Cellular automata model for traffic flow with safe driving conditions

In this paper, a recently introduced cellular automata （CA） model is used for a statistical analysis of the inner micro-scopic structure of synchronized traffic flow. The analysis focuses on the formation and dissolution of clusters or platoons of vehicles, as the mechanism that causes the presence of this synchronized traffic state with a high flow. This platoon formation is one of the most interesting phenomena observed in traffic flows and plays an important role both in manual and automated highway systems （AHS）. Simulation results, obtained from a single-lane system under periodic boundary conditions indicate that in the density region where the synchronized state is observed, most vehicles travel together in pla- toons with approximately the same speed and small spatial distances. The examination of velocity variations and individual vehicle gaps shows that the flow corresponding to the synchronized state is stable, safe and highly correlated. Moreover, results indicate that the observed platoon formation in real traffic is reproduced in simulations by the relation between vehicle headway and velocity that is embedded in the dynamics definition of the CA model.     

The effect of ACC vehicles to mixed traffic flow consisting of manual and ACC vehicles

This paper studies the effect of adaptive cruise control （ACC） system on traffic flow by using simulations. The multiple headway and velocity difference （MHVD） model is used to depict the motion of ACC vehicles, and the simulation results are compared with the optimal velocity （OV） model which is used to depict the motion of manual vehicles. Compared the cases between the manual and the ACC vehicle flow, the fundamental diagram can be classified into four regions： I, II, III, IV. In low and high density the flux of the two models is the same; in region II the free flow region of the MHVD model is enlarged, and the flux of the MHVD model is larger than that of the OV model; in region III serious jams occur in the OV model while the ACC system suppresses the jams in the MHVD model and the traffic flow is in order, but the flux of the OV model is larger than that of the MHVD model. Similar phenomena also appeared in mixed traffic flow which consists of manual and ACC vehicles. The results indicate that ACC vehicles have significant effect on traffic flow. The improvement induced by ACC vehicles decreases with the increasing proportion of ACC vehicles.     

Traffic flow characteristics in a mixed traffic system consisting of ACC vehicles and manual vehicles: A hybrid modelling approach

In this paper, we have investigated traffic flow characteristics in a traffic system consisting of a mixture of adaptive cruise control (ACC) vehicles and manual-controlled (manual) vehicles, by using a hybrid modelling approach. In the hybrid approach, (i) the manual vehicles are described by a cellular automaton (CA) model, which can reproduce different traffic states (i.e., free flow, synchronised flow, and jam) as well as probabilistic traffic breakdown phenomena; (ii) the ACC vehicles are simulated by using a car-following model, which removes artificial velocity fluctuations due to intrinsic randomisation in the CA model. We have studied the traffic breakdown probability from free flow to congested flow, the phase transition probability from synchronised flow to jam in the mixed traffic system. The results are compared with that, where both ACC vehicles and manual vehicles are simulated by CA models. The qualitative and quantitative differences are indicated.     

一种改进的一维元胞自动机交通流模型及减速概率的影响

在Nagel-Schrekenberg单车道元胞自动机交通流模型的基础上,考虑车辆之间的相对运动以及车辆减速概率对交通状态的影响,提出了一种改进的单车道元胞自动机交通流模型.并以该模型进行计算机模拟,结果表明,在车流状态的演化过程中,通过确定减速概率与车辆密度的指数v关系来控制车流量,不同的v值车流量不同,对车辆运动出现堵塞相的相变点有影响.当v约为0.75时,模拟结果与实测结果符合.随着车辆密度的增加,车辆的局域聚集程度加大,平均速度下降增大,将出现不稳定的车辆聚集的堵塞相.在车辆的运动过程中,车流的运 关键词： 交通流 元胞自动机 减速概率 堵塞相     

Phase transition in a mixture of adaptive cruise control vehicles and manual vehicles

In this paper, we have investigated the effects of adaptive cruise control (ACC) vehicles in a mixture with manually-controlled (manual) vehicles. The manual vehicles are simulated by using the modified comfortable driving model, which can describe synchronized traffic flow. The phase transition probabilities from free flow to synchronized flow and from synchronized flow to jams are studied. The impact of ACC vehicles on the flow rates in free flow and synchronized flow and on the propagation velocity of the downstream front of jams are investigated. The dependence of microscopic properties of traffic flow, including the spatiotemporal patterns and the velocity distribution, is explored. Our results are expected to be useful for developing ACC systems.     

