Cartographic Design and the Space–Time Cube

This paper reports on the results of an empirical evaluation that aimed to define the effectiveness and efficiency of different visual variables in depicting the Space–Time Cube’s (STC) content. Existing STC applications demonstrate that the most used visual variables are size and colour hue. Less is known, however, about their usability metrics. The research sets design criteria for STC contents, such as space–time paths, based on the cartographic design theory. The visual variables colour hue, colour value, colour saturation, size and orientation have been applied in two different use case studies. Besides, to support the three-dimensional visual environment, depth cues such as shading and transparency were considered too. User tests have been executed based on real-world problems with particular attention for the visualization strategy and data complexity. The outcomes revealed the most efficient and effective visual variables to represent data of various complexities in the STC.     

Cartographic Symbol Design Considerations for the Space–Time Cube

The cartographic representation of geographic phenomena in the space–time cube comes with special challenges and opportunities when compared with two-dimensional maps. While the added dimension allows the display of attributes that vary with time, it is difficult to display rapidly varying temporal data given the limited display height. In this study, we adapt 2D cyclic point symbols to construct 3D surfaces designed along a helical path for the space–time cube. We demonstrate how these complex?3D helical surfaces can display detailed data, including data reported daily over 100 years and data reported in four-hour intervals over a year. To create the point symbols, each value is plotted along the curve of a helix, with each turn of the helix representing one year or week, respectively. The model is modified by varying the radii from the time axis to all points using the attribute value, in these cases maximum daily temperature and four-hourly ridership, and then creating a triangulated surface from the resulting points. Using techniques common to terrain representation, we apply hue and saturation to the surface based on attribute values, and lightness based on relief shading. Multiple surfaces can be displayed in a space–time cube with a consistent time interval facing the viewer, and the surfaces or viewer perspective can be rotated to display synchronized variations. We see this method as one example of how cartographic design can refine or enhance operations in the space–time cube.     

Hydrodynamic performance of a T-shaped floating breakwater

The comprehensive utilization of floating breakwaters, specially acting as a supporting structure for offshore marine renewable energy explorations, has received more and more attention recently. Based on linear water-wave theory, the hydrodynamic performance of a T-shaped floating breakwater is semi-analytically investigated through the matched eigenfunction expansion method (MEEM). Auxiliary functions, to speed up the convergence and improve the accuracy in the numerical computations, are introduced to represent the singular behavior of fluid field near the lower salient corners of the structure. The effects of the height and installation position of the vertical screen on the reflection and transmission coefficients, dynamic response and wave forces are examined. It is found that the presence of the screen shifts the resonance frequency of RAO for both surge and pitch modes to the low-frequency area, while has no effect on heave mode. The identical added masses, damping and transmission coefficients can be obtained in the cases where the screen holds the same distance away from the longitudinal central axis of the upper box-type structure. Moreover, a relatively small pitch response can be achieved in a wide wave–frequency range, when the breakwater is Γ-shaped.     

CFD modelling of a small–scale fixed multi–chamber OWC device

Wave Energy Converters (WECs) have excellent potential as a source of renewable energy that is yet to be commercially realised. Recent attention has focused on the installation of Oscillating Water Column (OWC) devices as a part of harbor walls to provide advantages of cost–sharing structures and proximity of power generation facilities to existing infrastructure. In this paper, an incompressible three–dimensional CFD model is constructed to simulate a fixed Multi–Chamber OWC (MC–OWC) device. The CFD model is validated; the simulation results are found to be in good agreement with experimental results obtained from a scale physical model tested in a wave tank. The validated CFD model is then used for a benchmark study of 96 numerical tests. These investigate the effects of the PTO damping caused by the power take–off (PTO) system on device performance. The performance is assessed for a range of regular wave heights and periods. The results demonstrate that a PTO system with an intermediate damping can be used for all chambers in the MC–OWC device for most wave period ranges, except for the long wave periods. These require a higher PTO damping. An increased incident wave height reduces the device capture width ratio, but there is a noticeable improvement for long wave periods.     

An efficient and robust approach to predict ship self-propulsion coefficients

Achieving a reliable and accurate numerical prediction of the self-propulsion performance of a ship is still an open problem that poses some relevant issues. Several CFD methods, ranging from boundary element methods (BEM) to higher-fidelity viscous Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) based solvers, can be used to accurately analyze the separate problems, i.e. the open water propeller and the hull calm water resistance. However, when the fully-coupled self-propulsion problem is considered, i.e. the hull advancing at uniform speed propelled by its own propulsion system, several complexities rise up. Typical flow simplifications adopted to speed-up the simulations of the single analysis (hull and propeller separately) lose their validity requiring a more complex solver to tackle the fully-coupled problem. The complexity rises up further when considering a maneuver condition. This aspect increases the computational burden and, consequently, the required time which becomes prohibitive in a preliminary ship design stage.The majority of the simplified methods proposed in literature to include propeller effects, without directly solve the propeller flow, in a high-fidelity viscous solver are not able to provide all the commonly required self-propulsion coefficients. In this work, a new method to enrich the results from a body force based approach is proposed and investigated, with the aim to reduce as much as possible the computational burden without losing any useful result. This procedure is tested for validation on the KCS hull form in self-propulsion and maneuver conditions.     

