The wharton safety railroad switch

A nanofluidic railroad switch for DNA.

We present a metamaterial consisting of a two-dimensional, asymmetric lattice of crossed nanochannels in fused silica, with channel diameters of 80 nm to 140 nm. When DNA is introduced, it is stretched and linearized. We show that the asymmetry in channel dimensions gives rise to a preferred direction for DNA orientation and a preferred direction for transport under dc electrophoresis. Interest...

Railroad Safety and Public Policy

This paper discusses the safety challenges faced by railroads in the United States. It discusses and evaluates public policy dealing with trespassing, grade crossing collisions, occupational injuries and operational accidents. The primary conclusion is that the government oversight body, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), should take on the role of teacher and risk analyst rather than t...

ACO Applied to Switch Engine Scheduling in a Railroad Yard

This reasearch studies ACO algorithms for the switch engine scheduling in a Railroad Yard. The cars are moved individually or grouped into blocks by a set of locomotives called switch engines which are dedicated to moving around the cars in the yard. The need for moving comes from the fact that the arriving trains are disassembled into blocks of cars, undergo some operations like, loading , unl...

ITS Sensor for Railroad Crossing Safety

Japan’s Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) project for safe and comfortable transpor­ tation is steadily progressing. To improve safety, information technology (IT) should be applied to most of Japan’s traffic environments. In response, the Fujitsu Group has installed IT equipment into motor vehicles in line with a government policy of using IT to bring transportation systems fully into the 21...

Energy Harvesting Systems Design for Railroad Safety