Self-Assessment Essay for ENGLISH 21007

As a non-English speaker who lived in New York, English has always been a course I must study seriously. As a future civil engineer, writing for engineering is, of course, the most important to me in all English classes. At the beginning of choosing this course, I set my own learning goals for myself. Firstly, I want to learn to get useful information from other people’s academic articles quickly. Secondly, I hope that I can write technical articles in a standard format. However, my English professor’s course not only allowed me to achieve my goals but also gave me more.

The first assignment is a Technical Description. I was asked to write a process description or mechanism description. During the assignment, I was the first-time learning transfer my own knowledge to a technical description. There is always a difference between what you know, what you want to convey, and what the readers receive. An excellent technical description should allow most readers to accurately understand the author’s intentions. This requires that the words and sentences of the article must conform to the reader’s language habits or established standards. At the same time, I also need to learn to elaborate my point of view from various angles. In my technical description, I learned to use charts, metaphors, and examples to express my thoughts. Through this assignment, I did learn how to write a standard technical article and learned how to make my technical article more advanced.

The second assignment is Lab Report Analysis. I was asked to compare the basic elements of two lab report. The lab report is one of the most important article types of engineering writing. To analyze the pros and cons of two lab reports, I must master the key elements of a lab report. Through the analysis and evaluation of the two lad reports, I clearly saw a lot of mistakes we often made, and I saw what a good lab report would look like. What’s important is that this assignment taught me to “analyze.” I have studied a variety of different comparative analysis methods. Through the constant conversion of my role, I have a good grasp of the key to lad report.

The final assignment is the Research Project Final Report. It is a team project. This is beyond my expectation. I did not imagine that writing can also be teamwork. After all, everyone has their own language habits and special opinions. What a strange work would be an article that was stitched together by different authors’ paragraphs? With such questions, I started our project with my unfamiliar teammates. Together we identify topics, find information, and assign tasks. Through time and time communication, we understand each other. At the same time, my project has progressed smoothly. Everything I worried about at the beginning did not happen. I learned how to trust your teammates and how to work with your teammates. Of course, how to search for resources and how to cite these resources is also an important gain.

Review the entire semester, I found I completed many jobs. How did I accomplish so many things? That is to complete each small job step by step. No accumulation of steps, no miles.

Generally speaking, it takes 1-2 years to build a house by yourself, which is less efficient than buying a ready-made house. However, self-built houses can design the required room type according to their own ideas, and the degree of freedom is greater. Moreover, in some mature communities, there may be no new home sales, but if you want to live in a new house, then buying a land and building a house may be the best solution. However, self-built houses also need to invest a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources. If you have sufficient funds on hand, you have a strong interest in the building, you can skillfully deal with various construction workers, engineering contractors, and have time to pay attention to the project. Progress, then you are very suitable for building your own home. The point to be clear here is that self-built houses do not mean that they must be built by themselves. There are many ways to choose. You can directly find a builder to build a house in the community you are developing. You can buy the land and contract it to a mature builder to build a house. You can buy the land yourself and then be the main builder and find the sub-constructor. If you have enough time and expertise, you can build it yourself, called DIY (Do It Yourself) in the United States. It should be noted that the DIY approach has regulatory restrictions, and some areas may not allow it to be investigated in advance.

The first step after deciding to build a house is to find the right land. You can choose to buy an open space or buy a new home to rebuild. When you choose a property, you can view land and property information on zillow, redfin and other sites, choose the land that suits you, and hire a professional real estate agent to take you to the field and complete a series of land purchase and purchase procedures. At the same time, you need to pay attention to the building regulations in the area, determine whether there are restrictions on the construction of new houses, and also need to obtain a survey report, including the height of the current foundation, the height of the reference point on the street, and so on. It is also best to include the tree survey around the house, allowing the surveyor to mark the border with a small flag or iron bar. Finally, you need to conduct a soil test on the land, and the test results will usually come out within 2-4 weeks. After completing these procedures, you are looking for an architect to design your favorite home!

After selecting the architect and understanding each other’s experience, price and strengths, you also need to ask the architect if the design needs to be charged and how it will be charged. Because sometimes the HOA or City will make a modification request based on the submitted drawings, if the modification fee is too high, it will be a little lost. Before designing, you can have a preliminary design idea, such as how many rooms you want, the size of the room, the location of the stairs, the height requirements, the drainage requirements, etc., before discussing the design. Then discuss the design with the designer. Figure details and confirm the design according to local laws and regulations. After the design is completed, you need to carefully review whether the design meets the requirements, such as room layout, window brightness, structural strength, foundation design, roof design, wall thickness, lighting layout, outdoor lighting and electricity (eg swimming pool, backyard) The design of the remote control door and various functions), the design of the automation system (including the functions of the sound system, the Internet, the telephone system, the television system, the water system), the design of the air outlet and the return air outlet, the house insulation scheme, and the like. The design drawings are the basis for the evaluation of each contractor. If the change is made in the middle, it means a fare increase, and the markup may be high. Therefore, this step is very crucial. It is necessary to ask experienced people to look at it and finally finalize it after repeated consultations.

