Theory of safety surrogates using vehicle trajectories in macroscopic and microscopic settings: Application to dynamic message signs controlled traffic at work zones

This paper presents a new mathematical framework for obtaining quantitative safety measure using macroscopic as well as microscopic traffic data. The safety surrogate obtained from the macroscopic data is in terms of analysis performed on vehicle trajectories obtained from the macroscopic data. This method of obtaining safety measure can be used for many different types of applications. The safety surrogate for the traffic dynamics are developed in terms of a new concept of Negative Speed Differentials (NSD) that involve a convolution of vehicle speed function obtained from vehicle trajectories and then performing the integration of the square of the output for its negative values. The framework is applicable to microscopic traffic dynamics as well where we can use car following models for microscopic dynamics or the LWR model for macroscopic dynamics. This paper then presents the use of this new safety surrogate on the development of a feedback control law for controlling traffic in work zones using Dynamic Message Signs. A hybrid dynamics model is used to represent the switching dynamics due to changing DMS messages. A feedback control design for choosing those messages is presented as well as a simple simulation example to show its application.     

Balancing energy consumption and risk of delay in high speed trains: A three-objective real-time eco-driving algorithm with fuzzy parameters

Eco-driving is an energy efficient traffic operation measure that may lead to important energy savings in high speed railway lines. When a delay arises in real time, it is necessary to recalculate an optimal driving that must be energy efficient and computationally efficient.In addition, it is important that the algorithm includes the existing uncertainty associated with the manual execution of the driving parameters and with the possible future traffic disturbances that could lead to new delays.This paper proposes a new algorithm to be executed in real time, which models the uncertainty in manual driving by means of fuzzy numbers. It is a multi-objective optimization algorithm that includes the classical objectives in literature, running time and energy consumption, and as well a newly defined objective, the risk of delay in arrival. The risk of delay in arrival measure is based on the evolution of the time margin of the train up to destination.The proposed approach is a dynamic algorithm designed to improve the computational time. The optimal Pareto front is continuously tracked during the train travel, and a new set of driving commands is selected and presented to the driver when a delay is detected.The algorithm evaluates the 3 objectives of each solution using a detailed simulator of high speed trains to ensure that solutions are realistic, accurate and applicable by the driver. The use of this algorithm provides energy savings and, in addition, it permits railway operators to balance energy consumption and risk of delays in arrival. This way, the energy performance of the system is improved without degrading the quality of the service.     

Mental models of driving and speed: biases,choices and reality

This paper provides a review of research performed by Svenson with colleagues and others work on mental models and their practical implications. Mental models describe how people perceive and think about the world including covariances and relationships between different variables, such as driving speed and time. Research on mental models has detected the time-saving bias [Svenson, O. (1970). A functional measurement approach to intuitive estimation as exemplified by estimated time savings. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 86, 204–210]. It means that drivers relatively overestimate the time that can be saved by increasing speed from an already high speed, for example, 90–130?km/h, and underestimate the time that can be saved by increasing speed from a low speed, for example, 30–45?km/h. In congruence with this finding, mean speed judgments and perceptions of mean speeds are also biased and higher speeds given too much weight and low speeds too little weight in comparison with objective reality. Replacing or adding a new speedometer in the car showing min per km eliminated or weakened the time-saving bias. Information about braking distances at different speeds did not improve overoptimistic judgments of braking capacity, but information about collision speed with an object suddenly appearing on the road did improve judgments of braking capacity. This is relevant to drivers, politicians and traffic regulators.     

Liner shipping network design with emission control areas: A genetic algorithm-based approach

To curb emissions, containerized shipping lines face the traditional trade-off between cost and emissions (CO₂ and SO_x) reduction. This paper considers this element in the context of liner service design and proposes a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model based on a multi-commodity pickup and delivery arc-flow formulation. The objective is to maximize the profit by selecting the ports to be visited, the sequence of port visit, the cargo flows between ports, as well as the number/operating speeds of vessels on each arc of the selected route. The problem also considers that Emission Control Areas (ECAs) exist in the liner network and accounts for the vessel carrying capacity. In addition to using the MILP solver of CPLEX, we develop in the paper a specific genetic algorithm (GA) based heuristic and show that it gives the possibility to reach an optimal solution when solving large size instances.     

Integrated vehicle and powertrain optimization for passenger vehicles with vehicle-infrastructure communication

This research proposes an optimal controller to improve fuel efficiency for a vehicle equipped with automatic transmission traveling on rolling terrain without the presence of a close preceding vehicle. Vehicle acceleration and transmission gear position are optimized simultaneously to achieve a better fuel efficiency. This research leverages the emerging Connected Vehicle technology and utilizes present and future information—such as real-time dynamic speed limit, vehicle speed, location and road topography—as optimization input. The optimal control is obtained using the Relaxed Pontryagin’s Minimum Principle. The benefit of the proposed optimal controller is significant compared to the regular cruise control and other eco-drive systems. It varies with the hill length, grade, and the number of available gear positions. It ranges from an increased fuel saving of 18–28% for vehicles with four-speed transmission and 25–45% for vehicles with six-speed transmission. The computational time for the optimization is 1.0–2.1 s for the four-speed vehicle and 1.8–3.9 s for the six-speed vehicle, given a 50 s optimization time horizon and 0.1 s time step. The proposed controller can potentially be used in real-time.     

