Vehicle headway modeling and its inferences in macroscopic/microscopic traffic flow theory: A survey

Vehicle headway distribution models are widely used in traffic engineering fields, since they reflect the fundamental uncertainty in drivers' car-following maneuvers and meanwhile provide a concise way to describe the stochastic feature of traffic flows. This paper presents a systematic review of vehicle headway distribution studies in the last few decades. Since it is impossible to enumerate the merits and drawbacks of all of existing distribution models, we emphasize four advances of headway distribution modeling in this paper. First, we highlight the chronicle of key assumptions on the existing distribution models and explain why this evolution occurs. Second, we show that departure headways measured for interrupted flows on urban streets and headways measured for uninterrupted flows on freeways have common features and can be simulated by a unified microscopic car-following model. The interesting finding helps gather two kinds of headway distribution models under one umbrella. Third, we review different approaches that aim to link microscopic car-following models and mesoscopic vehicle headway distribution models. Fourth, we show that both the point scattering on the density-flow plot and the shape of traffic flow breakdown curve implicitly depend on the vehicular headway distribution. These findings reveal pervasive connections between macroscopic traffic flow models and mesoscopic headway distribution. All these new insights bring new vigor into vehicle headway studies and open research frontiers in this field.     

Robust constrained control of uncertain macroscopic fundamental diagram networks

This paper considers modeling and control of uncertain Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) systems for multiple-region networks. First, the nonlinear vehicle conservation equations based on MFD dynamics, presented in earlier publications, are transformed to linear equations with parameter uncertainties. The parameter uncertainties include the destination decomposition fractions, that are difficult to estimate in reality. Then, the uncertain linear model is utilized to design a robust feedback controller by an interpolation-based approach. This approach (i) guarantees robustness against all parameter uncertainties, (ii) handle control and state constraints, and (iii) present a computationally cheap solution. The main idea is to interpolate between (i) a stabilizing outer controller that respects the control and state constraints and (ii) an inner robustly stable controller designed by any method. The robust control is further challenged to deal with different relative locations of reference accumulation points on the MFD diagrams. Numerical results for a two-region system show that the uncertain linear model can replace the nonlinear model for modeling and control. Moreover, the robust control law is presented as implicit and explicit solutions, where in the implicit case one linear programming (LP) problem is solved at each time instant, while in the explicit case, the control law is shown as a piecewise affine function of state. Finally, a comparison between the interpolating controller and other controllers in the literature is carried out. The results demonstrate the performance advantages from applying the robust interpolating controller.     

Deriving macroscopic fundamental diagrams from probe data: Issues and proposed solutions

Well-defined relationships between flow and density averaged spatially across urban traffic networks, more commonly known as Macroscopic Fundamental Diagrams (MFDs), have been recently verified to exist in reality. Researchers have proposed using MFDs to monitor the status of urban traffic networks and to inform the design of network-wide traffic control strategies. However, it is also well known that empirical MFDs are not easy to estimate in practice due to difficulties in obtaining the requisite data needed to construct them. Recent works have devised ways to estimate a network’s MFD using limited trajectory data that can be obtained from GPS-equipped mobile probe vehicles. These methods assume that the market penetration level of mobile probe vehicles is uniform across the entire set of OD pairs in the network; however, in reality the probe vehicle market penetration rate varies regionally within a network. When this variation is combined with the imbalance of probe trip lengths and travel times, the compound effects will further complicate the estimation of the MFD.To overcome this deficit, we propose a method to estimate a network’s MFD using mobile probe data when the market penetration rates are not necessarily the same across an entire network. This method relies on the determination of appropriate average probe penetration rates, which are weighted harmonic means using individual probe vehicle travel times and distances as the weights. The accuracy of this method is tested using synthetic data generated in the INTEGRATION micro-simulation environment by comparing the estimated MFDs to the ground truth MFD obtained using a 100% market penetration of probe vehicles. The results show that the weighted harmonic mean probe penetration rates outperform simple (arithmetic) average probe penetration rates, as expected. This especially holds true as the imbalance of demand and penetration level increases. Furthermore, as the probe penetration rates are generally not known, an algorithm to estimate the probe penetration rates of regional OD pairs is proposed. This algorithm links count data from sporadic fixed detectors in the network to information from probe vehicles that pass the detectors. The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm is very effective. Since the data needed to apply this algorithm are readily available and easy to collect, the proposed algorithm is practically feasible and offers a better approach for the estimation of the MFD using mobile probe data, which are becoming increasingly available in urban environments.     