Building Dream House

The Process of United States House Building

Jun Yong Hu

City College of the City University of New York

Abstract

It takes more than two years to build a house by owner self. It includes purchasing the land, predesign, design, construction and post construction. Decide to Purchase the vacant land or old houses is the first step. Communication with architect to make a proposal is the second step. The third step of build a dream house is construction. The last step of process is post construction. Every step is important and requires owner to take it seriously.

Keywords:  design, construction

Introduction

American dream is the best way to express the philosophy of United States. A house may be the most significant part of American dream. It takes more than two years to build a house by owner self, which is less efficient than buying a ready-made house. However, self- built houses means owner can customize most of the features of the house which makes the house become a dream house. Additionally, self-built houses means owners can live in a new house which located at the ideal location. Of course, the process of building a dream house is complicated. Owner have to invest plenty of man power, material resources and financial resources on it. Purchasing the land, predesign, design, preconstruction, construction or post construction, any mistake in above steps could turn a dream house become a nightmare house.

Process of House Building

The first step in the process of building a house is purchasing the land. This step is the prerequisite for the next steps. There are two options to this step:

• Buying a vacant land.
• Buying an old house and tear down to rebuild a new house.

Vacant land is the land which has no building on it and is never have been used. Buying vacant land has a lot of advantages. The most important one is affordable. Comparing to buying an old house, buying vacant land is much easier and affordable. There also a disadvantage of buying vacant land. For example, it’s hard to find a satisfying location since it’s 2019, not 1719. Buying an old house could cost a lot more money than buying vacant land. The cost of tear down the old house also should be under budget. In addition, the owner has to hire a professional person to do a survey before the owner buy the land because different land has different usage. Owner has to

find the right land according to the zoning map. Zoning number decide what kind of house owner can build. For example, land with zoning number R4 only was allowed to build one- or two-family house, if the owner wants to build a four-family house, he should not buy this kind of land.

When the owner prepared the land, the next step is designing. This step asks the owner to have good communication with the architect. The owner should well explain his idea to the architect. The architect will plan for the following process according to the land situation, budget, and the requirements of the owner. After the architect explained the design proposal to the owner, the owner has to sign an agreement with the architect. Architect and his design team will start to design the house only if the agreement was signed.  The owner does have the right to change his idea after architect finished his design or even in the middle of construction, but it will waste a lot of time and money.

The third step of build a dream house is construction. This step requires the owner to deal with the construction team and supplier. There are multiple ways of paying for construction. First one called “lump sum” which means the owner pays a fixed fee to the construction team. This method is suited to projects which have a well-defined scope before starts. The second method is called “Cost Plus a Fee” which means the owner pays general construction cost plus an added fee. This step usually cost around 2 years for a normal residential house. It’s the major process of building a house. Sequential construction is the best and most common way to process. Sequential construction means each major phase begin only after the previous phase is complete. Phased construction can reduce risks if elements built early to come to conflict with later design decisions. An owner who doesn’t have enough time or experience to manage this step is also recommended to hire a professional construction manager to assist. A good construction manager can monitor construction, control the project site, manage trades and suppliers, and coordinate communications between construction team, design team, and owner.

The last step of the process is called post construction. When the construction team finished their works the first step owner should do is checking if all the requests are fulfilled by the design team and construction team. After verified the house the next should be a complete inspection of the electrical system, water delivery, and plumbing systems. The last step is to post construction cleaning. All the building and surrounding area should be cleaned carefully in case there are some dangerous elements was reminded form construction. For example, glass, toxic chemicals, discarded nails or screws.

Conclusion

Building a house is one of the most important things of a person. Most people don’t have experience before they start to build their first and only one dream house. Purchasing the land, predesign, design, preconstruction, construction or post-construction all the steps have required the owner to treat it seriously. Hiring a professional person to help is necessary.      

The first assignment is “Technical Description”. I was asked to write a process description or mechanism description. During the assignment, I was the first time learning transfer my own knowledge to a technical description. There is always a difference between what you know, what you want to convey, and what the readers receive. An excellent technical description should allow most readers to accurately understand the author’s intentions. This requires that the words and sentences of the article must conform to the reader’s language habits or established standards. At the same time, I also need to learn to elaborate my point of view from various angles. In my technical description, I learned to use charts, metaphors, and examples to express my thoughts. Through this assignment, I did learn how to write a standard technical article and learned how to make my technical article more advanced.

