Simulation-Based Impact Analysis of Signalized Intersections

1. Kelli Lee, Todd Bonds Abstract: Delay and CO emissions are growing problems for our environment and our health. Many people do not realize that an idling vehicle emits three and half times more emissions than a moving vehicle. Conducting research and collecting field data is one way we can help make changes to benefit our environment and our health. Research Goal: Improve vehicular delay and CO emissions at signalized intersections. Student Objective: Students will collect delay and CO concentration of the idling buses at the school bus dock. Grant County Middle School, KY; Northern Kentucky University, KY Abstract: The force of friction is active in many different forms. Many people do not know of its effects in regards to weather and the ripple effects it plays on everyday systems. Balance and equilibrium play key roles in determining these basic concepts. Research Goal: How do the different weather patterns affect our environment? Student Objective: Students will explore friction mimicking different weather conditions.  Students will also analyze systems and predict outcomes based on their knowledge of the system and their understanding of the concept. Learning Goal: 1. Develop an understanding and knowledge of the Application, Careers, and Societal Impact of engineering. KEY WORDS: Friction Forces Motion Air resistance Balance Simulation-Based Impact Analysis of Signalized Intersections Essential Questions: How does delay and CO concentrations impact the environment around us? CONTRAST CO emission and CO concentration. LIST and EXPLAIN how 3 other factors could affect the CO concentration data. PREDICT patterns between delay (stopped buses) and CO concentration. EVALUATE data collected and SUMMARIZE your findings Friction Stations: Explore friction and simulate weather, Apply prior knowledge, Compare and Contrast observations Friction Writing Assessment: Explain data, Relate to real world Student Data Collecting Assignments: Camera Crew: 1-2 students Stop watch and Counters: You can have several doing this just have them in groups of two or three if you are having whole class do together. One student on stop watch and others are counting per three man group. Student with stop watch will say count at 0, 15, 30, 45 seconds, so you will have 4 numbers per minute just add them in the end for one number to analyze data Every time the stop watch person says count those counting just counts how many buses are “STOPPED” in the bus dock then record it on chart. No one needs to stay with CO monitor because it is not to be bothered once you start collecting data until you are done. KEY WORDS: CO emissions CO concentration Delay Impact Idling Station 1: Vehicles (balanced and unbalanced forces)Station 2: Inclined plane Station 3: Flat surface Station 4: “Air Hockey” Application: Improve delay and CO emissions at signalized intersections (bus docks) Careers: Highway Designer, City Planner, Transportation Planner, ITS Engineer, Research, Traffic Safety Engineer Societal Impact: Safety, Cleaner air, decreased delay and CO emissions, healthier environment surrounding areas where delay occurs Camera Crew Students with stop watch and counters Monitor Modifications: Delay and CO Lesson: Collect data at actual intersection, complete a full scale analysis, Create geometric map of turning movements, use HCS 2000 and VISSIM software Friction Lesson: include spring scales to measure forces, calculate speed, distance, and time, measure vectors, calculate acceleration, displacement Andrea Burrows, RET Grant Coordinator Dr. Anant Kukreti, RET Project Director Dr. Heng, Wei, Associate Professor, Ph.D., P.E. Zhixia Li, Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant Zhuo Yao, Ph.D. Student, Research Assistant Ken Yang, ITS Engineer www.nsdl.org Project RET is funded through NSF Grant # EEC-0808696