Dynamic congestion pricing with day-to-day flow evolution and user heterogeneity

This paper investigates evolutionary implementation of congestion pricing schemes to minimize the system cost and time, measured in monetary and time units, respectively, with the travelers’ day-to-day route adjustment behavior and their heterogeneity. The travelers’ heterogeneity is captured by their value-of-times. First, the multi-class flow dynamical system is proposed to model the travelers’ route adjustment behavior in a tolled transportation network with multiple user classes. Then, the stability condition and properties of equilibrium is examined. We further investigate the trajectory control problem via dynamic congestion pricing scheme to derive the system cost, time optimum, and generally, Pareto optimum in the sense of simultaneous minimization of system cost and time. The trajectory control problem is modeled by a differential–algebraic system with the differential sub-system capturing the flow dynamics and the algebraic one capturing the pricing constraint. The explicit Runge–Kutta method is proposed to calculate the dynamic flow trajectories and anonymous link tolls. The method allows the link tolls to be updated with any predetermined periods and forces the system cost and/or time to approach the optimum levels. Both analytical and numerical examples are adopted to examine the efficiency of the method.     

Dynamic traffic assignment of cooperative adaptive cruise control

Advances in connected and automated vehicle technologies have resulted in new vehicle applications, such as cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC). Microsimulation models have shown significant increases in capacity and stability due to CACC, but most previous work has relied on microsimulation. To study the effects of CACC on larger networks and with user equilibrium route choice, we incorporate CACC into the link transmission model (LTM) for dynamic network loading. First, we derive the flow-density relationship from the MIXIC car-following model of CACC (at 100% CACC market penetration). The flow-density relationship has an unusual shape; part of the congested regime has an infinite congested wave speed. However, we verify that the flow predictions match observations from MIXIC modeled in VISSIM. Then, we use the flow-density relationship from MIXIC in LTM. Although the independence of separate links restricts the maximum congested wave speed, for common freeway link lengths the congested wave speed is sufficiently high to fit the observed flows from MIXIC. Results on a freeway and regional networks (with CACC-exclusive lanes) indicate that CACC could reduce freeway congestion, but naïve deployment of CACC-exclusive lanes could cause an increase in total system travel time.     

Dynamic airspace sectorisation for flight-centric operations

Today’s air traffic operations follow the paradigm of ‘flow follows structure’, which already limits the operational efficiency and punctuality of current air traffic movements. Therefore, we introduce the dynamic airspace sectorisation and consequently change this paradigm to the more appropriate approach of ‘structure follows flow’. The dynamic airspace sectorisation allows an efficient allocation of scarce resources considering operational, economic and ecological constraints in both nominal and variable air traffic conditions. Our approach clusters traffic patterns and uses evolutionary algorithms for optimisation of the airspace, focusing on high capacity utilisation through flexible use of airspace, appropriate distribution of task load for air traffic controllers and fast adaptation to changed operational constraints. We thereby offer a solution for handling non-convex airspace boundaries and provide a proof of concept using current operational airspace structures and enabling a flight-centric air traffic management. We are confident that our developed dynamic airspace sectorisation significantly contributes to the challenges of future airspace by providing appropriate structures for future 4D aircraft trajectories taking into account various operational aspects of air traffic such as temporally restricted areas, limited capacities, zones of convective weather or urban air mobility. Dynamic sectorisation is a key enabling technology in the achievement of the ambitious goals of Single European Sky and Flightpath 2050 through a reduction in coordination efforts, efficient resource allocation, reduced aircraft emissions, fewer detours, and minimisation of air traffic delays.     

Estimating the ride quality characteristics of vehicles with random decrement analysis of on-the-road vibration response data

This paper describes the application of a practical analytical technique based on the random decrement method to estimate the rigid sprung mass dynamic characteristics (frequency response function) of road vehicles using only vibration response data during constant-speed operation. A brief history and development of the random decrement technique is presented, along with a summary of work undertaken on optimal parameter selection to establish the random decrement signature. Two approaches to estimate the dynamic characteristics from the random decrement signature are described and evaluated. A custom, single-wheeled vehicle (physical quarter car) was commissioned to undertake a series of on-the-road experiments at various nominally constant operating speeds. The vehicle, also instrumented as an inertial profilometer, simultaneously measured the longitudinal pavement profile to establish the vehicle's actual dynamic characteristics during operation. The main outcome of the paper is that the random decrement technique can be used to provide accurate estimates of the sprung mass mode of the vehicle's dynamic characteristics for both linear and nonlinear suspension systems of an idealised vehicle.     