 A comparison between lab report A: “Fatigue Failure through Bending Experiment Adapted from a report submitted by Sarah Thomas” and lab report B: “Evaluation of Vibration Analysis Tools to predict the Dynamic Integrity of a Truss Structure.”

Title, abstract, introduction, material and method section, results section, discussion section, conclusion section, acknowledgments section, and references section are nine ordinary sections of a standard lab report. This article going to compare two lab report through those nine angles. The first lab report is “Fatigue Failure through Bending Experiment Adapted from a report submitted by Sarah Thomas”. It will be called “report A” at following paragraph. The second lab report is “Evaluation of Vibration Analysis Tools to predict the Dynamic Integrity of a Truss Structure.” It will be called “report B” at following paragraph.

Lab A using Chauvenet’s criterion to analyze the resulting numbers of cycles of failure and plot a stress vs cycles diagram to observe endurance limit of the sample 6061-T6 aluminum with a neck radius of 2.50mm. Lab B tested different method for finding the natural frequency of the system and finding the stressed of the truss members.  Comparing two lab reports we can lab report A is better than lab report B in all ways.

Title

Lab report A have a clear title.  It told reader what subject they studied in an understandable way. For example, it used “bending experiment” in stand of a complicated professional name. It also included keywords like “fatigue failure” to make it easily be searching. Lab report B make sample problem complicated and do not have the same focus as the report do. The purpose lab B is testing different method for finding the natural frequency of the system and finding the stressed of the truss members. Finding out the right method is the purpose, but the title make reader think the lab want to find out the “Dynamic integrity”. In the title part, lab report A present reader a better over look.

Abstract

Lab report A has a separate section for abstract which lab report B don’t have.  In the separate abstract section of lab report A, reader can quickly find out the problem addressed by experimenter’s study, the conclusion of the lab and the implication of the study. From reading the abstract readers can get an over view of the whole experiment. In contrast, lab report B mixed abstract with introduction. The Summary and Introduction section from lab report B has totally four paragraphs. Readers have to read all the four paragraphs to find the information which can be found in one paragraph in lab report A. The worse thing is that the reader has read all four paragraphs but still can’t find the information they need. What’s more, the experimenter used a lot “you” and “your” in this section. Those “you” and “your” make the lab report like an email or letter between two persons. The irregular term make lab report B looks unprofessional.

 A comparison between lab report 1: “Fatigue Failure through Bending Experiment Adapted from a report submitted by Sarah Thomas” and lab report 2: “Evaluation of Vibration Analysis Tools to predict the Dynamic Integrity of a Truss Structure.”

The title, abstract, introduction, material and method section, results section, discussion section, conclusion section, acknowledgments section, and references section are nine ordinary sections of a standard lab report. This essay is going to compare two lab report through those nine angles. Lab 1 using Chauvenet’s criterion to analyze the resulting numbers of cycles of failure and plot a stress vs cycles diagram to observe the endurance limit of the sample 6061-T6 aluminum with a neck radius of 2.50mm. Lab 2 tested different method for finding the natural frequency of the system and finding the stressed of the truss members.  Comparing two lab reports we can say lab report 1 is better than lab report 2 in several ways.

Lab report 1 has a more accurate title than report 2.  Lab 1 told the reader what subject they studied in an understandable way. For example, it used “bending experiment” in a stand of a complicated professional name. It also included keywords like “fatigue failure” to make it easily be searching. Lab report 2 make sample problem complicated and do not have the same focus as the report do. The purpose lab 2 is testing different method for finding the natural frequency of the system and finding the stressed of the truss members. Finding out the right method is the purpose, but the title makes the reader think the lab want to find out the “Dynamic integrity”. In the title part, lab reports 1 present reader a better overlook. Report 2 is not only confusing in the title but also has a very bad abstract.

Lab report 1 has a separate section for abstract but lab report 2 don’t have which make Lab report 1 offering a better start.  In the separate abstract section of lab report 1, the reader can quickly find out the problem addressed by experimenter’s study, the conclusion of the lab and the implication of the study. From reading the abstract readers can get an overview of the whole experiment. In contrast, lab reports 2 mixed abstracts with an introduction. The Summary and Introduction section from lab report 2 has totally four paragraphs. Readers have to read all the four paragraphs to find the information which can be found in one paragraph in lab report 1. The worse thing is that the reader has read all four paragraphs but still can’t find the information they need. What’s more, the experimenter used a lot “you” and “your” in this section. Those “you” and “your” make the lab report like an email or letter between two persons. The irregular term makes lab report 2 looks unprofessional. If the confusing title and the confused abstract have consumed a lot of patience, then the poor sentence in the materials and methods section is the reason why readers can’t continue reading lab report 2.

