Kinetic Models for Granular Flow

The generalization of the Boltzmann and Enskog kinetic equations to allow inelastic collisions provides a basis for studies of granular media at a fundamental level. For elastic collisions the significant technical challenges presented in solving these equations have been circumvented by the use of corresponding model kinetic equations. The objective here is to discuss the formulation of model kinetic equations for the case of inelastic collisions. To illustrate the qualitative changes resulting from inelastic collisions the dynamics of a heavy particle in a gas of much lighter particles is considered first. The Boltzmann–Lorentz equation is reduced to a Fokker–Planck equation and its exact solution is obtained. Qualitative differences from the elastic case arise primarily from the cooling of the surrounding gas. The excitations, or physical spectrum, are no longer determined simply from the Fokker–Planck operator, but rather from a related operator incorporating the cooling effects. Nevertheless, it is shown that a diffusion mode dominates for long times just as in the elastic case. From the spectral analysis of the Fokker–Planck equation an associated kinetic model is obtained. In appropriate dimensionless variables it has the same form as the BGK kinetic model for elastic collisions, known to be an accurate representation of the Fokker–Planck equation. On the basis of these considerations, a kinetic model for the Boltzmann equation is derived. The exact solution for states near the homogeneous cooling state is obtained and the transport properties are discussed, including the relaxation toward hydrodynamics. As a second application of this model, it is shown that the exact solution for uniform shear flow arbitrarily far from equilibrium can be obtained from the corresponding known solution for elastic collisions. Finally, the kinetic model for the dense fluid Enskog equation is described.     

瓶颈处车辆横纵向行为建模与分析

车辆的横向偏移现象在现实的交通流中广泛存在, 交通瓶颈处的横向偏移现象往往更加显著. 车辆间横纵向的运动相互干扰, 使得瓶颈交通流组织十分混乱, 通行能力受到显著影响. 为了研究瓶颈处车辆横纵向行为规律及其对交通流的影响, 提出一个考虑横向偏移特征的车辆行为模型: 通过引入目标转向角概念,并结合经典优化速度模型, 给出了用于描述车辆的横纵向运动规律的运动方程, 同时通过分析车辆横向偏移特征, 制定了基于车辆行驶状态划分的目标转向角确定规则集. 数值模拟结果表明: 车辆的横向偏移会对交通流的运行产生影响, 在一定的横向偏移反应阈值下, 瓶颈处横向干扰于交通流的影响随着密度的增加而增加; 同时观察到了实际城市交通瓶颈的宏观及微观现象, 验证了模型的有效性. 关键词： 交通流 瓶颈 车辆行为 横向偏移特征     

Stochastic Description of Traffic Flow

We propose a traffic model based on microscopic stochastic dynamics. We built a Markov chain equipped with an Arrhenius interaction law. The resulting stochastic process is comprised of both spin-flip and spin-exchange dynamics which models vehicles exiting, entering and interacting in a two-dimensional lattice environment corresponding to a multi-lane highway. The process is further equipped with a novel look-ahead type, anisotropic interaction potential which allows drivers/vehicles to ascertain local fluctuations and advance to new cells forward or sideways. The resulting vehicular traffic model is simulated via kinetic Monte Carlo and examined under both, typical and extreme traffic flow scenarios. The model is shown to correctly predict both qualitative as well as quantitative traffic observables for any highway geometry. Furthermore it also captures interesting multi-scale phenomena in traffic flows after a simulated accident which lead to oscillatory, dissipating, traffic waves with different periods per lane.     

Traffic states and fundamental diagram in cellular automaton model of vehicular traffic controlled by signals

We present a cellular automaton (CA) model for vehicular traffic controlled by traffic lights. The CA model is not described by a set of rules, but is given by a simple difference equation. The vehicular motion varies highly with both signals’ characteristics and vehicular density. The dependence of tour time on both cycle time and vehicular density is clarified. In the dilute limit of vehicles, the vehicular motion is compared with that by the nonlinear-map model. The fundamental diagrams are derived numerically. It is shown that the fundamental diagram depends highly on the signals’ characteristics. The traffic states are shown for various values of cycle time in the fundamental diagram. We also study the effect of a slow vehicle on the traffic flow.     

Vehicular motion in counter traffic flow through a series of signals controlled by a phase shift

We study the dynamical behavior of counter traffic flow through a sequence of signals (traffic lights) controlled by a phase shift. There are two lanes for the counter traffic flow: the first lane is for east-bound vehicles and the second lane is for west-bound vehicles. The green-wave strategy is studied in the counter traffic flow where the phase shift of signals in the second lane has opposite sign to that in the first lane. A nonlinear dynamic model of the vehicular motion is presented by nonlinear maps at a low density. There is a distinct difference between the traffic flow in the first lane and that in the second lane. The counter traffic flow exhibits very complex behavior on varying the cycle time, the phase difference, and the split. Also, the fundamental diagram is derived by the use of the cellular automaton (CA) model. The dependence of east-bound and west-bound vehicles on cycle time, phase difference, and density is clarified.     