Analyses of a heterogeneous lattice hydrodynamic model with low and high-sensitivity vehicles

Basic lattice model is extended to study the heterogeneous traffic by considering the optimal current difference effect on a unidirectional single lane highway. Heterogeneous traffic consisting of low- and high-sensitivity vehicles is modeled and their impact on stability of mixed traffic flow has been examined through linear stability analysis. The stability of flow is investigated in five distinct regions of the neutral stability diagram corresponding to the amount of higher sensitivity vehicles present on road. In order to investigate the propagating behavior of density waves non linear analysis is performed and near the critical point, the kink antikink soliton is obtained by driving mKdV equation. The effect of fraction parameter corresponding to high sensitivity vehicles is investigated and the results indicates that the stability rise up due to the fraction parameter. The theoretical findings are verified via direct numerical simulation.     

Modeling the heterogeneous traffic flow considering the effect of self-stabilizing and autonomous vehicles

With the increasing maturity of automatic driving technology,the homogeneous traffic flow will gradually evolve into the heterogeneous traffic flow,which consists of human-driving and autonomous vehicles.To better study the characteristics of the heterogeneous traffic system,this paper proposes a new car-following model for autonomous vehicles and heterogeneous traffic flow,which considers the self-stabilizing effect of vehicles.Through linear and nonlinear methods,this paper deduces and analyzes the stability of such a car-following model with the self-stabilizing effect.Finally,the model is verified by numerical simulation.Numerical results show that the self-stabilizing effect can make the heterogeneous traffic flow more stable,and that increasing the self-stabilizing coefficient or historical time length can strengthen the stability of heterogeneous traffic flow and alleviate traffic congestion effectively.In addition,the heterogeneous traffic flow can also be stabilized with a higher proportion of autonomous vehicles.     

Long-range correlation analysis of urban traffic data

<正>This paper investigates urban traffic data by analysing the long-range correlation with detrended fluctuation analysis.Through a large number of real data collected by the travel time detection system in Beijing,the variation of flow in different time periods and intersections is studied.According to the long-range correlation in different time scales, it mainly discusses the effect of intersection location in road net,people activity customs and special traffic controls on urban traffic flow.As demonstrated by the obtained results,the urban traffic flow represents three-phase characters similar to highway traffic.Moreover,compared by the two groups of data obtained before and after the special traffic restrictions(vehicles with special numbered plates only run in a special workday) enforcement,it indicates that the rules not only reduce the flow but also avoid irregular fluctuation.     

Characteristics of synchronized traffic in mixed traffic flow

In this paper, the characteristics of synchronized traffic in mixed traffic flow are investigated based on the braking light model. By introducing the energy dissipation and the distribution of slowdown vehicles, the effects of the maximum velocity, the mixing ratio, and the length of vehicles on the synchronized flow are discussed. It is found that the maximum velocity plays a great role in the synchronized flow in mixed traffic. The energy dissipation and the distribution of slowdown vehicles in the synchronized flow region are greatly different from those in free flow and a traffic jamming region. When all of vehicles have the same maximum velocity with V max > 15, the mixed traffic significantly displays synchronized flow, which has been demonstrated by the relation between flow rate and occupancy and estimation of the cross-correlation function. Moreover, the energy dissipation in the synchronized flow region does not increase with occupancy. The distribution of slowdown vehicles shows a changeless platform in the synchronized flow region. This is an interesting phenomenon. It helps to deeply understand the synchronized flow and greatly reduce the energy dissipation of traffic flow.     