In the materials and methods section, lab report 1 has better sentence structure than lab report 2. Report 2 uses a large number of “and” to link sentences, giving readers a very uncomfortable reading experience. In contrast, lab report 1 used a lot of transaction word to connect sentences and make the statement has a better logical relationship.

We don’t have to question the experimenter’s effort on the experiments. However, the lab reports are the final fruit, and the only way to let the reader judge how the experiment is. Lab report 1 showed the reader a simple and clear title, a well-organized abstract, and a logical clear process. Therefore, experiment 1 is a better experiment, and lab report 1 is a better lab report. We can not tell if experiment 2 is a bad experiment or not, but we can say lab report 2 is a bad failure report.

The second assignment is Lab Report Analysis. I was asked to compare the basic elements of two lab report. The lab report is one of the most important article types of engineering writing. To analyze the pros and cons of two lab reports, I must master the key elements of a lab report. Through the analysis and evaluation of the two lad reports, I clearly saw a lot of mistakes we often made, and I saw what a good lab report would look like. What’s important is that this assignment taught me to “analyze.” I have studied a variety of different comparative analysis methods.

Muhammad Chhaidan, JunYong Hu, and Danny Weng

Ms. Stephanie Jean-Stern

English 21007

April 10^th, 2019

Final Paper Outline

1. Introduction

• Background Point: Explain how impactful the subway has been since its beginning. New York City subway ridership has doubled since its modern-day through of 1977, when the subways carried 917.2 million riders, to the recent peak of nearly 1.8 billion in 2015. One commonality stands out among a myriad of contributors to the growth in subway ridership.
• Background point: Talk about the current discussions made by the MTA. So far there has been all talk and no actions according to a New Times article written in 2017. Subway leader, Mr. Byford said he could upgrade most of the subway system in the next ten years, which would improve reliability and allow more trains to run closer together. Mr. Byford has offered an overview about how he would accelerate the signal work. Since 2017, no work has started.
• Background point: Mention our proposal. What do we have in our mind. We plan to look at the issues of significant interest namely: Increasing train speed, using carbon as a replacement to make trains lighter, upgrading railway tracks, signaling and increasing space to cater for more passengers.

1. Background Point 1:

When improving the train system, the first thing that comes to mind is speed. Increasing the speed of the trains in efficiency and efficient way can make it appear for giant companies like the MTA.   

1. Background Point 2:

With a significant rise in delays in the New York subway system, it is time to find permanent solutions and not just do minor repair work. Issues of immediate concerns are fixing the railway tracks and signaling.   

1. Background Point 3:

The New York subway has been under heavy loading pressure. However, people whoever takes subway can easy find the carrying pressure of each train is very different.  If we can adjust the carrying pressure of each train, the overall system carrying efficiency will be greatly improved.

Topic Statement + Claim: This report aims at finding solutions to upgrade the current New York Subway system.

1. Results of Research
2. Main Section 1: Improving the Speed of the Trains using Better Materials

Paragraph 1 Topic:

In general, improving the speed of trains is the most efficient way to improve the train system. For example, the A trains tops out on 55 mph and takes 8 mins to get from 59th St to 125th St. By increasing the speed of the train, it is capable to cut the time it takes by half. Some of the issues with the trains that the MTA have are the materials that make the train the drag coefficient of the trains. Although MTA trains like the A are made from stainless steel, which is lighter than steel, they are not as strong. There are still better alternatives out there. Also, trains after being constructed are left with the bare metal exposed leading to a high coefficient of friction.

Paragraph 2 Topic:

To address the alternative to the stainless steel, a recommendation is retrofit the front of the trains with a new more aerodynamic one. Something as simple as making the front more smooth looking can make the train cut through the air in a more efficient way reducing the drag force. Also, the material of the front can be made with composite material which is stronger and lighter than steel. Lastly, a coating can be applied to the bare material to aid in reducing friction. This will allow the train to accelerate faster at increasing speed.

1. Main Section 2: Improving Railway tracks and Signalling

Paragraph 1 Topic:

New York Subway tracks have been built for more than fifty years. Since its existence, there have been no records to show that there have been efforts to rebuild a new system. Records only show upgrades. Upgrades are good but some new strategies can be implemented. One example of an upgrade that was done by the MTA was to seal leaks that were caused by water to prevent corrosion of the tracks. Sealing was done by chemical grouting. This would help but only it is for a period of time. There needs to be something that will have a longer life span. One way to do this is by having a smooth track with less or no joints across the entire system. In addition, continuous welded rail would be better than having a weld in small pieces.