Validation of an extended discrete first-order model with variable speed limits

This paper validates the prediction model embedded in a model predictive controller (MPC) of variable speed limits (VSLs). The MPC controller was designed based on an extended discrete first-order model with a triangular fundamental diagram. In our previous work, the extended discrete first-order model was designed to reproduce the capacity drop and the propagation of jam waves, and it was validated with reasonable accuracy without the presence of VSLs. As VSLs influence traffic dynamics, the dynamics including VSLs needs to be validated, before it can be applied as a prediction model in MPC. For conceptual illustrations, we use two synthetic examples to show how the model reproduces the key mechanisms of VSLs that are applied by existing VSL control approaches. Furthermore, the model is calibrated by use of real traffic data from Dutch freeway A12, where the field test of a speed limit control algorithm (SPECIALIST) was conducted. In the calibration, the original model is extended by using a quadrangular fundamental diagram which keeps the linear feature of the model and represents traffic states at the under-critical branch more accurately. The resulting model is validated using various traffic data sets. The accuracy of the model is compared with a second-order traffic flow model. The performance of two models is comparable: both models reproduce accurate results matching with real data. Flow errors of the calibration and validation are around 10%. The extended discrete first-order model-based MPC controller has been demonstrated to resolve freeway jam waves efficiently by synthetic cases. It has a higher computation speed comparing to the second-order model-based MPC.     

Variable speed limit control for severe non-recurrent freeway bottlenecks

Variable speed limit (VSL) schemes are developed based on the Kinematic Wave theory to increase discharge rates at severe freeway bottlenecks induced by non-recurrent road events such as incidents or work zones while smoothing speed transition. The main control principle is to restrict upstream demand (in free-flow) progressively to achieve three important objectives: (i) to provide gradual speed transition at the tail of an event-induced queue, (ii) to clear the queue around the bottleneck, and (iii) to discharge traffic at the stable maximum flow that can be sustained at the bottleneck without breakdown. These control objectives are accomplished without imposing overly restrictive speed limits. We further provide remedies for (a) underutilized bottleneck capacity due to underestimated stable maximum flow and (b) a re-emergent queue at the bottleneck due to an overestimated stable maximum flow. We analytically formulate the reductions in total delay in terms of control parameters to provide an insight into the system performance and sensitivity. The results from the parameter analysis suggest that significant delay savings can be realized with the proposed VSL control strategies.     

普速铁路钢轨滚动接触疲劳裂纹萌生研究和检验

以普速铁路京九线不同曲线半径为研究对象,建立车辆-轨道动力学模型、磨耗和裂纹萌生预测模型;计算60N廓形在不同曲线半径条件下的轮轨接触状态,预测了不同曲线条件下磨耗发展率、裂纹萌生位置与寿命,并与京九线现场观测结果进行对比验证。研究结果表明:随着疲劳损伤的累积,不同曲线半径下钢轨的阶段磨耗发展率呈下降的趋势,其中曲线半径小(600 m)的磨耗发展率降低最快,随着曲线半径的增大,平均磨耗发展率降低趋势减缓;不同曲线半径下钢轨裂纹萌生位置均在钢轨表面以下1～3 mm处,横向位置在距离轨顶中心15～20 mm范围内,曲线半径600 m外轨裂纹萌生寿命大约为2.64×10⁵次,内轨裂纹萌生寿命约为4.86×10⁵次,与现场观测较为符合。     

高速铁路黄土隧道内轨道板上拱机理及整治方案

采用现场钻探、调查等方法对高速铁路黄土隧道运营前洞口段轨道板上拱现象进行分析,研究轨道板上拱机理,并给出相应处理方案。分析结果表明:中心水沟渗漏导致地基土含水率增大是轨道板上拱的主要原因;隧底湿陷性新黄土受水浸泡软化,仰拱填充层开裂,明洞段受其两侧暗洞段与路基桩板纵向挤压作用产生隆起;受水浸泡后,寒季冻涨作用使轨道板上拱。整治前隧道进口洞门段轨道板上拱最大值为12.9 mm,采用旋喷桩对隧道仰拱底予以加固并采取隧道疏排水措施后上拱现象消失,说明该措施可有效控制轨道板上拱变形。     

公交浮动车辆到站时间实时预测模型

根据公交浮动车辆实时GPS数据, 考虑不同时段的路段平均速度、公交车站、信号灯等多因素的影响, 建立了一种新的公交车辆到站时间预测模型。通过估计到达下游最临近站点的时间和判断道路上GPS数据的有效性等方法, 改善了预测模型的精度, 并应用重庆公交车辆数据对模型进行验证。计算结果表明: 该模型能够实时预测公交浮动车辆到达下游站点的时间, 预测精度优于现有方法, 在高峰时段预测误差小于9%, 在非高峰时段预测误差约为6%, 并对各种道路交通条件具有较好的适应性。