Vehicular motion in 2D city traffic network with signals controlled by phase shift

We study the dynamic behavior of vehicular traffic through the series of traffic lights controlled by phase shift in two-dimensional (2D) city traffic network. The nonlinear-map model is presented for the vehicular traffic. The city traffic network is made of one-way perpendicular streets arranged in a square lattice with traffic signals where vertical streets are oriented upwards and horizontal streets are oriented rightwards. There are two traffic lights for the movement to north or that to east at each crossing. The traffic lights are controlled by the cycle time, split, and phase shift. The vehicle moves through the series of signals on a path selected by the driver. The city traffic with a heterogeneous density distribution is also studied. The dependence of the arrival time on cycle time, split, phase shift, selected path, and density is clarified for 2D city traffic. It is shown that the vehicular traffic is efficiently controlled by the phase shift.     

统一的对流扩散型可压缩流体力学方程与解法

流体力学的动量方程、能量方程、湍动能方程和耗散方程都具有对流扩散方程的形式,但连续方程却不是对流扩散型的。对于可压缩问题,本文通过合理的数学推导,不作任何近似、假定与简化,得到一个全新的连续方程形式．该连续方程以压力为未知变量,并具有对流扩散型形式,使得所有的流体动力学方程组都具有完全统一的方程形式,给出了这种三维对流扩散方程组的有限精确差分计算格式。对流体力学的进一步发展具有一定意义．     

Velocity field of wave-induced local fluid flow in double-porosity media

Under the excitation of elastic waves,local fluid flow in a complex porous medium is a major cause for wave dispersion and attenuation.When the local fluid flow process is simulated with wave propagation equations in the double-porosity medium,two porous skeletons are usually assumed,namely,host and inclusions.Of them,the volume ratio of inclusion skeletons is low.All previous studies have ignored the consideration of local fluid flow velocity field in inclusions,and therefore they can not completely describe the physical process of local flow oscillation and should not be applied to the situation where the fluid kinetic energy in inclusions cannot be neglected.In this paper,we analyze the local fluid flow velocity fields inside and outside the inclusion,rewrite the kinetic energy function and dissipation function based on the double-porosity medium model containing spherical inclusions,and derive the reformulated Biot-Rayleigh(BR)equations of elastic wave propagation based on Hamilton’s principle.We present simulation examples with different rock and fluid types.Comparisons between BR equations and reformulated BR equations show that there are significant differences in wave response characteristics.Finally,we compare the reformulated BR equations with the previous theories and experimental data,and the results show that the theoretical results of this paper are correct and effective.     

Fundamental diagram in traffic flow of mixed vehicles on multi-lane highway

We study the fundamental diagram for traffic flow of vehicular mixture on a multi-lane highway. We present the car-following model of multi-lane traffic in which slow and fast vehicles flow with changing lanes. We investigate the traffic states of the vehicular mixture under the periodic boundary. Two values of the current appear at a density and two current curves are obtained. Vehicles move with changing lanes in the traffic state of high current, while vehicles move without changing lanes in the traffic state of low current. They depend on the density, the fraction of slow vehicles, and the initial condition. In the high-current curve, the jamming transition between the free flow and the jammed state occurs at a low density. The fundamental diagrams (current-density diagrams) are shown for the single-lane, two-lane, three-lane, and four-lane traffics.     

Phase states of traffic flows in linear tunnels. Analysis of empirical data

The empirical data on traffic flows collected in the linear portion of the Lefortovsky tunnel of the third Moscow transport ring were analyzed. It was shown that the crowded traffic observed in the tunnel is indeed characterized by the synchronized vehicular traffic. In particular, long-range spatial correlations in their motion velocities and the region of “widely scattered states”, i.e., two typical properties of the synchronized vehicular traffic phase, were detected in the fundamental diagram. Moreover, the phase diagram of the traffic flow dynamics showed two regions with essentially different properties, which are separated by a narrow layer with a virtually fixed vehicle density. One of them corresponds to synchronized vehicular traffic and contains a core of chaotic dynamics. Another region corresponds to irreversible formation of wide moving jams.     

Vehicular motion on a selected path in a 2d traffic network controlled by signals

We study the dynamic behavior of vehicular traffic through a series of traffic lights on selected paths in a two-dimensional (2d) traffic network. The city traffic network is made of one-way perpendicular streets arranged in a square lattice with traffic signals where vertical streets are oriented upwards and horizontal streets are oriented rightwards. A vehicle moves through the series of signals on a path selected by the driver. The selected path is one of the straight, zigzag, and random paths in a 2d traffic network. The vehicular motion on a selected path is presented by the nonlinear-map model. Vehicular traffic exhibits very complex behavior with varying selected paths, cycle times, and vehicular density. The dependence of the arrival time on cycle time, selected path, and density is clarified for 2d city traffic.     