Paragraph 2 Topic:

Signaling is currently the number one issue that the MTA is faced with. Delays that occur on a regular basis are blamed on signal problems. This issue is quite complex because it requires serious discussions with MTA and the government. This is so because the signals require a constant and certain amount of power supply to work. Any interruptions in the power can result in shutdowns, and surges in power can destroy electrical equipment. What should be noted is that the MTA is dependent on public utilities for power supply.

1. Main Section 3: Improving Space and Efficiency

Paragraph 1 Topic:

The plight of the New York subway is impossible to reconstruct because it has a huge and complex subway system. Improving the carrying efficiency of trains has become a more feasible method. One of the options is improving the train carrying capacity by doubling the length of the train and adjust the train stop method. After guiding the passengers into the correct compartment, the trains are alternately standing in the station. When the train arrives at station A, it will open the door of the first half. When the train arrives at the next station it will open the door of the second half. This means half of the train will always skip a station. Doubling the length of the train means that the carrying capacity is doubled directly. This method does not require extensive modifications to the station and rails. All that needs to be done is to use the appropriate smart equipment on the train. This circumvented the difficulty of extending the New York subway.

Paragraph 2 Topic:

According to a Spectrum News article published by Jose Martinez, he mentions that: “It’s going to be harder to find a seat on one of the city’s busiest subway lines: the MTA has begun removing them from some trains. NY1 Transit Reporter Jose Martinez has the exclusive details”. Removing trains should not be a possible solution to provide adequate space. The MTA should be looking at alternatives. The second solution to increase space could be to make make the space of the train more flexible. This will improve space utilization. One of the options is collecting passenger flow information by intelligently modifying the train compartment. Guide passengers into the corresponding compartment.  Increase or decrease the number of train cars by analyzing passenger flow. Separate the corresponding cars at the corresponding stations. The other cars continue to move forward. This classification compartment method, greatly reducing the time to stop. In other words, this method improves the carrying capacity of the subway.

Conclusion

1. Provide a brief recap of the report:

Upgrading the current New York Subway system is an important challenge and frustration for many. Many years have passed and there have been empty promises. Some wonder if the MTA has an actual plan to upgrade the current system. However,

• as technology advances and with the introduction of new materials. It allows big companies like the MTA to improve their trains without scraping their old trains and just improve their older trains by adding a new aerodynamic front and a drag reduction coating.
• Signaling is currently the number one issue that the MTA is faced with. Delays that occur on a regular basis are blamed on signal problems. As a result, this issue should be given priority.
• Space has always been an issue. There is always a competition between passengers to see who will get an empty seat first. How can this issue be resolved? The answer is not to eliminate seats as proposed by the MTA but instead the length of trains can be doubled.

   B. Discuss the implications of the topic; Why is it important?

This topic is important because upgrade to the current subway system could resolve the countless number of tensions between the MTA and passengers. For example, an upgrade to the current system could cause a significant decrease in the amount of time a train takes to reach from one point to the next. This is due to the proposed increase in speed.  

    C. What should your audience consider after reading the report?

Imagine one morning walking into a subway train and instead of taking an hour and a half to reach the City College of New York, the time is reduced to forty-five minutes with no delays. Upgrade to the current subway system can make this possible and a good relationship will be built between the MTA and customers. There should not be a job lost because of delays every day, instead, the subway train system should be one that people desire to take. The word “HATE” should be erased from their minds.

   D. What questions have been left unanswered in your research?

Our research is not perfect, however, we will look at prominent issues that cause delays in the New York Subway system and find practical solutions. Some solutions might be impossible but we want to try to make it work. If it works then we will have a long term solution rather than a short term.

Improving the MTA System and the Effects

Muhammad Chhaidan, JunYong Hu, and Danny Weng

Ms. Stephanie Jean-Stern

English 21007

May 13^th, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction                                                                                                      3-4
2. Results of Research                                                                                          5-10

1. Improving Space Efficiency
2. Improving Railway Tracks and Signalling
3. Using Better and Up to Date Materials

1. Discussion                                                                                                           10-13
2. Conclusion                                                                                                          13-14         
3. References                                                                                                          15-16
4. Appendix                                                                                                            17  
5. Group Members Contributions                                                                       18                                                                                      

LIST OF GRAPHICS

Figure 1: Cause of Subway delays from 2012-2016 ……………………………………….  11

Table 1: Decline in On-time performance by line ………………………………………….. 11

Figure 2: Train Ridership for years 2012- 2017 …………………………………………….. 12

Figure 3: Mean distance in miles between Subway failures ……………………………….. 13

ABSTRACT:

Currently, in North America, the MTA holds the record for having the largest transportation network. The MTA serves up to 15.3 million people daily across New York and Connecticut. In addition, the MTA has more subway and commuter rails that all of US transit system combined together. Many benefits flow from the MTA network. The MTA has committed to a 117.8 billion budget between 1982 and 2017 to help improve and expand their public assets. Some of these work include: extension of the 7th line to the Javits Convention Center and the expansion of the LIRR main line. If you take a look at the work the MTA has done, it has been mostly to improve train carts and expand railway lines. As a result, this proposal is intended to focus on the broader picture. We will seek to find solutions to improve signalling and track related issues, aerodynamics and materials and space efficiency. We will demonstrate our solutions in the research results section of our report and try to explain the feasibility of our solutions. The content of our proposal can be summarized by answering the following questions: (1) What are the major issues that the MTA is faced with on an everyday basis, (2) What can be a possible solution to improve these issues? (3) how cost effective will it be?

