improves the vehicle performance. Since the control strategy is formed exclusively for each PHEV rather than a preset strategy which is designed by OEM, the effect of different environmental and geographic conditions, driver behavior, aging of battery and other components are considered for each PHEV. Simulation results show that the control strategy based on the driver library of power cycle would improve both vehicle performance and battery health.

The perennial problem of police gratuities : public concerns, political optics, and an accountability ethos

Despite the perennial nature of the problem of gratuities in considerations of police ethics, many prior analyses of this issue have rested on anecdotal, piecemeal or hypothetical considerations.. This paper draws on a unique sample of actual complaint cases involving gratuities, providing evidence of a range of public concerns about the problem. Gratuities are analysed and contextualised by reference to the concept of conflict of interest, which draws attention to the potential for the performance of public duty to be tainted in fact or appearance. In either case, public trust in the integrity of the police is damaged, giving rise to "political optics" as a key problem with gratuities.  The paper argues that an accountability ethos must be developed to promote active responsibility and a preparedness to prioritise the public interest in policing.