开放性边界条件下双车道元胞自动机交通流模型耦合效应研究

在一种改进的Nagel-Schrekenberg元胞自动机交通流模型的基础上，提出一个高速公路双车 道元胞自动机模型来模拟开放性边界条件下的车流运动，并考虑两车道之间左边界开放程度 的比例系数α及车辆加减速概率p的影响.计算机数值模拟结果表明，在车流状态的演化过程 中，通过确定车道耦合系数b来控制车流量，不同的b值车流量不同，对车辆运动出现堵塞项 的相变点有影响. 关键词： 元胞自动机 交通流模型 耦合效应     

Dynamics of Motorized Vehicle Flow under Mixed Traffic Circumstance

To study the dynamics of mixed traffic flow consisting of motorized and non-motorized vehicles, a car-following model based on the principle of collision free and cautious driving is proposed. Lateral friction and overlapping driving are introduced to describe the interactions between motorized vehicles and non-motorized vehicles. By numerical simulations, the flux-density relation, thetemporal-spatial dynamics, and the velocity evolution are investigated in detail. The results indicate non-motorized vehicles have a significant impact on the motorized vehicle flow and cause the maximum flux to decline by about 13%. Non-motorized vehicles can decrease the motorized vehicle velocity and cause velocity oscillation when the motorized vehicle density is low. Moreover,non-motorized vehicles show a significant damping effect on the oscillating velocity when the density is medium and high, and such an effect weakens as motorized vehicle density increases. The results also stress the necessity for separating motorized vehicles from non-motorized vehicles.     

Jamming transition of a two-dimensional traffic dynamics with consideration of optimal current difference

A modified two-dimensional lattice hydrodynamic traffic flow model is proposed by incorporating the optimal current difference effect of leading vehicles. Phase transitions and critical phenomenon are investigated near the critical point both analytically and numerically. Based on the configuration of vehicles, it is shown that two distinct jamming transitions occur: conventional jamming transition to the kink jam and jamming transition to the chaotic jam. It is shown that consideration of optimal current difference effect stabilizes the traffic flow and suppresses the traffic jam efficiently for all possible configurations of vehicles on a square lattice.     

Cellular Automata Models of Traffic Behavior in Presence of SpeedBreaking Structures

In this article, we study traffic flow in the presence ofspeed breaking structures. The speed breakers are typically used toreduce the local speed of vehicles near certain institutions such asschools and hospitals. Through a cellular automata model we study the impact of such structures on global traffic characteristics. The simulation results indicate that the presence of speed breakers could reduce the global flow under moderate global densities. However, under low and high global density traffic regime the presence of speed breakers does not have an impact on the global flow. Further the speed limit enforced by the speed breaker createsa phase distinction. For a given global density and slowdown probability, as the speed limit enforced by the speed breaker increases, the traffic moves from the reduced flow phase to maximum flow phase. This underlines the importance of proper design of these structures to avoid undesired flow restrictions.     

考虑动态车间距的一维元胞自动机交通流模型

基于NaSch元胞自动机交通流模型, 考虑司机复杂的性格特征和驾驶行为差异, 引入相邻车辆的动态车间距, 提出了一个改进的单车道元胞自动机交通流模型. 通过数值模拟得到了流量-密度关系, 在中高密度区域呈现出一种弥散分布的状态而非惟一确定的关系, 再现了交通系统中的自由流、同步流及宽幅运动阻塞, 表明道路上即使没有交通瓶颈也会出现同步流和拥挤交通, 同时揭示了在同步流中存在的车辆高速跟驰现象, 高速跟驰率与交通实测结果较为符合.     

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.     

混有协同自适应巡航控制车辆的异质交通流稳定性解析与基本图模型

针对传统车辆和协同自适应巡航控制(cooperative adaptive cruise control,CACC)车辆构成的异质交通流,研究其稳定性与基本图模型.应用实车测试验证的CACC模型和智能驾驶员模型(intelligent driver model)分别作为CACC车辆和传统车辆的跟驰模型,建立异质流稳定性解析框架,研究不同平衡态速度、不同CACC车辆比例时的异质流稳定性.推导异质流基本图模型,并进行数值仿真实验.研究结果表明,在传统车辆稳定的速度范围,异质流处于稳定状态.在传统车辆不稳定的速度范围,CACC车辆比例增加以及平衡态速度远离9.6—18.6 m/s速度范围,均能够改善异质流的不稳定性.通行能力随着CACC车辆比例的增加而提高.此外,CACC模型的期望车间时距越大,异质流稳定域越大,但通行能力降低.因此,恒定车间时距CACC控制策略下的期望车间时距取值应权衡异质流稳定域和通行能力两个方面的影响.     