INTRODUCTION:

The New York City subway system has been controlled by the Metropolitan Transport Authority, also known as the MTA since 1968. The subway system now has 26 lines and 468 stations in operation. Since 1968, the MTA has only done minor repairs on the subway system. Their main focus has been to improve the train cars to hold more passengers and improve its aesthetics. Improving train cars to hold more passengers is a thoughtful idea because since 1977 to present day, New York City subway ridership has doubled from 917.2 million riders to a recent peak of 1.8 billion dollars in 2015. However, improving space is not the only major problem affecting the New York subway system.

 Apart from the need to increase the size of train cars to hold more passengers, there have many ongoing discussions between top members of the MTA. From this discussion, subway leader, Mr. Byford said in a meeting held in 2017 that he could upgrade most of the subway system in the next few years, which would improve reliability and allow more trains to run closer together. Mr. Byford has offered an overview of how he would accelerate the signal work. Since 2017, no work has started. So far there has been all talk and no actions according to a New Times article written in 2017. As a result, this proposal is intended to focus on the broader picture of improving both infrastructure and train cars with a feasible approach in mind. Our approach will be to focus on the more important issues first and then narrowing it down to issues of less importance. The contents of this proposal will include solutions on how to improve the following: Signalling and railway tracks, Space, efficiency, material and aerodynamics of train cars. 

RESEARCH RESULTS:

Improving Space and Efficiency

The plight of the New York subway is impossible to reconstruct because it has a huge and complex subway system. Improving the carrying efficiency of trains has become a more feasible method. One of the options is improving the train carrying capacity by doubling the length of the train and adjust the train stop method. After guiding the passengers into the correct compartment, the trains are alternately standing in the station. When the train arrives at station A, it will open the door of the first half. When the train arrives at the next station it will open the door of the second half. This means half of the train will always skip a station. Doubling the length of the train means that the carrying capacity is doubled directly. This method does not require extensive modifications to the station and rails. All that needs to be done is to use the appropriate smart equipment on the train. This circumvented the difficulty of extending the New York subway.

According to a Spectrum News article published by Jose Martinez, he mentions that: “It’s going to be harder to find a seat on one of the city’s busiest subway lines: the MTA has begun removing them from some trains. NY1 Transit Reporter Jose Martinez has the exclusive details”. Removing trains should not be a possible solution to provide adequate space. The MTA should be looking at alternatives. The second solution to increase space could be to make the space of the train more flexible. This will improve space utilization. One of the options is collecting passenger flow information by intelligently modifying the train compartment. Guide passengers into the corresponding compartment.  Increase or decrease the number of train cars by analyzing passenger flow. Separate the corresponding cars at the corresponding stations. The other cars continue to move forward. This classification compartment method, greatly reducing the time to stop. In other words, this method improves the carrying capacity of the subway.

Improving Railway tracks and Signaling

New York Subway tracks have been built for more than fifty years. Since its existence, there have been no records to show that there have been efforts to rebuild a new system. Records only show upgrades. Upgrades are good but some new strategies can be implemented. One example of an upgrade that was done by the MTA was to seal leaks that were caused by water to prevent corrosion of the tracks. Sealing was done by chemical grouting. This would help but only it is for a period of time. There needs to be something that will have a longer life span. One way to do this is by having a smooth track with less or no joints across the entire system. In addition, continuous welded rail would be better than having a weld in small pieces. This would reduce the noise that we hear when the train is in motion. However, replacing the tracks with continuous welded track means much more money. What is the advantage? The advantage would be seen in the long term because there would not be a need to pay workers every year to do maintenance work.

Signaling is currently the second major issue that the MTA is faced with. Delays that occur on a regular basis are blamed on signal problems. This issue is quite complex because it requires serious discussions with MTA and the government. This is so because the signals require a constant and certain amount of power supply to work. Any interruptions in the power can result in shutdowns, and surges in power can destroy electrical equipment. What should be noted is that the MTA is dependent on public utilities for power supply. One such public utility is Con Edison. Public utilities supply power not only to one place but they many other places where they supply power to. This provides a challenge for the MTA.

