Zugl.: Berlin, Techn. Universiẗat, Diss., 2008.

Thesis (M.P.A. )--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2006. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2963. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as 2 leaves. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-84).

Traffic congestion is a serious problem in the United States and is likely to get worse. A number of strategies encompassing increasing supply and managing demand have been suggested to mitigate the problem of traffic congestion. These strategies seek to reduce travel time and/or make travel time more reliable. The use of managed lanes is one such strategy. Faced with successful implementation of a managed lane strategy, it is important to understand potential public perception of the managed lane as well as estimate the number of travelers willing to use managed lanes. Such an estimate would help estimate the toll rates for optimal usage of managed lanes by carpoolers and toll paying travelers. An online survey augmented by paper and laptop survey was conducted in Houston and Dallas to collect information about travelers’ travel behavior, socio-economic characteristics, managed lane perception, and potential use of managed lanes. A comparison of interest in using managed lanes revealed that in majority of cases there was no difference in interest in using managed lanes across user groups. Travel time reliability and ability to travel faster were indicated as top two reasons for interest in managed lanes. This was true for all travelers regardless of mode. Mode choice model using multinomial logit modeling were estimated for Houston and Dallas. Simulation studies were conducted using these mode choice models to estimate the percentage of Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) travelers on managed lane (ML), High Occupancy Vehicle with two travelers (HOV2) on ML, High Occupancy Vehicle with three or more travelers (HOV3+) on ML, SOV travelers on general purpose lane (GPL), HOV2 travelers on GPL, and HOV3+ travelers on GPL. These scenarios compared the managed lane usage for different speeds on GPL (25 miles per hour, 30 miles per hour, and 35 miles per hour). For the case when general purpose lane speed is 25 miles per hour, an increase of $11.75 in SOV tolls ($18 from $6.25) decreases the modal share of SOV travelers on Houston ML from 23.3 percent to 16.9 percent. A similar increase in Dallas tolls decreases the modal share of SOV ML travelers from 22.0 percent to 16.3 percent.

Traffic congestion is a serious problem in the United States and is likely to get worse. A number of strategies encompassing increasing supply and managing demand have been suggested to mitigate the problem of traffic congestion. These strategies seek to reduce travel time and/or make travel time more reliable. The use of managed lanes is one such strategy. Faced with successful implementation of a managed lane strategy, it is important to understand potential public perception of the managed lane as well as estimate the number of travelers willing to use managed lanes. Such an estimate would help estimate the toll rates for optimal usage of managed lanes by carpoolers and toll paying travelers. An online survey augmented by paper and laptop survey was conducted in Houston and Dallas to collect information about travelers’ travel behavior, socio-economic characteristics, managed lane perception, and potential use of managed lanes. A comparison of interest in using managed lanes revealed that in majority of cases there was no difference in interest in using managed lanes across user groups. Travel time reliability and ability to travel faster were indicated as top two reasons for interest in managed lanes. This was true for all travelers regardless of mode. Mode choice model using multinomial logit modeling were estimated for Houston and Dallas. Simulation studies were conducted using these mode choice models to estimate the percentage of Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) travelers on managed lane (ML), High Occupancy Vehicle with two travelers (HOV2) on ML, High Occupancy Vehicle with three or more travelers (HOV3+) on ML, SOV travelers on general purpose lane (GPL), HOV2 travelers on GPL, and HOV3+ travelers on GPL. These scenarios compared the managed lane usage for different speeds on GPL (25 miles per hour, 30 miles per hour, and 35 miles per hour). For the case when general purpose lane speed is 25 miles per hour, an increase of $11.75 in SOV tolls ($18 from $6.25) decreases the modal share of SOV travelers on Houston ML from 23.3 percent to 16.9 percent. A similar increase in Dallas tolls decreases the modal share of SOV ML travelers from 22.0 percent to 16.3 percent.

The economics of drilling offshore wells is important as we drill more wells in deeper water. Drilling-related problems, including stuck pipe, lost circulation, and excessive mud cost, show the need for better drilling technology. If we can solve these problems, the economics of drilling the wells will improve, thus enabling the industry to drill wells that were previously uneconomical. Managed pressure drilling (MPD) is a new technology that enables a driller to more precisely control annular pressures in the wellbore to prevent these drillingrelated problems. This paper traces the history of MPD, showing how different techniques can reduce drilling problems. MPD improves the economics of drilling wells by reducing drilling problems. Further economic studies are necessary to determine exactly how much cost savings MPD can provide in certain situation. Furter research is also necessary on the various MPD techniques to increase their effectiveness.

Ulm, Univ., Diss., 2007.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1995.

Zugl.: Hohenheim, Univ., Diss., 2008

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1995.

Master-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2008.