Giuseppe Sciutto

COMPETITIVENESS OF TROLLEYBUS IN URBAN TRANSPORT

In the search for alternative transportation modes in urban public transport, this paper discusses a comparison between the competitiveness of trolleybus and diesel bus transport modes. This evaluation is based on the relevant life-cycle cots, highlighting that trolleybus transport has a high start-up charge of vehicles and wiring purchase as well as the disadvantage arising from the higher price of electricity coming from Italy as compare with diesel oil. Because of these factors, the trolleybus is less competitive than the diesel bus for the Italian urban centers. In the last part of the paper, a case study shows that energy prices and car purchases have a negative influence on the competitiveness of the trolleybus.

Prospects Of Boating In Italy

This paper aims at focusing the prospects of boating in Italy, and, particularly, the economic advantages arising from the development of one or more boating tourist resorts properly equipped for mega yacht berthing. At first, the present worldwide boating development is briefly outlined; the growth possibilities in this field as well as the mega yacht percentage on the total fleet are valued. Then, the paper checks if high-quality structures for mega yacht berthing and laying-up are available in the Mediterranean, stressing that the tourist boating steady demand is not actually met and that the construction of new tourist ports will be fully justified by the growing capacities of this sector. The authors propose consequently the implementation of one or more boating centres in Italy which is advantaged by its huge coast extent, by its central position inside the Mediterranean, and by its tourist vocation. The paper evaluates the required investments and their profitability as occupational spin-off and wealth for the territory.

State Of The Art Of Computer Application To TheRailway Traffic Control And Automation

The Computer-based technologies are presently largely applied to the railway traffic control and automation. A high number of installations have been in operation for many years all over the world; some of them controlling very large network areas and providing an extensive range of functions. At the same time, other areas of application are being covered, like the simulation of operating conditions, the evaluation of different design alternatives, the introduction of artificial intelligence techniques, the maintenance management, the information handling. An overview of the most significant technical experience, existing or in progress, is given for the different application areas.

Train Regulation In Single-track Transit Systems

This paper resumes the first part of a study which aims at assessing the performance of single-track transit systems and improving it by means of appropriate regulation techniques of train running. Firstly, theoretical performance is evaluated by assuming normal undisturbed operation; this analysis aims at providing a planning-level method to verify whether singletracking is suitable for a particular application. Then, effects of train delays on system performance are investigated and train regulation criteria are discussed. Both an analytic model of single-track transit system operation and computer simulation are considered.

Traffic Capacity Of Urban Railway Lines: The Role Of Signalling Systems

This paper aims at analysing the role of signalling systems in determining the traffic capacity of a given railway line. Some signalling techniques that can be used to increase traffic capacity are described. Both analytical and computerbased approaches to identifying the relation between signalling system characteristics and traffic capacity are presented. A case study is also presented.

Safety Specification And Acceptance In Ship ControlSystems: A Novel Approach Based On Dynamic SystemModelling

The increasing use of digital systems in vital applications for Ship Control Systems requires the study and the adoption of advanced system safety modelling methodologies for Safety Probabilistic Assessment, due to the often complex structure of such equipment from a safety point of view. In the design of Safety-related Systems it is necessary to ensure that an adequate level of safety is properly specified, is achieved during the design phase, and is maintained during system operation: the required level of safety and its demonstration are achieved by applying a well defined Safety Process, which starts with the definition of safety specifications, goes on with the safety verification and validation (assessment), during each phase of the system development till the system installation, and continues with operation and performance monitoring and finally with the decommissioning phase procedures. Safety Specification and Safety Acceptance, based on the System Safety Case, are two major critical points in a Safety Process for Ship Control Systems and the Probabilistic Safety Assessment constitutes the foundations on which both the above activities lean. Appropriate hazard analysis techniques, based on probabilistic modelling methodologies, must be adopted in order to accomplish the Safety Process tasks Transactions on the Built Environment vol 24,

Safety And Reliability In Computer-basedTraffic Managment: A Probabilistic ApproachUsing Petri Nets

Real time computer systems, already employed in several industrial fields, as far as system management concerns, are today applied, thanks to their high flexibility, reliability and compactness, also in the transport area, particularly in life-critical applications, where electromechanical devices are state of the art. In such applications safety and reliability must be the keywords of the problem: safety to preserve human lives from dangerous events and reliability to keep the system operational as far as possible. One of the most flexible approaches is the statistical approach based on the high modelling capabilities of Petri nets. In particular, the stochastic extension of Petri nets is today, probably, the best modelling tool to perform safety and reliability analysis of real time computer systems. In this paper the authors present a safety and reliability analysis, based on a Petri net model, of a life-critical system; a central apparatus for veichle routing and peripheral management for a railway station traffic control, is modelled and statistical results are presented.

Transport Accessibility And PortCompetitiveness: The Case Of Savona-Vado

Competitiveness is fundamental in ranking ports everywhere and, within the competitive forum, accessibility is a major factor. Access to good transport services plays a crucial role and the possession of a multi-modal hub should give a port an advantage over less accessible ones. This paper examines the case of the port of Savona-Vado. Within the multi-modal transport network serving this port several bottlenecks can be recognised, such as the single-tracking of the coastal railway to French border and the inadequacy of the northward corridor due to the relief constraints of the Apennine. This paper intends to asses the traffic capacity of the transport infrastructures serving Savona-Vado. Taking into account the infrastructural interventions being planned or designed the author intend to determine whether the transport network that serves Savona will be adequate to sustain the traffic growth of its port.