Brake light cellular automaton model with advanced randomization for traffic breakdown

Traffic breakdown is one of the most important empirical phenomena in traffic flow theory. Unfortunately, it cannot be simulated by many traffic flow models. In order to clarify its mechanism, the new brake light cellular automaton model has been proposed. Comparing with previous brake light models, three different aspects have been considered: (i) drivers tend to take large decelerations if the time gap is smaller than the safe time gap and the leading vehicle’s brake light is on; (ii) the brake light rule is set according to the reality; (iii) the randomization rule is put forward before the acceleration rule to weaken the impact of brake light on driving behaviors. Analyses show that the new model can explain the mechanism of traffic breakdown and the failures of other brake light models. Simulations confirm that all empirical features of traffic breakdown are successfully reproduced. At last, brake light models are calibrated and validated by the I-80 empirical data provided by NGSIM. Results show that the performance of the new model is the best and models in the three-phase theory are not necessarily better than models in the fundamental diagram approach and vice versa, at least for the brake light models.     

考虑前后车速度和减速幅度的元胞自动机模型

三相交通流理论和基本图方法对自由流到拥挤流的相变过程提出不同的解释,双方争议至今没有解决.基于典型慢启动模型规则,本文提出一个考虑前后车速度和减速幅度的交通流元胞自动机模型来探讨自由流到拥挤流的相变.新慢启动模型的减速幅度大小与前车速度相关,两个减速幅度值分别对应缓慢减速和急减速.新慢启动模型的数值模拟结果表明：同一密度值对应的交通状态可能是自由流,也可能是拥挤流;小堵塞集团可以稳定存在于道路系统并有同步的趋势;当道路系统中存在大量不考虑舒适驾驶并倾向于急减速的车辆,在此条件下,三相交通流理论提出的紧致压缩效应不具有合理性,自由流状态可以直接相变为堵塞状态.     

三维实体有限元模型网格图的消隐问题

本文讨论三维实体有限元模型网格图的消隐问题。分析了它的数据结构、几何特征及图形表达等方面的特珠性,并对这类图形的计算机绘制计算方法作了初步探讨,提出了一些实用算法,并给出实例。      

客运专线列车运行图编制模型及计算方法的研究

列车运行图是铁路行车组织工作的基础,其编制问题属于超大规模的多目标优化问题,求解难度较大。既有线列车运行图较为成熟的编制理论和计算方法对客运专线列车运行图的编制具有重要的借鉴作用。在既定客运专线运输组织模式的基础上,提出基于客运专线A类本线、B类跨线和本线城际列车运行图铺划的分层叠加数学模型,研究客运专线不同种类列车的布点模型和求解方法,设计了基于改进型遗传算法的客运专线列车运行图优化策略和算法。算例表明,该算法能有效地求解客运专线列车运行图编制方案,并达到快速准确的良好效果,为编图人员提供优选方案。     

SAP2000在桥梁工程中的应用

文章介绍了美国计算机和结构公司(CSI)研制的大型通用结构分析与设计软件SAP2000,对其在桥梁设计方面的应用做了比较详细的讨论,给出了一个简单应用的实例和在三座大型桥梁设计中静力、抗震和抗风稳定等方面应用情况。     

基于仿真实验验证宏观基本图的存在性

研究采用Vissim仿真实验的方法,验证了宏观基本图模型的存在性.通过实测数据的标定,建立了阿姆斯特丹高速公路交通网络模型.为了使宏观基本图能够反映交通拥堵产生的全过程,采用实验对比的方法确定了网络交通需求的大小.通过采集关键参数验证了宏观基本图（MFD）在仿真路网中的存在性.研究分析了不同车道数的临界密度,定义了不同严重程度的路网拥堵,基于仿真数据,用MFD模型反映了路网拥堵的动态变化过程.