One possible solution that we came up with was to have a discussion with the MTA board members and Members of Con Edison. From this discussion, talks will be for Con Edison to try and supply more power to the MTA. What is the feasibility of this solution? This solution accounts for a 50/50 probability. There is a possibility that Con Edison to would agree to the negotiations or they would not.  Second possible solution would be for the MTA to cutback on the amount of lights they use in subway stations. A normal fluorescent bulb uses about 60 watts. So just imagine if the MTA were to take off about 20 light bulbs, then this would be 1200 watts not in use. This solution could have major gains for the MTA because by applying these cutbacks the MTA would save money and also they would have additional power to use.

Improving the Speed of the Trains using Better Materials

In general, improving the speed of trains is an efficient way to improve the train system. For example, the A trains tops out on 55 mph and takes 8 mins to get from 59th St to 125th St. By increasing the speed of the train, it is capable to cut the time it takes by half. Some of the issues with the trains that the MTA have are the materials that manufacture the trains. Although MTA trains like the A are made from stainless steel, which is lighter than steel, they are not as strong. There are still better alternatives out there. Also, trains after being constructed are left with the bare metal exposed leading to a high coefficient of friction.

To address the alternative to the stainless steel, a recommendation is to retrofit the front of the trains with a new more aerodynamic one. Something as simple as making the front smoother looking can make the train cut through the air in a more efficient way reducing the drag force. Also, the material of the front can be made with a composite material which is stronger and lighter than steel. Furthermore, Feifei Wang, who studies as a railroad technologist, talks about the development of carbon composite material on trains and how it can affect the trains in a positive way. The author believes that carbon fiber composite can be built near the front of the train which interns increase the stiffness of the train and the weight of the train. The laminate may be made of a single layer of different materials or of an anisotropic monolayer of the same material in different laying directions. Both the former and the latter have macroscopic anisotropy in the thickness direction of the laminate. In addition, laminates are usually anisotropic, and due to the diversity of the laminate, the laminates do not necessarily have a definite principal orientation. Of course, for some special form of pavement, but also can have a definite main direction. Tests were conducted to show the improvement of the carbon composite materials.

Lastly, a coating can be applied to the bare material to aid in reducing friction. This will allow the train to accelerate faster at increasing speed. For example, both Aerospace and Mechanical engineer, Mitsugu Hasegawa and Hirotaka Sakaue revealed the effects of microfiber coating for drag reduction by using flocking technology. This experiment microfiber coating which are hair-like structures that consist of an array of microfiber that is introduced as a passive drag reduction system. To prove the experiment, they both test two identical objects through the wind tunnel to test for drag. The microfiber coatings were on the identical object with on that had the coating and one without the coating. In the former case, the microfiber coating was applied at an angle of 40, and a drag reduction of 32% was achieved. They were able to achieve a cleaner air with the coating and the smoke extensions showed the extension of the attached flow-zone, and corresponding separation delay was seen by applying the microfiber coating.

In conclusion, the introduction of carbon composite material in the trains can help in multiple ways. Like the experiment conducted in the article, it can help stiffen up the train which can improve the strength of the train, which help improve the safety of the train. Also, carbon fiber is a lot lighter than metal that is used in MTA trains and reduction in weight can improve the speed of the train reducing the time you need to wait for a train. this article made the microfiber coating made it a convincing statement that it is an easy and efficient way to decrease drag. In the world where everything costs money, it is simply a huge budget for the MTA to replace their trains with new more aerodynamic trains. It is more cost efficient for the MTA to adopt this technology and apply at the front of the train where it has contacted the air first. This means a reduction in the drag force and through simple physics formula. It will increase the acceleration of the trains meaning the train will be faster. Since the trains are now faster it also means less waiting periods for the trains.

DISCUSSION:

Figure 1 is a bar graph showing the cause of delays obtained from a survey conducted by the NYCT and Bus materials in 2017. The areas targeted were Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Bronx. The data was originally in a table form and then made into a bar graph. Issues such as the speed of train cars, work equipment, signals, track, and overcrowding are responsible for about 80 percent of the New York Subway system. As shown below in recent years Overcrowding has been the primary driver jumping from 62,492 in 2012 to 299,301 in 2016, which gives a 379% increase. Delays caused by signals, Switches and track malfunctions accounted for a 41% increase from 2012 to 2016. Issues surrounding the speed of train cars and work equipment also showed significant increases. 

Figure 1 shows the cause of subway delays for the years 2012 and 2016.

Table 1 shows the decline in on time performance of seven lines from 2012 to 2017. On the seven subway lines, on-time performance fell by 31%. The most significant drop found was 34% in the 5 train which was followed by a 33% drop in the J/Z train, 32% for the F and D and 31% for the C and 6.