Effect of restart at signals on traffic flow through a series of signals

We study the effect of restart at signals on the vehicular traffic controlled by a series of signals. The Nagel–Schreckenberg model (NS model) and Fukui–Ishibashi model (FI model) are applied to the vehicular motion. In the FI model, the step-by-step acceleration is not taken into account but the acceleration effect is included in the NS model. It is shown that the difference between both models results in the restart effect at signals. The extended version of the NS model with signals is formulated by the difference equation. The restart at signals has an effective effect on the traffic flow. The fundamental diagram changes highly by the restart effect. The dependences of mean speed on the cycle time are shown.     

Kinetic modeling of a high power fast-axial-flow CO2 laser with computational fluid dynamics method

A new computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method for the simulation of fast-axial-flow CO2 laser is developed.The model which is solved by CFD software uses a set of dynamic differential equations to describe the dynamic process in one discharge tube.The velocity,temperature,pressure and turbulence energy distributions in discharge passage are presented.There is a good agreement between the theoretical prediction and the experimental results.This result indicates that the parameters of the laser have significant effect on the flow distribution in the discharge passage.It is helpful to optimize the output of high power CO2 laser by mastering its kinetic characteristics.     

道路交通的流体物理模型与粒子仿真方法

针对受多种因素影响的复杂道路交通系统问题,基于颗粒动力学理论,结合传统的Lighthill-WhithamRichards物理模型,建立道路交通系统的流体物理模型,采用无网格粒子与网格相结合的方法进行数值仿真,并应用于典型道路交通问题的求解.在新模型中,将车辆比拟为硬颗粒,车辆的跟车比拟为颗粒间的碰撞相互作用,已知道路情况对驾驶员操作车辆的影响比拟为流-粒两相系统中的外部流体驱动力作用,不同车道间车辆的影响比拟为颗粒间的黏性作用,从而在颗粒动力学理论的基础上,推导建立了道路交通系统拟流体模型;引入光滑离散颗粒流体动力学(SDPH)对车辆系统模型进行离散,建立"SDPH车辆"与真实车辆之间的一一对应关系,再结合有限体积方法,对道路交通构建的双流体模型进行求解,建立求解交通流体物理模型的新型仿真方法.最后,采用所建立的模型和方法对车辆汇入以及机非混合对交通系统的影响过程进行了数值仿真,所得结果与实测值符合较好,表明新的模型和方法有效性好、可靠性高,为道路交通问题的解决提供了一条全新的途径.     

Cellular automaton model for traffic flow based on safe driving policies and human reactions

This paper proposes a new single-lane cellular automaton model for traffic flow. The model takes into account normal drivers’ spacing policies and transportation engineering practices to guarantee that microscopic vehicle behavior is more in line with vehicular movement in the real world. As a result, drivers’ reactions are based on a safety analysis that determines the most appropriate action for a vehicle to take. Hence, the model introduces a new set of simple rules to change the speed of vehicles that incorporates three important thresholds required by the follower vehicle to accelerate, slow down or maintain its speed. Thus, the space gap, relative speed and limited acceleration/deceleration capabilities are introduced into simulations. Simulation results obtained from a system with periodic conditions show that the model can smooth the speed drop when vehicles approach the upstream front of the traffic jam. Therefore, the model avoids unrealistic deceleration behavior found in most previous cellular automata models. Besides, the model is also capable of reproducing most empirical findings including the three states of traffic flow, the backward speed of the downstream front of the traffic jam, and different congested traffic patterns induced by a system with open boundary conditions with an on-ramp. Moreover, the new model preserves the computational simplicity of the cellular automata models.     

Continuum modeling for two-lane traffic flow with consideration of the traffic interruption probability

Considering the effects that the probability of traffic interruption and the friction between two lanes have on the car-following behaviour,this paper establishes a new two-lane microscopic car-following model.Based on this microscopic model,a new macroscopic model was deduced by the relevance relation of microscopic and macroscopic scale parameters for the two-lane traffic flow.Terms related to lane change are added into the continuity equations and velocity dynamic equations to investigate the lane change rate.Numerical results verify that the proposed model can be efficiently used to reflect the effect of the probability of traffic interruption on the shock,rarefaction wave and lane change behaviour on two-lane freeways.The model has also been applied in reproducing some complex traffic phenomena caused by traffic accident interruption.     

Hetero-Bäcklund transformation and similarity reduction of an extended (2+1)-dimensional coupled Burgers system in fluid mechanics

Nowadays, the Burgers-type equations are seen in plasma astrophysics, ocean dynamics, atmospheric science, computational fluid mechanics, cosmology, condensed matter physics, statistical physics, nonlinear acoustics, vehicular traffic, electronic transport, and so forth. In this Letter, we investigate an extended (2+1)-dimensional coupled Burgers system in fluid mechanics. With symbolic computation and with reference to the velocity components in fluid-related problems, we construct a hetero-Bäcklund transformation and a similarity reduction, depending on the coefficients in the system.