Re-examining urban region and inferring regional function based on spatial–temporal interaction

Urban system is shaped by the interactions between different regions and regions planned by the government, then reshaped by human activities and residents’ needs. Understanding the changes of regional structure and dynamics of city function based on the residents’ movement demand are important to evaluate and adjust the planning and management of urban services and internal structures. This paper constructed a probabilistic factor model on the basis of probabilistic latent semantic analysis and tensor decomposition, for purpose of understanding the higher order interactive population mobility and its impact on urban structure changes. First, a four-dimensional tensor of time (T)?×?week (W)?×?origin (O)?×?destination (D) was constructed to identify the day-to-day activities in three time modes and weekly regularity of weekday/weekend pattern. Then we reclassified the urban regions based on the space clustering formed by the space factor matrix and core tensor. Finally, we further analysed the space–time interaction on different time scales to deduce the actual function and connection strength of each region. Our research shows that the application of individual-based spatial–temporal data in human mobility and space–time interaction study can help to analyse urban spatial structure and understand the actual regional function from a new perspective.     

Impacts of Aerosol-Radiation Interactions on the Wintertime Particulate Pollution under Different Synoptic Patterns in the Guanzhong Basin,China

The effects of aerosol–radiation interactions(ARI) are not only important for regional and global climate, but they can also drive particulate matter(PM) pollution. In this study, the ARI contribution to the near-surface fine PM(PM2.5)concentrations in the Guanzhong Basin(GZB) is evaluated under four unfavorable synoptic patterns, including "northlow", "transition", "southeast-trough", and "inland-high", based on WRF-Chem model simulations of a persistent heavy PM pollution episode in January 2019. Simulations show that ARI consistently decreases both solar radiation reaching down to the surface(SWDOWN) and surface temperature(TSFC), which then reduces wind speed, induces sinking motion,and influences cloud formation in the GZB. However, large differences under the four synoptic patterns still exist. The average reductions of SWDOWN and daytime TSFC in the GZB range from 15.2% and 1.04°C in the case of the"transition" pattern to 26.7% and 1.69°C in the case of the "north-low" pattern, respectively. Furthermore, ARI suppresses the development of the planetary boundary layer(PBL), with the decrease of PBL height(PBLH) varying from 18.7% in the case of the "transition" pattern to 32.0% in the case of the "north-low" pattern. The increase of daytime near-surface PM2.5 in the GZB due to ARI is 12.0%, 8.1%, 9.5%, and 9.7% under the four synoptic patterns, respectively. Ensemble analyses also reveal that when near-surface PM2.5 concentrations are low, ARI tends to lower PM2.5 concentrations with decreased PBLH, which is caused by enhanced divergence or a transition from divergence to convergence in an area. ARI contributes 15%–25% toward the near-surface PM2.5 concentrations during the severe PM pollution period under the four synoptic patterns.     

Parametric study for underwater blast-induced pipeline response embedded in marine sediments

Abstract

Blast response of submerged pipelines has been a research focus in recent years. In this article, a three-dimensional numerical model is established to investigate dynamic response of pipelines due to underwater explosion. The u–p approximation is integrated into finite element method (FEM) to simulate pore water effect in the seabed. Numerical continuity between hydraulic pressure in the flow field and pore pressure in the marine sediment is guaranteed to realize the blast response of submerged pipelines in ocean environment. Both fluid–structure interaction (FSI) and pipeline–seabed interaction (PSI) have been considered in the proposed model simultaneously. A comprehensive parametric study is carried out after validation of the present model with test data from underground explosion and underwater explosion, respectively. The effect of embedment depth, TNT equivalent, stand-off distance, pipeline diameter, and pipeline thickness to blast response of the submerged pipelines is investigated based on numerical results. Variation of deformation patterns and stress distribution of the pipeline with various installation and structure parameters has been illustrated and discussed to facilitate engineering practice.     

Development of the cyclic p–y curve for a single pile in sandy soil

Pile foundations that support transmission towers or offshore structures are dominantly subjected to cyclic lateral load induced by wind and waves. For a successful design, it is crucial to investigate the effect of cyclic lateral loads on the pile behavior that is loaded laterally. Although the p–y curve method is generally utilized to design the cyclic laterally loaded pile foundations, the effect of cyclic lateral loads on the pile has not been properly implemented with the p–y curve. This reflects a lack of consideration of the overall stiffness change in soil–pile interaction. To address this, a series of model pile tests were conducted in this study on a preinstalled aluminum flexible pile under various sandy soil conditions. The test results were used to investigate the effect of cyclic lateral loads on the p–y behavior. The cyclic p–y curve, which properly takes into account this effect, was developed as a hyperbolic function. Pseudo-static analysis was also conducted with the proposed cyclic p–y curve, which showed that it was able to properly simulate cyclic laterally loaded pile behavior in sandy soil.     

Population connectivity of an overexploited coastal fish,Argyrosomus coronus (Sciaenidae), in an ocean-warming hotspot

The West Coast dusky kob Argyrosomus coronus is a commercially exploited fish with a distribution confined to the Angola–Benguela Frontal Zone (ABFZ) of the southeastern Atlantic Ocean. A previous study revealed that during a recent period of local warming the species extended its distribution into Namibian waters, where it hybridised with the resident and congeneric Argyrosomus inodorus. Environmental changes are a major threat to marine biodiversity and when combined with overfishing have the potential to accelerate the decline of species. However, little is known regarding the evolutionary history and population structure of A. coronus across the ABFZ. We investigated genetic diversity, population structure and historical demographic changes using mtDNA control region sequences and genotypes at six nuclear microsatellite loci, from 180 individuals. A single, genetically homogeneous population was indicated across the distributional range of A. coronus (φ_ST = 0.041, F_ST = 0.000, D = 0.000; p > 0.05). These findings imply that the oceanographic features within the ABFZ do not appear to significantly influence population connectivity in A. coronus, which simplifies management of the species. However, reconstruction of the demographic history points to a close link between the evolutionary history of A. coronus and the environmental characteristics of the ABFZ. This outcome suggests the species’ vulnerability to the rapid environmental changes being observed across this region, and highlights a pressing need for transboundary management to mitigate the impacts of climate change in this global hotspot of seawater temperature changes.