J/Z	C	D	6	F	5
2012	2017	2012	2017	2012	2017	2012	2017	2012	2017	2012	2017
96%	62%	90%	60%	88%	56%	80%	49%	80%	48%	67%	32%

Table 1: shows the decline in on time performance by line, Source: MTA

            Figure 2 shows train ridership for the years 2012-2017. As can be seen for 2012-2015, there has been a significant increase in passengers   on trains. If we take the difference between the years, there has been an impressive 52 million increase. As we look further to 2016-2017 there has been a steady drop. This can be due to an excessive number of delays that occur on the NYC Subway system. However, if we take a look at the slope of this graph we can see that there has been an overall increase in passengers.

Figure 2: Graph showing train ridership for the years 2012-2017

Source: MTA

            Figures  5 and 6 shows mean distance in miles between subway failures from 2011-2018. In 2011, trains could run up to 170,000 miles or more between failures. This has drastically changed. Since 2016, trains are breaking down at a much faster rate. From the graphs it can be seen that trains are breaking down at less than 120,000 miles. 

Graph 1 and 2 shows the mean distance in miles between subway system failures.

Source: Manhattan Institute

CONCLUSION:

The MTA still has a long way to go. The MTA nearly year-and-a-half-old “subway action plan” has not yielded productive  results. The plan has helped stop the subway system’s precipitous decline of the previous half-decade. Yet the slight improvements that the MTA has eked out over the past year are not enough. The subway system is still not performing close to the levels of more than half a decade ago, when delays, train failures, and major incidents were much rarer than they are today. The MTA has not yet proved that it can keep up with today’s record residential population, record daytime population, and record tourist population.

 We have focused on as many feasible and practical solutions possible that can be implemented by the MTA. The implementation of our solutions can be placed on a 90% confidence interval.  In addition, we have looked at major areas of interest that can solve the needs of customers. However, where does the other 10% go. We are still facing some challenge in trying to solve the signaling problem. Questions that arise are: Will Con-edison who is the supplier of power to the MTA agree to have a meeting where we can negotiate more power? And also would it be cost-effective? Apart from these challenges we do believe that our plan will work because of its flexibility and cost -effectiveness.

REFERENCES:

Hasegawa, Mitsugu1, mhasegaw@nd.ed., and Hirotaka1, hsakaue@nd.ed. Sakaue. “Microfiber Coating for Drag Reduction by Flocking Technology.”

Coatings (2079-6412), vol. 8, no. 12, Dec. 2018, p. 464. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3390/coatings8120464.

 Feifei Wang1, feifeipass:[_]wang@126.co. “Study on the Application of Carbon Fiber               Composite Materials in High-Speed Trains.”

Materials Science Forum, vol. 893, Apr. 2017, pp. 31–34. EBSCOhost, doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.893.31.

George,Patricia Conway. “Mass Transit: Problem and Promise.” Design Quarterly, no.71,1968,p. 3;doi:10.2307/4047322.

Keith, John. “Transport in the New York Region.” Built Environment, vol. 2, 1978, pp. 146–159. Chen Weidong. “Control Method for improving train Operation Efficiency.” 2014,

patents.google.com/patent/CN102556079B/en?q=~patent/CN105438193A.

He, He, et al. “CN105438193A – Arrangement Structure and Operating Method of Subway Train Carriages Capable of Alleviating Crowded Situations.

” Google Patents, Google, patents.google.com/patent/CN105438193A/en.

M. (2017). “New York Subway System Ridership Data.”

Retrieved May 05, 2019, from http://www.manhattan-institute.org/

“Performance of MTA subway system from 2012-2017. (2018).”

Retrieved April 27, 2019, from http://www.mta.info/

“NYCT and Bus Committee Materials.” (2017).

Retrieved May 05, 2019, from http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/

Appendix

Picture showing the older trains which had more seats but there was limited space.

Picture taken by JunYong Hu

Picture showing the New trains which has less seats but there is now more space.

Picture taken by JunYong Hu

Group Member Contribution

Names	Contributions
Muhammad Chhaidan	Abstract, Research Results, Discussion of Results.
JunYong Hu	Introduction, Research Results, Appendix
Danny Weng	Table of Contents, Research Results, Conclusion, References.

The final assignment is the Research Project Final Report. It is a team project. This is beyond my expectation. I did not imagine that writing can also be teamwork. After all, everyone has their own language habits and special opinions. What a strange work would be an article that was stitched together by different authors’ paragraphs? With such questions, I started our project with my unfamiliar teammates. Together we identify topics, find information, and assign tasks. Through time and time communication, we understand each other. At the same time, my project has progressed smoothly. Everything I worried about at the beginning did not happen. I learned how to trust your teammates and how to work with your teammates. Of course, how to search for resources and how to cite these resources is also an important gain.