高速跟驰交通流动力学模型研究

为研究道路交通中的高速跟驰物理现象,针对高速跟驰车辆特点,综合考虑了驾驶员换道决策行为以及随机慢化等因素,结合前景理论等方法,提出了一种用于模拟道路交通流中高速跟驰物理现象的动力学模型(简称HCCA模型).通过计算机数值模拟,研究了高速跟驰交通流物理现象演化机理及高速跟驰特性.结果表明:与对称的双车道元胞自动机动力学模型相比,本文建立的HCCA动力学模型能够再现道路高速跟驰物理现象,并得到了道路小间距高速跟驰率超过7%的结果与实测结果相符合,最后模拟得到了丰富的交通物理现象,再现了自由流、同步流及运动阻塞等复杂交通物理现象.     

The effect of stochastic accelerating and delay probability with the velocity and the gap between vehicles on traffic flow

This paper proposes a new combined cellular automaton (CA) model considering the driver behavior of stochastic acceleration and delay with the velocity of the preceding vehicle and the gap between the successive vehicles based on the WWH model and the noise-first NaSch model. It introduces the delay probability varying with the gap, adds the anticipation headway and increases the acceleration with a certain probability. Through these simulations, not only can the metastable state and start--stop wave be obtained but also the synchronized flow which the wide moving jam results in. Moreover, the effect of stochastic acceleration and delay on traffic flow is discussed by analyzing the correlation of traffic data. This indicates that synchronized flow easily emerges in the critical area between free flow and synchronized flow when acceleration and delay are synchronized or their probability is close to 0.5.     

Discontinuous transition from free flow to synchronized flow induced by short-range interaction between vehicles in a three-phase traffic flow model

In this paper, we incorporate a limitation on the interaction range between neighboring vehicles into the cellular automaton model proposed by Gao and Jiang et al. [K. Gao, R. Jiang, S. X. Hu, B. H. Wang and Q. S. Wu, Phys. Rev. E 76 (2007) 026105], which was established within the framework of Kerner’s three-phase traffic theory and has been shown to be able to reproduce the three-phase traffic flow. This modification eliminates an unrealistic phenomenon found in the previous model, where the velocity-adaptation effect between neighboring vehicles can exist even if those vehicles are infinitely far away from each other. Therefore, in the improved model, we regulate that such interactions can only occur within a finite distance. For simplicity, we suppose a constant value to describe this distance in this paper. As a result, when compared to the previous model, the improved model mainly simulates the following results which are believed to be an improvement. (1) The improved model successfully reproduces the expected discontinuous transition from free flow to synchronized flow and the related “moving synchronized flow pattern”, which are both absent in the original model but have been observed in real traffic. (2) The improved model simulates the correlation functions, time headway distributions and optimal velocity functions which are all more consistent with the empirical data than the previous model and most of the other models published before. (3) Together with the previous two models considering the velocity-difference effect, this model finally accomplishes a significative process of developing traffic flow models from the traditional “fundamental diagram approach” to the three-phase traffic theory. This process should be helpful for us to understand the traffic dynamics and mechanics further and deeper.     

Traffic Flow States in a Freeway with Bottleneck

The system of mixture of single lane and double lane is studied by a cellular automata model, which is developed by us based on the Nagel and Schreckenberg's models. We justify that the model can reach a stable states quickly. The density distributions of the stable state is presented for several cases, which illustrate the manner of the congestion. The relationship between the outflow rate and the total number of vehicles and that between the outflow rate and the density just before the bottleneck are both given. Comparing with the relationship that occurring in the granular flow, we conclude that the transition from the free traffic flow to the congested traffic flow can also be attributed to the abrupt variation through unstable flow state, which can naturally explain the discontinuities and the complex time variation behavior observed in the traffic flow experiments.