A discounted recursive logit model for dynamic gridlock network analysis

Emerging sensing technologies such as probe vehicles equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices on board provide us real-time vehicle trajectories. They are helpful for the understanding of the cases that are significant but difficult to observe because of the infrequency, such as gridlock networks. On the premise of this type of emerging technology, this paper propose a sequential route choice model that describes route choice behavior, both in ordinary networks, where drivers acquire spatial knowledge of networks through their experiences, and in extraordinary networks, which are situations that drivers rarely experience, and applicable to real-time traffic simulations. In extraordinary networks, drivers do not have any experience or appropriate information. In such a context, drivers have little spatial knowledge of networks and choose routes based on dynamic decision making, which is sequential and somewhat forward-looking. In order to model these decision-making dynamics, we propose a discounted recursive logit model, which is a sequential route choice model with the discount factor of expected future utility. Through illustrative examples, we show that the discount factor reflects drivers’ decision-making dynamics, and myopic decisions can confound the network congestion level. We also estimate the parameters of the proposed model using a probe taxis’ trajectory data collected on March 4, 2011 and on March 11, 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. The results show that the discount factor has a lower value in gridlock networks than in ordinary networks.     

Big data driven dynamic driving cycle development for busses in urban public transportation

Field-relevant reference driving cycles, equivalent to real-life operation, are a prerequisite for the consistent development and testing of vehicles, their components, and control algorithms. Furthermore they are the basis for certification and type testing. However, a static cycle can easily be detected during vehicle testing, so that optimized control parameters could be used to obtain improved emission results under test conditions. In this paper, a novel method is described and applied to generate a dynamic driving cycle that statistically matches the real-life operation of a vehicle. The analysis is performed based on an extensive field data set obtained during an automated measurement campaign of public busses for more than a full year with 27,365 h of operation and 315,583 km driven in the city of Hamburg (Germany). The data collected is statistically compared to the static reference cycles New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and Worldwide harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). Two micro trip models with increasing complexity are described and fit to the data set. All models are quantitatively compared to the measured data set applying a Quality of Fit (QoF) indicator. Based on the highest consistency to field data, a non-deterministic driving cycle generator is developed and its output is statistically compared to the original measurement. In contrast to the existing reference cycles, the dynamic output of the non-deterministic driving cycle generator presented in this paper is statistically proven to be consistent with real-life operation of public busses in the urban environment of Hamburg.     

Infrastructure based approach for roadway departure risk assessment

This paper presents a warning device to prevent the roadway departure of light vehicles while cornering. The proposed risk assessment methodology is based on recent works from the authors (Rey et al., 2011b,a; Rey, 2010). Given the random variability arising from the driver, the vehicle and the infrastructure at the entrance to the curve, a probabilistic strategy is adopted to assess the roadway departure risk. The infrastructure-based methodology enables the real curve characteristics to be considered and an alarm triggering decision to be made. Two safety criteria are tested and the potential safety benefits of the proposed warning device are evaluated. Contrary to existing roadway departure warning systems, the proposed approach does not require extra equipment for vehicles; it only requires that the measuring and warning devices be part of the road infrastructure, which is a great advantage in terms of economic cost.     

接触网腕臂结构系统动力学分析

根据实际工况建立接触网腕臂结构系统的有限元模型。利用有限元法对此模型进行受力分析,校核其静强度、静刚度。建立腕臂结构系统的动力学模型,通过模态分析得出模型的前10阶固有频率及振型,并通过谐响应分析计算在外载荷的影响下结构的共振频率。通过对腕臂结构系统的动力学分析,得出在外载荷作用下,整体结构系统不会发生共振现象,与实际工程项目相符,为工程实际提供理论支持。     

南广铁路西江特大桥有砟轨道静态调整技术

南广铁路西江特大桥主桥结构形式为450 m的钢箱提篮拱桥,针对本桥的结构特点,在轨道静态调整过程中制定有针对性的精调原则,利用精调小车配合全站仪进行轨道数据测量,并制定相应的施工工艺,最终成功完成西江特大桥的轨道精调工作,并顺利通过动态检测。     

Experimental and numerical analysis of a tanker side panel laterally punched by a knife edge indenter

The paper presents finite element simulations of a small-scale stiffened plate specimen quasi-statically punched at the mid-span by a rigid indenter, in order to examine its energy absorbing mechanisms and fracture. The specimen, scaled from a tanker side panel, is limited by one span between the web frames and the stringers. The paper provides practical information to estimate the extent of structural damage within ship side panels during collision accidents. Moreover, the results of this investigation should have relevance to evaluate grounding scenarios in which the bottom sustains local penetration. This is possible since the structural arrangement of the double hull and the double bottom of tanker vessels is very similar. The experimentally obtained force–displacement response and shape of the deformation show good agreement with the simulations performed by the explicit LS-DYNA finite element solver. The numerical analysis includes aspects of particular relevance to the behaviour of ship structures subjected to accidental loads which could give rise to difficulties in interpreting finite element calculations. In particular, the paper comments on the material nonlinearities, the importance of specifying the precise boundary conditions and the joining details of the structure. The considerable practical importance of these aspects has been the focus of attention in previous publications of the authors which evaluate the experimental-numerical impact response of simple ship structural components, such as beams and plates. Therefore, this paper uses the definitions proposed in those references to evaluate its applicability in the scaled tanker side panel, as an example of a more complex ship structure.